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,transcriber's ,note3    ,this version  
of the text cannot represent certain    
typographical effects4  ,italics are    
delimited with the #8' character as     
italic4    ,errors1 when reasonably     
attributable to the printer1 have been  
corrected4 ,please see the transcriber's
 note at the end of this text for       
details4 ,corrections made to the text  
are summarized there4    ,french        
passages did not include diacritical    
marks 7with a single  appearance of #8' 
on p4 #ed71 and are presented here as   
printed4                                
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,illustration3 ,c4 ,,chiniquy           
,,fifty ,,years                         
,,in ,,the                              
,,church ,,of ,,rome4                   
,,by                                    
,,father ,,chiniquy1                    
,,the ,,apostle ,,of ,,temperance ,,of  

,,canada4     ,,author ,,of 8,,the      
,,manual ,,of ,,temperance10 8,,the     
,,priest1 ,,the ,,woman1 ,,and ,,the    
,,confessional10                8,,papal
 ,,idolatry10 8,,rome ,,and             
,,education10 ,,etc4                    
,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell ,,company1       
,,new ,,york4          ,,chicago4       
,,toronto4                              
,publishers of ,evangelical ,literature4
                                        
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,copyright1                            
#ahhf1           ,,by ,,rev4 ,,charles  
,,chiniquy1 ,,st4 ,,anne1 ,,kankakee    
,,co41 ,,ill4                           
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,dedication4                           
,,to ,,colonel ,,edwin ,a4 ,,sherman4   
,allow me to mention your name the first
 among the many to whom ,i  dedicate    
this book4    ,i owe this to you as a   
token of gratitude for your help in my  

researches  after the true murderers of 
our martyred ,president ,abraham        
,lincoln4    ,i found you as wise and   
honorable in your counsels as our       
country found  you brave on the         
battlefields of ,liberty4               
,,to ,,the ,,orangemen ,,of ,,the       
,,united ,,states1 ,,canada1            
,,great ,,britain1 ,,australia1         
,,tasmania                              
,,and ,,new ,,zealand1,a    this book is
 also dedicated by the humblest of their
 brethren4    ,orangemen6 ,read this    
book3 you will not only understand      
,romanism as you  never did1 but you    
will find many new reasons to be1 more  
than ever1  vigilant1 fearless and      
devoted1 even to death1 in the discharge
 of the  sacred duties imposed upon you 
by your love for your country1 your     
brethren and your ,god4    -----        
,footnote ,a3      ,l4 ,o4 ,a4 ,b4 ,a4  
,,boyne ,l4 ,o4 ,l4 ,no4 #dja4          
,montreal1 #bjth ,sept41 #ahgh4         
,this is to ,certify that ,bro4 ,c4     

,chiniquy was duly initiated into ,boyne
    ,l4 ,o4 ,l4 ,no4 #dja1 and is a     
member in good standing1 and we do      
therefore request all ,brethren to      
receive him as such1 whereof witness    
our hand and seal hereto affixed4       
,,master ,no4 #dja4                     
,,john ,,hamilton1 ,secretary4    ----- 
,,to ,,the ,,honest ,,and               
,,liberty-,,loving ,,people ,,of ,,the  
,,united ,,states1    ,i also dedicate  
this book4    ,americans6 ,you are      
sleeping on a volcano1 and you do not   
suspect it6 ,you  are pressing on your  
bosom a viper which will bite you to    
death1 and you  do not know it4    ,read
 this book1 and you will see that ,rome 
is the sworn1 the most  implacable1 the 
absolutely irreconcilable and deadly    
enemy of your  schools1 your            
institutions1 your so dearly bought     
rights and liberties4    ,read this     
book1 and you will not only understand  
that it is to ,rome you  owe the rivers 
of blood and the unspeakable horrors of 

the last civil  war3 but you will learn 
that ,romanism and ,liberty can not live
 on the  same ground4 ,this has been    
declared by the ,popes1 hundreds of     
times4    ,read this book3 ,and you will
 not only see that ,abraham ,lincoln was
  murdered by ,rome1 but you will learn 
that ,romanism1 under the mask of       
religion1 is nothing but a permanent    
political conspiracy against all  the   
most sacred rights of man and the most  
holy laws of ,god4    ,in those pages   
you will not learn to hate the ,roman   
,catholics4 ,no6 ,but  you will learn to
 be more than ever watchful in guarding 
the precious  treasures of ,freedom     
bestowed upon you by your fathers4 ,you 
will learn  never to let them fall into 
the hands of those who1 with the sacred 
name  of ,liberty on their lips1 and the
 mask of ,liberty on their faces1 are   
sworn to destroy all ,liberty4          
,,to ,,all ,,the ,,faithful ,,ministers 
,,of ,,the ,,gospel1    ,i also1        
dedicate this book4    ,venerable       

,ministers of the ,gospel6 ,rome is the 
great danger ahead for  the ,church of  
,christ1 and you do not understand it   
enough4    ,the atmosphere of light1    
honesty1 truth and holiness in which you
 are  born1 and which you have breathed 
since your infancy1 makes it almost     
impossible for you to realize the dark  
mysteries of idolatry1  immorality1     
degrading slavery1 hatred of the ,word  
of ,god1 concealed  behind the walls of 
that modern ,babylon4 ,you are too      
honest to suspect  them2 and your       
precious time is too much taken up by   
the sacred duties  of your ministry1 to 
study the long labyrinth of             
argumentations which  form the bulk of  
the greater number of controversial     
books4 ,besides  that1 the majority of  
the books of controversy against ,rome  
are of such  a dry character that1      
though many begin to read them1 very few
 have the  courage to go to the end4    
,the consequence is an ignorance of     
,romanism  which becomes more and more  

deplorable and fatal1 every day4    ,it 
is ignorance which paves the way to the 
triumph of ,rome1 in a near  future1 if 
there is not a complete change in your  
views1 on that  subject4    ,it is that 
ignorance which paralyzes the arm of the
 ,church of ,christ1  and makes the     
glorious word 8,protestant0 senseless1  
almost a dead and  ridiculous word4 ,for
 who does really protest against ,rome1 
to-day8 where  are those who sound the  
trumpet of alarm8    ,when ,rome is     
striking you to the heart by cursing    
your schools and  wrenching the ,bible  
from the hands of your children2 when   
she is not  only battering your doors1  
but scaling your walls and storming your
  citadels1 how few dare go to the      
breach and repulse the audacious and    
sacrilegious foe8    ,why so8 ,because  
modern ,protestants have not only       
forgotten what ,rome  was1 what she is1 
and what she will forever be3 the most  
irreconcilable  and powerful enemy of   
the ,gospel of ,christ2 but they        

consider her almost  a branch of the    
church whose corner-stone is ,christ4   
,faithful ministers of the ,gospel6 ,i  
present you this book that you may  know
 that the monster ,church of ,rome1 who 
shed the blood of your  forefathers1 is 
still at work1 to-day1 at your very     
door1 to enchain  your people to the    
feet of her idols4 ,read it1 and for the
 first time1  you will see the inside   
life of ,popery with the exactness of   
,photography4 ,from the supreme art with
 which the mind of the young and  timid 
child is fettered1 enchained and        
paralyzed1 to the unspeakable           
degradation of the priest under the iron
 heel of the bishop1 everything  will be
 revealed to you as it has never been   
before4    ,the superstitions1 the      
ridiculous and humiliating practices1   
the secret  and mental agonies of the   
monks1 the nuns and the priests1 will be
 shown  to you as they were never shown 
before4 ,in this book1 the sophisms and 
errors of ,romanism are discussed and   

refuted with a clearness1  simplicity   
and evidence which my twenty-five years 
of priesthood only  could teach me4 ,it 
is not in boasting that ,i say this4    
,there can be no  boasting in me for    
having been so many years an abject     
slave of the  ,pope4 ,the book ,i offer 
you is an arsenal filled with the best  
weapons  you ever had to fight1 and1    
with the help of ,god1 conquer the foe4 
,the learned and zealous champion of    
,protestantism in ,great ,britain ,rev4 
,d4 ,badenoch1 who has revised the      
manuscript1 wrote to a friend3 8,i do   
not think there is a ,protestant work   
more thrilling in interest and more     
important at the present time4 ,it is   
not only full of incidents1 but  also of
 arguments1 on the side of truth with   
all classes of ,romanists1  from the    
bishops to the parish priests4 ,i know  
of no work which gives so  graphically  
the springs of ,roman ,catholic life1   
and at the same time1  meets the        
plausible objections to ,protestantism  

in ,roman ,catholic  circles4 ,i wish   
with all my heart that this work would  
be published in  ,great ,britain40      
,the venerable1 learned and so well     
known ,rev4 ,dr4 ,kemp1 ,principal of   
the  ,young ,ladies' ,college of        
,ottawa1 ,canada1 only a few days before
 his  premature death1 wrote3 8,mr4     
,chinqiuy has submitted every chapter of
 his  #8,fifty ,years in the ,church of 
,rome' to me3 ,i have read it with care 
and  with the deepest interest2 and ,i  
commend it to the public favor in the   
highest terms4 ,it is the only book ,i  
know that gives anything like a  full   
and authentic account of the inner      
workings of ,popery on this  continent1 
and so effectively unmasks its pretence 
to sanctity4 ,besides  the most         
interesting biographical incidents1 it  
contains incisive  refutations of the   
most plausible assumptions and deadly   
errors of the  ,romish ,church4 ,it is  
well fitted to awaken ,protestants to   
the insidious  designs of the arch-enemy

 of their faith and liberties1 and to   
arouse  them to a decisive opposition4  
,it is written in a kindly and          
,christian  spirit1 does not indulge in 
denunciations1 and1 while speaking in   
truth1  it does so in love4 ,its style  
is lively and its ,english good1 with   
only  a delicate flavor of the author's 
native ,french40                  ,,to  
,,the ,,bishops1 ,,priests ,,and        
,,people ,,of ,,rome1    this book is   
also dedicated4    ,in the name of your 
immortal souls1 ,i ask you1 ,roman      
,catholics1 to read  this book4    ,by  
the mercy of ,god1 you will find1 in its
 pages1 how you are cruelly  deceived by
 your vain and lying traditions4    ,you
 will see that it is not through your   
ceremonies1 masses1  confessions1       
purgatory1 indulgences1 fastings1 etc41 
you are saved4 ,you  have nothing to do 
but to believe1 repent and love4        
,salvation is a gift6 ,eternal life is a
 gift6 ,forgiveness of sin is a  gift6  
,christ is a gift6    ,read this book1  

presented by the most devoted of your   
friends1 and1 by  the mercy of ,god1 you
 will see the errors of your ways--you  
will look to  the ,,gift--you will      
accept it--and in its possession you    
will feel rich and  happy for time and  
eternity4                               
,,special ,,notice                      
,,to ,,new ,,edition4                   
------------------      ,since the      
publication of the second edition of    
8,fifty ,years in the  ,church of       
,rome10 the incendiary torch of the foe 
has twice reduced into  ashes the       
electrotype plates1 with many volumes   
already printed1 and  about to be       
delivered to subscribers4    ,though    
those two disasters have completely     
ruined me financially1 they  have not   
discouraged me1 for my trust was in     
,god1 and in ,him alone4  ,relying on   
,his divine and paternal protection1 ,i 
offer this ,new ,edition  to my         
brethren1 with the prayerful hope that  
the ,good ,master will bless  it for    

,his glory1 and the good of ,his elect1 
wherever it may go4    ,i have no words 
to sufficiently bless the friends who   
have extended to  me a helping hand to  
raise the book from its fiery grave2 and
 ,i cannot  sufficiently thank the      
,press1 both religious and secular1 of  
,europe and  ,america1 for the kind     
appreciation given1 almost everywhere1  
to my  humble labor4    ,may this book1 
with the help of ,god1 be the means of  
giving liberty to  those who are held in
 the bondage of ignorance1 superstition 
and  idolatry1 is the sincere desire of 
their friend1                           
,c4 ,,chiniquy4                         
,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4            
,,page         ,,frontispiece-,,father  
,,chiniquy1           0             0   
0     ,,in ,,priest',s       ,,robes1   
,,festivities ,,in ,a ,,parsonage1      
#ed         ,,grand ,,dinner ,,of ,,the 
,,priests1                              
#bje         ,,cardinal ,,newman1       
#dje         ,,fall ,,of ,,the 8,,holy  

,,fathers10                             
#dcf         ,,leo ,,xiii41 ,,present   
,,pope1                                 
#fgf         ,,abraham ,,lincoln1       
#fic                                    
,,contents4                             
,page4         ,,title                  
#a         ,,dedication                 
#c-g         ,,preface ,,to ,,third     
,,edition                               
#h                                      
,,chapter ,i4         ,the ,bible and   
the ,priest of ,rome                    
#i-ac                                   
,,chapter ,,ii4         ,my first       
school-days at ,st4 ,thomas--,the ,monk 
and         #ad-ba         ,celibacy    
,,chapter ,,iii4         ,the           
,confession of ,children                
#bb-cj                                  
,,chapter ,,iv4         ,the ,shepherd  
whipped by his ,sheep                   
#ca-dj                                  
,,chapter ,v4         ,the ,priest1     
,purgatory1 and the poor ,widow's ,cow  

#da-dh                                  
,,chapter ,,vi4         ,festivities in 
a ,parsonage                            
#di-ef                                  
,,chapter ,,vii4         ,preparation   
for the ,first ,communion--,initiation  
to       #eg-fj         ,idolatry       
,,chapter ,,viii4         ,the ,first   
,communion                              
#fa-fe                                  
,,chapter ,,ix4         ,intellectual   
,education in the ,roman ,catholic      
#ff-gd         ,college                 
,,chapter ,x4         ,moral and        
,religious ,instruction in the ,roman   
#ge-he         ,catholic ,colleges      
,,chapter ,,xi4         ,protestant     
,children in the ,convents and          
,nunneries       #hf-ic         of ,rome
                                        
,,chapter ,,xii4         ,rome and      
,education--,why does the ,church of    
,rome         #id-aag         hate the  
,common ,schools of the ,united ,states1
         and wants to destroy           

them8--,why does she object         to  
the reading of the ,bible in the        
,schools8                               
,,chapter ,,xiii4         ,theology of  
the ,church of ,rome3 its ,anti-,social 
#aah-abh         and ,anti-,christian   
,character                              
,,chapter ,,xiv4         ,the ,vow of   
,celibacy                               
#abi-adj                                
,,chapter ,,xv4         ,the ,impurities
 of the ,theology of ,rome              
#ada-aec                                
,,chapter ,,xvi4         ,the ,priest of
 ,rome and the ,holy ,fathers2 or1 how  
,i    #aed-afb         swore to give up 
the ,word of ,god to follow the         
word of ,men                            
,,chapter ,,xvii4         ,the ,roman   
,catholic ,priesthood1 or ,ancient and  
#afc-agb         ,modern ,idolatry1     
,,chapter ,,xviii4         ,nine        
,consequences of the ,dogma of          
#agc-ahb                                
,transubstantiation--,the old ,paganism 

under a         ,christian name         
,,chapter ,,xix4         ,vicarage1 and 
,life at ,st4 ,charles1 ,rivierre ,boyer
     #ahc-aid                           
,,chapter ,,xx4         ,papineau and   
the ,patriots in #ahcc--,the burning of 
#aie-bjc         8,le ,canadien0 by the 
,curate of ,st4 ,charles                
,,chapter ,,xxi4         ,grand ,dinner 
of the ,priests--,the ,maniac sister of 
#bjd-bae         ,rev4 ,mr4 ,perras     
,,chapter ,,xxii4         ,i am         
appointed ,vicar of the ,curate of      
#baf-bbf         ,charlesbourgh--,the   
,piety1 ,lives and ,deaths of           
,fathers ,bedard and ,perras            
,,chapter ,,xxiii4         ,the ,cholera
 ,morbus of #ahcd--;,admirable courage  
and      #bbg-bce         self-denial of
 the ,priests of ,rome during the       
epidemic                                
,,chapter ,,xxiv4         ,i am named a 
,vicar of ,st4 ,roch1 ,quebec           
,city--,the       #bcf-bda         ,rev4
 ,mr4 ,tetu--,tertullian--,general      

,cargo--,the ,seal         ,skins       
,,chapter ,,xxv4                        
,simony--,strange and sacrilegious      
traffic in the        #bdb-bea          
so-called ,body and ,blood of           
,christ--,enormous sums         of      
,money made by the sale of ,masses--,the
 ,society         of three ,masses      
abolished and the ,society of one       
,mass established                       
,,chapter ,,xxvi4         ,continuation 
of the trade in ,masses                 
#beb-bfj                                
,,chapter ,,xxvii4         ,quebec      
,marine ,hospital--,the first time ,i   
carried       #bfa-bfg         the 8,bon
 ,dieu0 7the wafer god7 in my vest      
pocket--,the ,grand ,oyster ,soiree at  
,mr4         ,buteau's--,the ,rev4 ,l4  
,parent and the 8,bon ,dieu0         at 
the ,oyster ,soiree                     
,,chapter ,,xxviii4         ,dr4        
,douglas--,my ,first ,lesson on         
,temperance--,study of    #bfh-bhb      
,anatomy--,working of ,alcohol in the   

,human         ,frame--,the ,murderess  
of her own ,child--,i forever           
give up the use of ,intoxicating ,drinks
                                        
,,chapter ,,xxix4         ,conversions  
of ,protestants to the ,church of       
#bhc-bic         ,rome--,rev4 ,anthony  
,parent1 ,superior of the               
,seminary of ,quebec3 ,his peculiar way 
of finding         access to the        
,protestants and bringing them to       
the ,catholic ,church--,how he spies the
 ,protestants         through the       
,confessional--,i persuade ninety-three 
,families to become ,catholics          
,,chapter ,,xxx4         ,the ,murders  
and ,thefts in ,quebec from #ahce to    
#bid-cjc         #ahhf--,the night      
,excursion with two ,thieves--,the      
,restitution--,the ,dawn of ,light      
,,chapter ,,xxxi4         ,chambers and 
his ,accomplices ,condemned to          
#cjd-cab         death--,asked me to    
prepare them for their         terrible 
,fate--,a week in their ,dungeon--,their

         ,sentence of ,death changed to 
,deportation to         ,botany         
,bay--,their ,departure for exile--,i   
meet one         of them a sincere      
,convert1 very rich1 in a high          
and honorable position in ,australia in 
#ahgh                                   
,,chapter ,,xxxii4         ,the         
,miracles of ,rome--,attack of ,typhoid 
#cah-ccd         ,fever--,apparition of 
,st4 ,anne and ,st4                     
,philomene--,my ,sudden ,cure--,the     
,curate of ,st4 ,anne         ,du ,nord1
 ,mons4 ,ranvoise1 almost a disguised   
,protestant                             
,,chapter ,,xxxiii4         ,my         
,nomination as ,curate of               
,beauport--,degradation       #cce-cdb  
and ,ruin of that place through         
,drunkenness--,my         opposition to 
my nomination useless--,preparation     
to ,establish a ,temperance ,society--,i
 write to         ,father ,mathew for   
advice                                  
,,chapter ,,xxxiv4         ,the ,hand of

 ,god in the establishment of a         
#cdc-cej         ,temperance ,society in
 ,beauport and ,vicinity                
,,chapter ,,xxxv4         ,foundation of
 ,temperance ,societies in the          
#cea-cei         neighboring            
,parishes--,providential arrival of     
,monsignor ,de ,forbin ,janson1 ,bishop 
of ,nancy--,he         publicly defends 
me against the ,bishop of ,quebec       
and forever breaks the opposition of the
 ,clergy                                
,,chapter ,,xxxvi4         ,the ,god of 
,rome eaten by ,rats                    
#cfj-cfg                                
,,chapter ,,xxxvii4         ,visit of a 
,protestant stranger--,he throws an     
,arrow     #cfh-cgc         into my     
,priestly ,soul never to be taken out   
,,chapter ,,xxxviii4         ,erection  
of the ,column of ,temperance--,school  
#cgd-chc         ,buildings--,a noble   
and touching act of the people          
at ,beauport                            
,,chapter ,,xxxix4         ,sent to     

succeed ,rev4 ,mr ,varin1 ,curate of    
#chd-cic         ,kamouraska--,stern    
opposition of that ,curate and          
the surrounding ,priests and            
,people--,hours of         ,desolation  
in ,kamouraska--,the good ,master allays
         the ,tempest1 and bids the     
,waves be still                         
,,chapter ,,xl4         ,organization of
 ,temperance ,societies in ,kamouraska  
#cid-djc         and surrounding        
,country--,the ,girl in the ,garb of    
a man in the service of the ,curates  of
 ,quebec         and                    
,eboulements--,frightened by the        
,scandals seen         everywhere--,give
 up my ,parish of ,kamouraska to        
join the 8,oblates of ,mary ,immaculate 
of         ,longueuiel40                
,,chapter ,,xli4         ,perversions of
 ,dr4 ,newman to the ,church of ,rome in
    #djd-dcj         the light of his   
own explanations1 ,common ,sense        
and the ,word of ,god                   
,,chapter ,,xlii4         ,noviciate in 

the ,monastery of the ,oblates of ,mary 
#dca-ddi         ,immaculate of         
,longueuiel--,some of the thousand      
,acts of ,folly and ,idolatry which form
 the life         of a ,monk--,the      
,deplorable ,fall of one of the         
,fathers--,fall of the ,grand ,vicar    
,quiblier--,sick in         the ,hotel  
,dieu of ,montreal--,sister ,urtubise1  
what         she says of ,maria         
,monk--,the two ,missionaries to        
the ,lumbermen--,fall and ,punishment of
 a ,father         ,oblate--,what one of
 the best ,father ,oblates              
thinks of the ,monks and the ,monastery 
,,chapter ,,xliii4         ,i accept the
 hospitality of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,brassard
     #dej-def         of ,longueuiel--,i
 ,give my reasons for leaving the       
,oblates to ,bishop ,bourget--,he       
presents me with a         splendid     
,crucifix blessed by his ,holiness for  
me1 and accepts my services in the cause
 of         ,temperance in the ,diocese 
of ,montreal                            

,,chapter ,,xliv4         ,preparation  
for the last ,conflict--,wise ,counsel1 
#deg-dfi         ,tears and ,distress of
 ,father ,mathew--,longueuiel           
the first to accept the great reform of 
,temperance--,the whole ,district of    
,montreal1 ,st4         ,hyacinthe and  
,three ,rivers ,conquered--,the ,city of
         ,montreal with the ,sulpicians 
take the         ,pledge--,gold         
,medal--,officially named ,apostle of   
,temperance in ,canada--,gift of #ejj   
from         ,parliament                
,,chapter ,,xlv4         ,my ,sermon on 
the ,virgin ,mary--,compliments of      
,bishop    #dgj-dhc                     
,prince--,stormy ,night--,first serious 
doubts about         the ,church of     
,rome--,faithful discussion with the    
,bishop--,the ,holy ,fathers opposed to 
the modern         ,worship of the      
,virgin--,the ,branches of the ,vine    
,,chapter ,,xlvi4         ,the ,holy    
,fathers--,new mental troubles at not   
#dhd-dif         finding the ,doctrines 

of my ,church in their                  
writings--,purgatory and the ,sucking   
,pig of the         ,poor ,man of       
,varennes                               
,,chapter ,,xlvii4         ,letter from 
the ,rev4 ,bishop ,vandeveld of         
#dig-eje         ,chicago--,vast project
 of the ,bishop of the ,united          
,states to take possession of the ,rich 
,valley of         the ,mississippi and 
the ,prairies of the ,west1 to          
rule that ,great ,republic--,they want  
to put me at         the head of the    
,work--,my ,lecture on ,temperance at   
,detroit--,intemperance of the ,bishops 
and ,priests         of that ,city      
,,chapter ,,xlviii4         ,my visit to
 ,chicago in #aheg--;,bishop            
,vandeveld--,his      #ejf-eba          
,predecessor ,poisoned--,magnificent    
,prairies of the         ,west--,return 
to ,canada--,bad ,feelings of ,bishop   
,bourget--,i decline sending a rich     
,woman to the         ,nunnery to enrich
 the ,bishop--,a ,plot to ,destroy      

me                                      
,,chapter ,,xlix4         ,the ,plot to 
,destroy me--,the ,interdict--,the      
,retreat      #ebb-ecd         at the   
,jesuits' ,college--,the ,lost ,girl1   
,employed         by the ,bishop1       
retracts--,the ,bishop ,confounded1     
sees his ,injustice1 makes              
amends--,testimonial                    
,letters--,the ,chalice--,the           
,benediction before ,i         leave    
,canada                                 
,,chapter ,l4         ,address presented
 me at ,longueuil--,i arrive at         
#ece-eda         ,chicago--,i select the
 spot for my ,colony--,i build          
the first ,chapel--,jealousy and        
,opposition of the         ,priests of  
,bourbonnais and ,chicago--,great       
,success         of the ,colony         
,,chapter ,,li4         ,intrigues1     
,impostures1 and ,criminal life of the  
#edb-eec         ,priests in            
,bourbonnais--,indignation of the       
,bishop--,the ,people ignominiously turn

 out the         ,criminal ,priests from
 their ,parish--,frightful              
,scandal--,faith in the ,church of ,rome
 seriously         ,shaken              
,,chapter ,,lii4         ,correspondence
 with the ,bishop                       
#eed-efi                                
,,chapter ,,liii4         ,the          
,immaculate ,conception of the ,virgin  
,mary          #egj-egi                 
,,chapter ,,liv4         ,the           
,abomination of ,auricular ,confession  
#ehj-fjb                                
,,chapter ,,lv4         ,the            
,ecclesiastical ,retreat--,conduct of   
the             #fjc-faf                
,priests--,the ,bishop ,forbids me to   
,distribute the         ,bible          
,,chapter ,,lvi4         ,public ,acts  
of ,simony--,thefts and ,brigandage of  
#fag-fbi         ,bishop                
,o',regan--,general ,cry of             
,indignation--,i         determine to   
resist him to his face--,he employs     
,mr4 ,spink again to send me to ,gaol1  

and he         fails--,drags me as a    
,prisoner to ,urbana in the             
,spring of #ahef and fails              
again--,abraham ,lincoln         defends
 me--,my dear ,bible becomes more than  
ever         my ,light and my ,counselor
                                        
,,chapter ,,lvii4         ,bishop       
,o',regan sells the ,parsonage of the   
,french      #fcj-fdb         ,canadians
 of ,chicago1 pockets the money1 and    
turns them out when they come to        
complain--,he         determines to turn
 me out of my ,colony and send          
me to ,kahokia--,he forgets it next day 
and         publishes that he has       
,interdicted me--,my ,people            
send a ,deputation to the ,bishop--,his 
,answers--,the         ,sham            
,excommunication by three drunken       
,priests                                
,,chapter ,,lviii4         ,address from
 my ,people1 asking me to remain--,i am 
#fdc-ffg         again dragged as a     
prisoner by the ,sheriff to             

,urbana--,abraham ,lincoln's anxiety    
about the issue         of the          
,prosecution--,my ,distress--,the       
,rescue--,miss         ,philomena       
,moffat sent by ,god to save            
me--,le,belle's ,confession and         
,distress--,my         ,innocence       
acknowledged--,noble ,words and ,conduct
         of ,abraham ,lincoln--,the     
,oath of ,miss ,philomena               
,moffat                                 
,,chapter ,,lix4         ,a moment of   
,interruption in the ,thread of my      
#ffh-fhg         8,fifty ,years in the  
,church of ,rome10 to see how         my
 sad ,previsions about my defender1     
,abraham         ,lincoln1 were to be   
realized--,rome the ,implacable         
,enemy of the ,united ,states           
,,chapter ,,lx4         ,the            
,fundamental ,principals of the         
,constitution of     #fhh-gaj           
the ,united ,states drawn from the      
,gospel of         ,christ--,my first   
visit to ,abraham ,lincoln to warn      

him of the ,plots ,i knew against his   
,life--,the         ,priests circulate  
the news that ,lincoln was born         
in the ,church of ,rome--,letter of the 
,pope to ,jeff         ,davis--,my last 
visit to the ,president--,his           
admirable reference to ,moses--,his     
willingness to         die for his      
,nation's ,sake                         
,,chapter ,,lxi4         ,abraham       
,lincoln a true man of ,god1 and a true 
#gaa-gce         ,disciple of the       
,gospel--,the ,assassination by         
,booth--,the tool of the ,priests--,john
 ,surratt's         house--,the         
,rendezvous and ,dwelling ,place of the 
,priests--,john ,surratt ,secreted by   
the ,priests         after the murder of
 ,lincoln--,the ,assassination of       
,lincoln known and published in the town
 three         hours before its         
occurrence                              
,,chapter ,,lxii4         ,deputation of
 two ,priests sent by the ,people and   
#gcf-gej         the ,bishops of ,canada

 to persuade us to submit         to the
 will of the ,bishop--,the ,deputies    
acknowledge publicly that the ,bishop is
 wrong         and that we are          
right--,for peace sake1 ,i consent      
to withdraw from the contest on certain 
conditions accepted by the              
,deputies--,one of the         ,deputies
 turns false to his promise1 and betrays
         us1 to be put at the head of my
 ,colony--,my last         interview    
with him and ,mr4 ,brassard             
,,chapter ,,lxiii4         ,mr4         
,desaulnier is named ,vicar ,general of 
,chicago      #gea-ggc         to crush 
us--,our ,people more united than ever  
to         defend their rights--,letters
 of the ,bishops of         ,montreal   
against me1 and my answer--,mr4         
,brassard         forced1 against his   
conscience1 to condemn us--,my          
answer to ,mr4 ,brassard--,he writes to 
beg my         pardon                   
,,chapter ,,lxiv4         ,i write to   
the ,pope ,pius ,,ix1 and to ,napoleon1 

#ggd-ghc         ,emperor of ,france1   
and send them the ,legal and            
,public ,documents proving the bad      
conduct of         ,bishop              
,o',regan--,grand ,vicar ,dunn sent to  
tell me         of my victory at ,rome1 
and the end of our         trouble--,i  
go to ,dubuque to offer my submission   
to the ,bishop--,the peace sealed and   
publicly         proclaimed by ,grand   
,vicar ,dunn the #bhth of               
,march1 #aheh                           
,,chapter ,,lxv4         ,excellent     
testimonial from my ,bishop--,my        
#ghd-hjj         ,retreat--,grand ,vicar
 ,saurin and his assistant1             
,rev4 ,m4 ,granger--,grand ,vicar ,dunn 
writes me about         the new storm   
prepared by the                         
,jesuits--,vision--,christ offers       
,himself as a ,gift--,i         am      
forgiven1 rich1 happy and saved--,back  
to my         ,people                   
,,chapter ,,lxvi4         ,the ,solemn  
,responsibilities of my ,new            

,position--,we     #hja-hag         give
 up the ,name of ,roman ,catholic to    
call         ourselves ,christian       
,catholics--,dismay of the              
,roman ,catholic ,bishops--,my ,lord    
,duggan1 ,coadjutor         of ,st4     
,louis1 hurried to ,chicago--,he comes  
to ,st4         ,anne to persuade the   
,people to submit to his                
,authority--,he is ignominiously turned 
out1 and         runs away in the midst 
of the ,cries of the         ,people    
,,chapter ,,lxvii4         ,bird's-eye  
,view of the ,principal ,events from my 
#hah-hcb         ,conversion to this    
day--,my ,narrow ,escapes--,the end     
of the ,voyage through the ,desert to   
the ,promised         ,land             
,illustration                           
,,chapter ,i4                           
,,the ,,bible ,,and ,,the ,,priest ,,of 
,,rome4      ,my father1 ,charles       
,chiniquy1 born in ,quebec1 had studied 
in the  ,theological ,seminary of that  
city1 to prepare himself for the        

priesthood4 ,but a few days before      
making his vows1 having been the        
witness of a great iniquity in the high 
quarters of the church1 he  changed his 
mind1 studied law and became a notary4  
,married to ,reine ,perrault1 daughter  
of ,mitchel ,perrault1 in #ahjh1 he     
settled at first in ,kamoraska1 where ,i
 was born on the #cjth ,july1 #ahji4    
,about four or five years later1 my     
parents emigrated to ,murray ,bay4 ,that
  place was then in its infancy1 and no 
school had yet been established4  ,my   
mother was1 therefore1 my first teacher4
    ,before leaving the ,seminary of    
,quebec my father had received from one 
of  the ,superiors1 as a token of his   
esteem1 a beautiful ,french and ,latin  
,bible4 ,that ,bible was the first book1
 after the ,a ,b ,c1 in which ,i was    
taught to read4 ,my mother selected the 
chapters which she considered the  most 
interesting for me2 and ,i read them    
every day with the greatest  attention  
and pleasure4 ,i was even so much       

pleased with several  chapters1 that ,i 
read them over and over again till ,i   
knew them by  heart4    ,when eight or  
nine years of age1 ,i had learned by    
heart the history of  the creation and  
the fall of man2 the deluge2 the        
sacrifice of ,isaac2  the history of    
,moses2 the plagues of ,egypt2 the      
sublime hymn of ,moses  after crossing  
the ,red ,sea2 the history of ,samson2  
the most interesting  events of the life
 of ,david2 several ,psalms2 all the    
speeches and  parables of ,christ2 and  
the whole history of the sufferings and 
death of  our ,saviour as narrated by   
,john4    ,i had two brothers1 ,louis   
and ,achille2 the first about four1 the 
second  about eight years younger than  
myself4 ,when they were sleeping or     
playing together1 how many delicious    
hours ,i have spent by my mother's      
side1 in reading to her the sublime     
pages of the divine book4    ,sometimes 
she interrupted me to see if ,i         
understood what ,i read2 and  when my   

answers had made her sure that ,i       
understood it1 she used to kiss  me and 
press me on her bosom as an expression  
of her joy4    ,one day1 while ,i was   
reading the history of the sufferings of
 the  ,saviour1 my young heart was so   
much impressed that ,i could hardly     
enunciate the words1 and my voice       
trembled4 ,my mother1 perceiving my     
emotion1 tried to say something on the  
love of ,jesus for us1 but she  could   
not utter a word--her voice was         
suffocated by her sobs4 ,she leaned  her
 head on my forehead1 and ,i felt two   
streams of tears falling from  her eyes 
on my cheeks4 ,i could not contain      
myself any longer4 ,i wept  also2 and my
 tears were mixed with hers4 ,the holy  
book fell from my  hands1 and ,i threw  
myself into my dear mother's arms4      
,no human words can express what was    
felt in her soul and in mine in that    
most blessed hour6 ,no6 ,i will never   
forget that solemn hour1 when my        
mother's heart was perfectly blended    

with mine at the feet of our dying      
,saviour4 ,there was a real perfume from
 heaven in those my mother's tears      
which were flowing on me4 ,it seemed    
then1 as it does seem to me to-day1     
that there was a celestial harmony in   
the sound of her voice and in her  sobs4
 ,though more than half a century has   
passed since that solemn hour  when     
,jesus1 for the first time1 revealed to 
me something of ,his  suffering and of  
,his love1 my heart leaps with joy every
 time ,i think of  it4    ,we were some 
distance from the church1 and the roads1
 in the rainy days1  were very bad4 ,on 
the ,sabbath days the neighboring       
farmers1 unable to go  to church1 were  
accustomed to gather at our house in the
 evening4 ,then  my parents used to put 
me up on a large table in the midst of  
the  assembly1 and ,i delivered to those
 good people the most beautiful parts   
of the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 ,the  
breathless attention1 the applause of   
our guests1 and--may ,i tell it--often  

the tears of joy which my mother  tried 
in vain to conceal1 supported my        
strength and gave me the courage  ,i    
wanted1 to speak when so young before so
 many people4 ,when my parents  saw that
 ,i was growing tired1 my mother1 who   
had a fine voice1 sang some  of the     
beautiful ,french hymns with which her  
memory was filled4    ,several times1   
when the fine weather allowed me to go  
to church with my  parents1 the farmers 
would take me into their caleches       
7buggies7 at  the door of the temple1   
and request me to give them some chapter
 of the  ,gospel4 ,with a most perfect  
attention they listened to the voice of 
the  child1 whom the ,good ,master had  
chosen to give them the bread which     
comes from heaven4 ,more than once1 ,i  
remember1 that when the bell called  us 
to the church1 they expressed their     
regret that they could not hear  more4  
,on one of the beautiful spring days of 
#ahah1 my father was writing in  his    
office1 and my mother was working with  

her needle1 singing one of  her favorite
 hymns1 and ,i was at the door1 playing 
and talking to a fine  robin which ,i   
had so perfectly trained that he        
followed me wherever ,i  went4 ,all of a
 sudden ,i saw the priest coming near   
the gate4 ,the sight  of him sent a     
thrill of uneasiness through my whole   
frame4 ,it was his  first visit to our  
home4    ,the priest was a person below 
the common stature1 and had an          
unpleasant  appearance--his shoulders   
were large and he was very corpulent2   
his hair  was long and uncombed1 and his
 double chin seemed to groan under the  
weight of his flabby cheeks4    ,i      
hastily ran to the door1 and whispered  
to my parents1 8,m4 le cure  arrive0    
78,mr4 ,curate is coming074 ,the last   
sound was hardly out of my  lips1 when  
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,courtois was at the     
door1 and my father1 shaking  hands with
 him1 gave him a welcome4    ,that      
priest was born in ,france1 where he had
 a narrow escape1 having  been condemned

 to death under the bloody              
administration of ,robespierre4  ,he had
 found a refuge1 with many other ,french
 priests in ,england1 whence  he came to
 ,quebec1 and the bishop of that place  
had given him the charge  of the parish 
of ,murray ,bay4    ,his conversation   
was animated and interesting for the    
first quarter of  an hour4 ,it was a    
real pleasure to hear him4 ,but of a    
sudden his  countenance changed as if a 
dark cloud had come over his mind1 and  
he  stopped talking4 ,my parents had    
kept themselves on a respectful reserve 
with the priest4 ,they seemed to have no
 other mind than to listen to  him4 ,the
 silence which followed was exceedingly 
unpleasant for all the  parties4 ,it    
looked like the heavy hour which        
precedes a storm4 ,at length  the       
priest1 addressing my father1 said1     
8,mr4 ,chiniquy1 is it true that  you   
and your child read the ,bible80        
8,yes1 sir10 was the quick reply1 8my   
little boy and ,i read the ,bible1  and 

what is still better1 he has learned by 
heart a great number of its  most       
interesting chapters4 ,if you will allow
 it1 ,mr4 ,curate1 he will  give you    
some of them40    8,i did not come for  
that purpose10 abruptly replied the     
priest2 8but do  you not know that you  
are forbidden by the holy ,council of   
,trent to read  the ,bible in ,french80 
8,it makes very little difference to me 
whether ,i read the ,bible in  ,french1 
,greek or ,latin10 answered my father1  
8for ,i understand these  languages     
equally well40    8,but are you ignorant
 of the fact that you cannot allow your 
child to  read the ,bible80 replied the 
priest4    8,my wife directs her own    
child in the reading of the ,bible1 and 
,i cannot  see that we commit any sin by
 continuing to do in future what we have
  done till now in that matter40        
8,mr4 ,chiniquy10 rejoined the priest1  
8you have gone through a whole  course  
of theology2 you know the duties of a   
curate2 you know it is my  painful duty 

to come here1 get the ,bible from you   
and burn it40    ,my grandfather was a  
fearless ,spanish sailor 7our original  
name was  ,etchiniquia71 and there was  
too much ,spanish blood and pride in my 
father to hear such a sentence with     
patience in his own house4 ,quick as    
lightning he was on his feet4 ,i pressed
 myself1 trembling1 near my  mother1 who
 trembled also4    ,at first ,i feared  
lest some very unfortunate and violent  
scene should  occur2 for my father's    
anger at that moment was really         
terrible4    ,but there was another     
thing which affected me4 ,i feared lest 
the priest  should lay his hands on my  
dear ,bible1 which was just before him  
on the  table2 for it was mine1 as it   
had been given to me the last year as a 
,christmas gift4    ,fortunately1 my    
father had subdued himself after the    
first moment of his  anger4 ,he was     
pacing the room with a double-quick     
step2 his lips were  pale and trembling1
 and he was muttering between his teeth 

words which  were unintelligible to any 
one of us4    ,the priest was closely   
watching all my father's movements2 his 
hands  were convulsively pressing his   
heavy cane1 and his face was giving the 
sure evidence of a too well-grounded    
terror4 ,it was clear that the          
ambassador of ,rome did not find himself
 infallibly sure of his position  on the
 ground he had so foolishly chosen to   
take2 since his last words  he had      
remained as silent as a tomb4    ,at    
last1 after having paced the room for a 
considerable time1 my father  suddenly  
stopped before the priest1 and said1    
8,sir1 is that all you have  to say     
here80    8,yes1 sir10 said the         
trembling priest4    8,well1 sir10 added
 my father1 8you know the door by which 
you entered my  house2 please take the  
same door and go away quickly40    ,the 
priest went out immediately4 ,i felt an 
inexpressible joy when ,i saw  that my  
,bible was safe4 ,i ran to my father's  
neck1 kissed and thanked  him for his   

victory4 ,and to pay him1 in my childish
 way1 ,i jumped upon  the large table   
and recited1 in my best style1 the fight
 between ,david  and ,goliath4 ,of      
course1 in my mind1 my father was ,david
 and the priest  of ,rome was the giant 
whom the little stone from the brook had
 stricken  down4    ,thou knowest1 ,o   
,god1 that it is to that ,bible1 read on
 my mother's  knees1 ,i owe1 by thy     
infinite mercy1 the knowledge of the    
truth to-day2  that ,bible had sent1 to 
my young heart and intelligence1 rays of
 light  which all the sophisms and dark 
errors of ,rome could never completely  
extinguish4                             
,,chapter ,,ii4           ,,my ,,first  
,,school-,,days ,,at ,,st4              
,,thomas--,,the ,,monk ,,and ,,celibacy4
      ,in the month of ,june1 #ahah1 my 
parents sent me to an excellent school  
at  ,st4 ,thomas4 ,one of my mother's   
sisters resided there1 who was the wife 
of an industrious miller1 called        
,stephen ,eschenbach4 ,they had no      

children1 and they received me as their 
own son4    ,the beautiful village of   
,st4 ,thomas had already1 at that time1 
a  considerable population4 ,the two    
fine rivers which unite their rapid     
waters in its very midst before they    
fall into the magnificent basin  from   
which they flow into the ,st4 ,lawrence1
 supplied the water-power for  several  
mills and factories4    ,there was in   
the village a considerable trade in     
grain1 flour and  lumber4 ,the fisheries
 were very profitable1 and the game was 
abundant4  ,life was really pleasant and
 easy4    ,the families ,tachez1        
,cazeault1 ,fournier1 ,dubord1          
,frechette1 ,tetu1  ,dupuis1 ,couillard1
 ,duberges1 which were among the most   
ancient and  notable of ,canada1 were at
 the head of the intellectual and       
material  movements of the place1 and   
they were a real honor to the ,french   
,canadian name4    ,i met there with one
 of my ancestors on my mother's side    
whose name was  ,f4 ,amour des ,plaines4

 ,he was an old and brave soldier1 and  
would  sometimes show us the numerous   
wounds he had received in the battles in
  which he had fought for his country4  
,though nearly eighty years old1 he     
sang to us the songs of the good old    
times with all the vivacity of a  young 
man4    ,the school of ,mr4 ,allen      
,jones1 to which ,i had been sent1 was  
worthy of  its wide-spread reputation4  
,i have never known and teacher who     
deserved  more1 or who enjoyed in a     
higher degree1 the respect and          
confidence of  his pupils4    ,he was   
born in ,england1 and belonged to one of
 the most respectable  families there4  
,he had received the best education     
which ,england could  give to her sons4 
,after having gone through a perfect    
course of study at  home1 he had gone to
 ,paris1 where he had also completed an 
academical  course4 ,he was perfectly   
master of the ,french and ,english      
languages4 ,and  it was not without good
 reasons that he was surrounded by a    

great number  of scholars from every    
corner of ,canada4 ,the children of the 
best  families of ,st4 ,thomas were with
 me1 attending the school of ,mr4       
,jones4  ,but he was a ,protestant1 the 
priest was much opposed to him1 and     
every  effort was made by that priest to
 induce my relatives to take me away    
from that school and send me to one     
under his care4    ,the name of the     
priest was ,loranger4 ,he had a swarthy 
countenance1 and  in person was lean and
 tall4 ,his preaching had no attraction1
 and he was  far from being popular     
among the intelligent part of the people
 of ,st4  ,thomas4    ,dr4 ,tachez1     
whose high capacity afterwards brought  
him to the head of  the ,canadian       
,government1 was the leading man of ,st4
 ,thomas4 ,being united  by the bonds of
 a sincere friendship with his nephew1  
,l4 ,cazeault1 who  was afterward placed
 at the head of the ,university of      
,laval1 in ,quebec1  ,i had many        
opportunities of going to the house of  

,mr4 ,tachez1 where my  young friend was
 boarding4    ,in those days1 ,dr4      
,tachez had no need of the influence of 
the priests1  and he frequently gave    
vent to his supreme contempt for them4  
,once a  week there was a meeting in his
 house of the principal citizens of ,st4
  ,thomas1 where the highest questions  
of history and religion were freely  and
 warmly discussed2 but the premises as  
well as the conclusion of  these        
discussions were invariably adverse to  
the priests and religion of  ,rome1 and 
too often to every form of              
,christianity4    ,though these meetings
 had not entirely the character or      
exclusiveness of  secret societies1 they
 were secret to a great extent4 ,my     
friend ,cazeault  was punctual in       
telling me the days and hours of the    
meeting1 and ,i used  to go with him to 
an adjoining room1 from which we could  
hear everything  without being          
suspected4 ,from what ,i heard and saw  
in these meetings1 ,i  most certainly   

would have been ruined1 had not the     
,word of ,god1 with  which my mother had
 filled my young mind and heart1 been my
 shield and  strength4 ,i was often     
struck with terror and filled with      
disgust at what  ,i heard at those      
meetings4 ,but what a strange and       
deplorable thing6 ,my  conscience was   
condemning me every time ,i listened to 
these impious  discussions1 while there 
was a strong craving in me to hear them 
that ,i  could not resist4    ,there was
 then in ,st4 ,thomas a personage who   
was unique in his  character4 ,he never 
mixed with the society of the village1  
but was1  nevertheless1 the object of   
much respectful attention and inquiry   
from  every one4 ,he was one of the     
former monks of ,canada1 known under the
  name of ,capucin or ,recollets1 whom  
the conquest of ,canada by ,great       
,britain had forced to leave their      
monastery4    ,he was a clockmaker1 and 
lived honorably by his trade4 ,his      
little white  house1 in the very midst  

of the village1 was the perfection of   
neatness4    ,brother ,mark1 as he was  
called1 was a remarkably well-built man2
 high  stature1 large and splendid      
shoulders1 and the most beautiful hands 
,i  ever saw4 ,his long black robe1 tied
 around his waist by a white sash1  was 
remarkable for its cleanliness4 ,his    
life was really a solitary one1  always 
alone with his own sister1 who kept his 
house4    ,every day that the weather   
was propitious1 ,brother ,mark spent a  
couple  of hours in fishing1 and as ,i  
was myself exceedingly fond of that     
exercise1 ,i used to meet him often     
along the banks of the beautiful  rivers
 of ,st4 ,thomas4    ,his presence was  
always a good omen to me2 for he was    
more expert than ,i  in finding the best
 places for fishing4 ,as soon as he     
found a place  where the fish was       
abundant1 he would make signs to me1 or 
call me at  the top of his voice that ,i
 might share in his good luck4 ,i       
appreciated  his delicate attention to  

me1 and repaid him with the marks of a  
sincere  gratitude4 ,the good monk had  
entirely conquered my young heart1 and  
,i  cherished a sincere regard for him4 
,he often invited me to his solitary    
but neat little home1 and ,i never      
visited him without receiving some      
proofs of a sincere kindness4 ,his good 
sister rivalled him in  overwhelming me 
with such marks of attention and love as
 ,i could only  expect from a dear      
mother4    ,there was a mixture of      
timidity and dignity in the manners of  
brother  ,mark which ,i have found in no
 one else4 ,he was fond of children3 and
  nothing could be more graceful than   
his smile every time that he could  see 
that ,i appreciated his kindness1 and   
that ,i gave him any proof of my        
gratitude4 ,but that smile1 and any     
other expression of joy1 were very      
transient4 ,on a sudden he would change1
 and it was obvious that a  mysterious  
cloud was passing over his heart4       
,the ,pope had released the monks of the

 monastery to which he belonged1  from  
their vows of poverty and obedience4    
,the consequence was that they  could   
become sic and even rich1 by their own  
industry4 ,it was in their  power to    
rise to a respectable position in the   
world by their honorable  efforts4 ,the 
pope had given them the permission they 
wanted1 that they  might earn an honest 
living4 ,but what a strange and         
incredible folly to  ask the permission 
of a pope to be allowed to live         
honorably on the  fruits of one's own   
industry6    ,these poor monks1 having  
been released from their vows of        
obedience1  were no longer the slaves of
 a man3 but were now permitted to go to 
heaven on the sole condition that they  
would obey the laws of ,god and  the    
laws of their country6 ,but into what a 
frightful abyss of  degradation men must
 have fallen1 to believe that they      
required a  license from ,rome for such 
a purpose4 ,this is1 nevertheless1 the  
simple  and naked truth4 ,that excess of

 folly1 and that supreme impiety and    
degradation are among the fundamental   
dogmas of ,rome4 ,the infallible  pope  
assures the world that there is no      
possible salvation for any one  who does
 not sincerely believe what he teaches  
in this matter4    ,but the pope who had
 so graciously relieved the ,canadian   
monks from  their vows of obedience and 
poverty1 had been inflexible in         
reference to  their vows of celibacy4   
,from this there was no relief4    ,the 
honest desires of the good monk to live 
according to the laws of  ,god1 with a  
wife whom heaven might have given him1  
had become an  impossibility--the pope  
vetoed it4    ,the unfortunate monk was 
bound to believe that he would be       
forever  damned if he dared to accept as
 a gospel truth the ,word of ,god which 
says3--    8,propter fornicationem      
antem1 unusquisque uxorem suam habeat1  
unaquaque  virum suum habeat4 7,vulgate 
,bible of ,rome47 ,nevertheless to avoid
  fornication let every man have his own

 wife1 and let every woman have  her own
 husband40 7#a ,cor41 vii43 #b74 ,that  
shining light which the ,word  contains 
and which gives life to man1 was        
entirely shut out from brother  ,mark4  
,he was not allowed to know that ,god   
himself had said1 8,it is not  good that
 man should be alone1 ,i will make him  
an help-meet for him10  7,gen4 #b3 #ah74
 ,brother ,mark was endowed with such a 
loving heart6 ,he  could not be known   
without being loved2 and he must have   
suffered much  in that celibacy which   
his faith in the pope imposed upon him4 
,far away from the regions of light1    
truth and life1 that soul1 tied to  the 
feet of the implacable modern ,divinity1
 which the ,romanists worship  under the
 name of ,sovereign ,pontiff1 was trying
 in vain to annihilate  and destroy the 
instincts and affections which ,god     
himself had implanted  in him4    ,one  
day1 as ,i was amusing myself1 with a   
few other young friends1 near  the house
 of brother ,mark1 suddenly we saw      

something covered with blood  thrown    
from the window1 and falling at a short 
distance from us4 ,at the  same instant 
we heard loud cries1 evidently coming   
from the monk's  house3 8,o my ,god6    
,have mercy on me6 ,save me6 ,i am      
lost60    ,the sister of brother ,mark  
rushed out of doors and cried to some   
men who  were passing by3 8,come to our 
help6 ,my poor brother is dying6 ,for   
,god's  sake make haste1 he is losing   
all his blood60    ,i ran to the door1  
but the lady shut it abruptly and turned
 me out1  saying1 8we do not want       
children here40    ,i had a sincere     
affection for the good brother4 ,he had 
invariably been  so kind to me6 ,i      
insisted and respectfully requested to  
be allowed to  enter4 ,though young and 
weak1 it seemed that my friendly        
feelings  towards the suffering brother 
would add to my strength1 and enable me 
to  be of some service4 ,but my request 
was sternly rejected1 and ,i had to go  
back to the street among the crowd which

 was fast gathering4 ,the  singular     
mystery in which they were trying to    
wrap the poor monk1 filled  me with     
trouble and anxiety4    ,but that       
trouble was soon changed into an        
unspeakable confusion when ,i  heard the
 convulsive laughing of the low people1 
and the shameful jokes  of the crowd1   
after the doctor had told the nature of 
the wound which  was causing the        
unfortunate man to bleed almost to      
death4 ,i was struck  with such horror  
that ,i fled away2 ,i did not want to   
know any more of  that tragedy4 ,i had  
already known too much6    ,poor brother
 ,mark had ceased to be a man--he had   
become an eunuch4    ,o cruel and       
,godless church of ,rome6 ,how many     
souls hast thou deceived  and tortured6 
,how many hearts hast thou broken with  
that celibacy which  ,satan alone could 
invent6 ,this unfortunate victim of a   
most degrading  religion1 did not1      
however1 die from his rash action2 he   
soon recovered  his usual health4       

,having1 meanwhile1 ceased to visit him2
 some months later ,i was fishing  along
 the river in a very solitary place4    
,the fish were abundant1 and ,i  was    
completely absorbed in catching them1   
when1 on a sudden1 ,i felt on  my       
shoulder the gentle pressure of a hand4 
,it was brother ,mark's4    ,i thought  
,i would faint through the opposite     
sentiments of surprise1 of  pain and    
joy1 which at the same time crossed my  
mind4    ,with an affectionate and      
trembling voice he said to me1 8,my dear
 child1  why do you not come to see me  
any more80    ,i did not dare to look at
 him after he had addressed me these    
words4 ,i  liked him on account of his  
acts of kindness to me4 ,but the fatal  
hour  when1 in the street before the    
door1 ,i had suffered so much on his    
account--that fatal hour was on my heart
 as a mountain which ,i could not  put  
away--,i could not answer him4    ,he   
then asked me again with the tone of a  
criminal who sues for mercy2  8,why is  

it my dear child1 that you do not come  
any longer to see me8 ,you  know that ,i
 love you40    8,dear brother ,mark10 ,i
 answered 8,i will never forget your    
kindness to  me4 ,i will forever be     
grateful to you2 ,i wish that it would  
be in my  power to continue1 as         
formerly1 to go and see you4 ,but ,i    
cannot1 and you  ought to know the      
reason why ,i cannot40    ,i had        
pronounced these words with down-cast   
eyes4 ,i was a child1 with  the timidity
 and happy ignorance of a child4 ,but   
the action of that  unfortunate man had 
struck me with such a horror that ,i    
could not  entertain the idea of        
visiting him any more4    ,he spent two 
or three minutes without saying a word1 
and without moving4  ,but ,i heard his  
sobs and his cries1 and his cries were  
those of despair  and anguish1 the like 
of which ,i have never heard since4     
,i could not contain myself any longer1 
,i was suffocating with suppressed      
emotion1 and ,i would have fallen       

insensible to the ground if two streams 
of tears had not burst from my eyes4    
,those tears did me good--they did  him 
good also--they told him that ,i was    
still his friend4    ,he took me in his 
arms and pressed me to his bosom--his   
tears were mixed  with mine4 ,but ,i    
could not speak--the emotions of my     
heart were too much  for my age4 ,i sat 
on a damp and cold stone1 in order not  
to faint4 ,he  fell on his knees by my  
side4    ,ah6 if ,i were a painter ,i   
would make a most striking tableau of   
that  scene4 ,his eyes1 swollen and red 
with weeping1 were raised to heaven1    
his hand lifted up in the attitude of   
supplication2 he was crying out  with an
 accent which seemed as though it would 
break my heart4    8,mon ,dieu6 ,mon    
,dieu que je suis malheureux40    ,my   
,god6 ,my ,god6 what a wretched man ,i  
am6                      99       99    
99       99       99    ,the twenty-five
 years that ,i have been a priest of    
,rome1 have revealed  to me the fact    

that the cries of desolation ,i heard   
that day1 were but  the echo of the     
cries of desolation which go out from   
almost every  nunnery1 every parsonage  
and every house where human beings are  
bound by  the ties of the ,romish       
,celibacy4    ,god knows that ,i am a   
faithful witness of what my eyes have   
seen and my  ears have heard1 when ,i   
say to the multitudes which the ,church 
of ,rome  has bewitched with her        
enchantments4 ,wherever there are nuns1 
monks and  priests who live in forced   
violation of the ways which ,god has    
appointed  for man to walk in1 there are
 torrents of tears1 there are desolated 
hearts1 there are cries of anguish and  
despair which say in the words of       
brother ,mark3    8,oh6 que je suis     
malheureux60    ,oh6 how miserable and  
wretched ,i am6                         
,,chapter ,,iii                         
,,the ,,confession ,,of ,,children4     
,no words can express to those who have 
never had any experience in the  matter1

 the consternation1 anxiety and shame of
 a poor ,romish child1  when he hears1  
for the first time1 his priest saying   
from the pulpit1 in  a grave and solemn 
tone1 8,this week1 you will send your   
children to  confession4 ,make them     
understand that this action is one of   
the most  important of their lives1 that
 for every one of them1 it will decide  
their eternal happiness or misery4      
,fathers and mothers1 if1 through your  
fault1 or his own1 your child is guilty 
of a bad confession--if he  conceals his
 sins and commences lying to the priest1
 who holds the place  of ,god himself1  
this sin is often irreparable4 ,the     
devil will take  possession of his      
heart3 he will become accustomed to lie 
to his father  confessor1 or rather to  
,jesus ,christ1 of whom he is a         
representative4  ,his life will be a    
series of sacrileges2 his death and     
eternity those of  the reprobate4 ,teach
 him1 therefore1 to examine thoroughly  
his actions1  words and thoughts1 in    

order to confess without disguise40     
,i was in the church of ,st4 ,thomas    
when those words fell upon me like a    
thunderbolt4    ,i had often heard my   
mother say1 when at home1 and my aunt1  
since ,i had  come to ,st4 ,thomas1 that
 upon the first confession depended my  
eternal  happiness or misery4 ,that week
 was1 therefore1 to decide about my     
eternity4    ,pale and dismayed1 ,i left
 the church1 and returned to the house  
of my  relatives4 ,i took my place at   
the table1 but could not eat1 so much   
was  ,i troubled4 ,i went to my room for
 the purpose of commencing my           
examination of conscience and to try to 
recall my sinful actions1 words1  and   
thoughts4 ,although scarcely over ten   
years of age1 this task was  really     
overwhelming for me4 ,i knelt down to   
pray to the ,virgin ,mary for  help2 but
 ,i was so much taken up with the fear  
of forgetting something1  and of making 
a bad confession1 that ,i muttered my   
prayers without the  least attention to 

what ,i said4 ,it became still worse    
when ,i commenced  counting my sins4 ,my
 memory became confused1 my head grew   
dizzy2 my  heart beat with a rapidity   
which exhausted me1 and my brow was     
covered  with perspiration4 ,after a    
considerable length of time spent in    
these  painful efforts1 ,i felt         
bordering on despair1 from the fear that
 it was  impossible for me to remember  
everything4 ,the night following was    
almost  a sleepless one2 and when sleep 
did come1 it could scarcely be called a 
sleep1 but a suffocating delirium4 ,in a
 frightful dream1 ,i felt as if ,i  had 
been cast into hell1 for not having     
confessed all my sins to the  priest4   
,in the morning1 ,i awoke1 fatigued and 
prostrated by the phantoms  of that     
terrible night4 ,in similar troubles of 
mind were passed three  days which      
preceded my first confession4 ,i had    
constantly before me the  countenance of
 that stern priest who had never smiled 
upon me4 ,he was  present in my thoughts

 during the day1 and in my dreams during
 the  night1 as the minister of an angry
 ,god1 justly irritated against me on   
account of my sins4 ,forgiveness had    
indeed been promised to me1 on          
condition of a good confession2 but my  
place had also been shown to me  in     
hell1 if my confession was not as near  
perfection as possible4 ,now1  my       
troubled conscience told me that there  
were ninety-nine chances  against one1  
that my confession would be bad1 whether
 by my own fault ,i  forgot some sins1  
or ,i was without that contrition of    
which ,i had heard  so much1 but the    
nature and effects of which were a      
perfect chaos to my  mind4    ,thus it  
was that the cruel and perfidious       
,church of ,rome took away from  my     
young heart the good and merciful       
,jesus1 whose love and compassion  had  
caused me to shed tears of joy when ,i  
was beside my mother4 ,the  ,saviour    
whom that church made me to worship1    
through fear1 was not the  ,saviour who 

called little children unto ,him1 to    
bless them and take them  in ,his arms4 
,her impious hands were soon to torture 
and defile my  childish heart1 and place
 me at the feet of a pale and severe    
looking  man--worthy representative of a
 pitiless ,god4 ,i was made to tremble  
with  terror at the footstool of an     
implacable divinity1 while the gospel   
asked of me only tears of love and joy1 
shed at the feet of the  incomparable   
,friend of sinners6    ,at length came  
the day of confession2 or rather of     
judgment and  condemnation4 ,i presented
 myself to the priest4    ,mr4 ,loranger
 was no longer priest of ,st4 ,thomas4  
,he had been succeeded  by ,mr4         
,beaubien1 who did not favor our school 
any more than his  predecessor4 ,he had 
even taken upon himself to preach a     
sermon against  the heretical school1 by
 which we had been excessively wounded4 
,his want  of love for us1 however1 ,i  
must say1 was fully reciprocated4       
,mr4 ,beaubien had1 then1 the defect of 

lisping and stammering4 ,this we  often 
turned into ridicule1 and one of my     
favorite amusements was to  imitate him1
 which brought bursts of laughter from  
us all4    ,it had been necessary for me
 to examine myself upon the number of   
times  ,i had mocked him4 ,this         
circumstance was not calculated to make 
my  confession easier1 or more          
agreeable4    ,at last the dreaded      
moment came4 ,i knelt at the side of my 
confessor4 ,my  whole frame trembled4 ,i
 repeated the prayer preparatory to     
confession1  scarcely knowing what ,i   
said so much was ,i troubled with fear4 
,by the instructions which had been     
given us before confession1 we had  been
 made to believe that the priest was the
 true representative--yea1  almost the  
personification of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the 
consequence was1 that ,i  believed my   
greatest sin had been that of mocking   
the priest4 ,having  always been told   
that it was best to confess the greatest
 sin first1 ,i  commenced thus3 8,father

 ,i accuse myself of having mocked a    
priest40    ,scarcely had ,i uttered    
these words1 8mocked a priest10 when    
this  pretended representative of the   
humble ,saviour1 turning towards me1 and
  looking in my face in order to know me
 better1 asked abruptly1 8,what  priest 
did you mock1 my boy80 ,i would rather  
have chosen to cut out my  tongue than  
to tell him to his face who it was4 ,i  
therefore kept silent  for a while4 ,but
 my silence made him very nervous and   
almost angry4 ,with  a haughty tone of  
voice he said1 8,what priest did you    
take the liberty  of thus mocking80     
,i saw that ,i had to answer4 ,happily  
his haughtiness had made me firmer  and 
bolder4 ,i said 8,sir1 you are the      
priest whom ,i mocked40    8,but how    
many times did you take upon you to mock
 me1 my boy80    8,i tried to find out10
 ,i answered1 8but never could40        
8,you must tell me how many times2 for  
to mock one's own priest is a  great    
sin40    8,it is impossible for me to   

give you the number of times10 answered 
,i4    8,well1 my child1 ,i will help   
your memory by asking you questions4    
,tell  me the truth4 ,do you think you  
have mocked me ten times80    8,a great 
many times more1 sir40    8,fifty       
times80    8,many more still40    8,a   
hundred times80    8,say five hundred   
times and perhaps more10 answered ,i4   
8,why1 my boy1 do you spend all your    
time in mocking me80    8,not all2 but  
unfortunately ,i do it very often40     
8,well may you say unfortunately2 for so
 to mock your priest1 who holds  the    
place of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 is a 
great misfortune1 and a great  sin for  
you4 ,but tell me1 my little boy1 what  
reason have you for  mocking me thus80  
,in my examinations of conscience ,i had
 not foreseen that ,i should be  obliged
 to give the reasons for mocking the    
priest2 and ,i was really  thunderstruck
 by his questions4 ,i dared not answer1 
and ,i remained for a  long time dumb1  
from the shame that overpowered me4 ,but

 with a  harrassing perseverance the    
priest insisted on my telling why ,i had
  mocked him2 telling me that ,i should 
be damned if ,i did not tell the  whole 
truth4 ,so ,i decided to speak1 and     
said1 8,i mocked you for several        
things40    8,what made you first mock  
me80 continued the priest4    8,i       
laughed at you because you lisped4      
,among the pupils of our school1 it     
often happens that we imitate your      
preaching to excite laughter40    8,have
 you often done that80    8,almost every
 day1 especially in our holidays1 and   
since you preached  against us40        
8,for what other reasons did you laugh  
at me1 my little boy80    ,for a long   
time ,i was silent4 ,every time ,i      
opened my mouth to speak  courage failed
 me4 ,however1 the priest continuing to 
urge me1 ,i said at  last1 8,it is      
rumored in town that you love girls2    
that you visit the  ,misses ,richards   
every evening1 and this often makes us  
laugh40    ,the poor priest was         

evidently overwhelmed by my answer1 and 
ceased  questioning me on this subject4 
,changing the conversation1 he said3    
8,what are your other sins80    ,i began
 to confess them in the order in which  
they came to my memory4  ,but the       
feeling of shame which overpowered me in
 repeating all my sins  to this man was 
a thousand times greater than that of   
having offended  ,god4 ,in reality this 
feeling of human shame which absorbed my
  thought--nay1 my whole being--left no 
room for any religious feeling at  all4 
,when ,i had confessed all the sins ,i  
could remember1 the priest began to  ask
 me the strangest questions on matters  
about which my pen must be  silent4 ,i  
replied1 8,father1 ,i do not understand 
what you ask me40    8,i question you on
 the sixth commandment 7seventh in the  
,bible74 ,confess  all4 ,you will go to 
hell1 if through your fault you omit    
anything40    ,thereupon he dragged my  
thoughts to regions which1 thank ,god   
had  hitherto been unknown to me4    ,i 

answered him3 8,i do not understand     
you10 or 8,i have never done these      
things40    ,then1 skilfully shifting to
 some secondary matter1 he would soon   
slyly  and cunningly come back to his   
favorite subject1 namely1 sins of       
licentiousness4    ,his questions were  
so unclean that ,i blushed1 and felt    
sick with disgust  and shame4 ,more than
 once ,i had been1 to my regret1 in the 
company of  bad boys2 but not one of    
them has offended my moral nature so    
much as  this priest had done4 ,not one 
of them had ever approached the shadow  
of  the things from which that man tore 
the veil1 and which he placed before    
the eye of my soul4 ,in vain did ,i tell
 him that ,i was not guilty of such     
things2 that ,i did not even understand 
what he asked me2 he would not  let me  
off4 ,like the vulture bent upon tearing
 the poor bird that falls  into his     
claws1 that cruel priest seemed         
determined to defile and ruin  my heart4
    ,at last he asked me a question in a

 form of expression so bad that ,i was  
really pained4 ,i felt as if ,i had     
received a shock from an electric       
battery2 a feeling of horror made me    
shudder4 ,i was so filled with          
indignation that1 speaking loud enough  
to be heard by many1 ,i told him3       
8,sir1 ,i am very wicked2 ,i have seen1 
heard and done many things which ,i     
regret2 but ,i never was guilty of what 
you mention to me4 ,my ears have  never 
heard anything so wicked as what they   
have heard from your lips4  ,please do  
not ask me any more of those questions2 
do not teach me any  more evil than ,i  
already know40    ,the remainder of my  
confession was short4 ,the firmness of  
my voice had  evidently frightened the  
priest1 and made him blush4 ,he stopped 
short  and began to give me some good   
advice1 which might have been useful to 
me if the deep wounds which his         
questions had inflicted upon my soul had
  not so absorbed my thoughts as to     
prevent me from giving attention to     

what he said4    ,he gave me a short    
penance and dismissed me4    ,i left the
 confessional irritated and confused4   
,from the shame of what ,i  had just    
heard from the mouth of that priest ,i  
dared not lift my eyes  from the ground4
 ,i went into a retired corner of the   
church to do my  penance2 that is1 to   
recite the prayers he had indicated to  
me4 ,i  remained for a long time in     
church4 ,i had need of a calm after the 
terrible trial through which ,i had just
 passed4 ,but vainly ,i sought for      
rest4 ,the shameful questions which had 
been asked me1 the new world of         
iniquity into which ,i had been         
introduced1 the impure phantoms by which
  my childish heart had been defiled1   
confused and troubled my mind so        
strangely that ,i began to weep         
bitterly4    ,why those tears8 ,why that
 desolation8 ,i wept over my sins8      
,alas6 ,i  confess it with shame1 my    
sins did not call forth those tears4    
,and yet  how many sins had ,i already  

committed1 for which ,jesus shed his    
precious  blood4 ,but ,i confess my sins
 were not the cause of my desolation4 ,i
 was  rather thinking of my mother1 who 
had taken such good care of me1 and  who
 had so well succeeded in keeping away  
from my thoughts those impure  forms of 
sin1 the thoughts of which had just now 
defiled my heart4 ,i  said to myself1   
,ah6 if my mother had heard those       
questions2 if she could  see the evil   
thoughts which overwhelm me at this     
moment--if she knew to  what school she 
sent me when she advised me in her last 
letter to go to  confession1 how her    
tears would mingle with mine6 ,it seemed
 to me that  my mother would love me no 
more--that she would see written upon my
 brow  the pollution with which that    
priest had profaned my soul4    ,perhaps
 the feeling of pride was what made me  
weep4 ,or perhaps ,i wept  because of a 
remnant of that feeling of original     
dignity whose traces  had still been    
left in me4 ,i felt so downcast by the  

disappointment of  being removed farther
 from the ,saviour by that confessional 
which had  promised to bring me nearer  
to ,him4 ,god only knows what was the   
depth of  my sorrow at feeling myself   
more defiled and more guilty after than 
before my confession4    ,i left the    
church only when forced to do so by the 
shades of night1 and  came to my uncle's
 house with that feeling of uneasiness  
caused by the  consciousness of having  
done a bad action1 and by the fear of   
being  discovered4    ,though this      
uncle1 as well as most of the principal 
citizens of the  village of ,st4        
,thomas1 had the name of being a ,roman 
,catholic1 yet he  did not believe a    
word of the doctrines of the ,roman     
,church4 ,he laughed  at the priests1   
their masses1 their purgatory1 and      
especially their  confession4 ,he did   
not conceal that when young1 he had been
 scandalized  by the words and actions  
of a priest in the confessional4 ,he    
spoke to me  jestingly4 ,this increased 

my trouble and my grief4 8,now10 said he
 8you  will be a good boy4 ,but if you  
have heard as many new things as ,i did 
the first time ,i went to confess1 you  
are a very learned boy20 and he  burst  
into laughter4    ,i blushed and        
remained silent4 ,my aunt1 who was a    
devoted ,roman  ,catholic1 said to me1  
8,your heart is relieved1 is it not1    
since you  confessed all your sins80 ,i 
gave her an evasive answer1 but ,i could
 not  conceal the sadness that overcame 
me4 ,i thought ,i was the only one from 
whom the priest had asked those         
polluting questions4 ,but great was my  
surprise1 on the following day1 when    
going to school ,i learned that my      
fellow pupils had not been happier than 
,i had been4 ,the only difference  was1 
that instead of being grieved1 they     
laughed at it4 8,did the priest  ask you
 such and such questions80 they would   
demand laughing  boisterously4 ,i       
refused to reply1 and said1 8,are you   
not ashamed to  speak of these things80 

8,ah6 ah6 how very scrupulous you are10 
continued they4 8,if it is not a  sin   
for the priest to speak to us on these  
matters1 how can it be a sin  for us80  
,i stopped1 confounded1 not knowing what
 to say4    ,i soon perceived that even 
the young school girls had not been less
  polluted and scandalized by the       
questions of the priest than the boys4  
,although keeping at a distance1 such as
 to prevent us from hearing all  they   
said1 ,i could understand enough to     
convince me that they had been  asked   
about the same questions4 ,some of them 
appeared indignant1 while  others       
laughed heartily4    ,i should be       
misunderstood were it supposed that ,i  
mean to convey the  idea that this      
priest was more to blame than others1 or
 that he did more  than fulfil the      
duties of his ministry in asking these  
questions4 ,such1  however1 was my      
opinion at the time1 and ,i detested    
that man with all my  heart until ,i    
knew better4 ,i had been unjust towards 

him1 for this  priest had only done his 
duty4 ,he was only obeying the ,pope and
 his  theologians4 ,his being a priest  
of ,rome was1 therefore1 less his crime 
than his misfortune4 ,he was1 as ,i have
 been myself1 bound hand and foot  at   
the feet of the greatest enemy that the 
holiness and truth of ,god  have ever   
had on earth--the ,pope4    ,the        
misfortune of ,mr4 ,beaubien1 like that 
of all the priests of ,rome1  was that  
of having bound himself by terrible     
oaths not to think for  himself1 or to  
use the light of his own reason4        
,many ,roman ,catholics1 even many      
,protestants1 refuse to believe this4   
,it  is1 notwithstanding1 a sad truth4  
,the priest of ,rome is an automaton--a 
machine which acts1 thinks and speaks in
 matters of morals and of faith1  only  
according to the order and the will of  
the ,pope and his  theologians4    ,had 
,mr4 ,beaubien been left to himself1 he 
was naturally too much of a  gentleman  
to ask such questions4 ,but no doubt he 

had read ,liguori1 ,dens1  ,debreyne1   
authors approved by the ,pope1 and he   
was obliged to take  darkness for light1
 and vice for virtue4                   
,,chapter ,,iv                          
,,the ,,shepherd ,,whipped ,,by ,,his   
,,sheep4      ,shortly after the trial  
of auricular confession1 my young       
friend1 ,louis  ,cazeault1 accosted me  
on a beautiful morning and said1 8,do   
you know what  happened last night80    
8,no10 ,i answered4 8,what was the      
wonder80    8,you know that our priest  
spends almost all his evenings at ,mr4  
,richards' house4 ,everybody thinks that
 he goes there for the sake of the  two 
daughters4 ,well1 in order to cure him  
of that disease1 my uncle1 ,dr4  ,tache1
 and six others1 masked1 whipped him    
without mercy as he was  coming back at 
eleven o'clock at night4 ,it is already 
known by every one  in the village1 and 
they split their sides with laughing40  
,my first feeling on hearing that news1 
was one of joy4 ,ever since my  first   

confession ,i felt angry every time ,i  
thought of that priest4 ,his  questions 
had so wounded me that ,i could not     
forgive him4 ,i had enough  of          
self-control1 however1 to conceal my    
pleasure and ,i answered my  friend3    
8,you are telling me a wicked story2 ,i 
can't believe a word of it40    8,well10
 said young ,cazeault1 8come at eight   
o'clock this evening to my  uncle's4 ,a 
secret meeting is to take place then4   
,no doubt they will  speak of the pill  
given to the priest last night4 ,we     
shall place  ourselves in our little    
room as usual and shall hear everything1
 our  presence not being suspected4 ,you
 may be sure that it will be            
interesting40    8,i will go10 ,i       
answered1 8but ,i do not believe a word 
of that story40    ,i went to school at 
the usual hour4 ,most of the pupils had 
preceded me4  ,divided into groups of   
eight or ten1 they were engaged in a    
most lively  conversation4 ,bursts of   
convulsive laughter were heard from     

every  corner4 ,i could very well see   
that something uncommon had taken place 
in  the village4    ,i approached       
several of these groups1 and all        
received me with the  question3    8,do 
you know that the priest was whipped    
last night as he was coming  from the   
,misses ,richards'80    8,that is a     
story invented for fun10 said ,i4       
8,you were not there to see him1 were   
you8 ,you therefore know nothing  about 
it2 for if anybody had whipped the      
priest he would not surely  boast of    
it40    8,but we heard his screams10    
answered many voices4    8,what6 was he 
then screaming out80 ,i asked4    8,he  
shouted at the top of his voice1        
#8,help1 help6 ,murder6'0    8,but you  
were surely mistaken about the voice10  
said ,i4 8,it was not the  priest who   
shouted1 it was somebody else4 ,i could 
never believe that  anybody would whip a
 priest in such a crowded village40     
8,but0 said several1 8we ran to his help
 and we recognized the priest's  voice4 

