Louis Stephen St. Laurent

I

Introduction

Louis Stephen St. Laurent (1882-1973), 12th prime minister of Canada (1948-1957). St. Laurent, known as Uncle Louis, was more distinctly Canadian than any of the country's other prime ministers. His mixed French-speaking and English-speaking background reflected Canada's bilingual heritage and brought him the confidence of other Canadians. During his years in private law practice, St. Laurent was a quiet man whose dignified, old-fashioned manner and appearance seemed to bear out his distaste for public life. However, when St. Laurent entered Canadian politics at the age of 59, he adapted impressively to his new responsibilities. St. Laurent made good use of his talent for making quick and sober decisions, and he proved to have one of the most forward-looking and resilient minds in the political history of Canada.

II

Early Life

St. Laurent grew up in Compton, a small town in southern Québec near the Vermont border. St. Laurent's mother was of Irish descent and raised him to be a devout Roman Catholic. His relatively well-to-do family owned a general-goods store, which included the town's post office. St. Laurent's upbringing was completely bilingual. As he commented, “I didn't know until I was ten years old that all fathers didn't speak French, and all mothers, English.”

St. Laurent's mother provided his early schooling. After acquiring the basic foundations of a primary education and some practical working experience as his father's helper and as assistant postmaster, St. Laurent entered Saint Charles College in Sherbrooke, Québec, to prepare for the priesthood. He proved adept at Latin and possessed a boundless curiosity. The college supervisor reassessed St. Laurent's future and suggested that his talents were best fitted to study law. St. Laurent entered Université Laval in Sainte-Foy, Québec. In 1902 he received his bachelor's degree and in 1905 his law degree.

III

Law Practice

St. Laurent became a lawyer in 1905 and soon developed a successful practice. In 1914 he was appointed professor of law at Université Laval and gained a reputation as the leading lawyer in Québec. St. Laurent became associated with leading law firms in Québec City and in Montréal. He often appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada and brought important cases before the Privy Council in London.

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In 1908 St. Laurent married Jeanne Renault. The couple had two sons and three daughters. St. Laurent and his wife were devoutly attached to church and family, and he showed every sign of following a quiet routine in the legal profession for the rest of his life.

IV

Cabinet Minister

In December 1941 Ernest Lapointe, chief assistant of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in the House of Commons, died suddenly. Lapointe was a French Canadian who had effectively influenced the French-speaking public. One of the prime minister's advisers recommended St. Laurent to replace Lapointe. On December 10, St. Laurent was invited to join King's government as minister of justice and attorney general.

At first, St. Laurent carried out his responsibilities without attracting much public attention. He said little at cabinet meetings and added only what was required in the form of a lawyer's summary of facts. In 1942 he obtained the necessary seat in the House of Commons when he won a by-election to fill an empty seat as the Liberal Party candidate representing Québec East.

In 1944 the government had to institute a draft in order to reinforce Canada's overseas force in World War II. The draft had been very controversial, and many French-speaking Canadians, particularly in Québec, were against the draft. St. Laurent made a strong stand for the government's position and asked his fellow French Canadians to support Canada's war effort. His expert handling of the issue resulted in Québec's cooperation in the limited draft that was adopted. St. Laurent found himself in the national spotlight and was recognized as a capable Liberal politician. In 1945 he was reelected to the House of Commons by a large majority. That spring he went with Lester B. Pearson to the San Francisco Conference, where the two men played a significant role in helping to set up the United Nations (UN), an international organization established to maintain peace and security.

As attorney general, St., Laurent played a major part in 1945 and 1946 in dealing with an elaborate spy ring that was allegedly passing Canada's nuclear secrets to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). On his own authority, St. Laurent refused to allow the people connected with the conspiracy, including some well-known Canadian scientists, to speak with anyone. They were denied counsel and bail until the full extent of their espionage was established. His high-handed tactics caused some worry in King's government and aroused protests from influential persons. However, suspicion of serious security breaches was later confirmed and public confidence in St. Laurent was restored.

In September 1946 St. Laurent became secretary of state for external affairs, an important office that Prime Minister King had previously held. In his role as foreign minister, St. Laurent took the initiative in 1948 of recommending that Canada serve on the United Nations commission on Korea. This decision expanded Canada's international commitment beyond the limits of King's cautious policy and forced a confrontation between the two leaders. However, faced with the threat of St. Laurent's resignation, King acceded to his minister's action.

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