Louis-Antoine Dessaulles
Encyclopedia
Louis-Antoine Dessaulles (1818 – August 4, 1895) was a Quebec
seigneur
, journalist
and political figure.
He was born in Saint-Hyacinthe
, Lower Canada
in 1818, the son of Jean Dessaulles
, and studied at the Collège de Saint-Hyacinthe and the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. He studied law at Montreal
, staying there with his uncle, Louis-Joseph Papineau
; he helped Papineau escape from Montreal in November 1837. He travelled with Papineau's wife to Paris
in 1839.
In 1835, Dessaulles had inherited the seigneury of Saint-Hyacinthe from his father. In 1844, he ran unsuccessfully against Thomas Boutillier
to represent Saint-Hyacinthe in the legislative assembly. In 1847, Dessaulles began writing articles for the newspaper L'Avenir
; he supported Papineau, opposed the political power of the Roman Catholic Church
in Canada East
, opposed the union of Upper
and Lower Canada and supported annexation with the United States
. He was mayor of Saint-Hyacinthe from 1849 to 1857. Dessaulles was editor for the Montreal paper Le Pays in its early days during the 1850s and again in 1861. In 1856, he was elected to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
for Rougemont division. He spoke in favour of a decentralized federation. Dessaulles served several terms as president of the Institut canadien de Montréal
. In 1863, he was appointed clerk of the crown and clerk of the peace; at that time, he resigned his seat on the legislative council and his editorship of Le Pays.
In financial difficulties, Dessaulles was forced to sell his property in 1867 and, in 1875, he fled to the United States and then to Belgium
. It was discovered after his departure that he had been diverting funds collected while performing his duties as clerk. He moved to Paris in 1878 and died there in 1895; he was buried in the Cimetière de Pantin
.
His brother Georges-Casimir
was also mayor of Saint-Hyacinthe and served in the Quebec legislative assembly and the Senate of Canada.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
seigneur
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and political figure.
He was born in Saint-Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
, Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in 1818, the son of Jean Dessaulles
Jean Dessaulles
Jean Dessaulles was a seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Saint-François-du-Lac in 1766 and studied at the Collège Saint-Raphaël. He worked as a seigneurial agent for his aunt, who was managing the seigneury of Saint-Hyacinthe...
, and studied at the Collège de Saint-Hyacinthe and the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. He studied law at Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, staying there with his uncle, Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau , born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a famous politician in Quebec...
; he helped Papineau escape from Montreal in November 1837. He travelled with Papineau's wife to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1839.
In 1835, Dessaulles had inherited the seigneury of Saint-Hyacinthe from his father. In 1844, he ran unsuccessfully against Thomas Boutillier
Thomas Boutillier
Thomas Boutillier was a Quebec doctor and political figure.He was born in Quebec City in 1797 and studied at the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe and the University of Philadelphia. He was licensed to practice medicine in 1817 and settled at Saint-Hyacinthe...
to represent Saint-Hyacinthe in the legislative assembly. In 1847, Dessaulles began writing articles for the newspaper L'Avenir
L'Avenir
L'Avenir is a daily newspaper published in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The company is part of the Groupe L'Avenir, a media group of the DRC. The content of the paper is primarily French, and includes content written in Lingala and Swahili...
; he supported Papineau, opposed the political power of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
, opposed the union of Upper
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada and supported annexation with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was mayor of Saint-Hyacinthe from 1849 to 1857. Dessaulles was editor for the Montreal paper Le Pays in its early days during the 1850s and again in 1861. In 1856, he was elected to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the province of Ontario...
for Rougemont division. He spoke in favour of a decentralized federation. Dessaulles served several terms as president of the Institut canadien de Montréal
Institut canadien de Montréal
The Institut canadien de Montréal was founded on 17 December 1844, by a group of 200 young liberal professionals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Institute was a public library and debating room for the literary and scientific society, which would later come into conflict with the Roman Catholic...
. In 1863, he was appointed clerk of the crown and clerk of the peace; at that time, he resigned his seat on the legislative council and his editorship of Le Pays.
In financial difficulties, Dessaulles was forced to sell his property in 1867 and, in 1875, he fled to the United States and then to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It was discovered after his departure that he had been diverting funds collected while performing his duties as clerk. He moved to Paris in 1878 and died there in 1895; he was buried in the Cimetière de Pantin
Cimetière de Pantin
The Cimetière de Pantin in the town of Pantin in the suburbs of Paris, France opened on November 15, 1886 and is the largest cemetery in the city, occupying 1.07 km². Located in the north-eastern section of the city, Pantin is a garden style burial grounds with more than 8,000 trees and streets...
.
His brother Georges-Casimir
Georges-Casimir Dessaulles
Georges-Casimir Dessaulles , was a businessman, statesman and Canadian senator. Dessaulles holds the record for the oldest serving politician...
was also mayor of Saint-Hyacinthe and served in the Quebec legislative assembly and the Senate of Canada.
Works
- Papineau et Nelson : blanc et noir... et la lumière fut faite,1848 (online)
- Six lectures sur l'annexion du Canada aux États-Unis, 1851 (online)
- Galilée, ses travaux scientifiques et sa condamnation : lecture publique faite devant l'Institut canadien, 1856
- À Messieurs les électeurs de la division de Rougemont, 1858
- Discours sur l'Institut canadien prononcé par l'Hon. L.A. Dessaules, président de l'Institut, à la séance du 23 décembre 1862, à l'occasion du dix-huitième anniversaire de sa fondation, 1863
- La Guerre américaine, son origine et ses vraies causes : lecture publique faite à l'Institut canadien, le 14 décembre 1864 (1864)
- A Sa Grandeur Monseigneur Charles Larocque, évêque de St. Hyacinthe, 1868
- Discours sur la tolérance, 1868 (excerpts)
- Dernière correspondance entre S.E. le cardinal Barnabo et l'Hon. M. Dessaulles, 1871
- La Grande guerre ecclésiastique : la comédie infernale et les noces d'or : la suprématie ecclésiastique sur l'ordre temporel, 1873
- Examen critique de la soi-disant réfutation de la Grande guerre ecclésiastique de l'Honorable L.A. Dessaulles, 1873
- Les erreurs de l'Église en droit naturel et canonique sur le mariage et le divorce, 1894