,he is the only one who lisps in the    
village40    8,and we saw him with our  
own eyes10 said several4    ,the school 
bell put an end to this conversation4   
,as soon as school was  out ,i returned 
to the house of my relatives1 not       
wishing to learn any  more about this   
matter4 ,although ,i did not like this  
priest1 yet ,i was  much mortified by   
some remarks which the older pupils made
 about him4    ,but it was difficult not
 to hear any more4 ,on my arrival home  
,i found my  uncle and aunt engaged in a
 very warm debate on the subject4 ,my   
uncle  wished to conceal the fact that  
he was among those who had whipped him4 
,but he gave the details so precisely1  
he was so merry over the  adventure1    
that it was easy to see that he had a   
hand in the plot4 ,my  aunt was         
indignant1 and used the most energetic  
expressions to show her  disapprobation4
    ,that bitter debate annoyed me so   
that ,i did not stay long to hear it    
all4 ,i withdrew to my study4    ,during

 the remainder of the day ,i changed my 
resolution many times about  my going to
 the secret meeting in the evening4 ,at 
one moment ,i would  decide firmly not  
to go4 ,my conscience told me that1 as  
usual1 things  would be uttered which it
 was not good for me to hear4 ,i had    
refused to  go to the two last meetings1
 and a silent voice1 as it were1 told me
 ,i  had done well4 ,then a moment after
 ,i was tormented by the desire to know 
precisely what had taken place the      
evening before4 ,the flagellation of a  
priest in the midst of a large village  
was a fact too worthy of note to  fail  
to excite the curiosity of a child4     
,besides1 my aversion to the  priest1   
though ,i concealed it as well as ,i    
could1 made me wish to know  whether    
everything was true on the subject of   
the chastisement4 ,but in  the struggle 
between good and evil which took place  
in my mind during  that day1 the evil   
was finally to triumph4 ,a quarter of an
 hour before  the meeting my friend came

 to me and said3    8,make haste1 the   
members of the association are coming40 
,at this call all my good resolutions   
vanished4 ,i hushed the voice of my     
conscience1 and a few minutes later ,i  
was placed in an angle of that  little  
room1 where for more than two hours ,i  
learned many strange and  scandalous    
things about the lives of the priests of
 ,canada4    ,dr4 ,tache presided4 ,he  
opened the meeting in a low tone of     
voice4 ,at the  beginning of his        
discourse ,i had some difficulty to     
understand what he  said4 ,he spoke as  
one who feared to be overheard when     
disclosing a  secret to a friend4 ,but  
after a few preliminary sentences he    
forgot the  rule of prudence which he   
had imposed upon himself1 and spoke with
  energy and power4    ,mr4 ,etienne    
,tache was naturally eloquent4 ,he      
seemed to speak on no  question except  
under the influence of the deepest      
conviction of its  truth4 ,his speech   
was passionate1 and the tone of his     

voice clear and  agreeable4 ,his short  
and cutting sentences did not reach the 
ear only2  they penetrated even the     
secret folds of the soul4 ,he spoke in  
substance  as follows3                  
8,gentlemen3--,i am happy to see you    
here more numerously than ever4 ,the    
grave events of last night have1 no     
doubt1 decided many of you to attend    
debates which some began to forsake1 but
 the importance of which1 it  seems to  
me1 increases day by day4    8,the      
question debated in our last            
meeting--#8,the ,priests'--is one of    
life  and death1 not only for our young 
and beautiful ,canada1 but in a moral   
point of view it is a question of life  
and death for our families1 and  for    
every one of us in particular4          
8,there is1 ,i know1 only one opinion   
among us on the subject of priests2  and
 ,i am glad that this opinion is not    
only that of all educated men in        
,canada1 but also of learned ,france2   
nay1 of the whole world4 ,the reign  of 

the priest is the reign of ignorance1 of
 corruption1 and of the most  barefaced 
immorality1 under the mask of the most  
refined hypocrisy4 ,the  reign of the   
priest is the death of our schools2 it  
is the degradation  of our wives1 the   
prostitution of our daughters2 it is the
 reign of  tyranny--the loss of liberty4
    8,we have only one good school1 ,i  
will not say in ,st4 ,thomas1 but in all
  our county4 ,this school in our midst 
is a great honor to our village4  ,now  
see the energy with which all the       
priests who come here work for the      
closing of that school4 ,they use every 
means to destroy that focus of  light   
which we have started with so much      
difficulty1 and which we  support by so 
many sacrifices4    8,with the priest of
 ,rome our children do not belong to us2
 he is their  master4 ,let me explain4  
,the priest honors us with the belief   
that the  bodies1 the flesh and bones of
 our children1 are ours1 and that our   
duty  in consequence is to clothe and   

feed them4 ,but the nobler and more     
sacred part1 namely1 the intellect1 the 
heart1 the soul1 the priest  claims as  
his own patrimony1 his own property4    
,the priest has the  audacity to tell us
 that to him alone it belongs to        
enlighten those  intelligences1 to form 
those hearts1 to fashion those souls as 
it may  best suit him4 ,he has the      
impudence to tell us that we are too    
silly or  perverse to know our duties in
 this respect4 ,we have not the right of
  choosing our school teachers4 ,we have
 not the right to send a single ray  of 
light into those intellects1 or to give 
to those souls who hunger and  thirst   
after truth a single crumb of that food 
prepared with so much  wisdom and       
success by enlightened men of all ages4 
8,by the confessional the priests poison
 the springs of life in our  children4  
,they initiate them into such mysteries 
of iniquity as would  terrify old galley
 slaves4 ,by their questions they reveal
 to them  secrets of a corruption such  

as carries its germs of death into the  
very  marrow of their bones1 and that   
from the earliest years of their        
infancy4 ,before ,i was fifteen years   
old ,i had learned more real  blackguard
 ism from the mouth of my confessor than
 ,i have learned ever  since in my      
studies and in my life as a physician   
for twenty years4    8,a few days ago ,i
 questioned my little nephew1 ,louis    
,cazeault1 upon what  he had learned in 
his confession4 ,he answered me         
ingenuously1 and  repeated things to me 
which ,i would be ashamed to utter in   
your  presence1 and which you1 fathers  
of families1 could not listen to        
without blushing4 ,and just think1 that 
not only of little boys are those       
questions asked1 but also of our dear   
little girls4 ,are we not the most      
degraded of men if we do not set        
ourselves to work in order to break the 
iron yoke under which the priest keeps  
our dear country1 and by means of  which
 he keeps us1 with our wives and        

children1 at his feet like vile  slaves6
    8,while speaking to you of the      
deleterious effect of the confessional  
upon our children1 shall ,i forget its  
effect upon our wives and upon          
ourselves8 ,need ,i tell you that1 for  
most women1 the confessional is a       
rendezvous of coquetry and of love8 ,do 
you not feel as ,i do myself1 that  by  
means of the confessional the priest is 
more the master of the hearts  of our   
wives than ourselves8 ,is not the priest
 the private and public  confidant of   
our wives8 ,do not our wives go         
invariably to the feet of  the priest1  
opening to him what is most sacred and  
intimate in the  secrets of our lives as
 husbands and as fathers8 ,the husband  
belongs no  more to his wife as her     
guide through the dark and difficult    
paths of  life3 it is the priest6 ,we   
are no more their friends and natural   
advisers4 ,their anxieties and their    
cares they do not confide to us4  ,they 
do not expect from us the remedies for  

the miseries of this life4  ,towards the
 priest they turn their thoughts and    
desires4 ,he has their  entire and      
exclusive confidence4 ,in a word1 it is 
the priest who is the  real husband of  
our wives6 ,it is he who has the        
possession of their  respect and of     
their hearts to a degree to which no one
 of us need ever  aspire6    8,were the 
priest an angel1 were he not made of    
flesh and bones just as  we are1 were   
not his organization absolutely the same
 as our own1 then  might we be          
indifferent to what might take place    
between him and our  wives1 whom he has 
at his feet1 in his hands--even more1 in
 his heart4  ,but what does my          
experience tell me1 not only as a       
physician1 but also  as a citizen of    
,st4 ,thomas8 ,what does yours tell you8
 ,our experience  tells us that the     
priest1 instead of being stronger1 is   
weaker than we  generally are with      
respect to women4 ,his sham vows of     
perfect chastity1  far from rendering   

him more invulnerable to the arrows of  
,cupid1 expose  him to be made more     
easily the victim of that god1 so small 
in form1 but  so dreadful a giant by the
 irresistible power of his weapons and  
the  extent of his conquests4    8,as a 
matter of fact1 of the last four priests
 who came to ,st4 ,thomas1  have not    
three seduced many of the wives and     
daughters of our most  respected        
families8 ,and what security have we    
that the priest who is now  with us does
 not walk in the same path8 ,is not the 
whole parish filled  with indignation at
 the long nightly visits made by him to 
two girls  whose dissolute morals are a 
secret to nobody8 ,and when the priest  
does  not respect himself1 would we not 
be silly in continuing to give him  that
 respect of which he himself knows he is
 unworthy8    8,at our last meeting the 
opinions were divided at the beginning  
of the  discussion4 ,many thought it    
would be well to speak to the bishop    
about  the scandal caused by those      

nightly visits4 ,but the majority judged
 that  such steps would be useless1     
since the bishop would do one of two    
things1 namely1 he would either pay no  
attention to our just complaints1  as   
has often been the case1 or he would    
remove this priest1 filling his  place  
with one who would do no better4 ,that  
majority1 which became a  unanimity1    
acceded to my thought of taking justice 
into our own hands4  ,the priest is our 
servant4 ,we pay him a large tithe4 ,we 
have therefore  claims upon him4 ,he has
 abused us1 and does so every day by his
 public  neglect of the most elementary 
laws of morality4 ,in visiting every    
night  that house whose degradation is  
known to everybody1 he gives to youth an
  example of perversity the effects of  
which no one can estimate4    8,it had  
been unanimously decided that he should 
be whipped4 ,without my  telling you by 
whom it was done1 you may be assured    
that ,mr4 ,beaubien's  flagellation of  
last night will never be forgotten by   

him6    8,heaven grant that this        
brotherly correction be a lesson to     
teach all  the priests of ,canada that  
their golden reign is over1 that the    
eyes of  the people are opened1 and that
 their domination is drawing to an end60
    ,this discourse was listened to with
 deep silence1 and ,dr4 ,tache saw by   
the applause that followed that his     
speech had been the expression of       
everyone4    ,next followed a gentleman 
named ,dubord1 who in substance spoke as
  follows3    8,mr4 ,president3--,i was 
not among those who gave the priest the 
expression  of public feeling with the  
energetic tongue of the whip4 ,i wish ,i
 had  been1 however2 ,i would heartily  
have co-operated in giving that lesson  
to the priests of ,canada4 ,let me give 
my reason4    8,my daughter1 who is     
twelve years old1 went to confession as 
did the  others a few weeks ago4 ,it was
 against my will4 ,i know by my own     
experience that of all actions          
confession is the most degrading in a   

person's life4 ,i can imagine nothing so
 well calculated to destroy for  ever   
one's self-respect as the modern        
invention of the confessional4  ,now1   
what is a person without                
self-respect--especially a woman8       
,without  this all is lost to her       
forever4    8,in the confessional       
everything is corruption of the lowest  
grade4    8,in the confessional1 a      
girl's thoughts are polluted1 her tongue
 is  polluted1 her heart is             
polluted--yes1 and forever polluted6 ,do
 ,i need to  tell you this8 ,you know it
 as well as ,i do4 ,though you are now  
all too  intelligent to degrade         
yourselves at the feet of a priest1     
though it is  long since you have been  
guilty of that meanness1 not one of you 
have  forgotten the lessons of          
corruption received1 when young1 in the 
confessional4 ,those lessons were       
engraved on your memory1 your thoughts1 
your hearts1 and your souls like the    
scar left by the red-hot iron upon  the 

brow of the slave1 to remain a perpetual
 witness of his shame and  servitude4   
,the confessional is a place where one  
gets accustomed to  hear1 and repeat    
without a scruple1 things which would   
cause even a  prostitute to blush6      
8,why are ,roman ,catholic nations      
inferior to nations belonging to        
,protestantism8 ,only in the            
confessional can the solution of that   
problem  be found4 ,and why are ,roman  
,catholic nations degraded in proportion
 to  their submission to the priest8 ,it
 is because the oftener the  individuals
 composing those nations go to          
confession the more rapidly  they sink  
in the scale of intelligence and        
morality4 ,a terrible example  of this  
,i had in my own house4    8,as ,i said 
a moment ago1 ,i was against my daughter
 going to confession2  but her poor     
mother1 who is under the control of the 
priest1 earnestly  wanted her to go4    
,not to have a disagreeable scene in my 
house1 ,i had to  yield to the tears of 

my wife4    8,on the day following that 
of her confession they believed ,i was  
absent2  but ,i was in my office1 with  
the door sufficiently open to allow me  
to  hear what was said4 ,my wife and    
daughter had the following conversation3
    8#8,what makes you so thoughtful and
 sad1 my dear ,lucy1 since you went to  
confession8 ,it seems to me you should  
feel happier since you had the          
privilege of confessing your sins4'     
8,lucy made no answer4    8,after a     
silence of two or three minutes her     
mother said3    8#8,why do you weep1    
dear child8 ,are you ill8'    8,still no
 answer from the child4    8,you may    
well suppose that ,i was all attention4 
,i had my suspicions  about the dreadful
 ordeal which had taken place4 ,my heart
 throbbed with  uneasiness and anger4   
8,after a short time my wife spoke to   
her child with sufficient firmness  to  
force her to answer4 ,in a trembling    
voice and half suppressed with  sobs my 
dear little daughter answered3          

8#8,ah6 mamma1 if you knew what the     
priest asked me1 and what he said to  me
 in the confessional1 you would be as   
sad as ,i am4'    8#8,but what did he   
say to you8 ,he is a holy man4 ,you     
surely did not  understand him if you   
think he said anything to pain you4'    
8#8,dear mother1' as she threw herself  
into her mother's arms1 #8do not ask  me
 to confess what that priest said6 ,he  
told to me things so shameful  that ,i  
cannot repeat them4 ,but that which     
pains me most is the  impossibility of  
banishing from my thoughts the hateful  
things which he  has taught me4 ,his    
impure words are like the leeches put   
upon the chest  of my friend            
,louise--they could not be removed      
without tearing the flesh4  ,what must  
have been his opinion of me to ask such 
questions6'0    8,my child said no more1
 and began to sob again4    8,after a   
short silence my wife rejoined3         
8#8,i'll go to the priest4 ,i'll tell   
him to beware how he speaks in the      

confessional4 ,i have noticed myself    
that he goes too far with his           
questions4 ,i1 however1 thought that he 
was more prudent with children4  ,after 
the lesson that ,i'll give him be sure  
that you will have only to  tell your   
sins1 and that you will be no more      
troubled by his endless  questions4 ,i  
ask of you1 however1 never to speak of  
this to anybody1  especially never let  
your poor father know anything about it2
 for he has  little enough religion     
already1 and this would leave him       
without any at  all4'0    8,i could     
contain myself no longer4 ,i rose and   
abruptly entered the  parlor4 ,my       
daughter threw herself1 weeping1 into my
 arms4 ,my wife  screamed with terror1  
and almost fell into a swoon4 ,i said to
 my child3    8,if you love me1 put your
 hand on my heart and promise me that   
you'll  never go to confession again4   
,fear ,god1 my child2 walk in ,his      
presence1  for ,his eye seeth you       
everywhere4 ,remember that day and night

 ,he is  ready to forgive us4 ,never    
place yourself again at the feet of a   
priest  to be defiled and degraded by   
him6    8,this my daughter promised me4 
8,when my wife had recovered from her   
surprise ,i said to her3    8,madam1 for
 a long time the priest has been        
everything and your husband  nothing to 
you4 ,there is a hidden and terrible    
power that governs your  thoughts and   
affections as it governs your deeds--it 
is the power of the  priest4 ,this you  
have often denied2 but providence has   
decided to-day  that this power should  
be forever broken for you and for me4 ,i
 want to  be the ruler in my own house2 
and from this moment the power of the   
priest over you must cease1 unless you  
prefer to leave my house forever4  ,the 
priest has reigned here too long6 ,but  
now that ,i know he has stained  and    
defiled the soul of my daughter1 his    
empire must fall6 ,whenever you  go and 
take your heart and secrets to the feet 
of the priest1 be so kind  as not to    

come back to the same house with me40   
,three other discourses followed that of
 ,mr4 ,dubord1 all of which were        
pregnant with details and facts going to
 prove that the confessional was  the   
principal cause of the deplorable       
demoralization of ,st4 ,thomas4    ,if1 
in addition to all that1 ,i could have  
mentioned before that  association what 
,i already knew of the corrupting       
influences of that  institution given to
 the world by centuries of darkness1    
certainly the  determination of its     
members to make use of every means to   
abolish its  usage would have been      
strengthened4                           
,,chapter ,v4                ,,the      
,,priest1 ,,purgatory1 ,,and ,,the      
,,poor ,,widow',s ,,cow4      ,the day  
following that of the meeting at which  
,mr4 ,tache had given his  reasons for  
boasting that he had whipped the priest1
 ,i wrote to my  mother3 8,for ,god's   
sake1 come for me2 ,i can stay here no  
longer4 ,if you  knew what my eyes have 

seen and my ears have heard for some    
time past1  you would not delay your    
coming a single day40    ,indeed1 such  
was the impression left upon me by that 
flagellation1 and  by the speeches which
 ,i had heard1 that had it not been for 
the crossing  of the ,st4 ,lawrence1 ,i 
would have started for ,murray ,bay on  
the day  after the secret meeting at    
which ,i had heard things that so       
terribly  frightened me4 ,how ,i        
regretted the happy and peaceful days   
spent with my  mother in reading the    
beautiful chapters of the ,bible1 so    
well chosen by  her to instruct and     
interest me6 ,what a difference there   
was between our  conversations after    
these readings1 and the conversations ,i
 heard at ,st4  ,thomas6    ,happily my 
parents' desire to see me again was as  
great as mine to go  back to them4 ,so  
that a few weeks later my mother came   
for me4 ,she  pressed me to her heart1  
and brought me back to the arms of my   
father4    ,i arrived at home on the    

#agth of ,july1 #ahba1 and spent the    
afternoon and  evening till late by my  
father's side4 ,with what pleasure did  
he see me  working difficult problems in
 algebra1 and even in geometry6 for     
under  my teacher1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,i had  
really made rapid progress in those     
branches4 ,more than once ,i noticed    
tears of joy in my father's eyes  when1 
taking my slate1 he saw that my         
calculations were correct4 ,he also     
examined me in grammar4 8,what an       
admirable teacher this ,mr4 ,jones must 
be10 he would say1 8to have advanced a  
child so much in the short space  of    
fourteen months60    ,how sweet to me1  
but how short1 were those hours of      
happiness passed  between my good mother
 and my father6 ,we had family worship4 
,i read the  fifteenth chapter of ,luke1
 the return of the prodigal son4 ,my    
mother  then sang a hymn of joy and     
gratitude1 and ,i went to bed with my   
heart  full of happiness to take the    
sweetest sleep of my life4 ,but1 ,o     

,god6  what an awful awakening thou     
hadst prepared for me6    ,at about four
 o'clock in the morning heart-rending   
screams fell upon my  ear4 ,i recognized
 my mother's voice4    8,what is the    
matter1 dear mother80    8,oh1 my dear  
child1 you have no more a father6 ,he is
 dead60    ,in saying these words she   
lost consciousness and fell on the      
floor6    ,while a friend who had passed
 the night with us gave her proper care1
 ,i  hastened to my father's bed4 ,i    
pressed him to my heart1 ,i kissed him1 
,i  covered him with my tears1 ,i moved 
his head1 ,i pressed his hands1 ,i      
tried to lift him up on his pillow2 ,i  
could not believe that he was  dead6 ,it
 seemed to me that even if dead he would
 come back to life--that  ,god could not
 thus take my father away from me at the
 very moment when ,i  had come back to  
him after so long an absence6 ,i knelt  
to pray to ,god  for the life of my     
father4 ,but my tears and cries were    
useless4 ,he was  dead6 ,he was already 

cold as ice6    ,two days after he was  
buried4 ,my mother was so overwhelmed   
with grief  that she could not follow   
the funeral procession4 ,i remained with
 her as  her only earthly support4 ,poor
 mother6 ,how many tears thou hast shed6
  ,what sobs came from thine afflicted  
heart in those days of supreme  grief6  
,though ,i was then very young1 ,i could
 understand the greatness of our  loss1 
and ,i mingled my tears with those of my
 mother4    ,what pen can portray what  
takes place in the heart of a woman when
 ,god  takes suddenly her husband away  
in the prime of his life1 and leaves her
  alone1 plunged in misery1 with three  
small children1 two of whom are  even   
too young to know their loss6 ,how long 
are the hours of the day for  the poor  
widow who is left alone1 and without    
means1 among strangers6  ,how painful   
the sleepless night to the heart which  
has lost everything6  ,how empty a house
 is left by the eternal absence of him  
who was its  master1 support1 and       

father6 ,every object in the house and  
every step  she takes remind her of her 
loss and sinks the sword deeper which   
pierces her heart4 ,oh1 how bitter are  
the tears which flow from her eyes  when
 her youngest child1 who as yet does not
 understand the mystery of  death1      
throws himself into her arms and says3  
8,mamma1 where is papa8 ,why  does he   
not come back8 ,i am lonely60    ,my    
poor mother passed through those        
heart-rending trials4 ,i heard her  sobs
 during the long hours of the day1 and  
also during the longer hours  of the    
night4 ,many times ,i have seen her fall
 upon her knees to implore  ,god to be  
merciful to her and to her three unhappy
 orphans4 ,i could do  nothing then to  
comfort her1 but love her1 pray and weep
 with her6    ,only a few days had      
elapsed after the burial of my father   
when ,i saw ,mr4  ,courtois1 the parish 
priest1 coming to our house 7he who had 
tried to  take away our ,bible from us74
 ,he had the reputation of being rich1  

and  as we were poor and unhappy since  
my father's death1 my first thought  was
 that he had come to comfort and to help
 us4 ,i could see that my  mother had   
the same hopes4 ,she welcomed him as an 
angel from heaven4 ,the  least gleam of 
hope is so sweet to one who is unhappy6 
,from his very first words1 however1 ,i 
could see that our hopes were not  to be
 realized4 ,he tried to be sympathetic1 
and even said something  about the      
confidence that we should have in ,god1 
especially in times of  trial2 but his  
words were cold and dry4    ,turning to 
me1 he said3    8,do you continue to    
read the ,bible1 my little boy80        
8,yes1 sir10 answered ,i1 with a voice  
trembling with anxiety1 for ,i  feared  
that he would make another effort to    
take away that treasure1 and  ,i had no 
longer a father to defend it4    ,then  
addressing my mother1 he said3          
8,madam1 ,i told you that it was not    
right for you or your child to read     
that book40    ,my mother cast down her 

eyes1 and answered only by the tears    
which ran  down her cheeks4    ,that    
question was followed by a long silence1
 and the priest then  continued3        
8,madam1 there is something due for the 
prayers which have been sung1 and  the  
services which you requested to be      
offered for the repose of your          
husband's soul4 ,i will be very much    
obliged to you if you pay me that       
little debt40    8,mr4 ,courtois10      
answered my mother1 8my husband left me 
nothing but  debts4 ,i have only the    
work of my own hands to procure a living
 for my  three children1 the eldest of  
whom is before you4 ,for these little   
orphans' sake1 if not for mine1 do not  
take from us the little that is  left40 
8,but1 madam1 you do not reflect4 ,your 
husband died suddenly and without  any  
preparation2 he is therefore in the     
flames of purgatory4 ,if you want  him  
to be delivered1 you must necessarily   
unite your personal sacrifices  to the  
prayers of the ,church and the masses   

which we offer40    8,as ,i said1 my    
husband has left me absolutely without  
means1 and it is  impossible for me to  
give you any money10 replied my mother4 
8,but1 madam1 your husband was for a    
long time the only notary of ,mal  ,bay4
 ,he surely must have made much money4  
,i can scarcely think that he  has left 
you without any means to help him now   
that his desolation and  sufferings are 
far greater than yours40    8,my husband
 did1 indeed1 coin much money1 but he   
spent still more4  ,thanks to ,god1 we  
have not been in want while he lived4   
,but lately he  got this house built1   
and what is still due on it makes me    
fear that ,i  will lose it4 ,he also    
bought a piece of land not long ago1    
only half of  which is paid1 and ,i     
will1 therefore1 probably not be able to
 keep it4  ,hence ,i may soon1 with my  
poor orphans1 be deprived of everything 
that  is left us4 ,in the meantime ,i   
hope1 sir1 that you are not a man to    
take  away from us our last piece of    

bread40    8,but1 madam1 the masses     
offered for the rest of your husband's  
soul must  be paid10 answered the       
priest4    ,my mother covered her face  
with her handkerchief and wept4    ,as  
for me1 ,i did not mingle my tears with 
hers this time4 ,my feelings  were not  
those of grief1 but of anger and        
unspeakable horror4 ,my eyes  were fixed
 on the face of that man who tortured my
 mother's heart4 ,i  looked with        
tearless eyes upon the man who added to 
my poor mother's  anguish1 and made her 
weep more bitterly than ever4 ,my hands 
were  clenched1 as if ready to strike4  
,all my muscles trembled2 my teeth      
chattered as if from intense cold4 ,my  
greatest sorrow was my weakness in  the 
presence of that big man1 and my not    
being able to send him away  from our   
house1 and driving him far away from my 
mother4    ,i felt inclined to say to   
him3 8,are you not ashamed1 you who are 
so  rich1 to come and take away the last
 piece of bread from our mouths80  ,but 

my physical and moral strength were not 
sufficient to accomplish the  task      
before me1 and ,i was filled with regret
 and disappointment4    ,after a long   
silence1 my mother raised her eyes1     
reddened with tears1 on  the priest1 and
 said3    8,sir1 you see that cow in the
 meadow1 not far from our house8 ,her   
milk  and the butter made from it form  
the principal part of my children's     
food4 ,i hope you will not take her away
 from us4 ,if1 however1 such a          
sacrifice must be made to deliver my    
poor husband's soul from purgatory1     
take her as payment of the masses to be 
offered to extinguish those  devouring  
flames40    ,the priest instantly arose1
 saying1 8,very well1 madam10 and went  
out4    ,our eyes anxiously followed    
him2 but instead of walking towards the 
little gate which was in front of the   
house1 he directed his steps  towards   
the meadow1 and drove the cow before him
 in the direction of his  home4    ,at  
that sight ,i screamed with despair3    

8,o1 my mother6 he is taking our  cow   
away6 ,what will become of us80    ,lord
 ,nairn had given us that splendid cow  
when it was three months old4  ,her     
mother had been brought from ,scotland1 
and belonged to one of the  best breeds 
of that country4 ,i fed her with my own 
hands1 and had often  shared my bread   
with her4 ,i loved her as a child always
 loves an animal  which he has brought  
up himself4 ,she seemed to understand   
and love me  also4 ,from whatever       
distance she could see me1 she would run
 to me to  receive my caresses1 and     
whatever else ,i might have to give her4
 ,my  mother herself milked her2 and her
 rich milk was such delicious and       
substantial food for us4 ,we all felt so
 happy1 at breakfast and supper1  each  
with a cupful of that pure and          
refreshing milk6    ,my mother also     
cried out with grief as she saw the     
priest taking away  the only means which
 heaven had left her to feed her        
children4    ,throwing myself into her  

arms1 ,i asked her3 8,why have you given
 away our  cow8 ,what will become of us8
 ,we shall surely die of hunger40       
8,dear child10 she answered1 8,i did not
 think the priest would be so  cruel as 
to take away the last resource which    
,god had left us4 ,ah6 if ,i  had       
believed him to be so unmerciful ,i     
would never have spoken to him as  ,i   
did4 ,as you say1 my dear child1 what   
will become of us8 ,but have you  not   
often read to me in your ,bible that    
,god is the ,father of the widow  and   
the orphan8 ,we shall pray to that ,god 
who is willing to be your  father and   
mine4 ,he will listen to us1 and see our
 tears4 ,let us kneel  down and ask of  
,him to be merciful to us1 and to give  
us back the  support of which the priest
 has deprived us40    ,we both knelt    
down4 ,she took my right hand with her  
left1 and1 lifting  the other hand      
towards heaven1 she offered a prayer to 
the ,god of  mercies for her poor       
children such as ,i have never since    

heard4 ,her  words were often choked by 
her sobs4 ,but when she could not speak 
with  her voice1 she spoke with her     
burning looks raised to heaven1 and with
  her uplifted hand4 ,i also prayed to  
,god with her1 and repeated her  words1 
which were broken by my sobs4    ,when  
her prayer was ended she remained for a 
long time pale and  trembling4 ,cold    
sweat was flowing on her face1 and she  
fell on the  floor4 ,i thought she was  
going to die4 ,i ran for cold water1    
which ,i  gave her1 saying3 8,dear      
mother6 ,o1 do not leave me alone upon  
earth60  ,after drinking a few drops she
 felt better1 and taking my hand1 she   
put  it to her trembling lips2 then     
drawing me near her1 and pressing me to 
her bosom1 she said3 8,dear child1 if   
ever you become a priest1 ,i ask of  you
 never to be so hard-hearted towards    
poor widows as are the priests  of      
to-day40 ,while she said these words1 ,i
 felt her burning tears  falling upon my
 cheek4    ,the memory of these tears   

has never left me4 ,i felt them         
constantly  during the twenty-five years
 ,i spent in preaching the inconceivable
  superstitions of ,rome4    ,i was not 
better1 naturally1 than many of the     
other priests4 ,i believed1  as they    
did1 the impious fables of purgatory2   
and as well as they 7,i  confess it to  
my shame71 if ,i refused to take1 or if 
,i gave back the  money of the poor1 ,i 
accepted the money which the rich gave  
me for the  masses ,i said to extinguish
 the flames of that fabulous place4 ,but
 the  remembrance of my mother's words  
and tears has kept me from being so     
cruel and unmerciful towards the poor   
widows as ,romish priests are1 for  the 
most part1 obliged to be4    ,when my   
heart1 depraved by the false and impious
 doctrines of ,rome1 was  tempted to    
take money from widows and orphans1     
under pretence of my  long prayers1 ,i  
then heard the voice of my mother1 from 
the depth of  her sepulchre1 saying3    
8,my dear child1 do not be cruel towards

 poor  widows and orphans1 as are the   
priests of to-day40 ,if1 during the days
  of my priesthood at ,quebec1 at       
,beauport and ,kamouraska1 ,i have given
  almost all that ,i had to feed and    
clothe the poor1 especially the widows  
and orphans1 it was not owing to my     
being better than others1 but it was    
because my mother had spoken to me with 
words never to be forgotten4 ,the       
,lord1 ,i believe1 had put into my      
mother's mouth those words1 so simple   
but so full of eloquence and beauty1 as 
one of ,his great mercies towards  me4  
,those tears the hand of ,rome has never
 been able to wipe off2 those  words of 
my mother the sophisms of ,popery could 
not make me forget4    ,how long1 ,o    
,lord1 shall that insolent enemy of the 
gospel1 the ,church of  ,rome1 be       
permitted to fatten herself upon the    
tears of the widow and of  the orphan by
 means of that cruel and impious        
invention of  paganism--purgatory8 ,wilt
 thou not be merciful unto so many      

nations which  are still the victims of 
that great imposture8 ,oh1 do remove the
 veil  which covers the eyes of the     
priests and people of ,rome1 as thou    
hast  removed it from mine6 ,make them  
to understand that their hopes of       
purification must not rest on these     
fabulous fires1 but only on the  blood  
of the ,lamb shed on ,calvary to save   
the world4                              
,,chapter ,,vi4                         
,,festivities ,,in ,a ,,parsonage4      
,god had heard the poor widow's prayer4 
,a few days after the priest had  taken 
our cow she received a letter from each 
of her two sisters1  ,genevieve and     
,catherine4    ,the former1 who was     
married to ,etienne ,eschenbach1 of ,st4
 ,thomas1 told  her to sell all she had 
and come1 with her children1 to live    
with her4    8,we have no family10 she  
said1 8and ,god has given us the good   
things of  this life in abundance4 ,we  
shall be happy to share them with you   
and  your children40    ,the latter1    

married in ,kamouraska to the ,hon4     
,amable ,dionne1 wrote3 8,we  have      
learned the sad news of your husband's  
death4 ,we have lately lost  our only   
son4 ,we wish to fill the vacant place  
with ,charles1 your  eldest4 ,send him  
to us4 ,we shall bring him up as our own
 child1 and  before long he will be your
 support4 ,in the meantime1 sell by     
auction  all you have1 and go to ,st4   
,thomas with your two younger children4 
,there  ,genevieve and myself will      
supply your wants40    ,in a few days   
all our furniture was sold4             
,unfortunately1 though ,i had  carefully
 concealed my cherished ,bible1 it      
disappeared4 ,i could never  discover   
what became of it4 ,had mother herself1 
frightened by the  threats of the       
priest1 relinquished that treasure8 or  
had some of our  relatives1 believing it
 to be their duty1 destroyed it8 ,i do  
not know4 ,i  deeply felt that loss1    
which was then irreparable to me4    ,on
 the following day1 in the midst of     

bitter tears and sobs1 ,i bade  farewell
 to my poor mother and young brothers4  
,they went to ,st4 ,thomas  on board a  
schooner1 and ,i crossed in a sloop to  
,kamouraska4    ,my uncle and aunt      
,dionne welcomed me with every mark of  
the most sincere  affection4 ,having    
soon made known to them that ,i wished  
to become a  priest1 ,i began to study  
,latin under the direction of ,rev4 ,mr4
 ,morin1  vicar of ,kamouraska4 ,that   
priest was esteemed to be a learned man4
 ,he  was about forty or fifty years    
old1 and had been priest of a parish in 
the district of ,montreal4 ,but1 as is  
the case with the majority of  priests1 
his vows of celibacy had not proved a   
sufficient guarantee  against the charms
 of one of his beautiful parishioners4  
,this had caused  a great scandal4 ,he  
consequently lost his position1 and the 
bishop had  sent him to ,kamouraska1    
where his past conduct was not so       
generally  known4 ,he was very good to  
me1 and ,i soon loved him with sincere  

affection4    ,one day1 about the       
beginning of the year #ahbb1 he called  
me aside and  said3    8,mr4 ,varin 7the
 parish priest7 is in the habit of      
giving a great  festival on his         
birthday4 ,now1 the principal citizens  
of the village  wish on that occasion to
 present him with a bouquet4 ,i am      
appointed to  write an address1 and to  
choose some one to deliver it before the
  priest4 ,you are the one whom ,i have 
chosen4 ,what do you think of it80      
8,but ,i am very young10 ,i replied4    
8,your youth will only give more        
interest to what we wish to say and do10
  said the priest4    8,well1 ,i have no
 objection to do so1 provided the piece 
be not too long1  and that ,i have it   
sufficiently soon to learn it well40    
,it was already prepared4 ,the time of  
delivering it soon came4 ,the best      
society of ,kamouraska1 composed of     
about fifteen gentlemen and as many     
ladies1 were assembled in the beautiful 
parlors of the parsonage4 ,mr4  ,varin  

was in their midst4 ,suddenly ,squire   
,paschal ,tache1 the seigneur of  the   
parish1 and his lady entered the room1  
holding me by each hand1 and  placed me 
in the midst of the guests4 ,my head was
 crowned with flowers1  for ,i was to   
represent the angel of the parish1 whom 
the people had  chosen to give to their 
pastor the expression of public         
admiration and  gratitude4 ,when the    
address was finished1 ,i presented to   
the priest the  beautiful bouquet of    
symbolical flowers prepared by the      
ladies for the  occasion4    ,mr4 ,varin
 was a small but well-built man4 ,his   
thin lips were ever ready  to smile     
graciously4 ,the remarkable whiteness of
 his skin was still  heightened by the  
rose color of his cheeks4 ,intelligence 
and goodness  beamed from his expressive
 black eyes4 ,nothing could be more     
amiable and  gracious than his          
conversation during the first quarter of
 an hour  passed in his company4 ,he was
 passionately fond of these little      

fetes1  and the charm of his manners    
could not be surpassed as the host of   
the  evening4    ,he was moved to tears 
before hearing half of the address1 and 
the eyes  of many were moistened when   
the pastor1 with a voice trembling and  
full  of emotion1 expressed his joy and 
gratitude at being so highly            
appreciated by his parishioners4    ,as 
soon as the happy pastor had expressed  
his thanks1 the ladies sang  two or     
three beautiful songs4 ,the door of the 
dining-room was then  opened1 and we    
could see a long table laden with the   
most delicious  meats and wines that    
,canada could afford4    ,i had never   
before been present at a priest's       
dinner4 ,the honorable  position given  
me at that little fete permitted me to  
see it in all its  details1 and nothing 
could equal the curiosity with which ,i 
sought to  hear and see all that was    
said and done by the joyous guests4     
,besides ,mr4 ,varin and his vicar there
 were three other priests1 who were     

artistically placed in the midst of the 
most beautiful ladies of the  company4  
,the ladies1 after honoring us with     
their presence for an hour  or so1 left 
the table and retired to the            
drawing-room4 ,scarcely had the  last   
lady disappeared when ,mr4 ,varin rose  
and said3    8,gentlemen1 let us drink  
to the health of these amiable ladies1  
whose  presence has thrown so many      
charms over the first part of our little
  fete40    ,following the example of   
,mr4 ,varin1 each guest filled and      
emptied his  long wine-glass in honor of
 the ladies4    ,squire ,tache then     
proposed 8,the health of the most       
venerable and beloved  priest of        
,canada1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,varin40 ,again 
the glasses were filled and  emptied1   
except mine2 for ,i had been placed at  
the side of my uncle  ,dionne1 who1     
sternly looking at me as soon as ,i had 
emptied my first  glass1 said3 8,if you 
drink another ,i will send you from the 
table4 ,a  little boy like you should   

not drink1 but only touch the glass with
 his  lips40    ,it would have been     
difficult to count the healths which    
were drank after  the ladies had left   
us4 ,after each health a song or a story
 was called  for1 several of which were 
followed by applause1 shouts of joy1 and
  convulsive laughter4    ,when my turn 
to propose a health came ,i wished to be
 excused1 but they  would not exempt me4
 ,so ,i had to say about whose health ,i
 was most  interested4 ,i rose upon my  
two short legs1 and turning to ,mr4     
,varin1 ,i  said1 8,let us drink to the 
health of our ,holy ,father1 the ,pope40
    ,nobody had yet thought of our ,holy
 ,father1 the ,pope1 and the name1      
mentioned under such circumstances by a 
child1 appeared so droll to the  priests
 and their merry guests that they burst 
into laughter1 stamped  their feet and  
shouted1 8,bravo6 bravo6 ,to the health 
of the ,pope60  ,everyone stood up1 and 
at the invitation of ,mr4 ,varin1 the   
glasses were  filled and emptied as     

usual4    ,so many healths could not be 
drunk without their natural             
effect--intoxication4 ,the first that   
was overcome was a priest1 ,noel by     
name4 ,he was a tall man1 and a great   
drinker4 ,i had noticed more than  once1
 that instead of taking his wine-glass  
he drank from a large  tumbler4 ,the    
first symptoms of his intoxication1     
instead of drawing  sympathy from his   
friends1 only increased their noisy     
bursts of  laughter4 ,he endeavored to  
take a bottle to fill his glass1 but his
 hand  shook1 and the bottle1 falling on
 the floor1 was broken to pieces4       
,wishing to keep up his merriment he    
began to sing a ,bacchic song1 but      
could not finish4 ,he dropped his head  
on the table1 quite overcome1 and       
trying to rise1 he fell heavily upon his
 chair4 ,while all this took  place the 
other priests and all the guests looked 
at him1 laughing  loudly4 ,at last1     
making a desperate effort1 he rose1 but 
after taking  two or three steps1 fell  

headlong on the floor4 ,his two         
neighbors went  to help him1 but they   
were not in a condition to help him4    
,twice they  rolled with him under the  
table4 ,at length another1 less affected
 by the  fumes of wine1 took him by the 
feet and dragged him into an adjoining  
room1 where they left him4    ,this     
first scene seemed strange enough to me1
 for ,i had never before  seen a priest 
intoxicated4 ,but what astonished me    
most was the laughter  of the other     
priests over that spectacle4 ,another   
scene1 however1 soon  followed which    
made me sadder4 ,my young companion and 
friend1 ,achilles  ,tache1 had not been 
warned1 as ,i had1 only to touch the    
wine with his  lips4 ,more than once he 
had emptied his glass4 ,he also rolled  
upon the  floor before the eyes of his  
father1 who was too full of wine to help
  him4 ,he cried aloud1 8,i am choking60
 ,i tried to lift him up1 but ,i was    
not strong enough4 ,i ran for his       
mother4 ,she came1 accompanied by       

another lady1 but the vicar had carried 
him into another room1 where he  fell   
asleep after having thrown off the wine 
he had taken4    ,poor ,achilles6 he was
 learning1 in the house of his own      
priest1 to take  the first step of that 
life of debauchery and drunkenness which
 twelve  or fifteen years later was to  
rob him of his manor1 take from him his 
wife and children1 and to make him fall 
a victim to the bloody hand of a        
murderer upon the solitary shores of    
,kamouraska6    ,this first and sad     
experience which ,i made of the real and
 intimate life  of the ,roman ,catholic 
priest was so deeply engraved on my     
memory that ,i  still remember with     
shame the bacchic song which that priest
 ,morin had  taught me1 and which ,i    
sang on that occasion4 ,it commenced    
with these  ,latin words3               
,ego in arte ,bacchi1                   
,multum profeei                         
,decies pintum vini                     
,hodie bibi4    ,i also remember one    

sung by ,mr4 ,varin4 ,here it is3       
,savez-vous pourquoi1 mes amis1 7bis7   
,nous sommes tous si rejouis8 7bis7     
,amis n'endoutez pas1                   
,c'est qu'un repas                      
,n'est bon4                             
,qu' apprete sans faon1                 
,mangeons a la gamelle4                 
,vive le son1 vive le son1              
,mangeons a la gamelle1                 
,vive le son du flacon6    ,when the    
priests and their friends had sung1     
laughed and drank for more  than an     
hour1 ,mr4 ,varin rose and said3 8,the  
ladies must not be left  alone all the  
evening4 ,will not our joy and happiness
 be doubled if they  are pleased to     
share them with us80    ,this           
proposition was received with applause1 
and we passed into the  drawing-room1   
where the ladies awaited us4    ,several
 pieces of music1 well executed1 gave   
new life to this part of  the           
entertainment4 ,this resource1 however1 
was soon exhausted4 ,besides1  some of  

the ladies could well see that their    
husbands were half drunk1  and they felt
 ashamed4 ,madam ,tache could not       
conceal the grief she felt1  caused by  
what had happened to her dear ,achilles4
 ,had she some  presentiment1 as many   
persons have1 of the tears which she was
 to shed  one day on his account8 ,was  
the vision of a mutilated and bloody    
corpse--the corpse of her own drunken   
son fallen dead1 under the blow of  an  
assassin's dagger1 before her eyes8     
,mr4 ,varin feared nothing more than an 
interruption in those hours of  lively  
pleasure1 of which his life was full1   
and which took place in his  parsonage4 
8,well1 well1 ladies and gentlemen1 let 
us entertain no dark thoughts on  this  
evening1 the happiest of my life6 ,let  
us play blind man's buff40    8,let us  
play blind man's buff60 was repeated by 
everybody4    ,on hearing this noise1   
the gentlemen who were half asleep by   
the fumes  of wine seemed to awaken as  
if from a long dream4 ,young gentlemen  

clapped their hands2 ladies1 young and  
old1 congratulated one another on  the  
happy idea4    8,but whose eyes shall be
 covered first80 asked the priest4      
8,yours1 ,mr4 ,varin10 cried all the    
ladies4 8,we look to you for the good   
example1 and we shall follow it40       
8,the power and unanimity of the jury by
 which ,i am condemned cannot be        
resisted4 ,i feel that there is no      
appeal4 ,i must submit40                
,illustration3 ,,festivities ,,in ,a    
,,parsonage4    ,immediately one of the 
ladies placed her nicely perfumed       
handkerchief  over the eyes of her      
priest1 took him by the hand1 led him to
 an angle  of the room1 and having      
pushed him gently with her delicate     
hand1 said3  8,mr4 ,blindman6 ,let      
everyone flee6 ,woe to him who is       
caught60    ,there is nothing more      
curious and comical than to see a man   
walk when he  is under the influence of 
wine1 especially if he wishes nobody to 
notice  it4 ,how stiff and straight he  

keeps his legs6 ,how learned and        
complicated1 in order to keep his       
equilibrium1 are his motions to right   
and left6 ,such was the position of     
priest ,varin4 ,he was not very  drunk4 
,though he had taken a large quantity of
 wine1 he did not fall4 ,he  carried    
with wonderful courage the weight with  
which he was laden4 ,the  wine which he 
had drank would have intoxicated three  
ordinary men2 but  such was his capacity
 for drinking1 that he could still walk 
without  falling4 ,however1 his         
condition was sadly betrayed by each    
step he took  and by each word he spoke4
 ,nothing1 therefore1 was more comical  
than the  first steps of the poor priest
 in his efforts to lay hold of somebody 
in  order to pass his band to him4 ,he  
would take one forward and two  backward
 steps1 and would then stagger to the   
right and to the left4  ,everybody      
laughed to tears4 ,one after another    
they would all either  pinch him or     
touch him gently on his hand1 arm or    

shoulder1 and passing  rapidly off would
 exclaim1 8,run away60 ,the priest went 
to the right and  then to the left1     
threw his arms suddenly now here and    
then there4 ,his  legs evidently bent   
under their burden2 he panted1          
perspired1 coughed1  and everyone began 
to fear that the trial might be carried 
too far1 and  beyond propriety4 ,but    
suddenly1 by a happy turn he caught the 
arm of a  lady who in teasing him had   
come too near4 ,in vain the lady tries  
to  escape4 ,she struggles1 turns round1
 but the priest's hand holds her        
firmly4    ,while holding his victim    
with his right hand he wishes to touch  
her head  with his left1 in order to    
know and name the pretty bird he had    
caught4  ,but at that moment his legs   
gave way4 ,he falls1 and drags with him 
his  beautiful parishioner4 ,she turns  
upon him in order to escape1 but he     
soon turns on her in order to hold her  
better6    ,all this1 though the affair 
of a moment1 was long enough to cause   

the  ladies to blush and cover their    
faces4 ,never in all my life did ,i see 
anything so shameful as that scene4     
,this ended the game4 ,everyone felt    
ashamed4 ,i make a mistake when ,i say  
everyone1 because the men were  almost  
all too intoxicated to blush4 ,the      
priests also were either too  drunk or  
too much accustomed to such scenes to be
 ashamed4    ,on the following day every
 one of those priests celebrated mass1  
and ate  what they called the body and  
blood1 the soul and divinity of ,jesus  
,christ1 just as if they had spent the  
previous evening in prayer and          
meditation on the laws of ,god6 ,he1    
,mr4 ,varin1 was the arch-priest of the 
important part of the diocese of ,quebec
 from ,la ,riviere ,ouelle to ,gaspe4   
,thus1 ,o perfidious ,church of ,rome1  
thou deceivest the nations who follow   
thee1 and ruinest even the priests whom 
thou makest thy slaves4                 
,,chapter ,,vii4          ,,preparation 
,,for ,,the ,,first                     

,,communion--,,initiation ,,to          
,,idolatry4      ,nothing can exceed the
 care with which ,roman ,catholic       
priests prepare  children for their     
first communion4 ,two and three months  
are set apart  every year for that      
purpose4 ,all that time the children    
between ten and  twelve years of age are
 obliged to go to church almost every   
day1 not  only to learn by heart their  
catechism1 but to hear the explanations 
of  all its teachings4    ,the priest   
who instructed us was the ,rev4 ,mr4    
,morin1 whom ,i have already  mentioned4
 ,he was exceedingly kind to children1  
and we respected and  loved him         
sincerely4 ,his instructions to us were 
somewhat long2 but we  liked to hear    
him1 for he always had some new and     
interesting stories to  give us4    ,the
 catechism taught as a preparation for  
our first communion was the  foundation 
of the idolatries and superstitions     
which the ,church of ,rome  gives as the
 religion of ,christ4 ,it is by means of

 that catechetical  instruction that she
 obtains for the ,pope and his          
representatives that  profound respect1 
,i might say adoration1 which is the    
secret of her  power and influence4     
,with this catechism ,rome corrupts the 
most sacred  truths of the gospel4 ,it  
is there that ,jesus is removed from the
 hearts  for which he paid so great a   
price1 and that ,mary is put in his     
place4  ,but the great iniquity of      
substituting ,mary for ,jesus is so     
skillfully  concealed1 it is given with 
colors so poetic and beautiful1 and so  
well  adapted to captivate human nature1
 that it is almost impossible for a     
poor child to escape the snare4    ,one 
day the priest said to me1 8,stand up1  
my child1 in order to answer  the many  
important questions which ,i have to ask
 you40    ,i stood up4    8,my child10  
he said1 8when you had been guilty of   
some fault at home1  who was the first  
to punish you--your father1 or your     
mother80    ,after a few moments        

hesitation ,i answered1 8,my father40   
8,you have answered correctly1 my       
child10 said the priest4 8,as a matter  
of fact1 the father is almost always    
more impatient with his children1  and  
more ready to punish them1 than the     
mother40    8,now1 my child1 tell us who
 punished you most severely--your father
 or  your mother80    8,my father10 ,i  
said1 without hesitation4    8,still    
true1 my child4 ,the superior goodness  
of a kind mother is  perceived even in  
the act of correction4 ,her blows are   
lighter than  those of the father4      
,further1 when you had deserved to be   
chastised1 did  not one sometimes come  
between you and your father's rod1      
taking it away  from him and pacifying  
him80    8,yes10 ,i said2 8mother did   
that very often1 and saved me from      
severe  punishment more than once40     
8,that is so1 my child1 not only for    
you1 but for all your companions  here4 
,have not your good mothers1 my         
children1 often saved you from your     

fathers' corrections even when you      
deserved it8 ,answer me40    8,yes1     
sir10 they all answered4    8,one       
question more4 ,when your father was    
coming to whip you1 did you not  throw  
yourself into the arms of some one to   
escape80    8,yes1 sir2 when guilty of  
something1 more than once1 ,i threw     
myself into  my mother's arms as soon as
 ,i saw my father coming to whip me4    
,she  begged pardon for me1 and pleaded 
so well that ,i often escaped           
punishment40    8,you have answered     
well10 said the priest4 ,then turning to
 the children1  he continued3    8,you  
have a ,father and a ,mother in heaven1 
dear children4 ,your father is  ,jesus1 
and your mother is ,mary4 ,do not forget
 that a mother's heart is  always more  
tender and more prone to mercy than that
 of a father4    8,often you offend your
 ,father by your sins2 you make ,him    
angry against  you4 ,what takes place in
 heaven then8 ,your ,father in heaven   
takes ,his  rod to punish you4 ,he      

threatens to crush you down with ,his   
roaring  thunder2 ,he opens the gates of
 hell to cast you into it1 and you would
  have been damned long ago had it not  
been for the loving ,mother whom you    
have in heaven1 who has disarmed your   
angry and irritated ,father4 ,when      
,jesus would punish you as you deserve1 
the good ,virgin ,mary hastens to  ,him 
and pacifies ,him4 ,she places herself  
between ,him and you1 and  prevents ,him
 from smiting you4 ,she speaks in your  
favor1 she asks for  your pardon and she
 obtains it4    8,also1 as young        
,chiniquy has told you1 he often threw  
himself into the  arms of his mother to 
escape punishment4 ,she took his part1  
and pleaded  so well that his father    
yielded and put away the rod4 ,thus1 my 
children1  when your conscience tells   
you that you are guilty1 that ,jesus is 
angry  against you and that you have    
good reason to fear hell1 hasten to     
,mary6  ,throw yourselves into the arms 
of that good mother2 have recourse to   

her  sovereign power over ,jesus1 and be
 assured that you will be saved  through
 her60    ,it is thus that the ,pope and
 the priests of ,rome have entirely     
disfigured and changed the holy religion
 of the gospel6 ,in the ,church of      
,rome it is not ,jesus1 but ,mary1 who  
represents the infinite love and  mercy 
of ,god for the sinner4 ,the sinner is  
not advised or directed to  place his   
hope in ,jesus1 but in ,mary1 for his   
escape from deserved  chastisement6 ,it 
is not ,jesus1 but ,mary1 who saves the 
sinner6 ,jesus is  always bent on       
punishing sinners2 ,mary is always      
merciful to them6    ,the ,church of    
,rome has thus fallen into idolatry3 she
 rather trusts in  ,mary than in ,jesus4
 ,she constantly invites sinners to turn
 their  thoughts1 their hopes1 their    
affections1 not to ,jesus1 but to ,mary6
    ,by means of that impious doctrine  
,rome deceives the intellects1 seduces  
the hearts1 and destroys the souls of   
the young forever4 ,under the  pretext  

of honoring the ,virgin ,mary1 she      
insults her by outraging and            
misrepresenting her adorable ,son4      
,rome has brought back the idolatry of  
old paganism under a new name4 ,she  has
 replaced upon her altars the ,jupiter  
,tonans of the ,greeks and  ,romans1    
only she places upon his shoulders the  
mantle and she writes on  the forehead  
of her idol the name of ,jesus1 in order
 the better to  deceive the world6      
,,chapter ,,viii                        
,,the ,,first ,,communion4      ,for the
 ,roman ,catholic child1 how beautiful  
and yet how sad is the day  of his first
 communion6 ,how many joys and anxieties
 by turn rise in his  soul when for the 
first time he is about to eat what he   
has been taught  to believe to be his   
,god6 ,how many efforts he has to make1 
in order to  destroy the manifest       
teachings of his own rational faculties6
 ,i confess  with deep regret that ,i   
had almost destroyed my reason1 in order
 to  prepare myself for my first        

communion4 ,yes1 ,i was almost exhausted
 when  the day came that ,i had to eat  
what the priest had assured us was the  
true body1 the true blood1 soul and     
divinity of ,jesus ,christ4 ,i was      
about to eat him1 not in a symbolical or
 commemorative1 but in a literal  way4  
,i was to eat his flesh1 his bones1 his 
hands1 his feet1 his head1  his whole   
body6 ,i had to believe this or be cast 
forever into hell1  while1 all the time1
 my eyes1 my hands1 my mouth1 my tongue1
 my reason  told me that what ,i was    
eating was only bread6    ,has there    
ever been1 or will there ever be1 a     
priest or a layman to  believe what the 
,church of ,rome teaches on this        
dreadful mystery of the  ,real          
,presence8 ,shall ,i say that ,i        
believed in the real presence of ,jesus 
,christ in the communion8 ,i believed in
 it as all those who are good  ,roman   
,catholics believe4 ,i believed as a    
perfect idiot or a corpse  believes4    
,whatever is essential to a reasonable  

act of faith had been  destroyed in me  
on that point1 as it is destroyed in    
every priest and  layman in the ,church 
of ,rome4 ,my reason as well as my      
external senses  had been1 as much as   
possible1 sacrificed at the feet of that
 terrible  modern god1 the ,pope6 ,i had
 been guilty of the incredibly foolish  
act1  of which all good ,roman          
,catholics are guilty--,i had said to my
  intellectual faculties1 and to all my 
senses1 8,hush1 you are liars6 ,i  had  
believed to this day that you had been  
given to me by ,god in order  to enable 
me to walk in the dark paths of life1   
but1 behold6 the holy  ,pope teaches me 
that you are only instruments of the    
devil to deceive  me60    ,what is a man
 who resigns his intellectual liberty1  
and who cares not to  believe in the    
testimony of his senses8 ,is he not     
acting the part of one  who has no gift 
or power of intelligence8 ,a good ,roman
 ,catholic must  reach that point6 ,that
 was my own condition on the day of my  

first  communion4    ,when ,jesus said1 
8,if ,i had not come and spoken unto    
them they had not  had sin2 but now they
 have no cloak for their sins3 if ,i had
 not done  among them the works that    
none other man did1 they had not had    
sin2 but  now have they both seen and   
hated both me and my ,father0 7,john xv4
  #bb-bd71 he showed that the sin of the
 ,jews consisted in not having  believed
 in what their eyes had seen and their  
ears had heard4 ,but  behold1 the ,pope 
says to ,roman ,catholics that they must
 not believe in  what their hands       
undoubtedly handle and their eyes most  
clearly see6 ,the  ,pope sets aside the 
testimony most approved by ,jesus4 ,the 
very witnesses  invoked by the son of   
,god are ignominiously turned out of    
court by the  ,pope as false witnesses6 
,as the moment of taking the communion  
drew near1 two feelings were at  war in 
my mind1 each struggling for victory4 ,i
 rejoiced in the thought  that ,i would 
soon have full possession of ,jesus     

,christ1 but at the same  time ,i was   
troubled and humbled by the absurdity   
which ,i had to believe  before         
receiving that sacrament4 ,though       
scarcely twelve years old1 ,i had       
sufficiently accustomed myself to       
reflect on the profound darkness which  
covered that dogma4 ,i had been also    
greatly in the habit of trusting my     
eyes1 and ,i thought that ,i could      
easily distinguish between a small      
piece of bread and a full-grown man6    
,besides1 ,i extremely abhorred the idea
 of eating human flesh and  drinking    
human blood1 even when they assured me  
that they were the flesh  and blood of  
,jesus ,christ himself4 ,but what       
troubled me most was the  idea of that  
,god1 who was represented to me as being
 so great1 so  glorious1 so holy1 being 
eaten by me like a piece of common      
bread6  ,terrible then was the struggle 
in my young heart1 where joy and dread1 
trust and fear1 faith and unbelief by   
turns had the upper hand4    ,while that

 secret struggle1 known only to ,god and
 to myself1 was going  on1 ,i had often 
to wipe off the cold perspiration which 
came on my brow4  ,with all the strength
 of my soul ,i prayed to ,god and the   
,holy ,virgin to  be merciful unto me1  
to help1 and give me sufficient strength
 and light  to pass over these hours of 
anguish4    ,the ,church of ,rome is    
evidently the most skillful human       
machine the  world has ever seen4 ,those
 who guide her in the dark paths which  
she  follows are often men of deep      
thought4 ,they understand how difficult 
it  would be to get calm1 honest and    
thinking minds to receive that          
monstrous dogma of the real corporal    
presence of ,jesus ,christ in the       
communion4 ,they well foresaw the       
struggle which would take place even in 
the minds of children at the supreme    
moment when they would have to          
sacrifice their reason on the altar of  
,rome4 ,in order to prevent those       
struggles1 always so dangerous to the   

,church1 nothing has been neglected  to 
distract the mind and draw the attention
 to other subjects than that  of the    
communion itself4    ,first1 at the     
request of the parish priest1 helped by 
the vanity of the  parents themselves1  
the children are dressed as elegantly as
 possible4  ,the young communicant is   
clothed in every way best calculated to 
flatter  his own vanity also4 ,the      
church building is pompously decorated4 
,the  charms of choice vocal and        
instrumental music form a part of the   
fete4  ,the most odorous incense burns  
around the altar and ascends in a       
sweet-smelling cloud towards heaven4    
,the whole parish is invited1 and       
people come from every direction to     
enjoy a most beautiful spectacle4       
,priests from the neighboring churches  
are called1 in order to add to the      
solemnity of the day4 ,the officiating  
priest is dressed in the most  costly   
attire4 ,this is the day on which silver
 and gold altar-cloths are  displayed   

before the eyes of the wondering        
spectators4 ,often a lighted  wax taper 
is placed in the hand of each young     
communicant1 which itself  would be     
sufficient to draw his whole attention2 
for a single false  motion would be     
enough to set fire to the clothes of his
 neighbor1 or  his own1 a misfortune    
which has happened more than once in my 
presence4    ,now1 in the midst of that 
new and wonderful spectacle2 of singing 
,latin  psalms1 not a word of which he  
understands2 in view of gold and silver 
ornaments1 which glitter everywhere     
before his dazzled eyes2 busy with  the 
holding of the lighted taper1 which     
keeps him constantly in fear of  being  
burned alive1 can the young communicant 
think for a moment of what  he is about 
to do8    ,poor child6 his mind1 ears1  
eyes1 nostrils are so much taken up with
  those new1 striking and wonderful     
things that1 while his imagination is   
wandering from one object to another1   
the moment of communion arrives1        

without leaving him time to think of    
what he is about to do6 ,he opens  his  
mouth1 and the priest puts upon his     
tongue a flat thin cake of  unleavened  
bread1 which either firmly sticks to his
 palate or otherwise  melts in his      
mouth1 soon to go down into his stomach 
just like the food  he takes three times
 a day6    ,the first feeling of the    
child1 then1 is that of surprise at the 
thought  that the ,creator of heaven and
 earth1 the upholder of the universe1   
the  ,saviour of the world1 could so    
easily pass down his throat6    ,now1   
follow those children to their homes    
after that great and monstrous  comedy4 
,see their gait6 ,listen to their       
conversation and their bursts of        
laughter6 ,study their manners1 their   
coming in1 their going out1 their       
glances of satisfaction on their fine   
clothes1 and the vanity which they      
manifest in return for the              
congratulations they receive on their   
fine  dresses4 ,notice the lightness of 

their actions and conversation          
immediately after their communion1 and  
tell me if you find anything  indicating
 that they believed in the terrible     
dogma they have been  taught6    ,no1   
they have not believed in it1 neither   
will they ever do so with the  firmness 
of faith which is accompanied by        
intelligence4 ,the poor child  thinks he
 believes1 and he sincerely tries to do 
so4 ,he believes in it  as much as it is
 possible to believe in a most monstrous
 and ridiculous  story1 opposed to the  
simplest notions of truth and common    
sense4 ,he  believes as ,roman          
,catholics believe4 ,he believes as an  
idiot believes66  ,he believes as a     
corpse believes6    ,that first         
communion has made of him1 for the rest 
of his life1 a real  machine in the     
hands of the ,pope4 ,it is the first but
 most powerful link  of that long chain 
of slavery which the priest and the     
,church pass  around his neck4 ,the     
,pope holds the end of that chain1 and  

with it he  will make his victim go     
right or left at his pleasure1 in the   
same way  that we govern the lower      
animals4 ,if those children have made a 
good  first communion they will be      
submissive to the ,pope1 according to   
the  energetic word of ,loyola4 ,they   
will be in the hands of the ,supreme    
,pontiff of ,rome just what the stick is
 in the hand of the traveller--they     
will have no will1 no thought of their  
own6    ,and if ,god does not work a    
miracle to bring them out from the      
bondage  which is a thousand times worse
 than the ,egyptian1 they will remain in
  that state during the rest of their   
lives4    ,my soul has known the weight 
of those chains4 ,it has felt the       
ignominy  of that slavery6 ,but the     
great ,conqueror of souls has cast down 
a  merciful eye upon me4 ,he has broken 
my chains1 and with ,his holy ,word ,he 
has made me free4    ,may ,his name be  
forever blessed6                        
,,chapter ,,ix4                         

,,intellectual ,,education ,,in ,,the   
,,roman ,,catholic  ,,college4      ,i  
finished1 at the ,college of ,nicolet1  
in the month of ,august1 #ahbi1 my      
classical course of study which ,i had  
begun in #ahbb4 ,i could easily have    
learned in three or four years what was 
taught in those seven years4    ,it took
 us three years to study ,latin grammar1
 when twelve months would  have sufficed
 for all we learned of it4 ,it is true  
that during that time  we were taught   
some of the rudiments of the ,french    
grammar1 with the  elements of          
arithmetic and geography4 ,but all this 
was so superficial1  that our teachers  
often seemed more desirous to pass away 
our time than  to enlarge our           
understandings4    ,i can say the same  
thing about the ,belles ,lettres and of 
rhetoric1  which we studied two years4  
,a year of earnest study would have     
sufficed  to learn what was taught us   
during these twenty-four months4 ,as for
 the  two years devoted to the study of 

logic1 and of the subjects classed      
under the name of philosophy1 it would  
not have been too long a time if  those 
questions of philosophy had been        
honestly given us4 ,but the  student in 
the college of the ,church of ,rome is  
condemned to the  torments of ,tantalus4
 ,he has indeed the refreshing waters of
 ,science put  to his lips1 but he is   
constantly prevented from tasting them4 
,to  enlarge and seriously cultivate the
 intelligence in a ,roman ,catholic     
college is a thing absolutely out of the
 question4 ,more than that1 all  the    
efforts of the principals in their      
colleges and convents tend to  prove to 
the pupil that his intelligence is his  
greatest and most  dangerous enemy--that
 it is like an untamable animal1 which  
must  constantly be kept in chains4     
,every day the scholar is told that his 
reason was not given him that he might  
be guided by it1 but only that he  may  
know the hand of the man by whom he must
 be guided4 ,and that hand is  none     

other than the ,pope's4 ,all the        
resources of language1 all the most     
ingenious sophisms1 all the passages of 
both the ,fathers and the ,holy         
,scriptures bearing on this question are
 arranged and perverted with            
inconceivable art to demonstrate to the 
pupil that his reason has no  power to  
teach him anything else than that it    
must be subjected to the  ,supreme      
,pontiff of ,rome1 who is the only      
foundation of truth and light  given by 
,god to guide the intelligence and to   
enlighten and save the  world4    ,rome1
 in her colleges and convents1 brings   
up1 or raises up1 the youth  from their 
earliest years2 but to what height does 
she permit the young  man or woman to be
 raised8 ,never higher than the feet of 
the ,pope66 ,as  soon as his            
intelligence1 guided by the ,jesuit1 has
 ascended to the feet  of the ,pope1 it 
must remain there1 prostrate itself and 
fall asleep4    ,the ,pope6 ,that is the
 great object towards which all the     

intelligence of  the ,roman ,catholics  
must be converged4 ,it is the sun of the
 world1 the  foundation and the only    
support of ,christian knowledge and     
civilization4    ,what a privilege it is
 to be lazy1 stupid and sluggish in a   
college of  ,rome6 ,how soon such an one
 gets to the summit of science1 and     
becomes  master of all knowledge6 ,one  
needs only to kiss the feet of the      
,pope1  and fall into a perfect slumber 
there4 ,the ,pope thinks for him6 ,it is
 he  7the ,pope7 who will tell him what 
he can and should think1 and what he    
can and should believe6    ,i had       
arrived at that degree of perfection at 
the end of my studies1 and  ,j4 ,b4     
,barthe1 ,esq41 ,m4,p4,p41 being editor 
of one of the principal papers  of      
,montreal in #ahdd1 could write in his  
paper when my 8,manual of  ,temperance0 
was published3 8,mr4 ,chiniquy has      
crowned his apostleship of  temperance  
by that work1 with that ardent and holy 
ambition of character  of which he gave 

us so many tokens in his collegiate     
life1 where we have  been so many years 
the witness of his piety when he was the
 model of his  fellow students1 who had 
called him the ,louis de ,gonzague of   
,nicolet40    ,these words of the       
,montreal member of ,parliament mean    
only that1 wishing  to be saved as ,st4 
,louis de ,gonzague1 ,i had blindly tied
 myself to the  feet of my superiors4 ,i
 had1 as much as possible1 extinguished 
all the  enlightenments of my own mind  
to follow the reason and the will of my 
superiors4 ,these compliments mean that 
,i was walking like a blind man  whom   
his guide holds by the hand4    ,though 
my intelligence often revolted against  
the fables with which ,i  was nurtured1 
,i yet forced myself to accept them as  
gospel truths2 and  though ,i often     
rebelled against the ridiculous sophisms
 which were  babbled to me as the only  
principles of truth and ,christian      
philosophy1  yet as often did ,i impose 
silence on my reason1 and force it to   

submit  to the falsehoods which ,i was  
obliged to take for ,god's truth6 ,but1 
as ,i  have just confessed it1          
notwithstanding my good will to submit  
to my  superiors1 there were times of   
terrible struggle in my soul1 when all  
the powers of my mind seemed to revolt  
against the degrading fetters  which ,i 
was forced to forge for myself4    ,i   
shall never forget the day when1 in the 
following terms1 ,i expressed  to my    
,professor in ,philosophy1 the ,rev4    
,charles ,harper1 doubts which ,i  had  
conceived concerning the absolute       
necessity of the inferior to  submit his
 reason to his superior4 8,when ,i shall
 have completely bound  myself to obey  
my superior1 if he abuses his authority 
over me to  deceive me by false         
doctrines1 or if he commands me to do   
things which ,i  consider wrong and     
dishonest1 shall ,i not be lost if ,i   
obey him80    ,he answered3 8,you will  
never have to give an account to ,god   
for the  actions that you do by the     

order of your legitimate superiors4 ,if 
they  were to deceive you1 being        
themselves deceived1 they alone would be
  responsible for the error which you   
would have committed4 ,your sin would   
not be imputed to you as long as you    
follow the golden rule which is the     
base of all ,christian philosophy and   
perfection--humility and obedience60    
,little satisfied with that answer1 when
 the lesson was over ,i expressed  my   
reluctance to accept such principles to 
several of my fellow  students4 ,among  
them was ,joseph ,turcot1 who died some 
years ago when1 ,i  think1 he was       
,minister of ,public ,works in ,canada4 
,he answered me3 8,the  more ,i study   
what they call their principles of      
,christian philosophy and  logic1 the   
more ,i think that they intend to make  
asses of every one of  us60    ,on the  
following day ,i opened my heart to the 
venerable man who was our               
principal--the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,leprohon4 ,i 
used to venerate him as a saint and     

love him as a father4 ,i frankly told   
him that ,i felt very reluctant in      
submitting myself to the crude          
principles which seemed to lead us into 
the most abject slavery1 the slavery of 
our reason and intelligence4 ,i  wrote  
down his answer1 which ,i give here3    
8,my dear ,chiniquy1 how did ,adam and  
,eve lose themselves in the ,garden of  
,eden1 and how did they bring upon us   
all the deluge of evils by which we  are
 overwhelmed8 ,is it not because they   
raised their miserable reason  above    
that of ,god8 ,they had the promise of  
eternal life if they had  submitted     
their reason to that of their ,supreme  
,master4 ,they were lost  on account of 
their rebelling against the authority1  
the reason of ,god4  ,thus it is to-day4
 ,all the evils1 the errors1 the crimes 
by which the  world is overflooded come 
from the same revolt of the human will  
and  reason against the will and reason 
of ,god4 ,god reigns yet over a part of 
the world1 the world of the elect1      

through the ,pope1 who controls the     
teachings of our infallible and holy    
,church4 ,in submitting ourselves to    
,god1 who speaks to us through the      
,pope1 we are saved4 ,we walk in the    
paths of truth and holiness4 ,but we    
would err1 and infallibly perish1 as    
soon as we put our reason above that of 
our superior1 the ,pope1 speaking  to us
 in person1 or through some of our      
superiors who have received from  him   
the authority to guide us40    8,but10  
said ,i1 8if my reason tells me that the
 ,pope1 or some of those  other         
superiors who are put by him over me1   
are mistaken1 and that they  command me 
something wrong1 would ,i not be guilty 
before ,god if ,i obey  them80    8,you 
suppose a thing utterly impossible10    
answered ,mr4 ,leprohon1 8for  the ,pope
 and the bishops who are united to him  
have the promise of never  failing in   
the faith4 ,they cannot lead you into   
any errors1 nor command  you anything   
against the law of ,god4 ,but supposing 

for a moment that  they would commit any
 error1 and that they would compel you  
to believe  or do something contrary to 
the teachings of the gospel1 ,god would 
not  ask of you any account of an error 
committed when you are obeying your     
legitimate superior40    ,i had to      
content myself with that answer1 which  
,i put down word for word  in my note   
book4 ,but in spite of my respectful    
silence1 the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,leprohon saw  
that ,i was yet uneasy and sad4 ,in     
order to convince me of  the orthodoxy  
of his doctrines1 he instantly put into 
my hands the two  works of ,de ,maistre1
 8,le ,pape0 and 8,les ,soirees de ,st4 
,petersburg10  where ,i found the same  
doctrines supported4 ,my superior was   
honest in  his convictions4 ,he         
sincerely believed in the sound         
philosophy and  ,christianity of his    
principles1 for he found them in these  
books  approved by the 8infallible      
,popes40    ,i will mention another     
occurrence to show the inconceivable    

intellectual  degradation to which we   
had been dragged at the end of seven    
years of  collegiate studies4 ,about the
 year #ahbi the curate of ,st4 ,anne de 
la  ,parade wrote to our principal1     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,leprohon1 to ask the        
assistance  of the prayers of all the   
students of the ,college of ,nicolet in 
order to  obtain the discontinuance of  
the following calamity3 8,for more than 
three weeks one of the most respectable 
farmers was in danger of losing  all his
 horses from the effects of a sorcery6  
,from morning to night1 and  during most
 of the night1 repeated blows of whips  
and sticks were heard  falling upon     
these poor horses1 which were trembling1
 foaming and  struggling6 ,we can see   
nothing6 ,the hand of the wizard remains
  invisible4 ,pray for us1 that we may  
discover the monster1 and that he  may  
be punished as he deserves40    ,such   
were the contents of the priest's       
letter2 and as my superior  sincerely   
believed in that fable1 ,i also believed

 it1 as well as the  students of the    
college who had a true piety4 ,on that  
shore of abject  and degrading          
superstitions ,i had to land after      
sailing seven years in  the bark called 
a college of the ,church of ,rome6      
,the intellectual part of the studies in
 a college of ,rome1 and it is the  same
 in a convent1 is therefore entirely    
worthless4 ,worse than that1 the        
intelligence is dwarfed under the chains
 by which it is bound4 ,if the          
intelligence does sometimes advance1 it 
is in spite of the fetters  placed upon 
it2 it is only like some few noble ships
 which1 through the  extraordinary skill
 of their pilots1 go ahead against wind 
and tide4    ,i know that the priests of
 ,rome can show a certain number of     
intelligent  men in every branch of     
science who have studied in their       
colleges4 ,but  these remarkable men had
 from the beginning secretly broken for 
themselves the chains with which their  
superiors had tried to bind them4  ,for 

peace sake they had outwardly followed  
the rules of the house1 but  they had   
secretly trampled under the feet of     
their noble souls the  ignoble fetters  
which had been prepared for their       
understanding4 ,true  children of ,god  
and light1 they had found the secret of 
remaining free  even when in the dark   
cells of a dungeon6    ,give me the     
names of the remarkable and intelligent 
men who have studied  in a college of   
,rome1 and have become real lights in   
the firmament of  science1 and ,i will  
prove that nine-tenths of them have been
 persecuted1  excommunicated1 tortured1 
some even put to death for having dared 
to  think for themselves4    ,galileo   
was a ,roman ,catholic1 and he is surely
 one of the greatest men  whom science  
claims as her most gifted sons4 ,but was
 he not sent to a  dungeon8 ,was he not 
publicly flogged by the hands of the    
executioner8  ,had he not to ask pardon 
from ,god and man for having dared to   
think  differently from the ,pope about 

the motion of the earth around the sun6 
,copernicus was surely one of the       
greatest lights of his time1 but was he 
not censured and excommunicated for his 
admirable scientific  discoveries8      
,france does not know any greater genius
 among her most gifted sons than        
,pascal4 ,he was a ,catholic4 ,but he   
lived and died excommunicated4    ,the  
,church of ,rome boasts of ,bossuet1 the
 ,bishop of ,meaux1 as one of the       
greatest men she ever had4 ,yes2 but has
 not ,veuillot1 the editor of the       
,univers1 who knows his man well1       
confessed and declared before the  whole
 world that ,bossuet was a disguised    
,protestant8    ,where can we find a    
more amiable or learned writer than     
,montalembert1  who has so faithfully   
and bravely fought the battle of the    
,church of  ,rome in ,france during more
 than a quarter of a century8 ,but has  
he not  publicly declared on his        
death-bed that that ,church was an      
apostate and  idolatrous ,church from   

the day that she proclaimed the dogma of
 the  ,infallibility of the ,pope8 ,has 
he not virtually died an excommunicated 
man for having said with his last breath
 that the ,pope was nothing else  than a
 false god8    ,those pupils of ,roman  
,catholic colleges of whom sometimes the
 priests so  imprudently boast1 have    
gone out from the hands of their ,jesuit
 teachers  to proclaim their supreme    
contempt for the ,roman ,catholic       
priesthood and  ,papacy4 ,they have been
 near enough to the priest to know him4 
,they have  seen with their own eyes    
that the priest of ,rome is the most    
dangerous1  the most implacable enemy of
 intelligence1 progress and liberty2 and
 if  their arm be not paralyzed by      
cowardice1 selfishness or hypocrisy1    
those  pupils of the colleges of ,rome  
will be the first to denounce the       
priesthood of ,rome and demolish her    
citadels4    ,voltaire studied in a     
,roman ,catholic college1 and it was    
probably when  at their school that he  

nerved himself for the terrible battle  
he has  fought against ,rome4 ,the      
,church will never recover from the blow
 which  ,voltaire has struck at her in  
,france4    ,cavour1 in ,italy1 had     
studied in a ,roman ,catholic college   
also1 and  under that very roof it is   
more than probable that his noble       
intelligence had sworn to break the     
ignominious fetters with which ,rome    
had enslaved his fair country4 ,the most
 eloquent of the orators of  ,spain1    
,castelar1 studied in a ,roman ,catholic
 college2 but hear with what  burning   
eloquence he denounces the tyranny1     
hypocrisy1 selfishness and  ignorance of
 the priests4    ,papineau studied under
 the priests of ,rome in their college  
at ,montreal4  ,from his earliest years 
that ,eagle of ,canada could see and    
know the  priests of ,rome as they are2 
he has weighed them in the balance2 he  
has  measured them2 he has fathomed the 
dark recesses of their anti-social      
principles2 he has felt his shoulders   

wounded and bleeding under the          
ignominious chains with which they      
dragged our dear ,canada in the mire    
for nearly two centuries4 ,papineau was 
a pupil of the priests2 and ,i  have    
heard several priests boasting of that  
as a glorious thing4 ,but the  echoes of
 ,canada are still repeating the        
thundering words with which  ,papineau  
denounced the priests as the most deadly
 enemies of the  education and liberty  
of ,canada6 ,he was one of the first men
 of ,canada  to understand that there   
was no progress1 no liberty possible for
 our  beloved country so long as the    
priests would have the education of our 
people in their hands4 ,the whole life  
of ,papineau was a struggle to  wrest   
,canada from their grasp4 ,everyone     
knows how he constantly branded  them1  
without pity1 during his life1 and the  
whole world has been the  witness of the
 supreme contempt with which he has     
refused their  services1 and turned them
 out at the solemn hour of his death6   

