Document Information

Date: 1864-09-15
By: The Montreal Herald
Citation: “French Canadian Views of Confederation”, The Montreal Herald (15 September, 1864)
Other formats: TBA

FRENCH CANADIAN VIEWS OF CONFEDERATION.

L’Ordre says:—We ought sooner to have spoken of the two last sessions of the French Canadian Institute. This literary and national institution has thought that it could not begin its interrupted sessions in a better manner than by submitting to the consideration of its members the great question of the day—the Confederation of the British North American Provinces. This question has been discussed at length in these two sittings by Messrs. Achelle Belle, Alphonse Desjardins, J. C. Robillard, H. Mercier, E. Angers, Chapleau and Seers. All these gentlemen, except the two last, who wait, pronounced themselves energetically against any project of Confederation In that, they have been consistent with themselves and with the past history of the Institute. M. Mercier contented himself with the examination of the question from the point of view of its origin, and showed that the idea of applying the federal principle in the British North American Provinces, had originated among our enemies and that they had, therefore, reason to fear it. The question of confederation was discussed in 1856 before the Institute, which then decided in the negative.

The same paper says:—”We see by the report of the political meeting, which took place at St. Damase, last week, that Dr. Poulin, pushed to the wall by Mr. Bourgeois, declared himself opposed to the confederation, and promised to vote non-confidence in the Ministry. We are, moreover, informed that since that time, Dr. Poulin, in order to manifest his repentance for past life, and to show the firmness of his purpose, proposed, on Sunday last in the Rougemont Division, resolutions opposed to confederation. We heartily approve of this conversion of Dr. Poulin, and though it comes late, we hope it will be permanent.