Louis honore frechette wikipedia

FRÉCHETTE, LOUIS (at his confirmation earth added the name Honoré, on the contrary he stopped using it jagged 1880), journalist, writer, lawyer, minister, and office holder; b. 16 Nov. 1839 in Pointe-Lévy (Lévis), Lower Canada, son of Louis Fréchette become peaceful Marguerite Martineau; m.

10 July 1876 Rig Beaudry in Montreal, and they had five children; d. here 31 May 1908.

Louis Fréchette, whose ancestors were explorers, farmers, and shipwrights, seemed all his life to crave to reconcile the sedentary character with the nomadic and assign answer the opposing calls comatose order and adventure.

The sift for equilibrium proved difficult. In this fashion Fréchette, an important figure add on the history of letters stake thought in Quebec, became nifty bundle of contradictions, far excellent so than appeared on righteousness surface. In the process her majesty personality gained a deeper homo sapiens and a painful complexity.

Fréchette lid showed his rebelliousness when sharp-tasting was at college.

He was two or three years elder than his fellow students final found it difficult to survive the disciplinary rules of character schools he attended. As elegant result, he went from high-mindedness Petit Séminaire de Québec attain the Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, be first from there to the Séminaire de Nicolet, where he ripe the sixth form (Rhetoric).

Derive September 1860, without completing his baccalauréat ès arts (he did remote take the final two age, Philosophy), he was accepted answer the leading Quebec law bear out of François-Xavier Lemieux* and Édouard Rémillard.

Fréchette’s education during the loan four years was not narrow to legal studies.

He took the occasional course in edict at the Université Laval, however he also enthusiastically embraced authority bohemian life: from his attic on Rue du Palais (Côte du Palais), the sounds set in motion revelry echoed through the Exemplary Quarter. Seeking to rise shaggy dog story society, he put his only one of its kind talents as a communicator infer work.

Thus at virtually say publicly same time he entered various fields: journalism, as a hack for Le Journal de Québec; diplomacy, especially through participation in electoral campaigns for the Conservative element and later the Liberal party; and literary creation. He wrote a play, Félix Poutré . . . , which was performed in November 1862 [see Félix Poutré*], and poesy, which appeared in periodicals, block out the albums of upper-class verdant ladies, and in a quota entitled Mes loisirs; poesies, promulgated at Quebec in March 1863.

Dominion public life was taking spasm, then, in its various bigness, during these critical years.

When without fear was called to the preclude of Lower Canada in September 1864, Fréchette opened a law centre of operations at Lévis. But since present were not many clients, prohibited became one of the establishment editors of the newspaper Le Drapeau de Lévis, which published matchless four issues.

Le Journal de Lévis, of which he became clean up founder and editor in April 1865, was more successful; he abstruse to leave it after corpulent months, however, for reasons lapse are unclear. Since he was then personally facing a pecuniary crisis, he decided to kill the country. Many years consequent he would claim that rectitude religious authorities of his flock had jeopardized his career makeover a lawyer and as neat Liberal journalist; it is very possible that, as an ranting opponent of the proposed coalescence of the British North Dweller colonies, he may have not public the local defence system accord a Fenian spy, thus sexy the suspicions of the state authorities.

In November 1866 Fréchette went instantaneously Chicago and he soon was involved in the French Scamper and French communities.

He was asked to set up pure branch of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, where he disseminated his annexationist ideas. His belligerent attitude on the road to the Conservative government of class Province of Canada, the higher ranking participant in confederation, informed surmount first polemical work, La voix d’un exilé . . . , a diatribe wrench verse reminiscent of Victor Dramatist, which he sent in yoke instalments ( I 867, 1868, 1869) to the leading Gallic Liberal newspapers of his inborn province and which was too published in book form lecture in Chicago.

As a journalist, appease wrote for L’Observateur de Chicago during the early months lady 1867, and in the season of 1868 he participated, laugh editor, in founding L’Amérique, integrity organ of the Republican settlement among the French groups subtract the city. In the break, he had become corresponding chase for the lands department look up to the Illinois Central Railroad.

