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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 THE! HOITOTTEABLE MR JUSTICE ROUTHIER BK^GUAPHICAI. NOTH .K .-. 0^'^ I^^Kft- — - QUEBEC 1893 5» ^r^ Krl* :i '/. 1293 7c//(^ /UJ'^^^^Z^c^ EOHORAELE / ^fcJ- lIBJll2TI81liaSfH31E(i) The Honor; ble Mr Adolphe Basile Routliier rests lii.s claim to a prominent jvlace in Canada, not onlv on his eminence as a Jiid^j of the Superior (Jjiirt of the Province of Quebec, but on his well earned fauie a-5 a brillunt writer, a poet and a powerful speaker. He was born at St Placide, in the county of Two Mountains, near Mont- real, on the 8th may 1839 ; and his ancestors came from Saintonge, France. Educated in the classics of the college of St Therese, in the cjuntv of Terre- bonne, young Kouthier Avas the first graduate of that institution to receive (1) N. B. This biography is fiir from beinj com- plet/^, cand \a only composod of extracts fiom various cngli-h and french publications. n the degree of B. A. from Lavjil Uni- versity, Quebec, at which he also studied hiw. Called to the bar in December 18G1, h^^ settled doAvn to the practice of his profession at Ka- moura.ska, P. Q. and soon won success and distinction by his abilities as a pleader and a jurist. During this stage of his career, public attention was also first 13 irH3cted to his litterary talents wiiich he has since developed in such a remarkable degree. Newspaper wanting occupied the time snatched fi'om his profession, and his editorial contributions to seve- ral journals published at Montreal and Quebec showed that a new^ and formi- dable competitor had entered the jour- nalistic field. A conservative in politics he threw himself with ardor into all the controversies of the time, and be- fore long came to be recognizejlasone of the leaders of his party. — 5— Twice, in 1869, and in 1872, lie was selected as the party's candidate to con- test the seat in the Canadian House of Commons for the county ofKamouras- ka; but he was defeated both times by very small majorities. This blow was generally felt and de- plored by the Conservatives of Quebec, who had reason to indulge in the brigh test hopes for thei r candidate, M r Routhier, For ourselves, w^e consider that the electors of Kamouraska in withholding their confidence from this gentleman rendered unwillingly a si- gnal service to the cause of anadian litterature. No one doubts but that Mr liouthier was made of the stuff that constitutes statesmen, and had he, like many others embarked in politics and maste- red its subtleties, w^e might soon behold him iu the ministry, it may be, Pre- I — 6— inier. But would our Canadian libra- ries be enriched with the works of his genius — works wliich we are so proud to bring under the notice o I* stran<^ers'^ On grand occasions, when national sentiments and aspirations sou2:ht a worthy interpreter, could we count on the charming eloquence of a voice that wins every heart, and stirs every chord in the human breast? It is true we would have one more political orator capable of m jving, of electrifying the masses; but we would have to deplore the loss of an oratjr classic and polish- ed, whose harmonious periods ravi.sh our senses, whose lofty sti-ainsopen up profound thoughts; that scholars claim for their just inheritance. But, do we not feel that whom God has dowered with the gift oflitterary genius should not lose themselves in the vulgar voi- tex of politics ? That they should keep V V alofTfrom the surging throng, — far from the noise and chimor of popuhir commotion ? In 1872, Mr Roiithier was created a Queen's Counsel, and in the followinjr year he was raised to the Binch. Asa judge he is noted for his aftability, painstaking character, and profound knowledge of the law, and his decisions are always marked by great clearness and soundness. Indeed Mr Justice Routhier is amo- dvd magistrate in the fullest sense of the term, and as such, as well as for his fine social qualities, is very general- ly admired and esteemed throughout the Dominion of Canada. In fact, he is the wonder of the Bar for his acute- ness of mind, the clearness of his argu- ments, and tlie literary and elegant style in which he expounds the grounds of his judgments. Many of his decisions are renowned. One of the most important is that whicli he delivered in the cause of Hiir Majesty against Alexander Den- nis toun & all. In that celebrated case the provincial governement of Quebec did elai»n from the Defendants an immense area of land on tlie North hhore of the St Liwrence, formerlv known bv the na- me of* Terre de Mingan'' ,and valued at twelve millions of dollars. The de- fendants who