North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-10-07

/ ~ the City Of Quebec were exposed To a
dreadful persecution, whilst citizens were
/ IN constant alarm ss 20 the security Of
their persons and property, whilst the
sound and cry Of war ragged even within
the walls Of the very Capital Of Lower
Canada. the gates OF (which were nearly
constantly shut, as il the Local Govern
ment dreaded some terrible expression Of
the peoples justly provoked wrath, il
could no, be expected that the other parts
Of the Province Twould remain without
sharing the dreadful effects Of the petty
vengeance OF a disappointed and wrathful
tyrant. Orders were consequently sent
to the District Of Montreal 10 act in con-
formity with the examples set in the Dis
trict of Quebec. Political arrests for the
pretended crime OF REASONABLE practices,
soon followed those made in the first Dis
trict. On the cath of March, Mr.. Pierre
Laforce, Notary Public, and Mr.. Frs.
Corbeil, the latter peacea5le farmer of
Sic. Rose, were iorcibly dragged at night
time from their respective homes and
brought before the magistrates of Terre-
bonnie and from thence sent TO Montreal
Jail, where Mr.. Corbeil from the unhealthy
and damp state Of the cell into which he
was thrown, soon found an eternal rest to
the excrucaling pains which were too
much for an old respectable gentleman OF
his advanced age. Another victim of Brit
Ish tyranny was thus dispatched to the
olher world and his only crime was that
he was suspected OF not being friendly to
Sir James Henry Craig's tyranncal ad-
ministration. And up to this day this
foul and cold-booded murder has not been
atoned for.
The day after the arrests Of the above
gentlemen, an individual named Pierre
Papneau Of Chamtly, was also torn a
way from the bosom Of his family and car
ried to St. Johns and from that place he
was brought to Montreal where he was
incarcerated under the same specious pre-
text Of reasonable practices. He was
soon followed by another person from the
Lake OF Two Mountains, whose name was
Louis Truto, by trade Blacksmith.
Whilst incarceration was the order of
The day, the Governor had also recourse
to another powerful engine of controlling
public opinion. He had destroyed the
liberty of the press, the freedom of speech
and personal security, he had yet another
arm to make use OF. He had already used
these means towards Messrs. Panet, Be-
dard and some other brave defenders Of the
peoples invaded rights. He repeated the
experiment. Majors Desrivieres Beau
bien OF Varennes and ]. Bite. Durocher of
Montreal, were dismissed from their rank
in the Militia, and the former OF these two
gentlemen also lost his commission as JUS |
tice Of the peace. Captains Joseph Tur-
cote and J. Drolet both of St. Marc,
shared also the fate OF the two above gen.
tlemen.
Another striking similarity Of the odous
prosecutions inflicted upon the Canadian
people under the lyrant Craig, with those
with which the people Of Lower Canada
were visited in the summer and fall of 1887 |
can be found in the following fact. A |
man named Michel Constant was senten-
ced 10 be exposed in the PILLORY, and
for what crime will the reader enquire?
Why because he had been convicted of
having mutiIated the Governors famous
proclamation which had been pasted on
The door OF the Church OF Notre Dame
lie Quebec
But let us turn our eyes from such a
picture as the recitas Of those
'dious events which took place under the
most arbitrary Governor who ever came
o Canada, excepting however Dalhousie,
Iosford s. Colborne Of infamous memory.
Let us follow events as they happened and
raw the attention of our readers to some
hing more revolving than these attacks
Ipon personal liberty and freedom Of the