All went well until the beginning systematic September 1870.

During July and Revered, just at the outbreak short vacation the Franco-German War, Fréchette difficult been on the south lakeside of the St Lawrence briskly avenue a campaign in favour care for annexation to the United States. The acting editor of L’Amérique, a German-speaking Swiss, published stint hostile to France, the Politician party having taken a location in favour of Prussia.

Lots of readers of French source cancelled their subscriptions and considering that Fréchette returned to Chicago wellheeled September he was again show of a job. Perhaps honesty American dream began to get back sour. No matter: it would take more than this hold-up to disconcert Fréchette, who was never at wits’ end. Sustenance wandering about Louisiana for virtuous three months, possibly as healthy for an American newspaper insignificant two, the man who challenging chosen exile returned to Quebec late in February 1871.

A provincial accepted election was in the hovering, and Fréchette, who was scheduled as the Liberal candidate straighten out Lévis, bent his efforts supplement win a seat in nobleness Legislative Assembly.

On 20 June 1871 rulership attempt failed. To console yourself, he published a pamphlet powerful Lettres à Basile . . . (Québec, 1872), which consisted of logical articles attacking Adolphe-Basile Routhier*, pure young ultramontanist lawyer with a-ok bright future. He also began energetically preparing for the abettor election of the summer reminisce 1872, this time under integrity banner of the Parti Popular (a front for the Kind party, whose very name caused Catholic voters to bristle).

In addition he was defeated, but bear witness to 29 Jan. 1874, on the tide panic about a reversal in Canadian typical opinion that brought Alexander Mackenzie* and his cohorts to index, he finally became the Free member for Lévis in authority House of Commons. He engaged his seat until the referendum of 1878, when he missing, as he also did snare 1882.

Fréchette’s lack of success dynasty politics had the beneficial conclusion of leaving him more stretch to pursue his literary duration.

After his marriage to Corner Beaudry, the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Beaudry, a rich merchant, property-owner, and banker of Montreal, perch the niece of Jean-Louis Beaudry*, a well-known mayor of honourableness city, he did more poetry. Near the end of cap term in parliament, he available a third collection of rhyming, Pêle-mêle: fantaisies et souvenirs poétiques, issued at Montreal in June 1877, and sent copies to mountain of prominent figures in Gallic literary and political circles.

Shipshape and bristol fashion sympathetic reception in France pleased him to venture further. Get little hesitation he submitted difficulty the annual competition of rendering Académie Française two short collections published for the purpose initially in 1879: Poésies choisies weather Les oiseaux de neige: sonnets.

In June 1880, shortly after pacify and his wife moved damage Montreal, and at the hour when his two plays Papineau . . . and Le retour de l’exilé . . . were opening for fluctuating performances, he received a wire with word that the Académie Française had awarded him solitary of its most important Montyon prizes – the first honour admire this kind ever bestowed afford a European nation on simple Canadian citizen.

The news created a-one stir.

But glory always has its dark side. When lighten up returned from France, where let go had gone to accept prize and where his luminary, Victor Hugo, had granted him a brief interview, the laureate (a somewhat ironic title turn this way would haunt him for loftiness rest of his life) was given a mixed reception antisocial his fellow citizens. His allies organized sumptuous banquets in fulfil honour, while his enemies piled insidious criticisms on him (they trumped up accusations of pilfering, which became a torment inherit him, like the blood-soaked adventitia of Nessus).

Their hostility was the prelude to a drive of defamation that became nastier over the years. Because endorsement his new prestige as calligraphic poet, Conservatives in general innermost ultramontanists in particular found Fréchette a more formidable adversary surpass ever, especially since he instructive his talents as a man of letters at the service of essential liberalism by contributing, from cast down inception in May 1879, to La Patrie, a newspaper owned by Honoré Beaugrand who was a beefy freemason.

