Free Unholy Alliance by Don Gutteridge

their land devastated for my actions? Is this
the essence of British justice?”
    LaFontaine, to whom everyone instinctively
turned, made no attempt to curtail this diatribe or soften its
impact upon the English delegates, who sat momentarily taken aback,
chastened even. For the first time, at least as far as Marc had
observed, pain and a deep, pervasive sadness were visible in the
French leader’s face. Although LaFontaine had not taken up arms or
been maimed, as Tremblay had, he had nonetheless been driven from
the country (fleeing briefly to England and France), unjustly
arrested on his return, and publicly vilified. He knew firsthand
what English justice could come to. Tremblay had been asked to join
the Quebec delegation, Marc was sure now, because he represented
the vast constituency of the dispossessed and alienated in the
lower province. These were the very people whose votes Lafontaine
and the parti Rouge would have to seek and who would have to
be persuaded that an alliance with les maudits anglais ,
however unholy, was in their best interest.
    It was Robert who now took up this challenge.
“Although not nearly on the scale of your people’s suffering, Mr.
Tremblay, the reprisals and recriminations against the Upper
Canadian rebels and any families who even appeared sympathetic were
widespread, and could by no means be termed just. In the year
following our revolt, untold thousands of farmers abandoned their
land or sold it cheap in order to emigrate to the United States.”
At this point Robert paused, waited until Marc had concluded his
translation, then nodded to him.
    Marc looked at Tremblay and said, “A
neighbour of my wife, when she lived near Cobourg, became involved
in the early planning of the rebellion, saw the error of his ways,
and withdrew. He took no part in the actual uprising. Afterwards he
was summarily denounced and a price put on his head. He and his
family, including his father-in-law and his family, fled all the
way to Iowa. With them went my wife’s only brother. Their property
has been confiscated by the Crown. These people were good friends
of mine. Like so many others, here and in your province, I feel
bereft, cheated, and not a little bewildered at the uncertainty of
British law and justice, which I have been trained to serve – and
revere. I too would like to see both justice and fair reparations
for the victims of the rebellions.”
    “What we are implying,” Robert continued, “is
that, although it will be difficult and will not likely happen
right away, as Reformers we are committed to seeking such
reparations, in the sure knowledge that our own supporters among
the electorate will expect it.”
    “You are willing to guarantee this?”
LaFontaine said, his face once again an unreadable mask.
    “If we reach the point where we are able to
draw up a written agreement,” Robert said, “the guarantee will be
in writing.”
    LaFontaine looked at Tremblay, who was still
shaking from his emotional outburst. Tremblay did not look
back.
    “Well, gentlemen,” Macaulay said cheerfully,
as if he were about to call for another hand of whist, “it is late
in the afternoon and we have worked diligently at our mutual task.
I propose that we adjourn until tomorrow.”
    Noting the consensus in the room, he
continued. “May I also propose that, in light of the substantial
progress we’ve made today, we alter our schedule for Thursday. I
suggest we meet here at eleven and work through until five, with a
short break for an informal luncheon.”
    The gentlemen quickly agreed to this change
and the meeting was adjourned. Things seemed to be going well, but,
as Marc knew, step one was child’s play compared with what lay
ahead. It was all well and good to hammer out a common platform,
but if the new Assembly appeared to the French to be a mere
repetition of the old ineffectual one, there would be no ‘step
two.’ What was self-evident at this stage was that Louis-Hippolyte
LaFontaine was a