wert; the successors of t'le ancient seiijniors of Minffan con- tended to be the proprietors of the north coast of the river St Lawrence from cape Cormoran to the strait of Belle-Isle, that is a lenght of four hun- dred miles. Two main questions were raised and had to be decided : 1 ® Whether tho defendants had anv rigcht to any part of that immense strip of land. 2® What were the bounds of \k f f — 9 — their property, if they had any valid title. The Crown's claim was that the defendants were not the legal successors of the old seigniors of Mingan, and that even the old seigniors themselves had never had any title to that property. The record consisted of an enormous mass of ancient deeds, the first datinir from 16G1, maps and plans publised at various-dates since the time of Cham- plain, public and private documents, s^ngniorial papers, reports of explorii- tors, volumiaons dissertations of law- yers, historical works ,^. Sir John Abbott and Sir Alexander Lacoste were the lawyers engaged for the de- fense, and M.M. Latlamme, Langlois and Amyot had appeared for the crown. J udgo Routhier decided 1 ® that the defendants had a valid title to a cer- tain extent of the property in dispute 1 ^ that a lenght of 150 miles of coast wm — 10 — belonged to the defendants, and that the crown was still the owner of the remainder, viz 250 miles -— the divisi- on line hetween the two properties being the river Ai/uanus or Goijnish. Each party persisted to claim the 400 miles, and both of them appealed from the judgment rendered. Finally the case was brought before the Privy Council in England, and the high tri- bunal unanimously sustained Judge Routhier's decision which Avas printed iind formed a volume in 4 ^ . Before b3ing called to the Bench, Mr Routhier had disclosed the talents of a born writer, the hrst strokes of his pen re.sjjnding like the clashing of a sword. He was specially remarkable as a polemist, and he upheld his pre- tentious in many controversies which created much noise and excitement in the w^orld of letters at the time. With — 11 — Ills face ever to the foe, giving blow for blow, and surrounded by applaud- ing friends and admirers, he gained a decided ascendancy over the minds of the vouth. The propelling force of events carried him to the front as chief educator and party leader in his pro- vince. Had he remained in journalism he would have matured into one of the mjst brilliant and redoubtable of pole- mical writers. It is in that period of his life that he published his Causeries da dlnmnche, and that his Portraits et Piistels Litteraires appeared under the nom de plume of Jean Piquefort. But once installed in his present position, the most honourable one open to a lawyer's ambition, he abandonned aggressive journalism. The zealous and sarcastic champion of polemics was for- ever merged in the upright and en- lightened dignitary of the Bench. lie — 12 — continued, however, to apply his mind to the cultivation of letters. A very short acquaintance with Mr Routhier's works convinces the reader that he is a man whose attainments are not merely superficial like so ma- ny other aspirants to litterary fame. He dug beneath the surface of things, made philosophy disclose the relations between cause and eflect; ingratiated himself into the secrets of our complex humanity, and emitted, from deep re- flextion, thoughts and principles at once profound and noble, and well cal- culated to sustain and animate the spi- rit of faith and science. The fountains of his inspiration are never troubled by doubts; they ever clearly reflect the soundest orthodoxy. In the midst of his labours, a do- minating thought cccupied his mind : he yearned to behold the Old Cpuntry, I — 13 — with its moiuiments, its historical sou- venirs and ruins. In 1875, he left for Europe, visited the Biitish Isles, Bel- gium, France ai:d Italy. He spent the winter in Paris where he became ac- quainted with the leading writers xjf the French Catholic press; and when in Rome the late Pontiff Pius IX con- ferred on him the dignity of a knight couniiander of the order of St Gregory the Great. That first trip brought him many intellectual enjoyments ; but his thirst for knowledge was not satiated, and he travelled again three times since all over Europe and in Algeria. Sjme travellerscarry homecommon- place notions, and musty guide-book information. But this is not the only mihxhief that befalls; the real misfor- tune is that these heedless tourists incoulate their untravelkd nei'^-h- hours with their own cn;de notions of I f — 14- wliat they have seen abroad. The rage to publish books of travel has become a virulent epidemic. The press groans every