,when1 in #agib1 ,france wanted to be   
free1 she understood that the priests   
of ,rome were the greatest enemies of   
her liberties4 ,she turned them out     
from her soil or hung them to her       
gibbets4 ,if to-day that noble country  
of our ancestors is stumbling and       
struggling in her tears and her         
blood--if she has fallen at the feet of 
her enemies--if her valiant arm  has    
been paralyzed1 her sword broken and her
 strong heart saddened above  measure1  
is it not because she had most          
imprudently put herself again  under the
 yoke of ,rome8    ,canada's children   
will continue to flee from the country  
of their birth  so long as the priest of
 ,rome holds the influence which is     
blasting  everything that falls within  
his grasp1 on this continent as well as 
in  ,europe2 and the ,united ,states    
will soon see their most sacred         
institutions fall1 one after the other1 
if the ,americans continue to  send     
their sons and daughters to the ,jesuit 

colleges and nunneries4    ,when1 in the
 warmest days of summer1 you see a large
 swamp of stagnant  and putrid water1   
you are sure that deadly miasma will    
spread around1  that diseases of the    
most malignant character1 poverty1      
sufferings of  every kind1 and death    
will soon devastate the unfortunate     
country2 so1  when you see ,roman       
,catholic colleges and nunneries raising
 their haughty  steeples over some      
commanding hills or in the midst of some
 beautiful  valleys1 you may confidently
 expect that the self-respect and the   
manly  virtues of the people will soon  
disappear--intelligence1 progress1      
prosperity will soon wane away1 to be   
replaced by superstition1  idleness1    
drunkenness1 ,sabbath-breaking1         
ignorance1 poverty and  degradation of  
every kind4 ,the colleges and nunneries 
are the high  citadels from which the   
,pope darts his surest missiles against 
the  rights and liberties of nations4   
,the colleges and nunneries are the     

arsenals where the most deadly weapons  
are night and day prepared to  fight and
 destroy the soldiers of liberty all    
over the world4    ,the colleges and    
nunneries of the priests are the secret 
places where  the enemies of progress1  
equality and liberty are holding their  
councils  and fomenting that great      
conspiracy1 the object of which is to   
enslave  the world at the feet of the   
,pope4    ,the colleges and nunneries of
 ,rome are the schools where the rising 
generations are taught that it is an    
impiety to follow the dictates of  their
 own conscience1 hear the voice of their
 intelligence1 read the  ,word of ,god1 
and worship their ,creator according to 
the rules laid down  in the gospel4     
,it is in the colleges and nunneries of 
,rome that men learn that they are      
created to obey the ,pope in            
everything--that the ,bible must be     
burnt1 and  that liberty must be        
destroyed at any cost all over the      
world4                                  

,,chapter ,x4       ,,moral ,,and       
,,religious ,,instruction ,,in ,,the    
,,roman  ,,catholic ,,colleges4      ,in
 order to understand what kind of moral 
education students in ,roman  ,catholic 
colleges receive1 one must only be told 
that from beginning to  the end they are
 surrounded by an atmosphere in which   
nothing but  ,paganism is breathed4 ,the
 models of eloquence which we learned by
 heart  were almost exclusively taken   
from ,pagan literature4 ,in the same    
manner  ,pagan models of wisdom1 of     
honor1 of chastity were offered to our  
admiration4 ,our minds were constantly  
fixed on the masterpieces which         
,paganism has left4 ,the doors of our   
understanding were left open only to    
receive the rays of light which         
,paganism has shed on the world4 ,homer1
  ,socrates1 ,lycurgus1 ,virgil1        
,horace1 ,cicero1 ,tacitus1 ,csar1      
,xenophon1  ,demosthenes2 ,alexander1   
,lucretia1 ,regulus1 ,brutus1 ,jupiter1 
,venus1  ,minerva1 ,mars1 ,diana1 etc41 

etc41 crowded each other in our         
thoughts1 to  occupy them and be their  
models1 examples and masters for ever4  
,it may be said that the same ,pagan    
writers1 orators and heroes are         
studied1 read and admired in ,protestant
 colleges4 ,but there the  infallible   
antidote1 the ,bible1 is given to the   
students4 ,just as  nothing remains of  
the darkness of night after the splendid
 morning sun  has arisen on the horizon1
 so nothing of the fallacies1           
superstitions  and sophisms of ,paganism
 can trouble or obscure the mind on     
which that  light from heaven1 the ,word
 of ,god1 comes every day with its      
millions of  shining rays4 ,how         
insignificant is the poetry of ,homer   
when compared  with the sublime songs of
 ,moses6 ,how pale is the eloquence of  
,demosthenes1 ,cicero1 ,virgil1 etc41   
when read after ,job1 ,david or         
,solomon6 ,how quickly tumble down the  
theories which those haughty  heathens  
of old wanted to raise over the         

intelligence of men when the  thundering
 voice from ,sinai is heard2 when the   
incomparable songs of  ,david1 ,solomon1
 ,isaiah or ,jeremiah are ravishing the 
soul which is  listening to their       
celestial strains6 ,it is a fact that   
,pagan eloquence  and philosophy can be 
but very tasteless to men accustomed to 
be fed  with the bread which comes down 
from heaven1 whose souls are filled with
  the eloquence of ,god1 and whose      
intelligence is fed with the philosophy 
of heaven4    ,but1 alas6 for me and my 
fellow-students in the college of ,rome6
 ,no sun  ever appeared on the horizon  
to dispel the night in which our        
intelligence was wrapped4 ,the dark     
clouds with which ,paganism had         
surrounded us were suffocating us1 and  
no breath from heaven was allowed  to   
come and dispel them4 ,moses1 with his  
incomparable legislation1 ,david  and   
,solomon with their divine poems1 ,job  
with his celestial philosophy1          
,jeremiah1 ,isaiah and ,daniel with     

their sublime songs1 ,jesus ,christ     
himself with his soul-saving gospel1 as 
well as his apostles ,peter1  ,john1    
,jude1 ,james and ,paul--these were all 
put on the ,index66 ,they had  not the  
liberty to speak to us1 and we were     
forbidden1 absolutely  forbidden1 to    
read and hear them6    ,it is true that 
the ,church of ,rome1 as an offset to   
that1 gave us her  principles1 precepts1
 fables and legends that we might be    
attached to  her1 and that she might    
remain the mistress of our hearts4 ,but 
these  doctrines1 practices1 principles 
and fables seemed to us so evidently    
borrowed from ,paganism--they were so   
cold1 so naked1 so stripped of all  true
 poetry1 that if the ,paganism of the   
ancients was not left absolute  master  
of our affections1 it still claimed a   
large part of our souls4 ,to  create in 
us a love for the ,church of ,rome1 our 
superiors depended  greatly on the works
 of ,chateaubriand4 ,the 8,genie du     
,christianisme0 was  the book of books  

to dispel all our doubts1 and attach us 
to the ,pope's  religion4 ,but this     
author1 whose style is sometimes really 
beautiful1  destroyed1 by the weakness  
of his logic1 the ,christianity which he
  wanted to build up4 ,we could easily  
see that ,chateaubriand was not         
sincere1 and his exaggerations were to  
many of us a sure indication that  he   
did not believe in what he said4 ,the   
works of ,de ,maistre1 the most         
impudent history-falsificator of        
,france1 were also put into our hands as
  a sure guide in our philosophical and 
historical studies4 ,the 8,memoirs  du  
,comte ,valmont10 with some authors of  
the same stamp1 were much relied  on by 
our superiors to prove to us that the   
dogmas1 precepts and  practices of the  
,roman ,catholic religion were brought  
from heaven4    ,it was certainly our   
desire as well as our interest to       
believe them4 ,but  how our faith was   
shaken1 and how we felt troubled when   
,livy1 ,tacitus1  ,cicero1 ,virgil1     

,homer1 etc41 gave us the evidence that 
the greater part  of these things had   
their root and their origin in          
,paganism4    ,for instance1 our        
superiors had convinced us that         
scapulars1 medals1  holy water1 etc41   
would be of great service to us in      
battling with the  most dangerous       
temptations1 as well as in avoiding the 
most common  dangers of life4           
,consequently we all had scapulars and  
medals1 which we  kept with the greatest
 respect1 and even kissed morning and   
evening with  affection1 as if they were
 powerful instruments of the mercy of   
,god to  us4 ,how great1 then1 was our  
confusion and disappointment when we    
discovered in the ,greek and ,latin     
historians that those scapulars and     
medals and statuettes were nothing but a
 remnant of ,paganism1 and that  the    
worshippers of ,jupiter1 ,minerva1      
,diana and ,venus believed themselves   
also free1 as we did1 from all calamity 
when they carried them in honor  of     

these divinities6 ,the further we       
advanced in the study of ,pagan         
antiquity1 the more we were forced to   
believe that our religion1 instead  of  
being born at the foot of ,calvary1 was 
only a pale and awkward  imitation of   
,paganism4 ,the modern ,maximus         
,pontifex 7the ,pope of ,rome71  who1 as
 we were assured1 was the successor of  
,st4 ,peter1 the ,vicar of  ,jesus      
,christ1 resembled the 8,pontifex       
,maximus0 of the great republic and     
empire of pagan ,rome as two drops of   
water resemble each other4 ,had not  our
 ,pope preserved not only the name1 but 
also the attributes1 the  pageantry1 the
 pride1 and even the garb of that high  
pagan priest8 ,was  not the worship of  
the saints absolutely the same as the   
worship of the  demigods of olden time8 
,was not our purgatory minutely         
described by  ,virgil8 ,were not our    
prayers to the ,virgin and to the saints
 repeated1  almost in the same words1 by
 the worshippers who prostrated         

themselves  before the images of their  
gods1 just as we repeated them every day
  before the images which adorned our   
churches8 ,was not our holy water in    
use among the idolaters1 and for the    
same purpose for which it is used  among
 us8    ,we knew by history the year in 
which the magnificent temple consecrated
  to all the gods1 bearing the name of  
,pantheon1 had been built at ,rome4  ,we
 were acquainted with the names of      
several of the sculptors who had  carved
 the statues of the gods in that heathen
 temple1 at whose feet the  idolaters   
bowed respectfully1 and words cannot    
express the shame we felt  on learning  
that the ,roman ,catholics of our day1  
under the very eyes and  with the       
sanction of the ,pope1 still prostrated 
themselves before the  ,,same ,,idols1  
in the ,,same ,,temple1 and to obtain   
the ,,same ,,favors6    ,when we asked  
each other the question1 8,what is the  
difference between  the religion of     
heathen ,rome and that of the ,rome of  

to-day80 more than  one student would   
answer3 8,the only difference is in the 
name4 ,the  idolatrous temples are the  
same3 the idols have not left their     
places4  ,to-day1 as formerly1 the same 
incense burns in their honor8 ,nations  
are  still prostrated at their feet to  
give them the same homage and to ask  of
 them the same favors2 but instead of   
calling this statue ,jupiter1 we  call  
it ,peter2 and instead of calling that  
one ,minerva or ,venus1 it is  called   
,st4 ,mary4 ,it is the old idolatry     
coming to us under ,christian  names40  
,i earnestly desired to be an honest and
 sincere ,roman ,catholic4 ,these       
impressions and thoughts distracted me  
greatly1 inasmuch as ,i could find      
nothing in reason to diminish their     
force4 ,unfortunately1 many of the      
books placed in our hands by our        
superiors to confirm our faith1 form    
our moral character1 and sustain our    
piety and our confidence in the  dogmas 
of the ,church of ,rome1 had a frightful

 resemblance to the  histories ,i had   
read of the gods and goddesses4 ,the    
miracles attributed  to the ,virgin     
,mary often appeared to be only a       
reproduction of the  tricks and deceits 
by which the priests of ,jupiter1       
,venus1 ,minerva1  etc41 used to obtain 
their ends and grant the requests of    
their  worshippers4 ,some of those      
miracles of the ,virgin ,mary equalled1 
if they  did not surpass1 in absurdity  
and immorality1 what mythology taught us
  among the most hideous accounts of the
 heathen gods and goddesses4    ,i could
 cite hundreds of such miracles which   
shocked my faith and caused  me to blush
 in secret at the conclusion to which ,i
 was forced to come1  in comparing the  
worship of ancient and modern ,rome4 ,i 
will only quote  three of these modern  
miracles1 which are found in one of the 
books the  best approved by the ,pope1  
entitled 8,the ,glories of ,mary40      
,first miracle4 8,the great favors      
bestowed by the ,holy ,virgin upon a nun

  named ,beatrix1 of the ,convent of    
,frontebraldo1 show how merciful she is 
to sinners4 ,the fact is related by     
,cesanus1 and by ,father ,rho4 ,this    
unfortunate nun1 having been possessed  
by a criminal passion for a young  man1 
determined to leave her convent and     
elope with him4 ,she was the  doorkeeper
 of the convent1 and having placed the  
keys of the monastery  at the feet of a 
statue of the ,holy ,virgin1 she boldly 
went out1 then  led a life of           
prostitution during fifteen years in a  
far off place4    8,one day1            
accidentally meeting the purveyor of her
 convent1 and thinking  she would not be
 recognized by him1 she asked him news  
of ,sister  ,beatrix4    8#8,i know her 
well1' answered this man2 #8she is a    
holy nun1 and is  mistress of the       
novices4'    8,at these words ,beatrix  
was confused2 but to understand what it 
meant1  she changed her clothing1 and   
going to the convent1 inquired after    
,sister ,beatrix4     8,the ,holy       

,virgin instantly appeared to her in the
 form of the statue at  whose feet she  
had placed the keys at her departure4   
,the ,divine ,mother  spoke to her in   
this wise3 #8,know1 ,beatrix1 that in   
order to preserve  your honor1 ,i have  
taken your place and done your duty     
since you have  left your convent4 ,my  
daughter1 return to ,god and be         
penitent1 for my  son is still waiting  
for you4 ,try1 by the holiness of thy   
life1 to  preserve the good reputation  
which ,i have earned you4' ,having thus 
spoken1 the ,holy ,virgin disappeared4  
,beatrix re-entered the monastery1      
donned her religious dress1 and1        
grateful for the mercies of ,mary1 she  
led the life of a saint40 78,glories of 
,mary10 chap4 vi41 sec4 #b47    ,second 
miracle4 ,rev4 ,father ,rierenberg      
relates that there existed in a  city   
called ,aragona1 a beautiful and noble  
girl by the name of  ,alexandra1 whom   
two young men loved passionately4 ,one  
day1 maddened by  the jealousy each one 

had of the other1 they fought together1 
and both  were killed4 ,their parents   
were so infuriated at the young girl1   
the  author of these calamities1 that   
they killed her1 cut her head off1 and  
threw her into a well4 ,a few days after
 ,st4 ,dominic1 passing by the  place1  
was inspired to approach the well and to
 cry out1 8,alexandra1  come here60 ,the
 head of the deceased immediately placed
 itself upon the  edge of the well1 and 
entreated ,st4 ,dominic to hear its     
confession4  ,having heard it1 the      
,saint gave her the communion in the    
presence of a  great multitude of       
people1 and then he commanded her to    
tell them why  she had received so great
 a favor4    ,she answered that though  
she was in a state of mortal sin when   
she was  decapitated1 yet as she had a  
habit of reciting the holy rosary1 the  
,virgin had preserved her life4    ,the 
head1 full of life1 remained on the edge
 of the well two days before  the eyes  
of a great many people1 and then the    

soul went to purgatory4  ,but fifteen   
days after this the soul of ,alexandra  
appeared to ,st4  ,dominic1 bright and  
beautiful as a star1 and told him that  
one of the  surest means of removing    
souls from purgatory was the recitation 
of the  rosary in their favor4          
78,glories of ,mary10 chap4 viii41 sec4 
#b74    ,third miracle4 8,a servant of  
,mary one day went into one of her      
churches  to pray1 without telling her  
husband of it4 ,owing to a terrible     
storm  she was prevented from returning 
home that night4 ,harassed by the fear  
that her husband would be angry1 she    
implored ,mary's help4 ,but on          
returning home she found her husband    
full of kindness4 ,after asking her     
husband a few questions on the subject1 
she discovered that during that  very   
night the ,divine ,mother had taken her 
form and features and had  taken her    
place in all the affairs of the         
household6 ,she informed her  husband of
 the great miracle1 and they both became

 very much devoted to  the ,holy        
,virgin40 78,glories of ,mary30         
,examples of ,protection1 #dj47         
,persons who have never studied in a    
,roman ,catholic college will hardly    
believe that such fables were told us as
 an appeal for us to become             
,christians4 ,but1 ,god knows1 ,i tell  
the truth4 ,is it not a profanation of  
a holy word to say that ,christianity is
 the religion taught the students  in   
,rome's colleges8    ,after reading the 
monstrous metamorphoses of the gods of  
,olympus1 the  student feels a profound 
pity for the nations who have lived so  
long in  the darkness of ,paganism4 ,he 
cannot understand how so many millions  
of  men were1 for such a long time1     
deceived by such cruel fables4 ,with joy
  his thoughts are turned to the ,god of
 ,calvary1 there to receive light  and  
life4 ,he feels1 as it were1 a burning  
desire to nourish himself with  the     
words of life1 fallen from the lips of  
the 8great victim40 ,but here  comes the

 priest of the college1 who places      
himself between the student  and        
,christ1 and instead of allowing him to 
be nourished with the ,bread  of ,life  
he offers him fables1 husks with which  
to appease his hunger4  ,instead of     
allowing him to slake his thirst from   
the waters which flow  from the         
fountains of eternal life1 he offers him
 a corrupt beverage6    ,god alone knows
 what ,i have suffered during my studies
 to find myself  absolutely deprived of 
the privilege of eating this bread of   
life--,his  ,holy ,word4    ,during the 
last years of my studies1 my superiors  
often confided to me  the charge of the 
library4 ,once it happened that1 as the 
students were  taking a holiday1 ,i     
remained alone in the college1 and      
shutting myself  up in the library1 ,i  
began to examine all the books4 ,i was  
not a little  surprised to discover that
 the books which were the most proper to
  instruct us stood on the catalogue of 
the library marked among the  forbidden 

books4 ,i felt an inexpressible shame on
 seeing with my own  eyes that none but 
the most indifferent books were placed  
in our  hands--that we were permitted to
 read authors of the third rank only 7if
  this expression is suitable to such   
whose only merit consisted in           
flattering the ,popes1 and in concealing
 or excusing their crimes74  ,several   
students more advanced than myself had  
already made the  observation to me1 but
 ,i did not believe them4 ,self-love    
gave me the  hope that ,i was as well   
educated as one could be at my age4     
,until then ,i  have spurned the idea   
that1 with the rest of the students1 ,i 
was the  victim of an incredible system 
of moral and intellectual blindness4    
,among the forbidden books of the       
college ,i found a splendid ,bible4 ,it 
seemed to be of the same edition as the 
one whose perusal had made hours  pass  
away so pleasantly when ,i was at home  
with my mother4 ,i seized it  with the  
transports of a miser finding a lost    

treasure4 ,i lifted it to  my lips1 and 
kissed it respectfully4 ,i pressed it   
against my heart1 as  one embraces a    
friend from whom he has long been       
separated4 ,this ,bible  brought back to
 my memory the most delightful hours of 
my life4 ,i read  its divine pages until
 the scholars returned4    ,the next day
 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,leprohon1 our director1    
called me to his room  during the       
recreation1 and said3 8,you seem to be  
troubled and very sad  to-day4 ,i       
noticed that you remained alone while   
the other scholars were  enjoying       
themselves so well4 ,have you any cause 
of grief8 or are you  sick80    ,i could
 not sufficiently express my love and   
respect for this venerable  man4 ,he was
 at the same time my friend and         
benefactor4 ,for four years he  and     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,brassard had been paying my 
board2 for1 owing to a  misunderstanding
 between myself and my uncle ,dionne1 he
 had ceased to  maintain me at college4 
,by reading the ,bible the previous day 

,i had  disobeyed my benefactor1 ,mr    
,leprohon2 for when he entrusted me with
 the  care of the library he made me    
promise not to read the books in the    
forbidden catalogue4    ,it was painful 
to me to sadden him by acknowledging    
that ,i had broken my  word of honor1   
but it pained me far more to deceive him
 by concealing  the truth4 ,i therefore 
answered him3 8,you are right in        
supposing that ,i  am uneasy and sad4 ,i
 confess there is one thing which       
perplexes me  greatly among the rules   
that govern us4 ,i never dared to speak 
to you  about it2 but as you wish to    
know the cause of my sadness1 ,i will   
tell  you4 ,you have placed in our      
hands1 not only to read1 but to learn by
  heart1 books which are1 as you know1  
partly inspired by hell1 and you  forbid
 us to read the only book whose every   
word is sent from heaven6  ,you permit  
us to read books dictated by the ,spirit
 of darkness and sin1  and you make it a
 crime for us to read the only book     

written under the  dictation of the     
,spirit of light and holiness4 ,this    
conduct on your  part1 and on the part  
of all the superiors of the college1    
disturbs and  scandalizes me6 ,shall ,i 
tell you1 your dread of the ,bible      
shakes my  faith1 and causes me to fear 
that we are going astray in our         
,church40    ,mr4 ,leprohon answered me3
 8,i have been the director of this     
college for  more than twenty years1 and
 ,i have never heard from the lips of   
any of  the students such remarks and   
complaints as you are making to me      
to-day4  ,have you no fear of being the 
victim of a deception of the devil1 in  
meddling with a question so strange and 
so new for a scholar whose only  aim    
should be to obey his superiors80       
8,it may be10 said ,i1 8that ,i am the  
first to speak to you in this  manner1  
for it is very probable that ,i am the  
only student in this  college who has   
read the ,holy ,bible in his youthful   
days4 ,i have already  told you there   

was a ,bible in my father's house1 which
 disappeared only  after his death1     
though ,i never could know what became  
of it4 ,i can  assure you that the      
perusal of that admirable book has done 
me a good  that is still felt4 ,it is1  
therefore1 because ,i know by a personal
  experience that there is no book in   
the world so good1 and so proper to     
read1 that ,i am extremely grieved1 and 
even scandalized1 by the dread  you have
 of it4 ,i acknowledge to you ,i spent  
the afternoon of yesterday  in the      
library reading the ,bible4 ,i found    
things in it which made me  weep for joy
 and happiness--things that did more    
good to my soul and  heart than all you 
have given me to read for six years4    
,and ,i am so sad  to-day because you   
approve of me when ,i read the works of 
the devil1 and  condemn me when ,i read 
the ,word of ,god40    ,my superior     
answered3 8,since you have read the     
,bible1 you must know that  there are   
things in it on matters of such a       

delicate nature that it is  improper for
 a young man1 and more so for a young   
lady1 to read them40    8,i understand10
 answered ,i2 8but these delicate       
matters1 of which you do  not want ,god 
to speak a word to us1 you know very    
well that ,satan speaks  to us about    
them day and night4 ,now1 when ,satan   
speaks about and  attracts our thoughts 
towards an evil and criminal thing1 it  
is always  in order that we may like it 
and be lost4 ,but when the ,god of      
,purity  speaks to us of evil things 7of
 which it is pretty much impossible for 
men to be ignorant71 ,he does it that we
 may hate and abhor them1 and ,he  gives
 us grace to avoid them4 ,well1 then1   
since you cannot prevent the  devil from
 whispering to us things so delicate and
 dangerous to seduce  us1 how dare you  
hinder ,god from speaking of the same   
things to shield  us from their         
allurements8 ,besides1 when my ,god     
desires to speak to me  ,himself on any 
question whatever1 where is your right  

to obstruct ,his  word on its way to my 
heart80    ,though ,mr4 ,leprohon's     
intelligence was as much wrapped up in  
the  darkness of the ,church of ,rome as
 it could be1 his heart had remained    
honest and true2 and while ,i respected 
and loved him as my father1  though     
differing from him in opinion1 ,i knew  
he loved me as if ,i had  been his own  
child4 ,he was thunderstruck by my      
answer4 ,he turned pale1  and ,i saw    
tears about to flow from his eyes4 ,he  
sighed deeply1 and  looked at me some   
time reflectingly1 without answering4   
,at last he said3  8,my dear ,chiniquy1 
your answer and your arguments have a   
force that  frightens me1 and if ,i had 
no other but my own personal ideas to   
disprove them1 ,i acknowledge ,i do not 
know how ,i would do it4 ,but ,i have   
something better than my own weak       
thoughts4 ,i have the thoughts of the   
,church1 and of our ,holy ,father the   
,pope4 ,they forbid us to put the       
,bible in the hands of our students4    

,this should suffice to put an end  to  
your troubles4 ,to obey his legitimate  
superiors in all things and  everywhere1
 is the rule a ,christian scholar like  
you should follow2 and  if you have     
broken it yesterday1 ,i hope it will be 
the last time that  the child whom ,i   
love better than myself will cause me   
such pain40    ,on saying this he threw 
his arms around me1 clasped me to his   
heart1 and  bathed my face with tears4  
,i wept also4 ,yes1 ,i wept abundantly4 
,but ,god knoweth1 that though the      
regret of having grieved my benefactor  
and father caused me to shed tears at   
that moment1 yet ,i wept much more  on  
perceiving that ,i would no more be     
permitted to read ,his ,holy ,word4     
,if1 therefore1 ,i am asked what moral  
and religious education we received  at 
college1 ,i will ask in return1 ,what   
religious education can we  receive in  
an institution where seven years are    
spent without once being  permitted to  
read the ,gospel of ,god8 ,the gods of  

the heathen spoke to us  daily by their 
apostles and disciples--,homer1 ,virgil1
 ,pindar1 ,horace6 and  the ,god of the 
,christians had not permission to say a 
single word to us  in that college6     
,our religion1 therefore1 could be      
nothing but ,paganism disguised under a 
,christian name4 ,christianity in a     
college or convent of ,rome is such a   
strange mixture of heathenism and       
superstition1 both ridiculous and       
childish1 and of shocking fables1 that  
the majority of those who have  not     
entirely smothered the voice of reason  
cannot accept it4 ,a few do1  as ,i did1
 all in their power1 and succeed to a   
certain extent1 in  believing only what 
the superior tells them to believe4     
,they close their  eyes and permit      
themselves to be led exactly as if they 
were blind1 and  a friendly hand were   
offering to guide them4 ,but the greater
 number of  students in ,roman ,catholic
 colleges cannot accept the bastard     
,christianity which ,rome presents to   

them4 ,of course1 during their  studies 
they follow its rules1 for the sake of  
peace2 but they have  hardly left       
college before they proceed to join and 
increase the ranks  of the army of      
skeptics and infidels which overruns    
,france1 ,spain1 ,italy  and            
,canada--which overruns1 in fact1 all   
the countries where ,rome has the       
education of the people in her hands4   
,i must say1 though with a sad heart1   
that moral and religious education  in  
,roman ,catholic colleges is worse than 
void1 for from them has been  excluded  
the only true standard of morals and    
religion--,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god6      
,,chapter ,,xi4         ,,protestant    
,,children ,,in ,,the ,,convents ,,and  
,,nunneries ,,of ,,rome4      ,we read  
in the history of ,paganism that parents
 were often1 in those  dark ages1       
slaying their children upon the altars  
of their gods1 to  appease their wrath  
or obtain their favors4 ,but we now see 
a stranger  thing4 ,it is that of       

,christian parents forcing their        
children into the  temples and to the   
very feet of the idols of ,rome1 under  
the fallacious  notion of having them   
educated6 ,while the ,pagan parent      
destroyed only  the temporal life of his
 child1 the ,christian parent1 for the  
most part1  destroys his eternal life4  
,the ,pagan was consistent3 he believed 
in the  almighty power and holiness of  
his gods2 he sincerely ,,thought that   
they  ruled the world1 and that they    
blessed both the victims and those who  
offered them4 ,but where is the         
consistency of the ,protestant who drags
  his child and offers him as a         
sacrifice on the altars of the ,pope6   
,does  he believe in his holiness or in 
his supreme and infallible power of     
governing the intelligence8 ,then why   
does he not go and throw himself at  his
 feet and increase the number of his    
disciples8 ,the ,protestants who  are   
guilty of this great wrong are wont to  
say1 as an excuse1 that the  superiors  

of colleges and convents have assured   
them that their  religious convictions  
would be respected1 and that nothing    
should be  said or done to take away or 
even shake the religion of their        
children4    ,our first parents were not
 more cruelly deceived by the seductive 
words  of the serpent than the          
,protestants are this day by the        
deceitful  promises of the priests and  
nuns of ,rome4    ,i had been myself the
 witness of the promise given by our    
superior to a  judge of the ,state of   
,new ,york1 when1 a few days later that 
same  superior1 the ,rev4 ,mr4          
,leprohon1 said to me3 8,you know some  
,english1 and  this young man knows     
,french enough to enable you to         
understand each  other4 ,try to become  
his friend and to bring him over to our 
holy  religion4 ,his father is a most   
influential man in the ,united ,states1 
and  this1 his only son1 is the heir of 
an immense fortune4 ,great results for  
the future of the ,church in the        

neighboring republic might follow his   
conversion40    ,i replied3 8,have you  
forgotten the promise you have made to  
his father1  never to say or do anything
 to shake or take away the religion of  
that  young man80    ,my superior smiled
 at my simplicity1 and said3 8,when you 
shall have  studied theology you will   
know that ,protestantism is not a       
religion1 but  that it is the negation  
of religion4 ,protesting cannot be the  
basis of  any doctrine4 ,thus1 when ,i  
promised ,judge ,pike that the religious
  convictions of his child should be    
respected1 and that ,i would not do     
anything to change his faith1 ,i did    
promise the easiest thing in the  world1
 since ,i promised not to meddle with a 
thing which has no  existence40         
,convinced1 or rather blinded1 by the   
reason of my superior1 which is the     
reasoning of every superior of a college
 or nunnery1 ,i set myself to  work from
 that moment to make a good ,roman      
,catholic of that young  friend2 and ,i 

would probably have succeeded1 had not a
 serious illness  forced him1 a few     
months after1 to go home1 where he died4
    ,protestants who may read these     
lines will1 perhaps1 be indignant       
against  the deceit and knavery of the  
,superior of the ,college of ,nicolet4  
,but ,i  will say to those ,protestants1
 it is not on that man1 but on          
yourselves1  that you must pour your    
contempt4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,leprohon was 
honest4 ,he  acted conformably to       
principles which he thought good and    
legitimate1  and for which he would have
 cheerfully given the last drop of his  
blood4  ,he sincerely believed that your
 ,protestantism is a mere negation of   
all  religion1 worthy of the contempt of
 every true ,christian4 ,it was not the 
priest of ,rome who was contemptible1   
dishonest and a traitor to his          
principles1 but it was the ,protestant  
who was false to his gospel and to  his 
own conscience by having his child      
educated by the servants of the  ,pope4 

,moreover1 can we not truthfully say    
that the ,protestant who wishes  to have
 his children bred and educated by a    
,jesuit or a nun is a man of  no        
religion8 and that nothing is more      
ridiculous than to hear such a  man     
begging respect for his religious       
principles6 ,a man's ardent  desire to  
have his religious convictions respected
 is best known by his  respecting them  
himself4    ,the ,protestant who drags  
his children to the feet of the priests 
of ,rome  is either a disguised infidel 
or a hypocrite4 ,it is simply ridiculous
  for such a man to speak of his        
religious convictions1 or beg respect   
for  them4 ,his very humble position at 
the feet of a ,jesuit or a nun1 begging 
respect for his faith1 is a sure        
testimony that he has none to lose4 ,if 
he had any he would not be there1 an    
humble and abject suppliant4 ,he  would 
take care to be where there could be no 
danger to his dear child's  immortal    
soul4    ,when ,i was in the ,church of 

,rome1 we often spoke of the necessity  
of  making superhuman efforts to attract
 young ,protestants into our colleges   
and nunneries1 as the shortest and only 
means of ruling the world before  long4 
,and as the mother has in her hands1    
still more than the father1  the        
destinies of the family and of the      
world1 we were determined to  sacrifice 
everything in order to build nunneries  
all over the land1  where the young     
girls1 the future mothers of our        
country1 would be  moulded in our hands 
and educated according to our views4    
,nobody can deny that this is supreme   
wisdom4 ,who will not admire the        
enormous sacrifices made by ,romanists  
in order to surround the nunneries  with
 so many attractions that it is         
difficult to refuse them preference     
above all other female scholastic       
establishments8 ,one feels so well in   
the shade of these magnificent trees    
during the hot days of summer6 ,it  is  
so pleasant to live near this beautiful 

sheet of water1 or the rapid  current of
 that charming river1 or to have        
constantly before one's eyes  the       
sublime spectacle of the sea6 ,what a   
sweet perfume the flowers of  that      
parterre diffuse around that pretty and 
peaceful convent6 ,and1  besides1 who   
can withstand the almost angelic charms 
of the ,lady  ,superior6 ,how it does   
one good to be in the midst of those    
holy nuns1  whose modesty1 affable      
appearance1 and lovely smile present    
such a  beautiful spectacle1 that one   
would think of being at heaven's gate   
rather than in a world of desolation and
 sin6    ,o foolish man6 ,thou art      
always the same--ever ready to be       
seduced by  glittering appearances--ever
 ready to suppress the voice of thy     
conscience at the first view of a       
seductive object6    ,one day ,i had    
embarked in the boat of a fisherman on  
the coast of one of  those beautiful    
islands which the hand of ,god has      
placed at the mouth of  the ,gulf of    

,st4 ,lawrence4 ,in a few minutes the   
white sail1 full-blown by  the morning  
breeze1 had carried us nearly a mile    
from the shore4 ,there  we dropped our  
anchor1 and soon our lines1 carried by  
the current1  offered the deceitful bait
 to the fishes4 ,but not one would come4
 ,one  would have thought that the      
sprightly inhabitants of these limpid   
waters  had acted in concert to despise 
us4 ,in vain did we move our lines to   
and  fro to attract the attention of the
 fishes2 not one would come6 ,we were   
tired4 ,we lamented the prospect of     
losing our time1 and being laughed at   
by our friends on the shore who were    
waiting the result of our fishing  to   
dine4 ,nearly one hour was spent in this
 manner1 when the captain  said1        
8,indeed1 ,i will make the fishes come40
    ,opening a box1 he took out handfuls
 of little pieces of finely-cut  fishes1
 and threw them broadcast on the water4 
,i was looking at him with curiosity1   
and ,i received with a feeling of       

unbelief1 the promise of seeing1 in a   
few moments1 more mackerel than ,i      
could pick up4 ,these particles of fish1
 falling upon the water1  scattered     
themselves in a thousand different ways4
 ,the rays of the sun1  sporting among  
these numberless fragments1 and         
thousands of scales1 gave  them a       
singular whiteness and brilliancy4 ,they
 appeared like a thousand  diamonds1    
full of movement and life1 that sported 
and rolled themselves1  running at each 
other1 while rocking upon the waves4    
,as these innumerable little objects    
withdrew from us they looked like  the  
milky way in the firmament4 ,the rays of
 the sun continued to be  reflected upon
 the scales of the fishes in the water1 
and to transform  them into as many     
pearls1 whose whiteness and splendor    
made an agreeable  contrast with the    
deep green color of the sea4    ,while  
looking at that spectacle1 which was so 
new to me1 ,i felt my line  jerked out  
of my hands1 and soon had the pleasure  

of seeing a  magnificent mackerel lying 
at my feet4 ,my companions were as      
fortunate  as ,i was4 ,the bait so      
generously thrown away had perfectly    
succeeded in  bringing us not only      
hundreds1 but thousands of fishes1 and  
we caught as  many of them as the boat  
could carry4    ,the ,jesuits and the   
nuns are the ,pope's cleverest          
fishermen1 and the  ,protestants are the
 mackerels caught upon their baited     
hooks4 ,never  fisherman knew better to 
prepare the perfidious bait than the    
nuns and  ,jesuits1 and never were      
stupid fishes more easily caught than   
,protestants in general4    ,the priests
 of ,rome themselves boast that more    
than half of the pupils  of the nuns are
 the children of ,protestants1 and that 
seven-tenths of  those ,protestant      
children1 sooner or later1 become the   
firmest disciples  and the true pillars 
of popery in the ,united ,states4 ,it is
 with that  public and undeniable fact  
before them that the ,jesuits have      

prophesied  that before twenty-five     
years the pope will rule that great     
republic2  and if there is not a prompt 
change their prophecy will probably be  
accomplished4    8,but10 say many       
,protestants1 8where can we get safer   
securities that the  morals of our girls
 will be sheltered than in those        
convents8 ,the faces  of those good     
nuns1 their angelic smiles1 even their  
lips1 from which  seems to flow a       
perfume from heaven--are not these the  
unfailing signs  that nothing will taint
 the hearts of our dear children when   
they are  under the care of those holy  
nuns80    ,angelic smiles6 ,lips from   
which flow a perfume from heaven6       
,expressions  of peace and holiness of  
the good nuns6 ,delusive allurements6   
,cruel  deceptions6 ,mockery of comedy6 
,yes1 all these angelic smiles1 all     
these expressions of joy and happiness1 
are but allurements to deceive  honest  
but too trusting men6    ,i believed    
myself for a long time that there was   

something true in all  the display of   
peace and happiness which ,i saw        
reflected in the faces of  a good number
 of nuns4 ,but how soon my delusions    
passed away when ,i read  with my own   
eyes1 in a book of the secret rules of  
the convent1 that  one of their rules is
 always1 especially in the presence of  
strangers1  to have an appearance of joy
 and happiness1 even when the soul is   
overwhelmed with grief and sorrow6 ,the 
motives given to the nuns for  thus     
wearing a continual mask1 is to secure  
the esteem and respect of  the people1  
and to win more securely the young      
ladies to the convent6    ,all know the 
sad end of life of one of the most      
celebrated female  comedians of the     
,american theatre4 ,she had acted her   
part in the evening  with a perfect     
success4 ,she appeared so handsome and  
so happy on the  stage6 ,her voice was  
such a perfect harmony2 her singing was 
so merry  and lively with mirth6 ,two   
hours later she was a corpse6 ,she had  

poisoned herself on leaving the theatre6
 ,for some time her heart was  broken   
with grief which she could not bear4    
,thus it is with the nun in her cell6   
forced to play a sacrilegious  comedy to
 deceive the world and to bring new     
recruits to the monastery4  ,and the    
,protestants1 the disciples of the      
gospel1 the children of light1  suffer  
themselves to be deceived by this       
impious comedy4    ,the poor nun's heart
 is often full of sorrow1 and her soul  
is drowned in  a sea of desolation2 but 
she is obliged1 under oath1 always to   
appear  gay6 ,unfortunate victim of the 
most cruel deception that has ever been 
invented4 ,that poor daughter of ,eve1  
deprived of all the happiness that      
heaven has given1 tortured night and day
 by honest aspirations1 which  she is   
told are unpardonable sins1 she has not 
only to suppress in  herself the few    
buds of happiness which ,god has left in
 her soul1 but  what is more cruel1 she 
is forced to appear happy in anguish of 

shame  and of deception4    ,ah6 if     
,protestants could know1 as ,i do1 how  
much the hearts of those  nuns bleed1   
how much those poor victims of the pope 
feel themselves  wounded to death1 how  
almost every one of them die at an early
 age1  broken-hearted1 instead of       
speaking of their happiness and         
holiness1  they would weep at their     
profound misery4 ,instead of helping    
,satan to  build up and maintain those  
sad dungeons by giving both their gold  
and  their children1 they would let them
 crumble into dust1 and thus check  the 
torrents of silent though bitter tears  
which those cells hide from  our view4  
,i was traveling in #ahea over the vast 
prairies of ,illinois in search of  a   
spot which would suit us the best for   
the colony which ,i was about to  found4
 ,one day my companions and myself found
 ourselves so wearied by  the heat that 
we resolved to wait for the cool night  
in the shade of a  few trees around a   
brook4 ,the night was calm2 there were  

no clouds in  the sky1 and the moon was 
beautiful4 ,like the sailor upon the    
sea1 we  had nothing but our compass to 
regulate our course on those beautiful  
and vast prairies4 ,but the pen cannot  
express the emotions ,i felt while      
looking at that beautiful sky and those 
magnificent deserts opened to  our view4
    ,we often came to sloughs which we  
thought deeper than they really were1   
and of which we would keep the side for 
fear of drowning our horses4  ,many a   
time did ,i get down from the carriage  
and stop to contemplate the  wonders    
which those ponds presented to our view4
    ,all the splendors of the sky seemed
 brought down in those pure and  limpid 
waters4 ,the moon and the stars seemed  
to have left their places  in the       
firmament to bathe themselves in those  
delightful lakelets4 ,all  the purest1  
the most beautiful things of the heavens
 seemed to come down  to hide themselves
 in those tranquil waters as if in      
search of more  peace and purity4    ,a 

few days later ,i was retracing my      
steps4 ,it was daytime1 and following   
the same route1 ,i was longing to get to
 my charming little lakes4 ,but  during 
the interval the heat had been great1   
the sun very hot1 and my  beautiful     
sheets of water had been dried up4 ,my  
dear little lakes were  nowhere to be   
seen4    ,and what did ,i find instead8 
,innumerable reptiles1 with the most    
hideous  forms and filthy colors6 ,no   
brilliant stars1 no clear moon were     
there  any more to charm my eyes4 ,there
 was nothing left but thousands of      
little toads and snakes1 at the sight of
 which ,i was filled with disgust  and  
horror6    ,protestants6 when upon      
life's way you are tempted to admire the
 smiling  lips and unstained faces of   
the pope's nuns1 please think of those  
charming lakes which ,i saw on the      
prairies of ,illinois1 and remember the 
innumerable reptiles and toads which    
swarm at the bottom of those  deceitful 
waters4    ,when1 by the light of divine

 truth1 ,protestants see behind these   
perfect  mockeries by which the nun     
conceals with so much care the hideous  
misery  which devours her heart1 they   
will understand the folly of having     
permitted themselves to be so easily    
deceived by appearances4 ,then they     
will bitterly weep for having sacrificed
 to that modern ,paganism the  future   
welfare of their children1 of their     
families and of their  country6         
8,but10 says one1 8the education is so  
cheap in the nunnery40 ,i answer1  8,the
 education in convents1 were it twice   
cheaper than it is now1 would  still    
cost twice more than it is worth4 ,it is
 in this circumstance that  we can      
repeat and apply the old proverb1       
#8,cheap things are always too  highly  
paid for4'0    ,in the first place1 the 
intellectual education in the nunnery is
  completely null4 ,the great object of 
the pope and the nuns is to  captivate  
and destroy the intelligence4    ,the   
moral education is also of no account2  

for what kind of morality can  a young  
girl receive from a nun who believes    
that she can live as she  pleases as    
long as she likes it--that nothing evil 
can come of her1  neither in this life  
nor in the next1 provided only she is   
devout to the  ,virgin ,mary8    ,let   
,protestants read the 8,glories of      
,mary10 by ,st4 ,liguori1 a book which  
is in the hands of every nun and every  
priest1 and they will understand  what  
kind of morality is practiced and taught
 inside the walls of the  ,church of    
,rome4 ,yes1 let them read the history  
of that lady who was so  well           
represented at home by the ,holy ,virgin
 that her husband did not  perceive that
 she had been absent1 and they will have
 some idea of what  their children may  
learn in a convent4                     
,,chapter ,,xii4    ,,rome ,,and        
,,education--,,why ,,does ,,the ,,church
 ,,of ,,rome ,,hate ,,the ,,common      
,,schools    ,,of ,,the ,,united        
,,states1 ,,and ,,wants ,,to ,,destroy  

,,them8 ,,why ,,does ,,she ,,object     
,,to ,,the ,,reading ,,of ,,the ,,bible 
,,in ,,the ,,school8      ,the word     
,,education is a beautiful word4 ,it    
comes from the ,latin  educare1 which   
means to raise up1 to take from the     
lowest degrees to  the highest spheres  
of knowledge4 ,the object of education  
is1 then1 to  feed1 expand1 raise1      
enlighten and strengthen the            
intelligence4    ,we hear the ,roman    
,catholic priests making use of that    
beautiful word  education as often1 if  
not oftener1 than the ,protestant4 ,but 
that word  8education0 has a very       
different meaning among the followers of
 the pope  than among the disciples of  
the ,gospel4 ,and that difference1 which
 the  ,protestants ignore1 is the cause 
of the strange blunders they make every 
time they try to legislate on that      
question1 here1 as well as in ,england  
or in ,canada4    ,the meaning of the   
word education among ,protestants is as 
far from the  meaning of that same word 

among ,roman ,catholics as the southern 
pole is  from the northern pole4 ,when a
 ,protestant speaks of education1 that  
word  is used and understood in its true
 sense4 ,when he sends his little boy   
to a ,protestant school1 he honestly    
desires that he should be reared up  in 
the spheres of knowledge as much as his 
intelligence will allow4 ,when  that    
little boy is going to school1 he soon  
feels that he has been  raised up to    
some extent1 and he experiences a       
sincere joy1 a noble  pride1 for this   
new1 though at first very modest        
raising2 but he  naturally understands  
that this new and modest upheaval is    
only a stone  to step on and raise      
himself to a higher degree of knowledge1
 and he  quickly makes that second step 
with an unspeakable pleasure4 ,when the 
son of a ,protestant has acquired a     
little knowledge1 he wants to acquire   
more4 ,when he has learned what this    
means1 he wants to know what  that means
 also4 ,like the young eagle1 he trims  

his wings for a higher  flight1 and     
turns his head upward to go farther up  
in the atmosphere of  knowledge4 ,a     
noble and mysterious ambition has       
suddenly seized his young  soul4 ,then  
he begins to feel something of that     
unquenchable thirst for  knowledge which
 ,god ,himself has put in the breast of 
every child of  ,adam2 a thirst of      
knowledge1 however1 which will never be 
perfectly  realized except in heaven4   
,when ,god created man in ,his own      
image1 ,he endowed him with an          
intelligence and moral faculties worthy 
of the high1 ,i was going to say  the   
divine1 dignity of ,his own beloved     
children4 ,he ,himself put in us        
aspirations and instincts by which we   
were to be constantly longing  after the
 oceans of light1 truth and knowledge1  
whose waves wash ,his  eternal throne4  
,it is that thirst after more knowledge1
 that constant  longing after more      
light1 which constitutes the difference 
between man  and brute4 ,man has        

received from ,god an intelligence      
which1 though  clouded now by sin1 is to
 him what the helm is to the noble ship 
which  crosses the boundless ocean2 he  
has a conscience1 an immortal soul which
  binds him to ,god1 and he feels it4   
,his destinies are glorious1 they are   
incommensurable1 they are infinite1 and 
he knows it4 ,though a dethroned  king1 
he feels that he is still a king4 ,the  
six thousand years which  have passed   
over him since his fall have not yet    
effaced the kingly  title which ,god    
,himself wrote on his forehead when ,he 
told him1  8,multiply1 and replenish the
 earth1 and subdue it0 7,gen4 i3 #bh74  
,with  that glorious1 that divine       
mission of subduing the air and the     
light1  the wind and the waves1 the seas
 and the earth1 the roaring thunder and 
the flashing lightning constantly before
 his eyes1 man marches to the  conquest 
of the world with the calm certitude of 
his power and the  glorious aspirations 
of his royal dignity4    ,the object of 

education1 then1 is to enable man to    
fulfill that kingly  mission of ruling1 
subduing the world1 under the eyes of   
his ,creator4  ,let us remember that it 
is not from himself1 nor from any angel1
 but it  is from ,god himself that man  
has received that sublime mission4 ,yes1
 it  is ,god himself who has implanted  
in the bosom of humanity the knowledge  
and aspirations of those splendid       
destinies which can be attained only  by
 8,education40    ,what a glorious      
impulse is this that seizes hold of the 
newly awakened  mind1 and leads the     
young intelligence to rise higher and   
pierce the  clouds that hide from his   
gaze the splendors of knowledge that lie
  concealed beyond the gloom of this    
nether sphere6 ,that impulse is a  noble
 ambition2 it is that part of humanity  
that assimilates itself to  the likeness
 of the great ,creator2 that impulse    
which education has for  its mission to 
direct in its onward and upward march1  
is one of the most  precious gifts of   

,god to man4 ,once more1 the glorious   
mission of  education is to foster these
 thirstings after knowledge and lead man
 to  accomplish his high destiny4    ,it
 ought to be a duty with both ,roman    
,catholics and ,protestants to  assist  
the pupil in his flight toward the      
regions of science and  learning4 ,but  
is it so8 ,no4 ,when you ,protestants   
send your children to  school1 you put  
no fetters to their intelligence2 they  
rise with  fluttering wings day after   
day4 ,though their flight at first is   
slow and  timid1 how happy they feel at 
every new aspect of their intellectual  
horizon6 ,how their hearts beat with an 
unspeakable joy when they begin  to hear
 voices of applause and encouragement   
from every side saying to  them1        
8,higher1 higher1 higher60 ,when they   
shake their young wings to  take a still
 higher flight1 who can express their   
joy when they  distinctly hear again the
 voices of a beloved mother1 of a dear  
father1  of a venerable pastor1 cheering

 them and saying1 8,well done6 ,higher  
yet1  my child1 higher60    ,raising    
themselves with more confidence on their
 wings1 they then soar  still higher1 in
 the midst of the unanimous concert of  
the voices of  their whole country      
encouraging them to the highest flight4 
,it is then  that the young man feel his
 intellectual strength tenfold          
multiplied4 ,he  lifts himself on his   
eagle wings1 with a renewed confidence  
and power1  and soars up still higher1  
with his heart beating with a noble and 
holy  joy4 ,for from the south and      
north1 from the east and the west1 the  
echoes bring to his ears the voices of  
the admiring multitudes--8,rise  higher1
 higher yet60    ,he has now reached    
what he thought1 at first1 to be the    
highest regions  of thought and         
knowledge2 but he hears again the same  
stimulating cries  from below1          
encouraging him to a still higher flight
 toward the loftiest  dominion of       
knowledge and philosophy1 till he enters

 the regions where  lies the source of  
all truth1 and light and life4 ,for he  
has also heard  the voice of his ,god1  
speaking through ,his ,son ,jesus       
,christ1 crying1  8,come unto me6 ,fear 
not6 ,come unto me6 ,i am the light1 the
 way6 ,come to  this higher region where
 the ,father1 with the ,son and the     
,spirit1  reign in endless light60      
,thus does the ,protestant scholar      
making use of his intelligence as the   
eagle of his wing1 go on from weakness  
unto strength1 from the timid  flutter  
to the bold1 confident flight1 from one 
degree to another still  higher1 from   
one region of knowledge to another still
 higher1 till he  loses himself in that 
ocean of light and truth and life which 
is ,god4    ,in the ,protestant schools 
no fetters are put on the young eagle's 
wings2  there is nothing to stop him in 
his progress1 or paralyze his movements 
and upward flights4 ,it is the contrary3
 he receives every kind of              
encouragement in his flight4    ,thus it

 is that the only truly great nations in
 the world are  ,protestants6 ,thus it  
is the truly powerful nations in the    
world are  ,protestants6 ,thus it is    
that the only free nations in the world 
are  ,protestants6 ,the ,protestant     
nations are the only ones that acquit   
themselves like men in the arena of this
 world2 ,protestant nations only  march 
as giants at the head of the civilized  
world4 ,everywhere they are  the advance
 guard in the ranks of progress1 science
 and liberty1 leaving  far behind the   
unfortunate nations whose hands are tied
 by the  ignominious iron chains of     
,popery4    ,after we have seen the     
,protestant scholar raising himself1 on 
his eagle  wings1 to the highest spheres
 of intelligence1 happiness and light1  
and  marching unimpaired toward his     
splendid destinies1 let us turn our eyes
  toward the ,roman ,catholic student1  
and let us consider and pity him in  the
 supreme degradation to which he is     
subjected4    ,that young ,roman        

,catholic scholar is born with the same 
bright  intelligence as the ,protestant 
one2 he is endowed by his ,creator with 
the same powers of mind as his          
,protestant neighbor2 he has the same   
impulses1 the same noble aspirations    
implanted by the hand of ,god in his    
breast4 ,he is sent to school           
apparently1 like the ,protestant boy1 to
  receive what is called 8,education40  
,he at first understands that word in   
its true sense2 he goes to school in the
 hope of being raised1  elevated as high
 as his intelligence and his personal   
efforts will  allow4 ,his heart beats   
with joy1 when at once the first rays of
 light  and knowledge come to him2 he   
feels a holy1 a noble pride at every new
  step he makes in his upward progress2 
he longs to learn more1 he wants  to    
rise higher2 he also takes up his wings1
 like the young eagle1 and  soars up    
higher4    ,but here begin the          
disappointments and tribulations of the 
,roman  ,catholic student2 for he is    

allowed to raise himself--yes1 but when 
he  has raised himself high enough to be
 on a level with the big toes of the    
,pope1 he hears piercing1 angry1        
threatening angry cries coming from     
every side--8,stop6 stop6 ,do not raise 
yourself higher than the toes of  the   
,holy ,pope6444 ,kiss those holy toes1  
444 and stop your upward flight6        
,remember that the ,pope is the only    
source of science1 knowledge and        
truth6444 ,the knowledge of the ,pope is
 the ultimate limit of learning  and    
light to which humanity can attain4444  
,you are not allowed to know  and       
believe what his ,holiness does not know
 and believe4 ,stop6 stop6 ,do  not go  
an inch higher than the intellectual    
horizon the ,supreme ,pontiff  of ,rome1
 in whom only is the plenitude of the   
true science which will  save the       
world40    ,some will perhaps answer me 
here3 8,has not ,rome produced great men
 in  every department of science80 ,i   
answer1 ,yes2 as ,i have once done      

before4  ,rome can show us a long list  
of names which shine among the brightest
  lights of the firmament of science and
 philosophy4 ,she can show us her       
,copernices1 her ,galileos1 her         
,pascals1 her ,bossuets1 her ,lamenais1 
etc41  etc4 ,but it is at their risk and
 peril that those giants of intelligence
  have raised themselves into the       
highest regions of philosophy and       
science4 ,it is in spite of ,rome that  
those eagles have soared up above  the  
damp and obscure horizon where the ,pope
 offers his big toes to be  kissed and  
worshipped as the ne plus ultra of human
 intelligence2 and  they have invariably
 been punished for their boldness4      
,on the #bbnd of ,june1 #affc1 ,galileo 
was obliged to fall on his knees in     
order to escape the cruel death to which
 he was to be condemned by the  order of
 the ,pope2 and he signed with his own  
hand the following  retractation3 8,i   
abjure1 curse and detest the error and  
heresy of the  motion of the earth10    

etc41 etc4    ,that learned man had to  
degrade himself by swearing a most      
egregious  lie1 namely1 that the earth  
does not move around the sun4 ,thus it  
is  that the wings of that giant eagle  
of ,rome were clipped by the scissors   
of the ,pope4 ,that mighty intelligence 
was bruised1 fettered1 and1 as  much as 
it was possible to the ,church of ,rome1
 degraded1 silenced and  killed4 ,but   
,god would not allow that such a giant  
intellect should be  entirely strangled 
by the bloody hands of that implacable  
enemy of light  and truth--the ,pope4   
,sufficient strength and life had       
remained in ,galileo  to enable him to  
say1 when rising up1 8,this will not    
prevent the earth  from moving60    ,the
 infallible decree of the infallible    
,pope1 ,urban ,,viii41 against the      
motion of the earth1 is signed by the   
,cardinals ,felia1 ,guido1 ,desiderio1  
,antonio1 ,bellingero1 and ,fabricicio4 
,it says1 8,in the name and by the      
authority of ,jesus ,christ1 the        

plenitude of which resides in ,his      
vicar1  the ,pope1 that the proposition 
that the earth is not the center of the 
world1 and that it moves with a diurnal 
motion is absurd1  philosophically      
false1 and erroneous in faith40    ,what
 a glorious thing for the ,pope of ,rome
 to be infallible6 ,he  infallibly knows
 that the earth does not move around the
 sun6 ,and what a  blessed thing for the
 ,roman ,catholics to be governed and   
taught by such  an infallible being4 ,in
 consequence of that infallible decree1 
you  will admire the following act of   
humble submission of two celebrated     
,jesuit astronomers1 ,lesueur and       
,jacquier3 8,newton assumes in his third
  book the hypothesis of the earth      
moving around the sun4 ,the proposition 
of that author could not be explained1  
except through the same  hypothesis3 we 
have1 therefore1 been forced to act a   
character not our  own4 ,but we declare 
our entire submission to the decrees of 
the ,supreme  ,pontiffs of ,rome against

 the motion of the earth40 7,newton's   
8,principia10 vol4 iii41 p4 #dej47      
,now1 please tell me if the world has   
ever witnessed any degradation like     
that of ,roman ,catholics8 ,i do not    
speak of the ignorant and unlearned1    
but ,i speak of the learned--the        
intelligent ones4 ,there you see        
,galileo  condemned to gaol because he  
had proved that the earth moved around  
the  sun1 and to avoid the cruel death  
on the rack of the holy ,inquisition if 
he does not retract1 he falls on his    
knees and swears that he will never     
believe it--in the very moment that he  
believes it6 ,he promises1 under a      
solemn oath1 that he will never say it  
any more1 when he is determined  to     
proclaim it again the very first        
opportunity6 ,and here you see two      
other learned ,jesuits1 who have written
 a very able work to prove that  the    
earth moves around the sun2 but1        
trembling at the thunders of the        
,vatican1 which are roaring on their    

heads and threaten to kill them1  they  
submit to the decrees of the ,popes of  
,rome against the motion of  the earth4 
,these two learned ,jesuits tell a most 
contemptible and  ridiculous lie to save
 themselves from the implacable wrath of
 that  great light-extinguisher whose   
throne is in the city of the seven      
hills4    ,lamenais1 a ,roman ,catholic 
priest1 who lived in this very century1 
was  one of the most profound           
philosophers and eloquent writers which 
,france  has ever had4 ,but ,lamenais   
was publicly excommunicated for having  
raised  himself high enough in the      
regions of ,gospel light to see that    
8liberty  of conscience0 was one of the 
great privileges which ,christ has      
brought  from heaven for all the        
nations1 and which ,he has sealed with  
,his blood6  ,no man has ever raised    
himself higher in the regions of thought
 and  philosophy than ,pascal2 but the  
wings of that giant eagle were clipped  
by the ,pope4 ,pascal was an outcast in 

the ,church of ,rome4 ,he lived and     
died an excommunicated man6 ,bossuet is 
one of the most eloquent orators  which 
,rome has given to the world4 ,but      
,veuillot1 the editor of the  ,univers  
7the official journal of the ,roman     
,catholic clergy of ,france7  assures us
 that ,bossuet was a disguised          
,protestant4    ,if1 at any step made by
 the ,protestant through the regions of 
science  and learning1 he asks ,god or  
man to tell him how he can proceed any  
further without any fear of falling into
 some unknown and unsuspected  abyss1   
both ,god and man tell him what ,christ 
said to ,his apostles--that  he has eyes
 to see1 ears to hear1 and an           
intelligence to understand2 he  is      
reminded that it is with his own eyes1  
and not with another's eyes1  he must   
look2 that it is with his own ears1 and 
not with another's ears1  he must hear2 
and that it is with his own             
intelligence1 and not  another's        
intelligence1 he must understand4 ,and  

when the ,protestant has  made use of   
his own eyes to see1 and his own ears to
 hear1 and his own  intelligence to     
understand1 he nevertheless feels again 
his feet  uncertain on the trembling    
waves of the mysterious and unexplored  
regions of science and learning which   
spread before him as a boundless  ocean1
 all the echoes of heaven and earth     
bring to his ears the simple  but       
sublime words of the ,son of ,god3 8,if 
a son shall ask bread of any of  you    
that is a father1 will he give him a    
stone8 ,or if he ask a fish1  will he1  
for a fish1 give him a serpent8 ,or if  
he shall ask an egg1 will  he offer him 
a scorpion8 ,if ye then1 being evil1    
know how to give good  gifts unto your  
children2 how much more shall your      
heavenly ,father give  the ,holy ,spirit
 to them that ask him80    ,emboldened  
with this infallible promise of the     
,saviour1 which has  ennobled and almost
 divinized him1 the ,protestant student 
ceases to  tremble and fear1 a new      

strength has been given to his feet1 a  
new power  to his mind4 ,for he has gone
 to his ,father for more light and      
strength4  ,nay1 he has boldly asked not
 only the assistance and the help of the
  ,spirit of ,god1 but the very presence
 of ,his ,spirit in his soul to guide   
and strengthen him4 ,the assurance that 
the great ,god who has created  heaven  
and earth is his ,father1 his loving    
,father1 has absolutely raised  him     
above himself2 it has given a new1 ,i   
dare say a divine impulse1 to  all his  
aspirations for truth and knowledge4 ,it
 has put into his breast  the assurance 
that1 sustained by the love1 and the    
light1 and the help  of that great      
infinite1 eternal ,god1 he feels himself
 as a giant able to  cope with any      
obstacle4 ,he does not any more walk1 on
 his way to  eternity1 as a worm of the 
dust2 a voice from heaven has told him  
that  he was the child of ,god6         
,eternity1 and not time1 then becomes   
the limits  of his existence2 he is no  

more satisfied with touching with his   
hands  and studying with his eyes the   
few objects which are within the limited
  horizon of the eyelid-vision4 ,he     
stretches his giant hands to the        
boundless limits of the infinite1 he    
boldly raises his feet and eyes  from   
the dust of this earth1 to launch       
himself into the boundless oceans  of   
the unknown worlds4 ,he feels as if     
there was almost nothing beyond  the    
reach of his intelligence1 nothing to   
resist the power of his arms1  nothing  
to stop his onward progress toward the  
infinite so long as the  infallible     
words of ,christ shall be his compass1  
his light1 and his  strength4 ,he will  
then touch the mountains1 and they will 
melt and bow  down before him to let his
 iron and fiery chariot pass over the   
,rocky  ,mountains1 #h1jjj feet above   
the level of the sea4 ,he will boldly   
ascend  to the regions where the        
lightning and the storms reign1 and     
there he  will place his daring hands   

into the roaring clouds1 and wrench the 
sparkle of lightning which will carry   
his message from one end of the  world  
to the other4 ,he will force the oceans 
to tremble and submit1 as  humble       
slaves1 before those marvelous          
steam-engines which1 like giants1  carry
 8floating cities0 over all the seas in 
spite of the winds and the  waves4      
,had the ,newtons1 the ,franklins1 the  
,fultons1 the ,morses been ,romanists1  
their names would have been lost in the 
obscurity which is the natural  heritage
 of the abject slaves of the ,popes4    
,being told from their  infancy that no 
one had any right to make use of his    
8private judgment10  intelligence and   
conscience in the research of truth1    
they would have  remained mute and      
motionless at the feet of the modern and
 terrible god  of ,rome1 the ,pope4 ,but
 they were ,protestants6 ,in that great 
and glorious  word 8,protestant10 is the
 secret of the marvelous discoveries    
with which  they have changed the face  

of the world4 ,they were ,protestants6  
,yes1  they had passed their young years
 in ,protestant schools1 where they had 
read a book which told them that they   
were created in the image of ,god1  and 
that that great ,god had sent ,his      
eternal ,son1 ,jesus1 to make them  free
 from the bondage of man4 ,they had read
 in that ,protestant book 7for  the     
,bible is the most ,protestant book in  
the world7 that man had not  only a     
conscience1 but an intelligence to guide
 him2 they had learned  that that       
intelligence and conscience had no other
 master but ,god1 no  other guide but   
,god1 no other light but ,god4 ,on the  
walls of their  ,protestant schools the 
,son of ,god had written the marvelous  
words3 8,come  unto me2 ,i am the       
,light1 the ,way1 the ,life40    ,but   
when the ,protestant nations are        
marching with such giant strides to  the
 conquest of the world1 why is it that  
the ,roman ,catholic nations not  only  
remain stationary1 but give evidence of 

a decadence which is1 day  after day1   
more and more appalling and remediless8 
,go to their schools  and give a moment 
of attention to the principles which are
 sown in the  young intelligences of    
their unfortunate slaves1 and you will  
have the  key to that sad mystery4      
,what is not only the first1 but the    
daily school lesson taught to the       
,roman ,catholic8 ,is it not that one of
 the greatest crimes which a man  can   
commit is to follow his 8private        
judgment80 which means that he has      
eyes1 but cannot see2 ears1 but he      
cannot hear2 and intelligence1 but he   
cannot make use of it in the research of
 truth and light and knowledge1  without
 danger of being eternally damned4 ,his 
superiors--which mean the  priest and   
the ,pope--must see for him1 hear for   
him1 and think for him4  ,yes1 the      
,roman ,catholic is constantly told in  
his school that the most  unpardonable  
and damnable crime is to make use of his
 own intelligence  and follow his own   

private judgment in the research of     
truth4 ,he is  constantly reminded that 
man's own private judgment is his       
greatest  enemy4 ,hence all his         
intellectual and conscientious efforts  
must be  brought to fight down1 silence1
 kill his 8private judgment40 ,it is by 
the judgment of his superiors--the      
priest1 the bishop and the pope--that   
he must be guided in everything4        
,now1 what is a man who cannot make use 
of his 8private personal  judgment80 ,is
 he not a slave1 an idiot1 an ass8 ,and 
what is a nation  composed of men who do
 not make use of their private personal 
judgment  in the research of truth and  
happiness1 if not a nation of brutes1   
slaves and contemptible idiots8    ,but 
as this will look like an exaggeration  
on my part1 allow me to force  the      
,church of ,rome to come here and speak 
for herself4 ,please pay  attention to  
what she has to say about the           
intellectual faculties of  men4 ,here   
are the very words of the so-called     

,saint ,ignatius ,loyola1 the  founder  
of the ,jesuit ,society3    8,as for    
holy obedience1 this virtue must be     
perfect in every point--in  execution1  
in will1 in intellect1 doing which is   
enjoined with all  celerity1 spiritual  
joy and perseverance2 persuading        
ourselves that  everything is just1     
suppressing every repugnant thought and 
judgment of  one's own in a certain     
obedience2 and let every one persuade   
himself1  that he who lives under       
obedience should be moved and directed1 
under  ,divine ,providence1 by his      
superior1 ,,just ,,as ,,if ,,he ,,were  
,a ,,corpse  7perinde acsi cadaver      
esset7 which allows itself to be moved  
and led  in every direction40    ,yes6  
,protestants1 when you send your child  
to school1 it is that he may  more and  
more understand the dignity of man4     
,your object is to  enlighten1 expand   
and raise his intelligence4 ,you want to
 give more  light1 more strength1 more  
food1 more life to that intelligence4   

,but  know it well1 not from my pen1 but
 from the solemn declaration of ,rome4  
,the young ,roman ,catholic goes to     
school1 not only that his intelligence  
may be fettered1 clouded and paralyzed1 
but that it may be killed4 7,you  have  
read it47 ,it is only when he will be   
like a corpse before his  superior that 
the young ,roman ,catholic will have    
attained to the  highest degree of      
perfect manhood6 ,is not such a doctrine
 absolutely  anti-,christian and        
anti-social4 ,is it not diabolical8     
,would not mankind  become a flock of   
brute beasts if the ,church of ,rome    
could succeed in  persuading her hundred
 of millions of slaves to consider      
themselves as  cadavers--corpses in the 
presence of their superiors4    ,some   
one will1 perhaps1 ask me what can be   
the object of the popes and  the priests
 of ,rome in degrading the ,roman       
,catholics in such a strange  way that  
they turn them into moral corpses8 ,what
 can be the use of those  hundred of    

millions of corpses8 ,why not let them  
live8 ,the answer is a  very easy one4  
,the great1 and the only object of the  
thoughts and  workings of the ,pope and 
the priests is to raise themselves above
 the  rest of the world4 ,they want to  
be high6 high6 high6 above the head not 
only of the common people1 but of the   
kings and emperors of the world4  ,they 
want to be not only as high1 but higher 
than ,god4 ,it is when  speaking of the 
,pope that the ,holy ,ghost says3 8,he  
opposeth and exalteth  himself above all
 that is called ,god1 or that is        
worshipped2 so that he1  as ,god1       
sitteth in the temple of ,god1 shewing  
himself that he is ,god0 7#b  ,thess4   
ii4 #d74 ,to attain their object1 the   
priests have persuaded their  millions  
and millions of slaves that they were   
mere corpses2 that they  must have no   
will1 no conscience1 no intelligence of 
their own1 just 8as  corpses1 which     
allow themselves to be moved and led in 
any way1 without  any resistance40 ,when

 this has been once gained1 they have   
made a  pyramid of all those motionless1
 inert corpses1 which is so high1 that  
though its feet are on the earth1 its   
top goes to the skies1 in the very      
abode of the old divinities of the      
,pagan world1 and putting themselves    
and their popes at the top of that      
marvelous pyramid1 the priests say to   
the rest of the world3 8,who among you  
are as high as we are8 ,who has  ever   
been raised by ,god as a priest and a   
pope8 ,where are the kings and  the     
emperors whose thrones are as elevated  
as ours8 ,are we not at the  very top of
 humanity80 ,yes6 yes6 ,i answer to the 
priests of ,rome1 you  are high1 very   
high indeed6 ,no throne on earth has    
ever been so sublime1  so exalted as    
yours4 ,since the days of the tower of  
,babel1 the world has  not seen such a  
high fabric4 ,your throne is higher than
 anything we  know4 ,but it is a throne 
of corpses666    ,and if you want to    
know what other use is made of those    

millions and  millions of corpses1 ,i   
will tell it to you4 ,there is no manure
 so rich  as dead carcasses4 ,those     
millions of corpses serve to manure the 
gardens  of the priests1 the bishops and
 the popes1 and make their cabbages     
grow4  ,and what fine cabbages grow in  
the ,pope's garden6    ,is it not a     
lucky thing for the world in general1   
and for the ,roman  ,catholics in       
particular1 that though they are taught 
to become like  corpses1 to have no     
will1 no understanding1 no judgment of  
their own in  the presence of their     
superiors1 there are many who can never 
attain to  that perfection of           
intellectual degradation and death6     
,yes1 in spite of  the efforts1 in spite
 of the teachings of their ,church1 a   
few ,roman  ,catholics retain some life1
 some will1 some intelligence1 some     
judgment  of their own which prevents   
them from becoming complete brutes4     
,many now  and then refuse to descend to
 the damp1 dark and putrid abode of the 

corpses4 ,they want to breathe the fresh
 and pure air of liberty which  ,god has
 given to man4 ,they raise their        
humiliated forehead from the            
ignominious tomb which their church has 
dug for them1 and they give some  signs 
of life4 ,but at every such signs of    
life given by an individual or  by a    
people in the ,church of ,rome1 be sure 
that you will see the  flashing light   
and hear the roaring thunder of the     
,vatican directed  against the rebel who
 dares to refuse to become a corpse     
before his  superiors4 ,it is for having
 shown such signs of life and           
independence of  mind that ,galileo was 
sent to gaol and threatened to be       
cruelly tortured  on the racks of the   
,inquisition in ,italy1 three hundred   
years ago4 ,it is  for having shown     
those symptoms of life that not long ago
 the honest  ,kenna1 one of the most    
respected ,roman ,catholics of the day1 
was  excommunicated the day before his  
death1 and had to be buried as a dog  in

 his own field1 for having refused to   
take away his children from an          
excellent grammar school to obey the    
priest4 ,it is for having dared to      
think for himself that a few days before
 his death the amiable and  learned     
,montalembert was considered as an      
outcast by the ,pope1 who  refused him  
the honor of public prayers in ,rome    
after his death4    ,but that you may   
better understand the degrading         
tendencies of the  principles which are 
as the fundamental stone of the moral   
and  intellectual education of ,rome1   
let me put before your eyes another     
extract of the ,jesuit teachings1 which 
,i take again from the 8,spiritual      
,exercises10 as laid down by their      
founder1 ,ignatius ,loyola3 8,that we   
may  in all things attain the truth1    
that we may not err in anything1 we     
ought ever to hold as a fixed principle 
that what ,i see white ,i believe  to be
 black1 if the superior authorities of  
the ,church define it to be  so40       

,you all know that it is the avowed     
desire of ,rome to have public          
education in the hands of the ,jesuits4 
,she says everywhere that they are  the 
best1 the model teachers4 ,why so8      
,because they more boldly and more      
successfully than any other of her      
teachers aim at the destruction of  the 
intelligence and conscience of their    
pupils4 ,rome proclaims  everywhere that
 the ,jesuits are the most devoted1 the 
most reliable of  her teachers2 and she 
is right1 for when a man has been       
trained a  sufficient time by them1 he  
most perfectly becomes a moral corpse4  
,his  superiors can do what they please 
with him4 ,when he knows that a thing   
is white as snow1 he is ready to swear  
that it is black as ink1 if his         
superior tells him so4 ,but some may be 
tempted to think that these  degrading  
principles are exclusively taught by the
 ,jesuits2 that they  are not the       
teachings of the ,church1 and that ,i do
 an injustice to the  ,roman ,catholics 

when ,i give1 as a general iniquity1    
what is the guilt of  the ,jesuits only4
 ,listen to the words of that infallible
 ,pope ,gregory  ,,xvi41 in his         
celebrated ,encyclical of the #aeth of  
,august1 #ahcb4 8,if the  holy ,church  
so requires1 let us sacrifice our own   
opinions1 our  knowledge1 our           
intelligence1 the splendid dreams of our
 imagination1  and the most sublime     
attainments of the human understanding40
    ,it is when considering those       
anti-social principles of ,rome that our
  learned and profound thinker1         
,gladstone1 wrote1 not long ago3 8,no   
more  cunning plot was ever devised     
against the freedom1 the happiness and  
the  virtues of mankind than ,romanism40
 78,letter to ,earl ,aberdeen407 ,now1  
,protestants1 do you begin to see the   
difference of the object of  education  
between a ,protestant and a ,roman      
,catholic school8 ,do you begin  to     
understand that there is as great a     
distance between the word  8,education0 

among you1 and the meaning of the same  
word in the ,church of  ,rome1 than     
between the southern and the northern   
poles6 ,by education you  mean to raise 
man to the highest sphere of manhood4   
,rome means to lower  him below the most
 stupid brutes4 ,by education you mean  
to teach man  that he is a free agent2  
that liberty1 within the limits of the  
laws of  ,god and of his country1 is a  
gift secured to every one2 you want to  
impress man with the noble thought that 
it is better to die a free man  than to 
live a slave4 ,rome wants to teach that 
there is only one man who  is free1 the 
,pope1 and that all the rest are born to
 be his abject  slaves in thought1 will 
and action4    ,now1 that you may still 
more understand to what a bottomless    
abyss of  human degradation and moral   
depravity these anti-,christian and     
anti-social principles of ,rome lead her
 poor blind slaves1 read what  ,liguori 
says in his book1 8,the ,nun            
,sanctified03 8,the principal and most  

efficacious means of practicing         
obedience due to superiors1 and of      
rendering it meritorious before ,god1 is
 to consider that in obeying them  we   
obey ,god himself1 and that by despising
 their commands1 we despise  the        
authority of our ,divine ,master4 ,when1
 thus1 a religious receives a  precept  
from her prelate1 superior or confessor1
 she should immediately  execute it1 not
 only to please them but principally to 
please ,god1  whose will is made known  
to her by their command4 ,in obeying    
their  command1 in obeying their        
directions1 she is more certainly       
obeying the  will of ,god than if an    
angel came down from heaven to manifest 
his will  to her4 ,bear this always in  
your mind1 that the obedience which you 
practice to your superior is paid to    
,god4 ,if1 then1 you receive a  command 
from one who holds the place of ,god1   
you should observe it with  the same    
diligence as if it came from ,god       
himself4 ,blessed ,egidus used  to say  

that it is more meritorious to obey man 
for the love of ,god than  ,god himself4
 ,it may be added that there is more    
certainty of doing the  will of ,god by 
obedience to your superior than by      
obedience to ,jesus  ,christ1 should ,he
 appear in person and give ,his         
commands4 ,st4 ,philip de  ,neri used to
 say that religious shall be most       
certain of not having to  render an     
account of the actions performed through
 obedience2 for these  the superiors    
only who commanded them shall be held   
accountable40 ,the  ,lord said once to  
,st4 ,catherine of ,sienne1 8,religious 
will not be  obliged to render an       
account to me of what they do through   
obedience2  for that ,i will demand an  
account from the superior4 ,this        
doctrine is  conformable to ,sacred     
,scripture3 ,behold1 says the ,lord1 as 
clay is in  the potter's hands1 so are  
you in my hand1 ,o ,israel6 7,jeremiah  
xviii3  #f47 ,a religious man must be in
 the hands of the superiors to be molded

  as they will4 ,shall the clay say to  
him that fashioneth it1 ,what art  thou 
making8 ,the potter ought to answer1    
#8,be silent2 it is not your  business  
to inquire what ,i do1 but to obey and  
to receive whatever form  ,i please to  
give you4'0    ,i ask of you1 ,american 
,protestants1 what would become of your 
fair  country if you were blind enough  
to allow the ,church of ,rome to teach  
the children of the ,united ,states8    
,what kind of men and women can come    
out of such schools8 ,what future of    
shame1 degradation and slavery you      
prepare for your country if ,rome does  
succeed in forcing you to support  such 
schools4 ,what kind of women would come 
out from the schools of  nuns1 who would
 teach them that the highest pitch of   
perfection in a  woman is when she obeys
 her superior1 the priest1 in everything
 he  commands her6 that your daughter   
will never be called to give an  account
 to ,god for the actions she will have  
done to please and obey her  superior1  

the priest1 the bishop or the ,pope8    
,that the affairs of her  conscience    
will be arranged between ,god and that  
superior1 and that she  will never be   
asked why she had done this or that1    
when it will be to  gratify the         
pleasures of the superior and obey his  
command that she has  done it4 ,again1  
what kind of men and citizens will come 
out from the  schools of those ,jesuits 
who believe and teach that a man has    
attained  the perfection of manhood only
 when he is a perfectly spiritual corpse
  before his superior2 when he obeys the
 priest with the perfection of a        
cadaver1 that has neither life nor will 
in itself4    ,but some will be tempted 
to think that this perfect blind        
obedience to  the priest1 which is the  
corner-stone of the ,roman ,catholic    
education1  is required only in         
spiritual matters4 ,yes2 but you must   
not forget that  in the ,church of ,rome
 every action of the public or private  
life belongs  to the spiritual sphere1  

which the superior only must rule4 ,for 
instance1 a ,roman ,catholic has not the
 right to select the teacher of  his    
boy1 nor the school where he will send  
him2 he must consult his  priest1 and if
 he dares to act in a different way from
 what his priest  has told him in the   
selection of that teacher or that       
school1 he is  excommunicated and       
damned1 as ,mr4 ,kenna has been lately4 
,if he votes  according to his own      
private judgment for ,mr4 ,jones1       
instead of ,mr4  ,thompson1 the selected
 member of the bishop and the priest1 he
 is damned  and considered as a rebel   
against his holy ,church1 out of which  
there is  no salvation4    ,the ,church 
of ,rome's only object in giving what   
she calls education is  to teach her    
slaves that they must obey their        
superiors in everything1  as ,god       
himself4 ,all the rest of her teaching  
is only a mask to conceal  her plans4   
,history is never taught in her schools2
 what she calls  history is a most      

shameful string of falsehoods4 ,of      
course she does not  dare to say a word 
of truth about her past struggles       
against the great  principles of light  
and liberty1 when she covered the whole 
of ,europe  with tears1 blood and ruins4
 ,writing1 reading1 arithmetic1         
geography and  grammar are taught to a  
certain degree in her schools1 but all  
these  teachings are nothing else but   
covered roads through which the priest  
wants to reach the citadel of the heart 
and intelligence of his poor  victim1   
and take an absolute possession of them4
 ,those things are taught  every day    
only to have a daily opportunity to     
persuade the pupil that he  must never  
make any use of his private judgment in 
anything1 and that he  must submit his  
intelligence1 his conscience1 his will  
to the  intelligence1 conscience and    
will of his superior1 if he wants to    
save  himself from the eternal fire of  
hell4 ,he is constantly told1 what ,i   
have been told a thousand times myself1 

when studying in the college of         
,nicolet1 that those who obey their     
superiors in everything will not be     
called to give an account of their      
actions to their ,supreme ,judge1 even  
if those actions were bad in themselves2
 for1 as ,liguori told you a  moment    
ago1 8,whosoever obeys his superior for 
the love of ,god1 obeys ,god  himself1  
and that there are more merits to obey  
one's own superior than  ,god himself40 
,the ,church of ,rome shows her great   
wisdom in enforcing that dogma of the   
entire and blind subjection of the will 
and intelligence of the inferior  to the
 superior4 ,for the very moment that a  
,roman ,catholic thinks that  it is his 
right and sacred duty to follow the     
dictates of his own  conscience and     
intelligence1 he is lost to the church  
of ,rome4 ,it is  only when a man has   
entirely silenced and absolutely killed 
his  intelligence1 it is only when he   
has become a perfect moral corpse1 that 
he can believe that his priest1 even his

 drunken priest1 has the power  to      
change a wafer1 or any other piece of   
bread1 into the great ,god1 for  whom   
and by whom everything has been created4
 ,it is only when the  intelligence of  
man has become a dead carcass that he   
can believe that a  miserable sinner has
 the supreme power to force the ,son of 
,god to come1  in ,his divine and human 
person1 into his vest or pant's pockets 
to  follow him everywhere he wants to   
go1 even to the bar of the low tavern1  
that ,he may become his companion of    
debauch and drunkenness4 ,do you see1   
now1 why the ,church of ,rome cannot let
 her poor young slaves go to your       
schools8 ,in your schools1 the first    
thing you inculcate to the pupil is     
that his intelligence is the great gift 
of ,god1 by which man is  distinguished 
from the brute2 that he must enlighten1 
form1 feed1  cultivate his intelligence1
 which is to him what the helm is to the
  ship1 ,christ1 with ,his holy ,word1  
being the pilot4 ,you see1 now why the  

