I believe that Louis Riel is guilty of treason. Riel, Louis Riel has been called many names, he has been called a Prophet, a Statesman, a scoundrel, a hero, a madman, a visionary, a hero, but Louis Riel is best described a traitor, he has betrayed Canada in many ways. If passed, Bill C-417 will reverse Riel’s conviction for high treason. Riel ordered a man named Thomas Scott to be killed and organized a rebellion that caused the loss of dozens of lives, in order to become a territorial leader. Indeed Riel spent most of his adult life in Canada, & the United States, seeking political intrigue. Eventually he was executed for his many crimes and the endless turmoil he caused with the Canadian government. That sentence may appear harsh today, but it was no harsher than Scott’s execution or the dozens lost in the Riel rebellion: life itself was hard then. The punishment was meted out accordingly, and believed to be very fair at the time. Even though Louis Riel did not want Bloodshed and stayed away from rebelling against the government for most of his adult life he did not keep it that way so Louis Riel is indeed still guilty of treason. This is true because Louis Riel started rebellions, and was responsible for levying war against the Canadian government which is treason. Louis Riel also fled to the U.S and conspired with the president to start war with the government which is also treason. Louis Riel is guilty in many ways of treason.
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Riel did not touch a gun and did not kill anyone but he is responsible for the dozens of lives lost in the Riel rebellion and for the execution of Thomas Scott. After all did he not court Marshall Scott and from his peoples vote, 2 only 2 of the seven could do what Riel could not, only 2 of Riels people had the courage to raise their hands, and denounce the Scott execution cold blooded murder. Scott wasn’t guilty of treason for two reasons one, he had no government to be treasonous against, and never in the criminal code does it say do not be racist to your government. It does say form an intention to start war with the government, or use force to overthrow the government, Scott was innocent and Riel should have known it, and it is not the killing of Thomas Scott which made Riel guilty it is what that lead to which was rebellions, a provisional government, and many other acts of the crime treason.
“Save our country from this wicked government by taking arms if necessary” – Louis Riel.
According to the criminal code of Canada paragraph 46 section 1 a through 2c treason is someone who a) uses force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province. The North West Rebellion is a perfect example of this,¦ Riel formed a provisional government at Batoche in order to wring concessions from Ottawa by force, if necessary does this sound like a man who cares for his government, or a man that will use his government to get what he wants. One week later, the Métis clashed with the North-West Mounted Police on Beardy’s Reserve near Duck Lake, by this attack from the Metis people led by none other than Louis Riel, and in section 46 2b on the criminal code of Canada it say’s levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto- by acting and rebelling though it was only few Mounties it is still part of the Canadian government, and by god it was the very first step on Louis road of rebellion on the Canadian government, so by rebelling they are levying some sort of war on Canada which is a form of treason, isn’t it. Riel decided to make his stand at Batoche, a strategy that ultimately sealed the fate of the Métis and lost any chance of prolonging the conflict- the stand Louis riel is taking a stand to overthrow the Canadian government therefore committing treason, and he is in every way guilty of treason. The North-West Field Force, momentarily stunned by an ambush at Fish Creek in late April 1885, swooped downed on Batoche on May 9 and easily overran the defenders three days later. The next six weeks were largely anticlimactic, as Indian leaders and their followers who had been implicated in the troubles surrendered to Canadian authorities. – another section says that You shall not start (Riel was the leader so he started it) or assist armed forces (Metis using Nails, Stones Sticks, cannons & guns) against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities (Riel + Metis), whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are. The Metis and Riel are doing this they are starting war, and convincing others to join which is also an act of treason so “Time travelling” back to the Riel era and undoing Riel’s hanging through simple historical revisionism implies that someone else should pay the price for killing riel, now innocent. In other words, it calls our entire justice system into question, and too be fair and just, if you pardon Riel you must pardon, everyone else who has been charged with treason, and take a look at them, and by doing this it is implying we can get away with rebelling against our government, in the way Riel did.
Maybe at first Louis Riel’s Provisional Government was used to protect the Metis and maybe because the term provisional means “temporary” and it was only used so the Metis could negotiate with the Canadian government to become a part of Canada but it was later an excuse to rebel against the Canadian government. At a meeting inside of a church in Batoche after a priest which had told the Metis people & Riel that “I refuse to give the sacrament to anyone who participates in a rebellion against the Canadian government” Riels reaction was assaulting the priest and holding a meeting, at that very meeting Riel uttered this quote “I propose we set up a provisional government and take up arms to defend our right to do so!” By saying this Riel is saying that he’ll use his government which was legal and use it to commit illegal crime “treason” by taking up arms and fighting for their rights and possibly overthrow three governments, and all three of those points are against the Canadian criminal code. So after this meeting occurred it was all downhill and became from harmless to harmful and treason. So by saying this is “levying war against Canada” and “conspiring with the Metis to take up arms against the Canadian government, which both are Treason.
Bill C-417 should not be passed because Mr. Riel does not deserve a second chance to live and be a hero, he was given chances and he blew them. Throughout his life Riel had formed a provisional government, started many rebellions, killed innocent men, and had fled to the U.S. When he murdered Thomas Scott, he was in trouble and he done wrong and he knew it, and he wasn’t ready to be accountable for his actions so he fled to the U.S, if he knew it was the right thing to do and felt accountable for his actions he would have stayed in Canada and fought for his cause. Does this sound like a strong leader? Is this a leader who would stand up and never abandon his people? No it sounds like a traitor to his government and his people, only a guilty man would leave his own country and have the nerve to come back start rebellions, and run for a spot in parliament. The main reason why people think he is a hero is because he fought for the rights of his people and stand up for them, and by fleeing his people he did not stand up for them but he sat down.
