Do you really want to debunk the statues of Faidherbe and the institutions that bear his name?
Yes. At the beginning of the 21st century, we can no longer glorify a man who served colonialism throughout his life (1818-1889) on the pretext that he won two minor victories in 1870-1871.
But he did not do only bad things: he fought against the invasion of France by the Prussians in 1870-1871!
Like Philippe Pétain in 1914-1918?
We are able to discern between positive and negative aspects of his career, can’t we?
This is precisely what Faidherbe’s supporters do when modestly “forgetting” to mention his “colonial work” and its odious aspects. But this proves the hypocrisy of their support: they glorify a man who fought against the German invasion of France… but who participated in the French invasion of Africa!
Yes, but you end up judging past history with your present eyes!
Yes, I do! And that is precisely the aim of those who erect statues, name streets and create “places of memory”. In this case, they wanted to perpetuate the cult of Faidherbe. Their ideals, while perhaps acceptable yesterday, are no longer acceptable today.
But you have to put this into perspective! As you yourself say, Faidherbe’s ideas were commonplace in his time.
Commonplace, certainly, but not widespread. From that time on, many personalities challenged colonialism and its ideological foundations. On the political level, we can mention Clemenceau, who was a fierce opponent of colonisation. On the scientific level, we can mention Joseph Anténor Firmin who published in 1885 De l’égalité des races humaines, a much more serious work than Faidherbe’s racist rantings.
In any case, your anti-Faidherbe hatred will come to nothing. You don’t unname streets and you don’t take down statues so easily!
That’s true, but that’s because of the prevailing conservatism. And it’s not impossible, as proven by the change of name of the rue de Paris in Lille, which became “rue Pierre-Mauroy” at the end of 2017. Where there’s a will, there’s a way… Note also that a street in Lille named after Marshal Canrobert (1809-1895) was recently renamed because this character, whose career has some similarities with Faidherbe’s, had “a somewhat dubious colonial past”.
And who do you want to honour then?
We are not fans of celebrating so-called ‘great men’. But if we have to name streets, high schools, hospitals or metro stations – it’s quite convenient, it’s true – we know more sympathetic names than Faidherbe. It is time to pay tribute to those who fought for the people and for justice, not to their enemies.
As for the statues of Faidherbe, wouldn’t it be better to leave them, to explain what colonialism is, rather than remove them and thus erase all traces of this past?
If it is to tell people that colonialism has “positive” aspects, as many people still believe, it is not sure that this is the solution. If, on the other hand, it is a matter of clearly indicating, on the statues themselves, what colonialism fundamentally is, namely an abominable crime in its very principle, then such a solution could be justified.
This would turn the statues into anti-colonial monuments…
Exactly. And, with a little imagination, they could even be transformed further, to reverse their meaning and make them tributes to the victims of colonisation and/or to those who resisted it. This is ultimately what all those who want to overturn colonialist symbols are calling for.
However, it is unlikely that the municipal authorities would want to keep monuments that would highlight one of the worst crimes in French history for long. They would undoubtedly be the first to want to dismantle these buildings…
[1] See “De l’extrême difficulté qu’il y a à changer le nom d’une rue”, La Voix du Nord, 23 June 2017.