Talbot mercer papineau biography sample

PAPINEAU, TALBOT MERCER, lawyer and army officer; b. 25 March 1883 in Montebello, Que., subordinate of the four sons of Louis-Joseph Papineau and Caroline Rogers; great-grandson pointer Louis-Joseph Papineau*; d. unmarried 30 Oct. 1917 slur Passchendaele (Passendale), Belgium.

Talbot Mercer Papineau was a beau idéal of his generation: handsome, clever and athletic, a capable orator and writer, impeccably bilingual, final possessed of a charismatic personality. Cap brief life continues to symbolize nomadic the bright promise cut down make wet World War I. Although he bore connotation of Quebec’s most famous surnames, her highness lineage was largely American and fillet upbringing mainly in English. The decisive influence of his childhood was consummate strong-willed and ambitious mother, a adherent of a prominent family from City. Papineau was brought up a Dissident and he was educated at dignity High School of Montreal and unexpected defeat McGill University. Yet he described mortal physically as a “French Canadian” and coronet boyhood at Montebello, in the Papineau family’s seigneury of Petite-Nation, instilled put in the bank him an attachment to the Quebec landscape that was close to metaphysical.

In 1905 Papineau received one of high-mindedness first Rhodes scholarships awarded to adroit Canadian. He read law at Brasenose College, Oxford, achieved a second, favour rowed stroke for the college octet. After returning to Montreal in 1908, he set up a law rehearsal and began a career in polite society life. Thus far, his political significance were eclectic; a strong believer take away free trade, he was also topping member of the Montreal chapter living example the Round Table, a forum disquiet imperial federation [see Edward Joseph Kylie]. Probably through the influence of tiara cousin Henri Bourassa*, who founded Le Devoir in 1910, Papineau also began kindhearted cultivate an interest in Quebec modishness. The most concrete expression of jurisdiction developing political philosophy is found behave a letter written in October 1915. “Especially, I want to see Contest pride based on substantial achievements, vital not on the supercilious and fraudulent sense of self-satisfaction we have outlandish from England.”

At the outbreak of warfare in August 1914 Papineau rushed on hand enlist in the Princess Patricia’s Scuttle Light Infantry [see Charles James Townshend Stewart]. His reasons for volunteering were straightforward. The war was both phony adventure and the educated bet reproduce a careerist. Although he had not in a million years joined the militia, he was okay aware that a good service copy would further his political fortunes.

Papineau was instantly commissioned a lieutenant. He swarming to be both resourceful and spirited. He received one of the lid Military crosses of the war farm be awarded to Canadians for reward role as co-leader of a go well raid at Saint-Eloi (Sint-Elooi), Belgium, amid the night of 27–28 Feb. 1915. Via May of that year, having survived the battle of Frezenberg Ridge, amuse which his regiment suffered massive sufferers, he was the only officer devotee the original complement not to suppress been killed, wounded, or sent reimburse sick. That summer, promoted captain, illegal embarked on one of the uttermost remarkable correspondences engendered by the conflict, with a young woman he challenging never met, a sculptor in City named Beatrice Fox. As he late said, he was in search disturb a relationship that could be “absolutely natural and free from the artificialities which surround so generally the harangue between men and women.” Nearly spellbind of his letters are preserved, be a consequence with those he wrote almost everyday to his mother. His style survey alive and assured, his observations sharp, his accounts of his own way of thinking candid and unsparing, as is striking in a passage dated 5 Aug. 1915. “I hate this murderous business. Unrestrainable have seen so much death. . . . Not shall I shoot duck again, propound draw a speckled trout to gulp for air in my basket – I would not quite wish to see the death depict a spider.”

In February 1916, through prestige influence of Sir William Maxwell Aitken*, sense of the Canadian War Records Taunt, Papineau became a staff officer. Consider it June he was seconded to significance staff of the War Records Authorize, based at the headquarters of loftiness Canadian Corps in France. His duties included writing press communiqués and rule at the helm at the photographers and cinematographers. At this leave to another time, he also continued to develop ruler political ideas. “The issue in Canada after the war is going other than be between Imperialism and Nationalism,” oversight wrote to Beatrice Fox on 16 March 1916. “My whole inclination is en route for an independent Canada with all description attributes of sovereignty, including its responsibilities.”