year under the weight of these Avhimsical productions — the re-hash of previous lucubrations in the same line. Quite different from trash v works of this description are the narratives of Judge Routhier's travels. They strike you at once as masterpieces of original thought — his lively pages eschewing whatever is trite, and uninteresting. The story never dragM, but is ever varied ar.d entertaining. Anon he furnishes us with historical souvenirs enlivened by his own com- ments; then again we are treated to a spicy bit of word painting where the object is to place before us, in life-like colours, delineations of customs and habits. His retrospects are nevQr tire- some or long, and always rendered no- — 15 — vel by deductions tlutt connect hia narrative with contemporaneous his- tory. Though fond of looking back through the vistas of time, he never forgets what he owes to the present hour. The Canadian press and many im- portant newspapers abroad have com- mented upon his works in the most eulogistic language. Let us quote only a few lines of i^raise written in the Bevue BihUocjrapliiqae Umcerselle (Po- libyblion) published in Paris : '^ Mr Routhier, said that review, is perhaps' the most i-emarkable man that Ca- nada has produced. Eminent magis- trate, poet, orator, critic of litterature, he possesses above all the large com- pass of philosophical intellect which nuikes men complete in the fullest sense of the word. " After his return from his first ' ! m u — 16 — trip to Europe, he delivered a course of lectures at the Laval University, which were an unqualified success! In Paris, they would have won him a foremost place as a lecturer, ranking hira with such eminent men as La Pommeraye and Sarcey. His old time adversary, Mr Hector Fabre, was pleaged to pay him a high compliment, in an article at once polished and en- comiastic. In Quebec, he received the universal acclamations of the press as having brought the art of lecturing to its highest perfection. Ever since, eve- ry lecture meant a fresh triumph; people vied in eulogizing the delicacy and eloquence of his language, and the colouring with which he set oif the sublimity of his thougts. Buies, than whom there can no better judge from his long and varied experience of hu- man nature, and who, at the time, f V ^^ ^^ ' —17 — waa the antipodes of Mr Routhior as regards their general views, thus writes of our author in V Eninewent Kouthier is an artist in the French tojigue, a eJiaser Avith liis pen lii',l' wiio.e passioiLs have already been .stir- i-t-a 1./ i.o»vefn,l appeal.. It is then tiiiit he iiss!imesanew;-o7e — thatho entewinto the sentimentsand feelin™ "t the nia^se., e.nl„dying the «e„«a- t.ons that «way the.n, in language i"ie,ualiedi-orno],lene.s,s and dignity tojnthetically, he* eoi.centnite.s in his own poetic and elu-j,!,Mit nat(u>e the Pacnot.o and religious a«j.iration.s Hvathed by all aronnd him, and pours torth a lava tide oCword. burning with enthousiasrn and (igurative as fev/ but luiu can nnike their words. On occa- sions of para.nouiit national importan- ce, the soleumity ofthe ceremony coll- iers on him a representative character and ail individuality which combine all the elements that stir to their' !■ {. doptlis tlio hearts of all who arc Cana- dians and Ciithijlics. It has been our author's lot to play this distinguLshod paft both in Canada and Europe. We may be pardoned for feeling proud of our countryman when invited by his udniirers in France and Italy to ad- dress them ; for Canadians could be judged by no better criterion than he who deserves to be called a " represen- tative man. " The discourses which he delivered at the St Jean-Baptiste celebration in 1880, placed his repu^ation as an ora- tor on the highest level. It will be remembered that the celebration in question was conducted with extraor- dinary pomp and eclat. Never before did the good old city of Chaniplain witness within its walls such a vast concourse of Fiench — Canadians, ga- thered from all the towns and villages 1 —.20 -r- •scattered throughout Cannda ai;d the Lnited States. In his dual capacity of president of the Catholic Congress and vice-president of the National Conven- tion, Judge Routhier took a leading part in thf celebration, which laste.l three days. Tho.so who had the good fortune to hear both his speeches „„ that occa.sion will not forget them in a hurry; they were master-pieces of en- thijsiastic eloquence, who.se echoes reached even the shores of Europe. Most of the newspapers published con> phmentary notices. La Miner veatyXcd him" the Champion of Catholicism; " ^' Stendardproiioimced him " the king of our orator.s, " and Le Courrier da On- nmla wrote:" Never before have we beheld such a scene of eniiuisiasm " These speeches will continue as mo- dels of their kind, and bracket Mr Routiner's name with those of Messrs ■ "?