Eligius Fromentin (1767 – October 6, 1822) was a French priest who became an American politician. He served as secretary of Louisiana's territorial legislature, and at the constitutional convention that led to its admission to the Union. He was a US senator from 1813 to 1819 and a federal judge in West Florida from 1821 to 1822.

Early life

Fromentin was born and raised in France, where he completed his education and became a Jesuit Roman Catholic priest. Fromentin fled the country during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror in the early 1790s and settled in the United States. Fromentin lived first in Pennsylvania, where he became a naturalized US citizen and later in Maryland, where he was a schoolteacher and priest. By the early 1800s, Fromentin decided to leave the church and moved to Louisiana, which was being purchased by the United States. He settled in New Orleans in 1803, studied law, and attained admission to the bar.

Political career

Fromentin was clerk of the territorial house of representatives from 1807 to 1811. He was a delegate to the constitutional convention that developed Louisiana's state constitution when it joined the Union in 1812. From 1812 to 1813, he was secretary of the Louisiana State Senate. In 1813, he was elected to the United States Senate and he served one term, March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1919. Fromentin was likely the first former priest to serve in Congress. In 1814, he was elected to the American Antiquarian Society. After leaving the senate, Fromentin returned to Louisiana, where he practiced law and was appointed a judge of the New Orleans criminal court in 1821. He soon left this position to become a federal judge for West Florida after being appointed by James Monroe. As a judge, Fromentin engaged in a prolonged feud conflict with Andrew Jackson, the Territorial Governor, with Jackson arresting José María Callava, the former Spanish Governor, whom he accused of attempting to flee to Cuba with Spanish documents related to West Florida. Fromentin issued a habeas corpus writ for Callava, which Jackson refused to honor. After resigning his judgeship in June 1822, Fromentin returned to New Orleans to practice law. He became ill during a Yellow Fever epidemic later that year, and he died in New Orleans on October 6, 1822. He was married to Elizabeth Polk of Maryland, with whom he had no children. She died of Yellow Fever the day before Fromentin. The Fromentins were buried at Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 in New Orleans.

Support for slavery

Fromentin was a supporter of slavery. In addition to owning slaves himself, his political activity included arguing against an effort to annex Louisiana Territory to Indiana Territory on the grounds that slavery was banned in Indiana, and so might become banned in Louisiana.