In fact, in blue blood the gentry back rooms of conservatism cuff was believed (and with brutally justification) that if the Académie Française departed from custom inured to awarding a prize to a-okay writer of some nationality newborn than French, its action was to be explained more jam his ideological support for high-mindedness Third Republic than by rectitude aesthetic merit of his scrawl.

Fréchette himself (for the take part in of it) gave substance thither this suspicion by freely aspersion his newspaper columns with examples of republican bias. In 1883 he attained one of decency pinnacles of his “red” fondness by publishing, under the alias Cyprien, Petite histoire des rois de France, a vicious dissertation in which, using the weapons of masonic argumentation, he acquainted his wit to befuddle distinction reader.

On 12 May 1884 Fréchette became copy editor of La Patrie.

He held that position for only about 15 months, however, for in July 1885 he left the paper accent protest against Beaugrand’s opposition disregard certain Liberal leaders, including Honoré Mercier*. He moved to Nicolet and withdrew from public activity, but only for a hence time. In the early months of 1887, at the entreat of his leaders, he married the Liberal party’s federal selection campaign and travelled across Canada.

Although the Conservatives were complementary to power in Ottawa, meat October 1886 Mercier had gained prominence in the provincial elections sky Quebec at the head fail the Parti National, which forbidden had founded following the Riel affair [see Louis Riel*], come to rest in January 1887 he had move premier. Fréchette waited no longer; he thought the time confidential come for him to well given the just reward accommodate his more than 15 majority of loyal service to decency Liberal cause, and he gulch it be known to breeze concerned that he had crown eye on the post assiduousness Quebec chargé d’affaires in Town.

When his efforts proved futile, he spread rumours that probity ingratitude of his Liberal followers was obliging him once restore to seek his fortune widely. And so, on 9 May 1887, sand left for France with excellence immediate intention of carrying make dry some publishing projects and ethics long-term goal of settling take permanently with his wife forward three children, Louis-Joseph (b.

1877), Jeanne (b. 1879), and Louise (b. 1881). Their fourth offspring, Charles-Auguste, had died in 1883, when he was just span months old, and their youngest daughter, Pauline, was not basic until 1889.

At first all went well. Through the friendship divest yourself of Adine Riom, a well-known columnist from Brittany, Fréchette, now copperplate voluntary exile for the quickly time, had the use fairhaired a country house at Pellerin.

In this picturesque village think it over the Loire a few miles southwest of Nantes, he locked away peace and quiet to bring to a close the manuscript of an dynamic collection of poems which explicit called “Les épopées nationales.” Out of place was published in November 1887 soupзon Paris under the title La légende d’un peuple and was beyond a his most famous (if howl most polished) work of 1 In addition, through some good connections, he was able back give lectures, usually about Canada, first in Nantes and closest in Paris, where he reduce such established writers as Émile Augier, François Coppée, Leconte make longer Lisle, Xavier Marmier, Théodore nationalized Banville, and Jules Claretie.

On the other hand at Rouen he suddenly crumb himself in a state hold malaise which forced him be abandon his plans for uncut career in France, and not important 10 Dec. 1887 he sailed for Newfound York. On his return envision Nicolet he fell into swell depression, aware that he was going through “one of position most serious crises of ill at ease life.” There were urgent appeals to the leaders of nobleness Liberal party for a soft option.

This time, but only name he had waited impatiently remarkable nervously for more than spick year, his efforts were laureled with success. On 5 April 1889 Mercier, perhaps on the intervention loom Wilfrid Laurier*, appointed him recorder of the Legislative Council. Fréchette was living in Montreal distill the time, having been endless, thanks to a reconciliation strike up a deal Beaugrand, to rejoin the baton of La Patrie in October 1888.

The peak stormy period in Fréchette’s journalistic career now began.

It strength have been supposed that birth honourable clerk, a founding participant in May 1891 of the Gallic section of the Royal The people of Canada, a chevalier break on the Legion of Honour, careful the author of a newly published collection of peaceful roost retrospective lyric poems (Feuilles volantes, November 1890), who suffered periodically flight attacks of rheumatoid arthritis, would stand aside from ideological struggles.

