The Makers of Canada: ChamplainDionne, N.-E. (Narcisse-Eutrope)
History
The Makers of Canada: Champlain
Dionne, N.-E. (Narcisse-Eutrope)
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Champlain, Samuel de, 1574-1635
What would have been the result of the missions without his aid? It was
Champlain who caused the standard of our faith to be planted on the
shores of Canada. It was he who brought the missionaries to the new
settlement, and maintained them at Quebec, at Tadousac, and in the Huron
country. It was Champlain, too, who founded the parochial church of
Quebec, and afterwards endowed it.
Champlain's work rested solely upon a religious foundation, hence his
work has endured. It is true that the founder of Quebec had certain
worldly ambitions: he desired to promote commerce between the French and
the Indians, but surely this is not a matter for which he should be
reproached. Without trade the inhabitants of the settlement could not
exist, and without the development of the settlement, his work of
civilization would necessarily end. He worked for the material
prosperity of the settlement, but not to increase his own fortune. The
development of trade was also essential to Champlain in his capacity of
explorer, and it was only through this means that he could extend the
bounds of his mother country. This was surely the wisdom of a true
patriot. What nobler ambition on earth could any one have than this, to
extend the kingdom of his God and of his king?
Champlain has been justly called _The Father of New France_, and this is
certainly a glorious title. The name of Champlain is indissolubly
associated with this country, and will live long after his
contemporaries are forgotten, for many of them now only live through
him.
America contains a number of towns which have carefully preserved the
names of their founders, whose memories are consecrated by monuments
which will recall to future generations their noble work. But where is
the town or state that can point to a founder whose work equalled that
of Champlain? He had to spend thirty of the best years of his life in
his endeavours to found a settlement on the shores of the St. Lawrence.
Twenty times he crossed the Atlantic in the interests of the colony, and
in the meantime he had constantly to combat the influence of the
merchants who vigorously opposed the settlement of the French in Canada.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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