Yes throughout Riel’s earlier years he tried to avoid bloodshed and he did, he avoided fighting against the government, for a long time Riel had avoided killing anyone to “avoid bloodshed” but later in his life he started a rebellion with a man named Gabriel Dumont who was for bloodshed, and Dumont had been accountable for many Canadian deaths but let’s not forget Dumont’s leader and the one who organized the rebellions Riel. Louis Riel was one hundred per cent responsible for Dumont and his actions thus responsible for the blood shed he caused. Riel should’ve known Dumont was the man who wouldn’t hesitate at chance to battle or capture, a person who was part of the Canadian Government I mean in a football game isn’t it the quarterbacks job to call the plays and lead his team, so in the football game of The Metis vs. the Canadian Government Riel was the Quarter back and therefore responsible for the work of his defense man Dumont. Riel was there when Dumont was talking about ambushes, guerrilla style tactics, etc. Riel knew what Dumont wanted and went along with it, so Dumont’s Bloodshed is also Louis’ bloodshed. I mean Riel could’ve stopped him, yet when Riel sent him over to Mitchells store near Duck Lake to raid it, Gabriel couldn’t resist starting battle; Mr. Riel knew Dumont was a violent man, toward the Canadian Government but still Riel sent Dumont out to a place near, where Mounties were located. By not giving Dumont his follower instructions not to start battle Riel is responsible for Dumont’s Bloodshed and his treasonous acts against the Canadian Government, and by being responsible for others treason he is guilty of his own treason.
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“We intend to fight for our freedom as a separate state from Canada”
In 1875 Mr. Riel was expelled from Canada for 5 years to the U.S and in these 5 years without the authorization of the Canadian government Riel went to acting U.S president Ulysses S. Grant to ask for money and protection. According to the criminal code of Canada “without lawful authority can a person conspire with another person or ought to do something for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and defense of Canada”. By going to Ulysses S. Grant Riel and asking him for money and protection he is preforming a treasonous act. At this same meeting Riel also says that “I am convinced that I could raise a military force sufficient enough to compel the Canadian government to reconsider its relationship with the North West” by saying this he is discussing his plan to raise a military force and levy war against Canada which is also part of treason. So by fleeing Canada to go to the President and discussing Riels plan to attack the Canadian government is treason in to ways, and then acting on these plans in the North West resistance is completely treasonous.
“How could an insane person lead 700 people into a rebellion unless they were all insane?”
Louis may have been a traitor and a scoundrel but one thing that is true is he is very honest. At his trial Louis was a truthful man and would not plead insane because he was considerate as well. In fact President John A. Macdonald said “because there was doubt about Riel’s sanity, I delayed the execution until November 16th and had him examined by three doctors. They all agreed that he’s not crazy”. Three doctors examined one man, he was said to be diagnosed with megalomania, and megalomania is Delusional belief of superiority, Delusions of greatness, Delusions about one’s own power Delusions about one’s own importance. Louis Riel envisioned himself as a prophet, according to the dictionary; a prophet is a man who speaks for god or a deity, or by divine inspiration or a person who practices divination. Riel saw himself as a prophet of God not a person that is superior, great or is any more important than anybody else on God’s green earth. So not one, not two but the three doctors are right, Riel in no way has any symptoms of megalomania; he does not see himself as great. Louis could not be insane anyway, instead of staying nice and safe in Montana, Riel gave up his safety for the Metis. During his trial, Riel’s lawyer thought the only way to get Riel out of this mess was for him to plead insanity, it was his lawyers decision to make him insane, he himself knowing he would be executed, Riel still did not agree, only a proud sane man would die to say he was just a sane leader. Riel is right “how could an insane person lead 700 people into a rebellion unless they were all insane?” If Louis Riel had not been apparently diagnosed with the single diagnosis of megalomania According to http://mwolk.com/blog/definition-of-insanity/ in general an insane person is a person who is not at all afraid of doing anything which might lead to drastic problems for him/her in the future, near the beginning of the ‘Riel era’ Riel had asked his men to stop the bloodshed and be loyal to the Queen, so even though he started rebellions and broke many laws mostly TREASON, Riel did try to avoid things that would be dreadful to himself and the Metis. So Riel was not insane and therefore was right to be punished for the treason he caused in the rebellions, and the turmoil he gave to the government.
Riel didn’t ‘Father’ Confederation; he ‘fought’ those who did. In comparison with the constructive minds of his generation, Riel was an anomaly. Since he was certainly not a hero to everyone, in no case should we commemorate his misdeeds by erecting a statue of him on Parliament Hill. That would be an insult to the memory of the soldiers who fought and died fighting Riel’s army and defending the cherished rights we associate with that same Parliament Hill. No person advocating or engaging in armed rebellion against Canada’s democratic processes should be so honoured. To do so would be to elevate anarchy and civil disobedience to statesmanship. In short, Riel did not have the full support of his people, let alone Rupert’s Land that he needed to create his own territory. Instead, he used arms and force, those ancient non-democratic methods, resulting in death and terror. He was accordingly confronted by force for his crimes, lost and hung. So by revising History, you are not condemning Louis Riel you are condemning Canada, he fought against those who made Canada, and for that alone, for being a bump on the road of what Canada is today, Louis Riel Deserved the death of hangings and more, in the end Louis Riel broke every part of the Criminal Code subsection Treason and high treason [v] except for causing bodily harm to her Majesty. In final conclusion to make Louis Riel innocent is making our government guilty and they did not break any single law in Riel’s lifetime so Riel is indeed guilty of treason.
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