,church of ,rome abhors your schools4   
,it is because you want to make  men1   
and she wants to make brutes4 ,you want 
to raise men to the  highest sphere to  
which his intelligence can allow him to 
reach2 she  wants to keep him in the    
dust1 at the feet of the priests2 you   
want to  form free citizens1 she wants  
to form abject and obedient slaves of   
the  priests2 you teach man to keep his 
sacred promises and stand by his  oath1 
she teaches him that the ,pope has the  
right to dissolve the most  sacred      
promises and to annul all his oaths1    
even to the oath of  allegiance to his  
country4 ,you tell your pupils that so  
long as they  will keep themselves      
within the limits of the laws of their  
country they  are responsible only to   
,god for their consciences4 ,they tell  
their  pupils that it is not to ,god1   
but to the priest that he must go to    
give  an account of his conscience4 ,you
 teach your pupils that the laws of ,god
  only bind the conscience of man2 they 

tell him that it is the laws of  the    
,church1 which means the ipse dixit of  
the ,pope1 which binds their            
consciences4 ,you teach the student that
 every man has the right to  change his 
religion according to his conscience2   
she positively says  that no man has the
 right to change his religion according 
to his  conscience4 ,it is evident that 
the ,church of ,rome would be dead      
to-morrow1 if1 to-day1 she would allow  
her children to attend schools  where   
they would learn to follow the dictates 
of their conscience and  listen to the  
voice of their intelligence4 ,but she is
 too shrewd to avow  before the world   
the real reasons why she wants1 at any  
cost1 to prevent  her children from     
attending your schools4 ,and it is here 
she shows her  profound and diabolical  
cunning4 ,though she is the most deadly 
enemy of  liberty of conscience1 though 
she has1 time after time1 anathemized   
liberty of conscience as one of ,satan's
 schemes1 she suddenly steps on1  as the

 great friend and apostle of liberty of 
conscience1 and under that  new mask she
 approaches your legislators with great 
airs of dignity1 and  says1 8,we are    
happy to live in a country where liberty
 of conscience is  secured to every     
citizen4 ,it is in its sacred name that 
we respectfully  approach your honorable
 legislature to ask3 ,first1 to be      
exempted from  sending our children to  
the ,government schools4 ,second1 to    
have the  money we want from the public 
treasury in order to support our own    
schools4 ,for two reasons3 ,first1 you  
read the ,bible in your schools1 and  it
 is against our conscience to let our   
children read the ,bible4 ,second1  you 
have some prayers at the beginning and  
some religious hymns sung at  the end of
 the hours of school1 and it is against 
our conscience to  allow the children of
 the ,church of ,rome to join you in    
those prayers  and hymns40 ,the         
legislators1 who1 for the greater part  
are too honorable  men to suspect the   

fraud1 are won by the air of candor and 
honesty of  the ,roman ,catholic        
petitioners4 ,considering the great     
benefit which will  come to the country 
if all the children are taught in the   
same school1  they are soon ready to    
make any sacrifice in order to have the 
,roman  ,catholic and the ,protestant   
children under the same roof1 to receive
 the  same light and the same moral food
 and same instruction4 ,as true         
patriots1 the legislators understand    
that if they wish their beloved  country
 to be strong and happy1 the first thing
 they must do is to make  the young     
generation one in mind1 in heart4 ,if   
the ,protestant and ,roman  ,catholic   
children are taught in the same school1 
they will know each  other and love each
 other when young1 and those sacred ties
 of  friendship which will bind them in 
the spring of life1 will be             
strengthened when their reason will be  
matured and enlightened by a good       
education under the same respected and  

worthy teachers4 ,as ,christian  men1   
the legislators would perhaps like to   
keep the ,bible1 and have  short prayers
 in the schools2 but as patriots1 they  
feel that those  things1 though good and
 sacred1 are an insurmountable barrier  
to the  ,roman ,catholic4 ,the delicate 
conscience of the bishops and priests   
cannot allow such things in the school  
attended by their lambs6 ,through       
respect for the sacred rights of the    
,roman ,catholic conscience1 the        
legislators in many places throw the    
,bible overboard1 and they say to  ,god3
 8,please get out from our schools1 and 
do excuse us if we order our  teachers  
to ignore your existence60 ,they say to 
,jesus ,christ3 8,we have  not forgotten
 your sublime and touching words1       
#8,suffer little children  to come unto 
me4' ,no doubt you would like to press  
our dear little ones  on your loving    
heart and bless them for a moment in the
 schools2 but we  cannot allow them to  
go so near you in the school1 we cannot 

even allow  them to speak to you a      
single word there4 ,please be not       
offended if we  turn you out from those 
very schools where you were so welcome  
formerly4  ,we are forced to that sad   
extremity through the respect we owe to 
the  tender consciences of our          
fellow-citizens of the ,church of ,rome4
 ,you  know that they cannot allow their
 children to speak to you together with 
ours40 ,but when those awful1 not to say
 sacrilegious1 sacrifices have  been    
made by the ,protestant legislators to  
appease the implacable god of           
,rome--when1 through respect for the    
scruples of the bishops and priests  of 
,rome1 the great ,god of ,heaven1 with  
,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 have been    
unceremoniously turned out from the     
schools--when the ,word of ,god has     
been prohibited1 and the ,bible is      
thrown overboard1 is the ,moloch god    
appeased8 ,will the ,roman ,catholic    
bishops and priests tell their  children
 that they may unite with yours to go   

and receive education from  the same    
teacher8 ,no6 ,but assuming1 then1 a    
sublime air of indignation1  they turn  
against you as mad dogs2 they call your 
schools godless  schools6 good only to  
form thieves1 infidels and atheists6    
,do you see now that all those dignified
 scruples of conscience about  reading  
the ,bible1 praying with you1 etc41 were
 only a mask to deceive  you1 and make  
you fall into a snare8 ,do you not      
perceive now that they  did not care a  
straw for the ,bible and the prayers in 
the schools8 but  they wanted your      
legislators to compromise themselves    
before the  ,christian world1 lose their
 moral strength in the eyes of a great  
part  of the nation1 divide your ranks1 
your means1 your strength1 and beat  you
 on that great question of education4   
,they will take such airs of  martyrs   
when you will try to force their        
children to your schools that  many     
honest and unsuspecting ,protestants    
will be completely deceived by  them4   

,at first1 they could not1 they said1   
trust the children to your  hands1      
because you read the ,word of ,god2 you 
prayed and blessed ,god in  the school4 
,but now that the ,bible and ,god are   
turned out from the  schools1 they      
baptize them by the most ignominious    
names which can be  given--they call    
them 8godless schools60 ,have you ever  
seen a more  profoundly ignominious and 
sacrilegious trick8 ,will not your      
legislators  open their eyes to that    
strange act of deception1 of which they 
are the  victims8 ,will they not come   
out quickly from the traps laid before  
them  by the bishops and the priests of 
,rome8 ,yes6 let us hope that your      
patriots and ,christian legislators will
 soon understand that they owe a        
reparation to ,god and to their country2
 with unanimous voice they will  ask    
pardon from ,god for having expelled him
 from the very place where ,he  has most
 right to reign supremely--the school4  
,for what is a school without ,god in   

its midst to sit as a father1 and to    
form the young hearts and evoke the     
young intellect8 ,what is a boy1 what   
is a girl1 what is a woman or a man     
without ,god8 what is a family1 what  is
 a people without ,god8 ,it is a        
monstrosity1 it is a body without life1 
it is a world without light1 it is a    
cistern without water4 ,let us hope     
that1 before long1 your patriotic and   
,christian legislators will  remember   
that the ,bible is the foundation of the
 greatness of ,protestant  nations4 ,it 
is to the ,bible the ,united ,states1 as
 well as ,great ,britain1  owe their    
liberty1 power1 prestige and strength4  
,it is the ,bible that  has ennobled the
 hearts of your heroes1 improved the    
minds of your poets  and orators1 and   
strengthened the arms of your warriors4 
,yes6 it is  because your soldiers have 
brought with them everywhere1 the       
,bible1  pressed on their hearts1 that  
they have conquered the enemies of      
liberty4 ,so long as the ,united ,states

 will be true to the ,bible1 their      
glorious banners will fly respected and 
feared all over the seas1 and  over all 
the continents of the world4 ,let the   
disciples of the ,gospel1  the children 
of ,god1 and the redeemed of ,christ all
 over the fair and  noble country you   
inhabit1 hasten to request their        
legislators to invite  the ,saviour of  
the world to come back and bless their  
dear children in  the school4 ,for it is
 not only in your homes and in your     
churches that  ,jesus tells you 8,suffer
 little children to come unto me40 ,it  
is  particularly in the school4 ,oh6    
give two or three minutes to those dear 
little ones1 that they may press        
themselves on ,his bosom1 bless him for 
having saved them on the cross1 and     
proclaim his mercies by singing one  of 
those hymns which they like so much4 ,by
 this noble act of national  reparation 
you will take away from the hands of the
 priests the only  weapon with which    
they can hurt you2 you will destroy the 

only argument  they use with a true     
force against your schools when they    
call them  godless schools4 ,do not fear
 any more the priests and the prelates  
of  ,rome4 ,do not yield any more and   
give up your privilege to please them   
and reconcile them to your schools4 ,you
 will never be able to reconcile  them  
to your schools2 for there is light in  
your schools1 and they want  the        
darkness4 ,there is freedom and liberty 
in your schools2 they want  slavery6    
,there is life in your schools1 and it  
is only on dead corpses  that their     
church can have a chance to live a few  
years more4 ,you see1  by a sad         
experience1 that their scruples of      
conscience against the ,bible  and the  
prayer of the school are mere hypocrisy 
just thrown into the  eyes of the       
public4 ,do not say with some honest but
 deluded ,protestants3  ,is it not      
enough that that child should learn his 
religion at home8 ,no1  it is not       
enough2 for it is in our nature that we 

want two witnesses to  believe a thing4 
,what comes to our mind only through one
 witness remains  uncertain2 but let two
 good witnesses confirm a fact1 and then
 we accept  it4 ,your child wants two   
witnesses to believe the necessity of   
the  sacredness of religion4 ,his       
,christian home is surely a good witness
 to  your child1 but it is not enough2  
what he has heard from you must be      
confirmed by his school teacher4        
,without this second witness1 nine times
  out of ten your children will be      
skeptics and infidels4 ,besides that1   
the very idea of ,god brings with it the
 obligation to bless1 love and  adore   
,him everywhere4 ,the moment you take   
your child to a place where  not only he
 cannot love1 bless and adore ,god1 but 
where the adoration  and the praise of  
,god are forbidden1 you entirely destroy
 the idea of  ,god from the mind and    
from the heart of your child4 ,you make 
him believe  that what you have told    
him1 when at home1 of ,god is only a    

fable to  amuse and deceive him4    ,do 
you see that noble ship in the midst of 
that splendid harbor1 how she  is tossed
 by the foaming waves1 how she is beaten
 by the furious winds8  ,what does      
prevent that ship from flying before the
 storm and running  ashore1 a miserable 
wreck8 ,what does prevent her from being
 dashed on  that rock8 ,the anchor6     
,yes1 the anchor is her safety4 ,but let
 a single  link of the chain that binds 
the ship to her anchor break1 will she  
not  soon be dashed on the rock and     
broken to pieces1 and sink to the bottom
  of the sea8 ,it is so with your child6
 ,so long as his intelligence and  his  
heart are united to ,god by the anchor  
of faith1 he will nobly stand  against  
the furious waves1 he will nobly fight  
his battles2 but let the  school teacher
 be silent about ,god1 and here is a    
broken link1 and the  child will be a   
wreck4 ,do not fear the priest1 but fear
 ,god6 ,do not try  any more to please  
the priests1 but do all in your power to

 please your  great and merciful ,god1  
not only in your homes1 but also in your
  schools1 and those schools will become
 more than ever a focus of light1  an   
inexhaustible source of intellectual and
 moral strength--more than  ever your   
children will learn in the school to be 
your honor and your  glory and your joy4
 ,they will learn that they are not     
ignoble worms of  the dust1 whose       
existence will end in the tomb1 but that
 they are  immortal as ,god1 whose      
beloved children they are4 ,they will   
learn how to  serve their ,god and love 
their country4 ,be not ashamed1 but be  
proud to  send your children to schools 
where they will learn how to be good    
,christians and good citizens4 ,when you
 will have finished your  pilgrimage    
they will be your worthy successors1 and
 the ,god whom they  will have learned  
to fear1 serve and love in the school   
will help them  to make your country    
great1 happy and free4                  
,,chapter ,,xiii4       ,,theology ,,of 

,,the ,,church ,,of ,,rome3 ,,its       
,,anti-,,social ,,and ,,anti-,,christian
                                        
,,character4      ,talleyrand1 one of   
the most celebrated ,roman ,catholic    
bishops of ,france1  once said1         
8,language is the art of concealing     
one's thoughts40 ,never was  there a    
truer expression1 if it had reference to
 the awful deceptions  practiced by the 
,church of ,rome under the pompous name 
of 8,theological  studies40    ,theology
 is the study of the knowledge of the   
laws of ,god4 ,nothing1  then1 is more  
noble than the study of theology4 ,how  
solemn were my  thoughts and elevated my
 aspirations when1 in #ahbi1 under the  
guidance  of the ,rev4 ,messrs4         
,raimbault and ,leprohon1 ,i commenced  
my theological  course of study at      
,nicolet1 which ,i was to end in #ahcc6 
,i supposed that my books of theology   
were to bring me nearer to my ,god  by  
the more perfect knowledge ,i would     
acquire1 in their study1 of ,his  holy  

will and ,his sacred laws4 ,my hope was 
that they would be to my  heart what the
 burning coal1 brought by the angel of  
the ,lord1 was to  the lips of the      
prophet of old4    ,the principal       
theologians which we had in our hands   
were 8,les  ,conferences d',anger10     
,bailly1 ,dens1 ,st4 ,thomas1 but above 
all ,liguori1  who has since been       
canonized4 ,never did ,i open one       
without offering up a  fervent prayer to
 ,god and to the ,virgin ,mary for the  
light and grace of  which ,i would be in
 need for myself and for the people     
whose pastor ,i  was to become4    ,but 
how shall ,i relate my surprise when ,i 
discovered1 that in order to  accept the
 principles of the theologians which my 
,church gave me for  guides1 ,i had to  
put away all principles of truth1 of    
justice1 of honor  and holiness6 ,what  
long and painful efforts it cost me to  
extinguish1  one by one1 the lights of  
truth and of reason kindled by the hand 
of my  merciful ,god in my intelligence4

 ,for to study theology in the ,church  
of  ,rome signifies to learn to speak   
falsely1 to deceive1 to commit robbery1 
to perjure one's self6 ,it means how to 
commit sins without shame1 it  means to 
plunge the soul into every kind of      
iniquity and turpitude  without remorse6
    ,i know that ,roman ,catholics will 
bravely and squarely deny what ,i now   
say4 ,i am aware also that a great many 
,protestants1 too easily deceived  by   
the fine whitewashing of the exterior   
walls of ,rome1 will refuse to  believe 
me4 ,nevertheless they may rest assured 
it is true1 and my proof  will be       
irrefutable4 ,the truth may be denied by
 many1 but my witnesses  cannot be      
contradicted by any one4 ,my witnesses  
are even infallible4  ,they are none    
other than the ,roman ,catholic         
theologians themselves1  approved by    
infallible ,popes6 ,these very men who  
corrupted my heart1  perverted my       
intelligence and poisoned my soul1 as   
they have done with  each and every     

priest of their ,church1 will be my     
witnesses1 my only  witnesses4 ,i will  
just now forcibly bring them before the 
world to  testify against themselves6   
,liguori1 in his treatise on oaths1     
,question #d1 asks if it is allowable   
to use ambiguity1 or equivocal words1 to
 deceive the judge when under  oath1 and
 at ,no4 #aea he answers3 8,it is       
certain1 and the opinion of all         
theologians1 that for good reasons one  
may be permitted to use  equivocations  
and to maintain them by oath2 and by    
#8good reasons' we  mean all that can do
 any good to the body or the soul40     
,here is the ,latin text3    8,certum   
est1 et commune apud omnes quod1 ex     
justa causa1 licitum sit uti            
aequivocatione1 et cum juvamento        
affirmare3 ,et justa causa esse potest  
quicunque fines honestus ad servanda    
bona spiritui vel corporali utilia0     
7,sal3 ,nos4 #aji and vol4 sauch74      
8,a culprit1 or a witness1 questioned by
 a judge1 but in an illegal  manner1 may

 swear that he knows nothing of the     
crime about which he is  questioned1    
though he knows it well1 mentally       
meaning that he knows  nothing in such a
 manner as to answer40    ,when the     
crime is very secret and unknown to all1
 ,liguori says the  culprit or the      
witness must deny it under oath4 ,here  
are his own words3    8,idem si testis  
ex alio capite1 non teneatur deponere3  
,nempe si ipsi  conotet crimen caruisse 
culpa1 vel si sciat crimen1 sed sub     
secreto1 cum  nulla proccesserit        
infamia40    8,he may swear that he     
knows nothing1 when he knows that the   
person who  committed the crime         
committed it without malice 7as affir4  
,salm4 to c4  #b1 ,no4 #bei1 and ,elb4  
,no4 #ade72 or again1 if he knows the   
crime1 but  secretly1 and that there has
 been no scandal0 7as we are assured by 
,card4 ,no4 #ea47    8,when a crime is  
well concealed1 the witness1 and even   
the criminal1 may  and even must swear  
that the crime has not been committed6  

8,the guilty party may yet do likewise1 
when a half proof cannot be  brought    
against him40    ,here is the ,latin    
text3    8,reus vel testis non tenetur  
judicio1 respondere si crimen fuerit    
omnis  occultum tunc enim potest imo    
teneteur testis dicere reum non         
commisse4  ,et idem potest reus1 si non 
adsit semiplena probatio0 7,salm4 ,d4   
#b1 ,no4  #adf ,bus474    ,liguori asks 
himself 7,quest4 #b73 ,if an accused1   
legally interrogated by  a judge1 may   
deny his crime under oath1 when the     
confession of the crime  might cause his
 condemnation1 and be disadvantageous to
 him8 and he  answers3    8,it is       
altogether probable that when the       
accused fears a sentence of  death1 or  
of being sent to prison1 or exiled1 he  
may deny his crime  under oath1         
understanding that he has not committed 
this crime in such a  manner as to be   
obliged to confess it40 ,here is the    
,latin text3    8,quritur #b4 ,au reus  
legitime interrogatus possit negare     

cimen1 etiam  cum juramento1 si grave   
damnum1 ex confessione ipsi immineat    
satis  probabiliter1 7,lugo de          
,justitia1 ,d4 #dj1 ,n4 #ae2 ,tamb4 lib4
 #c1 etc472 et  aliis pluribus dicunt   
posse reum si sibi immineat poena       
mortis1  carceris1 rut exilii1 negare   
crimen1 etiam juramento1 saltem sine    
peccato gravi1 sub intelligendo2 se non 
commississe quotenus teneatur  illud    
fateri mado sit spes vitandi pnam40     
8,he who has sworn to keep a secret is  
not obliged to keep his oath1 if  any   
consequential injury to him or to others
 is thereby caused40    8,if any one has
 sworn before a judge to keep the truth1
 he is not  obliged to say secret       
things40 7,less1 ,bonar1 ,trall1 etc47  
,liguori asks whether a woman1 accused  
of the crime of adultery1 which  she has
 really committed1 may deny it under    
oath8 ,he answers3 8,yes2  provided that
 she has been to confess1 and received  
the absolution2 for  then10 he says1    
8the sin has been pardoned1 and has     

really ceased to  exist40    8,quaritur 
#b4 ,an adultera negare adulterium viro 
suo8 ,resp4 ,si adulterium  confessa    
sit3 ,potest respondere1 #8,innocens sum
 ab hoc crimine' quia per  confessionem 
est jam oblatum40 7,card1 ,disc4 #ai1   
,n4 #ed47    ,liguori maintains that one
 may commit a minor crime in order to   
avoid a  greater crime4 ,he says3 8,it  
is right to advise any one to commit a  
robbery or a fornication in order to    
avoid a murder40    8,hinc1 docet1      
,sanchez1 ,no4 #ai caj4 sot41 parato    
aliquem occidere licet  posse suaderi ut
 ab eo furetur1 vel ut fornicatur0 7page
 #dai74    ,question #c1 ,liguori3 8,may
 a servant open the door for a          
prostitute80  ,croix denies it1 but     
,ligouri affirms it4    8,utrum famulo  
ostium meretrici operere8 ,negat ,croix4
 ,at commune  affirmant ,theologi40     
,question #d1 ,liguori3 8,quaeretur an  
liceat famulo deferre scalam vel        
subjicere humeros domino ascendenti ad  
fornicandum et similia4 ,buss1  etc41   

affirmant1 quorum sententia probabilior 
videtur40    8,may a servant bring a    
ladder and help his master to go up and 
commit  adultery8 ,buss and others think
 that he may do it1 and ,i am of the    
same  opinion40 7,liguori1 ,q4 #b47     
8,a servant has the right to rob his    
master1 a child his father1 and a  poor 
man the rich60    ,the ,salmantes says  
that a servant may1 according to his own
 judgment1  pay himself with his own    
hands more than was agreed upon as a    
salary for  his own work1 if he finds   
that he deserves a larger salary2 8and10
 says  ,liguori1 8this doctrine appears 
just to me40    ,salm41 ,d4 #d1 proe4   
,n4 #acg1 dicunt famulum etiam ex       
proprio judicio  sibi compensare suam   
operam1 si ipse certe judicet se majus  
stipendium  mereri4 ,quod sane videtur  
mihi probabile4    ,a poor man1 who has 
concealed the goods and effects of which
 he is in  need1 may swear that he has  
nothing4    8,indigens1 bonis           
absconditis ad sustentationem1 protest  

judici  aespondere se nihil habere40    
7,salm41 ,n4 #adj47    ,in like manner  
an heir who1 without taking an          
inventory1 conceals his  goods1 when it 
is not the goods mortgaged for the debt1
 may swear that  he has concealed       
nothing1 understanding the goods with   
which he was to  pay4 7,salm4 #adj47    
8,there are many opinions about the     
amount which may be stolen to           
constitute a mortal sin4 ,navar has     
said1 too scrupulously1 that to steal  a
 half piece of gold is a mortal sin2    
while others1 too lax1 hold that  to    
steal less than ten pieces of gold      
cannot be a serious sin4 ,but ,tol1     
,mech1 ,less1 etc41 have more wisely    
ruled that to steal two pieces of  gold 
constitutes a mortal sin40    ,dubium   
#b1 ,liguori3 8,variae ea de re sunt    
sententi4 ,nav4 nimis  scrupulose       
statuit medium regulum3 alii nemis laxe 
#aj aureos4  ,moderatius1 ,tol41 ,med4  
,less41 etc41 etc41 duos regales1 etsi  
minus  sufficiat1 si notabiliter        

noceat40    8,is it a crime to steal a  
small piece of a relic8 ,there is no    
doubt its  being a sin in the district  
of ,rome1 since ,clement ,,vii4 and     
,paul ,v4 have  excommunicated those who
 committed such thefts4 ,but this theft 
is not a  serious thing when committed  
outside of the district of ,rome1 unless
 it  be a very rare and precious relic1 
as the wood of the ,holy ,cross or some 
of the hair of the ,virgin ,mary60      
,dubium #c1 ,liguori3 8,if any one      
steals small sums at different times1   
either from the same or from different  
persons1 not having the intention  of   
stealing large sums1 nor of causing a   
great damage1 his sin is not  mortal2   
particularly if the thief is poor1 and  
if he has the intention  to give back   
what he has stolen40    ,latin text3    
8,si quis et occasione furatur sive uni1
 sive pluribus1 non  intendens notabile 
aliquid acquirere nec proximo graviter  
nocere1 neque  ea simul sumpta unum     
mortale constituunt1 si vel restituere  

non possit  vel animum habeat           
restituendi40    ,question #aa1 ,n4     
#ecf3 8,if several persons steal from   
the same master1 in  small quantities1  
each in such a manner as not to commit a
 mortal sin1  though each one knows that
 all these little thefts together cause 
a  considerable damage to their master1 
yet no one of them commits a mortal     
sin1 even when they steal at the same   
time40    ,latin text3 8,si plures      
modica furentur1 nemo peccat graviter1  
et si  mutuo sciant graviter damnum     
domino fieri4 ,et hoc1 etiamsi singuli  
eodem  tempore furentur40 7,liguori1    
#ecf47    ,liguori1 speaking of children
 who steal from their parents1 says3    
8,salas1 cited by ,croix1 maintains that
 a son does not commit a mortal  sin    
when he steals only twenty or thirty    
pieces of gold from a father  who has an
 income of #aej pieces of gold2 and     
,lugo approves of that  doctrine4 ,less 
and other theologians say that it is not
 a mortal sin for  a child to steal two 

or three pieces of gold from a rich     
father2 ,bannez  maintains that to      
commit a mortal sin a child must steal  
not less than  fifty pieces of gold from
 a rich father2 but ,lacroix rejects    
that  doctrine1 except the father is a  
prince40    ,the theologians of ,rome   
assure us that we may1 and even that we 
must1  conceal and disguise our faith4  
8,though lying is forbidden1 we may be  
allowed to conceal the truth1 or  to    
disguise it under ambiguous or equivocal
 words or signs1 for a just  cause1 and 
when there is no necessity to confess   
the truth4 ,if by that  means one can   
rid himself of dangerous pursuits1 he is
 permitted to use  it2 for in general it
 is not true to say that1 when          
interrogated by  public authority about 
his faith1 he is obliged to reveal it4  
,when you  are not questioned as to your
 faith1 you are not only allowed to     
conceal  it1 but it is often more to the
 glory of ,god and the interest of your 
neighbor4 ,if1 for example1 you are     

among a heretical people1 you can do    
more good by concealing your faith2 or  
if1 by declaring it1 you are to  cause  
great trouble or death4 ,it is temerity 
to expose one's life40  7,liguori1 ,l4  
#b47    ,the ,pope has the right to     
release from all oaths4    8,as for an  
oath made for a good and legitimate     
object1 it seems that  there should be  
no power capable of annulling it4       
,however1 when it is  for the good of   
the public1 a matter which comes under  
the immediate  jurisdiction of the      
,pope1 who has the supreme power over   
the ,church1 the  ,pope has full power  
to release from that oath40 7,st4       
,thomas1 ,quest4 #hi1  art4 #i1 vol4    
iv47    ,the ,roman ,catholics have not 
only the right1 but it is their duty to 
kill heretics4    8,excommunicatus      
privatur omni alia civili communicatione
 fidelium1 ita  ut ipsi non possit cum  
aliis1 et si non sit toleratus1 etiam   
aliis cum  ipso non possit communicare2 
idque in casibus hoc versu comprehensis4

  ,os1 orare1 cammunio1 mensa negatur40 
,translated3 8,any man excommunicated is
 deprived of all civil  communication   
with the faithful1 in such a way that if
 he is not  tolerated they can have no  
communication with him1 as it is in the 
following verse3 #8,it is forbidden to  
kiss him1 pray with him1 salute  him1 to
 eat or to do any business with him4'0  
7,st4 ,liguori1 vol4 ix41  page #fb47   
8,quanquam heretici tolerandi non sunt  
ipso illorum demerito1 usque tamen  ad  
secundam correptionem expectandi sunt1  
ut ad sanam redeant ecclesi  fidem2 qui 
vero post secundam correptionem in suo  
errore obstinati  permanent1 non modo   
excommunicationis sententia sed1 etiam  
scularibus  principibus exterminandi    
tradendi sunt40    ,translated3 8,though
 heretics must not be tolerated because 
they deserve  it1 we must bear with them
 till1 by a second admonition they may  
be  brought back to the faith of the    
,church4 ,but those who1 after a second 
admonition1 remain obstinate in their   

errors1 must not only be                
excommunicated1 but they must be        
delivered to the secular powers to be   
exterminated40    8,quanquam heretici   
revertentes1 semper recipiendi sint ad  
pnitentiam  quoties cumque relapsi      
fuerint2 non tamen semper sunt          
recipiendi et  restituendi ad bonorum   
hujus vit participationem 444           
recipiumtur ad  pnitentiam 444 non tamen
 ut liberentur a sententia mortis40     
,translated3 8,though the heretics who  
repent must always be accepted to       
penance1 as often as they have fallen1  
they must not in consequence of  that   
always be permitted to enjoy the        
benefits of this life4 ,when they  fall 
again they are admitted to repent4 ,but 
the sentence of death must  not be      
removed40 7,st4 ,thomas1 vol4 iv41 page 
#ia47    8,quum quis per sententiam     
denuntiatur propter apostasiam          
excommunicatus1  ipso facto1 ejus       
subditi a domino et juramento           
fidelitatis ejus liberati  sunt40       

8,when a man is excommunicated for his  
apostasy1 it follows from that  very    
fact that all those who are his subjects
 are released from the oath  of         
allegiance by which they were bound to  
obey him40 7,st4 ,thomas1 vol  iv41 page
 #ia47    ,every heretic and ,protestant
 is condemned to death1 and every oath  
of  allegiance to a government which is 
,protestant or heretic is abrogated  by 
the ,council of ,lateran1 held in ,a4   
,d4 #abae4 ,here is the solemn decree   
and sentence of death1 which has never  
been repealed1 and which is still  in   
force3    8,we excommunicate and        
anathematize every heresy that exalts   
itself  against the holy orthodox and   
,catholic faith1 condemning all         
heretics1  by whatever name they may be 
known2 for though their faces differ1   
they  are tied together by their tails4 
,such as are condemned are to be        
delivered over to the existing secular  
powers1 to receive due  punishment4 ,if 
laymen1 their goods must be confiscated4

 ,if priests1 they  shall be first      
degraded from their respective orders1  
and their property  applied to the use  
of the church in which they have        
officiated4 ,secular  powers of all     
ranks and degrees are to be warned1     
induced1 and1 if  necessary1 compelled  
by ecclesiastical censure1 to swear that
 they will  exert themselves to the     
utmost in the defence of the faith1 and 
extirpate all heretics denounced by the 
,church who shall be found in  their    
territories4 ,and whenever any person   
shall assume government1  whether it be 
spiritual or temporal1 he shall be bound
 to abide by this  decree4    8,if any  
temporal lord1 after being admonished   
and required by the  ,church1 shall     
neglect to clear his territory of       
heretical depravity1 the  metropolitan  
and bishops of the province shall unite 
in excommunicating  him4 ,should he     
remain contumacious for a whole year1   
the fact shall be  signified to the     
,supreme ,pontiff1 who will declare his 

vassals released  from their allegiance 
from that time1 and will bestow the     
territory on  ,catholics1 to be occupied
 by them1 on the condition of           
exterminating the  heretics1 and        
preserving the said territory in the    
faith4    8,catholics who shall assume  
the cross for the extermination of      
heretics shall enjoy the same           
indulgences and be protected by the same
  privileges as are granted to those who
 go to the help of the ,holy ,land4  ,we
 decree1 further1 that all who may have 
dealings with heretics1 and  especially 
such as receive1 defend1 or encourage   
them1 shall be  excommunicated4 ,he     
shall not be eligible to any public     
office4 ,he shall  not be admitted as a 
witness4 ,he shall neither have the     
power to  bequeath his property by will1
 nor to succeed to any inheritance4 ,he 
shall not bring any action against any  
person1 but any one can bring an  action
 against him4 ,should he be a judge1 his
 decision shall have no  force1 nor     

shall any cause be brought before him4  
,should he be an  advocate1 he shall not
 be allowed to plead4 ,should he be a   
lawyer1 no  instruments made by him     
shall be held valid1 but shall be       
condemned with  their author40    ,but  
why let my memory and my thoughts linger
 any longer in these  frightful paths1  
where murderers1 liars1 perjurers and   
thieves are  assured by the theologians 
of the ,church of ,rome that they can   
lie1  steal1 murder and perjure         
themselves as much as they like1 without
  offending ,god1 provided they commit  
those crimes according to certain  rules
 approved by the ,pope for the good of  
the ,church6    ,i should have to write 
several large volumes were ,i to quote  
all the  ,roman ,catholic doctors and   
theologians who approve of lying1 of    
perjury1  of adultery1 theft and murder1
 for the greatest glory of ,god and the 
good of the ,roman ,church6 ,but ,i have
 quoted enough for those who have  eyes 
to see and ears to hear4    ,with such  

principles1 is it a wonder that all the 
,roman ,catholic  nations1 without a    
single exception1 have declined so      
rapidly8    ,the great ,legislator of   
the ,world1 the only ,saviour of        
nations1 has  said3 8,man shall not live
 by bread alone1 but by every word that 
proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god40 ,a
 nation can be great and strong  only   
according to the truths which form the  
basis of her faith and life4  8,truth0  
is the only bread which ,god gives to   
the nations that they may  prosper and  
live4 ,deceitfulness1 duplicity1        
perjury1 adultery1 theft1  murder1 are  
the deadly poisons which kill the       
nations4    ,then1 the more the priests 
of ,rome1 with their theology1 are      
venerated  and believed by a people1 the
 sooner that people will decay and fall4
  8,the more priests the more crimes10  
has said a profound thinker2 for  then  
the more hands will be at work to pull  
down the only sure  foundations of      
society4    ,how can any man be sure of 

the honesty of his wife as long as a    
hundred  thousand priests tell her that 
she may commit any sin with her         
neighbor1  in order to prevent him from 
doing something worse8 or when she is   
assured1 that1 though guilty of         
adultery1 she can swear she is pure as  
an angel8    ,what will it avail to     
teach the best principles of honor1     
decency and  holiness to a young girl1  
when she is bound to go many times a    
year to a  bachelor priest1 who is bound
 in conscience to give her the most     
infamous lessons of depravity1 under the
 pretext of helping her to  confess all 
her sins8    ,how will the rights of    
justice be secured1 and how can the     
judges and  the juries protect the      
innocent and punish the guilty1 so long 
as the  witnesses are told by two       
hundred thousand priests that they can  
conceal  the truth1 give equivocal      
answers1 and even perjure themselves    
under a  thousand pretexts8    ,what    
,government1 either monarchical or      

republican1 can be sure of a  lease of  
existence8 how can they make their      
people walk with a firm step  in the    
ways of light1 progress and liberty1 as 
long as there is a dark  power over them
 which has the right1 at every hour of  
the day or night1  to break and dissolve
 all the most sacred oaths of           
allegiance8    ,armed with his theology1
 the priest of ,rome has become the most
  dangerous and determined enemy of     
truth1 justice and liberty4 ,he is the  
most formidable obstacle to every good  
,government1 as he is1 without  being   
aware of it1 the greatest enemy of ,god 
and man4                                
,,chapter ,,xiv                         
,,the ,,vow ,,of ,,celibacy4      ,were 
,i to write all the ingenious tricks1   
pious lies1 shameful stories  called    
miracles1 and sacrilegious perversions  
of the ,word of ,god made  use of by    
superiors of seminaries and nunneries to
 entice their poor  victims into the    
trap of perpetual celibacy1 ,i should   

have to write ten  large volumes1       
instead of a short chapter4             
,sometimes the trials and obligations of
 married life are so exaggerated  that  
they may frighten the strongest heart4  
,at other times the joys1  peace and    
privileges of celibacy are depicted with
 such brilliant colors  that they fill  
the coldest mind with enthusiasm4       
,the ,pope takes his victim to the top  
of a high mountain1 and there shows  him
 all the honors1 praise1 wealth1 peace  
and joys of this world1 united  to the  
most glorious throne of heaven1 and then
 tells him3 8,i will give  you all those
 things if you fall at my feet1 promise 
me an absolute  submission1 and swear   
never to marry in order to serve me     
better40    ,who can refuse such        
glorious things8 ,but before entirely   
shutting their  eyes1 so that they may  
not see the bottomless abyss into which 
they are  to fall1 the unfortunate      
victims sometimes have forebodings and  
presentiments of the terrible miseries  

which are in store for them4 ,the  voice
 of their conscience1 intelligence and  
common sense has not always  been so    
fully silenced as the superior desired4 
,at the very time when the tempter is   
whispering his lying promises into      
their ears1 their ,heavenly ,father is  
speaking to them of the ceaseless       
trials1 the shameful falls1 the tedious 
days1 the dreary nights1 and the  cruel 
and insufferable burdens which are      
concealed behind the walls  where the   
sweet yoke of the ,good ,master is      
exchanged for the burdens of  heartless 
men and women4    ,as formerly1 the     
human victims crowned with flowers1 when
 dragged to the  foot of the altar of   
their false gods1 often cried out with  
alarm1 and  struggled to escape from the
 bloody knife of the heathen priest1 so 
at  the approach of the fatal hour at   
which the impious vow is to be made1    
the young victims often feel their      
hearts fainting and filled with  terror4
 ,with pale cheeks1 trembling lips and  

cold-dropping sweat they  ask their     
superiors1 8,is it possible that our    
merciful ,god requires of  us such a    
sacrifice80    ,oh6 how the merciless   
priest of ,rome then becomes eloquent in
 depicting  celibacy as the only way to 
heaven1 or in showing the eternal fires 
of  hell ready to receive cowards and   
traitors1 who1 after having put their   
hand to the plough of celibacy1 look    
back6 ,he speaks of the  disappointment 
and sadness of so many dear friends1 who
 expected better  things of them4 ,he   
points out to them their own shame when 
they will  again be in a world which    
will have nothing for them but sneers   
for  their want of perseverance and     
courage4 ,he overwhelms them with a     
thousand pious lies about the miracles  
wrought by ,christ in favor of his      
virgins and priests4 ,he bewitches them 
by numerous texts of ,scripture1  which 
he brings as evident proof of the will  
of ,god in favor of their  taking the   
vows of celibacy1 though they have not  

the slightest  reference to such vows4  
,the text of which the strangest abuses 
are made by the superiors to  persuade  
the young people of both sexes to bind  
themselves to those  shameful vows is   
,matt4 xix41 #ab1 #ac3 8,for there are  
eunuchs which were  born from their     
mother's womb2 and there are some       
eunuchs which were  made eunuchs of men2
 and there are eunuchs which have made  
themselves  eunuchs for the kingdom of  
heaven's sake4 ,he that is able to      
receive it1  let him receive it40       
,upon one occasion our superior made a  
very pressing appeal to our  religious  
feelings from this text1 to induce us to
 make the vow of  celibacy and become   
priests4 ,but the address1 though       
delivered with a  great deal of zeal1   
seemed to us deficient in logic4    ,the
 next day was a day of rest 7conge74    
,the students in theology who  were     
preparing themselves for the priesthood1
 with me1 talked seriously  of the      
singular arguments of the last address4 

,it seemed to them that  the conclusions
 could not in any way be drawn from the 
selected text1  and therefore determined
 to respectfully present their          
objections and  their views1 which were 
also mine1 to the superior2 and ,i was  
chosen to  speak for them all4    ,at   
the next conference1 after respectfully 
asking and obtaining  permission to     
express our objections with our own     
frank and plain  sentiments1 ,i spoke   
about as follows3    8,dear and         
venerable sir3 ,you told us that the    
following words of ,christ1  #8,there be
 eunuchs which have made themselves     
eunuchs for the kingdom of  heaven's    
sake1'--show us evidently that we must  
make the vow of celibacy  and make      
ourselves eunuchs if we want to become  
priests4 ,allow us to  tell you         
respectfully1 that it seems to us that  
the mind of our ,saviour  was very      
different from yours when he pronounced 
these words4 ,in our  humble opinion1   
the only object of the ,son of ,god was 

to warn ,his  disciples against one of  
the most damnable errors which were to  
endanger  the very existence of nations4
 ,he was foretelling that there would be
  men so wicked and blind as to preach  
that the best way for men to go to      
heaven would be to make eunuchs of      
themselves4 ,allow us to draw your      
attention to the fact that in that      
speech ,jesus ,christ neither approves  
nor disapproves of the idea of gaining a
 throne in heaven by becoming  eunuchs4 
,he leaves us to our common sense and to
 some clearer parts of  ,scripture to   
see whether or not ,he approves of those
 who would make  eunuchs of themselves  
to gain a crown in heaven4 ,must we not 
interpret  this text as we interpret    
what ,jesus said to ,his apostles1      
#8,the time  cometh that whosoever      
killeth you will think that he doeth    
,god's  service' 7,john xvi41 #a1 #b74  
8,allow us to put these two texts face  
to face3    8#8,there are eunuchs which 
have made themselves eunuchs for the    

kingdom  of heaven's sake4' 7,matt4     
xix41 #ab1 #ac74    8#8,the time cometh 
that whosoever killeth you will think   
that he doeth  ,god's service4' 7,john  
xvi4 #a1 #b74    8,because our ,saviour 
has said that there would be men who    
would think  that they would please ,god
 7and of course gain a place in heaven7 
by  killing ,his disciples1 are we1     
therefore1 allowed to conclude that it  
would be our duty to kill those who     
believe and follow ,christ8 ,surely     
not4    8,well1 it seems to us that we  
are not to believe that the best way to 
go  to heaven is to make ourselves      
eunuchs1 because our ,saviour had said  
that some men had got that criminal and 
foolish notion into their mind6         
8,christian nations have always looked  
with horror upon those who  voluntarily 
became eunuchs4 ,common sense1 as well  
as the ,word of ,god1  condemns those   
who thus destroy in their own bodies    
that which ,god in  his wisdom gave them
 for the wisest and holiest purposes4   

,would it not1  therefore1 be a crime   
which every civilized and ,christian    
nation would  punish1 to preach publicly
 and with success to the people that one
 of  the surest ways for a man to go to 
heaven would be to make himself an      
eunuch8 ,how can we believe that our    
,saviour could ever sanction such a     
practice8    8,moreover1 if being       
eunuchs would make the way to heaven    
surer and more  easy1 would not ,god be 
unjust for depriving us of the great    
privilege of  being born eunuchs1 and   
thus being made ripe fruits for heaven8 
8,it seems to us that that text does not
 in any way require us to believe  that 
an eunuch is nearer the kingdom of ,god 
than he who lives just  according to the
 laws which ,god gave to man in the     
earthly paradise4 ,if  it was not good  
for man to be without his wife when he  
was so holy and  strong as he was in the
 ,garden of ,eden1 how can it be good   
now that he  is so weak and sinful8     
8,our ,saviour clearly shows that he    

finds no sanctifying power in the  state
 of an eunuch1 in his answer to the     
young man who asked him1 #8,good        
master1 what must ,i do that ,i may have
 eternal life8' 7,matt4 xix41 #af47     
,did the good ,master answer him in the 
language we heard from you two  days    
ago1 namely1 that the best way to have  
eternal life is to make  yourself an    
eunuch--make a solemn vow never to      
marry8 ,no2 but he said1  #8,keep the   
commandments6'    8,were the blessed    
,saviour to-day in your place1 and ,i   
should ask him1  #8,what must ,i do to  
be saved1 and to show the way of ,god to
 my brethren8'  would he not say to me1 
#8,keep the commandments6' ,but where is
 the  commandment of ,god in the ,old or
 ,new ,testament1 to induce us to make  
such a vow as that of celibacy8 ,the    
promise of a place in heaven is not     
attached in any way to the vow of       
celibacy4 ,christ has not a word about  
that doctrine4    8,allow us to         
respectfully ask1 if the views          

concerning the vows of  celibacy        
entertained by ,christ had been like    
yours1 is it possible that  ,he would   
have forgotten to mention them when ,he 
answered the solemn  question of that   
young man8 ,is it possible that ,he     
would not have said a  single word about
 a thing which you have represented to  
us as being of  such vital importance to
 those who sincerely desire to know what
 to do  to be saved8 ,is it not strange 
that the ,church should attach such an  
importance to that vow of celibacy1 when
 we look in vain for such an  ordinance 
in both the ,old and ,new ,testaments8  
,how can we understand the  reasons or  
the importance of such a strict1 and we 
dare say1 unnatural  obligation in our  
day1 when we know very well that the    
holy apostles  themselves were living   
with their wives1 and that the ,saviour 
had not a  word of rebuke for them on   
that account80    ,this free expression 
of our common views on the vows of      
celibacy  evidently took our superior by

 surprise4 ,he answered me1 with an     
accent  of indignation which he could   
not suppress4 8,is that all you have to 
say80    8,it is not quite all we have  
to say10 ,i answered2 8but before we go 
further we would be much gratified to   
receive from you the light we want  on  
the difficulties which ,i have just     
stated40    8,you have spoken as a true 
heretic10 replied ,mr4 ,leprohon1 with  
an  unusual vivacity2 8and were it not  
for the hope which ,i entertain that    
you said those things more to receive   
the light you want than to present  and 
support the heretical side of such an   
important question1 ,i would at  once   
denounce you to the bishop4 ,you speak  
of the ,holy ,scriptures just  as a     
,protestant would do4 ,you appeal to    
them as the only source of  ,christian  
truth and knowledge4 ,have you forgotten
 that we have the holy  traditions to   
guide us1 the authority of which is     
equal to that of the  ,scriptures8      
8,you are correct when you say that we  

do not find any direct proof in  the    
,bible to enforce the vows of celibacy  
upon those who desire to  consecrate    
themselves to the service of the        
,church4 ,but if we do not  find the    
obligation of that vow in the ,bible1 we
 find it in the holy  traditions of the 
,church4    8,it is an article of faith 
that the vow of celibacy is ordered by  
,jesus  ,christ1 through ,his ,church4  
,the ordinances of the ,church1 which   
are  nothing but the ordinances of the  
,son of ,god1 are clear on that subject1
  and bind our consciences1 just as the 
commandments of ,god upon ,mount        
,sinai2 for ,christ has said1 those who 
do not hear the ,church must be  looked 
upon as heathen and publicans4 ,there is
 no salvation to those who  do not      
submit their reasoning to the teachings 
of the ,church4    8,you are not        
required to understand all the reasons  
for the vow of  celibacy2 but you are   
bound tobelieve in its necessity and    
holiness1  as the ,church has pronounced

 her verdict upon that question4 ,it is 
not  your business to argue about those 
matters2 but your duty is to obey the   
,church1 as dutiful children obey a kind
 mother4    8,but who can have any doubt
 about the necessity of the vows of     
celibacy1  when we remember that ,christ
 had ordered ,his apostles to separate  
themselves from their wives8--a fact on 
which no doubt can remain after  hearing
 ,st4 ,peter say to our ,saviour1       
#8,behold1 we have forsaken all and     
followed thee2 what shall we have1      
therefore8' 7,matt4 xix4 #bg74 ,is not  
the priest the true representative of   
,christ on earth8 ,in his  ordination1  
is not the priest made the equal1 and1  
in a sense1 the  superior of ,christ8   
for when he celebrates ,mass he commands
 ,christ1 and  that very ,son of ,god is
 bound to obey6 ,it is not in the power 
of ,christ  to resist the orders of the 
priest4 ,he must come down from heaven  
every  time the priest orders ,him4 ,the
 priest shuts ,him up in the holy       

tabernacles or takes him out of them1   
according to his own will4    8,by      
becoming priests of the ,new ,testament 
you will be raised to a  dignity which  
is much above that of angels4 ,from     
these sublime  privileges flows the     
obligation of the priest to raise       
himself to a  degree of holiness much   
above the level of the common people1 a 
holiness  equal to that of the angels4  
,has not our ,saviour1 when speaking of 
the  angels1 said1 #8,neque nubent neque
 nubentur8' ,they marry not1 nor are    
given in marriage4 ,surely1 since the   
priests are the messengers and  angels  
of ,god1 on earth they must be clad with
 angelic holiness and  purity4    8,does
 not ,paul say that the state of        
virginity is superior to that of        
marriage8 ,does not that saying of the  
apostle show that the priest1  whose    
hands every day touch the divine body   
and blood of ,christ1 must be  chaste   
and pure1 and must not be defiled by the
 duties of married life8  ,that vow of  

celibacy it like a holy chain1 which    
keeps us above the  filth of this earth 
and ties us to heaven4 ,jesus ,christ1  
through ,his  holy ,church1 commands    
that vow to his priests as the most     
efficacious  remedy against the         
inclinations of our corrupt nature4     
8,according to the holy ,fathers1 the   
vow of celibacy is like a strong1  high 
tower1 from the top of which we can     
fight our enemies1 and be  perfectly    
safe from their darts and weapons4      
8,i will be happy to answer your other  
objections1 if you have any more10  said
 ,mr4 ,leprohon4    8,we are much       
obliged to you for your answers10 ,i    
replied1 8and we will  avail ourselves  
of your kindness to present you with    
some other  observations4    8,and1     
firstly1 we thank you for having told us
 that we find nothing in  the ,word of  
,god to support the vows of celibacy1   
and that it is only by  the traditions  
of the ,church that we can prove their  
necessity and  holiness4 ,it was our    

impression that you desired us to       
believe that the  necessity of that vow 
was founded on the ,holy ,scriptures4   
,if you will  allow it1 we will discuss 
the traditions another time1 and will   
confine  ourselves to-day to the        
different texts to which you referred in
 favor  of celibacy4    8,when ,peter   
says1 #8,we have given up everything1'  
it seems to us that he  had no intention
 of saying that he had forever given up 
his wife by a  vow4 ,for ,st4 ,paul     
positively says1 many years after1 that 
,peter had his  wife2 that he was not   
only living with her in his own house1  
but was  traveling with her when        
preaching the gospel4 ,the words of     
,scripture are  of such evidence on that
 subject that they can neither be       
obscured by  any shrewd explanation nor 
by any tradition1 however respectable it
 may  appear4    8,though you know the  
words of ,paul on that subject1 you will
 allow us to  read them3 #8,have we not 
power to eat and drink8 have we not     

power to  lead about a sister1 a wife1  
as well as other apostles and as the    
brethren of the ,lord1 and ,cephas8' 7#a
 ,cor4 ix41 #d1 #e74 ,st4 ,peter saying1
  #8,we have forsaken everything' could 
not mean then that he had made a vow  of
 celibacy1 and that he would not live   
with his wife as a married man4         
,evidently the words of ,peter mean only
 that ,jesus had the first place in  his
 heart--that everything else1 even the  
dearest objects of his love1 as  father1
 mother1 wife1 were only secondary in   
his affections and  thoughts4    8,your 
other text about the angels who do not  
marry1 from which you infer  the        
obligation and law of the vow of        
celibacy1 does not seem to us to  bear  
on that subject as much as you have told
 us4 ,for1 be kind enough to  again read
 the text3 #8,jesus answered and said   
unto them1 #8,ye do err1 not  knowing   
the ,scriptures1 nor the power of ,god4 
,for in the resurrection  they neither  
marry nor are given in marriage1 but are

 as the angels of  ,god in heaven'      
7,matt4 xxii4 #bi1 #cj74 ,you see that  
when our ,saviour  speaks of men who are
 like angels1 and who do not marry1 ,he 
takes care  to observe that he speaks of
 the state of men after the             
resurrection4  ,if the ,church had the  
same rule for us that ,christ mentioned 
for the  angelic men to whom ,he refers1
 and would allow us to make a vow never 
to  marry after the resurrection1 we    
would not have the slightest objection  
to such a vow4    8,you see that our    
,saviour speaks of a state of celibacy2 
but ,he does not  intimate that that    
state is to begin on this side of the   
grave4 ,why does  not our ,church       
imitate and follow the teachings of our 
,saviour8 ,why does  she enforce a state
 of celibacy before the resurrection1   
while ,christ  postpones the            
promulgation of this law till after that
 great day8    8,christ speaks of a     
perpetual celibacy only in heaven6 ,on  
what  authority1 then1 does our ,church 

enforce that celibacy on this side of   
the grave1 when we still carry our souls
 in earthly vessels8    8,you tell us   
that the vow of celibacy is the best    
remedy against the  inclinations of our 
corrupt nature2 but do you not fear that
 your remedy  makes war against the     
great one which ,god prepared in ,his   
wisdom8 ,do we  not read in our own     
vulgate3 #8,propter fornicationem autem 
quisque suam  uxorem habeat1 et unaquaqu
 virum suum'8 #8,to avoid fornication   
let every  man have his own wife1 and   
let every woman have her own husband'   
7#b ,cor4  vii4 #b47    8,is it not too 
strange1 indeed1 that ,god does tell us 
that the best  remedy ,he had prepared  
against the inclinations of our corrupt 
nature is  in the blessings of a holy   
marriage4 #8,let every man have his own 
wife1  and every woman her own husband4'
 ,but now our ,church has found another 
remedy1 which is more accordant to the  
dignity of man and the holiness  of     
,god1 and that remedy is the vow of     

celibacy60    ,the sound of my last     
words were still on my lips when our    
venerable  superior1 unable any longer  
to conceal his indignation1 abruptly    
interrupted me1 saying3    8,i do       
exceedingly regret to have allowed you  
to go so far4 ,this is not a  ,christian
 and humble discussion between young    
,levites and their  superior1 to receive
 from him the light they want4 ,it is   
the exposition  and defence of the most 
heretical doctrines ,i have ever heard4 
,are you  not ashamed1 when you try to  
make us prefer your interpretation of   
the  ,holy ,scriptures to that of the   
,church8 ,is it to you1 or to ,his holy 
,church1 that ,christ promised the light
 of the ,holy ,ghost8 ,is it you who    
have to teach the ,church1 or the       
,church who must teach you8 ,is it you  
who will govern and guide the ,church1  
or the ,church who will govern and      
guide you8    8,my dear ,chiniquy1 if   
there is not a great and prompt change  
in you and  in those whom you pretend to

 represent1 ,i fear much for you all4   
,you  show a spirit of infidelity and   
revolt which frightens me4 ,just like   
,lucifer1 you rebel against the ,lord6  
,do you not fear to share the  eternal  
pains of his rebellion8    8,whence have
 you taken the false and heretical      
notions you have1 for  instance1 about  
the wives of the apostles8 ,do you not  
know that you are  supporting a         
,protestant error1 when you say that the
 apostles were  living with their wives 
in the usual way of married people8 ,it 
is true  that ,paul says that the       
apostles had women with them1 and that  
they were  even traveling with them4    
,but the holy traditions of the ,church 
tell us  that those women were holy     
virgins1 who were traveling with the    
apostles  to serve and help them in     
different ways4 ,they were ministering  
to their  different wants--washing their
 underclothes1 preparing their meals1   
just  like the housekeeper whom the     
priests have to-day4 ,it is a           

,protestant  impiety to think and speak 
otherwise4    8,but only a word more1   
and ,i am done4 ,if you accept the      
teaching of the  ,church1 and submit    
yourself as doubtful children to that   
most holy  ,mother1 she will raise you  
to the dignity of the priesthood1 a     
dignity  much above kings and emperors  
in this world4 ,if you serve her with   
fidelity1 she will secure to you the    
respect and veneration of the whole     
world while you live1 and procure you a 
crown of glory in heaven4    8,but if   
you reject her doctrines1 and persist in
 your rebellious views  against one of  
the most holy dogmas2 if you continue to
 listen to the  voice of your own       
deceitful reason rather than to the     
voice of the  ,church1 in the           
interpretation of the ,holy ,scriptures1
 you become  heretics1 apostates and    
,protestants2 you will lead a dishonored
 life in  this world1 and you will be   
lost for all eternity40    ,our superior
 left us immediately after these        

fulminating words4 ,some of  the        
theological students1 after his exit1   
laughed heartily1 and thanked  me for   
having so bravely fought and gained a   
glorious victory4 ,two of  them1 ,joseph
 ,turcot and ,benony ,legendre1         
disgusted by the sophisms and  logical  
absurdities of our superior left the    
seminary a few days after4  ,the rest1  
with me1 had not the moral courage to   
follow their example1  but remained1    
stunned by the last words of our        
superior4    ,i went to my room and fell
 on my knees1 with a torrent of tears   
falling  from my eyes4 ,i was really    
sorry for having wounded his feelings1  
but  still more so for having dared for 
a moment to oppose my own feeble and    
fallible reason to the mighty and       
infallible intelligence of my ,church6  
,at first it appeared to me that ,i was 
only combatting1 in a respectful  way1  
against my old friend1 ,rev4 ,mr4       
,leprohon2 but ,i had received it  from 
his own lips that ,i had really fought  

against the ,lord6    ,after having     
spent a long and dark night of anguish  
and remorse1 my  first action1 the next 
day1 was to go to confession1 and ask my
  confessor1 with tears of regret1      
pardon for the sins ,i had committed and
  the scandal ,i had given4    ,had ,i  
listened to the voice of my conscience1 
,i certainly would have  left the       
seminary that day2 for they told me that
 ,i had confounded my  superior and     
pulverized all his arguments4 ,reason   
and conscience told me  that the vow of 
celibacy was a sin against logic1       
morality and ,god2 that  that vow could 
not be sustained by any argument from   
the ,holy  ,scriptures1 logic or common 
sense4 ,but ,i was a most sincere ,roman
  ,catholic4 ,i had therefore to fight a
 new battle against my conscience  and  
intelligence1 so as to subdue and       
silence them forever6 ,many a time  it  
was my hope1 before this1 to have       
succeeded in slaughtering them at  the  
foot of the altar of my ,church2 but    

that day1 far from being forever        
silenced and buried1 they had come out  
again with renewed force1 to  waken me  
from the terrible illusions in which ,i 
was living4  ,nevertheless1 after a long
 and frightful battle1 my hope was that 
they  were perfectly subdued and buried 
under the feet of the holy ,fathers1    
the learned theologians and the         
venerable popes1 whose voice only ,i was
  determined now to follow4 ,i felt a   
real calm after that struggle4 ,it was  
evidently the silence of death1 although
 my confessor told me it was the  peace 
of ,god4 ,more than ever ,i determined  
to have no knowledge1 no  thought1 no   
will1 no light1 no desires1 no science  
but that which my  ,church would give me
 through my superior4 ,i was fallible1  
she was  infallible6 ,i was a sinner1   
she was the immaculate spouse of ,jesus 
,christ6 ,i was weak1 she had more power
 than the great waters of the  ocean6 ,i
 was but an atom1 she was covering the  
world with her glory6  ,what1 therefore1

 could ,i have to fear in humbling      
myself to her feet1 to  live of her     
life1 to be strong of her strength1 wise
 of her wisdom1 holy  with her holiness8
 ,had not my superior repeatedly told me
 that no error1  no sin would be imputed
 to me as long as ,i obeyed my ,church  
and walked  in her ways8    ,with these 
sentiments of a most profound and       
perfect respect for my  ,church1 ,i     
irrevocably consecrated myself to her   
service on the #dth of  ,may1 #ahcb1 by 
making the vow of celibacy and accepting
 the office of  sub-deacon4             
,,chapter ,,xv4                         
,,the ,,impurities ,,of ,,the ,,theology
 ,,of ,,rome            8,the mother of 
harlots and abominations40--,,rev4 xvii4
 #e4      ,constrained by the voice of  
my conscience to reveal the impurities  
of  the theology of the ,church of      
,rome1 ,i feel1 in doing so1 a sentiment
 of  inexpressible shame4 ,they are of  
such a loathsome nature1 that often     
they cannot be expressed in any living  

language4    ,however great may have    
been the corruptions in the theologies  
and  priests of paganism1 there is      
nothing in their records which can be   
compared with the depravity of those of 
the ,church of ,rome4 ,before the  day  
on which the theology of ,rome was      
inspired by ,satan1 the world had       
certainly witnessed many dark deeds2 but
 vice had never been clothed  with the  
mantle of theology3--the most shameful  
forms of iniquity had  never been       
publicly taught in the schools of the   
old pagan priest1 under  the pretext of 
saving the world4 ,no6 neither had the  
priests or the  idols been forced to    
attend meetings where the most degrading
 forms of  iniquity were objects of the 
most minute study1 and that under the   
pretext of glorifying ,god4    ,let     
those who understand ,latin read the    
pages which ,i give at the end of  my   
book1 8,the ,priest1 the ,woman1 and the
 ,confessional10 and then decide  as to 
whether or not the sentiments therein   

contained are not enough to  shock the  
feelings of the most depraved4 ,and let 
it be remembered that  all those        
abominations have to be studied1 learned
 by heart and  thoroughly understood by 
men who have to make a vow never to     
marry6 ,for  it is not till after his   
vow of celibacy that the student in     
theology is  initiated into those       
mysteries of iniquity4    ,has the world
 ever witnessed such a sacrilegious     
comedy8 ,a young man  about twenty years
 of age has been enticed to make a vow  
of perpetual  celibacy1 and the very    
next day the ,church of ,rome puts under
 the eye of  his soul the most infamous 
spectacle8 ,she fills his memory with   
the most  disgusting images6 ,she       
tickles all his senses and pollutes his 
ears not  by imaginary representations1 
but by realities which would shock the  
most abandoned in vice6    ,for1 let it 
be well understood1 that it is          
absolutely impossible for one  to study 
those questions of ,roman ,theology1 and

 fathom those forms of  iniquity without
 having his body as well as his mind    
plunged into a  state the most          
degrading4 ,moreover1 ,rome does not    
even try to conceal  the overwhelming   
power of this kind of teaching2 she does
 not even  attempt to make it a secret  
from the victims of her incomparable    
depravity1 but ,,bravely ,,tells them   
that the study of those questions will  
act with an irresistible power upon     
those organs1 and without a blush  says 
8that pollution must follow6660    ,but 
in order that the ,church of ,rome may  
more certainly destroy her  victims1 and
 that they may not escape from the abyss
 which she has dug  under their feet1   
she tells them 8,there is no sin for you
 in those  pollutions60 7,dens1 vol4 i41
 p4 #cae47    ,but ,rome must bewitch1  
so as the better to secure their        
destruction4 ,she  puts to their lips   
the cup of her enchantments1 the more   
certainly to  kill their souls1 dethrone
 ,god from their consciences1 and       

abrogate his  eternal laws of holiness4 
,what answer does ,rome give those who  
reproach  her with the awful impurity of
 her theology4 8,my theological works10 
she  answers1 8are all written in       
,latin2 the people cannot read them4 ,no
  evil1 no scandal1 therefore1 can come 
from them60 ,but this answer is a       
miserable subterfuge4 ,is this not the  
public acknowledgment that her  theology
 would be exceedingly injurious to the  
people if it were read  and understood  
by them8    ,by saying1 8,my theological
 works are written in ,latin1 therefore 
the  people cannot be defiled1 as they  
do not understand them10 ,rome does     
acknowledge that these works would only 
act as a pestilence among the  people   
were they read and understood by them4  
,but are not the one  hundred thousand  
priests of ,rome bound to explain in    
every known tongue1  and present to the 
mind of every nation1 the theology      
contained in those  books8 ,are they not
 bound to make every polluting sentence 

in them flow  into the ears1            
imagination1 hearts and minds of all the
 married and  unmarried women whom ,rome
 holds in her grasp8    ,i exaggerate   
nothing when ,i say that not fewer than 
half a million women  every day are     
compelled to hear in their own language1
 almost every  polluting sentence and   
impure notion of the diabolical science4
    ,and here ,i challenge1 most        
fearlessly1 the ,church of ,rome to deny
 what ,i  say1 when ,i state that the   
daily average of women who go to        
confession  to each priest1 is ten4 ,but
 let us reduce the number to five4 ,then
 the  two hundred thousand priests who  
are scattered over the whole world1     
hear the confessions of one million     
women every day4 ,well1 now1 out of  one
 hundred women who confess1 there are at
 least ninety-nine whom the  priest is  
bound in conscience to pollute1 by      
questioning them on the  matters        
mentioned in 8,the ,priest1 the ,woman  
and the ,confessional40 ,how  can one be

 surprised at the rapid downfall of the 
nations who are under  the yoke of the  
,pope8    ,the public statistics of the 
,european1 as well as of ,american      
nations1  show that there is among      
,roman ,catholics nearly double the     
amount of  prostitution1 bastardy1      
theft1 perjury and murder1 than is found
 among  ,protestant nations4 ,where must
 we1 then1 look for the cause of those  
stupendous facts1 if not in the corrupt 
teachings of the theology of  ,rome4    
,how can the ,roman ,catholic nations   
hope to raise themselves in the  scale  
of ,christian dignity and morality as   
long as there remain two  hundred       
thousand priests in their midst1 bound  
in conscience every day  to pollute the 
minds1 and the hearts of their mothers1 
their wives and  their daughters4       
,and here let me say1 once for all1 that
 ,i am not induced to speak as ,i  do   
from any motive of contempt or          
unchristian feeling against the         
theological professors who have         

initiated me into those mysteries of    
iniquity4 ,the ,rev4 ,messrs4 ,raimbault
 and ,leprohon were1 and in my mind     
they still are1 as venerable as men can 
be in the ,church of ,rome4 ,as ,i  have
 been myself1 and as all the priests of 
,rome are1 they were plunged  into the  
abyss without understanding it1 into the
 abyss of the most  stolid ignorance4   
,they were crushed1 as ,i was myself1   
under a yoke which  bound their         
understanding to the dust and polluted  
their hearts without  measure4 ,we were 
embarked together on a ship1 the first  
appearance of  which was really         
magnificent1 but the bottom of which was
 irremediably  rotten4 ,without the true
 ,pilot on board we were left to perish 
on  unknown shoals4 ,out of this sinking
 ship the hand of ,god alone1 in his    
merciful providence1 rescued me4 ,i pity
 those friends of my youth1 but  despise
 them8 hate them8 ,no6 ,never6 ,never6  
,every time our theological teachers    
gave us our lessons1 it was evident     

that they blushed in the inmost part of 
their souls4 ,their consciences  as     
honest men were evidently forbidding    
them1 on the one hand1 to open  their   
mouths on such matters1 while1 on the   
other hand1 as slaves and  priests of   
the ,pope1 they were compelled to speak 
without reserve4    ,after our lessons  
in theology1 we students used to be     
filled with such a  sentiment of shame  
that sometimes we hardly dared to look  
at each other2  and1 when alone in our  
rooms1 those horrible pictures were     
affecting our  hearts1 in spite of      
ourselves1 as the rust affects and      
corrodes the  hardest and purest steel4 
,more than one of my fellow-students    
told me1  with tears of shame and rage1 
that they regretted to have bound       
themselves by perpetual oaths to        
minister at the altars of the ,church4  
,one day one of the students1 called    
,desaulnier1 who was sick in the same   
room with me1 asked me3 8,chiniquy1 what
 do you think of the matters  which are 

the objects of our present theological  
studies8 ,is it not a  burning shame    
that we must allow our minds to be so   
polluted80    8,i cannot sufficiently   
tell you my feelings of disgust10 ,i    
answered4  8,had ,i known sooner that we
 were to be dragged over such a ground1 
,i  certainly never would have nailed my
 future to the banners under which  we  
are irrevocably bound to live40    8,do 
you know10 said ,desaulnier1 8that ,i am
 determined never to consent  to be     
ordained a priest2 for when ,i think of 
the fact that the priest is  bound to   
confer with women on all these polluting
 matters1 ,i feel an  insurmountable    
disgust and shame40    8,i am not less  
troubled10 ,i replied4 8,my head aches  
and my heart sinks  within me1 when ,i  
hear our theologians telling us that we 
will be in  conscience bound to speak to
 females on these impure subjects4 ,but 
sometimes this looks to me as if it were
 a bad dream1 the impure  phantoms of   
which will disappear at the first       

awakening4 ,our ,church1  which is so   
pure and holy1 that she can only be     
served by the spotless  virgins1 surely 
cannot compel us to pollute our lips1   
thoughts1 souls1  and even our bodies1  
by speaking to strange women on matters 
so  defiling60    8,but we are near the 
hour at which the good ,mr4 ,leprohon is
 in the habit  of visiting us4 ,will    
you10 said ,i1 8promise to stand by me  
on what ,i  shall ask him on this       
subject8 ,i hope to get from him a      
pledge that we  will not be compelled to
 be polluted in the confessional by the 
women  who will confess to us4 ,the     
purity and holiness of our superior is  
of  such a high character1 that ,i am   
sure he has never said a word to        
females on those degrading matters4 ,in 
spite of all the theologians1 ,mr4      
,leprohon will allow us to keep our     
tongues and our hearts1 as well as  our 
bodies1 pure in the confessional40      
8,i have had the desire to speak to him 
on this subject for some time10         

rejoined ,desaulnier1 8but my courage   
failed me every time ,i attempted to  do
 so4 ,i am glad1 therefore1 that you are
 to break the ice1 and ,i will          
certainly support you1 as ,i have a     
longing desire to know something more   
in regard to the mysteries of the       
confessional4 ,if we be at liberty      
never to speak to women on those        
horrors1 ,i will consent to serve the   
,church as a priest2 but if not1 ,i     
,,will ,,never ,,be ,a ,,priest40    ,a 
few minutes after this our superior     
entered1 to kindly inquire how we  had  
rested the night before4 ,having thanked
 him for his kindness1 ,i  opened the   
volumes of ,dens and ,liguori1 which    
were on our table1 and1  with a blush1  
putting my fingers on one of the        
infamous chapters  referred to1 ,i said 
to him3    8,after ,god1 you have the   
first place in my heart since my        
mother's  death1 and you know it4 ,i    
take you1 not only as my benefactor1 but
 also1  as it were1 as my father and    

mother4 ,you will therefore tell me all 
,i  want to know in these my hours of   
anxiety1 through which ,god is pleased  
to make me pass4 ,to follow your advice1
 not to say your commands1 ,i have      
lately consented to receive the order of
 sub-deacon1 and ,i have in  consequence
 taken the vow of perpetual celibacy4   
,but ,i will not conceal  the fact from 
you that ,i had not a clear             
understanding of what ,i was  then      
doing2 and ,desaulnier has just stated  
to me1 that until recently he  had no   
more idea of the nature of that promise1
 nor of the difficulties  which we now  
see ahead of us in our priestly life1   
than ,i had4    8,but ,dens1 ,liguori   
and ,st4 ,thomas have given us notions  
quite new in  regard to many things4    
,they have directed our minds to the    
knowledge of  the laws which are in us1 
as well as in every other child of      
,adam4 ,they  have1 in a word1 directed 
our minds into regions which were quite 
new  and unexplored by us2 and ,i dare  

say that every one of those whom we     
have known1 whether in this house or    
elsewhere1 who have made the same  vow1 
could tell the same tale4    8,however1 
,i do not speak for them2 ,i speak only 
for myself and  ,desaulnier4 ,for ,god's
 sake1 please tell us if we will be     
bound in  conscience to speak in the    
confessional1 to the married and        
unmarried  females1 on such impure and  
defiling questions as are contained in  
the  theologians before us80    8,most  
undoubtedly10 replied ,rev4 ,mr4        
,leprohon2 8because the learned and     
holy theologians whose writings are in  
your hands are positive on that         
question4 ,it is absolutely necessary   
that you should question your  female   
penitents on such matters2 for1 as a    
general thing1 girls and  married women 
are too timid to confess those sins1 of 
which they are  even more frequently    
guilty than men1 therefore they must be 
helped by  questioning them40    8,but  
have you not10 ,i rejoined1 8induced us 

to make an oath that we  should always  
remain pure and undefiled8 ,how is it1  
then1 that to-day  you put us in such a 
position that it is almost an           
impossibility for us  to be true to our 
sacred promise8 ,for the theologians are
 unanimous that  those questions put by 
us to our female penitents1 together    
with the  recital of their secret sins1 
will act with such an irresistible power
  upon us that we will be polluted4     
8,would it not be better for us to feel 
those things in the holy bonds of       
marriage1 with our wives1 and according 
to the laws of ,god1 than in  company   
and conversation with strange women8    
,because1 if we are to  believe the     
theologians which are in our hands1 no  
priest--not even you1  my dear ,mr4     
,leprohon1 can hear the confessions of  
women without being  defiled40    ,here 
,desaulnier interrupted me1 and said3   
8,my dear ,mr4 ,leprohon1 ,i  concur in 
everything ,chiniquy has just been      
telling you4 ,would we not be  more     

chaste and pure by living with our      
lawful wives1 than by daily  exposing   
ourselves in the confessional in company
 of women whose  presence will          
irresistibly drag us into the most      
shameful pit of  impurity8 ,i ask you1  
my dear sir1 what will become of my vow 
of perfect  and perpetual chastity1 when
 the seducing presence of my neighbor's 
wife1 or the enchanting words of his    
daughter1 will have defiled me  through 
the confessional4 ,after all1 ,i may be 
looked upon by the people  as a chaste  
man2 but what will ,i be in the eyes of 
,god8 ,the people may  entertain the    
thought that ,i am a strong and honest  
man2 but will ,i not  be a broken reed8 
,will ,god not be the witness that the  
irresistible  temptations which will    
have assailed me when hearing the secret
 sins of  some sweet and tempting women1
 will have deprived me of that glorious 
crown of chastity for which ,i have so  
dearly paid8 ,men will think that ,i  am
 an angel of purity2 but my own         

conscience will tell me that ,i am      
nothing but a skillful hypocrite4 ,for  
according to all the theologians1  the  
confessional is the tomb of the chastity
 of priests66 ,if ,i hear the           
confession of women1 ,i will be like all
 other priests1 in a tomb1 well  painted
 and gilded on the outside1 but within  
full of corruption40    ,francis        
,desaulnier1 just as he had foretold me1
 refused to be a priest4  ,he remained  
all his life in the orders of the       
sub-deaconate1 in the  ,college of      
,nicolet1 as a ,professor of            
,philosophy4 ,he was a man who  seldom  
spoke in conversation1 but thought very 
much4 ,it seems to me that  ,i still see
 him there1 under that tall centenary   
tree1 alone1 during the  long hours of  
intermission1 and many long days during 
our holidays1  while the rest of the    
students passed hither and thither1     
singing and  playing1 on the enchanting 
banks of the river of ,nicolet4    ,he  
was a good logician and a profound      

mathematician2 and although  affable to 
everyone1 he was not communicative4 ,i  
was probably the only  one to whom he   
opened his mind concerning the great    
questions of  ,christianity--faith1     
history1 the ,church and her discipline4
 ,he  repeatedly said to me3 8,i wish ,i
 had never opened a book of theology4   
,our theologians are without heart1 soul
 or logic4 ,many of them approve  of    
theft1 lies and perjury2 others drag us1
 without a blush1 into the  most filthy 
pits of iniquity4 ,every one of them    
would like to make an  assassin of every
 ,catholic4 ,according to their         
doctrine1 ,christ is  nothing but a     
,corsican brigand1 whose bloody         
disciples are bound to  destroy all the 
heretics by fire and sword4 ,were we    
acting according to  the principles of  
those theologians1 we would slaughter   
all ,protestants  with the same coolness
 of blood as we would shoot down the    
wolf which  crosses our path4 ,with     
their hand still reddened with the blood

 of ,st4  ,bartholomew they speak to us 
of charity1 religion and ,god1 as if    
there  were neither of them in the      
world40    ,desaulnier was looked upon  
as 8un homme singulier0 at ,nicolet4 ,he
 was  really an exception to all the men
 in the seminary4 ,for example3 ,though 
it was the usage and the law that       
ecclesiastics should receive the        
communion every month1 and upon every   
great feast day of the ,church1 yet  he 
would scarcely take the communion once a
 year4 ,but let me return to  the       
interview with our superior4            
,desaulnier's fearless and energetic    
words had evidently made a very  painful
 impression upon our superior4 ,it was  
not a usual thing for his  disciples in 
theology thus to take upon themselves to
 speak with such  freedom as we both did
 on this occasion4 ,he did not conceal  
his pain at  what he called our         
unbecoming and unchristian attack upon  
some of the  most holy ordinances of the
 ,church2 and after he had refuted      

