Codex Battleford
Transcription: 17
Transcription:
{16 [written in pencil in the top right corner]
as a Josuah,a prophet and even a saint.
Bishop Grandin ,returning from Reindeer Lake and Isle à la Crosse, via Maskeg Lake and Fort Carlton,arrived at Duck Lake on August 29th. The next day,he set out for St.Laurent ‘s mission where Mr.Forget,secretary of the Lieutenant Governor came xxxxx [crossed out] on the evening. On the morrow,before the pontifical mass,an address dictated by Riel was read at the door step of the church by Mr.Octave Reignier,a school teacher.Riel was absent;he had, it appears,gone to St.Antoine to avoid meeting the bishop and the secretary Forget.
On monday [sic],Ist of September,in the afternoon,after having confirmed twenty children,set out for St.Antoine de Padoue,accompanied by Fr.André and the other priests.A large number of halfbreeds came to meet them at the river’s shore and escortthem [sic] solemnly up to the rectory.On the morrow,bishop Grandin blessed the new church still unfinished&encumbered with piles of lumber and sacks of lime.He then said the high mass,preached and confirmed thirty persons.After having taken their dinner at Xavier Letendre’s,the bishop and the priests went to Duck Lake for the night and set out for St. Laurent the following day. “Riel is always there near me and ennoys [sic] me greatly”,writes the bishop.“At last,he understand that I need to stay alone with my priests. He looks to me like a man full of overratings [crossed out] exaggerations [written above] both in religion and in politics.I fear he will xxx [crossed out] become crazy;all the Fathers share my apprehensions [crossed out] presentiments [written above] as also some of the halfbreeds,but the most part of these consider him as an oracle.”
xx [crossed out] On Friday,5th of September ,a great number of men,coming from everywhere, gathered at St.Laurent and begged the bishop to preside over their assembly.As it was raining,the meeting took place in the school room.MM.Riel, Gabriel Dumont,Charles Nolin,Baptiste Arcan,Moise Ouellette spoke.The speakers one after another entertained the prelate about their grievances and those of the Indians. In all their speeches,the halfbreeds insisted also on the uneasiness that existed for some time in the settlement between the clergy and the people.In the past they were always submissive to the voice of their missionaries; they vouched for the continuation of this xx [crossed out] state of mind in the future.But,all the same,they remained convince[sic] of the justice of their cause.
The bishop with his habitual kindness and good nature assured them that his missionaries did xxx [crossed out] despisex neither Riel nor his nation,and that their kindly feelings towards them are as much alive now as they were in the past They might count upon their assistance to claim their rights by all lawful means,but not to stir up or support the slightest seditious movement.
Riel exposed the desire of the halfbreeds of the North-West to consider as a nation under the title of “Union des Métis”.He sollicited [sic] the bishop to assignex [sic] them a patronal saint;like the other nations.The bishop agreed to his request:St Joseph was chosen as the principal patron and St John the Baptist as the secundary [sic] one. xxxxx [crossed out] However,as the feast of St Joseph was falling during lent every year, and sometimes during the holy week,Bishop Grandin that the day chosen for that festival,both patriotic and religious should be transferred to July 24th every tear [sic],and authorized them to inaugurate this new order the 24th xxxxxxxx [crossed out] instant.The Bishop closed the meeting by giving them his blessing and by signing,at the request of Riel, a special formula of benediction for the halfbreeds,composed and written by the latter.
After these speeches,Mgr Grandin xx [crossed out] set out for Duck Lake with several missionaries and saturd[ay],September 6th, started homeward.He stopped for the n[x]ight at Mr J.Vandale’s where he intended to establish a new mission under the name of Taché.}
as a Josuah,a prophet and even a saint.
Bishop Grandin ,returning from Reindeer Lake and Isle à la Crosse, via Maskeg Lake and Fort Carlton,arrived at Duck Lake on August 29th. The next day,he set out for St.Laurent ‘s mission where Mr.Forget,secretary of the Lieutenant Governor came xxxxx [crossed out] on the evening. On the morrow,before the pontifical mass,an address dictated by Riel was read at the door step of the church by Mr.Octave Reignier,a school teacher.Riel was absent;he had, it appears,gone to St.Antoine to avoid meeting the bishop and the secretary Forget.
On monday [sic],Ist of September,in the afternoon,after having confirmed twenty children,set out for St.Antoine de Padoue,accompanied by Fr.André and the other priests.A large number of halfbreeds came to meet them at the river’s shore and escortthem [sic] solemnly up to the rectory.On the morrow,bishop Grandin blessed the new church still unfinished&encumbered with piles of lumber and sacks of lime.He then said the high mass,preached and confirmed thirty persons.After having taken their dinner at Xavier Letendre’s,the bishop and the priests went to Duck Lake for the night and set out for St. Laurent the following day. “Riel is always there near me and ennoys [sic] me greatly”,writes the bishop.“At last,he understand that I need to stay alone with my priests. He looks to me like a man full of overratings [crossed out] exaggerations [written above] both in religion and in politics.I fear he will xxx [crossed out] become crazy;all the Fathers share my apprehensions [crossed out] presentiments [written above] as also some of the halfbreeds,but the most part of these consider him as an oracle.”
xx [crossed out] On Friday,5th of September ,a great number of men,coming from everywhere, gathered at St.Laurent and begged the bishop to preside over their assembly.As it was raining,the meeting took place in the school room.MM.Riel, Gabriel Dumont,Charles Nolin,Baptiste Arcan,Moise Ouellette spoke.The speakers one after another entertained the prelate about their grievances and those of the Indians. In all their speeches,the halfbreeds insisted also on the uneasiness that existed for some time in the settlement between the clergy and the people.In the past they were always submissive to the voice of their missionaries; they vouched for the continuation of this xx [crossed out] state of mind in the future.But,all the same,they remained convince[sic] of the justice of their cause.
The bishop with his habitual kindness and good nature assured them that his missionaries did xxx [crossed out] despisex neither Riel nor his nation,and that their kindly feelings towards them are as much alive now as they were in the past They might count upon their assistance to claim their rights by all lawful means,but not to stir up or support the slightest seditious movement.
Riel exposed the desire of the halfbreeds of the North-West to consider as a nation under the title of “Union des Métis”.He sollicited [sic] the bishop to assignex [sic] them a patronal saint;like the other nations.The bishop agreed to his request:St Joseph was chosen as the principal patron and St John the Baptist as the secundary [sic] one. xxxxx [crossed out] However,as the feast of St Joseph was falling during lent every year, and sometimes during the holy week,Bishop Grandin that the day chosen for that festival,both patriotic and religious should be transferred to July 24th every tear [sic],and authorized them to inaugurate this new order the 24th xxxxxxxx [crossed out] instant.The Bishop closed the meeting by giving them his blessing and by signing,at the request of Riel, a special formula of benediction for the halfbreeds,composed and written by the latter.
After these speeches,Mgr Grandin xx [crossed out] set out for Duck Lake with several missionaries and saturd[ay],September 6th, started homeward.He stopped for the n[x]ight at Mr J.Vandale’s where he intended to establish a new mission under the name of Taché.}
