# Michel Vidal

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American politician

Michel Vidal Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 4th district In office July 18, 1868 – March 3, 1869 Preceded by Vacant due to Civil War Succeeded by Joseph P. Newsham United States Consul to Tripoli In office April 5, 1870 – October 12, 1876 Personal details Born (1824-10-01)October 1, 1824 Carcassonne, Languedoc, France Died October 20, 1895(1895-10-20) (aged 71) Montreal, Canada Party Republican Education University (France) Profession Diplomat, newspaper editor, politician

**Michel Vidal** (October 1, 1824 - October 20, 1895) was a [U.S. representative](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana).

Born in the city of [Carcassonne](/source/Carcassonne), [Languedoc](/source/Languedoc), [France](/source/France), Vidal completed university-level studies in France before emigrating to the [Republic of Texas](/source/Republic_of_Texas). Soon after Texas became annexed to the United States, Vidal moved to the French-speaking region of south Louisiana. He engaged in literary and scientific pursuits and served as associate editor of several American and French newspapers for the French-speaking populations of the U.S. and Canada. He also served as an editor of the *New York [Courrier des États-Unis](/source/Courrier_des_Etats-Unis)* and the New Orleans *Picayune* (now the *[Times-Picayune](/source/Times-Picayune)*). At the close of the [Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) he was appointed by General [Philip Sheridan](/source/Philip_Sheridan) a registrar for the city of [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans). In 1867, he moved to [Opelousas, Louisiana](/source/Opelousas%2C_Louisiana), where he founded and edited the *[Saint Landry Progress](/source/St._Landry_Parish)*. He served as delegate to the State constitutional convention of 1867 and 1868 (this convention wrote the "[Reconstruction](/source/Reconstruction_era_of_the_United_States) Constitution" which was in turn rescinded after white Democrats again gained control of Louisiana government) after 1876.[1]

Upon readmission of Louisiana to representation in Congress, Vidal was elected, from [Louisiana's 4th congressional district](/source/Louisiana's_4th_congressional_district) (which included Opelousas), as a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) to the [Fortieth United States Congress](/source/Fortieth_United_States_Congress), (July 18, 1868 – March 3, 1869), and was effectively in office until 1870.[2] He was appointed a United States commissioner under the convention concluded with [Peru](/source/Peru) in 1868 for the adjustment of claims of citizens of either country. On his leaving Congress, Vidal was appointed by President [Ulysses Grant](/source/Ulysses_Grant) as United States consul at [Tripoli, Libya](/source/Tripoli%2C_Libya), where he served from April 5, 1870, to October 12, 1876. He died in [Montreal](/source/Montreal).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** - United States Congress. ["Michel Vidal (id: V000096)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=V000096). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*..

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** See the table in [Louisiana's 4th congressional district](/source/Louisiana's_4th_congressional_district).

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Vacant due to Civil War United States Representative for the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana 1867—1870 Succeeded by Joseph P. Newsham Diplomatic posts Preceded by unknown United States Consul to Tripoli (part of the Ottoman Empire 1870-1876 Succeeded by unknown

v t e United States representatives from Louisiana 1st district E. Livingston White H. Johnson White Slidell La Sére St. Martin Dunbar Eustis Bouligny Sypher Lawrence Gibson Hunt St. Martin Wilkinson Meyer Estopinal O'Connor Fernández Hébert Tonry B. Livingston Vitter Jindal Scalise 2nd district Gurley Thomas Ripley Chinn Dawson la Branche Thibodeaux Conrad Bullard J. A. Landry Hunt Taylor Mann Sheldon Ellis Hahn Wallace Lagan Coleman Lagan Davey Buck Davey Gilmore Dupré Spearing Maloney H. Boggs Maloney H. Boggs L. Boggs Jefferson Cao Richmond Carter 3rd district Brent Overton Bullard Garland J. Moore Dawson Harmanson Penn Perkins Davidson Newsham Darrall Acklen Darrall Kellogg Gay Price Broussard Martin Montet Mouton Domengeaux Willis Caffery Treen Tauzin Melançon J. M. Landry Boustany Higgins 4th district Bossier Morse J. Moore Jones Sandidge Landrum Vidal Newsham McCleery Boarman Smith Levy Elam Blanchard Ogden Breazeale Watkins Sandlin Brooks Waggonner Leach Roemer McCrery Fields McCrery Fleming M. Johnson 5th district Blackburn Morey Spencer Leonard Young King Newton Boatner Baird Ransdell Elder Wilson Mills McKenzie Passman Huckaby McCrery Cooksey Alexander McAllister Abraham Letlow 6th district Nash E. Robertson Lewis Irion E. Robertson S. Robertson Favrot Wickliffe Morgan Sanders Sr. Favrot Kemp Sanders Jr. Griffith Sanders Jr. Morrison Rarick H. Moore Baker Cazayoux Cassidy Graves Fields 7th district Pujo Lazaro De Rouen Plauché Larcade Thompson Edwards Breaux Hayes John Boustany 8th district Aswell Overton Dear Allen G. S. "Doc" Long McSween G. W. Long S. Long G. W. Long C. Long Holloway At-large Robertson Butler Johnston Sheridan Territory Clark Poydras

Authority control databases: People US Congress

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