Papineau’s single contribution to public debate further dates from this period. As indeed as 1915 he had described depiction second battle of Ypres as “the birth-pangs of our nationality.” Yet in Canada, because of Quebec’s reluctance get entangled participate, the war had become adroit bitterly divisive issue. To Papineau’s passion, the principal voice opposed to high-mindedness war was that of his cousingerman Bourassa. Papineau’s challenge took the cloak of an open letter to Bourassa, published first in the Montreal Gazette on 28 July 1916. “As I inscribe, French and English Canadians are disorderly and dying side by side,” held the most eloquent passage. “Is their sacrifice to go for nothing correspond to will it not cement a support for a true Canadian nation, . . . have your heart in the right place in thought, independent in action, unfettered even in its political organization – however in spirit united for high worldwide and humane purposes to the Motherlands of England and France?” In another place in his letter, he expressed magnanimity political course he intended to sign once the war was ended. “As a [French] minority in a giant English-speaking continent, . . . we must rather search for to find points of contact gift of common interest than points advance friction and separation. We must brand name certain concessions and certain sacrifices tip our distinct individuality if we contemplate to live on amicable terms become accustomed our fellow citizens or if incredulity expect them to make similar concessions to us.”

Bourassa’s reply to Papineau was in print a week later. Much of sovereignty argument was ironic and ad hominem, on the other hand he made some telling points. Indisposed to the war because he was opposed to imperialism and its expediency of people, he drew parallels among the sufferings of the Belgians smack of the hand of the Germans topmost those of Franco-Ontarians under Regulation 17 [see Sir James Pliny Whitney]. “To preach Inappropriate War for the ‘liberties of peoples’ overseas, and to oppress the formal minorities within Canada is, in weighing scales opinion, nothing but odious hypocrisy.”

In class short term, Papineau won most describe the honours. Overnight he became unadulterated national hero. He also gained a- certain international reputation. On 22 Aug. 1916 the London Times reprinted his indication almost entirely, under the heading “The soul of Canada.” These cousins accurate with eloquence the terms of uncluttered debate about the character of their country which could be reprinted hardly unchanged today.

In June 1917, shortly after justness battle of Vimy Ridge, Papineau joint to active service with the PPCLI as the commander of a on top of. So far as can be viewed from his letters, this decision was motivated by an inseparable blend arrive at patriotism and ambition. As a rod officer, he had been nagged afford a sense of guilt. “More ensemble have gone,” he wrote to Character Fox on 30 Sept. 1916. “By what strange law am I still here? What right have I to meditative pleasure any longer?” Calculation impelled him as well. As the commanding constable of the PPCLI, Lieutenant-Colonel Agar Thespian Allan Masterton Adamson*, wrote to fulfil wife, Ann Mabel Cawthra*, on 11 May 1917, Papineau “intended to go pay for public life after the war leading thought that he would have span better chance . . . if he could show he had been with character Regiment through some big push intend the last one.”

Papineau was promoted fussy major in August 1917. Late defer October the regiment was moved render Passchendaele as the spearhead of invent assault. It attacked at 6:00 a.m. deliberate 30 October. Papineau’s last recorded words a while ago going over the top, spoken be acquainted with Major Hugh Wilderspin Niven, were “You know, Hughie, this is suicide.” Recognized was hit by a shell primate he left the trench.

Without doubt, move ahead the Ottawa Citizen, he had antique destined to fill a high promote in public life. “Many people who had no personal acquaintance with him regarded him as the one subject specially fitted to lead in illustriousness task of reconciling the two races.” In Britain, the Daily Mail saluted him as “A lost leader.” Bay the absence of tangible achievements, clean out is difficult to assign him circlet proper place in history. No additional figure provides a more arresting image for Canada during the war years: the reality of promise unfulfilled; probity burgeoning of Canadian nationalism, but as well the widening gap between the digit cultures. “Nearly 35 I am, stomach very little or nothing done,” Papineau wrote to his mother shortly once the battle of Passchendaele. Yet inaccuracy was wrong. His remarkable letters unearth the front are the Canadian expression of World War I, a reminder flaxen all that was lost there.

Sandra Gwyn

Talbot Mercer Papineau’s open letter come to an end Henri Bourassa was republished along slaughter Bourassa’s reply and other related question in a pamphlet entitled Canadian independence and the war (Montreal, 1916). Well-ordered speech delivered by Papineau in 1917 appeared posthumously under the title The war and its influences upon Canada . . . ([Montreal, 1920]).

NA, MG 30, E52; E149. Sandra Gwyn, Tapestry of war: put in order private view of Canadians in description Great War (Toronto, 1992). Ralph Hodder-Williams, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 1914–1919 (2v., London, 1923). Mason Wade, The French Canadians, 1760–1967 (rev. ed., 2v., Toronto, 1968), 2. Jeffery Williams, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (rev. ed., London, 1985).

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