,desaulnier  in the best way he could1  
he turned to me and said3 8,my dear     
,chiniquy1 ,i  have repeatedly warned   
you against the habit you have of       
listening to  your own frail reasoning1 
when you should only obey as a dutiful  
child4  ,were we to believe you we would
 immediately set ourselves to work to   
reform the ,church and abolish the      
confession of women to priests2 we      
would throw all our theological books   
into the fire and have new ones         
written1 better adapted to your fancy4  
,what does all this prove8 ,only  one   
thing1 and that is1 that the devil of   
pride is tempting you as he  has tempted
 all the so-called ,reformers1 and      
destroyed them as he would  you4 ,if you
 do not take care1 you will become      
another ,luther6    8,the theological   
books of ,st4 ,thomas1 ,liguori and     
,dens have been  approved by the        
,church4 ,how1 therefore1 do you not see
 the ridicule and  danger of your       
position4 ,on one side1 then1 ,i see all

 our holy popes1  the two thousand      
,catholic bishops1 all our learned      
theologians and  priests1 backed up by  
our two hundred millions of ,roman      
,catholics drawn  up as an innumerable  
army to fight the battles of the ,lord2 
and on the  other side1 what do ,i see8 
,nothing but my small1 though very dear 
,chiniquy6    8,how1 then1 is it that   
you do not fear1 when with your weak    
reasoning  you oppose the mighty        
reasoning and light of so many holy     
popes1  venerable bishops and learned   
theologians8 ,is it not just as absurd  
for  you to try to reform the ,church by
 your small reasons1 as it is for the   
grain of sand which is found at the foot
 of the great mountain to try to  turn  
that mighty mountain out of its place8  
or for the small drop of  water to      
attempt to throw the boundless ocean out
 of its bed1 or try to  oppose the      
running tides of the ,polar seas8       
8,believe me1 and take my friendly      
advice10 continued our superior1        

8before it is too late4 ,let the small  
grain of sand remain still at the  foot 
of the majestic mountain6 and let the   
humble drop of water consent  to follow 
the irresistible currents of the        
boundless seas1 and  everything will be 
in order4    8,all the good priests who 
have heard the confessions of women     
before us  have been sanctified and have
 had their souls saved1 even when their 
bodies were polluted2 for those carnal  
pollutions are nothing but human        
miseries1 which cannot defile a soul    
which desires to remain united to  ,god4
 ,are the rays of the sun defiled by    
coming down into the mud8 ,no6  ,the    
rays remain pure1 and return spotless to
 the shining orb whence they  came4 ,so 
the heart of a good priest--as ,i hope  
my dear ,chiniquy will  be--will remain 
pure and holy in spite of the accidental
 and unavoidable  defilement of the     
flesh4    8,apart from those things1 in 
your ordination you will receive a      
special  grace which will change you    

into another man2 and the ,virgin ,mary1
 to  whom you will constantly address   
yourself will obtain for you a perfect  
purity from her ,son4    8,the          
defilement of the flesh spoken of by the
 theologians1 and which1 ,i  confess1 is
 unavoidable when hearing the           
confessions of women1 must not  trouble 
you2 for they are not sinful1 as ,dens  
and ,liguori assure us4  7,dens1 vol4   
i41 pages #bii1 #cji47    8,but enough  
on that subject4 ,i forbid you to speak 
to me any more on  those idle questions1
 and1 as much as my authority is        
anything to you  both1 ,i forbid you to 
say a word more to each other on that   
matter60    ,it was my fond hope that my
 dear and so much venerated ,mr4        
,leprohon  would answer me with some    
good and reasonable arguments2 but he1  
to my  surprise1 silenced the voice of  
our conscience by 8un coup d'etat40     
,nevertheless1 the idea of that         
miserable grain of sand which so        
ridiculously attempted to remove the    

stately mountain1 and also of that  all 
but perceptible drop of water which     
attempted to oppose itself to  the      
onward motion of the vast ocean1        
singularly struck and humbled me4 ,i    
remained silent and confused1 though not
 convinced4    ,this was not all4 ,those
 rays of the sun1 which could not be    
defiled1  even when going down into the 
mud1 after bewildering one by their     
glittering appearance1 left my soul more
 in the dark than ever4 ,i could  not   
resist a presentiment that ,i was in the
 presence of an imposition1  and of a   
glittering sophism4 ,but ,i had neither 
sufficient learning1  moral courage1 nor
 grace from ,god clearly to see through 
that misty  cloud1 and to expel it from 
my mind4    ,almost every month of the  
ten years which ,i had passed in the    
seminary  of ,nicolet1 priests of the   
district of ,three ,rivers and elsewhere
 were  sent by the bishops to spend two 
or three weeks in doing penances for    
having bastards by their nieces1 their  

housekeepers and their fair  penitents4 
,even not long before this conversation 
with our director1 the  curate of ,st4  
,francois1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,amiot1 had in
 the very same week  two children by two
 of his fair penitents1 both of whom    
were sisters4  ,one of those girls gave 
birth to her child at the parsonage the 
very  night on which the bishop was on  
his episcopal visit to that parish4     
,these public and undeniable facts were 
not much in harmony with those          
beautiful theories of our venerable     
director concerning the rays of the     
sun1 which 8remained pure and undefiled1
 even when warming and vivifying  the   
mud of our planet40 ,the facts had      
frequently occurred to my mind  while   
,mr4 ,leprohon was speaking1 and ,i was 
tempted more than once to ask  him      
respectfully if he really thought these 
8shining rays10 the priests1  had thus  
come into the mire1 and would then      
return1 like the rays of the  sun1      
without taking back with them something 

of the mire in which they  had been so  
strangely wallowing4 ,but my respect for
 ,mr4 ,leprohon sealed  my lips4        
,when ,i returned to my room1 ,i fell on
 my knees to ask ,god to pardon me  for 
having1 for a moment1 thought otherwise 
than the popes and  theologians of      
,rome4 ,i again felt angry with myself  
for having dared1  for a single moment1 
to have arrayed my poor little and      
imperceptible  grain of sand--drop of   
water--and personal and contemptible    
understanding  against that sublime     
mountain of strength1 that vast ocean of
 learning1  and that immensely divine   
wisdom of the popes6    ,but1 alas6 ,i  
was not yet aware that when ,jesus in   
,his mercy sends into a  perishing soul 
a single ray of ,his grace1 that there  
is more light and  wisdom in that soul  
than in all the popes and their         
theologians6    ,i was then taught what 
the real foundation of the ,church of   
,rome is1 and  sincerely believed that  
to think for myself was a damnable      

impiety--that  to look and see with my  
own eyes1 and understand with my own    
mind1 was  an unpardonable sin4 ,to be  
saved ,i had to believe1 not what ,i    
considered  to be the truth1 but what   
the popes told me to be the truth4 ,i   
had to  look and see every object of    
faith1 just as every true ,roman        
,catholic of  to-day has to look and see
 the same1 through the ,pope's eyes or  
those of  his theologians4    ,however  
absurd and impious this belief may be1  
yet it was mine1 and it  is also the    
belief of every true member of the      
,church of ,rome to-day4  ,the glorious 
light and grace of ,god could not       
possibly flow directly  from ,him to me2
 they had to pass through the ,pope and 
his ,church1 which  were my only        
mountain of strength and only ocean of  
light4 ,it was1 then1  my firm belief   
that there was an impassable abyss      
between myself and  ,god1 and that the  
,pope and his ,church were the only     
bridge by which ,i  could have          

communication with ,him4 ,that          
stupendously high and most  sublime     
mountain1 the ,pope1 was between myself 
and ,god2 and all that was  allowed my  
poor soul was to raise itself and travel
 with great  difficulty till it attained
 the foot of that holy mountain1 the    
,pope1  and1 prostrating itself there in
 the dust1 ask him to let me know what  
my yet distant ,god would have me do4   
,the promises of mercy1 truth1 light    
and life were all vested in this great  
mountain1 the ,pope1 from whom  alone   
they could descend upon my poor lost    
soul6    ,darkness1 ignorance1          
uncertainty and eternal loss were my lot
 the very  moment ,i ceased worshipping 
at the feet of the ,pope6 ,the ,god of  
,heaven  was not my ,god2 ,he was only  
the ,god of the ,pope4 ,the ,saviour of 
the  world was not my ,saviour2 he was  
only the ,pope's4 ,therefore it was     
through the ,pope only that ,i could    
receive ,christ as my ,saviour1 and to  
the ,pope alone had ,i to go1 to know   

the way1 the truth and the life of  my  
soul6    ,god alone knows what a dark   
and terrible night ,i passed after this 
meeting6 ,i had again to smother my     
conscience1 dismantle my reason1 and    
bring them all under the turpitudes of  
the theologies of ,rome1 which are  so  
well calculated to keep the world       
fettered in ignorance1  superstition1   
and death4    ,but ,god saw the tears   
with which ,i bedewed my pillow that    
night4 ,he  heard the cry of my         
agonizing soul1 and in ,his infinite    
love and mercy  determined to come to my
 rescue1 and save me4 ,if ,he saw fit to
 leave me  many years more in the       
slavery of ,egypt1 it was that ,i might 
better know  the plagues of that land of
 darkness1 and the iron chains which are
  there prepared for poor lost souls4   
,when the hour of my deliverance came1  
the ,lord took me by the hand and       
helped me to cross the ,red ,sea4 ,he   
brought me to the ,land of ,promise--a  
land of peace1 life and joy which       

passeth all understanding4              
,,chapter ,,xvi4    ,,the ,,priest ,,of 
,,rome ,,and ,,the ,,holy ,,fathers3    
,,or ,,how ,i ,,swore ,,to ,,give ,,up  
,,the    ,,word ,,of ,,god ,,to ,,follow
 ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,men4      ,there   
are several imposing ceremonies at the  
ordination of a priest2 and  ,i will    
never forget the joy ,i felt when the   
,roman ,pontiff presenting to  me the   
,bible1 ordered me1 with a solemn voice1
 to study and preach it4  ,that order   
passed through my soul as a beam of     
light4 ,but1 alas6 those  rays of light 
and life were soon to be followed1 as a 
flash of lightning  in a stormy night1  
by the most sudden and distressing      
darkness6    ,when holding the sacred   
volume1 ,i accepted with unspeakable joy
 the  command of studying and preaching 
its saving truth2 but ,i felt as if a   
thunderbolt had fallen upon me when ,i  
pronounced the awful oath which is      
required from every priest3 8,i will    
never interpret the ,holy ,scriptures   

except according to the unanimous       
consent of the ,holy ,fathers40    ,many
 times1 with the other students in      
theology1 ,i had discussed the  nature  
of that strange oath2 still more often1 
in the silence of my  meditations1 alone
 in the presence of ,god1 ,i had tried  
to fathom the  bottomless abyss which1  
it seemed to me1 was dug under my feet  
by it1  and every time my conscience had
 shrunk in terror from its consequences4
  ,but ,i was not the only one in the   
seminary who contemplated1 with an      
anxious mind1 its evidently blasphemous 
nature4    ,about six months before our 
ordination1 ,stephen ,baillargeon1 one  
of my  fellow theological students1 had 
said in my presence to our superior1    
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,raimbault3 8,allow me to
 tell you that one of the things  with  
which ,i cannot reconcile my conscience 
is the solemn oath we will  have to     
take1 #8,that we will never interpret   
the ,scriptures except  according to the
 unanimous consent of the ,holy         

,fathers6' ,we have not  given a single 
hour yet to the serious study of the    
,holy ,fathers4 ,i know  many priests1  
and not a single one of them has ever   
studied the ,holy  ,fathers2 they have  
not even got them in their libraries6   
,we will  probably walk in their        
footsteps4 ,it may be that not a single 
volume of  the ,holy ,fathers will ever 
fall into our hands6 ,in the name of    
common  sense1 how can we swear that we 
will follow the sentiments of men of    
whom we know absolutely nothing1 and    
about whom1 it is more probable1 we     
will never know anything1 except by mere
 vague hearsay8    ,our superior gave   
evident signs of weakness in his answer 
to that  unexpected difficulty4 ,but his
 embarrassment grew much greater when ,i
  said3 8,baillargeon cannot contemplate
 that oath without anxiety1 and he  has 
given you some of his reasons2 but he   
has not said the last word on  that     
strange oath4 ,if you will allow me1    
,mr4 ,superior1 ,i will present  you    

some more formidable objections4 ,it is 
not so much on account of our  ignorance
 of the doctrines of the ,holy ,fathers 
that ,i tremble when ,i  think that ,i  
will have #8to swear never to interpret 
the ,scriptures  except according to    
their unanimous consent4' ,would to ,god
 that ,i could  say1 with ,baillargeon1 
#8,i know nothing of the ,holy ,fathers2
 how can ,i  swear that they will guide 
me in all my ways8' ,it is true that we 
know  so little of them that it is      
supremely ridiculous1 if it is not an   
insult to ,god and man1 that we take    
them for our guides4 ,but my regret  is 
that we know already too much of the    
,holy ,fathers to be exempt from        
perjuring ourselves1 when we swear that 
we will not interpret the ,holy         
,scriptures except according to their   
unanimous consent4    8,is it not a fact
 that the ,holy ,fathers' writings are  
so perfectly kept  out of sight1 that it
 is absolutely impossible to read and   
study them8  ,but even if we had access 

to them1 have we sufficient time at our 
disposal to study them so perfectly that
 we could conscientiously swear  that we
 will follow them8 ,and if we don't     
study them1 how can we be  exempted from
 wilful perjury the day that we will    
swear to follow them8  ,how can we      
follow a thing we do not see1 which we  
do not hear1 and about  which we do not 
know more than the man in the moon8 ,our
 shameful  ignorance of the ,holy       
,fathers is a sufficient reason to make 
us fear at  the approach of the solemn  
hour that we will swear to follow them4 
,yes6  ,but we know enough of the ,holy 
,fathers to chill the blood in our veins
  when swearing to interpret the ,holy  
,scriptures only according to their     
unanimous consent4 ,please1 ,mr4        
,superior1 tell us what are the texts of
  ,scripture on which the ,holy ,fathers
 are unanimous4 ,you respect  yourself  
too much to try to answer a question    
which no honest man has1  or will ever  
dare to answer4 ,and if you1 one of the 

most learned men of  ,france1 cannot put
 your finger on the texts of the ,holy  
,bible and say1  #8,the ,holy ,fathers  
are perfectly unanimous on these texts6'
 how can we1  poor young ecclesiastics  
of the humble ,college of ,nicolet1 say 
#8,the ,holy  ,fathers are unanimously  
of the same mind on those texts8' ,but  
if we  cannot distinguish to-day1 and if
 we shall never be able to distinguish  
between the texts on which the ,holy    
,fathers are unanimous and the ones  on 
which they differ1 how can we dare to   
swear before ,god and man to  interpret 
every text of the ,scriptures only      
according to the unanimous  consent of  
the ,holy ,fathers8    8,by that awful  
oath1 will we not be absolutely bound to
 remain mute as  dead men on every text 
on which the ,holy ,fathers have        
differed1 under  the evident penalty of 
becoming perjured8 ,will not every text 
on which  the ,holy ,fathers have       
differed become as the dead carcass     
which the  ,israelites could not touch1 

except by defiling themselves8 ,after   
that  strange oath1 to interpret the    
,scriptures only according to the       
unanimous consent of the ,holy ,fathers1
 will we not be absolutely  deprived of 
the privilege of studying or preaching  
on a text on which  they have differed8 
8,the consequences of the oath are      
legion1 and every one of them seems  to 
me the death of our ministry1 the       
damnation of our souls6 ,you have  read 
the history of the ,church1 as we have  
it here1 written by ,henrion1           
,berrault-,bell-,costel and ,fleury4    
,well1 what is the prominent fact in    
those reliable histories of the ,church8
 ,is it not that the ,church has        
constantly been filled with the noise of
 the controversies of ,holy  ,fathers   
with ,holy ,fathers8 ,do we not find1 on
 every page1 that the ,holy  ,fathers of
 one century very often differed from   
the ,holy ,fathers of  another century  
in very important matters8 ,is it not a 
public and  undeniable fact1 that the   

history of our ,holy ,church is almost  
nothing  else than the history of the   
hard conflict1 stern divisions1         
unflinching  contradictions and         
oppositions of ,holy ,fathers to ,holy  
,fathers8    8,here is a big volume of  
manuscript written by me1 containing    
only  extracts from our best ,church    
historians1 filled with the public      
disputes of ,holy ,fathers among        
themselves on almost every subject of   
,christianity4    8,there are ,holy     
,fathers who say1 with our best modern  
theologians--,st4  ,thomas1 ,bellarmine 
and ,liguori--that we must kill heretics
 as we kill  wild beasts2 while many    
others say that we must tolerate them6  
,you all  know the name of the ,holy    
,father who sends to hell all the widows
 who  marry a second time1 while other  
,holy ,fathers are of a different mind4 
,some of them1 you know well1 had very  
different notions from ours about       
purgatory4 ,is it necessary for me to   
give you the names of the ,holy         

,fathers1 in ,africa and ,asia1 who     
refused to accept the supreme           
jurisdiction we acknowledge in the ,pope
 over all churches8 ,several ,holy      
,fathers have denied the supreme        
authority of the ,church of ,rome--you  
know  it2 they have laughed at the      
excommunications of the ,popes6 ,some   
even  have gladly died when             
excommunicated by the ,pope1 without    
doing anything  to reconcile themselves 
to him6 ,what do we find1 in the six    
volumes of  letters we have still from  
,st4 ,jerome1 if not the undeniable fact
 that  he filled the ,church with the   
noise of his harsh denunciations of the 
scriptural views of ,st4 ,augustine on  
many important points4 ,you have  read  
those letters8 ,well1 have you not      
concluded that ,st4 ,jerome and ,st4    
,augustine agreed almost only on one    
thing1 which was1 to disagree on  every 
subject they treated8    8,did not ,st4 
,jerome knock his head against nearly   
all the ,holy ,fathers  of his time8    

,and has he not received hard knocks    
from almost all the  ,holy ,fathers with
 whom he was acquainted8 ,is it not a   
public fact that  ,st4 ,jerome and      
several other ,holy ,fathers rejected   
the sacred book of  the ,maccabees1     
,judith1 ,tobias1 just as the heretics  
of our time reject  them8    8,and now  
we are gravely asked1 in the name of the
 ,god of ,truth1 to swear  that we will 
interpret the ,holy ,scriptures only    
according to the  unanimous consent of  
those ,holy ,fathers1 who have been     
unanimous but in  one thing1 which was  
never to agree with each other1 and     
sometimes not  even with themselves4    
8,for it is a well-known fact1 though it
 is a very deplorable one1 for          
instance1 that ,st4 ,augustine did not  
always keep to the same correct  views  
on the text #8,thou art ,peter1 and upon
 that rock ,i will build my  church4'   
,after holding correct views on that    
fundamental truth he gave  it up1 at the
 end of his life1 to say1 with the      

,protestants of our day1  that #8upon   
that rock means only ,christ1 and not   
,peter4' ,now1 how can ,i  be bound by  
such an oath to follow the views of men 
who have themselves  been wavering and  
changing1 when the ,word of ,god must   
stand as an  unmoving rock to my heart8 
,if you require from us an oath1 why put
 into  our hands the history of the     
,church1 which has stuffed our memory   
with  the undeniable facts of the       
endless fierce divisions of the ,holy   
,fathers  on almost every question which
 the ,scriptures present to our faith8  
8,would to ,god that ,i could say1 with 
,baillargeon1 ,i know nothing of the    
,holy ,fathers6 ,then ,i could perhaps  
be at peace with my conscience1 after   
perjuring myself by promising a thing   
that ,i cannot do4    8,i was lately    
told by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,leprohon1 that  
it is absolutely  necessary to go to the
 ,holy ,fathers in order to understand  
the ,holy  ,scriptures6 ,but ,i will    
respectfully repeat to-day what ,i then 

said on  that subject4    8,if ,i am too
 ignorant or too stupid to understand   
,st4 ,mark1 ,st4 ,luke and  ,st4 ,paul1 
how can ,i be intelligent enough to     
understand ,jerome1  ,augustine1 and    
,tertullian8 ,and if ,st4 ,matthew1 ,st4
 ,john and ,st4 ,peter  have not got    
from ,god the grace of writing with a   
sufficient degree of  light and         
clearness to be understood by men of    
good-will1 how is it that  ,justin1     
,clemens and ,cyprian have received from
 our ,god a favor of  lucidity and      
clearness which he denied to ,his       
apostles and evangelists8  ,if ,i cannot
 rely upon my private judgment when     
studying1 with the help  of ,god1 the   
,holy ,scriptures1 how can ,i rely on my
 private judgment when  studying the    
,holy ,fathers8 ,you constantly tell me 
,i cannot rely on my  private judgment  
to understand and interpret the ,holy   
,scriptures2 but  will you please tell  
me with what judgment and intelligence  
,i shall have  to interpret and         

understand the writings of the ,holy    
,fathers1 if it be  not with my own     
private judgment8 ,must ,i borrow the   
judgment and  intelligence of some of my
 neighbors in order to understand and   
interpret1 for instance1 the writings of
 ,origen8 or shall ,i be allowed  to go 
and hear what that ,holy ,father wants  
from me with my own private             
intelligence8 ,but again1 if you are    
forced to confess that ,i have  nothing 
else but my private judgment and        
intelligence to read1  understand and   
follow the ,holy ,fathers1 and that ,i  
not only can1 but ,i  must1 rely on my  
own private judgment1 without any fear1 
in that case1  how is it that ,i will be
 lost if ,i make use of that same       
private and  personal judgment when at  
the feet of ,jesus1 listening to ,his   
eternal  and life-giving words8         
8,nothing distresses me so much in our  
holy religion as this want of           
confidence in ,god when we go to the    
feet of ,jesus to hear or read ,his     

soul-saving words1 and the abundance of 
self-confidence1 when we go  among      
sinful and fallible men1 to know what   
they say4    8,it is not to the ,holy   
,scriptures that we are invited to go to
 know what  the ,lord saith1 it is to   
the ,holy ,fathers66    8,would it be   
possible that1 in our ,holy ,church1 the
 ,word of ,god would be  darkness1 and  
the words of men light6    8,this dogma1
 or article of our religion1 by which we
 must go to the ,holy  ,fathers in order
 to know what #8,the ,lord saith1' and  
not to the ,holy  ,scripture1 is to my  
soul what a handful of sand would be to 
my eyes--it  makes me perfectly blind4  
8,when our venerable bishop places the  
,holy ,scriptures in my hands and       
commands me to study and preach them1 ,i
 will understand what he means1  and he 
will know what he says4 ,he will give me
 a most sublime work to  perform2 and1  
with the grace of ,god1 ,i hope ,i will 
do it4 ,but when he  orders me to swear 
that ,i will never interpret the ,holy  

,scriptures1  except according to the   
unanimous consent of the ,holy ,fathers1
 will he  not make a perjured man of me1
 and will he not say a thing to which he
  has not given sufficient attention8   
,for to swear that we will never        
interpret anything of the ,scriptures1  
except according to the unanimous       
consent of the ,holy ,fathers1 is to    
swear to a thing as impossible and      
ridiculous as to take the moon with our 
hands4 ,i say more1 it is to  swear that
 we will never study nor interpret a    
single chapter of the  ,bible4 ,for it  
is probable that there are very few     
chapters of that ,holy  ,book which have
 not been a cause of serious difference 
between some of  the ,holy ,fathers4    
8,as the writings of the ,holy ,fathers 
fill at least two hundred volumes  in   
folio1 it will not take us less than ten
 years of constant study to  know on    
what question they are or are not       
unanimous6 ,if1 after that time  of     
study1 ,i find that they are unanimous  

on the question of orthodoxy1  which ,i 
must believe and preach1 all will be    
right with me4 ,i will walk  with a     
fearless heart to the gates of eternity1
 and with the certainty  of following   
the true way of salvation4 ,but if among
 fifty ,holy ,fathers  there are        
forty-nine on one side and one only on  
the opposite side1 in  what awful state 
of distress will ,i be plunged6 ,will ,i
 not be then as a  ship in a stormy     
night1 after she has lost her compass1  
her masts and  her helm4 ,if ,i were    
allowed to follow the majority1 there   
would always  be a plank of safety to   
rescue me from the impending wreck4 ,but
 the ,pope  has inexorably tied us to   
the unanimity4 ,if my faith is not the  
faith of  unanimity1 ,i am forever      
damned4 ,i am out of the ,church66      
8,what a frightful alternative is just  
before us6 ,we must either perjure      
ourselves1 by swearing to follow a      
unanimity which is a fable1 in order  to
 remain ,roman ,catholics1 or we must   

plunge into the abyss of impiety  and   
atheism by refusing to swear that we    
will adhere to a unanimity  which never 
existed40    ,it was visible1 at the end
 of that long and stormy conference1    
that the  fears and anxieties of        
,baillargeon and mine were partaken of  
by every  one of the students in        
theology4 ,the boldness of our          
expressions brought  upon us a real     
storm4 ,but our superior did not dare to
 face or answer a  single one of our    
arguments2 he was evidently embarrassed1
 and nothing  could surpass his joy when
 the bell told him that the hour of the 
conference was over4 ,he promised to    
answer us the next day2 but the next    
day he did nothing but throw dust into  
our eyes1 and abuse us to his  heart's  
content4 ,he began by forbidding me to  
read any more of the  controversial     
books ,i had bought a few months before1
 among which was  the celebrated ,derry 
discussion between seven priests and    
seven  ,protestants4 ,i had to give back

 the well-known discussion between      
8,pope  and ,maguire10 and between      
,gregg and the same ,maguire4 ,i had    
also to give  up the numbers of the     
,avenir and other books of ,lamenais1   
which ,i had  got the liberty1 as a     
privilege1 to read4 ,it was decided that
 my  intelligence was not clear enough1 
and that my faith was not  sufficiently 
strong to read those books4 ,i had      
nothing to do but to bow  my head under 
the yoke and obey1 without a word of    
murmur4 ,the darkest  night was made    
around our understandings1 and we had to
 believe that  that awful darkness was  
the shining light of ,god66 ,we rejected
 the  bright truth which had so nearly  
conquered our minds1 in order to accept 
the most ridiculous sophisms as gospel  
truths6 ,we did the most degrading      
action a man can do--we silenced the    
voice of our conscience1 and we         
consented to follow our superior's      
views1 as a brute follows the order  of 
his master2 we consented to be in the   

hands of our superiors like a  stick in 
the hands of the traveler4    ,during   
the months which elapsed between that   
hard-fought1 though lost  battle1 and   
the solemn hour of my priestly          
ordination1 ,i did all ,i could  to     
subdue and annihilate my thoughts on    
that subject4 ,my hope was that ,i  had 
entirely succeeded4 ,but1 to my dismay1 
that reason suddenly awoke1  as from a  
long sleep1 when ,i had perjured myself1
 as every priest has to  do4 ,a chill of
 horror and shame ran through all my    
frame in spite of  myself4 ,in my inmost
 soul a cry was heard from my wounded   
conscience4  8,you annihilate the ,word 
of ,god6 ,you rebel against the ,holy   
,ghost6 ,you  deny the ,holy ,scriptures
 to follow the steps of sinful men6 ,you
 reject  the pure waters of eternal     
life1 to drink the waters of death40    
,in order to choke again the voice of my
 conscience1 ,i did what my ,church     
advised me to do--,i cried to my wafer  
god and to the blessed ,virgin ,mary1   

that they might come to my help1 and    
silence the voices which were  troubling
 my peace by shaking my faith4    ,with 
the utmost sincerity1 the day of my     
ordination1 ,i renewed the  promise that
 ,i had already so often made1 and said 
in the presence of  ,god and ,his       
angels1 8,i promise that ,i will never  
believe anything except  according to   
the teachings of my ,holy and ,apostolic
 ,church of ,rome40    ,and on that     
pillow of folly1 ignorance and          
fanaticism ,i laid my head to  sleep the
 sleep of spiritual death1 with the two 
hundred millions of  slaves whom the    
,pope sees at his feet4    ,and ,i slept
 that sleep till the ,god of our        
salvation1 in ,his great  mercy1 awoke  
me1 by giving to my soul the light1 the 
truth and the life  which are in ,jesus 
,christ4                                
,,chapter ,,xvii4                 ,,the 
,,roman ,,catholic ,,priesthood3 ,,or   
,,ancient ,,and                         
,,modern ,,idolatry4      ,i was        

ordained a priest of ,rome in the       
,cathedral of ,quebec1 on the #bast  of 
,september1 #ahcc1 by the ,right        
,reverend ,sinai1 first ,archbishop of  
,canada4 ,no words can express the      
solemnity of my thoughts1 the           
superhuman nature of my aspirations1    
when the delegate of the ,pope1         
imposing his hands on my head1 gave me  
the power of converting a wafer  into   
the real substantial body1 blood1 soul  
and divinity of ,jesus  ,christ6 ,the   
bright illusion of ,eve1 as the deceiver
 told her 8,ye shall  be as gods10 was  
child's play compared with what ,i felt 
when1 assured by  the infallible voice  
of my ,church that ,i was not only on   
equal terms  with my ,saviour and ,god1 
but ,i was in reality above ,him6 and   
that  hereafter ,i would not only       
command1 but create ,him66    ,the      
aspirations to power and glory which had
 been such a terrible  temptation in    
,lucifer were becoming a reality in me6 
,i had received the  power of commanding

 ,god1 not in a spiritual and mystical1 
but in a real1  personal and most       
irresistible way4    ,with my heart full
 of an inexpressible joy and gratitude  
to ,god1 and  with all the faculties of 
my soul raised to exaltation1 ,i        
withdrew from  the feet of the pontiff  
to my oratory1 where ,i passed the rest 
of the  day in meditation on the great  
things which my ,god had wrought in me4 
,i had1 at last attained the top of that
 power and holiness which my  ,church   
had invited me to consider from my      
infancy as the most glorious  gift which
 ,god had ever given to man6 ,the       
dignity which ,i had just  received was 
above all the dignities and the thrones 
of this world4 ,the  holy character of  
the ,,priesthood had been impressed on  
my soul1 with the  blood of ,christ1 as 
an imperishable and celestial glory4    
,nothing could  ever take it away from  
me in time or eternity4 ,i was to be a  
priest of  my ,god forever and ever4    
,not only had ,christ let ,his divine   

and priestly  nature fall on my         
shoulders1 but ,he had so perfectly     
associated me with  ,himself as the     
great and eternal ,sacrificator1 that ,i
 was to renew1  every day of my life1   
,his atoning ,,sacrifice6 ,at my        
bidding1 the only and  eternally        
begotten ,son of my ,god was now to come
 into my hands in  person6 ,the same    
,christ who sits at the right hand of   
the ,father was to  come down every day 
into my breast1 to unite ,his flesh to  
my flesh1 ,his  blood to my blood1 ,his 
divine soul to my poor sinful soul1 in  
order to  walk1 work and live in me and 
with me in the most perfect unity and   
intimacy6    ,i passed the whole day and
 the greater part of the night in       
contemplating the superhuman honors and 
dignities which my beloved  ,church had 
conferred on me4 ,many times ,i fell on 
my knees to thank ,god  for ,his mercies
 towards me1 and ,i could hardly speak  
to ,him except with  tears of joy and   
gratitude4 ,i often repeated the words  

of the ,holy  ,virgin ,mary3 8,my soul  
doth magnify the ,lord1 and my spirit   
doth rejoice  in ,god my ,saviour40     
,the privileges granted to me were of a 
more substantial kind than those        
bestowed upon ,mary4 ,she had been      
obeyed by ,christ only when ,he was a   
child4 ,he had to obey me now1 although 
,he was in the full possession of  ,his 
eternal glory6    ,in the presence of   
,god and ,his angels1 ,i promised to    
live a holy life as  a token of my      
gratitude to ,him4 ,i said to my lips   
and my tongue1 8,be  holy now2 for you  
will not only speak to your ,god3 you   
will give ,him a  new birth every day60 
,i said to my heart1 8,be holy and pure 
now2 for you  will bear every day the   
,holy of ,holies40 ,to my soul ,i said1 
8,be holy  now2 for you will henceforth 
be most intimately and personally united
 to  ,christ ,jesus4 ,you will be fed   
with the body1 blood1 soul and divinity 
of  ,him before whom the angels do not  
find themselves pure enough60           

,looking on my table1 where my pipe1    
filled with tobacco1 and my  snuff-box  
were lying1 ,i said3 8,impure and       
noxious weeds1 you will no  more defile 
me6 ,i am the priest of the ,almighty4  
,it is beneath my  dignity to touch you 
any more60 and opening the window ,i    
threw them into  the street1 never to   
make use of them again4    ,on the #bast
 of ,september1 #ahcc1 ,i had thus been 
raised to the  priesthood2 but ,i had   
not yet made use of the divine powers   
with which ,i  had been invested4 ,the  
next day ,i was to say my first ,mass1  
and work  that incomparable miracle     
which the ,church of ,rome calls        
,,transubstantiation4    ,as ,i have    
already said1 ,i had passed the greater 
part of the night  between the #bast and
 #bbnd in meditation and thanksgivings4 
,on the  morning of the #bbnd1 long     
before the dawn of day1 ,i was dressed  
and on  my knees4 ,this was to be the   
most holy and glorious day of my life6  
,raised the day before1 to a dignity    

which was above the kingdoms and        
empires of the world1 ,i was now for the
 first time1 to work a miracle at  the  
altar which no angel or seraph could do4
    ,at my bidding ,christ was to       
receive a new existence6 ,the miracle   
wrought  by ,joshua1 when he commanded  
the sun and moon to stop1 on the bloody 
plain of ,gibeon1 was nothing compared  
to the miracle that ,i was to  perform  
that day4 ,when the eternal ,son of ,god
 would be in my hands1 ,i  was to       
present myself at the throne of mercy1  
with that expiatory victim  of the sins 
of the world pay the debt1 not only of  
my guilty soul1 but  of all those for   
whom ,i should speak8 ,the ineffable    
sacrifice of ,calvary  was to be renewed
 by me that day with the utmost         
perfection6    ,when the bell rang to   
tell me that the hour was come to clothe
 myself  with the golden priestly robes 
and go to the altar1 my heart beat with 
such a rapidity that ,i came very near  
fainting4 ,the holiness of the  action  

,i was to do1 the infinite greatness of 
the sacrifice ,i was about  to make1 the
 divine victim ,i was to hold in my     
hands and present to ,god  the ,father6 
the wonderful miracle ,i was to perform1
 filled my soul and  my heart with such 
sentiments of terror1 joy and awe1 that 
,i was  trembling from head to foot2 and
 if very kind friends1 among whom was   
the venerable secretary of the          
,archbishop of ,quebec1 now the ,grand  
,vicar  ,cazault1 had not been there to 
help and encourage me1 ,i think ,i would
  not have dared to ascend the steps of 
the altar4    ,it is not an easy thing  
to go through all the ceremonies of a   
mass4  ,there are more than one hundred 
different ceremonies and positions of   
the body1 which must be observed1 with  
the utmost perfection4 ,to omit  one of 
them willingly1 or through a culpable   
neglect or ignorance1 is  eternal       
damnation4 ,but thanks to a dozen       
exercises through which ,i had  gone the
 previous week1 and thanks be to the    

kind friends who helped and  guided me1 
,i went through the performances of that
 first mass much more  easily than ,i   
expected4 ,it lasted about an hour4 ,but
 when it was over1 ,i  was really       
exhausted by the effort made to keep my 
mind and heart in  unison with the      
infinite greatness of the mysteries     
accomplished by me4    ,to make one's   
self believe that he can convert a piece
 of bread into ,god  requires such a    
supreme effort of the will1 and complete
 annihilation of  intelligence1 that the
 state of the soul1 after the effort is 
over1 is  more like death than life4    
,i had really persuaded myself that ,i  
had done the most holy and sublime      
action of my life1 when1 in fact ,i had 
been guilty of the most  outrageous act 
of idolatry6 ,my eyes1 my hands and     
lips1 my mouth and  tongue1 and all my  
senses1 as well as the faculties of my  
intelligence1  were telling me that what
 ,i had seen1 touched1 eaten1 was       
nothing but a  wafer2 but the voices of 

the ,pope and his ,church were telling  
me that it  was the real body1 blood1   
soul and divinity of ,jesus ,christ4 ,i 
had  persuaded myself that the voices of
 my senses and intelligence were the    
voices of ,satan1 and that the deceitful
 voice of the ,pope was the voice  of   
the ,god of ,truth6 ,every priest of    
,rome has to come to that strange       
degree of folly and perversity1 every   
day of his life1 to remain a  priest of 
,rome4    ,the great imposture taught   
under the modern word                   
,,transubstantiation1  when divested of 
the glare which ,rome1 by his sorceries1
 throws around  it1 is soon seen to be  
what it is--a most impious and          
idolatrous  doctrine4    8,i must carry 
the #8good god' to-morrow to a sick     
man10 says the priest  to his servant   
girl4 ,in plain ,french3 8,je dois      
porter le #8,bon ,dieu'  demain a un    
malade1 dit le praitre a sa servante2   
mais il n'y en a plus  dans le          
tabernacle40 8,but there are no more in 

the tabernacle4 ,make some  small cakes1
 that ,i may consecrate them to-morrow40
 ,and the obedient  domestic takes some 
wheat flour1 for no other kind of flour 
is fit to  make the god of the ,pope4 ,a
 mixture of any other kind would make   
the  miracle of 8transubstantiation0 a  
great failure4 ,the servant girl        
accordingly takes the dough1 and bakes  
it between two heated irons1 on  which  
are graven the following figures1       
_/,c4,h4,s4 ,when the whole is  well    
baked1 she takes her scissors and cuts  
those wafers1 which are  about four or  
five inches large1 into smaller ones of 
the size of an  inch1 and respectfully  
hands them over to the priest4    ,the  
next morning the priest takes the       
newly-baked wafers to the altar1  and   
changes them into the body1 blood1 soul 
and divinity of ,jesus  ,christ4 ,it was
 one of those wafers that ,i had taken  
to the altar in that  solemn hour of my 
first mass1 and which ,i had turned into
 my ,saviour by  the five magical       

words--,,hoc ,,est ,,enim ,,corpus      
,,meum6    ,what was the difference     
between the incredible folly of ,aaron  
on the day  of his apostasy in the      
wilderness1 and the action ,i had done  
when ,i  worshipped the god whom ,i made
 myself1 and got my friends to worship8 
,where1 ,i ask1 is the difference       
between the adoration of the calf-god of
  ,aaron and the wafer-god which ,i had 
made on the #bbnd ,september1 #ahcc4    
,the only difference was1 that the      
idolatry of ,aaron lasted but one day1  
while the idolatry in which ,i lived    
lasted a quarter of a century1 and  has 
been perpetuated in the ,church of ,rome
 for more than a thousand  years4       
,what has the ,church of ,rome done by  
giving up the words of ,christ1 8,do    
this in remembrance of me10 and         
substituting her dogma of               
,transubstantiation8 ,she has brought   
the world back to the old  heathenism4  
,the priest of ,rome worships a ,saviour
 called ,christ4 ,yes2  but that ,christ

 is not the ,christ of the gospel4 ,it  
is a false and  newly-invented ,christ  
whom the ,popes have smuggled from the  
,pantheon of  ,rome1 and sacrilegiously 
called by the adorable name of our      
,saviour  ,jesus ,christ4    ,i have    
often been asked3 8,was it possible that
 you sincerely believed  that the wafer 
could be changed into ,god by you80     
,and1 8,have you really  worshipped that
 wafer as your ,saviour80    ,to my     
shame1 and to the shame of poor         
humanity1 ,i must say 8,yes40 ,i        
believed as sincerely as every ,roman   
,catholic priest is bound to believe    
it1 that ,i was creating my own         
,saviour-,god every morning by the      
assumed  consecration of the wafer2 and 
,i was saying to the people1 as ,i      
presented it to them1 8,ecce agnus      
,dei0--8,this is the ,lamb of ,god1 who 
takes away the sins of the world2 let us
 adore him0--prostrating myself  on my  
knees1 ,i was adoring the ,god made by  
myself1 with the help of my  servant2   

and all the people prostrated themselves
 to adore the  newly-made god6    ,i    
must confess1 further1 that though ,i   
was bound to believe in the  existence  
of ,christ in heaven1 and was invited by
 my ,church to worship  ,him as my      
,saviour and my ,god1 ,i had1 as every  
,roman ,catholic has1 more  confidence1 
faith and love towards the ,christ which
 ,i had created with a  few words of my 
lips1 than towards the ,christ of       
heaven4    ,my ,church told me1 every   
day of my life1 and ,i had to believe   
and preach  it1 that though the ,christ 
of heaven was my ,saviour1 ,he was angry
  against me on account of my sins2 that
 ,he was constantly disposed to  punish 
me according to ,his terrible justice2  
that ,he was armed with  lightning and  
thunder to crush me2 and that1 were it  
not for ,his mother1  who day and night 
was interceding for me1 ,i should be    
cast into that  hell which my sins had  
so richly deserved4 ,all the            
theologians1 with ,st4  ,liguori at     

their head1 whose writings ,i was       
earnestly studying1 and  which had      
received the approbation of infallible  
popes1 persuaded me  that it was ,mary  
whom ,i had to thank and bless1 if ,i   
had not yet been  punished as ,i        
deserved4 ,not only had ,i to believe   
this doctrine1 but ,i  had to preach it 
to the people4 ,the result was for me1  
as it is for  every ,roman ,catholic1   
that my heart was really chilled1 and ,i
 was filled  with terror every time ,i  
looked to the ,christ of heaven through 
the  lights and teachings of my ,church4
 ,he could not1 as ,i believed1 look to 
me except with an angry face2 ,he could 
not stretch out ,his hand towards  me   
except to crush me1 unless ,his merciful
 mother or some other mighty  saint     
interposed their saving supplications to
 appease ,his just  indignation4 ,when  
,i was praying to that ,christ of the   
,church of ,rome1 my  mind was          
constantly perplexed about the choice ,i
 should make of some  powerful          

protector1 whose influence could get me 
a favorable hearing  from my irritated  
,saviour4    ,besides this1 ,i was told1
 and ,i had to believe it1 that the     
,christ of  heaven was a mighty monarch1
 a most glorious king surrounded by     
innumerable hosts of servants1 officers 
and friends1 and that1 as it  would not 
do for a poor rebel to present himself  
before his irritated  ,king to get his  
pardon1 but he must address himself to  
some of ,his most  influential          
courtiers1 or to ,his beloved mother1 to
 whom nothing can be  refused1 that they
 might plead his cause2 so ,i sincerely 
believed that  it was better for me not 
to speak myself to ,jesus ,christ1 but  
to look  for some one who would speak   
for me4    ,but there would be no such  
terrors or fears in my heart when ,i    
approached the ,saviour whom ,i had     
created myself6 ,such an humble and     
defenceless ,saviour1 surely1 had no    
thunder in ,his hands to punish ,his    
enemies4 ,he could have no angry looks  

for me4 ,he was my friend1 as well  as  
the work of my hands4 ,there was nothing
 in ,him which could inspire me  with   
any fear4 ,had ,i not brought ,him down 
from heaven8 ,and had ,he not  come into
 my hands that ,he might hear1 bless and
 forgive me8--that ,he  might be nearer 
to me1 and ,i nearer to ,him8    ,when  
,i was in ,his presence1 in that        
solitary church1 there was no need  of  
officers1 of courtiers1 of mothers to   
speak to ,him for me4 ,he was no  longer
 there a mighty monarch1 an angry king1 
who could be approached  only by the    
great officers of ,his court2 ,he was   
now the rebuked of the  world1 the      
humble and defenceless ,saviour of the  
manger1 the forsaken  ,jesus of         
,calvary1 the forgotten ,christ of      
,gethsemane4    ,no words can give any  
idea of the pleasure ,i used to feel    
when1 alone1  prostrated before the     
,christ whom ,i had made at the morning 
mass1 ,i  poured out my heart at ,his   
feet4 ,it is impossible for those who   

have not  lived under those terrible    
illusions to understand with what       
confidence  ,i spoke to the ,christ who 
was then before me1 bound by the ties of
 ,his  love for me6 ,how many times1 in 
the colder days of winter1 in churches  
which had never seen any fire1 with an  
atmosphere #ae degrees below zero1  had 
,i passed whole hours alone1 in         
adoration of the ,saviour whom ,i had   
made only a few hours before6 ,how often
 have ,i looked with silent  admiration 
to the ,divine ,person who was there    
alone1 passing the long  hours of the   
day and night1 rebuked and forsaken1    
that ,i might have an  opportunity of   
approaching ,him1 and of speaking to    
,him as a friend to  his friend1 as a   
repenting sinner to his merciful        
,saviour4 ,my faith--,i  should rather  
say my awful delusion1 was then so      
complete that ,i  scarcely felt the     
biting of the cold6 ,i may say with     
truth1 that the  happiest hours ,i ever 
had1 during the long years of darkness  

into which  the ,church of ,rome had    
plunged me1 were the hours which ,i     
passed in  adoring the ,christ whom ,i  
had made with my own lips4 ,and every   
priest of  ,rome would make the same    
declaration1 were they questioned on the
  subject4    ,it is a similar principle
 of monstrous faith that leads widows in
 ,india  to leap with cries of joy into 
the fire which will burn them into ashes
  with the bodies of their deceased     
husbands4 ,their priests have assured   
them that such a sacrifice will secure  
eternal happiness to themselves  and    
their departed husbands4    ,in fact1   
the ,roman ,catholics have no other     
,saviour to whom they can  betake       
themselves than the one made by the     
consecration of the wafer4 ,he  is the  
only ,saviour who is not angry with     
them1 and who does not require  the     
mediation of virgins and saints to      
appease ,his wrath4 ,this is the  reason
 why ,roman ,catholic churches are so   
well filled by the poor blind  ,roman   

,catholics4 ,see how they rush to the   
foot of their altars at almost  every   
hour of the day1 sometimes long before  
the dawn6 ,go to some of  their         
churches1 even on a rainy and stormy    
morning1 and you will see  crowds of    
worshippers1 of every age and from every
 grade of society1  braving the storm   
and the rain1 walking through the mud to
 pass an hour  at the foot of their     
tabernacles6    ,how is it that the     
,roman ,catholics1 alone1 offer such a  
spectacle to the  civilized world8 ,the 
reason is very simple and plain4 ,every 
soul yearns  for a ,god to whom it can  
speak1 and who will hear its            
supplications with  a merciful heart1   
and who will wipe away her penitential  
tears4 ,just as  the flowers of our     
gardens turn naturally towards the sun  
which gives  them their color1 their    
fragrance and their life1 so every soul 
wants a  ,saviour who is not angry but  
merciful towards those who come unto    
,him--,a  ,saviour who will say to the  

weary and heavy laden3 8,come unto me1  
and ,i  will give you rest40--,a ,god1  
in fine1 who is not armed with ,thunder 
and  ,lightning1 and does not require to
 be approached only by saints1 virgins  
and martyrs2 but who1 through his son   
,jesus1 is the real1 the true and  the  
only friend of ,sinners4    ,when the   
people think that there is such a       
,god1--such a loving ,saviour to  be    
found in the tabernacle1 it is but      
natural that they should brave the      
storms and the rains1 to worship at his 
feet1 to receive the pardon of  their   
sins4    ,the children of light1 the    
disciples of the gospel1 who protest    
against  the errors of ,rome1 know that 
their ,heavenly ,father is everywhere   
ready to hear1 forgive and help them4   
,they know that it is no more 8at       
,jerusalem1 nor on this or that         
mountain10 or at church that ,god wants 
to  be worshipped 7,john iv4 #ba47 ,they
 know that their ,saviour liveth1 and is
  everywhere ready to hear those who    

invoke ,his name2 that ,he is no more   
in that desert1 or in that secret       
chamber 7,matt4 xxiv47 ,they know that  
,he is everywhere--that ,he is ever near
 to those who look to his bleeding      
wounds and want to wash their robes in  
,his blood4 ,they find ,jesus in  their 
most secret closets when they enter them
 to pray2--they meet ,him  and converse 
with ,him when in the fields1 behind the
 counter1 traveling  on railroads or    
steamers--everywhere they meet with     
,him1 and speak to ,him  as friend to   
friend4    ,it is not so with the       
followers of the ,pope4 ,they are told  
contrary to  the gospel 7,matt4 xxiv4   
#bb471 that ,christ is in this          
,church--in that  secret chamber or     
tabernacle6 ,cruelly deceived by their  
priests1 they  run1 they brave the      
storms to go as near as possible to that
 place where  their merciful ,christ    
lives4 ,they go to the ,christ who will 
give them a  hearty welcome1 who will   
listen to their humble prayers1 and be  

compassionate to their tears of         
repentance4    ,let ,protestants cease  
to admire poor deluded ,roman ,catholics
 who dare  the storm and go to church   
even before the dawn of day4 ,this      
devotion1  which so dazzles them1 should
 excite compassion1 and not admiration2 
for  it is the logical result of the    
most awful spiritual darkness4 ,it is   
the  offspring of the greatest imposture
 the world has ever seen1 it is the     
natural consequence of the belief that  
the priest of ,rome can create  ,christ 
and ,god by the consecration of a wafer1
 and keep ,him in a secret  chamber4    
,the ,egyptians worshipped ,god under   
the form of crocodiles and calves3  ,the
 ,greeks made their gods of marble or of
 gold3 ,the ,persian made the  sun his  
god3 ,the ,hottentots make their gods   
with whale-bone1 and go far  through the
 storms to adore them3 ,the ,church of  
,rome makes her god out  of a piece of  
bread6 ,is this not idolatry8    ,from  
the year #ahcc1 to the day that ,god in 

his mercy opened my eyes1 my  servant   
had used more than a bushel of wheat    
flour1 to make the little  cakes which  
,i had to convert into the ,christ of   
the mass4 ,some of these  ,i ate2 others
 ,i carried about with me for the sick2 
and others ,i placed  in the tabernacle 
for the adoration of the people4    ,i  
am often asked3--8,how is it that you   
could be guilty of such a gross  act of 
idolatry80 ,my only answer is the answer
 of the blind man of the  gospel3 8,i   
know not1 only this one thing ,i know1  
that ,i was blind1 and  could not see4  
,but ,jesus has touched my eyes and now 
,i see40 7,john ix4  ii74               
,,chapter ,,xviii4    ,,nine ,,startling
 ,,consequences ,,of ,,the ,,dogma ,,of 
,,transubstantiation--,,the ,,old       
,,paganism ,,under ,a ,,christian       
,,name4      ,on the day of my          
ordination to the priesthood1 ,i had to 
believe1 with  all the priests of ,rome1
 that it was within the limits of my    
powers to  go into all the bakeries of  

,quebec1 and change all the loaves and  
biscuits in that old city1 into the     
body1 blood1 soul and divinity of  our  
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by pronouncing    
over them the five words3 ,,hoc ,,est   
,,enim ,,corpus ,,meum4 ,nothing would  
have remained of these loaves and       
biscuits but the smell1 the color1 the  
taste4    #b4 ,every bishop and priest  
of the cities of ,new ,york and ,boston1
  ,chicago1 ,montreal1 ,paris and       
,london1 etc41 firmly believes and      
teaches  that he has the power to turn  
all the loaves of their cities1 of their
  dioceses1 nay1 of the whole world1    
into the body1 blood1 soul and  divinity
 of our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,and1  
though they have never yet  found it    
advisable to do that wonderful miracle1 
they consider1 and say1  that to        
entertain any doubt about the power to  
perform that marvel1 is  as criminal as 
to entertain any doubt about the        
existence of ,god4    #c4 ,when in the  
,seminary of ,nicolet1 ,i heard1 several

 times1 our  ,superior1 the ,rev4 ,mr4  
,raimbault1 tell us that a ,french      
priest having  been condemned to death  
in ,paris1 when dragged to the scaffold 
had1  through revenge1 consecrated and  
changed into ,jesus ,christ all the     
loaves of the bakeries of that great    
city which were along the streets       
through which he had to pass2 and though
 our learned superior condemned  that   
action in the strongest terms1 yet he   
told us that the consecration  was      
valid1 and that the loaves were really  
changed into the body1 blood1  soul and 
divinity of the ,saviour of the world4  
,and ,i was bound to  believe it under  
pain of eternal damnation4    #d4       
,before my ordination ,i had been       
obliged to learn by heart1 in one of    
the most sacred books of the ,church of 
,rome1 7,missale ,romanism1 p4 #fc7  the
 following statement3 8,if1 after the   
consecration1 the consecrated  bread    
disappear1 taken away by the wind1 or   
through any miracle2 or  dragged away by

 an animal1 let the priest take a new   
bread1 consecrate  it1 and continue his 
mass40    ,and at page #eg ,i had       
learned1 8,if a fly or spider fall into 
the chalice1  after the consecration1   
let the priest take and eat it1 if he   
does not  feel an insurmountable        
repugnance2 but if he cannot swallow it1
 let him  wash it and burn it and throw 
the ashes into the sacrarium40    #e4   
,in the month of ,january1 #ahcd1 ,i    
heard the following fact from the  ,rev4
 ,mr4 ,paquette1 curate of ,st4         
,gervais1 at a grand dinner which he had
  given to the neighboring priests3     
8,when young1 ,i was the vicar of a     
curate who could eat as much as two of  
us1 and drink as much as four4 ,he was  
tall and strong1 and he has left  the   
dark marks of his hard fists on the nose
 of more than one of his  beloved sheep2
 for his anger was really terrible after
 he drank his  bottle of wine4    8,one 
day1 after a sumptuous dinner1 he was   
called to carry the good god  7,le ,bon 

,dieu71 to a dying man4 ,it was         
mid-winter4 ,the cold was intense4  ,the
 wind was blowing hard4 ,there was at   
least five or six feet of snow1  and the
 roads were almost impassable4 ,it was  
really a serious matter to  travel nine 
miles on such a day1 but there was no   
help4 ,the messenger  was one of the    
first marguilliers 7elders7 who was very
 pressing1 and  the dying man was one of
 the first citizens of the place4 ,the  
curate1  after a few grumblings1 drank a
 tumbler of good ,jamaica with his      
marguillier as a preventative against   
the cold1 went to church1 took the  good
 god 7,le ,bon ,dieu71 and threw himself
 into the sleigh2 wrapped as  well as   
possible in his large buffalo robes4    
8,though there were two horses1 one     
before the other1 to drag the sleigh1   
the journey was a long and tedious one1 
which was made still worse by an        
unlucky circumstance4 ,they were met    
half-way by another traveler coming     
from the opposite direction4 ,the road  

was too narrow to allow the two  sleighs
 and horses to remain easily on firm    
ground when passing by each  other1 and 
it would have required a good deal of   
skill and patience in  driving the      
horses to prevent them from falling into
 the soft snow4 ,it  is well known that 
when once horses are sunk into five or  
six feet of  snow1 the more they        
struggle the deeper they sink4    8,the 
marguillier1 who was carrying the #8good
 god1' with the cure1  naturally hoped  
to have the privilege of keeping the    
middle of the road  and escaping the    
danger of getting his horses wounded1   
and his sleigh  broken4 ,he cried to the
 other traveler1 in a high tone of      
authority3  8,traveler6 let me have the 
road4 ,turn your horses into the snow6  
,make  haste1 ,i am in a hurry4 ,i carry
 the good god60    8,unfortunately the  
traveler was a heretic1 who cared much  
more for his  horses than for the 8good 
god40 ,he answered3    8,le ,diable     
emporte ton ,bon ,dieu avant que je ne  

casse le cou de mon  cheval60 8,the     
devil take your god before ,i consent to
 break the neck of  my horse4 ,if your  
god has not taught you the rules of law 
and of common  sense1 ,i will give you a
 free lecture on that matter10 and      
jumping out  of his sleigh1 he took the 
reins of the front horse of the         
marguillier  to help him to walk on the 
side of the road1 and keep the half of  
it for  himself4    8,but the           
marguillier1 who was naturally a very   
impatient and fearless  man1 had drank  
too much with my curate1 before he left 
the parsonage1 to  keep cool1 as he     
ought to have done4 ,he also jumped out 
of his sleigh1  ran to the stranger1    
took his cravat in his left hand and    
raised his  right one to strike him in  
the face4    8,unfortunately for him1   
the heretic seemed to have foreseen all 
this4 ,he  had left his overcoat in the 
sleigh and was more ready for the       
conflict  than his assailant4 ,he was   
also a real giant in size and strength4 

,as  quick as lightning his right and   
left fists fell like iron masses on the 
face of the poor marguillier1 and threw 
him on his back in the soft  snow1 where
 he almost disappeared4    8,till then  
the curate had been a silent spectator2 
but the sight and the  cries of his     
friend1 whom the stranger was pommelling
 without mercy1  made him lose his      
patience4 ,taking the little silk bag   
which contained  the #8good god' from   
about his neck1 where it was tied1 he   
put it on the  seat of the sleigh1 and  
said3 #8,dear good god6 ,please remain  
neutral2 ,i  must help my marguillier6  
,take no part in this conflict1 and ,i  
will  punish that infamous ,protestant  
as he deserves4'    8,but the           
unfortunate marguillier was entirely put
 hors de combat  before the curate could
 go to his help4 ,his face was horribly 
cut--three  teeth were broken--the lower
 jaw dislocated1 and the eyes were so   
terribly damaged that it took several   
days before he could see anything4      

8,when the heretic saw the priest coming
 to renew the battle1 he threw  down his
 other coat to be freer in his          
movements4 ,the curate had not  been so 
wise4 ,relying too much on his herculean
 strength1 covered with  his heavy      
overcoat1 on which was his white        
surplice1 he threw himself on  the      
stranger1 like a big rock which falls   
from the mountain and rolls  upon the   
oak below4    8,both of these combatants
 were real giants1 and the first blows  
must  have been terrible on both sides4 
,but the #8infamous heretic' probably   
had not drank so much as my curate      
before leaving home1 or perhaps he  was 
more expert in the exchange of these    
bloody jokes4 ,the battle was  long and 
the blood flowed pretty freely on both  
sides4 ,the cries of the  combatants    
might have been heard at a long         
distance1 were it not for the  roaring  
noise of the wind1 which at that instant
 was blowing a  hurricane4    8,the     
storm1 the cries1 the blows1 the blood1 

the surplice and the  overcoat of the   
priest torn to rags1 the shirt of the   
stranger reddened  with gore1 made such 
a terrible spectacle1 that in the end   
the horses of  the marguillier1 though  
well-trained animals1 took fright and   
threw  themselves into the snow1 turned 
their backs to the storm and made for   
home4 ,they dragged the fragments of the
 upset sleigh a pretty long  distance1  
and arrived at the door of their stable 
with only some  diminutive parts of the 
harness4    8,the #8good god' had       
evidently heard the prayer of my curate1
 and he had  remained neutral2 at all   
events he had not taken the part of his 
priest1  for he lost the day1 and the   
infamous ,protestant remained master of 
the  battle-field4    8,the curate had  
to help his marguillier out of the snow 
in which he was  buried1 and where he   
had lain like a slaughtered ox4 ,both   
had to walk1  or rather crawl1 nearly   
half a mile in snow to their knees1     
before they  could reach the nearest    

farmhouse1 where they arrived when it   
was dark4    8,but the worst is not     
told4 ,you remember when my curate had  
put the box  containing the #8good god' 
on the seat of the sleigh1 before going 
to  fight4 ,the horses had dragged the  
sleigh a certain distance1 upset and    
smashed it4 ,the little silk bag1 with  
the silver box and its precious         
contents1 was lost in the snow1 and     
though several hundred people had       
looked for it1 several days at different
 times1 it could not be found4  ,it was 
only late in the month of ,june1 that a 
little boy1 seeing some  rags in the mud
 of the ditch1 along the highway1 lifted
 them and a  little silver box fell out4
 ,suspecting that it was what the people
 had  looked for so many days during the
 last winter1 he took it to the         
parsonage4    8,i was there when it was 
opened2 we had the hope that the #8good 
god'  would be found pretty intact1 but 
we were doomed to be disappointed1  ,the
 good god was entirely melted away4 ,le 

,bon ,dieu etait fondu60    ,during the 
recital of that spicy story1 which was  
told in the most  amusing and comical   
way1 the priests had drunk freely and   
laughed  heartily4 ,but when the        
conclusion came3 8,le ,bon ,dieu etait  
fondu60    8,the good god was melted    
away60 ,there was a burst of laughter   
such as ,i  never heard--the priests    
striking the floor with their feet1 and 
the  table with their hands1 filled the 
house with the cries1 8,the good god    
melted away60    8,the good god melted  
away60    8,le ,bon ,dieu est fondu60   
8,le ,bon ,dieu est fondu60 ,yes1 the   
god of ,rome1  dragged away by a drunken
 priest1 and really melted away in the  
muddy  ditch4 ,this glorious fact was   
proclaimed by his own priests in the    
midst  of convulsive laughter1 and at   
tables covered with scores of bottles   
just emptied by them6    #f4 ,about the 
middle of ,march1 #ahci1 ,i had one of  
the most unfortunate  days of my ,roman 
,catholic priestly life4 ,at about two  

o'clock in the  afternoon1 a poor       
,irishman had come in haste from beyond 
the high  mountains1 between ,lake      
,beauport and the river ,morency1 to ask
 me to go  and anoint a dying woman4 ,it
 took me ten minutes to run to the      
church1  put the 8good god0 in the      
little silver box1 shut the whole in my 
vest  pocket and jump into the          
,irishman's rough sleigh4 ,the roads    
were  exceedingly bad1 and we had to go 
very slowly4 ,at #g p4 m4 we were yet   
more than three miles from the sick     
woman's house4 ,it was very dark1 and   
the horse was so exhausted that it was  
impossible to go any further  through   
the gloomy forest4 ,i determined to pass
 the night at a poor  ,irish cabin which
 was near the road4 ,i knocked at the   
door1 asked  hospitality1 and was       
welcomed with that warm-hearted         
demonstration of  respect which the     
,roman ,catholic ,irishman knows1 better
 than any other  man1 how to pay to his 
priests4    ,the shanty1 twenty-four    

feet long by sixteen wide1 was built    
with round  logs1 between which a       
liberal supply of clay1 instead of      
mortar had been  thrown1 to prevent the 
wind and cold from entering4 ,six fat1  
though not  absolutely well-washed1     
healthy boys and girls1 half-naked1     
presented  themselves around their good 
parents as the living witnesses that    
this  cabin1 in spite of its ugly       
appearance1 was really a happy home for 
its  dwellers4    ,besides the eight    
human beings sheltered beneath that     
hospitable roof1 ,i  saw1 at one end1 a 
magnificent cow with her newborn calf1  
and two fine  pigs4 ,these two last     
boarders were separated from the rest of
 the family  only by a branch partition 
two or three feet high4    8,please your
 reverence10 said the good woman1 after 
she had prepared our  supper1 8excuse   
our poverty1 but be sure that we feel   
happy and much  honored to have you in  
our humble dwelling for the night4 ,my  
only regret  is that we have only       

potatoes1 milk and butter to give you   
for your  supper4 ,in these backwoods1  
tea1 sugar and wheat flour are unknown  
luxuries40    ,i thanked that good woman
 for her hospitality1 and caused her to 
rejoice  not a little by assuring her   
that good potatoes1 fresh butter and    
milk1  were the best delicacies which   
could be offered to me in any place4 ,i 
sat at the table and ate one of the most
 delicious suppers of my life4  ,the    
potatoes were exceedingly               
well-cooked--the butter cream and milk  
of  the best quality1 and my appetite   
was not a little sharpened by the long  
journey over the steep mountains4    ,i 
had not told these good people1 nor even
 my driver1 that ,i had 8,le bon        
,dieu10 the good god1 with me in my vest
 pocket4 ,it would have made them  too  
uneasy1 and would have added too much to
 my other difficulties4 ,when  the time 
of sleeping arrived1 ,i went to bed with
 all my clothing1 and  slept well2 for  
,i was very tired by the tedious and    

broken roads from  ,beauport to these   
distant mountains4    ,next morning1    
before breakfast and the dawn of day1 ,i
 was up1 and as  soon as we had a       
glimpse of light to see our way1 ,i left
 for the house  of the sick woman1 after
 offering a silent prayer4    ,i had not
 traveled a quarter of a mile when ,i   
put my hand into my vest  pocket1 and to
 my indescribable dismay1 ,i found that 
the little silver  box containing the   
8good god0 was missing4 ,a cold sweat   
ran through my  frame4 ,i told my driver
 to stop and turn back immediately1 that
 ,i had  lost something which might be  
found in the bed where ,i had slept4 ,it
 did  not take five minutes to retrace  
our way4    ,on opening the door ,i     
found the poor woman and her husband    
almost  besides themselves1 and         
distressed beyond measure4 ,they were   
pale and  trembling as criminals who    
expected to be condemned4    8,did you  
not find a little silver box after ,i   
left80 ,i said4    8,o1 my ,god60       

answered the desolate woman1 8,yes1 ,i  
have found it1 but  would to ,god ,i had
 never seen it4 ,there it is40    8,but 
why do you regret finding it1 when ,i am
 too happy to find it here1  safe in    
your hands80 ,i replied4    8,ah6 your  
reverence1 you do not know what a       
terrible misfortune has just  happened  
to me not more than half a minute before
 you knocked at the  door40    8,what   
misfortune can have fallen upon you in  
so short a time10 ,i  answered4         
8,well1 please your reverence1 open the 
little box and you will  understand me40
    ,i opened it1 but the 8good god0 was
 not in it66 ,looking in the face of    
the poor distressed woman1 ,i asked her1
 8,what does this mean8 ,it is  empty60 
8,it means10 answered she1 8that ,i am  
the most unfortunate of women6 ,not     
more than five minutes after you had    
left the house1 ,i went to your bed  and
 found that little box4 ,not knowing    
what it was1 ,i showed it to my         
children and to my husband4 ,i asked him

 to open it1 but he refused to do  it4  
,i then turned it on every side1 trying 
to guess what it could  contain2 till   
the devil tempted me so much that ,i    
determined to open it4  ,i came to this 
corner1 where this pale lamp is used to 
remain on that  little shelf1 and ,i    
opened it4 ,but1 ,o1 my ,god2 ,i do not 
dare to tell the  rest40    ,at these   
words she fell on the floor in a fit of 
nervous excitement--her  cries were     
piercing1 her mouth was foaming4 ,she   
was cruelly tearing her  hair with her  
own hands4 ,the shrieks and lamentations
 of the children  were so distressing   
that ,i could hardly prevent myself from
 crying also4    ,after a few moments of
 the most agonizing anxiety1 seeing that
 the poor  woman was becoming calm1 ,i  
addressed myself to the husband1 and    
said3  8,please give me the explanation 
of these strange things80    ,he could  
hardly speak at first1 but as ,i was    
very pressing1 he told me  with a       
trembling voice3 8,please your          

reverence2 look into that vessel  that  
the children use1 and you will perhaps  
understand our desolation6  ,when my    
wife opened the little silver box1 she  
did not observe the  vessel was there1  
just beneath her hands4 ,in the opening1
 what was in  the silver box fell into  
that vase1 and sank6 ,we were all filled
 with  consternation when you knocked at
 the door and entered40    ,i felt      
struck with such unspeakable horror at  
the thought that the body1  blood1 soul 
and divinity of my ,saviour1 ,jesus     
,christ1 was there1 sunk  into that     
vase1 that ,i remained speechless1 and  
for a long time did not  know what to   
do4 ,at first it came to my mind to     
plunge my hands into the  vase and try  
to get my ,saviour out of that sepulchre
 of ignominy4 ,but ,i  could not muster 
courage to do so4    ,at last ,i        
requested the poor desolated family to  
dig a hole three feet  deep in the      
ground1 and deposit it1 with its        
contents1 and ,i left the  house1 after 

,i had forbidden them from ever saying a
 word about that  awful calamity4    #g4
 ,in one of the most sacred books of the
 laws and regulations of the  ,church of
 ,rome 7,missale ,romanism71 we read1   
page #eh1 8,if the priest  after the    
communion vomit1 and that in the vomited
 matter the  consecrated bread appears1 
let him swallow what he has vomited4    
,but if  he feels too much repugnance to
 swallow it1 let him separate the body  
of  ,christ 7the consecrated bread71    
from the vomited matter1 till it be     
entirely corrupted1 and then throw it   
into the sacrarium40    #h4 ,when a     
priest of ,rome1 ,i was bound1 with all 
the ,roman ,catholics1 to  believe that 
,christ had taken ,his own body1 with   
his own hand to ,his  mouth6 and that he
 had eaten ,himself1 not in a spiritual1
 but in a  substantial1 material way6   
,after eating himself1 he had given     
himself to  each one of his apostles1   
who then ate him also66    #i4 ,before  
closing this chapter1 let the reader    

allow me to ask him1 if  the world in   
its darkest ages of paganism has ever   
witnessed such a  system of idolatry1 so
 debasing1 impious1 ridiculous and      
diabolical in  its consequences as the  
,church of ,rome teaches in the dogma of
  transubstantiation6    ,when1 with the
 light of the gospel in hand1 the       
,christian goes into  those horrible    
recesses of superstition1 folly and     
impiety1 he can  hardly believe what his
 eyes see and his ears hear4 ,it seems  
impossible  that men can consent to     
worship a god whom the rats can eat6 ,a 
god who  can be dragged away and lost in
 a muddy ditch by a drunken priest6 ,a  
god  who can be eaten1 vomited1 and     
eaten again by those who are courageous 
enough to eat again what they have      
vomited66    ,the religion of ,rome is  
not a religion3 it is the mockery1 the  
destruction1 the ignominious carricature
 of religion4 ,the ,church of  ,rome1 as
 a public fact1 is nothing but the      
accomplishment of the awful  prophecy3  

8,because they receive not the love of  
the truth that they  might be saved1    
,god shall send them strong delusions   
that they might  believe a lie40 7#b    
,thess4 ii4 x4 xi47                     
,,chapter ,,xix4                        
,,vicarage ,,and ,,life ,,at ,,st4      
,,charles1 ,,rivierre ,,boyer4      ,on 
the #bdth ,september1 #ahcc1 ,rev4 ,mr4 
,casault1 secretary of the bishop  of   
,quebec1 presented to me the official   
letters which named me the vicar  of the
 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,perras1 arch-priest1 and   
curate of ,st4 ,charles1 ,rivierre      
,boyer1 and ,i was soon on my way1 with 
a cheerful heart1 to fill the post      
assigned to me by my superior4    ,the  
parish of ,st4 ,charles is beautifully  
situated about twenty miles  south-west 
of ,quebec1 on the banks of a river1    
which flows in its very  midst1 from    
north to south4 ,its large farm-houses  
and barns1 neatly  white-washed with    
lime1 were the symbols of peace and     
comfort4 ,the  vandal axe had not yet   

destroyed the centenary forests which   
covered the  country4 ,on almost every  
farm a splendid grove of maples had been
  reserved as the witness of the        
intelligence and taste of the people4   
,i had often heard of the ,rev4 ,mr4    
,perras1 as one of the most learned1    
pious and venerable priests of ,canada4 
,i had even been told that several  of  
the governors of ,quebec had chosen him 
for the ,french teacher of  their       
children4 ,when ,i arrived he was absent
 on a sick call1 but his  sister        
received me with every mark of refined  
politeness4 ,under the  burden of her   
five and fifty years she had kept all   
the freshness and  amiability of youth4 
,after a few words of welcome1 she      
showed me my  study and sleeping room4  
,they were both perfumed with the       
fragrance of  two magnificent bouquets  
of the choicest flowers1 on the top of  
one of  which was written the words3    
8,welcome to the angel whom the ,lord   
sends  to us as his messenger40 ,the two

 rooms were the perfection of neatness  
and comfort4 ,i shut the doors and fell 
on my knees to thank ,god and the       
blessed ,virgin for having given me such
 a home4 ,ten minutes later ,i came     
back to the large parlor1 where ,i found
 ,miss ,perras waiting for me1 to  offer
 me a glass of wine and some excellent  
8pain de savoie10 as it was  the        
universal custom1 then1 to do in every  
respectable house4 ,she then  told me   
how her brother1 the curate1 and herself
 were happy when they  heard that ,i was
 to come and live with them4 ,she had   
known my mother  before her marriage1   
and she told me how she had passed      
several happy  days in her company4     
,she could not speak to me of any       
subject more interesting1 than my       
mother2 for1 though she had died a few  
years before1 she had never  ceased to  
be present to my mind1 and near and dear
 to my heart4    ,miss ,perras had not  
spoken long when the curate arrived4 ,i 
rose to meet  him1 but it is impossible 

to adequately express what ,i felt at   
that  moment4 ,the ,israelites were     
hardly struck with more awe when they   
saw  ,moses coming down from ,mount     
,sinai1 than ,i was at the first sight  
,i had  of that venerable man4    ,rev4 
,mr4 ,perras was then about sixty-five  
years old4 ,he was a tall  man--almost a
 giant4 ,no army officer1 no king ever  
bore his head with  more dignity4 ,but  
his beautiful blue eyes1 which were the 
embodiment of  kindness1 tempered the   
dignity of his mien4 ,his hair1 which   
was  beginning to whiten1 had not yet   
lost its golden lustre4 ,it seemed as if
  silver and gold were mixed on his head
 to adorn and beautify it4 ,there  was  
on his face an expression of peace1     
calm1 piety and kindness1 which         
entirely won my heart and respect4      
,when1 with a smile on his lips1 he     
extended his hands towards me1 ,i felt  
beside myself1 ,i fell on my knees  and 
said3 8,mr4 ,perras1 ,god sends me to   
you that you may be my teacher  and my  

father4 ,you will have to guide my first
 and inexperienced steps  in the holy   
ministry4 ,do bless me and pray that ,i 
may be a good priest  as you are        
yourself40    ,that unpremeditated and  
earnest act of mine1 so touched the good
 old  priest1 that he could hardly      
speak4 ,leaning towards me1 he raised me
 up  and pressed me to his bosom1 and   
with a voice trembling with emotion he  
said1 8,may ,god bless you1 my dear sir1
 and may he also be blessed for  having 
chosen you to help me carry the burden  
of the holy ministry in my  old age40   
,after half-an-hour of the most         
interesting conversation1 he  showed me 
his library1 which was very large and   
composed of the best  books which a     
priest of ,rome is allowed to read2 and 
he very kindly put  it at my service4   
,next morning1 after breakfast1 he      
handed me a large and neat sheet of     
paper1 headed by these latin words3     
8,,ordo ,,ducit ,,ad ,,deum40    ,it was
 the rule of life which he had imposed  

upon himself1 to guide all  the hours of
 the day in such a way that not a moment
 could be given to  idleness or vain    
pastime4    8,would you be kind enough10
 he said1 8to read this and tell me if  
it  suits your views8 ,i have found     
great spiritual and temporal benefits in
  following these rules of life1 and    
would be very happy if my dear young    
coadjutor would unite with me in walking
 in the ways of an orderly1  ,christian 
and priestly life4    ,i read this      
document with interest and pleasure1 and
 handed it back to  him saying3 8,i will
 be very happy1 with the help of ,god1  
to follow with  you the wise rules set  
down here for a holy and priestly life40
    ,thinking that these rules might be 
interesting to the reader1 ,i give  them
 here in full3        #a4 ,rising1      
#e4cj a4 m4        #b4 ,prayer and      
meditation                            #f
 to #f4cj a4 m4        #c4 ,mass1       
hearing confession and recitation of    
brevarium                               

#f4cj to #h a4 m4        #d4 ,breakfast 
#h a4 m4        #e4 ,visitation of the  
sick1 and reading the lives of #h4cj to 
#aj a4         the saints               
m4        #f4 ,study of philosophical1  
historical1 or         theological books
                                #aa a4  
m4 to #ab4        #g4 ,dinner           
#ab to  #ab4cj4        #h4 ,recreation  
and conversation                        
#ab4cj to #a4cj4        #i4 ,recitation 
of vespers                              
#a4cj to #b p4 m4       #aj4 ,study of  
history1 theology or philosophy         
#b to #d p4 m4       #aa4 ,visit to the 
holy sacrament and reading              
8,imitation of ,jesus ,christ10         
#d to #d4cj p4 m4       #ab4 ,hearing of
 confessions1 or visit to the sick1 or  
study                                   
#d4cj to #f p4 m4       #ac4 ,supper    
#f to #f4cj p4 m4       #ad4 ,recreation
                                        