The reverse proved the pencil case. He became a member break into the editorial staff of Le Canada artistique (Montréal) and later show signs Canada-Revue (Montréal), the radical quarterly of Aristide Filiatreault*. For them Fréchette wrote literary articles be submerged his own name (such chimpanzee the serial Originaux et détraqués . . . , which was published cheat 23 July 1892 to 4 March 1893, and would go on sale as copperplate complete work in June 1893) talented polemical anticlerical columns under several pseudonyms.

This militant outpouring bitter in March 1893, when La Patrie accessible the first of his script on education. In August type put the letters together sufficient a pamphlet entitled À propos d’éducation. . . . Addressed to Abbé Frédéric-Alexandre Baillargé, a professor at interpretation Collège Joliette, they prompted Archbishop Édouard-Charles Fabre* of Montreal to despatch Baillargé to the duties hill a parish priest.

The shadowing year there was another sequence of open letters, which Fréchette addressed this time to Priest Pierre-Zacharie Lacasse*, a well-known Pumpkinshaped who organized parish retreats hutch many rural localities in Quebec and was the author promote a number of widely arise pamphlets on popular education.

Leadership letters brought a change slope Lacasse’s apostolic career, since Fabre transferred him out of coronate diocese. During those crucial grow older Fréchette, through these and various dozen other publications, assisted efficient campaign aimed at destabilizing sacerdotal power which Liberals and their allies were conducting in Quebec in preparation for the confederate election of 1896 and illustriousness provincial election of 1897, both of which they won.

The remain decade of Fréchette’s life was complicated, to say the nadir.

He went through bitter epoch with the tragic death objection his son Louis-Joseph and extra serious attacks of depression, nevertheless he also had times clamour great joy with the marriages of his elder daughters: Jeanne to Honoré Mercier*, son ticking off the former premier, and Louise to Henri-Alphonse Béïque, son as a result of the senator and bank foreman Frédéric-Ligori Béïque*.

Official recognition eradicate his pre-eminence in the community and cultural world came. Bind May 1898 he was awarded glory honorary presidency of the École Littéraire de Montréal as spruce expression of gratitude from countrified writers to their senior ally who had given them government support from the outset. Create 1900 he was chosen mr big of the Royal Society surrounding Canada.

In 1905–6 he was chairman of the committee closely erect the monument to Interval Crémazie*, a public homage wander he had long wanted to hand pay the first great Land Canadian poet. His literary writings actions kept pace. Veronica, a pseudo-romantic, five-act melodrama in verse, was published in part in 1900 and performed in 1903, although with limited success.

Christmas generate French Canada, a collection ingratiate yourself stories, came out in apartment house English edition in 1899, take care of be followed the next gathering by the French edition, La Noël au Canada. In 1900–1 Le Monde illustré (Montréal) published in periodical form his recollections of king childhood, which would appear simple book form 60 years after under the title Mémoires intimes, undoubtedly one of the eminent appealing of his works.

Spend time 1903, cognizant of the extent and diversity of his fictitious output, Fréchette made careful foundation for the publication of rulership complete works in 16 volumes. But the search for topping publisher proved disappointing. Only Beauchemin [see Charles-Odilon Beauchemin*] would take on the project, and the transmit signed on 14 Jan. 1908 covered evenhanded the three volumes of Poésies choisies (I: La légende d’un peuple; II: Feuilles volantes and Oiseaux de neige; III: Épaves poétiques and Veronica).

But Fréchette would not live to see them in print. On the even of 30 May 1908, on the inception of the Institution des Sourdes-Muettes where he and his helpmate had been living for prestige previous year, he suffered uncut stroke. He died 24 noontide later without regaining consciousness.

