Codex Battleford
Transcription: 18
Transcription:
{17 [written in pencil in the top right corner]
MM.Forget and xxxxxxx [crossed out] Gilbourn were there .Gabriel Dumont came and addressed M.Forget as a member of the North-West Government.“Mr.Forget.It is not in my name that I address you to day,but in the name of the nation that chose me for a chief.I am one of those who went down to United States to fetch Mr. Riel and to establish him our political leader because we trust him.We are told that the Canadian Government intend to arrest him.Let the[m] tryx! we will.see to that.He has already suffered toomuch [sic] xxxxxxx [crossed out] for our sake:he,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [crossed out] (and we with him,)has been despised and persecuted.”
“Do you remember,Mr.Forget,that some time ago,speaking with Governor Laird about the Indians who were left to die of hunger,he xxxxxxx [crossed out]silenced me saying:“that does not concern you.It is the affair of the Government,not yours”. How that does not concern me?The Government is obliged by a treaty with the Indians,and because they do not fulfill their obligations,these suffering and dying Indians appeal to us as our relatives.Can we leave them die without sharing with them?One must have a bold face to tell us that it is not our business.” Mr Forget reassured/them and promised them that he wpuld [sic] plead for them.
On the morrow,after having celebrated the sunday [sic] mass in presence of a large congregation of halfbreeds and delivered a long sermon,Bishop Grandin set out about noon for Qu’Appelle and Regina.There he met repeatedly the lieutenant-governor and entertained him for a great while of the halfbreed movement and of his own apprehensions.Mr.Forget also wrote to Ottawa a note of warning;as an answer,Sir John McDonald told him “to dock his own hair”.
On the 24th of September,an immense crowd of halfbreeds from all parts of the settlement gathered in the new church of St.Antoine at Batoche for the celebration of their first national holiday.RR.FF.Fourmond,Touze and Végreville were present,and also Brother Piquet.Father Moulin celebrated the high mass.At the gospel,he addressed the motley congregation,proposing to their imitation St.Joseph’s chastity,constant labour and family cares,and also St.John de Baptist’s austerity and sobriety.
On leaving the church after mass,Louis Riel,standing on (a car) [written above]xxxpenter’s bench gave to the crowd some wise and practical lessons,insisting on the submission to their priests even though xxx xx [crossed out] they xxxx [crossed out] should not spare the[m] rebukes. “I myself like others”,he said, “ can act wrongly.Let it be that the priests have the courage to reprove me,to correct me,to denounce me even in the church.This is their right.They are amongst us to warn us charitably,in order that we may live a truly chtistian [sic] life and so xxx [crossed out] guided to heaven.” Finally he commended that a collection be taken in behalf of the Reverend Sisters who were de[-]voting themselves at St. Laurent to the education and welfare of the halfbreed children in the utmost dearth.
Father Fourmond then spoke,asking the people to put into practice these x [crossed out] useful recommandations [sic] of Mr Riel, but adding that for doing that ,we all need the grace of God.He asked them also to recite every day an “Hail Mary” for Mr.Riel to testify their gratitude for all the trouble he gave himself for them.
Fr.Végreville ended the series of speeches by explaining in a succinct manner,the meaning of national and patriotic feast.“Hence forth,”he said, " the halfbreeds of the North-West will not looked as [sic] little bands of sragglers [sic] lost in the crowd of immigrant who will soon overrun the}
MM.Forget and xxxxxxx [crossed out] Gilbourn were there .Gabriel Dumont came and addressed M.Forget as a member of the North-West Government.“Mr.Forget.It is not in my name that I address you to day,but in the name of the nation that chose me for a chief.I am one of those who went down to United States to fetch Mr. Riel and to establish him our political leader because we trust him.We are told that the Canadian Government intend to arrest him.Let the[m] tryx! we will.see to that.He has already suffered toomuch [sic] xxxxxxx [crossed out] for our sake:he,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [crossed out] (and we with him,)has been despised and persecuted.”
“Do you remember,Mr.Forget,that some time ago,speaking with Governor Laird about the Indians who were left to die of hunger,he xxxxxxx [crossed out]silenced me saying:“that does not concern you.It is the affair of the Government,not yours”. How that does not concern me?The Government is obliged by a treaty with the Indians,and because they do not fulfill their obligations,these suffering and dying Indians appeal to us as our relatives.Can we leave them die without sharing with them?One must have a bold face to tell us that it is not our business.” Mr Forget reassured/them and promised them that he wpuld [sic] plead for them.
On the morrow,after having celebrated the sunday [sic] mass in presence of a large congregation of halfbreeds and delivered a long sermon,Bishop Grandin set out about noon for Qu’Appelle and Regina.There he met repeatedly the lieutenant-governor and entertained him for a great while of the halfbreed movement and of his own apprehensions.Mr.Forget also wrote to Ottawa a note of warning;as an answer,Sir John McDonald told him “to dock his own hair”.
On the 24th of September,an immense crowd of halfbreeds from all parts of the settlement gathered in the new church of St.Antoine at Batoche for the celebration of their first national holiday.RR.FF.Fourmond,Touze and Végreville were present,and also Brother Piquet.Father Moulin celebrated the high mass.At the gospel,he addressed the motley congregation,proposing to their imitation St.Joseph’s chastity,constant labour and family cares,and also St.John de Baptist’s austerity and sobriety.
On leaving the church after mass,Louis Riel,standing on (a car) [written above]xxxpenter’s bench gave to the crowd some wise and practical lessons,insisting on the submission to their priests even though xxx xx [crossed out] they xxxx [crossed out] should not spare the[m] rebukes. “I myself like others”,he said, “ can act wrongly.Let it be that the priests have the courage to reprove me,to correct me,to denounce me even in the church.This is their right.They are amongst us to warn us charitably,in order that we may live a truly chtistian [sic] life and so xxx [crossed out] guided to heaven.” Finally he commended that a collection be taken in behalf of the Reverend Sisters who were de[-]voting themselves at St. Laurent to the education and welfare of the halfbreed children in the utmost dearth.
Father Fourmond then spoke,asking the people to put into practice these x [crossed out] useful recommandations [sic] of Mr Riel, but adding that for doing that ,we all need the grace of God.He asked them also to recite every day an “Hail Mary” for Mr.Riel to testify their gratitude for all the trouble he gave himself for them.
Fr.Végreville ended the series of speeches by explaining in a succinct manner,the meaning of national and patriotic feast.“Hence forth,”he said, " the halfbreeds of the North-West will not looked as [sic] little bands of sragglers [sic] lost in the crowd of immigrant who will soon overrun the}