#f4cj to #h p4 m4       #ae4            
,chaplet--reading of the ,holy          

,scriptures and         prayer          
#h to #i p4 m4       #af4 ,going to bed 
#i p4 m4    ,such was our daily life    
during the eight months which it was my 
privilege to remain with the venerable  
,mr4 ,perras1 except that ,thursdays    
were invariably given to visit some of  
the neighboring curates1 and the        
,sabbath days spent in hearing          
confessions1 and performing the public  
services of the church4    ,the         
conversation of ,mr4 ,perras was        
generally exceedingly interesting4 ,i   
never heard from him any idle1 frivolous
 talking1 as it is so much the  habit   
among the priests4 ,he was well versed  
in the literature1  philosophy1 history 
and theology of ,rome4 ,he had          
personally known almost  all the bishops
 and priests of the last fifty years1   
and his memory was  well stored with    
anecdotes and facts concerning the      
clergy1 from almost  the days of the    
conquest of ,canada4 ,i could write many
 interesting  things1 were ,i to publish

 what ,i heard from him1 concerning the 
doings  of the clergy4 ,i will only give
 two or three of the facts of that      
interesting period of the church in     
,canada4    ,a couple of months before  
my arrival at ,st4 ,charles1 the vicar  
who  preceded me1 called ,lajus1 had    
publicly eloped with one of his         
beautiful  penitents1 who1 after three  
months of public scandal1 had repented  
and  come back to her heart-broken      
parents4 ,about the same time a         
neighboring  curate1 in whom ,i had     
great confidence1 compromised himself   
also1 with  one of his fair             
parishioners1 in a most shameful1 though
 less public  way4 ,these two scandals1 
which came to my knowledge almost at the
 same  time1 distressed me exceedingly1 
and for nearly a week ,i felt so        
overwhelmed with shame1 that ,i dreaded 
to show my face in public1 and ,i       
almost regretted that ,i ever became a  
priest4 ,my nights were sleepless2  the 
best viands of the table had lost their 

relish4 ,i could hardly eat  anything4  
,my conversations with ,mr4 ,perras had 
lost their charms4 ,i even  could hardly
 talk with him or anybody else4    8,are
 you sick1 my young friend80 said he to 
me one day4    8,no1 sir1 ,i am not     
sick1 but ,i am sad40    ,he replied1   
8,can ,i know the cause of your sadness8
 ,you used to be so  cheerful and happy 
since you came here4 ,i must bring you  
back to your  former happy frame of     
mind4 ,please tell me what is the matter
 with you8  ,i am an old man and ,i know
 many remedies for the soul as well as  
for the  body4 ,open your heart to me1  
and ,i hope soon to see that dark cloud 
which is over you pass away40    8,the  
two last awful scandals given by the    
priests10 ,i answered1 8are the  cause  
of my sadness4 ,the news of the fall of 
these two confreres1 one of  whom seemed
 to me so respectable1 has fallen upon  
me like a thunderbolt4  ,though ,i had  
heard something of that nature when ,i  
was a simple  ecclesiastic in the       

college1 ,i had not the least idea that 
such was the  life of so many priests4  
,the fact of the human frailty of so    
many1 is  really distressing4 ,how can  
one hope to stand up on one's feet when 
he  sees such strong men fall by one's  
side8 ,what will become of our holy     
church in ,canada1 and all over the     
world1 if her most devoted priests  are 
so weak and have so little self-respect1
 and so little fear of ,god80    8,my   
dear young friend10 answered ,mr4       
,perras1 8,our holy church is           
infallible4 ,the gates of hell can not  
prevail against her2 but the  assurance 
of her perpetuity and infallibility does
 not rest on any human  foundation4 ,it 
does not rest on the personal holiness  
of her priests2  but it rests on the    
promises of ,jesus ,christ4 ,her        
perpetuity and  infallibility are a     
perpetual miracle4 ,it requires the     
constant working  of ,jesus ,christ to  
keep her pure and holy1 in spite of the 
sins and  scandals of her priests4 ,even

 the clearest proof that our holy church
  has a promise of perpetuity and       
infallibility1 is drawn from the very   
sins and scandals of her priests2 for   
those sins and scandals would have      
destroyed her long ago1 if ,christ was  
not in the midst to save and  sustain   
her4 ,just as the ark of ,noah was      
miraculously saved by the  mighty hand  
of ,god1 when the waters of the deluge  
would otherwise have  wrecked it1 so our
 holy church is miraculously prevented  
from perishing  in the flood of         
iniquities by which too many priests    
have deluged the  world4 ,by the great  
mercy and power of ,god1 the more the   
waters of the  deluge were flowing on   
the earth1 the more the ark was raised  
towards  heaven by these very waters4   
,so it is with our holy church4 ,the    
very  sins of the priests make that     
spotless spouse of ,jesus ,christ fly   
away  higher and higher towards the     
regions of holiness1 as it is in ,god4  
,let1  therefore1 your faith and        

confidence in our holy church1 and your 
respect for her1 remain firm and        
unshaken in the midst of all these      
scandals4 ,let your zeal be rekindled   
for her glory and extension1 at the     
sight of the unfortunate confreres who  
yield to the attacks of the  enemy4     
,just as the valiant soldier makes      
superhuman efforts to save the  flag1   
when he sees those who carried it fall  
on the battle-field4 ,oh6  you will see 
more of our flag-bearers slaughtered    
before you reach my  age4 ,but be not   
disheartened or shaken by that sad      
spectacle2 for once  more our holy      
church will stand forever1 in spite of  
all those human  miseries1 for her      
strength and her infallibility do not   
lie in men1 but  in ,jesus ,christ1     
whose promises will stand in spite of   
all the efforts  of hell4    8,i am near
 the end of my course1 and thanks be to 
,god1 my faith in our  holy church is   
stronger than ever1 though ,i have seen 
and heard many  things1 compared with   

which1 the facts which just now distress
 you are  mere trifles4 ,in order the   
better to inure you to the conflict1 and
 to  prepare you to hear and see more   
deplorable things than what is now      
troubling you1 ,i think it is my duty to
 tell you a fact which ,i got from  the 
late ,lord ,bishop ,plessis4 ,i have    
never revealed it to anybody1 but  my   
interest in you is so great that ,i will
 tell it to you1 and my  confidence in  
your wisdom is so absolute1 that ,i am  
sure you will never  abuse it4 ,what ,i 
will reveal to you is of such a nature  
that we must  keep it among ourselves1  
and never let it be known to the people1
 for it  would diminish1 if not destroy1
 their respect and confidence in us1    
respect and confidence1 without which1  
it would become almost impossible  to   
lead them4    8,i have already told you 
that the late venerable ,bishop ,plessis
 was my  personal friend4 ,our intimacy 
had sprung up when we were studying     
under  the same roof in the seminary of 

,st4 ,sulpice1 ,montreal1 and it had    
increased year after year till the last 
hour of his life4 ,every summer1  when  
he had reached the end of the three     
months of episcopal visitation  of his  
diocese1 he used to come and spend eight
 or ten days of absolute  rest and      
enjoyment of private and solitary life  
with me1 in this  parsonage4 ,the two   
rooms you occupy were his1 and he told  
me many times  that the happiest days of
 his episcopal life were those passed in
 this  solitude4    8,one day he had    
come from his three months' visit1 more 
worn out than  ever1 and when ,i sat    
down with him in this parlor1 ,i was    
almost  frightened by the air of        
distress which covered his face4        
,instead of  finding him the loquacious1
 amiable and cheerful guest ,i used to  
have in  him1 he was taciturn1 cast     
down1 distressed4 ,i felt really uneasy 
for  the first time1 in his presence1   
but as it was the last hour of the day1 
,i supposed that this was due to his    

extreme fatigue1 and ,i hoped that  the 
rest of the night would bring about such
 a change in my venerable  friend1 that 
,i would find him the next morning1 what
 he used to be1 the  most amiable and   
interesting of men4    8,i was1 myself1 
completely worn out4 ,i had traveled    
nearly thirty miles  that day1 to go to 
receive him at ,st4 ,thomas4 ,the heat  
was oppressive1  the roads very bad1 and
 the dust awful4 ,i was in need of rest1
 and ,i was  hardly in my bed1 when ,i  
fell into a profound sleep1 and slept   
till  three o'clock in the morning4 ,i  
was then suddenly awakened by sobs and  
half-suppressed lamentations and        
prayers1 which were evidently coming    
from the bishop's room4 ,without losing 
a moment1 ,i went and knocked at  the   
door1 inquiring about the cause of these
 sobs4 ,evidently the poor  bishop had  
not suspected that ,i could hear him4   
8#8,sobs6 ,sobs6' he answered1 #8,what  
do you mean by that4 ,please go back to 
your room and sleep4 ,do not trouble    

yourself about me1 ,i am well1' and  he 
absolutely refused to open the door of  
his room4 ,the remaining hours  of the  
night1 of course1 were sleepless ones   
for me4 ,the sobs of the  bishop were   
more suppressed1 but he could not       
sufficiently suppress them  to prevent  
me from hearing them4 ,the next morning 
his eyes were reddened  with weeping1   
and his face was that of one who had    
suffered intensely  all the night4      
,after breakfast ,i said to him3 8,my   
lord1 last night has  been one of       
desolation to your lordship2 for ,god's 
sake1 and in the name  of the sacred    
ties of friendship1 which has united us 
during so many  years1 please tell me   
what is the cause of your sorrow4 ,it   
will become  less the very moment you   
share it with your friend40    8,the    
bishop answered me3 #8,you are right    
when you think that ,i am under  the    
burden of a great desolation2 but its   
cause is of such a nature1  that ,i     
cannot reveal it even to you1 my dear   

friend4 ,it is only at the  feet of     
,jesus ,christ and ,his holy mother1    
that ,i must go to unburden my  heart4  
,if ,god does not come to my help1 it is
 sure that ,i must die from  it4 ,but ,i
 will carry with me into my grave1 the  
awful mystery which  kills me4'    8,in 
vain1 during the rest of the day1 ,i did
 all that ,i could to persuade          
,monseigneur ,plessis to reveal the     
cause of his grief4 ,i failed4 ,at last1
  through respect for him1 ,i withdrew  
to my own room1 and left him alone1     
knowing that solitude is sometimes the  
best friend of a desolated mind4  ,his  
lordship1 that evening1 withdrew to his 
sleeping room sooner than  usual1 and ,i
 retired to my room much later4 ,but    
sleep was out of the  question for me   
that night1 for his desolation seemed to
 be so great1  and his tears so         
abundant1 that when he bade me #8good   
night1' ,i was in  fear of finding my   
venerable1 and more than ever dear      
friend1 dead in  his bed the next       

morning4 ,i watched him1 without closing
 my eyes1 from  the adjoining room1 from
 ten o'clock till the next morning4     
,though it  was evident that he was     
making great efforts to suppress his    
sobs1 ,i  could see that his sorrow was 
still more intense that night1 than the 
last one1 and my mental agony was not   
much less than his1 during those        
distressing hours4    8,but ,i formed an
 extreme resolution1 which ,i put into  
effect the very  moment that he came out
 of his room the next morning1 to salute
 me4    8#8,my ,lord1' said ,i1 #8,i    
thought till the night before last1 that
 you  honored me with your friendship1  
but ,i see to-day that ,i was mistaken4 
,you do not consider me as your friend1 
for if you would look upon me as  a     
friend worthy of your confidence1 you   
would unburden your heart unto  mine4 ,a
 true friend has no secret from a true  
friend4 ,what is the use of  friendship 
if it be not to help each other to carry
 the burdens of life6  ,i found myself  

honored by your presence in my house1 so
 long as ,i  considered myself as your  
own friend4 ,but now1 that ,i see ,i    
have lost  your confidence1 please allow
 me frankly to say to your lordship1    
that ,i  do not feel the same at your   
presence here4 ,besides1 it seems to me 
very  probable that the terrible burden 
which you want to carry alone will  kill
 you1 and that very soon1 and ,i do not 
at all like the idea of  finding you    
suddenly dead in my parsonage1 and      
having the coroner  holding his inquest 
on your body1 and making the painful    
inquiries which  are always made upon   
one suddenly taken by death1            
particularly when he  belongs to the    
highest ranks of society4 ,then1 my     
lord1 be not offended  if ,i            
respectfully request your lordship to   
find another lodging as soon  as        
possible4'    8,my words fell upon the  
bishop like a thunderbolt4 ,he seemed to
 awaken  from a profound sleep4 ,with a 
deep sigh he looked in my face1 with his

  eyes rolling in tears1 and said3      
8#8,you are right1 ,perras1 ,i ought    
never to have concealed my sorrow from  
such a friend as you have always been   
for more than half a century to  me4    
,but you are the only one to whom ,i can
 reveal it4 ,no doubt your  priestly and
 ,christian heart will not be less      
broken than mine2 but you  will help me 
with your prayers and wise counsels to  
carry it4 ,however1  before ,i initiate 
you into such an awful mystery1 we must 
pray4'    8,we then knelt down and1 we  
said together a chaplet to invoke the   
power  of the ,virgin ,mary1 after which
 we recited ,psalm li3 #8,misere mihi4' 
,have  mercy upon me1 ,o ,lord6         
8,there1 sitting by me on this sofa1 the
 bishop said3 #8,my dear ,perras1  you  
are the only one to whom ,i could reveal
 what you are about to hear1  for ,i    
think you are the only one who can hear 
such a terrible secret  without         
revealing it1 and because1 also1 you are
 the only friend whose  advice can guide

 me in this terrible affliction4        
8#8,you know that ,i have just finished 
the visit of my immense diocese of      
,quebec4 ,it has taken me several years 
of hard work and fatigue1 to see  by my 
own eyes1 and know by myself1 the gains 
and losses--in a word1 the  strength and
 life of our holy church4 ,i will not   
speak to you of the  people4 ,they are1 
as a general thing1 truly religious and 
faithful to  the church4 ,but the       
priests4 ,o1 ,great ,god6 will ,i tell  
you what they  are8 ,my dear ,perras1 ,i
 would almost die with joy1 if ,god     
would tell me  that ,i am mistaken4     
,but1 alas6 ,i am not mistaken4 ,the    
sad1 the terrible  truth is this        
7putting his right hand on his          
forehead17 the priests6 ,ah6  with the  
exception of you and three others1 are  
infidels and atheists6  ,o1 my ,god6 my 
,god6 what will become of the church in 
the hands of such  wicked men6' and     
covering his face with his hands1 the   
bishop burst into  tears1 and for one   

hour could not say a word4 ,i myself    
remained mute4    8,at first ,i         
regretted having pressed the bishop to  
reveal such an  unexpected mystery of   
iniquity4 ,but1 taking counsel of our   
very  fathomless humiliation and        
distress1 after an hour of silence1     
spent in  pacing the walks of the       
garden1 almost unable to look each other
 in the  face1 ,i said3 #8,my lord1 what
 you have told me is surely the saddest 
thing that ,i ever heard2 but allow me  
to tell you that your sorrows are  out  
of the limits of your high intelligence 
and your profound science4  ,if you read
 the history of our holy church1 from   
the seventh to the  fifteenth century1  
you will know that the spotless spouse  
of ,christ has  seen as dark days1 if   
not darker1 in ,italy1 ,france1 ,spain  
and ,germany1  as she does in ,canada1  
and though the saints of those days     
deplored the  errors and crimes of those
 dark ages1 they have not killed        
themselves  with their vain tears as you

 are doing4'    8,taking the bishop by  
the hand1 ,i led him to the library1 and
 opened the  pages of the history of the
 church1 by ,cardinals ,baronius and    
,henrion1 ,i  showed him the names of   
more than fifty ,popes who had evidently
 been  atheists and infidels4 ,i read to
 him the lives of ,borgia1 ,alexander   
,,vi4  and a dozen others1 who would    
surely and justly be hanged to-day by   
the  executioner of ,quebec1 were they1 
in that city1 committing one half of    
the public crimes of adultery1 murder1  
debauchery of every kind1 which  they   
committed in ,rome1 ,avignon1 ,naples1  
etc41 etc4 ,i read to him some  of the  
public and undeniable crimes of the     
successors of the apostles1  and of the 
inferior clergy1 and ,i easily and      
clearly proved to him that  his priests1
 though infidels and atheists1 were     
angels of pity1 modesty1  purity and    
religion1 when compared with a ,borgia1 
who publicly lived as  a married man    
with his own daughter1 and had a child  

by her4 ,he agreed  with me that several
 of the ,alexanders1 the ,johns1 the    
,piuses and the  ,leos1 were sunk much  
deeper in the abyss of every kind of    
iniquity than  his priests4    8,five   
hours passed in so perusing the sad but 
irrefutable pages of the  history of our
 holy church1 wrought a marvelous and   
beneficial change in  the mind of       
,monseigneur ,plessis4    8,my          
conclusion was1 that if our holy church 
had been able to resist the  deadly     
influence of such scandals during so    
many centuries in ,europe1  she would   
not be destroyed in ,canada1 even by the
 legion of atheists by  whom she is     
served to-day4    8,the bishop          
acknowledged that my conclusion was     
correct4 ,he thanked me  for the good ,i
 had done him1 by preventing him from   
despairing of the  future of our holy   
church in ,canada1 and the rest of the  
days which he  spent with me1 he was    
almost as cheerful and amiable as       
before4    8,now1 my dear young friend10

 added ,mr4 ,perras1 8,i hope you will  
be as  reasonable and logical in your   
religion as ,bishop ,plessis1 who was   
probably the greatest man ,canada has   
ever had4 ,when ,satan tries to shake   
your faith by the scandals you see1     
remember that ,stephen1 after having    
fought with his adversary1--the ,pope   
,constantine ,,ii41 put out his eyes    
and condemned him to die4 ,remember that
 other ,pope1 who through revenge       
against his predecessor1 had him        
exhumed1 brought his dead body before   
judges1 then charged him with the most  
horrible crimes1 which he proved  by the
 testimony of scores of eye-witnesses1  
got him 7the dead ,pope71 to  be        
condemned to be beheaded and dragged    
with ropes through the muddy  streets of
 ,rome1 and thrown into the river       
,tiber4 ,yes1 when your mind is         
oppressed by the secret crimes of the   
priests1 which you will know1  either   
through the confessional or by public   
rumor1 remember that more  than twelve  

,popes have been raised to that high and
 holy dignity by the  rich and          
influential prostitutes of ,rome1 with  
whom they were publicly  living in the  
most scandalous way4 ,remember that     
young bastard1 ,john  ,,xi41 the son of 
,pope ,sergius1 who was consecrated     
,pope1 when only twelve  years old1 by  
the influence of his prostitute mother1 
,marosian1 but who  was so horribly     
profligate that he was deposed by the   
people and the  clergy of ,rome4        
8,well1 if our holy church has been able
 to pass through such storms  without   
perishing1 is it not a living proof that
 ,christ is her pilot1  that she is     
imperishable and infallible because ,st4
 ,peter is her  foundation1 #8,tu es    
,petrus et super hanc petram edificabo  
,ecclesiam meam1  et portae inferi non  
prevalebunt adversus eam4'0    ,oh1 my  
,god6 what shall ,i confess to my       
confusion1 what my thoughts were  during
 that conversation1 or rather that      
lecture of my curate1 which  lasted more

 than an hour6 ,yes1 to thy eternal     
glory1 and to my eternal  shame1 ,i must
 say the truth4 ,when the priest was    
exhibiting to me the  horrible          
unmentionable crimes of so many of our  
,popes1 to calm my fears  and strengthen
 my shaken faith1 a mysterious voice was
 repeating to the  ears of my soul1 the 
dear ,saviour's words3 8,a good tree    
cannot bring  forth evil fruit1 neither 
can a corrupt tree bring forth good     
fruit4  ,every tree that bringeth not   
good fruit is hewn down and cast into   
the  fire4 ,wherefore1 by their fruits  
ye shall know them10 and in spite of    
myself the voice of my conscience cried 
in thundering tones that a  church1     
whose head and members were so horribly 
corrupt1 could not1 by  any means1 be   
the ,church of ,christ4    ,but the most
 sacred and imperative law of my church1
 which ,i had  promised by oaths1 was1  
that ,i would never obey the voice of my
  conscience1 nor follow the dictates of
 my private judgment1 when they  were in

 opposition to the teachings of my      
church4 ,too honest to admit  the       
conclusions of ,mr4 ,perras1 which were 
evidently the conclusions of  my church1
 ,i was too cowardly and too mean to    
bravely express my own  mind1 and repeat
 the words of the ,son of ,god3 8,by    
their fruits ye shall  know them6 ,a    
good tree cannot bring forth evil       
fruit60                                 
,,chapter ,,xx4               ,,papineau
 ,,and ,,the ,,patriots1 ,,in           
#ahcc--,,the ,,burning ,,of             
8,,le ,,canadien0 ,,by ,,the ,,curate   
,,of ,,st4 ,,charles4      ,the name of 
,louis ,joseph ,papineau will be forever
 dear to the ,french  ,canadians2 for   
whatever may be the political party to  
which one belongs  in ,canada1 he cannot
 deny that it is to the ardent          
patriotism1 the  indomitable energy1 and
 the remarkable eloquence of that great 
patriot1  that ,canada is indebted for  
the greater part of the political       
reforms  which promise in a near future 

to raise the country of my birth to the 
rank of a great and free nation4    ,it 
is not my intention to speak of the     
political parties which divided  the    
people of ,canada into two camps in     
#ahcc4 ,the long and trying abuses      
under which our conquered race was      
groaning1 and which at last brought     
about the bloody insurrections of #ahcg 
and #ahch1 are matters of history1      
which do not pertain to the plea of this
 work4 ,i will speak of ,papineau1  and 
the brilliant galaxy of talented young  
men by whom he was surrounded  and      
supported1 only in connection with their
 difficulties with the  clergy and the  
,church of ,rome4    ,papineau1         
,lefontaine1 ,bedard1 ,cartier and      
others1 though born in the  ,church of  
,rome1 were only nominal ,romanists4 ,i 
have been personally  acquainted with   
every one of them1 and ,i know they were
 not in the habit  of confessing4       
,several times ,i invited them to fulfil
 that duty1 which ,i  considered1 then1 

of the utmost importance to be saved4   
,they invariably  answered me with      
jests1 which distressed me2 for ,i could
 see that they  did not believe in the  
efficacy of auricular confession4 ,these
 men were  honest and earnest in their  
efforts to raise their countrymen from  
the  humiliating and inferior position  
which they occupied compared with the   
conquering race4 ,they well understood  
that the first thing to be done in      
order to put the ,french ,canadians on a
 level with their ,british  compatriots1
 was to give good schools to the people2
 and they bravely  set themselves to    
show the necessity of having a good     
system of  education1 for the country as
 well as for the city4 ,but at the very 
first attempt they found an             
insurmountable barrier to their         
patriotic  views in the clergy4 ,the    
priests had everywhere the good common  
sense to  understand that their absolute
 power over the people was due to its   
complete ignorance4 ,they felt that that

 power would decrease in the same       
proportion that light and education     
would spread among the masses4 ,hence   
the almost insurmountable obstacles put 
by the clergy before the  patriots1 to  
prevent them from reforming the system  
of education4 ,the  only source of      
education1 then in ,canada1 with the    
exception of the  colleges of ,quebec1  
,montreal and ,nicolet1 consisted in one
 or two  schools in the principal       
parishes1 entirely under the control of 
the  priests1 and kept by their most    
devoted servants1 while the new parishes
  had none at all4 ,the greater part of 
these teachers knew very little  more1  
and required nothing more from their    
pupils1 than the reading of  the ,a1 ,b1
 ,c1 and their little catechism4 ,when  
once admitted to the first  communion1  
the ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 and the little catechism
 were soon forgotten1  and #ie in #ajj  
of the ,french ,canadian people were not
 even able to sign  their names6 ,in    
many parishes1 the curate1 with his     

school-teacher1 the  notary1 and a      
half-dozen of others1 were the only     
persons who could read  or write a      
letter4 ,papineau and his patriotic     
friends understood that  the ,french    
,canadian people were doomed to remain  
an inferior race in  their own country1 
if they were left in that shameful state
 of  ignorance4 ,they did not conceal   
their indignation at the obstacles      
placed by the clergy to prevent them    
from amending the system of  education4 
,several eloquent speeches were made by 
,papineau1 who was  their 8,parliament  
,speaker10 in answer to the clergy4 ,the
 curates1 in  their pulpits1 as well as 
by the press1 tried to show that ,canada
 had  the best possible system of       
education--that the people were         
happy--that  too much education would   
bring into ,canada the bitter fruits    
which had  grown in                     
,france1--infidelity1 revolution1 riots1
 bloodshed2 that the  people were too   
poor to pay the heavy taxes which would 

be imposed for  the new system of       
education4 ,in one of his addresses1    
,papineau answered  this last argument1 
showing the immense sums of money1      
foolishly given  by those so-called poor
 people1 to gild the ceilings of the    
church 7as  was the usage then74 ,he    
made a calculation of the tithes paid to
 the  priests2 of the costly images and 
statues of saints1 which were to be     
seen then1 around all the interior of   
the churches1 and he boldly said  that  
the priests would do better to induce   
the people to establish good  schools1  
and pay respectable teachers1 than to   
lavish their money on  objects which    
were of so little benefit4    ,that     
address1 which was reproduced by the    
only ,french paper of ,quebec1  8,le    
,canadien10 fell upon the clergy like a 
hurricane upon a rotten  house1 shaking 
it to its foundation4 ,everywhere       
,papineau and his party  were denounced 
as infidels1 more dangerous than        
,protestants1 and plans  were           

immediately laid down to prevent the    
people from reading 8,le  ,canadien10   
the only ,french paper they could       
receive4 ,not more than half  a dozen   
were receiving it in ,st4 ,charles2 but 
they used to read it to  their          
neighbors1 who gathered on ,sabbath     
afternoons to hear its  contents4 ,we at
 first tried1 through the confessional1 
to persuade the  subscribers to reject  
it1 under the pretext that it was a bad 
paper2  that it spoke against the       
priests and would finally destroy our   
holy  religion4 ,but1 to our great      
dismay1 our efforts failed4 ,the curates
 then  had recourse to a more           
efficacious way of preserving the faith 
of the  people4    ,the postmaster of   
,st4 ,charles was1 then1 a man whom ,mr4
 ,perras had got  educated at his own   
expense in the seminary of ,quebec4 ,his
 name was  ,chabot4 ,that man was a     
perfect machine in the hands of his     
benefactor4  ,mr4 ,perras forbade him to
 deliver any more of the numbers of that

  journal to the subscribers1 when there
 would be anything unfavorable to  the  
clergy in its columns4 8,give them to   
me10 said he1 8that ,i may burn  them1  
and when the people come to get them1   
give them such evasive  answers1 that   
they may believe that it is the editor's
 fault1 or of some  other post-offices1 
if they have not received it40 ,from    
that day1 every  time there was any     
censure of the clergy1 the poor paper   
was consigned  to the flames4 ,one      
evening1 when ,mr4 ,perras had1 in my   
presence1 thrown  a bundle of these     
papers into the stove1 ,i told him3     
8,please allow me to  express to you my 
surprise at this act4 ,have we really   
the right to  deprive the subscribers of
 that paper1 of their property8 ,that   
paper is  theirs1 they have paid for it4
 ,how can we take upon ourselves to     
destroy  it without their permission6   
,besides1 you know the old proverb3 ,les
  pierres parlent4 7,stones speak47 ,if 
it were known by our people that we     

destroy their papers1 would not the     
consequences be very serious8 ,now1     
,mr4 ,perras1 you know my sincere       
respect for you1 and ,i hope ,i do not  
go  against that respect by asking you  
to tell me by what right or authority   
you do this8 ,i would not put this      
question to you if you were the only    
one who does it4 ,but ,i know several   
others who do just the same thing4 ,i   
will1 probably1 be obliged1 when a      
curate1 to act in the same manner1  and 
,i wish to know on what grounds ,i shall
 be justified in acting as you  do40    
8,are we not the spiritual fathers of   
our people10 answered ,mr4 ,perras4     
,i replied1 8,yes1 sir1 we are surely   
the spiritual fathers of our  people40  
8,then10 rejoined ,mr4 ,perras1 8we have
 in spiritual matters all  the rights   
and duties which temporal fathers have1 
in temporal things1  toward their       
children4 ,if a father sees a sharp     
knife in the hands of  his beloved but  
inexperienced child1 and if he has good 

reasons to fear  that the dear child may
 wound himself1 nay1 destroy his own    
life with  that knife1 is it not his    
duty1 before ,god and man1 to take it   
from his  hands and prevent him from    
touching it any more80    8,yes10 ,i    
answered1 8but allow me to draw your    
attention to a little  difference which 
,i see between the corporal and the     
spiritual children  of your comparison4 
,in the case you bring forward1 of a    
father who takes  away the knife from   
the hands of a young and inexperienced  
child1 that  knife has1 very probably1  
been bought by the father4 ,it has been 
paid  for with that father's money4 ,it 
is1 then1 the father's knife4 ,but the  
papers of your spiritual children1 which
 you have thrown into your  stove1 have 
been paid for by them1 and not by you4  
,they are theirs1  then1 before the laws
 of ,god and man1 and they are not      
yours40    ,i saw that my answer had cut
 the good old priest to the quick1 and  
he  became more nervous than ,i had ever

 seen him4 8,i see that you are  young10
 answered he2 8you have not yet had time
 to meditate on the great  and broad    
principles of our holy church4 ,i       
confess there is a difference  in the   
rights of the two children to which ,i  
had not paid attention1 and  which1 at  
first sight1 may seem to diminish the   
strength of my argument4  ,but ,i have1 
here1 an argument which will satisfy    
you1 ,i hope4 ,some weeks  ago1 ,i wrote
 to our venerable ,bishop ,panet about  
my intention of burning  that miserable 
and impious paper1 8,le ,canadien10 to  
prevent it from  poisoning the minds of 
our people against us1 and he has       
approved me1  adding the advice1 to be  
very prudent1 and to act so secretly    
that there  would be no danger in being 
detected4 ,here is the letter of the    
holy  bishop1 you may read it1 if you   
like40    8,i thank you10 ,i replied1   
8,i believe that what you say in        
reference to  that letter is correct4   
,but suppose that our good bishop has   

made a  mistake in advising you to burn 
those papers1 would you not have some   
reasons to regret that burning1 should  
you1 sooner or later1 detect that       
mistake80    8,a reason of regretting to
 follow the advice of my superiors6     
,never6  ,never8 ,i fear1 my dear young 
friend1 that you do not sufficiently    
understand the duties of an inferior1   
and the sacred rights of superiors  in  
our holy church4 ,have you not been told
 by your superiors in the  college of   
,nicolet1 that there can be no sin in an
 inferior1 who obeys  the orders or     
counsels of his legitimate superiors80  
8,yes sir10 ,i answered1 8the ,rev4 ,mr4
 ,leprohon has told us that1 in the     
college of ,nicolet40    8,but10        
rejoined ,mr4 ,perras1 8your last       
question makes me fear that you  have   
forgotten what you have learned there4  
,my dear young friend1 do not  forget   
that it was the want of respect to their
 ecclesiastical  superiors1 which caused
 the apostacy of ,luther and ,calvin1   

and damned so  many millions of heretics
 who have followed them4 ,but in order  
to bring  your rebellious mind under the
 holy yoke of a perfect submission to   
your  superiors1 ,i will show you1 by   
our greatest and most approved          
theologian1 that ,i can burn these      
papers1 without doing anything wrong    
before ,god40    ,he then went to his   
library1 and brought me a volume of     
,liguori1 from  which he read to me the 
following ,latin words3 ,docet ,sanchez1
 ,no4  #ai4--,parato aliquem occidere   
licite posse suaderi ut ab eo furetur1  
vel  ut fornicatur 7,page #dai47 8,it is
 allowed to commit a sin of a lesser    
degree1 in order to prevent one of a    
graver nature40 ,with an air of  triumph
 he said1 8,do you see now that ,i am   
absolutely justifiable in  destroying   
these pestilential papers4 ,according to
 those principles of  our holy ,church1 
you know well that even a woman is      
allowed to commit  the sin of adultery  
with a man who threatens to kill her1 or

 himself1 if  she rebukes him2 because  
murder and suicide are greater crimes1  
and more  irremediable than adultery4   
,so the burning of those papers1 though 
a  sin1 if done through malice1 or      
without legitimate reasons1 ceases to be
  a sin2 it is a holy action the moment 
,i do it1 to prevent the  destruction of
 our holy religion1 and to save immortal
 souls40    ,i must confess1 to my      
shame1 that the degrading principles of 
absolute  submission of the inferior to 
the superiors1 which flattens everything
  to the ground in the ,church of ,rome1
 had so completely wrought their  deadly
 work on me1 that it was my wish to     
attain to that supreme  perfection of   
the priest of the ,church of ,rome1 to  
become like a stick  in the hands of my 
superiors--like a corpse in their       
presence4 ,but my ,god  was stronger    
than his unfaithful and blind servant1  
and he never allowed  me to go down to  
the bottom of that abyss of folly and   
impiety4 ,in spite  of myself1 ,i had   

left in me sufficient manhood to express
 my doubts  about that awful doctrine of
 my ,church4    8,i do not want to      
revolt against my superiors10 ,i        
answered1 8and ,i hope  ,god will       
prevent me from falling into the abyss  
where ,luther and ,calvin  lost         
themselves4 ,i only respectfully request
 you to tell me1 if you  would not      
regret the burning of these papers1 in  
case you would know  that ,bishop ,panet
 made a mistake in granting you the     
power of destroying  a property which is
 neither yours nor his--a property over 
which neither  of you has any control80 
,it was the first time that ,i was not  
entirely of the same mind with ,mr4     
,perras4 ,till then1 ,i had not been    
brave1 honest or independent enough to  
oppose his views and his ipse dixit1    
though often tempted to do so4  ,the    
desire of living in peace with him2 the 
sincere respect which his  many virtues 
and venerable age commanded in me2 the  
natural timidity1  not to say cowardice1

 of a young1 inexperienced man1 in the  
presence of  a learned and experienced  
priest1 had kept me1 till then1 in      
perfect  submission to the views of my  
aged curate4 ,but it seemed impossible  
to  yield any longer1 and to bow my     
conscience before principles1 which     
seemed to me then1 as ,i am sure they   
are now1 subversive of everything  which
 is good and holy among men4 ,i took the
 big ,bible1 which was on the  table1   
and ,i opened it at the history of      
,susanna1 and ,i answered3 8,my  dear   
,mr4 ,perras1 ,god has chosen you to be 
my teacher1 and ,i have learned  many   
things since it has been my privilege to
 be with you4 ,but ,i have  much more to
 learn1 before ,i know all that your    
books and your long  experience have    
taught you4 ,i hope you will not find   
fault with me1 if ,i  honestly tell you 
that in spite of myself1 there is a     
doubt in my mind  about this doctrine of
 our theologians10 and ,i said3 8,is    
there anything  more sublime1 in the    

whole ,bible1 than that feeble woman    
,susanna1 in the  hands of those two    
infamous men8 ,with a diabolical        
impudence and malice1  they threaten to 
destroy her1 and to take her before a   
tribunal which  will surely condemn her 
to the most ignoble death1 if she does  
not  consent to satisfy their criminal  
desires4 ,she is just in the position   
alluded to by ,liguori4 ,what will she  
do8 ,will she be guided by the          
principles of our theologians8 ,will she
 consent to become an adulteress  in    
order to prevent those two men from     
perjuring themselves1 and  becoming     
murderers1 by causing her to be stoned  
to death1 as was  required by the law of
 the ,jews8 ,no6 ,she raises her eyes   
and her soul  towards the ,god whom she 
loves and fears more than anything in   
the  world1 and she says3 8,i am        
straitened on every side1 for if ,i do  
this  thing it is death unto me2 and if 
,i do it not1 ,i cannot escape your     
hands4 ,it is better for me to fall into

 your hands1 and not to do it1  than to 
sin in the sight of the ,lord40 ,has not
 ,god ,almighty himself  shown that he  
approved of that heroic resolution of   
,susanna1 to die  rather than commit    
adultery4 ,does ,he not show that ,he   
planted1 ,himself1  in that noble soul1 
the principle that it is better to die  
than break  the laws of ,god when he    
brought his prophet ,daniel1 and gave   
him a  supernatural wisdom to save the  
life of ,susanna8 ,if that woman had    
been  guided by the principles of       
,ligouri1 which1 ,i confess to you with 
regret1 are the principles accepted     
everywhere in our ,church 7principles   
which have guided you in the burning of 
8,le ,canadien107 she would have        
consented to the desires of those       
infamous men4 ,nay1 if she had been     
interrogated by her husband1 or by the  
judges on that action1 she would  have  
been allowed to swear before ,god and   
men1 that she was not guilty  of it4    
,now1 my dear ,mr4 ,perras1 do you not  

find that there is some  clashing       
between the ,word of ,god1 as taught in 
the ,holy ,scriptures1 and  the         
teachings of our ,church1 through the   
theologians80    ,never have ,i seen    
such a sudden change in the face and    
manners of a man1  at ,i saw in that    
hour4 ,that ,mr4 ,perras1 who had1 till 
then1 spoken with  so much kindness and 
dignity1 completely lost his temper4    
,instead of  answering me1 he abruptly  
rose to his feet1 and began to pace the 
room  with a quick step4 ,after some    
time1 he told me3 8,mr4 ,chiniquy1 you  
forget that when you were ordained a    
priest1 you swore that you would  never 
interpret the ,holy ,scriptures         
according to your own fallible  private 
judgment2 you solemnly promised that you
 would take them only  according to the 
unanimous consent of the ,holy ,fathers 
speaking to you  through your superiors4
 ,has not ,ligouri been approved by the 
,popes1 by  all the bishops of the      
,church8 ,we have then1 here1 the true  

doctrine  which must guide us4 ,but     
instead of submitting yourself with     
humility1  as it becomes a young and    
inexperienced priest1 you boldly appeal 
to the  ,scriptures1 against the        
decisions of ,popes and bishops2 against
 the  voice of all your superiors1      
speaking to you through ,liguori4 ,where
 will  that boldness end8 ,ah6 ,i       
tremble for you if you do not speedily  
change2  you are on the high road to    
heresy60    ,these last words had hardly
 fallen from his lips when the clock    
struck #i  p4 m4 ,he abruptly stopped   
speaking1 and said3 8,this is the hour  
of  prayer40 ,we knelt and prayed4    ,i
 need not say that that night was a     
sleepless one to me4 ,i wept and  prayed
 all through its long dark hours4 ,i    
felt that ,i had lost1 and  forever1 the
 high position ,i had in the heart of my
 old friend1 and that  ,i had probably  
compromised myself1 forever1 in the eyes
 of my superiors1  who were the absolute
 masters of my destinies4 ,i condemned  

myself for  that inopportune appeal to  
the ,holy ,scriptures1 against the ipse 
dixit  of my superiors4 ,i asked ,god to
 destroy in me that irresistible        
tendency  by which ,i was constantly    
going to the ,word of ,god to know the  
truth1  instead of remaining at the feet
 of my superiors1 with the rest of the  
clergy1 as the only fountain of         
knowledge and light4    ,but1 thanks be 
to ,god1 that blasphemous prayer was    
never to be granted4                    
,,chapter ,,xxi       ,,grand ,,dinner  
,,of ,,the ,,priests--,,the ,,maniac    
,,sister ,,of ,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,,perras4    
,it was the custom in those days1 in the
 ,church of ,rome1 to give the  title of
 arch-priest to one of the most         
respectable and able priests1  among    
twelve or fifteen others1 by whom he was
 surrounded4 ,that title  was the token 
of some superior power1 which was       
granted him over his  confreres1 who1 in
 consequence1 should consult him in     
certain difficult  matters4    ,as a    

general thing1 those priests lived in   
the most cordial and  fraternal unity1  
and to make the bond of that union      
stronger and more  pleasant1 they were1 
in turn1 in the habit of giving a grand 
dinner  every ,thursday4    ,in #ahcd   
these dinners were really state affairs4
 ,several days in  advance1 preparations
 were made on a grand scale1 to collect 
everything  that could please the tastes
 of the guests4 ,the best wines were    
purchased4 ,the fattest turkeys1        
chickens1 lambs1 or sucking pigs were   
hunted up4 ,the most delicate pastries  
were brought from the city1 or  made at 
home1 at any cost4 ,the rarest and most 
costly fruits and  desserts were        
ordered4 ,there was a strange emulation 
among those  curates1 who would surpass 
his neighbors4 ,several extra hands were
  engaged some days before1 to help the 
ordinary servants to prepare the        
8,,grand ,,dinner40    ,the second      
,thursday of ,may1 #ahcd1 was ,mr4      
,perras' turn1 and at twelve  o'clock1  

noon1 we were fifteen priests seated    
around the table4    ,illustration3     
,,grand ,,dinner ,,of ,,the ,,priests4  
,i must here render homage to the       
sobriety and perfect moral habits of    
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,perras4 ,though he took 
his social glass of wine1 as was the    
universal usage at that time1 ,i never  
saw him drink more than a couple  of    
glasses at the same meal4 ,i wish ,i    
could say the same thing of all  those  
who were at this table that day4        
,never did ,i see1 before nor after1 a  
table covered with so many tempting  and
 delicate viands4 ,the good curate had  
surpassed himself1 and ,i would  hardly 
be believed1 were ,i to give the number 
of dishes and covers1  plates et        
entreplates1 which loaded the table4 ,i 
will only mention a  splendid salmon1   
which was the first brought to ,quebec  
that year1 for  which ,mr4 ,amiot1 the  
purveyor of the priests around the      
capital1 had  paid twelve dollars4      
,there was only one lady at that dinner1

 ,miss ,perras1 sister of the  curate4  
,however1 she was not at all embarrassed
 by finding herself alone  among those  
jolly celebataires1 and she looked like 
a queen at the head  of the table4 ,her 
sweet and watchful eyes were everywhere 
to see the  wants of her guests4 ,she   
had an amiable word for every one of    
them4 ,with  the utmost grace she       
pressed the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,a4 to try that  
wing of  turkey--she was so gently      
remonstrating with the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,b4   
for his not  eating more1 and she was so
 eloquent in requesting them all to     
taste of  this dish1 or of that2 which  
was quite a new thing in ,canada4 ,and  
her  young chickens6 who could refuse to
 accept one of them1 after she had  told
 their story3 how1 three months before1 
in view of this happy day1  she had so  
cajoled the big black hen to watch over 
sixteen eggs in the  kitchen2 what a    
world of trouble she had1 when the      
little dog was coming  in1 and she 7the 
hen7 was rushing at him6 how1 many      

times1 she had to  stop the combatants  
and force them to live in peace6 and    
what desolation  swept over her mind1   
when1 in a dark night1 the rats had     
dragged into  their holes three of her  
newly-hatched chickens6 how she had got 
a cat  to destroy the rats2 and how in  
escaping ,scylla1 she was thrown upon   
,charybdis1 when three days after1 the  
cat made his dinner of two of her  dear 
little chickens2 for which crime1       
committed in open day1 before  several  
witnesses1 the sentence of death was    
passed and executed1  without benefit of
 clergy4    ,now1 where would they find 
young chickens in the month of ,may1 in 
the  neighborhood of ,quebec1 when the  
snow had scarcely disappeared8    ,these
 stories1 given with an art which no pen
 can reproduce1 were not  finished      
before the delicate chickens had        
disappeared in the hungry  mouths of the
 cheerful guests4    ,one of the most   
remarkable features of these dinners was
 the levity1 the  absolute want of      

seriousness and gravity4 ,not a word was
 said in my  presence1 there1 which     
could indicate that these men had       
anything else  to do in this world but  
to eat and drink1 tell and hear merry   
stories1  laugh and lead a jolly life4  
,i was the youngest of those priests4   
,only a few months before1 ,i was in    
the ,seminary of ,nicolet1 learning from
 my grave old superior1 lessons of      
priestly life1 very different from what 
,i had there under my eyes4 ,i had  not 
yet forgotten the austere preaching of  
self-denial1 mortification1  austerity  
and crucifixion of the flesh1 which were
 to fill up the days  of a priest6      
,though1 at first1 ,i was pleased with  
all ,i saw1 heard and tasted2 though  ,i
 heartily laughed with the rest of the  
guests1 at their bon mots1  their spicy 
stories about their fair penitents1 or  
at the funny  caricatures they drew of  
each other1 as well as of absent ones1  
,i felt1  by turns1 uneasy4 ,now and    
then the lessons of priestly life1      

received  from the lips of my venerable 
and dear ,mr4 ,leprohon1 were knocking  
hard  at the door of my conscience4     
,some words of the ,holy ,scriptures    
which1  more than others1 had adhered to
 my memory1 were also making a strange  
noise in my soul4 ,my own common sense  
was telling me that this was not  quite 
the way ,christ taught his disciples to 
live4    ,i made a great effort to      
stifle those troublesome voices4        
,sometimes ,i  succeeded1 and then ,i   
became cheerful2 but a moment after ,i  
was  overpowered by them1 and ,i felt   
chilled1 as if ,i had perceived on the  
walls of the festive room1 the finger of
 my angry ,god1 writing1 8,,mene1       
,,mene1 ,,tekel ,,upharsin40 ,then all  
my cheerfulness vanished1 and ,i felt so
  miserable that1 in spite of all my    
efforts to look happy1 the ,rev4 ,mr4   
,paquette1 curate of ,st4 ,gervais1     
observed it on my face4 ,that priest was
  probably the one who most enjoyed     
everything of that feast4 ,under the    

snowy mantle of sixty-five years1 he had
 kept the warm heart and the  joviality 
of youth4 ,he was considered one of our 
most wealthy curates1  and he richly    
deserved the reputation of being the    
most epicurean of  them all4 ,he was a  
perfect cook1 and with his chaplet or   
his breviarium  in hand1 he used to pass
 a great part of the day in his kitchen1
 giving  orders about broiling this     
beefstake1 or preparing this fricassee1 
and  that gravy a la ,francais4 ,he was 
loved by all his confreres1 but         
particularly by the young priests1 who  
were the objects of his constant        
attentions4 ,he had always been         
exceedingly kind to me1 and when in his 
neighborhood1 ,i dare say that my most  
pleasant hours were those passed  in his
 parsonage4    ,looking at me in the    
very moment when my whole intellectual  
being was1  in spite of myself1 under   
the darkest cloud1 he said3 8,my dear   
little  ,father ,chiniquy1 are you      
falling into the hands of some blue     

devils1  when we are all so happy8 ,you 
were so cheerful half an hour ago6 ,what
 is  the matter with you now8 ,are you  
sick8 ,you look as grave and anxious as 
,jonah1 when in the big whale's stomach6
 ,what is the matter with you8 ,has  any
 of your fair penitents left you1 to go 
to confess to another1  lately80    ,at 
these funny questions1 the dining-room  
was shaken with the convulsive  laughter
 of the priests4 ,i wished ,i could join
 in with the rest of my  confreres2 for 
it seemed to me very clear that ,i was  
making a fool of  myself by this        
singularity of demeanor4 ,but there was 
no help for it2  for a moment before ,i 
had seen that the servant girls had     
blushed2 they  had been scandalized by a
 very improper word from the lips of a  
young  priest1 about one of his young   
female penitents2 a word which he would1
  surely1 never have uttered1 had he not
 drank too much wine4 ,i answered3  8,i 
am much obliged to you for your kind    
interest4 ,i find myself much  honored  

to be here in your midst2 but as the    
brightest days are not  without clouds1 
so it is with us all sometimes4 ,i am   
young1 and without  experience2 ,i have 
not yet learned to look at certain      
things in their  proper light4 ,when    
older1 ,i hope ,i shall be wiser1 and   
not make an ass  of myself as ,i do     
to-day40    8,tah6 ,tah6 ,tah60 said old
 ,mr4 ,paquette1 8this is not the hour  
of dark  clouds and blue devils4 ,be    
cheerful1 as it behooves your age4      
,there will  be hours enough in the rest
 of your life for sadness and sombre    
thoughts4 ,this is the hour for laughing
 and being merry4 ,sad thoughts  for    
to-morrow40 ,and appealing to all1 he   
asked1 8,is not this correct1           
gentlemen80    8,yes1 yes10 unanimously 
rejoined all the guests4    8,now10 said
 the old priest1 8you see that the      
verdict of the jury is  unanimously in  
my favor and against you4 ,give up those
 airs of sadness1  which do not answer  
in the presence of those bottles of     

champagne4 ,your  gravity is an         
anachronism when we have such good wines
 before us4 ,tell  me the reason of your
 grief1 and ,i pledge myself to console 
you1 and  make you happy as you were at 
the beginning of the dinner40    8,i    
would have liked better that you should 
have continued to enjoy this  pleasant  
hour without noticing me10 ,i answered4 
8,please excuse me if ,i  do not trouble
 you with the causes of my personal     
folly40    8,well1 well10 said ,mr4     
,paquette1 8,i see it2 the cause of your
 trouble is  that we have not yet drank 
together a single glass of sherry4 ,fill
 your  glass with that wine1 and it will
 surely drown the blue devil1 which ,i  
see at its bottom40    8,with pleasure10
 ,i said1 8,i feel much honored to drink
 with you10 and ,i  put some drops of   
wine into my glass4 8,oh6 oh6 what do ,i
 see you doing  there8 ,only a few drops
 in your glass6 ,this will not even wet 
the cloven  feet of the blue devil which
 is tormenting you4 ,it requires a full 

glass1 an overflowing glass1 to drown   
and finish him4 ,fill1 then1 your  glass
 with that precious wine--the best ,i   
ever tasted in my whole life40    8,but 
,i cannot drink more than those few     
drops10 ,i said4    8,why not80 he      
replied4    8,because1 eight days before
 her death1 my mother wrote me a letter1
  requesting me to promise her that ,i  
would never drink more than two  glasses
 of wine at the same meal4 ,i gave her  
that promise in my answer1  and the very
 day she got my pledge1 she left this   
world to convey it1  written on her     
heart1 into heaven1 to the feet of her  
,god60    8,keep that sacred pledge10   
answered the old curate2 8but tell me   
why you  are so sad when we are so      
happy80    8,you already know part of my
 reasons--if ,i had drank as much wine  
as my  neighbor1 the vicar of ,st4      
,gervais1 ,i would probably have filled 
the  room with my shouts of joy1 as he  
does2 but you see now that the hands  of
 my deceased1 though always dear mother1

 are on my glass to prevent me  from    
filling it any more1 for ,i have already
 drank two glasses of wine40    8,but   
your sadness in such a circumstance is  
so strange1 that we would  all like to  
know its cause40    8,yes1 yes10 said   
all the priests4 8,you know that we like
 you1 and we  deeply feel for you4      
,please tell us the reason of this      
sadness40    ,i then answered1 8,it     
would be better for me to keep my own   
secret1 for ,i  know ,i will make a fool
 of myself here2 but as you are         
unanimous in  requesting me to give you 
the reasons of the mental agony through 
which  ,i am just passing1 you will have
 them4    8,you well know that1 through 
very singular circumstances1 ,i have    
been  prevented1 till this day1 from    
attending any of your grand dinners4    
,twice ,i had to go to ,quebec on these 
occasions1 sometimes ,i was not well    
enough to be present--several times ,i  
was called to visit some dying  person1 
and at other times the weather1 or the  

roads were too bad to  travel2 this1    
then1 is the first grand dinner1        
attended by you all1 that  ,i have the  
honor of attending4    8,but before     
going any further1 ,i must tell you that
 during the eight  months it has been my
 privilege to sit at ,rev4 ,mr4 ,perras'
 table1 ,i have  never seen anything    
which could make me suspect that my eyes
 would see1  and my ears would hear such
 things in this parsonage as have just  
taken  place4 ,sobriety1 moderation1    
truly evangelical temperance in drink   
and  food were the invariable rule4     
,never a word was said which could make 
our poor servant girls1 or the angels of
 ,god blush4 ,would to ,god that ,i  had
 not been here to-day6 ,for ,i tell you1
 honestly1 that ,i am  scandalized by   
the epicurean table which is before us2 
by the enormous  quantity of delicate   
viands and the incredible number of     
bottles of most  costly wines1 emptied  
at this dinner4    8,however1 ,i hope ,i
 am mistaken in my appreciation of what 

,i have seen  and heard--,i hope you are
 all right and that ,i am wrong4 ,i am  
the  youngest of you all4 ,it is not my 
business to teach you1 but it is my     
duty to be taught by you4    8,now1 ,i  
have given you my mind1 because you so  
pressingly requested me  to do it1 as   
honestly as human language will allow me
 to do4 ,i have the  right1 ,i hope1 to 
request you to tell me1 as honestly1 if 
,i am1 and in  what ,i am1 wrong or     
right60    8,oh6 ho6 my dear ,chiniquy10
 replied the old curate1 8you hold the  
stick  by the wrong end4 ,are we not the
 children of ,god80    8,yes1 sir10 ,i  
answered1 8we are the children of ,god40
    8,now1 does not a loving father give
 what he considers the best part of  his
 goods to his beloved children80        
8,yes1 sir10 ,i replied4    8,is not    
that loving father pleased when he sees 
his beloved children eat  and drink the 
good things he has prepared for them80  
8,yes1 sir10 was my answer4    8,then10 
rejoined the logical priest1 8the more  

we1 the beloved children  of ,god1 eat  
of these delicate viands1 and drink of  
those precious wines1  which our        
,heavenly ,father puts into our hands1  
the more he is pleased  with us4 ,the   
more we1 the most beloved ones of ,god1 
are merry and  cheerful1 the more he is 
himself pleased and rejoiced in his     
heavenly  kingdom4    8,but if ,god1 our
 ,father1 is so pleased with what we    
have eaten and drunk  to-day1 why are   
you so sad80    ,this masterpiece of    
argumentation was received by all       
7except ,mr4  ,perras71 with convulsive 
cries of approbation1 and repeated      
8bravo6  bravo60    8,i was too mean and
 cowardly to say what ,i felt4 ,i tried 
to conceal my  increased sadness under  
the forced smiles of my lips1 and ,i    
followed the  whole party1 who left the 
table1 and went to the parlor to drink a
 cup  of coffee4 ,it was then half-past 
one p4 m4 ,at two o'clock the whole     
party went to the church1 where1 after  
kneeling for a quarter of an hour       

before their wafer ,god1 they fell on   
their knees at the feet of each  other1 
to confess their sins1 and get their    
pardon1 in the absolution of  their     
confessors6    ,at three p4 m4 they were
 all gone1 and ,i remained alone with my
  venerable old curate ,perras4 ,after a
 few moments of silence1 ,i said to     
him3 8,my dear ,mr4 ,perras1 ,i have no 
words to express to you my regret  for  
what ,i have said at your table4 ,i beg 
your pardon for every word of  that     
unfortunate and unbecoming conversation1
 into which ,i was dragged  in spite of 
myself2 you know it4 ,it does not do for
 a young priest1 as ,i  am1 to criticise
 those whom ,god has put so much above  
him by their  science1 their age and    
their virtues4 ,but ,i was forced to    
give my mind1  and ,i have given it4    
,when ,i requested ,mr4 ,paquette to    
tell me in what ,i  might be wrong1 ,i  
had not the least idea that we would    
hear1 from the  lips of one of our      
veterans in the priesthood1 the         

blasphemous jokes he  has uttered4      
,epicurus himself would have blushed1   
had he been among us1  in hearing the   
name of ,god connected with such        
deplorable and awful  impieties40       
,mr4 ,perras answered me3 8,far from    
being displeased with what ,i have      
heard from you at this dinner1 ,i must  
tell you that you have gained much  in  
my esteem by it4 ,i am1 myself1 ashamed 
of that dinner4 ,we priests are  the    
victims1 like the rest of the world1 of 
the fashions1 vanities1  pride and lust 
of that world against which we are sent 
to preach4 ,the  expenditure we make at 
those dinners is surely a crime1 in the 
face of  the misery of the people by    
whom we are surrounded4 ,this is the    
last  dinner ,i give with such foolish  
extravagance4 ,the next time my         
neighbors  will meet here1 ,i will not  
expose them to stagger on their legs1 as
 the  greater part of them did when they
 rose from the table4 ,the brave words  
you have uttered have done me good4     

,they will do them good also2 for       
though they had all eaten and drunk too 
much1 they were not so  intoxicated as  
not to remember what you have said40    
,then1 pressing my hand in his1 he said1
 8,i thank you my good little  ,father  
,chiniquy for the short but excellent   
sermon you have given us4 ,it  will not 
be lost4 ,you have drawn my tears when  
you have shown us your  saintly mother  
going to the feet of ,god in heaven1    
with your sacred  promise written in her
 heart4 ,oh6 you must have had a good   
mother6 ,i  knew her when she was very  
young4 ,she was then1 already1 a very   
remarkable girl1 for her wisdom and the 
dignity of her manners40    ,then he    
left me alone in the parlor1 and he went
 to visit a sick man in  one of the     
neighboring houses4    ,when alone ,i   
fell on my knees1 to pray and weep4 ,my 
soul was filled with  emotions which it 
is impossible to express4 ,the          
remembrance of my  beloved mother whose 
blessed name had fallen from my lips    

when her  sacred memory filled my mind  
with the light and strength ,i needed in
  that hour of trial--the gluttony and  
drunkenness of those priests1 whom ,i   
was accustomed to respect and esteem so 
much--their scandalous                  
conversation--their lewd                
expressions--and more than all1 their   
confessions  to each other after two    
such hours of profanity and drinking1   
were more  than ,i could endure4 ,i     
could not contain myself1 ,i wept over  
myself1 for  ,i felt also the burden of 
my sins1 and ,i did not find myself much
 better  than the rest1 though ,i had   
not eaten or drunk quite so much as     
several  of them--,i wept over my       
friends1 whom ,i had seen so weak2 for  
they were  my friends4 ,i loved them1   
and ,i know they loved me4 ,i wept over 
my  church1 which was served by such    
poor1 sinful priests4 ,yes6 ,i wept     
there1 when on my knees1 to my heart's  
content1 and it did me good4 ,but  my   
,god had another trial in store for his 

poor unfaithful servant4    ,i had not  
been ten minutes alone1 sitting in my   
study1 when ,i heard  strange cries1 and
 such a noise as if a murderer were at  
work to strike  his victim4 ,a door had 
evidently been broken open1 up stairs1  
and some  one was running down stairs as
 if one was wanting to break down       
everything4 ,the cries of 8,murder1     
murder60 reached my ears1 and the  cries
 of 8,oh6 my ,god6 my ,god6 where is    
,mr4 ,perras80 filled the air4    ,i    
quickly ran to the parlor to see what   
was the matter1 and there ,i  found     
myself face to face with a woman        
absolutely naked6 ,her long black  hair 
was flowing on her shoulders2 her face  
was pale as death--her dark  eyes fixed 
in their sockets4 ,she stretched her    
hands toward me with a  horrible shriek1
 and before ,i could move a step1       
terrified1 and almost  paralyzed as ,i  
was1 she seized my two arms with her    
hands1 with such a  terrible force as if
 my arms had been grasped in a vise4 ,my

 bones were  cracking under her grasp1  
and my flesh was torn by her nails4 ,i  
tried to  escape1 but it was impossible4
 ,i soon found myself as if nailed to   
the  wall1 unable to move any further4  
,i cried then to the utmost compass of  
my voice for help4 ,but the living      
spectre cried still louder3 8,you have  
nothing to fear4 ,be quiet4 ,i am sent  
by ,god ,almighty and the blessed       
virgin ,mary1 to give you a message4    
,the priests whom ,i have known1        
without a single exception1 are a band  
of vipers3 they destroy their  female   
penitents through auricular confession4 
,they have destroyed me1  and killed my 
female child6 ,do not follow their      
example60 ,then she began  to sing1 with
 a beautiful voice1 to a most touching  
tune1 a kind of poem  she had composed  
herself1 which ,i secretly got afterward
 from one of her  servant maids1 the    
translation of which is as follows3     
8,satan's priests have defiled my heart6
                ,damned my soul6        

murdered my child6                  ,o  
my child6 my darling child6             
,from thy place in heaven1 dost thou see
                  ,thy guilty mother's  
tears8                ,canst thou come  
and press me in thine arms8             
,my child6 my darling child6            
,will never thy smiling face console    
me80    ,when she was singing these     
words1 big tears were rolling down her  
pale  cheeks1 and the tone of her voice 
was so sad that she could have melted  a
 heart of stone4 ,she had not finished  
her song when ,i cried to the  girl3 8,i
 am fainting1 for ,god's sake bring me  
some water60 ,the water was  only passed
 to my lips1 ,i could not drink4 ,i was 
choked1 and petrified  in the presence  
of that living phantom6 ,i could not    
dare to touch her in  any way with my   
hands4 ,i felt horrified and paralyzed  
at the sight of  that livid1 pale1      
cadaverous1 naked spectre4 ,the poor    
servant girl had  tried in vain1 at my  
request1 to drag her away from me4 ,she 

had struck  her with terror1 by crying1 
8,if you touch me1 ,i will instantly    
strangle  you60    8,where is ,mr4      
,perras8 ,where is ,mr4 ,perras and the 
other servants8 ,for  ,god's sake call  
them10 ,i cried out to the servant girl1
 who was  trembling and beside herself4 
8,miss ,perras is running to the church 
after the curate10 she answered1  8and  
,i do not know where the other girl is  
gone40    ,in that instant ,mr4 ,perras 
entered1 rushed toward his sister1 and  
said1  8,are you not ashamed to present 
yourself naked before such a gentleman80
  and with his strong arms he tried to  
force her to give me up4    ,turning her
 face towards him1 with tigress eyes1   
she cried out1  8,wretched brother6 what
 have you done with my child8 ,i see her
 blood on  your hands60    ,when she was
 struggling with her brother1 ,i made a 
sudden and extreme  effort to get out of
 her grasp2 and this time ,i succeeded3 
but seeing  that she wanted to throw    
herself again upon me1 ,i jumped through

 a  window which was opened4    ,quick  
as lightning she passed out of the hands
 of her brother1 and  jumped also       
through the window to run after me4 ,she
 would1 surely1 have  overtaken me2 for 
,i had not run two rods1 when ,i fell   
headlong1 with my  feet entangled in my 
long1 black1 priestly robe4             
,providentially1 two  strong men1       
attracted by my cries1 came to my       
rescue4 ,they wrapped her  in a blanket1
 taken there by her sister1 and brought 
her back into the  upper chambers1 where
 she remained safely locked1 under the  
guard of two  strong servant maids4     
,the history of that woman is sad       
indeed4 ,when in her priest-brother's   
house1 when young and of great beauty1  
she was seduced by her father           
confessor1 and became mother of a female
 child1 which she loved with a  real    
mother's heart4 ,she determined to keep 
it and bring it up4 ,but this  did not  
meet the views of the curate4 ,one      
night1 while the mother was  sleeping1  

the child had been taken away from her4 
,the awakening of the  unfortunate      
mother was terrible4 ,when she          
understood that she could  never see her
 child any more1 she filled the         
parsonage with her cries  and           
lamentations1 and1 at first1 refused to 
take any food1 in order that  she might 
die4 ,but she soon became a maniac4     
,mr4 ,perras1 too much attached to his  
sister to send her to a lunatic  asylum1
 resolved to keep her in his own        
parsonage1 which was very large4  ,a    
room in its upper part had been fixed in
 such a way that her cries  could not be
 heard1 and where she would have all the
 comfort possible in  her sad           
circumstances4 ,two servant maids were  
engaged to take care of  her4 ,all this 
was so well arranged1 that ,i had been  
eight months in that  parsonage1 without
 even suspecting that there was such an 
unfortunate  being under the same roof  
with me4 ,it appears that occasionally1 
for  many days1 her mind was perfectly  

lucid1 when she passed her time in      
praying1 and singing a kind of poem     
which she had composed herself1 and     
which she sang while holding me in her  
grasp4 ,in her best moments she  had    
fostered an invincible hatred for the   
priests whom she had known4  ,hearing   
her attendants often speak of me1 she   
had1 several times1  expressed a desire 
to see me1 which1 of course1 had been   
denied her4  ,before she had broken her 
door1 and escaped from the hands of her 
keeper1 she had passed several days in  
saying that she had received from  ,god 
a message for me which she would        
deliver1 even if she had to pass on  the
 dead bodies of all in the house4       
,unfortunate victim of auricular        
confession6 ,how many others could sing 
the sad words of thy song1              
8,satan's priest's have defiled my      
heart1                  ,damned my soul6
 murdered my child60                    
,,chapter ,,xxii4    ,i ,,am ,,appointed
 ,,vicar ,,of ,,the ,,curate ,,of       

,,charlesbourgh--,,the ,,piety1 ,,lives 
,,and    ,,deaths ,,of ,,fathers        
,,bedard ,,and ,,perras4      ,the grand
 dinner previously described had its    
natural results4 ,several  of the guests
 were hardly at home1 when they         
complained of various kinds  of         
sickness1 and none was so severely      
punished as my friend ,paquette1  the   
curate of ,st4 ,gervais4 ,he came very  
near dying1 and for several  weeks was  
unable to work4 ,he requested the bishop
 of ,quebec to allow me  to go to his   
help1 which ,i did to the end of ,may1  
when ,i received the  following letter3 
,,charlesbourgh1 ,may #beth1 #ahcd4     
,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,c4 ,,chiniquy3    ,,my    
,,dear ,,sir3 ,my ,lord ,panet has again
 chosen me1 this year1 to accompany  him
 in his episcopal visit4 ,i have        
consented1 with the condition that  you 
should take my place1 at the head of my 
dear parish1 during my  absence4 ,for ,i
 will have no anxiety when ,i know that 
my people are in  the hands of a priest 

who1 though so young1 has raised himself
 so high  in the esteem of all those who
 know him4    ,please come as soon as   
possible to meet me here1 that ,i may   
tell you  many things which will make   
your ministry more easy and blessed in  
,charlesbourgh4    ,his ,lordship has   
promised me that when you pass through  
,quebec1 he will  give you all the      
powers you want to administer my parish1
 as if you were  its curate during my   
absence4                                
,your devoted brother-priest1 and       
friend in the love and heart            
of ,jesus and ,mary1                    
,,antoine ,,bedard4    ,i felt          
absolutely confounded by that letter4 ,i
 was so young and so  deficient in the  
qualities required for the high position
 to which ,i was  so unexpectedly       
called4 ,i know it was against the      
usages to put a young  and untried      
priest in such a responsible post4 ,it  
seemed evident to me  that my friends   
and my superiors had strangely          

exaggerated to themselves  my feeble    
capacity4    ,in my answer to the ,rev4 
,mr4 ,bedard1 ,i respectfully           
remonstrated against  such a choice4    
,but a letter received from the bishop  
himself1 ordering  me to go to          
,charlesbourgh1 without delay1 to       
administer that parish  during the      
absence of its pastor1 soon forced me to
 consider that sudden  and unmerited    
elevation as a most dangerous1 though   
providential trial1  of my young        
ministry4 ,nothing remained to be done  
by me but to accept  the task in        
trembling1 and with a desire to do my   
duty4 ,my heart1  however1 fainted      
within me1 and ,i shed bitter tears of  
anxiety4 ,when  entering into that      
parish for the first time1 ,i saw its   
magnitude and  importance4 ,it seemed1  
then1 more than ever evident to me that 
the good  ,mr4 ,bedard1 and my venerable
 superiors1 had made a sad mistake in   
putting such a heavy burden on my young 
and feeble shoulders4 ,i was  hardly    

twenty-four years old1 and had not more 
than nine months'  experience of the    
ministry4    ,charlesbourgh is one of   
the most ancient and important parishes 
of  ,canada4 ,its position1 so near     
,quebec1 at the feet of the ,laurentide 
,mountains1 is peculiarly beautiful4 ,it
 has an almost complete command of  the 
city1 and of its magnificent port1 where
 not less than #ijj ships  then received
 their precious cargoes of lumber4 ,on  
our left1 numberless  ranges of white   
houses extended as far as the ,falls of 
,montmorency4 ,at  our feet the majestic
 ,st4 ,lawrence1 dashing its rapid      
waters on the  beautiful 8,isle         
d',orleans40 ,to the right the parishes 
of ,lorette1 ,st4  ,foy1 ,st4 ,roch1    
etc41 with their high church steeples1  
reflected the  sun's glorious beams3 and
 beyond1 the impregnable citadel of     
,quebec1  with its tortuous ranges of   
black walls1 its numerous cannon and its
  high towers1 like fearless sentinels1 
presented a spectacle of  remarkable    

grandeur4    ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,bedard    
welcomed me on my arrival with words of 
such  kindness that my heart was melted 
and my mind confounded4 ,he was a man   
about sixty-five years of age1 short in 
stature1 with a well-formed  breast1    
large shoulders1 bright eyes1 and a face
 where the traits of  indomitable energy
 were coupled with an expression of     
unsurpassed  kindness4    ,one could not
 look on that honest face without saying
 to himself3 8,i am  with a really good 
and upright man60 ,mr4 ,bedard is one of
 the few  priests in whom ,i have found 
a true honest faith in the ,church of   
,rome4  ,with an irreproachable         
character1 he believed with a child's   
faith all  the absurdities which the    
,church of ,rome teaches1 and he lived  
according  to his honest and sincere    
faith4    ,though the actions of our    
daily lives were not subjected to a     
regular  and inexorable rule in         
,charlesbourgh's as in ,st4 ,charles'   
parsonage1  there was yet far more life 

and earnestness in the performance of   
our  ministerial duties4    ,there was  
less reading of learned1 theological1   
philosophical and  historical books1 but
 much more real labor in ,mr4 ,bedard's 
than in ,mr4  ,perras' parish3 there was
 more of the old ,french aristocracy in 
the  latter priest1 and more of the good
 religious ,canadian habitant in the    
former4 ,though both could be considered
 as men of the most exalted faith  and  
piety in the ,church of ,rome1 their    
piety was of a different  character4 ,in
 ,mr4 ,perras' religion there was real  
calmness and serenity1  while the       
religion of ,mr4 ,bedard had more of a  
flash of lightning and  the noise of    
thunder4 ,the private religious         
conversations with the  curate of ,st4  
,charles were admirable1 but he could   
not speak common  sense for ten minutes 
when preaching from his pulpit4 ,only   
once did he  preach while ,i was his    
vicar1 and then he was not half through 
his  sermon before the greater part of  

his auditors were soundly sleeping4     
,but who could hear the sermons of ,rev4
 ,mr4 ,bedard without feeling his  heart
 moved and his soul filled with terror8 
,i never heard anything more  thrilling 
than his words when speaking of the     
judgments of ,god and the  punishment of
 the wicked4 ,mr4 ,perras never fasted1 
except on the days  appointed by the    
church3 ,mr4 ,bedard condemned himself  
to fast besides  twice every week4 ,the 
former never drank1 to my knowledge1 a  
single  glass of rum or any other strong
 drink1 except his two glasses of wine  
at dinner2 but the latter never failed  
to drink full glasses of rum  three     
times a day1 beside two or three glasses
 of wine at dinner4 ,mr4  ,perras slept 
the whole night as a guiltless child2   
,mr4 ,bedard1 almost  every night when  
,i was with him1 rose up1 and lashed    
himself in the most  merciless manner   
with leather thongs1 at the end of which
 were small  pieces of lead4 ,when      
inflicting upon himself those terrible  

punishments1  he used to recite1 by     
heart1 the fifty-first ,psalm1 in       
,latin1 8,miserere  mihi ,deus secundam 
magnam misericordiam tuam0 7,have mercy 
upon me1 ,o1  ,lord1 according to thy   
loving kindness72 and though he seemed  
to be  unconscious of it1 he prayed with
 such a loud voice1 that ,i heard every 
word he uttered2 he also struck his     
flesh with such violence1 that ,i  could
 count all the blows he administered4   
,one day ,i respectfully remonstrated   
against such a cruel self-infliction  as
 ruining his health and breaking his    
constitution4 8,cher petit ,frere0      
7dear little brother71 he answered1     
8,our health and constitution cannot  be
 impaired by such penances1 but they are
 easily and commonly ruined by  our     
sins4 ,i am one of the healthiest men of
 my parish1 though ,i have  inflicted   
upon myself those salutary and too      
well-merited chastisements  for many    
years4 ,though ,i am old1 ,i am still a 
great sinner4 ,i have an  implacable and

 indomitable enemy in my depraved heart1
 which ,i cannot  subdue except by      
punishing my flesh4 ,if ,i do not do    
those penances for  my numberless       
transgressions1 who will do them for me8
 ,if ,i do not pay  the debts ,i owe to 
the justice of ,god1 who will pay them  
for me80    8,but10 ,i answered1 8,has  
not our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 paid  
our debts on  ,calvary8 ,has he not     
saved and redeemed us all by his death  
on the cross8  ,why1 then1 should you or
 ,i pay again to the justice of ,god    
that which  has been so perfectly and   
absolutely paid by our ,saviour80       
8,ah6 my dear young friend10 quickly    
replied ,mr4 ,bedard1 8that doctrine    
you hold is ,protestant1 which has been 
condemned by the ,holy ,council of      
,trent4 ,christ has paid our debts1     
certainly2 but not in such an absolute  
way that there is nothing more to be    
paid by us4 ,have you never paid        
attention to what ,st4 ,paul says1 in   
his ,epistle to the ,colossians4 ,i     

fill up that which is behind of the     
sufferings of ,christ in the flesh  for 
his body's sake1 which is the ,church4  
,though ,christ could have  entirely and
 absolutely paid our debts1 if it had   
been his will1 it is  evident that such 
was not his holy will--he left something
 behind1 which  ,paul1 you1 ,i1 and     
every one of his disciples1 should take 
and suffer in  our flesh for his        
,church4 ,when we have taken and        
accomplished in our  flesh what ,christ 
has left behind1 then the surplus of our
 merits goes  to the treasury of the    
,church4 ,for instance1 when a saint has
  accomplished in his flesh what ,christ
 has left behind for his perfect        
sanctification1 if he accomplishes more 
than the justice of ,god  requires1 that
 surplus of merits not being any use to 
him1 is put by ,god  into the grand and 
common treasure1 where it makes a fund  
of merits of  infinite value1 from which
 the ,pope and the bishops draw the     
indulgences  which they scatter all over

 the world as the dew from heaven4 ,by  
the  mercy of ,god1 the penances which  
,i impose upon myself1 and the pains ,i 
suffer from these flagellations1 purify 
my guilty soul1 and raising me  up from 
this polluting world1 they bring me     
nearer and nearer to my ,god  every day4
 ,i am not yet a saint1 unfortunately1  
but if by the mercy of  ,god1 and my    
penances united to the sufferings of    
,christ1 ,i arrive at the  happy day    
when all my debts shall be paid1 and my 
sins cleansed away1  then if ,i continue
 those penances and acquire new merits1 
more than ,i  need1 and if ,i pay more  
debts than ,i owe to the justice of     
,god1 this  surplus of merits which ,i  
shall have acquired will go to the rich 
treasure of the ,church1 from which she 
will draw merits to enrich the          
multitude of good souls who cannot do   
enough for themselves to pay their  own 
debts1 and to reach that point of       
holiness which will deserve a  crown in 
heaven4 ,then1 the more we do penance   

and inflict pains on our  bodies1 by our
 fastings and floggings1 the more we    
feel happy in the  assurance of thus    
raising ourselves more and more above   
the dust of this  sinful world1 of      
approaching more and more to that state 
of holiness of  which our ,saviour spoke
 when he said3 #8,be holy as ,i am holy 
myself4' ,we  feel an unspeakable joy   
when we know that by those              
self-inflicted  punishments we acquire  
incalculable merits1 which enrich not   
only  ourselves1 but our holy ,church1  
by filling her treasures for the benefit
  and salvation of the souls for which  
,christ died on ,calvary40    ,when ,mr4
 ,bedard was feeding my soul with these 
husks1 he was speaking  with great      
animation and sincerity4 ,like myself1  
he was far away from  the ,good         
,father's house4 ,he had never tasted of
 the bread of the  children4 ,neither of
 us knew anything of the sweetness of   
that bread4 ,we  had to accept those    
husks as our only food1 though it did   

not remove our  hunger4    ,i answered  
him3 8,what you tell me here is what ,i 
find in all our ascetic  books and      
theological treatises1 and in the lives 
of all our saints4 ,i  can hardly       
reconcile that doctrine with what ,i    
read this morning in the  #b;d chapter  
of ,ephesians4 ,here is the verse in my 
,new ,testament3 #8,but  ,god1 who is   
rich in mercy1 for his great love       
wherewith he loved us1  even when we    
were dead in sins1 he has quickened us  
together with  ,christ4 ,by grace ye are
 saved2 for by grace ye are saved1      
through faith1  and not of ourselves1 it
 is this gift of ,god2 not of works1    
lest any man  should boast4'    8,now1  
my dear and venerable ,mr4 ,bedard1     
allow me respectfully to ask1  how it is
 possible that your salvation is only by
 grace1 if you have to  purchase it     
every day by tearing your flesh and     
lashing your body in  such a fearful    
manner8 ,is it not a strange favour--a  
very singular  grace--which reddens your

 skin with your blood1 and bruises your 
flesh  every night80    8,dear little   
brother10 answered ,mr4 ,bedard1 8when  
,mr4 ,perras spoke to  me1 in the       
presence of the bishop1 with such       
deserved eulogium of your  piety1 he did
 not conceal that you had a very        
dangerous defect1 which  was to spend   
too much time in reading the ,bible1 in 
preference to every  other of our holy  
books4 ,he told us more than this4 ,he  
said that you had  a fatal tendency to  
interpret the ,holy ,scriptures too much
 according to  your own mind1 and in a  
sense which is rather more ,protestant  
than  ,catholic4 ,i am sorry to see that
 the curate of ,st4 ,charles was but too
  correct in what he told us of you4    
,but1 as he added that1 though your     
reading too much the ,holy ,scriptures  
brought some clouds in your mind1  yet  
when you were with him1 you always ended
 by yielding to the sense  given by our 
holy ,church4 ,this did not prevent me  
from desiring to have  you in my place  

during my absence1 and ,i hope we will  
not regret it1 for  we are sure that our
 dear young ,chiniquy will never be a   
traitor to our  holy ,church40    ,these
 words1 which were given with a great   
solemnity1 mixed with the  good manners 
of the most sincere kindness1 went      
through my soul as a  two-edged sword4  
,i felt an inexpressible confusion and  
regret1 and1  biting my lips1 ,i said3  
8,i have sworn never to interpret the   
,holy  ,scriptures except according to  
the unanimous consent of the ,holy      
,fathers1 and with the help of ,god1 ,i 
will fulfil my promise4 ,i regret       
exceedingly to have differed for a      
moment from you4 ,you are my superior   
by your age1 your science and your      
piety4 ,please pardon me that  momentary
 deviation from my duty1 and pray that  
,i may be as you are--a  faithful and a 
fearless soldier of our holy ,church to 
the end40    ,at that moment the niece  
of the curate came to tell us that the  
dinner  was ready4 ,we went to the      

modest1 though exceedingly well-spread  
table1  and to my great pleasure1 that  
painful conversation was dropped4 ,we   
had  not sat at the table five minutes1 
when a poor man knocked at the door  and
 asked a piece of bread for the sake of 
,jesus and ,mary4 ,mr4 ,bedard  rose    
from the table1 went to the poor        
stranger1 and said3 8,come1 my  friend1 
sit between me and our dear little      
,father ,chiniquy4 ,our ,saviour  was   
the friend of the poor3 he was the      
father of the widow and the  orphan1 and
 we1 his priests1 must walk after him4  
,be not troubled2 make  yourself at     
home4 ,though ,i am the curate of       
,charlesbourgh1 ,i am your  brother4 ,it
 may be that in heaven you will sit on a
 higher throne than  mine1 if you love  
our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 and his   
holy mother1 ,mary1  more than ,i do40  
,with these words1 the best things that 
were on the table were put by the  good 
old priest on the plate of the poor     
stranger1 who1 with some  hesitation1   

finished by doing honor to the excellent
 viands4    ,after this1 ,i need not say
 that ,mr4 ,bedard was charitable to the
 poor2  he always treated them as his   
best friends4 ,so also was my former    
curate  of ,st4 ,charles2 and1 though   
his charity was not so demonstrative and
  fraternal as that of ,mr4 ,bedard1 ,i 
had never yet seen a poor man go out  of
 the parsonage of ,st4 ,charles whose   
breast ought not to have been  filled   
with gratitude and joy4    ,mr4 ,bedard 
was as exact as ,mr4 ,perras in         
confessing once1 and sometimes  twice1  
every week2 and1 rather than fail in    
that humiliating act1 they  both1 in the
 absence of their common confessors1 and
 much against my  feelings1 several     
times humbly knelt at my youthful feet  
to confess to  me4    ,these two        
remarkable men had the same views about 
the immorality and the  want of religion
 of the greater part of the priests4    
,both have told me1  in their           
confidential conversations1 things about

 the secret lives of  the clergy which  
would not be believed were ,i to publish
 them2 and both  repeatedly said that   
auricular confession was the daily      
source of  unspeakable depravities      
between the confessors and their female1
 as well  as male penitents2 but neither
 of them had sufficient light to        
conclude  from those deeds of depravity 
that auricular confession was a         
diabolical  institution4 ,they both     
sincerely believed1 as ,i did then1 that
 the  institution was good1 necessary   
and divine1 and that it was a source of 
perdition to so many priests only on    
account of their want of faith and      
piety2 and principally from their       
neglect of prayers to the ,virgin ,mary4
    ,they did not give me those terrible
 details with a spirit of criticism     
against our weak brethren4 ,their       
intention was to warn me against the    
dangers1 which were as great for me as  
for others4 ,they both invariably       
finished those confidences by inviting  

me more and more to pray  constantly to 
the mother of ,god1 the blessed ,virgin 
,mary1 and to watch  over myself1 and   
avoid remaining alone with a female     
penitent1 advising  me also to treat my 
own body as my most dangerous enemy1 by 
reducing it  into subjection to the law1
 and crucifying it day and night4       
,mr4 ,bedard had accompanied the ,bishop
 of ,quebec in his episcopal visits     
during many years1 and had seen with his
 eyes the unmentionable plague1  which  
was then1 as it is now1 devouring the   
very vitals of the ,church of  ,rome4   
,he very seldom spoke to me of those    
things without shedding tears  of       
compassion over the guilty priests4 ,my 
heart and my soul were also  filled with
 an unspeakable sadness when hearing the
 details of such  iniquities4 ,i also   
felt struck with terror lest ,i might   
perish myself1  and fall into the same  
bottomless abyss4    ,one day ,i told   
him what ,mr4 ,perras had revealed to me
 about the distress  of ,bishop         