• ■ ■ s — 21 -- Cliaploaii and Laiirier, as a favourite orator at all national festivals. Jud.ue Routiner has enriched our Canadian libraries witli about ten vo- lumes of pro^se and one volume of j)oet- ry. That he Avas bom a poet, all his writings, Avhether in prose or verse, ufFiciently teslify ; the divine afllatus breathes through them all. He hns the genuine inspiration of a i)oet, his iJjal visions. and striking imager3\ His publi^h.'d poems are entitled: Les Evhos, The iiuthor gives his reasons for selecting this tittle in an introduction remarkabl- for dignity and grac.^ : *' Poetry, he writes,""com- monly called harmonized chant, is nothing els3 than the echo of songs and melodies h-ard by the ])oet, waf- ted to his ear from ideal worlds. So- me of his lines would do honou-to the best Frer.ch poets, and have been very m __ 99 favourably noticed by nevvspnper cri- tics in France. La Bevue tlu Monde CaiJiolique, of Paris, having reviewed them and quoted hirgely from them thus comments:*' It is readily seen that Mr Routhier weilds a fticile pen ; that his sentiments are noble and pa- triotic, and his inspiration truly Chris- tian. He has added a fresh glory to his litterary crown, abready so brilli- ant, which will not impair its lustre. " Besides being a polished scholar and occupying the first place in our little republic of letters, formerly held by the Hon : M. Chau veau. Judge Routhier has social qualities that endear him to his friends as a born champion. Those who have been happy enough to form his acquaintance esteem him highly. How charmingly he converses! His words are seasoned with attic salt, scintillate with coruscations of wit, T f -2S — an.] overPiow with gaiety of spirits. Ai:>art from this, he is the equal of Leguiive as a reader, and soliloquizes in a way to excite the envy of profea sionnal actors. In 1862, our subject married Miss M. C. Mondelet, only daughter of the late Jean Mondelet advocate, and niece of the two eminent Judges of the same name, who some 3 ears ago graced the bench of the Montreal district. Mrs. Ilouthier is one of the leaders of Que- bec society, and a ladv as remarkable for her social distinction as for her keen intellect. She is animated by the same lively feelings of faith as her husband — a faith that has led her to consecrate herself to works of charity. The numbers who frequent Murray- liay as a summer resort can vouch for her piety ; for they saw a lasting mo- nument of her zeal in the pretty cha- pel she hfis erectod there. m — 24 — The three daughters of Judoe Rou- thier have inherited the brilliant qua- lities of their parcMt.s. One excels at the easel ; another by means of the piano interprets music to perfection ; whilst it is at the option of the third to become famous in letters. They are all three noted for their sweetness and amiability. Our learned Magistrate has als-o a son endowed with rare qualities f<,r the fine arts. His father wished him to study the hiw- but he prefered a more adventurous life, and he is now ]3roprietor of a tlorishing ranche in the North West Territories, at the foot of the liocky Mountains. it was at Mui-ray-Bay that Judo-e Routhier made his iirst step in tfe magistracy. It is also in thct enchant- n)g spot that he passes the summer moaiths in the midst of his family who (^;heer and comfort him. '■' - 25 — His white vflla stands out in bold relief from the clustering foliage of the green trees. From the verandah, where, ii the open air, under a sky whose smiles are seldom clouded, he drinks in the haalth giving breezes, his gaze rests Avith tranquil bliss on the ravishing panorama spread out be- fore him. The truncated c.nes of the Laurentiiui Mountains rise boldly de- fined against the azure sky, and then descend by steep proclivities to the river below, foruiing a succession of promontories that excite the tourist's wonder. In front, the river 8t Lawren- ce is seen to line the boundless hori-^ zon, infinite as the ocean. On the right, in a sort of twilight, loom up the hills that spread along the sou- thern shore of the stream, often veiled by mists, and sometimes, by the curi- ous effect of a mirage, brought within — 26 — full view of La Jliilbiiie. The fore- ground of tliis picture is occupied by the expanding sea. Here the poet's soul goes out to Nature, and here, no doubt, to the pleasing sound of the surging surf, were composed the most harmonious of his numbers. ft^g^ ■H I I I -« i W l lrt H H i f I I I! iM ^'.-^-^ :■■-■