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A
Man of Many Talents
Jean Talon — the son of Philippe Talon and Anne de Bury —
was born in 1625, and was baptized on January 8, 1626. Although
originally from Châlons-sur-Marne in the Champagne region
of France, Talon was schooled in Paris at the Jesuit-run Collège
de Clermont.
In his early
career, he occupied several positions in military administration,
including chief military commissioner in Flanders, intendant of
the army at Turenne, and chief commissioner of Quesnoy — an
important stronghold in France's war against Spain. In 1655, at
the relatively young age of 30, he became Intendant of Hainaut —
an important territory stretching across the north of France and
a significant portion of Flanders (Belgium) — and occupied
the post until 1665.
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A
New and Prestigious Posting
Created during the 1630s by Cardinal Richelieu — Chief Minister
to Louis XIII and head of France's Cabinet — the position of
intendant was designed to re-establish royal authority throughout
France's colonial possessions, while also replacing the waning influence
of the feudal system.
The role of
the intendant became essential to French civil administration. For
example, an intendant controlled all aspects of the legal system
in his territory — from lawyers and judges to the laws themselves.
In addition, the intendant oversaw his territory's finances, including
the collection of taxes and tarifs, and the regulation of prices.
The provisioning of armed forces, the construction and maintenance
of roads and canals, and the exploitation of mines and other natural
resources also came under the intendant's authority. In short, the
role of an intendant was very broad, and the intendant himself exercised
considerable power.
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A
Stagnating Colony
Prior to the arrival of Jean Talon, New France was thinly populated.
To make matters worse, the colony's principal economic activity —
the fur trade — had fallen into disarray following the 1648-1650
destruction of Huronia by the Iroquois. The years which followed had
been difficult. Deprived of the support of the Hurons — who had
been useful intermediaries and commercial allies — the Compagnie
des Cent-Associés began neglecting many of its obligations,
including the obligation to colonize New France.
The Compagnie
also began accumulating significant debt. Part of the problem, according
to the Compagnie, was an increased demand by the colonists for military
aid — both to help them fight the Iroquois, and to help re-open
fur-trading routes. The arrival of the Carignan-Salières
regiment, and the naming of an intendant for New France, were just
two of the steps taken by young King Louis XIV and Finance Minister
Jean-Baptiste Colbert as part of their plans to restructure the
colony.
The appointment
of an intendant was particularly important. Faced with imminent
ruin and dissolution, the colony needed an experienced and confident
administrator. The intendant would also have to be a man of unquestioned
loyalty to the Crown, because he would have to represent, in Louis
XIV's own words, "the eye and hand of the King.
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"The
Eye and Hand of the King"
Unmarried and of noble birth, Jean Talon accepted the position of
"Intendant of justice, policing and finance in Canada, Acadia,
Newfoundland and France's other northern territories" for an
initial term of two years. This was later extended by a year, for
a period lasting from 1665 to 1668.
Following his
first appointment, Talon returned to France. At the request of the
King, he was named Intendant of the colony for a second term, which
lasted from 1670 to 1672. In all, Talon served as Intendant of New
France for five years — a surprisingly short period of time,
considering how much he accomplished.
With his responsibility
for justice, and as the final authority in civil matters, Talon
— in concert with the governor — dominated the colony's
Supreme Council, while also naming its members. He not only concerned
himself with applying the laws, but also with interpreting them.
Internal legislation related to markets, sanitation, health and
public safety also fell under his authority. In addition, he administered
the colony's overall budget. This included complete control over
all of its expenditures — including military spending —
as well as the power to fix currency rates and prices for commodities
such as foodstuffs. Without a doubt, Talon's wide-ranging authority
made him the most powerful individual in New France.
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A
Lively and Cultivated Spirit
Talon had been raised in a cultured milieu, and had many intellectual
pursuits. He participated in a public discussion of philosophy at
the Jesuit college in Quebec City, and composed madrigals and epigrams
which he sent to the Mother Superior of the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec
City. His aesthetic tastes also appear to have been quite refined,
according to an inventory taken of his possessions after his death.
The tally included 98 paintings, most of which depicted non-religious
subjects.
Talon was a
man of strong character, leavened with a happy nature and unbounded
enthusiasm. These qualities were definite assets, considering the
extent of his powers, and would prove essential to the mission with
which he had been charged. However, these same characteristics sometimes
caused him to go too far, provoking irritation among the colonists,
and earning him a reprimand from authorities back in France. It
is clear that, although he enjoyed the confidence of both Louis
XIV and Colbert, Talon remained subordinate, and had to limit his
ambitions to the guidelines set by his superiors.
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Fragile
Health
Talon's energy and decisive character hid a somewhat sickly nature.
It is hard to imagine a man of his vigour suffering from chronic ill
health. On several occasions in his correspondence with France, however,
Talon suggests that he is "greatly inconvenienced" by illness.
It is hard to know what exactly he may have suffered from, because
the terms he used were often vague: "health under attack",
"strong indispositions" and an "ongoing infirmity"
troubled him from time to time. At other times, illness "throws
him into inaction", creating the impression that Talon's physical
condition often left much to be desired. His state of health was probably
the primary reason he asked to be allowed to come home at the end
of each of his terms of office.
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Ambitious
Projects
Following his arrival in New France, Talon was quick to realize the
colony's immense potential. In his opinion, Quebec City — if
fortified and populated as it should be — could become the centre
of a considerable empire. Minister Colbert, however, urged more modest
aspirations, and reminded Talon that the principal function of a colony
is to serve the home country. Within these restrictions, Talon began
developing New France's infrastructure, which had remained rudimentary
in many respects. Talon's plans for the colony also relied on increasing
the population, as well as on economic development, and the discovery
of new trading routes and new riches through exploration. |
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