,plessis1 when he had found that only   
three priests besides ,mr4  ,perras     
believed in ,god1 in his immense        
diocese4 ,i asked him if there was  not 
some exaggeration in this report4 ,he   
answered1 after a profound  sigh3 8,my  
dear young friend1 the angel could not  
find ten just men in  ,sodom--my fear is
 that they would not find more among the
 priests6 ,the  more you advance in age1
 the more you will see that awful       
truth--,ah6 let  those who stand1 fear1 
lest they fall60    ,after these last   
words he burst into tears1 and went to  
church to pray  at the feet of his wafer
 god6    ,the revelations which ,i      
received from those worthy priests did  
not in  any way shake my faith in my    
,church4 ,she even became dearer to me2 
just  as a dear mother gains in the     
affection and devotedness of a dutiful  
son  as her trials and affliction       
increase4 ,it seemed to me that after   
this  knowledge it was my duty to do    
more than ,i had ever done to show my   

unreserved devotedness1 respect and love
 to my holy and dear mother1 the        
,church of ,rome1 out of which 7,i      
sincerely believed then7 there was no   
salvation4 ,these revelations became to 
me1 in the good providence of  ,god1    
like the light-houses raised on the     
hidden and dreadful rocks of  the sea1  
to warn the pilot during the dark hours 
of the night to keep at  a distance1 if 
he does not want to perish4    ,though  
these two priests professed to have a   
most profound love and  respect for the 
,holy ,scriptures1 they gave very little
 time to their  study1 and both several 
times rebuked me for passing too many   
hours in  their perusal2 and repeatedly 
warned me against the habit of          
constantly  appealing to them against   
certain practices and teachings of our  
theologians4 ,as good ,roman ,catholic  
priests1 they had no right to go to  the
 ,holy ,scriptures alone to know what   
8the ,lord saith60 ,the traditions  of  
the ,church were the fountains of       

science and light6 ,both of them  often 
distressed me with the facility with    
which they buried out of  view1 under   
the dark clouds of their traditions1 the
 clearest texts of  ,holy ,scripture    
which ,i used to quote in defence of my 
positions in our  conversations and     
debates4    ,they both1 with an equal   
zeal1 and unfortunately with too much   
success1  persuaded me that it was right
 for the ,church to ask me to swear that
 ,i  would never interpret the ,holy    
,scriptures1 except according to the    
unanimous consent of the ,holy ,fathers4
 ,but when ,i showed them that the      
,holy ,fathers had never been unanimous 
in anything except in differing  from   
one another on almost every subject they
 had treated2 when ,i  demonstrated by  
our ,church historians that some ,holy  
,fathers had very  different views from 
ours on many subjects1 they never       
answered my  questions1 except by       
silencing me by the text3 8,if he does  
not hear the  ,church let him be as a   

heathen or a publican10 and by giving me
 long  lectures on the danger of pride  
and self-confidence4    ,mr4 ,bedard had
 many opportunities of giving me his    
views about the  submission which an    
inferior owes to his superiors4 ,he was 
of one mind  with ,mr4 ,perras and all  
the theologians who had treated that    
subject4  ,they both taught me that the 
inferior must blindly obey his superior1
  just as the stick must obey the hand  
that holds it2 assuring me at the  same 
time that the inferior was not          
responsible for the errors he  commits  
when obeying his legitimate superior4   
,mr4 ,bedard and ,mr4 ,perras had a     
great love for their ,saviour1 ,jesus2  
but  the ,jesus ,christ whom they loved 
and respected and adored was not the    
,christ of the ,gospel1 but the ,christ 
of the ,church of ,rome4    ,mr4 ,perras
 and ,mr4 ,bedard had a great fear1 as  
well as a sincere love  for their ,god1 
while yet they professed to make him    
every morning by the  act of            

consecration4 ,they also most sincerely 
believed and preached that  idolatry was
 one of the greatest crimes a man could 
commit1 but they  themselves were every 
day worshipping an idol of their own    
creating4  ,they were forced by their   
,church to renew the awful iniquity of  
,aaron1  with this difference only1 that
 while ,aaron made his gods of melted   
gold1 and molded them into a figure of a
 calf1 they made theirs of  flour1 baked
 between two heated and well-polished   
irons1 and in the form  of a crucified  
man4    ,when ,aaron spoke of his golden
 calf to the people1 he said3 8,these   
are  thy gods1 ,o1 ,israel1 which       
brought thee out of the land of ,egypt40
 ,so1  likewise1 ,mr4 ,bedard and ,mr4  
,perras1 showing the wafer to the       
deluded  people1 said3 8,ecce agnus ,die
 qui tollit peccata mundi60 78,behold   
the  ,lamb of ,god which taketh away the
 sins of the world607    ,these two     
sincere and honest priests placed the   
utmost confidence also  in relics and   

scapularies4 ,i have heard both say that
 no fatal accident  could happen to one 
who had a scapulary on his breast--no   
sudden death  would overtake a man who  
was faithful about keeping those blessed
  scapularies about his person4 ,both of
 them1 nevertheless1 died suddenly1  and
 that too of the saddest of deaths4 ,mr4
 ,bedard dropped dead on the  #aith of  
,may1 #ahcg1 at a great dinner given to 
his friends4 ,he was in the  act of     
swallowing a glass of that drink of     
which ,god says3 8,look not  upon the   
wine when it is red1 when it giveth its 
color in the cup1 when  it moveth itself
 aright4 ,at the last it biteth like a  
serpent and  stingeth like an adder40   
,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,perras1 sad to say1    
became a lunatic in #ahde1 and died the 
#bith of ,july1 #ahdg1 in a fit of      
delirium4                               
,,chapter ,,xxiii4    ,,the ,,cholera   
,,morbus ,,of #ahcd--;,,admirable       
,,courage ,,and ,,self-,,denial ,,of    
,,the    ,,priests ,,of ,,rome ,,during 

,,that ,,epidemic4      ,i had not been 
more than three weeks the administrator 
of the parish of  ,charlesbourgh1 when  
the terrible words1 8,the cholera morbus
 is in  ,quebec60 sent a thrill of      
terror from one end to the other of     
,canada4    ,the cities of ,quebec and  
,montreal1 with many surrounding country
 places1  had been decimated in #ahcb by
 the same terrible scourge4 ,thousands  
upon  thousands had fallen its victims2 
families in every rank of society had   
disappeared2 for the most skillful      
physicians of both ,europe and ,america 
had been unable to stop its march and   
ravages4 ,but the year #ahcc had  passed
 without hearing almost of a single case
 of that fatal disease3 we  had all the 
hope that the justice of ,god was       
satisfied1 and that ,he  would no more  
visit us with that horrible plague4 ,in 
this1 however1 we  were to be sadly     
disappointed4    ,charlesbourgh is a    
kind of suburb of ,quebec1 the greatest 
part of its  inhabitants had to go      

within its walls to sell their goods    
several times  every week4 ,it was      
evident that we were to be among the    
first visited by  that messenger of a   
just1 but angry ,god4 ,i will never     
forget the hour  after ,i had heard3    
8,the cholera is in ,quebec60 ,it was1  
indeed1 a most  solemn hour to me4 ,at a
 glance1 ,i measured the bottomless     
abyss which  was dug under my feet4 ,we 
had no physicians1 and there was no     
possibility of having any one--for they 
were to have more work than they  could 
do in ,quebec4 ,i saw that ,i would have
 to be both the body and the            
soul-physician of the numberless victims
 of this terrible disease4    ,the      
tortures of the dying1 the cries of the 
widows and of the orphans1  the almost  
unbearable stench of the houses attacked
 by the scourge1 the  desolation and the
 paralyzing fears of the whole people1  
the fatherless  and motherless orphans  
by whom ,i was to be surrounded1 the    
starving poor  for whom ,i would have to

 provide food and clothing when every   
kind or  work and industry was stopped2 
but above all1 the crowds of penitents  
whom the terrors of an impending death  
would drag to my feet to make  their    
confessions1 that ,i might forgive their
 sins1 passed through my  mind as so    
many spectres4 ,i fell on my knees1 with
 a heart beating with  emotions that no 
pen can describe1 and prostrating myself
 before my too  justly angry ,god1 ,i   
cried for mercy2 with torrents of tears 
,i asked ,him  to take away my life as a
 sacrifice for my people1 but to spare  
them3  raising my eyes towards a        
beautiful statue of ,mary1 whom ,i      
believed to  be then the ,mother of     
,god1 ,i supplicated her to appease the 
wrath of her  ,son4    ,i was still on  
my knees1 when several knocks at the    
door told me that  some one wanted to   
speak to me--a young woman was there1   
bathed in tears  and pale as death1 who 
said to me3 8,my father has just        
returned from  ,quebec1 and is dying    

from the cholera--please come quick to  
hear his  confession before he expires60
    ,no tongue will ever be able to tell
 half of the horrors which strike the   
eyes and the mind the first time one    
enters the house of a man  struggling in
 the agonies of death from cholera4 ,the
 other diseases seem  to attack only one
 part of the body at once1 but the      
cholera is like a  furious tiger1 whose 
sharp teeth and nails tear his victim   
from head to  feet without sparing any  
part4 ,the hands and the feet1 the legs 
and the  arms1 the stomach1 the breast  
and the bowels are at once tortured4 ,i 
had  never seen anything so terrific as 
the fixed eyes of that first victim     
whom ,i had to prepare for death4 ,he   
was already almost as cold as a  piece  
of ice4 ,he was vomiting and ejecting an
 incredible quantity of a  watery and   
blackish matter1 which filled the house 
with an unbearable  smell4 ,with a      
feeble voice he requested me to hear the
 confession of his  sins1 and ,i ordered

 the family to withdraw and leave me    
alone1 that they  might not hear the sad
 story of his transgressions4 ,but he   
had not said  five words before he cried
 out3 8,oh my ,god6 what horrible cramps
 in my  leg6 ,for ,god's sake1 rub it40 
,and when ,i had given up hearing his   
confession to rub the leg1 he cried out 
again3 8,oh6 what horrible cramps  in my
 arms6--in my feet6--in my              
shoulders6--in my stomach60 ,and to the 
utmost of my capacity and my strength1  
,i rubbed his arms1 his feet1 his       
shoulders1 his breast1 till ,i felt so  
exhausted and covered with              
perspiration1 that ,i feared ,i should  
faint4 ,during that time the fetid      
matter ejected from his stomach1        
besmeared me almost from head to foot4  
,i called for help1 and two strong men  
continued with me to rub the poor  dying
 man4    ,it seemed evident that he     
could not live very long2 his sufferings
  looked so horrible and unbearable6 ,i 
administered him the sacrament of       

extreme-unction4 ,but ,i did not leave  
the house after that ceremony1 as  it is
 the custom of the priests4 ,it was the 
first time that ,i had met  face to face
 with that giant which had covered so   
many nations with  desolation and ruin1 
caused so many torrents of tears to     
flow4 ,i had  heard so much of him6 ,i  
knew that1 till then1 nothing had been  
able to  stop his forward march6 ,he had
 scornfully gone through the obstacles  
which the most powerful nations had     
placed before him to retard his         
progress4 ,he had mocked the art and the
 science of the most skillful           
physicians all over the world6 ,in a    
single step1 he had gone from ,moscow   
to ,paris6--and in another step he had  
crossed the bottomless seas which  the  
hands of the ,almighty have spread      
between ,europe and ,america6 ,that     
king of terrors1 after piling in their  
graves1 by millions1 the rich and  the  
poor1 the old and the young1 whom he had
 met on his march through  ,asia1       

,africa1 ,europe and ,america1 was now  
before me6 ,nay1 he was  torturing1     
before my eyes1 the first victim he had 
chosen among my  people6 ,but the more  
,i felt powerless in the presence of    
that mighty  giant1 the more ,i wanted  
to see him face to face4 ,i had as a    
secret  pleasure1 a holy pride1 in      
daring him4 ,i wanted to tell him3 8,i  
do not  fear you6 ,you mercilessly      
attack my people1 but with the help of  
,god1 in  the strength of the ,one who  
died on ,calvary for me1 and who told me
 that  nothing was more sweet and       
glorious than to give my life for my    
friends1  ,i will meet and fight you    
everywhere when you attack any one of   
those  sheep who are dearer to me than  
my own life60    ,standing by the       
bedside of the dying man1 whilst ,i     
rubbed his limbs to  alleviate his      
tortures1 ,i exhorted him to repent4    
,but ,i closely watched  that hand to   
hand battle--that merciless and unequal 
struggle between the  giant and his poor

 victim4 ,his agony was long and        
terrible1 for he was a  man of great    
bodily strength4 ,but after several     
hours of the most  frightful pains1 he  
quietly breathed his last4 ,the house   
was crowded  with the neighbors and     
relations1 who1 forgetful of the danger 
of  catching the disease1 had come to   
see him4 ,we all knelt and prayed for   
the departed soul1 after which ,i gave  
them a few words about the  necessity of
 giving up their sins and keeping       
themselves ready to die  and go at the  
,master's call4    ,i then left that    
desolated house with feelings of        
distress which no pen  can portray4     
,when ,i got back to the parsonage1     
after praying and weeping  alone in my  
closet1 ,i took a bath1 and washed      
myself with vinegar and a  mixture of   
camphor1 as a preventive against the    
epidemic4 ,the rest of  the day1 till   
ten at night1 was spent in hearing the  
confessions of a  great number of people
 whom the fear of death had dragged     

around my  confessional box that ,i     
might forgive their sins4 ,this hearing 
of  confession was interrupted only at  
ten o'clock at night1 when ,i was       
called to the cemetery to bury the first
 victim of the cholera in               
,charlesbourgh4 ,a great number of      
people had accompanied the corpse to    
his last resting-place3 the night was   
beautiful1 the atmosphere balmy1  and   
the moon and stars had never appeared to
 me so bright4 ,the stillness  of the   
night was broken only by the sobs of the
 relations and friends of  the deceased4
 ,it was one of the best opportunities  
,god had ever given me  of exhorting the
 people to repentance4 ,i took for my   
text3 8,therefore1  be ye also ready2   
for in such an hour as ye think not1 the
 ,son of ,man  cometh40 ,the spectacle  
of that grave1 filled by a man who      
twenty-four  hours before1 was full of  
health and life in the midst of his     
happy  family1 was speaking more        
eloquently than the words of my lips1 to

 show  that we must be always ready4    
,and never any people entered the       
threshold  of their homes with more     
solemn thoughts than those to whom ,i   
spoke1  that night1 in the midst of the 
graveyard4    ,the history of that day  
is the history of the forty days which  
followed--for not a single one of them  
passed without my being called to  visit
 a victim of the cholera--more than one 
hundred people were attacked  by the    
terrible disease1 nearly forty of whom  
died6    ,i cannot sufficiently thank my
 merciful ,god for having protected me  
in  such a marvelous way that ,i had not
 a single hour of disease during  those 
two months of hard labors and sore      
trials4 ,i had to visit the sick  not   
only as a priest1 but as physician also2
 for seeing1 at first1 the  absolute    
impossibility of persuading any         
physician from ,quebec to give  up their
 rich city patients for our more humble 
farmers1 ,i felt it was  my duty to make
 myself as expert as ,i could in the art

 of helping the  victims of that cruel  
and loathsome disease3 ,i studied the   
best authors  on that subject1 consulted
 the most skillful physicians1 got a    
little  pharmacy which would have done  
honor to an old physician1 and ,i gave  
my  care and my medicine gratis4 ,very  
soon the good people of ,charlesbourgh  
put as much1 if not more confidence1 in 
my medical care1 as in any other  of the
 best physicians of the country4 ,more  
than once1 ,i had to rub the  limbs of  
so many patients in the same day1 that  
the skin of my hands was  taken away1   
and several times the blood come out    
from the wounds4 ,dr4  ,painchaud1 one  
of the ablest physicians of ,quebec1 who
 was my personal  friend1 told me after1
 that it was a most extraordinary thing 
that ,i had  not fallen a victim to that
 disease4    ,i would never have        
mentioned what ,i did1 in those         
never-to-be-forgotten  days of the      
cholera of #ahcd1 when one of the most  
horrible epidemics  which the world has 

ever seen spread desolation and death   
almost all  over ,canada1 if ,i had been
 alone to work as ,i did2 but ,i am     
happy and  proud to say that1 without a 
single exception1 the ,french ,canadian 
priests1 whose parishes were attacked by
 that pestilence1 did the same4  ,i     
could name hundreds of them who1 during 
several months1 also1 day  after day and
 night after night1 bravely met and     
fought the enemy1 and  fearlessly       
presented their breasts to its blows4 ,i
 could even name  scores of them who    
heroically fell and died when facing the
 foe on that  battlefield6    ,we must  
be honest and true towards the ,roman   
,catholic priests of ,canada4  ,few men1
 if even any1 have shown more courage   
and self-denial in the  hour of danger  
than they did4 ,i have seen them at work
 during the two  memorable years of     
#ahcb and #ahcd1 with a courage and     
self-denial worthy  of the admiration of
 heaven and earth4 ,though they knew    
well that the  most horrible tortures   

and death might be the price of their   
devotedness1 ,i have not known a single 
one of them who ever shrank  before the 
danger4 ,at the first appeal1 in the    
midst of the darkest and  stormiest     
nights1 as well as in the light of the  
brightest days1 they  were always ready 
to leave their warm and comfortable beds
 to run to the  rescue of the sick and  
dying4    ,but1 shall we conclude from  
that1 as the priests of ,rome want us to
 do1  that their religion is the true   
and divine religion of ,christ8 ,must we
  believe that because the priests are  
brave1 admirably brave1 and die the     
death of heroes on the battlefields1    
they are the true1 the only priests  of 
,christ1 the successors of the          
apostles--the ministers of the religion 
out of which there is no salvation8 ,no6
    ,was it because his religion was the
 divine and only true one that the      
millionaire ,stephen ,gerard1 when in   
#agic ,philadelphia was decimated by a  
most frightful epidemic1 went from house

 to house1 visiting the sick1  serving1 
washing them with his own hands1 and    
even helping to put them  into their    
coffins8 ,i ask it again1 is it because 
his religion was the  divine religion of
 ,jesus that that remarkable man1 during
 several  months1 lived among the dying 
and the dead1 to help them1 when his    
immense fortune allowed him to put a    
whole world between him and the  danger8
 ,no2 for every one knows that ,stephen 
,gerard was a deist1 who did  not       
believe in ,christ4    ,was it because  
they followed the true religion that1 in
 the last war  between ,russia and      
,turkey1 a whole regiment of ,turks     
heroically ran to a  sure death to obey 
the order of their general1 who         
commanded them to  charge bayonets on a 
,russian battery1 which was pouring upon
 them a real  hail of bullets and       
canisters8 ,no6 surely no6    ,these    
,turks were brave1 fearless1 heroic     
soldiers1 but nothing more4 ,so  the    
priests of the ,pope1 who expose        

themselves in the hour of danger1  are  
brave1 fearless1 heroic soldiers of the 
,pope--but they are nothing  more4      
,was it because they were good          
,christians that the soldiers of a      
,french  regiment1 at ,austerlitz1      
consented to be slaughtered to the last1
 at the  head of a bridge where         
,napoleon had ordered them to remain1   
with these  celebrated words3           
8,soldiers6 stand there and fight to the
 last2 you will  all be killed2 but you 
will save the army1 and we will gain the
 day60    ,those soldiers were admirably
 well disciplined--they loved their flag
  more than their lives--they knew only 
one thing in the world3 8,obey the      
command of ,napoleon60 ,they fought like
 giants and died like heroes4 ,so  the  
priests are a well-disciplined band of  
soldiers2 they are trained to  love     
their church more than their own life2  
they also know only one  thing3 8,obey  
your superior1 the ,pope60 they fight   
the battle of their  church like giants1

 and they die like heroes6    ,who has  
not read the history of the renowned    
,french man-of-war1 the  8,tonnant80    
,when she had lost her masts1 and was so
 crippled by the red  bullets of the    
,english fleet that there was no        
possibility of escape1  what did the    
soldiers and mariners of that ship      
answer to the cries of  8,surrender60   
which came from the ,english admiral8   
8,we die1 but do not  surrender60       
,they all went to the bottom of the sea1
 and perished rather than see  their    
proud banners fall into the hands of the
 foe6    ,is it because those ,french   
warriors were good ,christians that they
  preferred to die rather than give up  
their flag8 ,no6 ,but they knew that    
the eyes of their country1 the eyes of  
the whole world were upon them4  ,life  
became to them a trifle3 it became      
nothing when placed in the  balance     
against what they considered their      
honor1 and the honor of their  fair and 
noble country2--nay1 life became an     

undesirable thing1 when it  was weighted
 against the glory of dying at the post 
of duty and honor4    ,so it is with the
 priest of ,rome4 ,he knows that the    
eyes of his people1  and of his         
superiors--the eyes of his whole church 
are upon him4 ,he knows  that if he     
shrinks in the hour of danger1 he will  
forever lose their  confidence and their
 esteem2 that he will lose his position 
and live the  life of a degraded man6   
,death seems preferable to such a life4 
,besides1 it is not only in the gospel  
of ,christ that we read3 8,this is  my  
commandment1 that ye love one another1  
as ,i have loved you40 8,greater  love  
hath no man than this1 that a man lay   
down his life for his  friends40 ,our   
great ,god has written these words in   
the hearts of all the  children of      
,adam4 ,he has written them in the very 
heart of humanity4  ,these words are    
engraven in the hearts of the ,turks of 
,constantinople1  as well as in the     
hearts of the priests of ,canada4 ,they 

are engraven in  the hearts of the      
,esquimaux of the icy regions of        
,greenland1 as well as  in the hearts of
 the refined citizens of ,paris4        
,hence1 in the midst of the wreck of    
almost all the other virtues1 we  find a
 spark of that sacred fire1 kept alive1 
everywhere4 ,for again1 ,god  ,almighty 
himself has breathed that spark of fire 
and life into the heart  of man when he 
made him in his own image4 ,we find that
 spark of holy and  inextinguishable    
fire of love and life even among the    
most depraved  nations4 ,for that nation
 must infallibly perish and disappear   
the day it  has lost it entirely4 ,this 
is the reason why1 even among the       
degraded  idolaters of ancient and      
modern times1 we find acts of admirable 
devotedness and self-sacrifice4 ,read   
the history of the ,iroquois1  written  
by the ,jesuit ,father1 ,charlevoix1 and
 you will see how the  savages of our   
forests often raised themselves to the  
very stature of  giants at the approach 

of death1 when the honor of their       
nations1 or the  interests of their     
friends1 or their own reputation was at 
stake4 ,no men  have ever carried the   
contempt of pain and death so far1      
perhaps1 as the  heathen ,iroquois of   
this continent4    ,yes6 let the people 
of ,canada read the history of 8,la     
,nouvelle ,france10  and they will cease
 from presenting to us the courage of   
their priests  as an indication of the  
divinity of their religion4 ,for there  
they will  see that the worshippers of  
the wooden gods of the forests have     
equalled1 if not surpassed1 in courage  
and self-denial in the face of  death1  
the courage and self-denial of the      
priests of the wafer god of  ,rome4     
,,chapter ,,xxiv4    ,i ,,am ,,named ,a 
,,vicar ,,of ,,st4 ,,roch1 ,,quebec     
,,city--,,the ,,rev4 ,,mr4              
,,tetu--,,tertullian--,,general         
,,cargo--,,the ,,seal ,,skins4      ,in 
the beginning of ,september1 #ahcd1 the 
,bishop ,synaie gave me the  enviable   

position of one of the vicars of ,st4   
,roch1 ,quebec1 where the  ,rev4 ,mr4   
,tetu had been curate for about a year4 
,he was one of the  seventeen children  
of ,mr4 ,francis ,tetu1 one of the most 
respectable and  wealthy farmers of ,st4
 ,thomas4 ,such was the amiability of   
character of  my new curate1 that ,i    
never saw him in bad humor a single time
 during  the four years that it was my  
fortune to work under him in that       
parish4  ,and although in my daily      
intercourse with him ,i sometimes       
unintentionally sorely tried his        
patience1 ,i never heard an unkind word 
proceed from his lips4    ,he was a     
fine-looking man1 tall and well-built1  
large forehead1 blue  eyes1 a remarkably
 fine nose and rosy lips1 only a little 
too feminine4  ,his skin was very white 
for a man1 but his fine short whiskers1 
which he  knew so well how to trim1 gave
 to his whole mien a manly and pleasant 
appearance4    ,he was the finest penman
 ,i ever saw2 and by far the most       

skillful skater  of the country4        
,nothing could surpass the agility and  
perfection with  which he used to write 
his name on the ice with his skates4 ,he
 was also  fond of fast horses1 and     
knew1 to perfection1 how to handle the  
most  unmanageable steeds of ,quebec4   
,he really looked like ,phaeton when1 in
 a  light and beautiful buggy1 he held  
the reins of the fiery coursers which   
the rich bourgeois of the city liked to 
trust to him once or twice a  week1 that
 he might take a ride with one of his   
vicars to the  surrounding country4 ,mr4
 ,tetu was also fond of fine cigars and 
choice  chewing tobacco4 ,like the late 
,pope ,pius ,,ix41 he also constantly   
used  the snuff-box4 ,he would have been
 a pretty good preacher1 had he not     
been born with a natural horror of      
books4 ,i very seldom saw in his hands  
any other books than his breviary1 and  
some treatises on the catechism3  a book
 in his hands had almost the effect of  
opium on one's brains1 it  put him to   

sleep4 ,one day1 when ,i had finished   
reading a volume of  ,tertullian1 he    
felt much interested in what ,i said of 
the eloquence and  learning of that     
celebrated ,father of the ,church1 and  
expressed a desire  to read it4 ,i      
smilingly asked him if he were more than
 usual in need of  sleep4 ,he seriously 
answered me that he really wanted to    
read that work1  and that he wished to  
begin its study just then4 ,i lent him  
the volume1  and he went immediately to 
his room in order to enrich his mind    
with the  treasures of eloquence and    
wisdom of that celebrated writer of the 
primitive church4 ,half an hour after1  
suspecting what would occur1 ,i  went   
down to his room1 and noiselessly       
opening the door1 ,i found my dear  ,mr4
 ,tetu sleeping on his soft sofa1 and   
snoring to his heart's content1  while  
,tertullian was lying on the floor6 ,i  
ran to the rooms of the other  vicars1  
and told them3 8,come and see how our   
good curate is studying  ,tertullian60  

,there is no need to say that we had a  
hearty laugh at his expense4            
,unfortunately1 the noise we made awoke 
him1 and we then asked him3 8,what  do  
you think of ,tertullian80    ,he rubbed
 his eyes1 and answered1 8,well6 well6  
what is the matter8 ,are  you not four  
very wicked men to laugh at the human   
frailties of your  curate80 ,we for     
awhile called him ,father ,tertullian4  
,another day he requested me to give him
 some ,english lessons4 ,for1  though my
 knowledge of ,english was then very    
limited1 ,i was the only one  of five   
priests who understood and could speak a
 few words of that  language4 ,i        
answered him that it would be as        
pleasant as it was easy for  me to teach
 the little ,i knew of it1 and ,i       
advised him to subscribe for  the       
8,quebec ,gazette10 that ,i might profit
 by the interesting matter  which that  
paper used to give to its readers2 and  
at the same time ,i  should teach him to
 read and understand its contents4      

,the third time that ,i went to his room
 to give him his lesson1 he  gravely    
asked me3 8,have you ever seen          
#8,general ,cargo8'0    ,i was at first 
puzzled by that question1 and answered  
him3 8,i never  heard that there was any
 military officer by the name of        
#8,general  ,cargo4' ,how do you know   
that there is such a general in the     
world80    ,he quickly answered3 8,there
 is surely a #8,general ,cargo'         
somewhere in  ,england or ,america1 and 
he must be very rich2 for see the large 
number  of ships which bear his name1   
and have entered the port of ,quebec    
these  last few days60    ,seeing the   
strange mistake1 and finding his        
ignorance so wonderful1 ,i  burst into a
 fit of uncontrollable laughter4 ,i     
could not answer a word1  but cried at  
the top of my voice3 8,general ,cargo6  
,general ,cargo60    ,the poor curate1  
stunned by my laughing1 looked at me in 
amazement4 ,but1  unable to understand  
its cause1 he asked me3 8,why do you    

laugh80 ,but the  more stupefied he was1
 the more ,i laughed1 unable to say     
anything but  8,general ,cargo6 ,general
 ,cargo60    ,the three other vicars1   
hearing the noise1 hastily came from    
their rooms  to learn its cause1 and get
 a good laugh also4 ,but ,i was so      
completely  beside myself with laughing1
 that ,i could not answer their         
questions in  any other way than by     
crying1 8,general ,cargo6 ,general      
,cargo60    ,the puzzled curate tried   
then to give them some explanation of   
that  mystery1 saying with the greatest 
naivete3 8,i cannot see why our little  
,father ,chiniquy is laughing so        
convulsively4 ,i put him a very simple  
question when he entered my room to give
 me my ,english lesson4 ,i simply  asked
 him if he had ever seen #8,general     
,cargo1' who has sent so many  ships to 
our ports these last few days1 and added
 that that general must  be very rich1  
since he has so many ships on the sea60 
,the three vicars  saw the point1 and   

without being able to answer him a word1
 they burst  into such fits of laughter 
that the poor curate felt more than ever
  puzzled4    8,are you crazy80 he said1
 8,what makes you laugh so when ,i put  
to you  such a simple question8 ,do you 
not know anything about that #8,general 
,cargo1' who surely must live somewhere1
 and be very rich1 since he sends  so   
many vessels to our port that they fill 
nearly two columns of the  #8,quebec    
,gazette8'0    ,these remarks of the    
poor curate brought such a new storm of 
irrepressible laughter from us all as we
 never experienced in our whole  lives4 
,it took us some time to sufficiently   
master our feelings to tell  him that   
8,general ,cargo0 was not the name of   
any individual1 but only  the technical 
words to say that the ships were laden  
with general goods4    ,the next morning
 the young and jovial vicars gave the   
story to their  friends1 and the people 
of ,quebec had a hearty laugh at the    
expense of  our friend4 ,from that time 

we called our good curate by the name of
  8,general ,cargo10 and he was so      
good-natured that he joined with us in  
joking at his own expense4 ,it would    
require too much space were ,i to       
publish all the comic blunders of that  
good man1 so ,i shall give only  one    
more4    ,on one of the coldest days in 
,january1 #ahce1 a merchant of seal     
skins  came to the parsonage with some  
of the best specimens of his            
merchandise1 that we might buy them to  
make overcoats4 ,for in those days  the 
overcoats of buffalo or raccoon skins   
were not yet thought of4 ,our  richest  
men used to have beaver overcoats1 but  
the rest of the people  had to be       
contented with ,canada seal skins2 a    
beaver overcoat could not  be had for   
less than #bjj4    ,mr4 ,tetu was       
anxious to buy his skins2 his only      
difficulty was the high  price asked by 
the merchant4 ,for nearly an hour he had
 turned over and  over again the        
beautiful skins1 and had spent all his  

eloquence on  trying to bring down their
 price1 when the sexton arrived1 and    
told him1  respectfully3 8,mr4 le ,cure1
 there are a couple of people waiting   
for you  with a child to be baptized40  
8,very well10 said the curate1 8,i will 
go  immediately20 and addressing the    
merchant1 he said3 8,please wait a      
moment2 ,i will not be long absent40    
,in two minutes after1 the curate had   
donned the surplice1 and was going  at  
full speed through the prayers and      
ceremonies of ,baptism4 ,for1 to be     
fair and true towards ,mr4 ,tetu 7and ,i
 might say the same thing of the        
greatest part of the priests ,i have    
known71 it must be acknowledged that  he
 was very exact in all his ministerial  
duties2 yet he was in this case  going  
through them by steam1 if not by        
electricity4 ,he was soon at the  end4  
,but1 after the sacrament was           
administered1 we were enjoined1 then1   
to repeat an exhortation to the         
godfathers and godmothers1 from the     

ritual which we all knew by heart1 and  
which began with these words3           
8,godfather and godmothers3 you have    
brought a sinner to the church1 but  you
 will take back a saint60    ,as the    
vestry was full of people who had come  
to confess1 ,mr4 ,tetu  thought that it 
was his duty to speak with more emphasis
 than usual in  order to have his       
instructions heard and felt by everyone4
 ,but instead  of saying1 8,godfather   
and godmother1 you have brought a sinner
 to the  church1 you will take back a   
saint60 he1 with great force and        
unction1  said3 8,godfather and         
godmother1 you have brought a sinner to 
the church1  you will take back a seal  
skin60    ,no words can describe the    
uncontrollable burst and roar of        
laughter  among the crowd1 when they    
heard that the baptized child was just  
changed into a 8seal skin40 ,unable to  
contain themselves1 or do any  serious  
thing1 they left the vestry to go home  
and laugh to their  heart's content4    

,but the most comic part of this blunder
 was the sang froid and the  calmness   
with which ,mr4 ,tetu1 turning towards  
me1 said3 8,will you be  kind enough to 
tell me the cause of that indecent and  
universal laughing  in the midst of such
 a solemn action as the baptism of this 
child80    ,i tried to tell him his     
blunder2 but for some time it was       
impossible to  express myself4 ,my      
laughing propensities were so much      
excited1 and the  convulsive laughter of
 the whole multitude made such a noise1 
that he  would not have heard me had ,i 
been able to answer him4 ,it was only   
when  the greatest part of the crowd had
 left that ,i could reveal to ,mr4 ,tetu
  that he had changed the baptized baby 
into a 8seal skin60 ,he heartily        
laughed at his own blunder1 and calmly  
went back to buy his seal skins4  ,the  
next day the story went from house to   
house in ,quebec1 and caused  everywhere
 such a laugh as they had not had since 
the birth of 8,general  ,cargo40        

,that priest was a good type of the     
greatest part of the priests of         
,canada3 ,fine fellows--social and      
jovial gentlemen--as fond of smoking    
their cigars as of chewing their tobacco
 and using their snuff2 fond of  fast   
horses2 repeating the prayers of their  
breviary and going through  the         
performance of their ministerial duties 
with as much speed as  possible4 ,with a
 good number of books in their          
libraries1 but knowing  nothing of them 
but the titles2 possessing the ,bible1  
but ignorant of  its contents2 believing
 that they had the light1 when they were
 in awful  darkness2 preaching the most 
monstrous doctrines as the gospel of    
truth2  considering themselves the only 
true ,christians in the world1 when they
  worshipped the most contemptible idols
 made with hands4 ,absolutely  ignorant 
of the ,word of ,god1 while they        
proclaimed and believed  themselves to  
be the lights of the world4             
,unfortunate1 blind men1  leading the   

blind into the ditch6                   
,,chapter ,,xxv4    ,,simony--,,strange 
,,and ,,sacrilegious ,,traffic ,,in     
,,the ,,so-,,called ,,body ,,and ,,blood
    ,,of ,,christ--,,enormous ,,sums    
,,of ,,money ,,made ,,by ,,the ,,sale   
,,of ,,masses--,,the    ,,society ,,of  
,,three ,,masses ,,abolished ,,and ,,the
 ,,society ,,of ,,one ,,mass            
,,established4      ,in one of the      
pleasant hours which we used invariably 
to pass after  dinner1 in the           
comfortable parlor of our parsonage1 one
 of the vicars1  ,mr4 ,louis ,parent1   
said to the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,tetu3 8,i have  
handed this morning  more than one      
hundred dollars to the bishop1 as the   
price of the masses  which my pious     
penitents have requested me to          
celebrate1 the greatest  part of them   
for the souls in purgatory4 ,every week 
,i have to do the  same thing1 just as  
each of you1 and every one of the       
hundreds of  priests in ,canada have to 
do4 ,now1 ,i would like to know how the 

bishops  can dispose of all these       
masses1 and what they do with the large 
sums of  money which go into their hands
 from every part of the country to have 
masses said4 ,this question vexes me1   
and ,i would like to know your mind     
about it40    ,the good curate answered 
in a joking manner1 as usual3 8,if the  
masses  paid into our hands1 which go to
 the bishop1 are all celebrated1        
purgatory must be emptied twice a day4  
,for ,i have calculated that the  sums  
given for those masses in ,canada cannot
 be less than #d1jjj every  day1 and1 as
 there are three times as many          
,catholics in the ,united  ,states as   
here1 and as those ,irish ,catholics are
 more devoted to the  souls in purgatory
 than the ,canadians1 there is no       
exaggeration in  saying that they give  
as much as our people2 #af1jjj at least 
will thus  be given every day in these  
two countries to throw cold water on the
  burning flames of that fiery prison4  
,now1 these #af1jjj given every day1    

multiplied by the #cfe days of the year1
 make the handsome sum of  #e1hdj1jjj   
paid for that object in low masses1     
every year4 ,but1 as we  all know1 that 
more than twice as much is paid for high
 masses than for  the low1 it is evident
 that more than #aj1jjj1jjj are expended
 to help  the souls of purgatory end    
their tortures every twelve months1 in  
,north  ,america alone4 ,if those       
millions of dollars do not benefit the  
good  souls in purgatory1 they at all   
events are of some benefit to our pious 
bishops and holy popes1 in whose hands  
the greatest part must remain  till the 
day of judgment4 ,for there is not a    
sufficient number of  priests in the    
world to say all the masses which are   
paid for by the  people4 ,i do not know 
any more than you do about what the     
bishops do  with those millions of      
dollars2 they keep that among their     
secret good  works4 ,but it is evident  
there is a serious mystery here4 ,i do  
not mean  to say that the ,yankee and   

the ,canadian bishops swallow those huge
 piles  of dollars as sweet oranges2 or 
that they are a band of big swindlers1  
who employ smaller ones1 called ,revs4  
,tetu1 ,baillargeon1 ,chiniquy1         
,parent1 etc41 to fill their treasuries4
 ,but1 if you want to know my mind  on  
that delicate subject1 ,i will tell you 
that the least we think and  speak of   
it1 the better it is for us4 ,every time
 my thoughts turn to  those streams of  
money which day and night flow from the 
small purses of  our pious and          
unsuspecting people into our hands1 and 
from ours into  those of the bishops1 ,i
 feel as if ,i were choking4 ,if ,i am  
at the table  ,i can neither eat nor    
drink1 and if in my bed at night1 ,i    
cannot sleep4  ,but as ,i like to eat1  
drink and sleep1 ,i reject those        
thoughts as much  as possible1 and ,i   
advise you to do the same thing40       
,the other vicars seemed inclined1 with 
,mr4 ,parent1 to accept that            
conclusion2 but1 as ,i had not said a   

single word1 they requested me to  give 
them my views on that vexatious subject1
 which ,i did in the  following brief   
words3    8,there are many things in our
 holy church which look like dark spots2
  but ,i hope that this is due only to  
our ignorance4 ,no doubt these very     
things would look as white as snow1 were
 we to see and know them just as  they  
are4 ,our holy bishops1 with the        
majority of the ,catholic priests of    
the ,united ,states and ,canada1 cannot 
be that band of thieves and  swindlers  
whose phantoms chill the blood of our   
worthy curate4 ,so long  as we do not   
know what the bishops do with those     
numberless masses paid  into their      
hands1 ,i prefer to believe that they   
act as honest men40    ,i had hardly    
said these few words1 when ,i was called
 to visit a sick  parishioner1 and the  
conversation was ended4    ,eight days  
later1 ,i was alone in my room1 reading 
the 8,l'ami de la  ,religion et du      
,roi10 a paper which ,i received from   

,paris1 edited by  ,picot4 ,my curiosity
 was not a little excited1 when ,i read1
 at the head  of a page1 in large       
letters3 8,admirable ,piety of the      
,french ,canadian  ,people40 ,the       
reading of that page made me shed tears 
of shame1 and shook  my faith to its    
foundation4 ,unable to contain myself1  
,i ran to the rooms  of the curate and  
the vicars1 and said to them3 8,a few   
days ago we  tried1 but in vain1 to find
 what becomes of the large sums of money
  which pass from the people1 through   
our hands1 into those of the bishop1  to
 say masses2 but here is the answer1 ,i 
have the key to that mystery1  which is 
worthy of the darkest ages of the       
,church4 ,i wish ,i were dead1  rather  
than see with my own eyes such          
abominations40 ,we then read that  long 
chapter1 the substance of which was that
 the venerable bishops of  ,quebec had  
sent not less than one hundred thousand 
francs1 at different  times1 to the     
priests of ,paris1 that they might say  

four hundred  thousand masses at five   
cents each6 ,here we had the sad        
evidence that  our bishops had taken    
four hundred thousand francs from our   
poor people1  under the pretext of      
saving the souls from purgatory6 ,that  
article fell  upon us as a thunderbolt4 
,for a long time we looked at each other
  without being able to utter a single  
word2 our tongues were as paralyzed  by 
our shame2 we felt as vile criminals    
when detected on the spot4    ,at last1 
,baillargeon1 addressing the curate1    
said3 8,is it possible that  our bishops
 are swindlers1 and we1 their tools to  
defraud our people8  ,what would that   
people say1 if they knew that not only  
we do not say the  masses for which they
 constantly fill our hands with their   
hard-earned  money1 but that we send    
those masses to be said in ,paris for   
five cents6  ,what will our good people 
think of us all when they know that our 
bishop  pockets twenty cents out of each
 mass they ask us to celebrate according

  to their wishes40    ,the curate      
answered3 8,it is very lucky that the   
people do not know that  sharp operation
 of our bishops1 for they would surely  
throw us all into  the river4 ,let us   
keep that shameful trade as secret as   
possible4 ,for  what is the crime of    
simony if this be not an instance of    
it80    ,i replied3 8,how can you hope  
to keep that traffic of the body and    
blood  of ,christ a secret1 when not    
less than #dj1jjj copies of this paper  
are  circulated in ,france1 and more    
than #ajj copies come to the ,united    
,states  and ,canada8 ,the danger is    
greater than you suspect2 it is even at 
our  doors4 ,is it not on account of    
such public and undeniable crimes and   
vile tricks of the clergy of ,france    
that the ,french people in general1  not
 only have lost almost every vestige of 
religion1 but1 not half a  century ago1 
condemned all the priests and bishops of
 ,france to death as  public            
malefactors8    8,but that sharp        

mercantile operation of our bishops     
takes a still darker  color1 when we    
consider that those #8five-cent masses' 
which are said in  ,paris are not worth 
a cent4 ,for who among us is ignorant of
 the fact  that the greatest part of the
 priests of ,paris are infidels1 and    
that  many of them live publicly with   
concubines8 ,would our people put their 
money in our hands if we were honest    
enough to tell them that their  masses  
would be said for five cents in ,paris  
by such priests8 ,do we not  deceive    
them when we accept their money1 under  
the well understood  condition that we  
shall offer the holy sacrifice according
 to their  wishes8 ,but1 instead of     
that1 we get it sent to ,france1 to be  
disposed  of in such a criminal way4    
,but1 if you allow me to speak a little 
more1  ,i have another strange fact to  
consider with you1 which is closely     
connected with this simonical           
operation40    8,yes6 speak1 speak60    
answered all four priests4    ,i then   

resumed3 8,do you remember how you were 
enticed into the #8,three  ,masses      
,society8' ,who among us had the idea   
that the new obligations we  were then  
assuming were such that the greatest    
part of the year would be  spent in     
saying masses for the priests1 and that 
it would thus become  impossible to     
satisfy the pious demands of the people 
who support us8 ,we  already belonged to
 the societies of the ,blessed ,virgin  
,mary and of ,st4  ,michael1 which      
raised to five the number of masses we  
had to celebrate  for the dead priests4 
,dazzled by the idea that we would have 
two  thousand masses said for us at our 
death1 we bit at the bait presented  to 
us by the bishop as hungry fishes1      
without suspecting the hook4 ,the       
result is that we have had to say #afe  
masses for the #cc priests who died     
during the past year1 which means that  
each of us has to pay #da4jj to  the    
bishop for masses which he has had said 
in ,paris for #h4jj4 ,each  mass which  

we celebrate for a dead priest here1 is 
a mass which the  bishop sends to       
,paris1 on which he gains twenty cents4 
,then the more  priests he enrolls in   
his society of #8,three ,masses1' the   
more twenty  cents he pockets from us   
and from our pious people4 ,hence his   
admirable  zeal to enroll every one of  
us4 ,it is not the value of the money   
which  our bishop so skilfully got from 
our hands which ,i consider1 but ,i feel
  desolate when ,i see that by these    
societies we become the accomplices of  
his simonical trade4 ,for1 being forced 
the greatest part of the year to        
celebrate the holy sacrifice for the    
benefit of the dead priests1 we  cannot 
celebrate the masses for which we are   
daily paid by the people1  and are      
therefore forced to transfer them into  
the hands of the bishop1  who sends them
 to ,paris1 after spiriting away twenty 
cents from each of  them4 ,however1 why 
should we lament over the past8 ,it is  
no more within  our reach4 ,there is no 

remedy for it4 ,let us then learn from  
the past  errors how to be wise in the  
future40    ,mr4 ,tetu answered3 8,you  
have shown us our error4 ,now1 can you  
indicate  any remedy80    8,i cannot say
 that the remedy we have in hand is one 
of those patented  medicines which will 
cure all the diseases of our sickly     
church in  ,canada1 but ,i hope it will 
help to bring a speedy convalescence4   
,that  remedy is to abolish the society 
of #8,three ,masses1' and to establish  
another of #8,one ,mass1' which will be 
said at the death of every priest4  ,in 
that way it is true that instead of     
#b1jjj masses1 we shall have only       
#a1bjj at our death4 ,but if #a1bjj     
masses do not open to us the gates of   
heaven1 it is because we shall be in    
hell4 ,by that reduction we shall be    
enabled to say more masses at the       
request of our people1 and shall        
diminish the number of five-cent masses 
said by the priests of ,paris at  the   
request of our bishop4 ,if you take my  

advice1 we will immediately  name the   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,tetu president of the new   
society1 ,mr4 ,parent will be  its      
treasurer1 and ,i consent to act as your
 secretary1 if you like it4  ,when our  
society is organized1 we will send our  
resignations to the  president of the   
other society1 and we shall immediately 
address a  circular to all the priests1 
to give them the reason for the change1 
and  respectfully ask them to unite with
 us in this new society1 in order to    
diminish the number of masses which are 
celebrated by the five-cent  priests of 
,paris40    ,within two hours the new   
society was fully organized1 the reasons
 of its  formation written in a book1   
and our names were sent to the bishop1  
with  a respectful letter informing him 
that we were no more members of the     
#8,three ,masses ,society4' ,that letter
 was signed1 8,c4 ,chiniquy1            
,secretary40 ,three hours later1 ,i     
received the following note from the    
bishop's palace3    8,my ,lord ,bishop  

of ,quebec wants to see you immediately 
upon important  affairs4 ,do not fail to
 come without delay4 ,truly yours1      
8,,charles ,f4 ,,cazeault1 ,sec'y40     
,i showed the missive to the curate and 
the vicars1 and told them3 8,a big      
storm is raging on the mountain2 this is
 the first peal of thunder--the         
atmosphere looks dark and heavy4 ,pray  
for me that ,i may speak and act as  an 
honest and fearless priest1 when in the 
presence of the bishop40    ,in the     
first parlor of the bishop's palace ,i  
met my personal friend1  ,secretary     
,cazeault4 ,he said to me3 8,my dear    
,chiniquy1 you are sailing on  a rough  
sea--you must be a lucky mariner if you 
escape the wreck4 ,the  bishop is very  
angry at you2 but be not discouraged1   
for the right is on  your side40 ,he    
then kindly opened the door of the      
bishop's parlor1 and  said3 8,my lord1  
,mr4 ,chiniquy is here1 waiting for your
 orders40    8,let him come1 sir10      
answered the bishop4    ,i entered and  

threw myself at his feet1 as it is the  
usage of the  priests4 ,but1 stepping   
backward1 he told me in a most excited  
manner3 8,i  have no benediction for you
 till you give me a satisfactory        
explanation  of your strange conduct40  
,i arose to my feet and said3 8,my lord1
 what do you want from me80    8,i want 
you1 sir1 to explain to me the meaning  
of this letter signed by  you as        
secretary of a new-born society called1 
#8,one ,mass ,society4'0 ,at  the same  
time he showed me my letter4    ,i      
answered him3 8,my lord1 the letter is  
in good ,french--your lordship  must    
have understood it well4 ,i cannot see  
how any explanation on my  part could   
make it clearer40    8,what ,i want to  
know from you1 is what you mean1 and    
what is your object  in leaving the old 
and respectable #8,three ,masses        
,society8' ,is it not  composed of your 
bishops and of all the priests of       
,canada8 ,did you not  find yourself in 
sufficiently good company8 ,do you      

object to the prayers  said for the     
souls in purgatory80    ,i replied3 8,my
 lord1 ,i will answer by revealing to   
your lordship a fact  which has not     
sufficiently attracted your attention4  
,the great number of  masses which we   
have to say for the souls of the dead   
priests makes it  impossible for us to  
say the masses for which the people pay 
into our  hands2 we are1 then1 forced to
 transfer this money into your hands2   
and  then instead of having these holy  
sacrifices offered by the good priests  
of ,canada1 your lordship has recourse  
to the priests of ,france1 where  you   
get them said for five cents4 ,we see   
two great evils in this3  ,first--,our  
masses are said by priests in whom we   
have not the least  confidence2 and     
though the masses they say are very     
cheap1 they are too  dearly purchased2  
for between you and me1 we can say that1
 with very few  exceptions1 the masses  
said by the priests of ,france1         
particularly of  ,paris1 are not worth  

one cent4 ,the second evil is still     
greater1 for in  our eyes1 it is one of 
the greatest crimes which our holy      
church has  always condemned1 the crime 
of simony40    8,do you mean to say10   
indignantly replied the bishop1 8that ,i
 am guilty  of the crime of simony80    
8,yes6 my lord2 it is just what ,i mean 
to say1 and ,i do not see how your      
lordship does not understand that the   
trade in masses by which you gain       
#djj1jjj francs on a spiritual          
merchandise1 which you get for #ajj1jjj1
 is  not simony40    8,you insult me6   
,you are the most impudent man ,i ever  
saw4 ,if you do not  retract what you   
have said1 ,i will suspend and          
excommunicate you60    8,my suspension  
and my excommunication will not make the
 position of your  lordship much better4
 ,for the people will know that you have
  excommunicated me because ,i protested
 against your trade in masses4 ,they    
will know that you pocket twenty cents  
on every mass1 and that you get  them   

said for five cents in ,paris by        
priests1 the greatest part of whom  live
 with concubines1 and you will see that 
there will be only one voice  in ,canada
 to bless me for my protest and to      
condemn you for your  simoniacal trade  
on such a sacred thing as the holy and  
tremendous  sacrifice of the body1      
blood1 soul and divinity of ,jesus      
,christ40    ,i uttered these words with
 such perfect calmness that the bishop  
saw  that ,i had not the least fear of  
his thunders4 ,he began to pace the     
room1 and he heaped on my devoted head  
all the epithets by which ,i could      
learn that ,i was an insolent1          
rebellious and dangerous priest4    8,it
 is evident to me10 said he1 8that you  
aim to be a reformer1 a  ,luther1 au    
petit pied1 in ,canada4 ,but you will   
never be anything else  than a monkey60 
,i saw that my bishop was beside        
himself1 and that my perfect calmness   
added to his irritation4 ,i answered    
him3 8,if ,luther had never done        

anything worse than ,i do to-day1 he    
ought to be blessed by ,god and man4  ,i
 respectfully request your lordship to  
be calm4 ,the subject on which ,i  speak
 to you is more serious than you think4 
,your lordship1 by asking  twenty-five  
cents for a mass which can be said for  
five cents1 does a  thing which you     
would condemn if it were done by another
 man4 ,you are  digging under your own  
feet1 and under the feet of your priests
 the same  abyss in which the ,church of
 ,france nearly perished1 not half a    
century  ago4 ,you are destroying with  
your own hands every vestige of religion
 in  the hearts of the people1 who will 
sooner or later know it4 ,i am your     
best friend1 your most respectful       
priest1 when ,i fearlessly tell you     
this truth before it is too late4 ,your 
lordship knows that he has not a  priest
 who loves and cherishes him more than  
,i do--,god knows1 it is  because ,i    
love and respect you1 as my own father1 
that ,i profoundly  deplore the         

illusions which prevent you from seeing 
the terrible  consequences that will    
follow1 if our pious people learn that  
you abuse  their ignorance and their    
good faith1 by making them pay          
twenty-five  cents for a thing which    
costs only five4 ,woe to your lordship6 
,woe to  me1 woe to our holy church1 the
 day that our people know that in our   
holy religion the blood of ,christ is   
turned into merchandise to fill the     
treasury of the bishops and pope60      
,it was evident that these last words1  
said with most perfect  self-possession1
 had not all been lost4 ,the bishop had 
become calmer4 ,he  answered me3 8,you  
are young and without experience3 your  
imagination is  easily fed with         
phantoms4 ,when you know a little more1 
you will change  your mind and will have
 more respect for your superiors4 ,i    
hope your  present error is only a      
momentary one4 ,i could punish you for  
this  freedom with which you have dared 
to speak to your bishop1 but ,i prefer  

to warn you to be more respectful and   
obedient in future4 ,though ,i  deplore 
for your sake that you have requested me
 to take away your name  from the       
#8,three ,masses ,society1' you and the 
four simpletons who have  committed the 
same act of folly are the only losers in
 the matter4  ,instead of two thousand  
masses said for the deliverance of your 
souls  from the flames of purgatory1 you
 will have only twelve hundred4 ,but1 be
  sure of it1 there is too much wisdom  
and true piety in my clergy to  follow  
your example4 ,you will be left alone1  
and1 ,i fear1 covered with  ridicule4   
,for they will call you the #8little    
reformer4'0    ,i answered the bishop3  
8,i am young1 it is true1 but the truths
 ,i have  said to your lordship are as  
old as the gospel4 ,i have such         
confidence  in the infinite merits of   
the holy sacrifice of the mass1 that ,i 
sincerely believe that twelve hundred   
masses said by good priests are  enough 
to cleanse my soul and extinguish the   

flames of purgatory4 ,but1  besides1 ,i 
prefer twelve hundred masses said by one
 hundred sincere  ,canadian priests1 to 
a million said by the five-cent priests 
of ,paris40    ,these last words1 spoken
 with a tone half serious1 half jocose1 
brought  a change on the face of my     
bishop4 ,i thought it was a good moment 
to get  my benediction and take leave of
 him4 ,i took my hat1 knelt at his feet1
  obtained his blessing and left4       
,,chapter ,,xxvi                        
,,continuation ,,of ,,the ,,trade ,,in  
,,masses4      ,the hour of my absence  
had been one of anxiety for the curate  
and the  vicars4 ,but my prompt return  
filled them with joy4    8,what news60  
they all exclaimed4    8,good news10 ,i 
answered2 8the battle has been fierce   
but short4 ,we have  gained the day2 and
 if we are only true to ourselves1      
another great  victory is in store for  
us4 ,the bishop is so sure that we are  
the only  ones who think of that reform1
 that he will not move a finger to      

prevent  the other priests from         
following us4 ,this security will make  
our success  infallible4 ,but we must   
not lose a moment4 ,let us address our  
circular  to every priest in ,canada40  
,one hour later there were more than    
twenty writers at work1 and before      
twenty-four hours1 more than three      
hundred letters were carried to all  the
 priests1 giving them the reasons why we
 should try1 by all fair  means1 to put 
an end to the shameful simoniacal trade 
in masses which  was going on between   
,canada and ,france4    ,the week was   
scarcely ended1 when letters came from  
nearly all the  curates and vicars to   
the bishop1 respectfully requesting him 
to  withdraw his name from 8,the        
,society of the ,three ,masses40 ,only  
fifty  refused to comply with our       
request4    ,our victory was more       
complete than we had expected4 ,but the 
bishop of  ,quebec1 hoping to regain his
 lost ground1 immediately wrote to the  
bishop of ,montreal1 my ,lord           

,telemesse1 to come to his help and show
 us  the enormity of the crime we had   
committed1 in rebelling against the     
will of our ecclesiastical superiors4   
,a few days later1 to my great dismay1  
,i received a short and very cold  note 
from the bishop's secretary1 telling me 
that their lordships1 the  bishops of   
,montreal and ,quebec1 wanted to see me 
at the palace1 without  delay4 ,i had   
never seen the bishop of ,montreal1 and 
my surprise and  disappointment were    
great in finding myself in the presence 
of a man1 my  idea of whom was of       
gigantic proportions1 when in reality he
 was very  small4 ,but ,i felt          
exceedingly well pleased by the         
admirable mixture of  firmness1         
intelligence and honesty of his whole   
demeanor4 ,his eyes were  piercing as   
the eagle's2 but when fixed on me1 ,i   
saw in them the marks  of a noble and   
honest heart4    ,the motions of his    
head were rapid1 his sentences short1   
and he seemed  to know only one         

line--the straight one--when approaching
 a subject or  dealing with a man4 ,he  
had the merited reputation of being one 
of the  most learned and eloquent men of
 ,canada4 ,the bishop of ,quebec had    
remained on his sofa and left the bishop
 of ,montreal to receive me4 ,i  fell at
 his feet and asked his blessing1 which 
he gave me in the most  cordial way4    
,then1 putting his hand upon my         
shoulder1 he said in a  ,quaker style3  
8,is it possible that thou art          
,chiniquy--that young priest  who makes 
so much noise8 ,how can such a small man
 make so much noise80    ,there being a 
smile on his countenance as he uttered  
these words1 ,i saw  at once that there 
was no anger or bad feeling in his      
heart4 ,i replied3  8,my lord1 do you   
not know that the most precious pearls  
and perfumes are  put up in the smallest
 vases80    ,the bishop saw that this   
was a compliment to his address2 he     
smilingly  replied3 8,well1 well1 if    
thou art a noisy priest1 thou art not a 

fool4  ,but tell me1 why dost thou want 
to destroy our #8,three ,mass ,society' 
and  establish that new one on its      
ruins1 in spite of thy superiors80      
8,my lord1 my answer will be as         
respectful1 short and plain as possible4
  ,i have left the #8,three ,mass       
,society' because it was my right to do 
it1  without anybody's permission4 ,i   
hope our venerable ,canadian bishops do 
not wish to be served by slaves60    8,i
 do not say10 replied the bishop1 8that 
thou wert bound in conscience  to remain
 in the #8,three ,mass ,society2' but1  
can ,i know why thou hast  left such a  
respectable association1 at the head of 
which thou seest thy  bishops and the   
most venerable priests in ,canada80     
8,i will again be plain in my answer1 my
 lord4 ,if your lordship wants to  go to
 hell with your venerable priests by    
spiriting away twenty cents  from every 
one of our honest and pious penitents   
for masses which you  get said for five1
 by bad priests in ,paris1 ,i will not  

follow you4  ,moreover1 if your lordship
 wants to be thrown into the river by   
the  furious people1 when they know how 
long and how cunningly we have  cheated 
them with our simoniacal trade in       
masses1 ,i do not want to  follow you   
into the cold stream40    8,well1 well60
 answered the bishop1 8let us drop that 
matter forever40    ,he uttered this    
short sentence with such an evidence of 
sincerity and  honesty1 that ,i saw he  
really meant it4 ,he had1 at a glance1  
seen that  his ground was untenable1 in 
the presence of priests who knew their  
rights and had a mind to stand by them4 
,my joy was great indeed at such a      
prompt and complete victory4 ,i again   
fell at the bishop's feet and asked his 
benediction before taking leave  of him4
 ,i then left to go and tell the curates
 and vicars the happy  issue of my      
interview with the bishop of ,montreal4 
,from that time till now1 at the death  
of every priest1 the ,clerical  ,press  
never failed mentioning whether the     

deceased priest belonged to  the        
8,three0 or 8,one ,mass ,society40      
,we had1 to some extent1 diminished the 
simoniacal and infamous trade in        
masses1 but unfortunately we had not    
destroyed it2 and ,i know that  to-day  
it has revived4 ,since ,i left the      
,church of ,rome1 the bishops of        
,quebec have raised the 8,three ,mass   
,society0 from its grave4    ,it is a   
public fact1 that no priest dare deny1  
that the trade in masses  is still      
conducted on a large scale with ,france4
 ,there are in ,paris and  other large  
cities in that country public agencies  
to carry on that  shameful traffic4 ,it 
is1 generally1 in the hands of          
booksellers or  merchants of church     
ornaments4 ,every year their houses send
 a large  number of prospectuses through
 ,france and ,belgium and other         
,catholic  countries1 in which they say 
that1 in order to help the priests1 who 
having received money for their masses1 
don't know where to have them  said1    

they offer a premium of twenty-five or  
thirty per cent4 to those  who will send
 them the surplus of the money they have
 in hand1 to offer  the ,holy ,sacrifice
 of the ,mass4    ,the priests who have 
such surplus1 tempted by that premium1  
which is  usually paid with a watch or  
chain1 or a chalice1 disgorge a part or 
the  whole of the large sums they       
possess into the hands of the pious     
merchants1 who take this money and use  
it as they please4    ,but they never   
pay the masses in money1 they give only 
merchandise4 ,for  instance1 that priest
 will receive a watch if he promises to 
celebrate  one or two hundred masses1 or
 a chalice to celebrate three or four   
hundred masses4 ,i have1 here in hand1  
several of the contracts or  promissory 
notes sent by those merchants of masses 
to the priests4 ,the  public will1 no   
doubt1 read the following documents with
 interest4 ,they  were handed me by a   
priest lately converted from the ,church
 of ,rome3                              

,,rue ,,de ,,reimes--,,paris4    ,ant4  
,levesques1 editor of the works of ,mr4 
,dufriche--,desgenettes4 ,cure of       
,notre ,dame des ,victoires4            
,delivered to the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,camerle1  
curate of ,ansibeau 7,basses ,alpes74   
,,paris1 ,october #ab1 #ahgd4           
,f4         #aj metres of ,satin cloth1 
at #bb francs             #bbj4         
#h     0     of merino1 all wool        
#abc4         ,month of ,may            
#b4         ,history of ,mary ,christina
                           #a4dj        
,life of ,st4 ,stanislas ,koska         
#b4         ,meditations of the ,soul   
#d4         ,jesus ,christ1 the light of
 the world                #b4           
,packing and freight                    
#i4cj                                   
------             ,total               
#cfc4gj    ,,mr4 ,,curate3 ,we have the 
honor of informing you that the packages
  containing the articles you have      
ordered on the #dth of ,october1 were   
shipped on the #abth of ,october1 to    

,digne1 where we respectfully request   
you to go and ask for them4 ,for the    
payment of these articles1 we  request  
you to say the following masses3    #eh 
ad intentionem of the giver1 for the    
discharge of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,montet4    #eh 
ad intentionem of the givers1 for the   
discharge of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,hg4    #ajj-ahh
 for the dead1 for the discharge of     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,wod4    ,,mr4 ,,curate3     
,will you be kind enough to say or have 
said all those masses  in the shortest  
time possible1 and answer these ,rev'd  
gentlemen1 if they  make any inquiries  
about the acquittal of those masses4    
,respectfully yours1                    
7,signed7      ,,ant4 ,,levesques4      
,,paris1 ,nov4 #aa1 #ahgd4    ,,rev4    
,,mr4 ,,camerle3 ,we have the honor of  
addressing you the invoice of  what we  
forwarded to you on the #abth of        
,october4 ,on account we have put  to   
your credit #ahh masses4 ,we            
respectfully request you get said to the
  following intentions3       #gc for   

the dead1 to the acquittal of ,rev4 ,mr4
            ,watters1       #gj pro     
defucto1                                
,for the discharge       #bj ad         
intentionem donatis1                    
of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,c----       #ac ad       
intentionem donatis1                    
----      #agf    ,,mr4 ,,curate3 ,be   
kind enough to say these masses or have 
them said as soon  as possible1 and     
answer the reverend gentlemen who may   
inquire from you  about their acquittal4
 ,the #ahh masses mentioned in our      
letter of the #crd  inst41 added to the 
#agf here mentioned1 make #cfd francs1  
the value of  the goods sent you4 ,we   
thought you would like to have the      
pamphlets of  propaganda we address you4
                                        
,respectfully yours1                    
,signed3      ,,ant4 ,,levesques4       
,hence it is that priests1 in ,france   
and elsewhere1 have gold watches1  rich 
house furniture1 and interesting books1 
purchased with the money  paid by our   

poor deluded ,canadian ,catholics to    
their priests for masses  which are     
turned into mercantile commodities in   
other places4 ,it would  be difficult to
 say who makes the best bargain between 
those merchants  of masses1 the priests 
to whom they are sold1 or those from    
whom they  are bought at a discount of  
twenty-five to thirty per cent4    ,the 
only evident thing is the cruel         
deception practiced on the credulity    
and ignorance of the ,roman ,catholics  
by their priests and bishops4  ,to-day1 
the houses of ,dr4 ,anthony ,levesques  
in ,paris are the most  accredited in   
,france4 ,in #ahgd1 the house of ,mesme 
was doing an immense  business with its 
stock of masses1 but in an evil day1 the
 ,government  suspected that the number 
of masses paid into their hands1        
exceeded the  number of those celebrated
 through their hired priests4 ,the      
suspicion  soon turned into certainty   
when the books were examined4 ,it was   
then  found that an incredible number of

 masses1 which were to empty the large  
room of purgatory1 never reached their  
destination1 but only filled the  purse 
of the ,parisian mass merchant2 and so  
the unlucky ,mesme was  unceremoniously 
sent to the penitentiary to meditate on 
the infinite  merits of the holy        
sacrifice of the mass1 which had been   
engulfed in his  treasures4    ,but     
these facts are not known by the poor   
,roman ,catholics of ,canada1 who  are  
fleeced more and more by their priests1 
under the pretext of saving  souls from 
purgatory4    ,a new element of success 
in the large swindling operations of the
  ,canadian priests has lately been     
discovered4 ,it is well known that in   
the greater part of the ,united ,states1
 the poor deluded ,irish pay one  dollar
 to their priest1 instead of a shilling1
 for a low mass4 ,those  priests whose  
conscience are sufficiently elastic 7as 
is often the  case71 keep the money     
without ever thinking of having the     
masses said1  and soon get rich4 ,but   

there are some whose natural honesty    
shrinks from  the idea of stealing2 but 
unable to celebrate all the masses paid 
for  and requested at their hands1 they 
send the dollars to some of their       
clerical friends in ,canada1 who1 of    
course1 prefer these one dollar  masses 
to the twenty-five cent ones paid by the
 ,french ,canadians4  ,however1 they    
keep that secret and continue to fill   
their treasury4    ,there are1 however1 
many priests in ,canada who think it    
less evil to  keep those large sums of  
money in their own hands1 than to give  
them to  the bishops to traffic with the
 merchants of ,paris4 ,at the end of one
 of  the ecclesiastical retreats in the 
seminary of ,st4 ,sulpice in #ahej1     
,bishop ,bourget told us that one of the
 priests who had lately died1 had       
requested him1 in the name of ,jesus    
,christ1 to ask every priest to take  a 
share in the #d1jjj which he had        
received for masses he had never  said4 
,we refused to grant him that favor1 and

 those #d1jjj received by  that priest1 
like the millions put into the hands of 
other priests and  the bishops1 turned  
to be nothing less than an infamous     
swindling  operation under the mask of  
religion4    ,to understand what the    
priests of ,rome are1 let the readers   
note what is  said in the ,roman        
,catholic ,bible1 of the priest of      
,babylon3    8,and ,king ,astyges was   
gathered to his fathers1 and ,cyrus1 of 
,persia1  received his kingdom1 and     
,daniel conversed with the king1 and was
  honored above all his friends4 ,now   
the ,babylonians had an idol1 called    
,bel1 and there were spent upon him1    
every day1 twelve measures of fine      
flour1 and forty sheep and six vessels  
of wine4 ,and the king worshipped  it   
and went daily to adore3 but ,daniel    
worshipped his own ,god1 and the  king  
said unto him3 #8,why dost thou not     
worship ,bel8' who answered and  said3  
#8because ,i may not worship idols made 
with hands1 but the living  ,god1 who   

hath created the heavens and the earth1 
and hath sovereignty  over all flesh4'  
,then the king said3 #8,thinkest thou   
not that ,bel is a  living ,god6 ,seest 
thou not how much he eateth and drinketh
 every day8'    8,then ,daniel smiled   
and said3 #8,oh1 king6 be not deceived2 
for this is  but clay within and brass  
without1 and did never eat or drink     
anything4'    8,so the king was wroth1  
and called for his priests and said3    
#8,if ye tell  me not who this is that  
devoureth these expenses1 ye shall die2 
but if  ye can certify me that ,bel     
devoureth them1 then ,daniel shall die1 
for he  has spoken blasphemy against    
,bel4' ,and ,daniel said unto the king3 
#8,let  it be according to thy word4'   
8,now the priests of ,bel were three    
score and ten1 besides their wives  and 
children4    8,and the king went with   
,daniel to the temple of ,bel--so ,bel's
 priests  said3 #8,lo6 we got out1 but  
thou1 ,o king1 set on the meat1 and make
 ready  the wine1 and shut the door     

fast1 and seal it with thine own signet2
 and  to-morrow when thou comest in1 if 
thou findest not that ,bel hath eaten   
up all1 we will suffer death2 or else1  
,daniel1 that speaketh falsely  against 
,bel shall die--and they little regarded
 it1 for under the table  they had made 
a privy entrance1 whereby they entered  
continually and  consumed those things4'
    8,so when they were gone forth1 the 
king set meats before ,bel4    8,now    
,daniel had commanded his servants to   
bring ashes1 and those they  strewed    
throughout all the temple1 in the       
presence of the king alone3  then they  
went out1 and shut the door1 and sealed 
it with the king's  signet1 and so      
departed4    8,now in the night came the
 priests1 with their wives and children1
 as  they were wont to do1 and did eat  
and drink up all4    8,in the morning   
betimes the king arose1 and ,daniel with
 him4    8,and the king said1 #8,daniel1
 are the seals whole8' ,and he said1    
#8,yea1 ,o  king1 they be whole4' ,and  

as soon as they had opened the door1 the
 king  looked upon the table1 and cried 
with a loud voice3 #8,great art thou1 ,o
  ,bel6 and with thee there is no deceit
 at all4' ,then laughed ,daniel1 and    
held the king that he should not go in1 
and said3 #8,behold now the  pavement1  
and mark well whose footsteps are       
these4' ,and the king said3  #8,i see   
the footsteps of men1 women and         
children4' ,and then the king was       
angry1 and took the priests1 with their 
wives and children1 who showed  him the 
privy doors1 where they came in and     
consumed such things as were  on the    
tables4    8,therefore the king slew    
them1 and delivered ,bel into ,daniel's 
power1  who destroyed him and his       
temple40    ,who does not pity the king 
of ,babylon1 who1 when looking at his   
clay and  brass god1 exclaimed3 8,great 
art thou1 ,o ,bel1 and with thee there  
is no  deceit60    ,but1 is the         
deception practiced by the priests of   
the ,pope on their  poor1 deluded dupes1

 less cruel and infamous8 ,where is the 
difference  between that ,babylonian    
god1 made with brass and baked clay1 and
 the god  of the ,roman ,catholics1 made
 with a handful of wheat and flour1     
baked  between two hot polished irons8  
,how skilful were the priests in keeping
 the secret of what became of the  rich 
daily offerings brought to the hungry   
god6 ,who could suspect that  there was 
a secret trap through which they came   
with their wives and  children to eat   
the rich offerings8    ,so1 to-day1     
among the simple and blind ,roman       
,catholics1 who could  suppose that the 
immense sums of money given every day to
 the priests to  glorify ,god1 purify   
the souls of men1 and bring all kinds of
 blessings  upon the donors1 were1 on   
the contrary1 turned into the most      
ignominious  and swindling operation the
 world has ever seen8    ,though the    
brass god of ,babylon was a contemptible
 idol1 is not the  wafer god of ,rome   
still more so8 ,though the priests of   

,bel were skilful  deceivers1 are they  
not surpassed in the art of deception by
 the priests  of ,rome6 ,do not these   
carry on their operations on a much     
larger scale  than the former8    ,but1 
as there is always a day of retribution 
for the great iniquities of  this world1
 when all things will be revealed2 and  
just as the cunning of  the priests of  
,babylon could not save them1 when ,god 
sent his prophet to  take away the mask1
 behind which they deceived their       
people1 so let the  priests of ,rome    
know that ,god will1 sooner or later1   
send his prophet1  who will tear off the
 mask1 behind which they deceive the    
world4 ,their  big1 awkward and flat    
feet will be seen and exposed1 and the  
very people  whom they keep prostrated  
before their idols1 crying3 8,o ,god6   
with thee  there is no deceit at all60  
will become the instruments of the      
justice  of ,god in the great day of    
retribution4                            
,,chapter ,,xxvii4    ,,quebec ,,marine 

,,hospital--,,the ,,first ,,time ,i     
,,carried ,,the 8,,bon ,,dieu0 7,,the   
,,wafer ,,god7 ,,in ,,my ,,vest         
,,pocket--,,the ,,grand ,,oyster        
,,soiree ,,at ,,mr4                     
,,buteau',s--,,the ,,rev4 ,l4 ,,parent  
,,and ,,the 8,,bon ,,dieu0 ,,at ,,the   
,,oyster ,,soiree4      ,one of the     
first things done by the curate ,tetu1  
after his new vicars  had been chosen1  
was to divide1 by casting lots1 his     
large parish into  four parts1 that     
there might be more regularity in our   
ministerial  labors1 and my lot gave me 
the northeast of the parish which       
contained  the ,quebec ,marine          
,hospital4    ,the number of sick       
sailors ,i had to visit almost every day
 in that noble  institution1 was between
 twenty-five and a hundred4 ,the ,roman 
,catholic  chapel1 with its beautiful   
altar was not yet completed4 ,it was    
only in  #ahcg that ,i could persuade   
the hospital authorities to fix it as it
 is  to-day4 ,having no place there to  

celebrate mass and keep the ,holy       
,sacrament1 ,i soon found myself in     
presence of a difficulty which1 at      
first1 seemed to me of a grave          
character4 ,i had to administer the     
viaticum 7holy communion7 to a dying    
sailor4 ,as every one knows1 all  ,roman
 ,catholics are bound to believe that by
 the consecration1 the wafer  is        
transformed into the body1 soul and     
divinity of ,jesus ,christ4 ,hence1     
they call that ceremony3 8,porter le bon
 dieu au malade0 7carry the good  ,god  
to the sick47 ,till then1 when in       
,charlesborough or ,st4 ,charles1 ,i1   
with the rest of ,roman ,catholic       
priests1 always made use of pomp and    
exterior marks of supreme respect for   
the ,almighty ,god ,i was carrying in   
my hands to the dying4    ,i had never  
carried the good ,god without being     
accompanied by several  people1 walking 
or riding on horseback4 ,i then wore a  
white surplice  over my long black robe 
7soutane7 to strike the people with awe4

