I’ve just finished re-reading about Louis Riel as published in the November 11th, 2020 issue of the Moose Jaw Express.
If we are to believe that [what was written] we have to believe that all of our teachers, school boards, forced by government leaders basically lied to us: re: Louis Riel’s involvement in both the Red River Rebellion and the North West Rebellion a.k.a. Riel Rebellion. I find this very hard to believe.
All of my teachers were friendly and well-informed; they taught us the facts and now you say they weren’t facts at all; no, they were low down liars and taught us, on purpose mind you, falsehoods and lies. Do you really expect us to believe that? Do you believe that?
People were killed in those armed rebellions! According to The Canadian Encyclopedia by Hurtig Vol.2, p. 1270, a total of 110 were killed, 72 Métis and Indians plus 38 troopers. These were for the most part young men who never had the chance to have their own children and enjoy life in general and all because of a man who was at times mad as a “March hare” started a rebellion/war.
Besides the unnecessary deaths and many wounded. The North-West Rebellion cost the taxpayers $5 million in 1885 dollars. I hate to think of what that would be today!
Riel quite early on suffered a nervous breakdown and was put in a hospital at Longue Pointe (Montreal) as “Louis R. David,” and was shortly transferred to an insane asylum at Beaport, Que. As “Louis La Rochelle.” He also did at least tow more stays in US asylums.
He became obsessed with the idea that God had sent him on a religious mission — to establish a new American church with Bishop Bourget of Montreal as Pope of the New World and he thought of himself as a divine prophet. Some of his prose and poetry was signed “Louis David Riel, Prophet, Infallible Pontiff, Priest King.” It’s obvious that Riel suffered greatly from mental afflictions. Back then, few people, including MDs, understood the complexities of the human mind. Today Riel would be probably diagnosed as a schizophrenic or suffering with bi-polar disease, or both.
He convinced himself that God was directing him and seeing himself as a great prophet he seized the parish church at Batoche, armed his men, formed a provisional government and demanded the surrender of Fort Carlton; about two months later it was all over. Riel was captured but his friend and very able field commander escaped to the USA but not before saying to his old boss, “What are we going to do? We are defeated. But you must have known when we took up arms that we would be beaten. So, they will destroy us.” — Gabriel Dumont.
He made three well-versed and experienced lawyers for his defence and they advised him to take the path of insanity plea but he flatly refused. Riel, of course, was found guilty of treason by the jury but they recommended mercy and that he be spared the death penalty. Today with all the evidence of his sanity, I think he would have been spared but things were seen differently in those days.
Riel’s first big mistake was ordering the “hit” on the surveyor Thomas Scott. Riel had him executed by firing squad. His body was disposed of without documentation or proper records and without proper burial. This shows that all involved knew they had done wrong. For this crime alone, Riel deserved punishment.
Does he deserve a pardon? NO HE DOESN’T! There is no government on earth, then or now, that will allow anyone to take up arms against it without retribution.
Back in the 1600s, a discerning person noticed that for bad and evil things and times to flourish, all that is necessary is for good people not to take a stand for what is good and right. It’s just plain wrong for a murderer and treasonist rebel to be pardoned just to allow some members of society to feel happy. And that is why I chose to comment on the piece in The Express, and I hope other good men do too.
Just as a matter of interest to you, there is now a neo-Nazi revisionist movement in Germany to pardon Hitler because all the good things he did for their economy etc before the war. They even have proposed remaining the autobahn the Hitlerbahn! Wow! Who’s next on the revisionists list? Saddam Hussein? Perhaps Osama Bin Laden?
Remember, two wrongs never made a right!
-- Stewart Godfrey
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
