Documents
in Quebec History
Last
revised: 23 August 2000 | Les
Québécois, le clergé catholique et l'affaire des écoles du Manitoba / Quebecers,
the Catholic Clergy and the Manitoba School Question, 1890-1916
Formal
Committment of Charles Fitzpatrick during the Elections of 1896 [Note
from the editor: the document found below is typical of the type of pledge
the liberal candidates of Quebec made during the elections of 1896. Following
the joint pastoral letter of the bishops of Quebec that made it an obligation,
under threat of mortal sin, to only support in the elections candidates that formally
pledged themselves to bring justice to the catholics of Manitoba, all but three
of the Liberal candidates of Quebec, signed commitments that were such that their
electors could vote for them in the firm belief that justice would be rendered
to the minority. Charles Fitzpatrick
[1853-1942], who had represented Louis Riel in 1885, was a member of the Legislative
assembly of Quebec from 1890 to 1896. He was of the batch of Liberal candidates
elected in Quebec in 1896. He became Sollicitor-General [1896-1902] and Minister
of Justice [1902-1906] in the Laurier governments. In 1906, he was appointed Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. He was also Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec
from 1918 to 1923. Fitzpatrick was fluently bilingual, was one of the most eminent
Anglo-Quebecer to gain the confidence of his francophone electors and to represent
Quebec in the federal government.] "Completely
prepared to set aside my party loyalty and any question of honour I may have to
bring about the triumph of the Catholic cause of Manitoba, I, the undersigned,
pledge, if elected, to follow in all details the Pastoral Letter of the bishops
and to vote for a law that will render the justice the catholics of Manitoba have
a right to expect by virtue of the decision of the Privy Council, provided that
such a law would be approved by the bishops. If
Mr. Laurier gains power and does not solve this issue in conformity with the Pastoral
Letter in the first session of parliament, I pledge to either withdraw my support
for him or to resign. Sainte-Marie, June
6, 1896. Signed: C. FITZPATRICK". Source:
translated from Arthur Savaète, Voix canadiennes. Vers l'abîme. Tome VII,
Les écoles du Nord-Ouest canadien, Paris, Arthur Savaète éditeur, [n.d.],
516p., p. 426. © 2000
For the translation, Claude Bélanger, Marianopolis College |