▁a ▁lawyer , ▁journalist ▁and ▁politician ▁in ▁Quebec , ▁Canada . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁nin th ▁Premier ▁of ▁Quebec ▁from ▁January ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁to ▁December ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁as ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Parti ▁National ▁ ▁or ▁Quebec ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁( PL Q ). ▁ ▁He ▁rose ▁to ▁power ▁by ▁mobil izing ▁the ▁Franc oph one ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁execution ▁of ▁Louis ▁R iel , ▁den oun cing ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁bet ray al ▁by ▁John ▁A . ▁Mac don ald ' s ▁Conserv ative ▁government . ▁ ▁Early ▁background ▁ ▁Mer cier ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Saint - A than ase , ▁Lower ▁Canada , ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Jes uit ▁College ▁Sainte - Marie ▁in ▁Montreal , ▁and ▁was ▁called ▁to ▁the ▁Bar ▁of ▁Quebec ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 2 , ▁Mer cier ▁ ▁became ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁Le ▁Cour rier ▁de ▁St - Hy ac int he ▁newspaper . ▁He ▁opposed ▁the ▁Confeder ation ▁project ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁det r iment al ▁to ▁French ▁Canad ians . ▁ ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁creating ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁Parti ▁National . ▁ ▁Mer cier ▁successfully ▁ran ▁as ▁a ▁Liberal ▁candidate ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁election . ▁ ▁He ▁became ▁Member ▁of