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Talbot Mercer Papineau accuses Henri Bourassa, who advocated Canada's abstention from the conflict, of departing from the nationalist values he holds dear. In a kind of plea, he sets out all the reasons why his cousin should not oppose Canada's participation in this world war. For Mercer Papineau, Canada not only has a duty to support as a member of the British Empire, but he believes that the country is just as much under attack as the Allied countries in Europe: "It is true that Canada did not hear the roar of German guns nor were we visited at night by the murderous Zeppelins but every shot that was fired in Belgium or France was aimed as much at the heart of Canada as at the bodies of our brave Allies. Could we then wait within the temporary safety of our distant shores until either the Central Powers, flushed with victory, should come to settle their account or until, by the glorious death of millions of our fellow men in Europe, Canada should remain in inglorious security and a shameful liberty?"
Furthermore, Talbot Mercer Papineau, writing this letter from the battlefield in France, highlights his experience as a soldier to support his argument. He concludes his letter by stating that the respect and esteem Canada enjoys today is due primarily to the commitment of its citizens who fought and sacrificed at the front: “Remember, too, that if Canada has become a nation respected and self-respecting, she owes it to her citizens who have fought and died in this distant land and not to those self-styled Nationalists who have remained at home.”
This open letter was first published in the Montreal daily newspaper The Gazette on July 28, 1916, and simultaneously in several Quebec and Ontario newspapers. On August 5, Henri Bourassa publicly responded in a lengthy letter on the front page of Le Devoir, calling the text a 'political manifesto' and suspecting it to be a forgery engineered by imperialists to take advantage of his valiant cousin's reputation. Talbot Mercer Papineau’s letter was also reprinted in the Times of London on August 22, 1916, under the title The Soul of Canada. Talbot Mercer Papineau died on the front in Belgium on October 30, 1917.
Online Collections | McCord Museum - Montreal Social History Museum 
Letter or draft of a letter by Talbot Mercer Papineau to his cousin, Henri Bourassa, Editor of Le Devoir, Montréal
SignatureTalbot Papineau
Period
20e siècle
Dimensions1 textual record; 33 x 20 cm
ClassificationCommunication Objects - Documentary Objects
Object NumberM1389
DivisionArchives - Textual Archives
CreditGift of Mrs. Papineau and David Ross McCord
Scope and ContentThis original letter from Talbot Mercer Papineau to his cousin Henri Bourassa, editor of the Montreal daily Le Devoir, dated March 21, 1916, represents an attempt by the lawyer, enlisted since the start of the First World War, to influence the latter's opinion. It may well be a draft, given the large number of erasures and additions it contains, revealing the author's hesitations in formulating his thoughts.Talbot Mercer Papineau accuses Henri Bourassa, who advocated Canada's abstention from the conflict, of departing from the nationalist values he holds dear. In a kind of plea, he sets out all the reasons why his cousin should not oppose Canada's participation in this world war. For Mercer Papineau, Canada not only has a duty to support as a member of the British Empire, but he believes that the country is just as much under attack as the Allied countries in Europe: "It is true that Canada did not hear the roar of German guns nor were we visited at night by the murderous Zeppelins but every shot that was fired in Belgium or France was aimed as much at the heart of Canada as at the bodies of our brave Allies. Could we then wait within the temporary safety of our distant shores until either the Central Powers, flushed with victory, should come to settle their account or until, by the glorious death of millions of our fellow men in Europe, Canada should remain in inglorious security and a shameful liberty?"
Furthermore, Talbot Mercer Papineau, writing this letter from the battlefield in France, highlights his experience as a soldier to support his argument. He concludes his letter by stating that the respect and esteem Canada enjoys today is due primarily to the commitment of its citizens who fought and sacrificed at the front: “Remember, too, that if Canada has become a nation respected and self-respecting, she owes it to her citizens who have fought and died in this distant land and not to those self-styled Nationalists who have remained at home.”
This open letter was first published in the Montreal daily newspaper The Gazette on July 28, 1916, and simultaneously in several Quebec and Ontario newspapers. On August 5, Henri Bourassa publicly responded in a lengthy letter on the front page of Le Devoir, calling the text a 'political manifesto' and suspecting it to be a forgery engineered by imperialists to take advantage of his valiant cousin's reputation. Talbot Mercer Papineau’s letter was also reprinted in the Times of London on August 22, 1916, under the title The Soul of Canada. Talbot Mercer Papineau died on the front in Belgium on October 30, 1917.
NotesSource of title proper: Title based on the contents of the document.
Language: The document is in English.
Availability of other formats: This document has been digitized and is also available in PDF form, accompanied by a full transcription.
Last update: December 6, 2024
Language: The document is in English.
Availability of other formats: This document has been digitized and is also available in PDF form, accompanied by a full transcription.
Last update: December 6, 2024
Status
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