Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the 159th anniversary of the hanging of five valorous Patriots, including Chevalier de Lorimier.
On this sad day when the federal government is trying to manipulate the Supreme Court in order to deny the Quebec people the right to decide their own future, let us remember that the Patriots fought for freedom and democracy.
The night before he was hanged, de Lorimier wrote:
I die remorseless. I was only seeking what was best for my country—Despite my misfortune, my heart still has hopes for the future. My friends and my children will see better days; they will know freedom. There is no doubt about it, my clear conscience tells me so—I have only a few hours to live and I wanted to divide this precious time between my devotions and my duties to my fellow countrymen. For them, I am condemned to the gallows to die the infamous death of a murderer; for them, I leave my young children and my wife behind—and for them, I die shouting “Long live freedom, long live independence”.