Pierre Daunou

Pierre Claude François Daunou is a Politician, Archiviste and Historien French, secretary perpetual of the Académie of the inscriptions and the humanities, born with Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais) the August 18th 1761 and died in Paris the June 20th 1840.

Biography

Resulting from a family which was Protestant E at the 17th century, wire of Pierre Daunou, surgeon of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Sauzet Marie-Antoinette-Fibula, Pierre Daunou was pupil, then professor at the Oratorien S. Ordonné priest in 1787, he taught the humanities, philosophy and theology in several of the colleges of Oratoriens. He published a speech on the literary Influence of Boileau (1787), which was crowned by the Académie of Nimes, and a Mémoire on the origin, the extent and the limits of the paternal authority (1788), which the Académie distinguished from Berlin.

Under the French revolution

With the French revolution, it embraced the novel ideas, and, having taken party for the civil Constitution of the clergy, became large-vicar of the constitutional bishop of the Pas-de-Calais (1791). The September 9th 1792, this department sent it to sit at the Convention, where it was characterized by its moderation. Opposed to the setting in judgment of Louis XVI, it published Considérations on the lawsuit of Louis XVI and, by spirit of moderation, voted, the January 20th 1793, in favor of the reclusion until the peace followed by the deportation. It traced a complete program of State education and deposited a motion of order on the work of development of the constitution (April 1793).

Its protest against the arrest of the Girondins was worth the prison to him - with 72 other conventional - the October 3rd 1793. It left there after the Thermidor 9 (October 24th 1793). After its release, it took again its place with the Convention thermidorienne where it appeared among the eleven deputies in charge of the drafting of the Constitution of year III (1795). It presented a report/ratio “on the means of giving more intensity to the government”, defended the report/ratio on the electoral law, the state education and the organization of the Institut of France.

Secretary of Convention the 1st nivôse year III (December 21st 1794), president of the Parliament on Thermidor 18 year III (August 5th 1795), it was named member of the Institute the 29 brumaire year IV (November 20th 1795) and entered, the 23 vendémiaire according to (October 14th 1796), with the Conseil of the Five hundred, of which he became secretary the 1st germinal year V (March 21st 1797) then president the 3 fructidor year VI (August 20th 1798) after being re-elected there by the department of the Pas-de-Calais it 23 germinal year VI (April 12th 1798). It dealt to with it of the questions of state education, the organization of the Tribunal of cassation, the repression of the violations of the press laws, of the electoral law, etc Envoyé on mission to Rome in 1798 after the assassination of the general Duphot, it wrote the Constitution of the Roman République. At the same time, it was named administrator of the Bibliothèque Holy-Genevieve.

Under the Consulate and the Empire

Returned to France at the time of the Coup d'etat of the 18 brumaire, in which he collaborated, he formed part, the 19 brumaire year VIII (November 10th 1799), of the intermediate commission in charge of the legislative power and contributed to the drafting of the Constitution of year VIII. It published, at the request of Bonaparte, a historical Essai on the temporal power of the popes (1799).

Called with the Council of State the 3 nivôse year VIII (December 24th 1799), it refused this station and entered as of the following day to the Tribunat, of which he became the president. Its attitude considered to be too independent, its speeches against the excessive authority of the prefects and the organization of the special courts, made it include/understand like “ideologist” in the first elimination of 1802.

He refused once again the Council of State, as well as the direction of the State education, and did not accept that the functions of archivist of the legislative Body the 24 frimaire year XIII (December 15th 1804) to replace Camus and the cross of knight of the Légion of honor (1810).

Of too independent spirit to continue to deal with policy, it was devoted consequently to the organization of the Bibliothèque S and the Archives and became in 1804 Garde general of the Archives of the Empire, and imperial critic in 1810.

Under the Restoration

Threatened, in December 1815, by the count de Vaublanc to be private of its functions to the files, it wrote to the minister whom “it allotted to him of the opinions that it had never had”. It ends up losing its load the February 23rd 1816 (it was returned to him only in 1830), but was elected in 1819 professor with the Collège de France with the pulpit of history and morals. Its lessons, full with a judicious scholarship and a clever criticism, were very followed. He became also editor association of the Journal of the Scientists .

Elected official appointed by the college of department of the Finistere the March 25th 1819 to replace Handbook which had chosen the the Vendée, it sat in the constitutional opposition. He left the Room to the renewal of 1820 and returned there only the April 21st 1828, sent by the voters of the 1st district of Finistere (Brest) to replace the count de Kératry, who had chosen Sand-with Olonne. It signed the Adresse of the 221 against the ministry Polignac and was re-elected the June 23rd 1830.

Under the monarchy of July

After the Glorious Three, the Monarchie of July returned to him in 1830 its functions of Guard general of the Files which it preserved until his death in 1840 and in which it left such a print that one speaks still today about the “armchair of Daunou” to indicate the position of director of the Files.

Following its nomination with the Files, Daunou had obtained its voters the confirmation of his mandate of deputy the October 21st 1830, and it obtained the renewal from it the July 5th 1831. It sat until the elections of 1834 and introduced to the House of Commons several reports/ratios, inter alia on the primary education (December 1831).

Member of the Academy of Science morals and political at the time of his reorganization in 1832, he became perpetual secretary of the Académie of the inscriptions and the humanities (1838) and was high with the dignity of Pair of France (November 7th 1839) little time before his death.

Works

Among the many publications of Daunou, one can quote:

Of the influence of Boileau on the French literature , 1787
Wide and limits of the parental rights , 1788
historical Test on the temporal power of the popes , 1799
Continuation of the History of Poland of Claude-Carloman de Rulhière, 1807
Continuation of the collection of the Historians of France , work started with the Benedictine dom Bouquet, and of the literary History of France
Speech on the state of the letters
Test on the individual guarantees which the actual position claims company , 1819

It also published many editions, with notes, of various authors, such as:

II a historical Cours of studies left, published after its death by Alphonse-Honore Taillandier and Gorré (1842 - 1849, 20 vol. in-8): this work, fruit of the lessons which it made with the Collège de France, milked in the “manner of writing the history, of the resources of historical criticism”.

Judgments and homages

Daunou was, for Bouillet, “remarkable by its private and public virtues”.
“Few politicians had less enemies than Daunou, and few literary careers more usefully and with dignity were filled. ” ( Dictionary of the French members of Parliament )
Daunou gave its name to a college of its birthplace, like with a theater and a street of the 2 {{E}} district of Paris.

References

Sources

“Daunou, Pierre-Claude-François”, Encyclopædia Britannica , 2005 ( Encyclopædia Britannica Premium )

External bond

Biographical note on the site of the direction of the Files of France

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