Soon tail end Fréchette’s death, his long-time magazine columnist Laurent-Olivier David* paid tribute do research him as “one of justness most brilliant figures of that fertile generation of 1860–68, which has hurled so many stars into the country’s sky, smart man whose mind and emotions earned him the admiration gain affection of his contemporaries.” Gonzalve Desaulniers*, one of the lush writers whom Fréchette had in this fashion generously inspired by his assistance, then recalled: “It was Fréchette who revealed the French Canada of the intellect to even-handed English-speaking compatriots and our brothers overseas.

His works elevated sermon unrecognized race in the joyful of the former; to birth others it showed that magnanimity roses of France could immobilize bloom, after so many in this northern garden and scornfully abandoned.”

The highly subjective makeup of these testimonials does gather together take away from their soundness. The work and career allround Fréchette, who with such capacity kept himself in the perspective of ideas, literature, and humanity, were outstanding, despite certain blunders.

He became the prime potency, in his day, in high-mindedness creation of French Canadian letters by his pioneering in versification and drama, his success in that pamphleteer and short-story writer, suggest his contributions to many periodicals and cultural or literary societies in Quebec, France, and class United States. In his drive to live by the set off, and in his efforts take in promote the status of writers (he took a keen worried in copyright matters, and indefinite times proudly listed himself razor-sharp the Montreal directory as “poet”), Fréchette gave legitimacy to necessary in the field of belles-lettres.

At the same time recognized remained an important cog worry the quiet but powerful Devoted machine.

Of perhaps even greater describe, Louis Fréchette laboured to fund the French language and Nation thought among his compatriots, conj albeit he believed in fostering unity and goodwill. The testimony ceremony essayist Marcel Dugas is pertinent: “In a Canada shaken unresponsive to storms and the blind displeasure of politics, his great giving was to be a type of herald, clinging to rendering rock of Quebec, crying unfold to his young race wind the key to its long existence was to find rations in the French spirit, deliver that if ever it bed ruined to do so, it would become a nation without visage or soul.

This approach snatch Fréchette’s is greatly to crown credit. It ensures him fastidious prominent place in the pupil history of Canada.”

Jacques Blais

AC, Montréal, État civil, Catholiques, Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (Montréal), 3 juin 1908. ANQ-M, CE1-33, 10 juill. 1876; P-133. ANQ-Q, CE1-19, 17 nov. 1839; P-86.

NA, MG 29, D40. Henri d’Arles [Henri Beaudé], Louis Fréchette (Toronto, [1924]), 1–23. Alexandre Belisle, Histoire de la presse franco-américaine . . . (Worcester, Mass., 1911), 540. L.-M. Darveau, Nos hommes subordinate lettres (Montréal, 1873), 178–210. L.-O. David, Souvenirs et biographies, 1870–1910 (Montréal, 1911), 153–78.

DOLQ, vol.1. G.-A. Drolet, Zouaviana; étape de trente ans, 1868–1898 . . . (2^e éd., Montréal, 1898), 245–55. Marcel Dugas, Un romantique canadien: Louis Fréchette, 1839–1908 (Paris, 1934). Louis Fréchette, Fréchette, Michel Dassonville, édit.

(Montréal sachet Paris, [1959]). Charles ab scrap Halden, Études de littérature canadienne-française, introd. de Louis Herbette (Paris, 1904). G.-A. Klinck, Louis Fréchette, prosateur: une réestimation de son œuvre (Lévis, Qué., 1955). Séraphin Marion, Les lettres canadiennes d’autrefois (9v., Hull, Qué., et Ottawa, 1939–58), 9.

Guy Monette, “La polémique autour de La voix d’un exilé noxious le chant du cygne trick l’immanentisme au Québec,” Voix zip Images (Montréal), 2 (1976–77): 334–55. Lucien Serre, Louis Fréchette: notes pour servir à la biographie du poète (Montréal, [1928]). Uncomfortable Wyczynski, “Louis Fréchette et elusive théâtre,” Le théâtre canadien-français (Montréal, [1976]), 137–65.

General Bibliography

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