Alexis de Tocqueville in Detroit

[renf]

I believe that de Tocqueville departed from Detroit on this date 178 years ago to
travel the Saginaw Trail to Flint and Saginaw. de Tocqueville believed that he
had reached the limit of the civilized world when he got to Detroit. He was so
convinced of this that he entitled his chapter in Democracy in American about
his travels to Saginaw and back, Quinze jours au desert. He presents a
fascinating account of his travels in Michigan and was extremely pleased
to find that the Indians near Flint spoke French. Does anyone know if de
Tocqueville met Gabriel Richard in Detroit?

[vetalalumni]

I believe that de Tocqueville departed from Detroit on this date 178 years ago to
travel the Saginaw Trail to Flint and Saginaw. de Tocqueville believed that he
had reached the limit of the civilized world when he got to Detroit. He was so
convinced of this that he entitled his chapter in Democracy in American about
his travels to Saginaw and back, Quinze jours au desert. He presents a
fascinating account of his travels in Michigan and was extremely pleased
to find that the Indians near Flint spoke French. Does anyone know if de
Tocqueville met Gabriel Richard in Detroit?

How would you go about learning whether de Tocqueville met Gabriel Richard?

[gnome]

I did a quick search because I thought de Tocqueville arrived in Detroit after the colera outbreak of 1832, the one which killed Richard, and have not been able to find anthing de Tocqueville wrote about meeting Richard.

However, in the book http://books.google.com/books?id=ZAR...ichard&f=false about de Tocqueville it briefly recounts one such meeting.

It seems a valid question, de Tocqueville was interested in politics and religion and Richard had been a congressman, a civic leader and a priest. Plus he was french.

[gnome]

oops, wrote too quickly, de Tocqueville did write about Richard:

http://clarke.cmich.edu/detroit/tocqueville1831.htm

We arrived at Detroit at 4 o'clock. A fine American village. Many French names on the houses; French bonnets. We went to see Mr. Richard, the priest in charge of the Catholic church in Detroit. We found him busy teaching at school. His story: brought up by the Irish in Paris; studied theology at Saint Sulpice; ordained priest at the last ordination of 1791; went into exile; came to Detroit; a few years ago was Congress representative for the territory of Michigan. An old man whose religion seems to be ardent and sincere. Desultory conversation, but interesting. The Protestant population begins to be preponderant in Michigan on account of emigration. But Catholicism gains some converts among the most enlightened men. Mr. Richard's opinion about the extreme coolness of the upper classes in America towards religion. One of the reasons for the extreme tolerance; anyhow tolerance complete. Nobody asks you of what religion you are, but if you can do the job. The greatest service one can do to religion is to separate it from temporal power. The slightest nuance of ill feeling towards popular government, intrigues and cabals; the elections are even made by the central government. United States systems for the new States. They are made to get accustomed by degrees to governing themselves. Colony of native Christians at Michilimackinac. Their zeal, their ardour, their education.
On leaving Mr. Richard our embarrassment about which way to set out. All the Americans wanted us to choose the best roads and oldest settlements. We wanted the wilderness and savages but did not like to say so too clearly.

[texorama]

Isn't there also a passage in which he remarks on how the land is perfectly flat in every direction, posing no obstacle to unlimited growth?

I'll look it up when I have a moment.

[vetalalumni]

Thanks for the information.