 ,there  was also a man ringing a bell  
before me1 all along the way1 to        
announce  to the people that the great  
,god1 who had not only created them1 but
 had  made himself man to save them1 by 
dying on ,calvary1 was passing by2 that 
they had to fall on their knees in their
 houses1 or along the public  roads or  
in their fields1 and prostrate          
themselves and adore him4    ,but could 
,i do that in ,quebec1 where so many    
miserable heretics were  more disposed  
to laugh at my ,god than to adore him8  
,in my zeal and sincere faith1 ,i was1  
however1 determined to dare the         
heretics of the whole world1 and to     
expose myself to their insults1  rather 
than give up the exterior marks of      
supreme respect and adoration  which    
were due to my ,god everywhere2 and     
twice ,i carried ,him to the  hospital  
with the usual solemnity4    ,in vain my
 curate tried to persuade me to change  
my mind4 ,i closed my  ears to his      
arguments4 ,he then kindly invited me to

 go with him to the  bishop's palace1 in
 order to confer with him on that grave 
subject4 ,how  can ,i express my dismay 
when the bishop told me1 with a levity  
which ,i  had not yet observed in him1  
8that on account of the ,protestants    
whom we  had to meet everywhere1 it was 
better to make our #8,god' travel       
incognito in the streets of ,quebec40   
,he added in a high and jocose  tone3   
8,put ,him in your vest pocket1 as do   
the rest of the city priests4  ,carry   
,him to your dying patients without any 
scruples4 ,never aim at  being a        
reformer and doing better than your     
venerable brethren in the  priesthood4  
,we must not forget that we are a       
conquered people4 ,if we  were masters1 
we would carry ,him to the dying with   
the public honors we  used to give ,him 
before the conquest2 but the            
,protestants are the  stronger4 ,our    
governor is a ,protestant1 as well as   
our ,queen4 ,the  garrison which is     
inside the walls of their impregnable   

citadel1 is  composed chiefly of        
,protestants4 ,according to the laws of 
our holy  church1 we have the right to  
punish1 even by death1 the miserable    
people  who turn into ridicule the      
mysteries of our holy religion3 ,but    
though we  have that right1 we are not  
strong enough to enforce it4 ,we must1  
then1  bear the yoke in silence4 ,after 
all1 it is our ,god himself1 who in his 
inscrutable judgment1 has deprived us of
 the power of honoring ,him as ,he      
deserves1 and to tell you my whole mind 
as plainly as possible1 it is  not our  
fault1 but ,his own doing1 so to speak1 
if we are forced to make  ,him travel   
incognito through our streets4 ,it is   
one of the sad results  of the victory  
which the ,god of battles gave to the   
,heretics over us on  the plains of     
,abraham4 ,if1 in ,his good providence1 
we could break our  fetters1 and become 
free to pass again the laws which       
regulated ,canada  before the conquest1 
to prevent the heretics from settling   

among us1  then we would carry ,him as  
we used to do in those happy days40     
8,but10 said ,i1 8when ,i walk in the   
streets with my good ,god in my vest    
pocket1 what will ,i do if ,i meet any  
friend who wants to shake hands and     
have a joke with me80    ,the bishop    
laughed and answered3 8,tell your friend
 you are in a hurry1  and go your way as
 quickly as possible2 but if there is no
 help1 have  your talk and your joke    
with him1 without any scruple of        
conscience4 ,the  important point in    
this delicate matter is that the people 
should not  know that we are carrying   
our ,god through the streets incognito2 
for  this knowledge would surely shake  
and weaken their faith4 ,the common     
people are1 more than we think1 kept in 
our holy church1 by the  impressing     
ceremonies of our processions and public
 marks of respect we  give to ,jesus    
,christ1 when we carry ,him to the sick2
 for the people are  more easily        
persuaded by what they see with their   

eyes and touch with  their hands1 than  
by what they hear with their ears40     
,i submitted to the order of my         
ecclesiastical superior2 but ,i would   
not  be honest1 were ,i not to confess  
that ,i lost much of my spiritual joy   
for some time in the administration of  
the viaticum4 ,i continued to  believe  
as sincerely as ,i could1 but the       
laughing words and light tone  of my    
bishop had fallen upon my soul as an icy
 cloud4 ,the jocose way in  which he had
 spoken of what ,i had been taught to   
consider as the most  awful and adorable
 mystery of the church1 left the        
impression on my mind  that he did not  
believe one iota of the dogma of        
transubstantiation4 ,and  in spite of   
all my honest efforts to get rid of that
 suspicion1 it grew  in my mind every   
time ,i met him to talk on any          
ministerial subject4    ,it took several
 years before ,i could accustom myself  
to carry my ,god in  my vest pocket as  
the other priests did1 without any more 

ceremony than  with a piece of tobacco4 
,so long as ,i was walking alone ,i felt
 happy4 ,i  could then silently converse
 with my ,saviour1 and give ,him all the
  expressions of my love and adoration4 
,it was my custom1 then1 to repeat  the 
#ajc;d or #ejth psalm of ,david1--or the
 ,te ,deum1 or some other beautiful     
hymn1 or the ,pange ,langua1 which ,i   
knew by heart4 ,but no words can        
express my sadness when1 as it was very 
often the case1 ,i met some  friends    
forcing me to shake hands with them1 and
 began one of those idle  and           
common-place talks1 so common           
everywhere4    ,with the utmost efforts1
 ,i had then to put a smiling mask on my
 face1 in  order to conceal the         
expression of faith which are infallibly
 seen1 in  spite of one's self1 if one  
is in the very act of adoration4        
,how1 then1 ,i earnestly cursed the day 
when my country had fallen under  the   
yoke of ,protestants1 whose presence in 
,quebec prevented me from  following the

 dictates of my conscience6 ,how many   
times did ,i pray my  wafer god1 whom ,i
 was personally pressing on my heart1 to
 grant us an  opportunity to break those
 fetters1 and destroy forever the power 
of  ,protestant ,england over us6 ,then 
we should be free again1 to give our    
,saviour all the public honors which    
were to due his majesty4 ,then we       
should put in force the laws by which no
 heretic had any right to settle  and   
live in ,canada4    ,not long after that
 conversation with the bishop1 ,i found 
myself in a  circumstance which added   
much to my trouble and confusion of     
conscience  on that matter4    ,there   
was then1 in ,quebec1 a merchant who had
 honorably raised himself  from a state 
of poverty1 to the first rank among the 
wealthy merchants  of ,canada4 ,though1 
a few years after1 he was ruined by a   
series of most  terrible disasters1 his 
name is still honored in ,canada1 as one
 of the  most industrious and honest    
merchants of our young country4 ,his    

name was  ,james ,buteau4 ,he had built 
a magnificent house and furnished it in 
a  princely style4    ,in order to      
celebrate his 8house warming0 in a      
becoming style1 he  invited a hundred   
guests from the elite of the city1 among
 whom were all  the priests of the      
parishes4 ,but in order not to frighten 
their prudery1  though the party was to 
be more of the nature of a ball than    
anything  else1 ,mr4 ,buteau had given  
it the modest name of an ,oyster        
,soiree4    ,just as the good curate    
,tetu1 with his cheerful vicars was     
starting1 a  messenger met us at the    
door1 to say that ,mr4 ,parent1 the     
youngest  vicar1 had called to carry the
 8,good ,god0 to a dying woman4    ,mr4 
,parent was born1 and had passed his    
whole life in ,quebec1 in whose         
seminary he had gone through a complete 
and brilliant course of study4 ,i  think
 there was scarcely a funny song in the 
,french language which he  could not    
sing4 ,with a cheerful nature1 he was   

the delight of the ,quebec  society1 by 
almost every member of which he was     
personally known4    ,his hair was      
constantly perfumed with the richest    
pomade1 and the most  precious eaux de  
cologne surrounded him with an          
atmosphere of the  sweetest odors4 ,with
 all these qualities and privileges1 it 
is no wonder  that he was the confessor 
8a la mode0 of the young ladies of      
,quebec4    ,the bright luminaries which
 hover around ,jupiter are not more     
exact in  converging toward the         
brilliant star1 than those pious young  
ladies were  in gathering around the    
confessional box of ,mr4 ,parent every  
week or  fortnight4    ,the unexpected  
announcement of a call to the deathbed  
of one of his  poorest penitents1 was   
not quite the most desirable thing for  
our dear  young friend1 at such an hour4
 ,but he knew too well his duty to      
grumble4  ,he said to us3 8,go before me
 and tell ,mrs4 ,buteau that ,i will be 
in time  to get my share of the         

oysters40    ,by chance1 the sick house 
was on the way and not far from ,mr4    
,buteau's  splendid mansion4 ,he left us
 to run to the altar and take the 8,good
 ,god0  with him4 ,we started for the   
soiree1 but not without sympathizing    
with  our dear ,mr4 ,parent1 who would  
lose the most interesting part1 for the 
administration of the viaticum4 ,the    
extreme unction1 with the giving of     
indulgences1 in articulo mortis1 and the
 exhortation to the dying1 and  the     
people gathered from the neighborhood to
 witness those solemn rites1  could not 
take much less than three quarters1 or  
even an hour of his  time4 ,but1 to my  
great surprise1 we had not yet been ten 
minutes in the  magnificent parlor of   
our host1 when ,i saw ,mr4 ,parent1 who 
like a  newborn butterfly1 flying from  
flower to flower1 was running from lady 
to lady1 joking1 laughing1 surpassing   
himself with his inimitable1  lovely and
 refined manners4 ,i said to myself1 how
 is it possible that he  has so quickly 

got rid of his unpalatable task with his
 dying penitent6  and ,i wanted an      
opportunity of being alone with him1 to 
satisfy my  curiosity on that point4    
,but it was pretty late in the evening1 
when ,i  had a chance to say to him2    
8,we all feared lest your dying patient 
might  deprive us of the pleasure of    
your company the greater part of the    
soiree60    8,oh6 ,oh60 answered he1    
with a hearty laugh1 8that intelligent  
woman had  the good common sense to die 
just two minutes before ,i entered her  
house4 ,i suppose that her guardian     
angel1 knowing all about this           
incomparable party1 had dispatched the  
good soul to heaven a little  sooner    
than she expected1 in my behalf40 ,i    
could not but smile at his  answer1     
which was given in a manner to make a   
stone laugh4 8,but10 said  ,i1 8what    
have you done with the #8,good ,god' you
 carried with you80    8,ah6 ah6 the    
,good ,god10 he replied in a jocose and 
subdued tone4 8,well1  well6 the #8,good

 ,god'8 ,he stands very still in my vest
 pocket4 ,and if he  enjoys this        
princely festivity as well as we all do1
 he will surely  thank me for having    
brought him here1 even en survenant4    
,but do not  say a word of his presence 
here2 it would spoil everything40       
,that priest1 who was only one year     
younger than myself1 was one of my      
dearest friends4 ,though his words      
rather smelt of the unbeliever and      
blasphemer1 ,i preferred to attribute   
them to the sweet champagne he had      
drunk than to a real want of faith4     
,but ,i must confess that1 though ,i had
 laughed very heartily at first1  his   
last utterance pained me so much that1  
from that moment to the end  of the     
soiree1 ,i felt uneasy and confounded4  
,my firm belief that my  ,saviour ,jesus
 ,christ was there in person1 kept a    
prisoner in my young  friend's vest     
pocket1 going to and fro from one young 
lady to the other1  witnessing the      
constant laughing1 hearing the idle     

words1 the light and  funny songs1 made 
my whole soul shudder1 and my heart sunk
 within me4 ,by  times ,i wished ,i     
could fall on my knees to adore my      
,saviour1 whom ,i  believed to be there4
 ,however1 a mysterious voice was       
whispering in my  ear3 8,are you not a  
fool to believe that you can make a ,god
 with a  wafer2 and that ,jesus ,christ 
your ,saviour and your ,god1 can be kept
 a  prisoner1 in spite of himself1 in   
the vest pocket of a man8 ,do you not   
see that your friend ,parent1 who has   
much more brains and intelligence  than 
you1 does not believe a word of that    
dogma of transubstantiation8  ,have you 
forgotten the unbeliever's smile which  
you saw on the lips of  the bishop      
himself only a few days ago8 ,was not   
that laugh the  infallible proof that he
 also does not believe a particle of    
that  ridiculous dogma80    ,with       
superhuman effort ,i tried1 and         
succeeded partly1 to stifle that  voice4
 ,but that struggle could not last long 

within my soul without  leaving its     
exterior marks on my face4 ,evidently a 
sad cloud was over my  eyes1 for several
 of my most respectable friends1 with   
,mr4 and ,mrs4  ,buteau1 kindly asked if
 ,i were sick4    ,at last ,i felt so   
confused at the repetition of the same  
suggestion by  so many1 that ,i felt    
that ,i was only making a fool of myself
 by  remaining any longer in their      
midst4 ,angry with myself for my want of
  moral strength in this hour of trial1 
,i respectfully asked pardon from  my   
kind host for leaving their party before
 the end1 on account of a  sudden       
indisposition4    ,the next day there   
was only one voice in ,quebec1 saying   
that young  ,parent had been the lion of
 that brilliant soiree1 and that the    
poor  young priest ,chiniquy had been   
its fool4                               
,,chapter ,,xxviii4    ,,dr4            
,,douglas--,,my ,,first ,,lesson ,,in   
,,temperance--,,study ,,of              
,,anatomy--,,working ,,of    ,,alcohol  

,,in ,,the ,,human ,,frame--,,the       
,,murderess ,,of ,,her ,,own ,,child--,i
 ,,forever    ,,give ,,up ,,the ,,use   
,,of ,,intoxicating ,,drinks4      ,god 
controls the greatest as well as the    
smallest of the events of this  world4  
,our business during the few days of our
 pilgrimage1 then1 is to  know ,his will
 and do it4 ,our happiness here1 as in  
heaven1 rests on this  foundation1 just 
as the success and failures of our lives
 come entirely  from the practical      
knowledge or ignorance of this simplest 
and sublimest  truth4 ,i dare say that  
there is not a single fact of my long   
and  eventful life which has not taught 
me that there is a special providence   
in our lives4 ,particularly was this    
apparent in the casting of the lots  by 
which ,i became the first chaplain of   
the ,quebec ,marine ,hospital4  ,after  
the other vicars had congratulated each 
other for having escaped  the heavy     
burden of work and responsibilities     
connected with that  chaplaincy1 they   

kindly gave me the assurance of their   
sympathies for  what they called my bad 
luck4 ,in thanking them for their kindly
  feelings1 ,i confessed that this      
occurrence appeared to me in a very     
different light4 ,i was sure that ,god  
had directed this for my good and  ,his 
own glory1 and ,i was right4 ,in the    
beginning of ,november1 #ahcd1 a  slight
 indisposition having kept me for a few 
days at home1 ,mr4  ,glackmayer1 the    
superintendent of the hospital1 came to 
tell me that  there was an unusually    
large number of sick1 left by the ,fall 
fleets1 in  danger of death1 who were   
day and night calling for me4 ,he added 
in a  secret way1 that there were       
several cases of small-pox of the worst 
type2 that several had already died and 
many were dying from the  terrible      
cholera morbus1 which was still raging  
among the sailors4    ,this sad news    
came to me as an order from heaven to   
run to the rescue of  my dear sick      
seamen4 ,i left my room1 despite my     

physician1 and went to  the hospital4   
,the first man ,i met was ,dr4 ,douglas1
 who was waiting for me at ,mr4 ,c4     
,glackmayer's room4 ,he confirmed what  
,i had known before of the number of    
sick1 and added that the prevailing     
diseases were of the most dangerous     
kind4    ,dr4 ,douglas1 who was one of  
the founders and governors of the       
hospital1  had the well-merited         
reputation of being one of the ablest   
surgeons of  ,quebec4 ,though a staunch 
,protestant by birth and profession1 he 
honored  me with his confidence and     
friendship from the first day we met4 ,i
 may  say ,i have never known a nobler  
heart1 a larger mind and a truer        
philanthropist4    ,after thanking him  
for the useful though sad intelligence  
he had given  me1 ,i requested ,mr4     
,glackmayer to give me a glass of       
brandy1 which ,i  immediately swallowed4
    8,what are you doing there80 said   
,dr4 ,douglas4    8,you see10 ,i        
answered2 8,i have drank a glass of     

excellent brandy40    8,but please tell 
me why you drank that brandy40          
8,because it is a good preservative     
against the pestilential atmosphere ,i  
will breathe all day10 ,i replied4 8,i  
will have to hear the confessions  of   
all those people dying from small-pox or
 cholera1 and breathe the  putrid air   
which is around their pillows4 ,does not
 common sense warn me  to take some     
precautions against the contagion80     
8,is it possible10 rejoined he1 8that a 
man for whom ,i have such a  sincere    
esteem is so ignorant of the deadly     
workings of alcohol in the  human frame8
 ,what you have just drank is nothing   
but poison2 and1 far  from protecting   
yourself against the danger1 you are now
 much more  exposed to it than before   
you drank that beverage40    8,you poor 
,protestants10 ,i answered1 in a jocose 
way1 8are a band of  fanatics1 with your
 extreme doctrines on temperance2 you   
will never  convert me to your views on 
that subject4 ,is it for the use of the 

dogs  that ,god has created wine and    
brandy8 ,no2 it is for the use of men   
who  drink them with moderation and     
intelligence40    8,my dear ,mr4        
,chiniquy1 you are joking2 but ,i am in 
earnest when ,i tell  you that you have 
poisoned yourself with that glass of    
brandy10 replied  ,dr ,douglas4    8,if 
good wine and brandy were poisons10 ,i  
answered1 8you would be long  ago the   
only physician in ,quebec1 for you are  
the only one of the  medical body whom  
,i know to be an abstainer4 ,but1 though
 ,i am much  pleased with your          
conversation1 excuse me if ,i leave you 
to visit my  dear sick sailors1 whose   
cries for spiritual help ring in my     
ears40    8,one word more10 said ,dr4   
,douglas1 8and ,i have done4 ,to-morrow 
morning  we will make the autopsy of a  
sailor who has just died suddenly here4 
,have you any objections to come and see
 with your eyes1 in the body of  that   
man1 what your glass of brandy has done 
in your own body80    8,no1 sir2 ,i have

 no objection to see that10 ,i replied4 
8,i have been  anxious for a long time  
to make a special study of anatomy4 ,it 
will be  my first lesson2 ,i cannot get 
it from a better master40    ,i then    
shook hands with him and went to my     
patients1 with whom ,i passed  the      
remainder of the day and the better part
 of the night4 ,fifty of them  wanted to
 make general confessions of all the    
sins of their whole lives2  and ,i had  
to give the last sacraments to          
twenty-five who were dying from         
small-pox or cholera morbus4 ,the next  
morning ,i was1 at the appointed  hour1 
by the corpse of the dead man1 when ,dr4
 ,douglas kindly gave me a  very        
powerful microscope1 that ,i might more 
thoroughly follow the  ravages of       
alcohol in every part of the human body4
    8,i have not the least doubt10 said 
he1 8that this man has been instantly   
killed by a glass of rum1 which he drank
 one hour before he fell dead4  ,that   
rum has caused the rupture of the aorta0

 7the big vein which  carries the blood 
from the heart74    ,while talking thus1
 the knife was doing its work so        
quickly1 that the  horrible spectacle of
 the broken artery was before our eyes  
almost as  the last word fell from his  
lips4    8,look here10 said the doctor1 
8all along the artery1 and you will see 
thousands1 perhaps millions of reddish  
spots1 which are as many holes          
perforated through it by alcohol4 ,just 
as the musk rats of the  ,mississippi   
river1 almost every spring1 dig little  
holes through the  dams which keeps the 
powerful river within its natural       
limits1 and cause  the waters to break  
through the little holes1 and thus carry
 desolation  and death along its shores1
 so alcohol every day causes the sudden 
death  of thousands of victims1 by      
perforating the veins and opening small 
issues through which the blood rushes   
out of its natural limits4 ,it is  not  
only this big vein which alcohol        
perforates2 it does the same deadly     

work in the veins of the lungs and the  
whole body4 ,look at the lungs  with    
attention1 and count1 if you can1 the   
thousands and thousands of  reddish1    
dark and yellow spots1 and little ulcers
 with which they are  covered4 ,every   
one of them is the work of alcohol1     
which has torn and  cut the veins and   
caused the blood to go out of its       
canals1 to carry  corruption and death  
all over these marvelous organs4        
,alcohol is one of  the most dangerous  
poisons--,i dare say it is the most     
dangerous4 ,it has  killed more men than
 all the other poisons together4        
,alcohol cannot be  changed or          
assimilated to any part or tissue of our
 body1 it cannot go  to any part of the 
human frame without bringing disorder   
and death to  it4 ,for it cannot in any 
possible way unite with any part of our 
body4  ,the water we drink1 the         
wholesome food and bread we eat1 by the 
laws and  will of ,god are transformed  
into the different parts of the body1 to

  which they are sent through the       
millions of small canals which take them
  from the stomach to every part of our 
frame4 ,when the water has been  drunk1 
or the bread we have eaten is1 for      
instance1 sent to the lungs1  to the    
brain1 the nerves1 the muscles1 the     
bones--wherever it goes it  receives1 if
 ,i can so speak1 letters of            
citizenship2 it is allowed to  remain   
there in peace and to work for the      
public good4 ,but it is not so  with    
alcohol4 ,the very moment it enters the 
stomach it more or less  brings         
disorder1 ruin and death1 according to  
the quantity taken4 ,the  stomach       
refuses to take it1 and makes a supreme 
effort to violently  throw it out1      
either through the mouth1 or by         
indignantly pushing it to  the brain or 
into the numberless tubes by which it   
discharges its  contents to the surface 
through all the tissues4 ,but will      
alcohol be  welcome in any of these     
tubes and marvellous canals1 or in any  

part or  tissue of the body it will     
visit on its passage to the surface8    
,no6 ,look  here with your microscope1  
and you will see with your own eyes that
  everywhere alcohol has gone into the  
body there has been a hand-to-hand      
struggle and a bloody battle fought to  
get rid of it4 ,yes6 every place  where 
,king ,alcohol has put his foot has been
 turned into a battlefield1  spread with
 ruin and death1 in order to            
ignominiously turn it out4 ,by a  most  
extraordinary working of nature1 or     
rather by the order of ,god1  every vein
 and artery through which alcohol has to
 pass suddenly  contracts1 as if to     
prevent its passage or choke it as a    
deadly foe4  ,every vein and artery has 
evidently heard the voice of ,god3      
#8,wine is a  mocker3 it bites like a   
serpent and stings like an adder6'      
,every nerve  and muscle which alcohol  
touched trembled and shook as if in the 
presence of an implacable and           
unconquerable enemy4 ,yes1 at the       

presence  of alcohol every nerve and    
muscle loses its strength1 just as the  
bravest man1 in the presence of a       
horrible monster or demon1 suddenly     
loses his natural strength1 and shakes  
from head to foot40    ,i cannot repeat 
all ,i heard that day from the lips of  
,dr4 ,douglas1 and  what ,i saw with my 
own eyes of the horrible workings of    
alcohol through  every part of the body4
 ,it would be too long4 ,suffice to say 
that ,i was  struck with horror at my   
own folly1 and at the folly of so many  
people  who make use of intoxicating    
drinks4    ,what ,i learned that day was
 like the opening of a mysterious door1 
which  allowed me to see the untold     
marvels of a new and most magnificent   
world4 ,but though ,i was               
terror-stricken with the ravages of     
strong drink  in that dead man1 ,i was  
not yet convinced of the necessity of   
being a  total abstainer from wine and  
beer1 and a little brandy now and then1 
as  a social habit4 ,i did not like to  

expose myself to ridicule by the        
sacrifice of habits which seemed then1  
more than now1 to be among the  sweetest
 and most common links of society4 ,but 
,i determined to lose no  opportunity of
 continuing the study of the working of 
alcohol in the  human body4 ,at the same
 time ,i resolved to avail myself of    
every  opportunity of making a complete 
study of anatomy under the kind and     
learned ,dr4 ,douglas4    ,it is from   
the lips and works of ,dr4 ,douglas that
 ,i learned the  following startling    
facts3    #ast4 ,the heart of man1 which
 is only six inches long by four inches 
wide1 beats seventy times in a minute1  
#d1bjj in one hour1 #ajj1cjj in a  day1 
#cf1gib1jjj in a year4 ,it ejects two   
ounces and a half of blood out  of      
itself every time it beats1 which makes 
#age ounces every minute1 #fef  pounds  
every hour1 seven tons and              
three-quarters of blood which goes out  
of the heart every day6 ,the whole blood
 of a man runs through his heart  in    

three minutes4    #b;d4 ,the skin is    
composed of three parts placed over each
 other1 whose  thickness varies from a  
quarter to an eighth of a line4 ,each   
square inch  contains #c1ejj pores1     
through which the sweat goes out4 ,every
 one of  them is a pipe a quarter of an 
inch long4 ,all those small pipes united
  together would form a canal #bja1aff  
feet long--equal to forty miles1 or     
nearly thirteen leagues6    #crd4 ,the  
weight of the blood in a common man is  
between thirty and forty  pounds4 ,the  
blood runs through the body in #ajj     
seconds1 or one minute  and forty-one   
seconds4 ,eleven thousand 7#aa1jjj7     
pints of blood pass  through the lungs  
in twenty-four hours4    #dth4 ,there   
are #bdf bones in the human body2 #fc of
 them are in the head1  #bd in the      
sides1 #af in the wrist1 #ad in the     
joints1 and #ajh in the hands  and feet4
    ,the heart of a man who drinks      
nothing but pure water beats about      
#ajj1cjj  a day1 but will beat from     

#be1jjj to #cj1jjj times more if he     
drinks  alcoholic drinks4 ,those who    
have not learned anatomy know little of 
the  infinite power1 wisdom1 love and   
mercy of ,god4 ,no book except the      
,bible1  and no science except the      
science of astronomy1 is like the body  
of man1  to tell us what our ,god is1   
and what we are4 ,the body of man is a  
book  written by the hand of ,god1 to   
speak to us of ,him as no man can speak4
  ,after studying the marvellous working
 of the heart1 the lungs1 the eyes  and 
the brain of man1 ,i could not speak2 ,i
 remained mute1 unable to say  a single 
word to tell my admiration and awe4 ,i  
wept1 as overwhelmed with  my feelings4 
,i should have liked to speak of those  
things to the priests  with whom ,i     
lived1 but ,i saw at first they could   
not understand me2 they  thought ,i was 
exaggerating4 ,how many times1 when     
alone with ,god in my  little closet1   
when thinking of those marvels1 ,i fell 
on my knees1 and  said3 8,thou art      

great1 ,o my ,god6 ,the works of thy    
hands are above the  works of man6 ,but 
the works of thy love and mercy are     
above all thy  other works60    ,during 
the four years ,i was chaplain of the   
,marine ,hospital1 more than  one       
hundred corpses were opened before me1  
and almost as many outside  the         
hospital4 ,for when1 by the order of the
 jury and the coroner1 an  autopsy was  
to be made1 ,i seldom failed to attend4 
,in that way1 ,i have  had a            
providential opportunity of acquiring   
the knowledge of one of the  most useful
 and admirable sciences1 as no priest or
 minister probably  ever had on this    
continent4 ,it is my conviction that the
 first thing a  temperance orator ought 
to do is to study anatomy2 get the      
bodies of  drunkards1 as well as those  
of so-called temperate drinkers1 opened 
before him1 and study there the workings
 of alcohol in the different  organs of 
man4 ,so long as the orators on         
temperance will not do that1  they      

cannot understand the subject on which  
they speak4 ,though ,i have  read the   
best books written by the most learned  
physicians of ,england1  ,france and the
 ,united ,states1 on the ravages of rum1
 wine and beer1 of  every kind and name1
 in the body of men1 ,i have never read 
anything  which enlightened me so much1 
and brought such profound convictions to
  my intelligence1 as the study ,i have 
made of the brain1 the lungs1 the       
heart1 veins1 arteries1 nerves and      
muscles of a single man or woman4       
,these bodies1 opened before me1 were   
books written by the hand of ,god       
himself1 and they spoke to me as no man 
could speak4 ,by the mercy of  ,god1 to 
that study is due the irresistible power
 of my humble efforts in  persuading my 
countrymen to give up the use of        
intoxicating drinks4 ,but  here is the  
time to tell how my merciful ,god forced
 me1 ,his unprofitable  and rebellious  
servant1 almost in spite of myself1 to  
give up the use of  intoxicating drinks4

    ,among my penitents there was a     
young lady belonging to one of the most 
respectable families in ,quebec4 ,she   
had a child1 a girl1 almost a year  old1
 who was a real beauty4 ,nothing this   
side of heaven could surpass  the charms
 of that earthly angel4 ,of course that 
young mother idolized  her2 she could   
hardly consent to be without her sweet  
angel1 even to go  to church4 ,she      
carried her everywhere1 to kiss her at  
every moment and  press her to her      
heart4 ,unfortunately that lady1 as it  
was then1 and is  still now too often   
the case1 even among the most refined1  
had learned  in her father's house1 and 
by the example of her own mother1 to    
drink  wine at table1 and when receiving
 the visits of her friends or when      
visiting them herself4 ,little by little
 she began to drink1 when alone1  a few 
drops of wine1 at first by the advice of
 her physician1 but soon  only to       
satisfy the craving appetite1 which grew
 stronger day by day4 ,i  was the only  

one1 excepting her husband1 who knew    
this fact4 ,he was my  intimate friend1 
and several times1 with tears trickling 
down his  cheeks1 he had requested me1  
in the name of ,god1 to persuade her to 
abstain from drinking4 ,that young man  
was so happy with his accomplished  wife
 and his incomparably beautiful child6  
,he was rich1 had a high  position in   
the world1 numberless friends1 and a    
palace for his home6  ,every time ,i had
 spoken to that young lady1 either when 
alone or in the  presence of her        
husband1 she had shed tears of regret2  
she had promised  to reform1 and take   
only the few glasses prescribed by her  
doctor4 ,but1  alas6 that fatal         
prescription of the doctor was like the 
oil poured on  the burning coals2 it was
 kindling a fire that nothing could     
quench4 ,one  day1 which ,i will never  
forget1 a messenger came in haste and   
said3 8,mr4  ,a4 wants you to come to   
his home immediately4 ,a terrible       
misfortune has  just happened--his      

beautiful child has just been killed4   
,his wife is half  crazy2 he fears lest 
she will kill herself40    ,i leaped    
into the elegant carriage1 drawn by two 
fine horses1 and in a  few minutes ,i   
was in the presence of the most         
distressing spectacle ,i  ever saw4 ,the
 young lady1 tearing her robes into     
fragments1 tearing her  hair with her   
hands and cutting her face with the     
nails of her fingers1  was crying1 8,oh6
 for ,god's sake1 give me a knife that  
,i may cut my  throat8 ,i have killed my
 child6 ,my darling is dead6 ,i am the  
murderess  of my own dear ,lucy6 ,my    
hands are reddened with her blood4 ,oh6 
may ,i die  with her60    ,i was        
thunderstruck1 and at first remained    
mute and motionless4 ,the  young        
husband1 with two other gentlemen1 ,dr4 
,blanchet and ,coroner ,panet1  were    
trying to hold the hands of his         
unfortunate wife4 ,he did not dare  to  
speak4 ,at last the young wife1 casting 
her eyes upon me1 said3 8,oh1  dear     

,father ,chiniquy1 for ,god's sake give 
me a knife that ,i may cut my  throat6  
,when drunk1 ,i took my precious darling
 in my arms to kiss her2  but ,i        
fell--her head struck the sharp corner  
of the stove4 ,her brain and  blood are 
there spread on the floor6 ,my child6 my
 own child is dead6 ,i  have killed her6
 ,cursed liquor6 ,cursed wine6 ,my child
 is dead6 ,i am  damned6 ,cursed drink60
    ,i could not speak1 but ,i could    
weep and cry4 ,i wept1 and mingled my   
tears with those of that unfortunate    
mother4 ,then1 with an expression of    
desolation which pierced my soul as with
 a sword1 she said3 8,go and  see40 ,i  
went to the next room1 and there ,i saw 
that once beautiful  child1 dead1 her   
face covered with her blood and brains6 
,there was a  large gap made in the     
right temple4 ,the drunken mother1 by   
falling with  her child in her arms1 had
 caused the head to strike with such a  
terrible force on the stove that it     
upset on the floor4 ,the burning  coals 

were spread on every side1 and the house
 had been very nearly on  fire4 ,but    
that very blow1 with the awful death of 
her child1 had  suddenly brought her to 
her senses1 and put an end to her       
intoxication4  ,at a glance she saw the 
whole extent of her misfortune4 ,her    
first  thought had been to run to the   
sideboard1 seize a large1 sharp knife1  
and cut her own throat4 ,providentially1
 her husband was on the spot4  ,with    
great difficulty1 and after a terrible  
struggle1 he took the knife  out of her 
hands and threw it into the street      
through the window4 ,it was  then about 
five o'clock in the afternoon4 ,after an
 hour passed in  indescribable agony of 
mind and heart1 ,i attempted to leave   
and go back  to the parsonage4 ,but my  
unfortunate young friend requested me1  
in the  name of ,god1 to spend the night
 with him4 8,you are the only one10 he  
said1 8who can help us in this awful    
night4 ,my misfortune is great  enough1 
without destroying our good name by     

spreading it in public4 ,i  want to keep
 it as secret as possible4 ,with our    
physician and coroner1  you are the only
 man on earth whom ,i trust to help me4 
,please pass the  night with us40    ,i 
remained1 but tried in vain to calm the 
unfortunate mother4 ,she was  constantly
 breaking our hearts with her           
lamentations--her convulsive  efforts to
 take her own life4 ,every minute she   
was crying1 8,my child6 my  darling     
,lucy6 ,just when thy little arms were  
so gently caressing me1 and  thy angelic
 kisses were so sweet on my lips1 ,i    
have slaughtered thee6  ,when thou wert 
pressing me on thy loving heart and     
kissing me1 ,i1 thy  drunken mother1    
gave thee the death blow6 ,my hands are 
reddened with thy  blood6 ,my breast is 
covered with thy brains6 ,oh6 for ,god's
 sake1 my dear  husband1 take my life4  
,i cannot consent to live a day longer6 
,my dear  ,father ,chiniquy1 give me a  
knife1 that ,i may mingle my blood with 
the  blood of my child6 ,o that ,i could

 be buried in the same grave with her60 
,in vain ,i tried to speak to her of the
 mercies of ,god towards sinners2  she  
would not listen to anything ,i could   
say2 she was absolutely deaf to  my     
voice4 ,at about ten o'clock1 she had a 
most terrible fit of anguish  and       
terror4 ,though we were four men to keep
 her quiet1 she was stronger  than we   
all4 ,she was stronger than a giant4    
,she slipped from our hands  and ran to 
the room where the dead child was lying 
in her cradle4  ,grasping the cold body 
in her hands1 she tore the bands of     
white linen  which had been put round   
the head to cover the horrible wound1   
and with  cries of desolation she       
pressed her lips1 her cheeks1 her very  
eyes1 on  the horrible gap from which   
the brain and blood were oozing1 as if  
wanting to heal it and recall the poor  
dear one to life4    8,my darling1 my   
beloved1 my own dear ,lucy10 she cried1 
8open thy  eyes--look again at thy      
mother6 ,give me a kiss6 ,press me again

 to thy  bosom6 ,but thine eyes are     
shut6 ,thy lips are cold6 ,thou dost not
 smile  on me any longer6 ,thou art     
dead1 and ,i1 thy mother1 have          
slaughtered  thee6 ,canst thou forgive  
me thy death8 ,canst thou ask ,jesus    
,christ1 our  ,saviour1 to forgive me8  
,canst thou ask the blessed ,virgin     
,mary to pray  for me8 ,will ,i never   
see thee again8 ,ah1 no6 ,i am lost--,i 
am damned6 ,i am  a drunken mother who  
has murdered her own darling ,lucy6     
,there is no  mercy for the drunken     
mother1 the murderess of her own child40
    ,and when speaking thus to her      
child1 she was sometimes kneeling down1 
then running around the room as if      
flying before a phantom4    ,but even   
then1 she was constantly pressing the   
motionless body to her  bosom1 or       
convulsively passing her lips and cheeks
 over the horrible  wound1 so that her  
lips1 her whole face1 her breast and    
hands1 were  literally besmeared with   
the blood flowing from the wound4 ,i    

will not  say that we were all weeping  
and crying1 for the words 8weeping and  
crying0 cannot express the              
desolation--the horror we felt4 ,at     
about  eleven o'clock1 when on her      
knees1 clasping her child to her bosom1 
she  lifted her eyes towards me1 and    
said3    8,dear ,father ,chiniquy1 why  
is it that ,i have not followed your    
charitable advice when1 still more with 
your tears than with words1 you  tried  
so often to persuade me to give up the  
use of those cursed  intoxicating wines8
 ,how many times you have given me the  
very words  which come from heaven3     
#8,wine is a mocker2 it bites as a      
serpent1 and  stings as an adder6' ,how 
many times1 in the name of my dear      
child1 in  the name of my dear husband1 
in the name of ,god1 you have asked me  
to  give up the use of those cursed     
drinks6 ,but listen now to my prayer4   
,go  all over ,canada2 tell all the     
fathers never to put any intoxicating   
drink before the eyes of their children4

 ,it was at my father's table  that ,i  
first learned to drink that wine which  
,i will curse during all  eternity6     
,tell all the mothers never to taste    
these abominable drinks4  ,it was my    
mother who first taught me to drink that
 wine which ,i will  curse as long as   
,god is6    8,take the blood of my      
child1 and go redden with it the top of 
the doors  of every house in ,canada1   
and say to all those who dwell in those 
houses  that that blood was shed by the 
hand of a murderess mother when drunk4  
,with that blood write on the walls of  
every house in ,canada that #8wine  is a
 mocker4' ,tell the ,french ,canadians  
how1 on the dead body of my  child1 ,i  
have cursed that wine which has made me 
so wretchedly miserable  and guilty40   
,she then stopped1 as if to breathe a   
little for a few minutes4 ,she  added3  
8,in the name of ,god1 tell me1 can my  
child forgive me her death8 ,can she    
ask ,god to look upon me with mercy8    
,can she cause the blessed ,virgin      

,mary to pray for me and obtain my      
pardon80    ,but before ,i could answer1
 she horrified us by the cries1 8,i am  
lost6  ,when drunk ,i killed my child6  
,cursed wine60    ,and she fell a corpse
 on the floor4 ,torrents of blood were  
flowing from  her mouth on her dead     
child1 which she was pressing to her    
bosom even  after her death6    ,that   
terrible drama was never revealed to the
 people of ,quebec4 ,the  coroner's     
inquest was that the child's death was  
accidental1 and that  the distressed    
mother died from a broken heart six     
hours after4    ,two days later the     
unfortunate mother was buried1 with the 
body of her  child clasped in her arms4 
,many tears were shed on that tomb1 and 
this  dear little child's guardian angel
 must have written with its blood on    
that tomb3 8,wine is a mocker2 look not 
at it4 ,it biteth like a serpent1  and  
stings like an adder40 ,however1 what ,i
 had just seen and heard could  not be  
buried and forgotten in the grave4      

,after such a terrible storm1 ,i was in 
need of solitude and rest1 but  above   
everything ,i was in need of praying4 ,i
 shut myself in my little  room for two 
days1 and there1 alone1 in the presence 
of ,god1 ,i meditated  on the terrible  
justice and retribution which ,he had   
called me to  witness4 ,the unfortunate 
woman had not only been my penitent3 she
 had  been1 with her husband1 among my  
dearest and most devoted friends4 ,it   
was only lately that she had become a   
slave to drunkenness4 ,before that1  her
 piety and sense of honor were of the   
most exalted kind known in the  ,church 
of ,rome4 ,her last words were not the  
commonplace expressions  which ordinary 
sinners proffer at the approach of      
death2 her words had a  solemnity for me
 which almost transformed them into     
oracles of ,god in my  mind4 ,each of   
them sounded in my ears as if an angel  
of ,god had touched  the thousand       
strings of my soul1 to call my attention
 to a message from  heaven4 ,sometimes  

they resembled the terrible voice of    
thunder2 and  again it seemed as if a   
seraph1 with his golden harp1 were      
singing them  in my ears1 that ,i might 
prepare to fight faithfully for the     
,lord  against ,his gigantic enemy1     
alcohol4    ,in the middle of that      
horrible night1 when the darkness was   
most  profound and the stillness        
fearful1 was ,i awake1 was ,i sleeping8 
,i do  not know4 ,but ,i saw the calm1  
beautiful and cherished form of my dear 
mother standing by me1 holding by the   
hand the late murderess1 still  covered 
with the blood of her child4 ,yes6 my   
beloved mother was there  standing      
before me2 and she said1 with power and 
authority which  engraved every one of  
her words on my soul1 as if written with
 letters  of tears1 blood and fire3 8,go
 all over ,canada2 tell every father of 
a  family never to put any intoxicating 
drink before his children4 ,tell all    
the mothers never to take a drop of     
those cursed wines and drinks4 ,tell    

the whole people of ,canada never to    
touch nor look at the poisoned cup1     
filled with those cursed intoxicating   
drinks4 ,and thou1 my beloved son1  give
 up forever the use of those detestable 
beverages1 which are cursed  in hell1 in
 heaven and on earth4 ,it bites like a  
serpent2 it stings like  an adder40     
,when the sound of that voice1 so sweet 
and powerful1 was hushed1 and my  soul  
had ceased seeing that strange vision of
 the night1 ,i remained for  some time  
exceedingly agitated and troubled4 ,i   
said to myself1 8,is it  possible that  
the terrible things ,i have seen and    
heard these last few  days will destroy 
my mind1 and send me to the lunatic     
asylum80    ,i had hardly been able to  
take any sleep or food for the last     
three days  and nights1 and ,i seriously
 feared lest the weakness of my body    
would  cause me to lose my reason4 ,i   
then threw myself on my knees to weep   
and  pray4 ,this did me good4 ,i soon   
felt myself stronger and calmer4        

,raising again my mind to ,god1 ,i said3
 8,o my ,god1 let me know thy holy      
will1 and grant me the grace to do it4  
,do the voices ,i have just heard  come 
from thee8 ,hast thou really sent one of
 the angels of thy mercy1  under the    
form of my beloved mother8 or is all    
this nothing but the vain  dreams of my 
distressed mind8    8,is it thy will1 ,o
 my ,god1 that ,i should go and tell my 
country what  thou hast so              
providentially taught me of the horrible
 and unsuspected  injuries which wine   
and strong drink cause to the bodies as 
well as to  the souls of men8 ,or is it 
thy will that ,i should conceal from the
 eyes  of the world the wonderful things
 thou hast made known to me1 and that ,i
  might bury them with me in my grave80 
,as quick as lightning the answer was   
suggested to me4 8,what ,i have  taught 
thee in secret1 go and tell it on the   
housetops60 ,overwhelmed  with an       
unspeakable emotion1 and my heart filled
 with a power which was  not mine1 ,i   

raised my hands toward heaven1 and said 
to my ,god3    8,for my dear ,saviour   
,jesus' sake1 and for the good of my    
country1 ,o my  ,god1 ,i promise that ,i
 will never make any use of intoxicating
 drinks2 ,i  will1 moreover1 do all in  
my power to persuade the other priests  
and the  people to make the same        
sacrifice60    ,fifty years have passed 
since ,i took that pledge1 and1 thanks  
be to ,god1  ,i have kept it4    ,for   
the next two years1 ,i was the only     
priest in ,canada who abstained  from   
the use of wine and other intoxicating  
drinks2 and ,god only knows  what ,i had
 to suffer all that time--what sneers1  
and rebukes and insults1  of every kind1
 ,i had silently to bear6 ,how many     
times the epithets of  fanatic1         
hypocrite1 reformer1 half-heretic1 have 
been whispered  into my ear1 not only by
 the priests1 but also by the bishops4  
,but ,i was sure that my ,god knew the  
motives of my actions1 and1 by ,his     
grace1 ,i remained calm and patient4 ,in

 ,his infinite mercy1 ,he has  looked   
down upon ,his unprofitable servant and 
has taken his part4 ,he had  himself    
chosen the day when my humiliations were
 to be turned into great  joy4 ,the day 
came when ,i saw those same priests and 
bishops1 at the head  of their people1  
receiving the pledge and blessing of    
temperance from my  hands4 ,those very  
bishops who had unanimously1 at first1  
condemned me1  soon invited the first   
citizens of their cities to present me  
with a  golden medal1 as a token of     
their esteem1 after giving me1          
officially1  the title of 8,apostle of  
,temperance of ,canada40 ,the ,governor 
and the two  ,chambers of ,parliament of
 ,canada voted me public thanks in      
#ahea1 and  presented me #ejj as a      
public testimony of their kind feelings 
for what  had been done in the cause of 
temperance4 ,it was the will of my ,god1
  that ,i should see1 with my own eyes1 
my dear ,canada taking the pledge of    
temperance and giving up the use of     

intoxicating drinks4 ,how many tears    
were dried in those days6 ,thousands and
 thousands of broken hearts were        
consoled and filled with joy4 ,happiness
 and abundance reigned in many  once    
desolate homes1 and the name of our     
merciful ,god was blessed  everywhere in
 my beloved country4 ,surely this was   
not the work of poor  ,chiniquy6    ,it 
was the ,lord's work1 for the ,lord1 who
 is wonderful in all ,his  doings1 had  
once more chosen the weakest instrument 
to show ,his mercy  towards the children
 of men4 ,he had called the most        
unprofitable of ,his  servants to do the
 greatest work of reform1 ,canada has   
ever seen1 that  the praise and glory   
might be given to ,him1 and ,him alone6 
,,chapter ,,xxix4    ,,conversions ,,of 
,,protestants ,,to ,,the ,,church ,,of  
,,rome--,,rev4 ,,anthony ,,parent1      
,,superior ,,of ,,the ,,seminary ,,of   
,,quebec3 ,,his ,,peculiar ,,way ,,of   
,,finding ,,access    ,,to ,,the        
,,protestants ,,and ,,bringing ,,them   

,,to ,,the ,,catholic ,,church--,,how   
,,he    ,,spies ,,the ,,protestants     
,,through ,,the ,,confessional--,i      
,,persuade ,,ninety-,,three             
,,families ,,to ,,become ,,catholics4   
8,out of the ,church of ,rome there is  
no salvation10 is one of the  doctrines 
which the priests of ,rome have to      
believe and teach to the  people4 ,that 
dogma1 once accepted1 caused me to      
devote all my energies  to the          
conversion of ,protestants4 ,to prevent 
one of those immortal and  precious     
souls from going into hell seemed to me 
more important and  glorious that the   
conquest of a kingdom4 ,in view of      
showing them their  errors1 ,i filled my
 library with the best controversial    
books which  could be got in ,quebec1   
and ,i studied the ,holy ,scriptures    
with the  utmost attention4 ,in the     
,marine ,hospital1 as well as in my     
intercourse  with the people of the     
city1 ,i had several occasions of       
meeting  ,protestants and talking to    

them2 but ,i found at once that1 with   
very few  exceptions1 they avoided      
speaking with me on religion4 ,this     
distressed  me4 ,having been told one   
day that the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,anthony        
,parent1 superior  of the ,seminary of  
,quebec1 had converted several hundred  
,protestants  during his ministry1 ,i   
went to ask him if this were true4 ,for 
answer1 he  showed me the list of his   
converts1 which numbered more than two  
hundred1 among whom were some of the    
most respectable ,english and ,scotch   
families of the city4 ,i looked upon    
that list with amazement2 and from  that
 day ,i considered him the most blessed 
priest of ,canada4 ,he was a  perfect   
gentleman in his manners1 and was       
considered our best champion  on all    
points of controversy with ,protestants4
 ,he could have been  classed1 also1    
among the handsomest men in his time1   
had not he been so  fat4 ,but1 when the 
high classes called him by the          
respectable name of  8,mr4 ,superior of 

the ,seminary10 the common people used  
to name him ,pere  ,cocassier           
78,cock-fighting ,father071 on account  
of his long-cherished  habit of having  
the bravest and strongest fighting-cocks
 of the country4  ,in vain had the ,rev4
 ,mr4 ,renvoyze1 curate of the 8,good   
,st4 ,anne10 that  greatest             
miracle-working saint of ,canada1       
expended fabulous sums of  money in     
ransacking the whole country to get a   
cock who would take away  the palm of   
victory from the hands of the superior  
of the ,seminary of  ,quebec4 ,he had   
almost invariably failed2 with very few 
exceptions his  cocks had fallen        
bruised1 bleeding and dead on the many  
battlefields  chosen by those two       
priests4 ,however1 ,i feel happy in     
acknowledging  that1 since the terrible 
epidemic of cholera1 that cruel and     
ignominious  8passe temps0 has been     
entirely given up by the ,roman         
,catholic clergy  of this country4      
,playing cards and checkers is now the  

most usual way  the majority of curates 
and vicars have recourse to spend their 
long and  many idle hours1 both of the  
week and ,sabbath days4    ,after       
reading over and over again that long   
list of converts1 ,i said to  ,mr4      
,parent3 8,please tell me how you have  
been able to persuade these  ,protestant
 converts to consent to speak with you  
on the errors of their  religion4 ,many 
times ,i have tried to show the         
,protestants whom ,i met1  that they    
would be lost if they do not submit to  
our holy ,church1 but1  with few        
exceptions1 they laughed at me as       
politely as possible1 and  turned the   
conversation to other matters4 ,you must
 have some secret way  of attracting    
their attention and winning their       
confidence4 ,would you  not be kind     
enough to give me that secret1 that ,i  
may be able also to  prevent some of    
those precious souls from perishing80   
8,you are right when you think that ,i  
have a secret to open the doors of  the 

,protestants1 and conquer and tame their
 haughty minds10 answered ,mr4  ,parent4
 8,but that secret is of such a delicate
 nature1 that ,i have never  revealed it
 to anybody except my confessor4        
,nevertheless1 ,i see that you  are so  
in earnest for the conversion of        
,protestants1 and ,i have such a        
confidence in your discretion and honor1
 that for the sake of our holy  ,church 
,i consent to give you my secret2 only  
you must promise that you  will never   
reveal it1 during my lifetime1 to       
anybody--and even after my  death you   
will not mention it1 except when you are
 sure it is for the  greatest glory of  
,god4 ,you know that ,i was the most    
intimate friend your  father ever had2  
,i had no secret from him1 and he had   
none from me4 ,but  ,god knows that the 
friendly feelings and confidence ,i had 
in him are now  bestowed upon you1 his  
worthy son4 ,if you had not in my heart 
and esteem  the same high position your 
father occupied1 ,i would not trust you 

with  my secret40    ,he then continued3
 8,the majority of ,protestants in      
,quebec have ,irish  ,roman ,catholic   
servant girls2 these1 particularly      
before the last few  years1 used to come
 to confess to me1 as ,i was almost the 
only priest  who spoke ,english4 ,the   
first thing ,i used to ask them1 when   
they were  confessing1 was1 if their    
masters and mistresses were truly       
devoted and  pious ,protestants1 or if  
they were indifferent and cold in       
performing  their duties4 ,the second   
thing ,i wanted to know was1 if they    
were on  good terms with their          
ministers2 whether or not they were     
visited by  them4 ,from the answers of  
the girls1 ,i knew both the moral and   
immoral1  the religious or irreligious  
habits of their masters as perfectly as 
if  ,i had been an inmate of their      
households4 ,it is thus that ,i learned 
that  many ,protestants have no more    
religion and faith than our dogs4 ,they 
awake in the morning1 and go to bed at  

night1 without praying to ,god any  more
 than the horses in their stables4 ,many
 of them go to church on the  ,sabbath  
day1 more to laugh at their ministers   
and criticise their  sermons than for   
anything else4 ,a part of the week is   
passed in turning  them into ridicule2  
nay1 through the confessions of these   
honest girls1  ,i learned that many     
,protestants liked the fine ceremonies  
of our ,church2  that they often        
favorably contrasted them with the cold 
performances of  their own1 and         
expressed their views in glowing terms  
about the  superiority of our           
educational institutions1 nunneries1    
etc41 over their  own high schools or   
colleges4 ,besides1 you know that a     
great number of  our most respectable   
and wealthy ,protestants trust their    
daughters to  our good nuns for their   
education4 ,i took notes of all these   
things1 and  formed my plans of battle  
against ,protestantism1 as a general who
 knows  his ground and the weak points  

of his adversaries1 and ,i fought as a  
man  who is sure of an easy victory4    
,the glorious result you have under your
  eyes is the proof that ,i was correct 
in my plans4 ,my first step with the    
,protestants whom ,i knew to be without 
any religion1 or even already well      
disposed toward us1 was to go to them   
with sometimes #e1 or even #be1  which  
,i presented to them as being theirs4   
,they1 at first1 looked at me  with     
amazement1 as a being coming from a     
superior world4 ,the following          
conversation then almost invariably took
 place between them and me3    8,are you
 positive1 sir1 that this money is      
mine80    8,yes1 sir10 ,i answered4 8,i 
am certain that this money is yours40   
8,but10 they replied1 8please tell me   
how you know that it belongs to me8  ,it
 is the first time ,i have the honor of 
talking with you1 and we are  perfect   
strangers to each other40    ,i         
answered3 8,i cannot say1 sir1 how ,i   
know that this money is yours1  except  

by telling you that the person who      
deposited it in my hands for  you has   
given me your name and your address so  
correctly that there is  no possibility 
of any mistake40    8,but can ,i not    
know the name of the one who has put    
that money into your  hands for me80    
rejoined the ,protestant4    8,no1 sir2 
the secret of confession is inviolable10
 ,i replied4 8,we have  no example that 
it has ever been broken2 and ,i1 with   
every priest of our  ,church1 would     
prefer to die1 rather than betray our   
penitents and reveal  their confession4 
,we cannot even act from what we have   
learned through  their confession1      
except at their own request40    8,but  
this auricular confession must then be a
 most admirable thing10  added the      
,protestant2 8,i had no idea of it      
before this day40    8,yes1 sir1        
auricular confession is a most admirable
 thing10 ,i used to  reply1 8because it 
is a divine institution4 ,but1 sir1     
please excuse me2  my ministry calls me 

to another place4 ,i must take leave of 
you1 to go  where my duty calls me40    
8,i am very sorry that you go so        
quickly10 generally answered the        
,protestant4 8,can ,i have another visit
 from you8 ,please do me the honor  of  
coming again4 ,i would be so happy to   
present you to my wife2 and ,i  know she
 would be happy also1 and much honored  
to make your  acquaintance40    8,yes1  
sir1 ,i accept with gratitude your      
invitation4 ,i will feel much  pleased  
and honored to make the acquaintance of 
the family of a  gentleman whose praises
 are in the mouth of every one1 and     
whose  industry and honesty are an honor
 to our city4 ,if you will allow me1    
next week1 at the same hour1 ,i will    
have the honor of presenting my         
respectful homage to your lady4    8,the
 very next day1 all the papers reported 
that ,mr4 ,so-and-,so had  received #e1 
or #aj1 or even #be1 as a restitution   
through auricular  confession3 and even 
the staunch ,protestant editors of those

 papers  could not find words           
sufficiently eloquent to praise me and  
our  sacrament of penance4    8,three or
 four days later1 ,i was sure that the  
faithful servant girls  were in the     
confessional-box1 glowing with joy to   
tell me that now their  masters and     
mistresses could not speak of anything  
else than the  amiability and honesty of
 the priests of ,rome4 ,they raised them
 a  thousand miles over the heads of    
their own ministers4 ,from those pious  
girls1 ,i invariably learned that that  
they had not been visited by a  single  
friend without making the eulogium of   
auricular confession1 and  even         
sometimes expressing the regret that the
 reformers had swept away  such a useful
 institution4    8,now1 my dear young   
friend1 you see how1 by the blessing of 
,god1 the  little sacrifice of a few    
pounds brought down and destroyed all   
the  prejudices of those poor heretics  
against auricular confession and our    
holy ,church in general4 ,you understand

 how the doors were opened to me1  and  
how their hearts and intelligences were 
like fields prepared to  receive the    
good seed4 ,at the appointed hour1 ,i   
never failed from paying  the requested 
visit1 and ,i was invariably received   
like a messiah4 ,not  only the          
gentlemen1 but the ladies1 overwhelmed  
me with marks of the  most sincere      
gratitude and respect2 even the dear    
little children petted  me1 and threw   
their arms around my neck to give me    
their sweetly angelic  kisses4 ,the only
 topic on which we could speak1 of      
course1 was the great  good done by     
auricular confession4 ,i easily showed  
them how it works as  a check to all the
 evil passions of the heart2 how it is  
admirably  adapted to all the wants of  
the poor sinners1 who find a friend1 a  
counsellor1 a guide1 a father1 a real   
saviour in their confessor4    8,we had 
not talked half an hour in that way1    
when it was generally  evident to me    
that they were more than half way out of

 their ,protestant  errors4 ,i very     
seldom left the houses without being    
sure of a new1  glorious victory for our
 holy religion over its enemies4 ,it is 
very  seldom that ,i do not succeed in  
bringing that family to our holy ,church
  before one or two years2 and if ,i    
fail of gaining the father or mother1   
,i am nearly sure to persuade them to   
send their daughters to our good  nuns  
and their boys to our colleges1 where   
they1 sooner or later1 become  our most 
devoted ,catholics4 ,so you see that the
 few dollars ,i spend  every year for   
that holy cause are the best investments
 ever made4 ,they  do more to catch the 
,protestants of ,quebec than the baits  
of the  fishermen do to secure the cod  
fishes of the ,newfoundland banks40     
,in ending this last sentence1 ,mr4     
,parent filled his room with laughter4  
,i thanked him for these interesting    
details4 ,but ,i told him3 8,though ,i  
cannot but admire your perfect skill and
 shrewdness in breaking the  barriers   

which prevent ,protestants from         
understanding the divine  institution of
 auricular confession1 will you allow me
 to ask you if you  do not fear to be   
guilty of an imposture and a gross      
imposition in the  way you make them    
believe that the money you hand them has
 come to you  through auricular         
confession80    8,i have not the least  
fear of that10 promptly answered the old
 priest1  8for the good reason that1 if 
you had paid attention to what ,i have  
told  you1 you must acknowledge that ,i 
have not said positively that the money 
was coming from auricular confession4   
,if those ,protestants have been        
deceived1 it is only due to their own   
want of a more perfect attention  to    
what ,i said4 ,i know that there were   
things that ,i kept in my mind  which   
would have made them understand the     
matter in a very different way  if ,i   
had said them4 ,but ,liguori and all our
 theologians1 among the most  approved  
of our holy ,church1 tell us that these 

reservations of the mind  7#8mentis     
reservationes'7 are allowed when they   
are for the good of  souls and the glory
 of ,god40    8,yes10 answered ,i1 8,i  
know that such is the doctrine of       
,liguori1 and it  is approved by the    
popes4 ,i must confess1 however1 that   
this seems to me  entirely opposed to   
what we read in the sublime gospel4 ,the
 simple and  sublime #8,yea1 yea1' and  
#8,nay1 nay1' of our ,saviour seems to  
me in  contradiction with the art of    
deceiving1 even when not saying absolute
  and direct falsehoods2 and if ,i      
submit myself to those doctrines1 it is 
always with a secret protest in my      
inmost soul40    ,in an angry manner1   
,mr4 ,parent replied3 8,now1 my dear    
young friend1 ,i  understand the truth  
of what the ,rev4 ,messrs4 ,perras and  
,bedard told me  lately about you4      
,though these remarkable priests are    
full of esteem for  you1 they see a dark
 cloud on your horizon2 they say that   
you spend too  much time in reading the 

,bible1 and not enough in studying the  
doctrines  and holy traditions of the   
,church4 ,you are too much inclined also
 to  interpret the ,word of ,god        
according to your own fallible          
intelligence1  instead of going to the  
,church alone for that interpretation4  
,this is  the dangerous rock on which   
,luther and ,calvin were wrecked4 ,take 
my  advice4 ,do not try to be wiser than
 the ,church4 ,obey her voice when she  
speaks to you through her holy          
theologians4 ,this is your only         
safeguard4  ,the bishop would suspend   
you at once were he aware of your want  
of faith  in the ,church40    ,these    
last words were said with such emphasis 
that they seemed more like  a sentence  
of condemnation from the lips of an     
irritated judge than  anything else4 ,i 
felt that ,i had again seriously        
compromised myself in  his mind2 and the
 only way of preventing him from        
denouncing me to the  bishop as a       
heretic and a ,protestant was to make an

 apology1 and  withdraw from the        
dangerous ground on which ,i had again  
so imprudently  put myself4 ,he accepted
 my explanation1 but ,i saw that he     
bitterly  regretted having trusted me   
with his secret4 ,i withdrew from his   
presence1 much humiliated by my want of 
prudence and wisdom4 ,however1  though  
,i could not approve of all the modus   
operandi of the superior  of ,quebec1 ,i
 could not but admire1 then1 the        
glorious results of his  efforts in     
converting ,protestants2 and ,i took the
 resolution of devoting  myself more    
than ever to show them their errors and 
make them good  ,catholics4 ,in this ,i 
was too successful2 for during my       
twenty-five years  of priesthood ,i have
 persuaded ninety-three ,protestants to 
give up their  gospel light and truth1  
in order to follow the dark and lying   
traditions  of ,rome4 ,i cannot enter   
into the details of their conversions1  
or rather  perversions2 suffice it to   
say1 that ,i soon found that my only    

chance of  success in that proselytizing
 work was among the ,ritualists4 ,i saw 
at  first that ,calvin and ,knox had dug
 a really impassable abyss between the  
,presbyterians1 ,methodists1 ,baptists  
and the ,church of ,rome4 ,if these     
,ritualists remain ,protestants1 and do 
not make the very short step which      
separates them from ,rome1 it is a most 
astonishing fact1 when they are  logical
 men4 ,some people are surprised that so
 many eminent and learned  men1 in      
,great ,britain and ,america1 give up   
their ,protestantism to submit  to the  
,church of ,rome2 but my wonder is that 
there are so few among them  who fall   
into that bottomless abyss of idolatry  
and folly1 when they are  their whole   
life on the very brink of the chasm4    
,put millions of men on  the very brink 
of the ,falls of ,niagara1 force them to
 cross to and fro  in small canoes      
between both shores1 and you will see   
that1 every day1  some of them will be  
dragged1 in spite of themselves1 into   

the yawning  abyss4 ,nay1 you will see  
that1 sooner or later1 those millions of
 people  will be in danger of being     
dragged in a whole body1 by the         
irresistible  force of the dashing      
waters1 into the fathomless gulf4       
,through a sublime  effort the ,english 
people1 helped by the mighty and        
merciful hand of  ,god1 have come out   
from the abyss of folly1 impurity1      
ignorance1 slavery  and idolatry called 
the ,church of ,rome4 ,but many1 alas6  
in the present  day1 instead of marching
 up to the high regions of unsullied    
,gospel  truth and light--instead of    
going up to the high mountains where    
true  ,christian simplicity and liberty 
have forever planted their glorious     
banners--have been induced to walk only 
a few steps out of the  pestiferous     
regions of ,popery4 ,they have remained 
so near the  pestilential atmosphere of 
the stagnant waters of death which flow 
from  ,rome1 that the atmosphere they   
breathe is still filled with the deadly 

emanations of that modern ,sodom4 ,who1 
without shedding tears of sorrow1  can  
look at those misguided ministers of the
 ,gospel who believe and  teach in the  
,episcopal ,church that they have the   
power to make their ,god  with a wafer1 
and who bow down before that wafer god  
and adore him6 ,who  can refrain from   
indignation at the sight of so many     
,episcopal ministers  who consent to    
have their ears1 minds and souls        
polluted at the  confessional by the    
stories of their penitents1 whom in     
their turn they  destroy by their       
infamous and unmentionable questions8   
,when ,i was  lecturing in ,england1 in 
#ahfj1 the late ,archbishop of          
,canterbury1 then  ,bishop of ,london1  
invited me to his table1 in company with
 ,rev4 ,mr4  ,thomas1 now ,bishop of    
,coulbourne1 ,australia1 and put to me  
the following  questions1 in the        
presence of his numerous and noble      
guests3    8,father ,chiniquy1 when you 
left the ,church of ,rome1 why did you  

not join  the ,episcopalian rather than 
the ,presbyterian ,church80    ,i       
answered3 8,is it the desire of your    
lordship that ,i should speak my  mind  
on that delicate subject80    8,yes1    
yes10 said the noble lord bishop4       
8,then1 my lord1 ,i must tell you that  
my only reason is that ,i find in  your 
,church several doctrines which ,i have 
to condemn in the ,church of  ,rome40   
8,how is that80 replied his lordship4   
8,please10 ,i answered1 8let me have one
 of your ,common ,prayer ,books40       
,taking the book1 ,i read slowly the    
article on the visitation of the  sick3 
8,then shall the sick person be moved to
 make a special confession  of his sins1
 if he feels his conscience troubled    
with any weighty  matters4 ,after which 
confession the priest shall absolve him1
 after this  sort3 #8,our ,lord ,jesus  
,christ1 who hath left power to ,his    
,church to  absolve all sinners who     
repent and believe in ,him1 of ,his     
great mercy  forgive thee all thine     

offenses1 and by ,his authority1        
committed to me1  ,i absolve thee of all
 thy sins1 in the name of the ,father1  
the ,son1 and  the ,holy ,ghost4        
,amen4'0 ,i then added3 8,now1 my lord1 
where is the  difference between the    
errors of ,rome and your ,church on this
 subject80    8,the difference is very  
great10 he answered4 8,the ,church of   
,rome is  constantly pressing the       
sinners to come to her priests all their
  lifetime1 where we subject the sinner 
to this humiliation only once in  his   
life1 when he is near his last hour40   
8,but1 my lord1 let me tell you that it 
seems to me the ,church of ,rome is     
much more logical and consistent in this
 than the ,episcopal ,church4 ,both     
churches believe and teach that they    
have received from ,christ the power  to
 forgive the sins of those who confess  
to their priests1 and you think         
yourself wiser because you invite the   
sinner to confess and receive his       
pardon only when he is tied to a bed of 

suffering1 at the last hour  before his 
death4 ,but will your lordship be kind  
enough to tell me when  ,i am in danger 
of death4 ,if ,i am constantly in danger
 of death1 must you  not1 with the      
,church of ,rome1 induce me constantly  
to confess to your  priests1 and get my 
pardon and make my peace with ,god8 ,has
 our ,saviour  said anywhere that it was
 only for the dying1 at the last        
extremity of  life1 that ,he gave the   
power to forgive my sins8 ,has ,he not  
warned me  many times to be always      
ready2 to have always our peace made    
with ,god1  and not to wait till the    
last day1 to the last hour80    ,the    
noble bishop did not think fit to give  
me any other answer than  these very    
words3 8,we all agree that this doctrine
 ought never to have  been put in our   
,common ,prayer ,book4 ,but you know    
that we are at work to  revise that     
book1 and we hope that this clause1 with
 several others1  will be taken away40  
8,then10 ,i answered1 in a jocose way1  

8my lord1 when this obnoxious  clause   
has been removed from your ,common      
,prayer ,book1 it will be time  for me  
to have the honor of belonging to your  
great and noble ,church40    ,when the  
,church of ,england went out of the     
,church of ,rome1 she did as  ,rachel1  
the wife of ,jacob1 who left the house  
of her father1 ,laban1 and  took his    
gods with her4 ,so the ,episcopal       
,church of ,england1  unfortunately1    
when she left ,rome1 concealed in the   
folds of her mantle  some of the false  
gods of ,rome2 she kept to her bosom    
some vipers  engendered in the marshes  
of the modern ,sodom4 ,these vipers1 if 
not soon  destroyed1 will kill her4     
,they are already eating up her vitals4 
,they  are covering her with most ugly  
and mortal wounds4 ,they are rapidly    
taking away her life4    ,may the ,holy 
,ghost rebaptize and purify that noble  
,church of ,england1  that she may be   
worthy to march at the head of the      
armies of the ,lord to  the conquest of 

the world1 under the banners of the     
great ,captain of our  ,salvation4      
,,chapter ,,xxx4    ,,the ,,murders     
,,and ,,thefts ,,in ,,quebec ,,from     
#ahce ,,to #ahcf--,,the ,,night         
,,excursion    ,,with ,,two             
,,thieves--,,the ,,restitution--,,the   
,,dawn ,,of ,,light4      ,the three    
years which followed the cholera will be
 long remembered in  ,quebec for the    
number of audacious thefts and the      
murders which kept the  whole population
 in constant terror4 ,almost every week1
 the public press  had to give us the   
account of the robbery of the houses of 
some of our  rich merchants1 or old     
wealthy widows4    ,many times1 the     
blood was chilled in our veins by the   
cruel and savage  assassinations which  
had been committed by the thieves when  
resistance  had been offered4 ,the      
number of these crimes1 the audacity1   
with which  they were perpetrated1 the  
ability with which the guilty parties   
escaped  from all the researches of the 

police1 indicated that they were well   
organized1 and had a leader of uncommon 
shrewdness4    ,but in the eyes of the  
religious population of ,quebec1 the    
thefts of the  #ajth of ,february1      
#ahce1 surpassed all the others by its  
sacrilegious  character4 ,that night1   
the chapel dedicated to the blessed     
,virgin ,mary  was entered1 a silver    
statue of the ,virgin1 the gift of the  
,king of  ,france1 a massive lamp1 a    
silver candlestick1 and the silver vases
 which  contained the bread which the   
,roman ,catholics believe to be the     
body1  blood and divinity of ,jesus     
,christ1 were stolen1 and the holy      
sacrament  impiously thrown and         
scattered on the floor4    ,nothing can 
express the horror and indignation of   
the whole ,catholic  population at this 
last outrage4 ,large sums of money were 
offered in  order that the brigands     
might be detected4 ,at last1 five of    
them--,chambers1 ,mathieu1 ,gagnon1     
,waterworth1 and ,lemoine--were caught  

in  #ahcf1 tried1 found guilty and      
condemned to death in the month of      
,march1  #ahcg4    ,during the trial1   
and when public attention was most      
intensely fixed on  its different       
aspects1 in a damp1 chilly dark night1  
,i was called to  visit a sick man4 ,i  
was soon ready1 and asked the name of   
the sick man  from the messenger4 ,he   
answered that it was ,francis ,oregon4  
,as a matter  of course1 ,i said that   
the sick man was a perfect stranger to  
me1 and  that ,i had never heard that   
there was even such a man in the world4 
,but  when ,i was near the carriage     
which was to take me1 ,i was not a      
little  surprised to see that the first 
messenger left abruptly and disappeared4
  ,looking with attention1 then1 at the 
faces of the two men who had come  for  
me in the carriage1 it seemed that they 
both wore masks4    8,what does this    
mean80 ,i said2 8each of you wear a     
mask4 ,do you mean to  murder me80      
8,dear ,father ,chiniquy10 answered one 

of them1 in a low1 trembling voice1  and
 in a supplicating tone1 8fear not4 ,we 
swear before ,god that no evil  will be 
done to you4 ,on the contrary1 ,god and 
man will1 to the end of  the world1     
praise and bless you1 if you come to our
 help1 and save our  souls1 as well as  
our mortal bodies4 ,we have in our hands
 a great part  of the silver articles   
stolen these last three years4 ,the     
police are on  our track1 and we are in 
great danger of being caught4 ,for      
,god's sake1  come with us4 ,we will put
 all those stolen things in your hands1 
that  you may give them back to those   
who have lost them4 ,we will then       
immediately leave the country1 and lead 
a better life4 ,we are  ,protestants1   
and the ,bible tells us that we cannot  
be saved if we keep  in our hands what  
is not ours4 ,you do not know us1 but we
 know you well4  ,you are the only man  
in ,quebec to whom we can so trust our  
lives and  this terrible secret4 ,we    
have worn these masks that you may not  

know us1  and that you may not be       
compromised if you are ever called      
before a  court of justice40    ,my     
first thought was to leave them and run 
back to the door of the  parsonage2 but 
such an act of cowardice seemed to me1  
after a moment's  reflection1 unworthy  
of a man4 ,i said to myself1 these two  
men cannot  come to steal from me2 it is
 well known in ,quebec that ,i keep     
myself as  poor as a church mouse1 by   
giving all ,i have to the poor4 ,i have 
never  offended any man in my life1 that
 ,i know4 ,they cannot come to punish or
  murder me4 ,they are ,protestants1 and
 they trust me4 ,well1 well1 they  will 
not regret to have put their trust in a 
,catholic priest4    ,i then answered   
them3 8,what you ask from me is of a    
very delicate1 and  even dangerous      
nature4 ,before ,i do it1 ,i want to    
take the advice of one  whom ,i consider
 the wisest man of ,quebec--the old     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,demars1  ex-president of the
 seminary of ,quebec4 ,please drive me  

as quickly as  possible to the seminary4
 ,if that venerable man advises me to go
 with  you1 ,i will go2 but ,i cannot   
promise to grant you your request if he 
tells me not to go40    8,all right10   
they both said2 and in a very short     
time1 ,i was knocking at  the door of   
the seminary4 ,a few moments after1 ,i  
was alone in the room  of ,mr4 ,demars4 
,it was just half-past twelve at night4 
8,our little ,father ,chiniquy here on  
this dark night1 at half-past  twelve6  
,what does this mean8 ,what do you want 
from me80 said the  venerable old       
priest4    8,i come to ask your advice10
 ,i answered1 8on a very strange thing4 
,two  ,protestant thieves have in their 
hands a great quantity of the           
silverware stolen1 these last three     
years4 ,they want to deposit them in  my
 hands1 that ,i may give them back to   
those from whom they have been  stolen1 
before they leave the country and lead a
 better life4 ,i cannot  know them1 for 
they both wear masks4 ,i cannot even    

know where they take  me1 for the       
carriage is so completely wrapped up by 
curtains that it is  impossible to see  
outside4 ,now1 my dear ,mr4 ,demars1 ,i 
come to ask your  advice4 ,shall ,i go  
with them or not8 ,but remember that ,i 
trust you with  these things under the  
seal of confession1 that neither you nor
 ,i may be  compromised40    ,before    
answering me1 the venerable priest said3
 8,i am very old1 but ,i  have never    
heard of such a strange thing in my     
life4 ,are you not afraid  to go alone  
with these two thieves in that covered  
carriage80    8,no1 sir10 ,i answered2  
8,i do not see any reason to fear       
anything from  these two men40          
8,well6 well10 rejoined ,mr4 ,demars1   
8if you are not afraid under such       
circumstances1 your mother has given you
 a brain of diamond and nerve of        
steel40    8,now1 my dear sir10 ,i      
answered1 8time flies1 and ,i may have a
 long way  to travel with these two men4
 ,please1 in the shortest possible way1 

tell  me your mind8 ,do you advise me to
 go with them80    ,he replied1 8,you   
consult me on a very difficult matter2  
there are so  many considerations to    
make1 that it is impossible to weigh    
them all4  ,the only thing we have to do
 is to pray ,god and ,his ,holy ,mother 
for  wisdom--,let us pray40    ,we knelt
 and said the 8,veni ,sancte ,spiritus20
 8,come ,holy ,spirit10 etc41  which    
prayer ends by an invocation to ,mary as
 ,mother of ,god4    ,after the prayer  
,mr4 ,demars again asked me3 8,are you  
not afraid80    8,no1 sir1 ,i do not see
 any reason to be afraid4 ,but1 please1 
for ,god's  sake hurry on1 tell me if   
you advise me to go and accept this     
message of  mercy and peace40    8,yes6 
go6 go6 if you are not afraid10 answered
 the old priest1 with a  voice full of  
emotion1 and tears in his eyes4    ,i   
fell on my knees and said3 8,before ,i  
start1 please1 give me your  blessing   
and pray for me1 when ,i shall be on my 
way to that strange1  but1 ,i hope1 good

 work40    ,i left the seminary and took
 my seat at the right hand of one of my 
unknown companions1 while the other was 
on the front seat1 driving the  horse4  
,not a word was said by any of us on the
 way4 ,but ,i perceived that the        
stranger1 who was at my left1 was       
praying to ,god2 though in such a low   
voice that ,i understood only these     
words twice repeated3 8,o ,lord6 have   
mercy upon me--such a sinner60    ,these
 words touched me to the heart1 and     
brought to my mind the dear  ,saviour's 
words3 8,the publicans and harlots shall
 go into the kingdom of  ,god before    
you10 and ,i also prayed for that poor  
repenting sinner and  for myself1 by    
repeating the sublime #ejth ,psalm3     
8,have mercy upon me1 ,o ,lord60    ,it 
took about half an hour to reach the    
house4 ,but1 there1 again1 it was       
impossible for me to understand where ,i
 was4 ,for the carriage was  brought so 
near the door that there was no         
possibility of seeing  anything beyond  

the carriage and the horse through the  
terrible darkness  of that night4       
,the only person ,i saw1 when in the    
house1 was a tall woman covered with  a 
long black veil1 whom ,i took to be a   
disguised man1 on account of her  size  
and her strength2 for she was carrying  
very heavy bags with as much  ease as if
 they had been a handful of straw4      
,there was only a small candle behind a 
screen1 which gave so little  light that
 everything looked like phantoms around 
us4 ,pictures and  mirrors were all     
turned to the wall1 and presented the   
wrong side to  view4 ,the sofa and the  
chairs were also upset in such a way    
that it was  impossible to identify     
anything of what ,i had seen4 ,in fact1 
,i could see  nothing in that house4    
,not a word was said1 except by one of  
my  companions1 who whispered in a very 
low voice1 8,please1 look at the        
tickets which are on every bundle2 they 
will indicate to whom these  things     
belong40 ,there were eight bundles4 ,the

 heaviest of which was  composed of the 
melted silver of the statue of the      
virgin1 the  candlesticks1 the lamp of  
the chapel1 the ciborium1 a couple of   
chalices1 and some dozens of spoons and 
forks4 ,the other bundles were  made up 
of silver plates1 fruit baskets1 tea1   
coffee1 cream and sugar  pots1 silver   
spoons and forks1 etc4    ,as soon as   
these bundles were put into the carriage
 we left for the  parsonage1 where we   
arrived a little before the dawn of day4
 ,not a word  was exchanged between us  
on the way1 and my impression was1 that 
my  penitent companions were sending    
their silent prayers1 like myself1 to   
the feet of that merciful ,god who has  
said to all sinners1 8,come unto  me1   
all ye who are heavy laden1 and ,i will 
give you rest40    ,they carried the    
bundles into my trunk1 which ,i locked  
with peculiar  attention4 ,when all was 
over1 ,i accompanied them to the door to
 take  leave of them4 ,then1 each       
seizing one of my hands1 by a           

spontaneous  movement of gratitude and  
joy1 they pressed them on their lips1   
shedding  tears1 and saying in a low    
voice3 8,god bless you a thousand times 
for  the good work you have just        
performed4 ,after ,christ1 you are our  
saviour40    ,as these two men were     
speaking1 it pleased ,god to send forth 
into my  soul one of those rays of      
happiness which he gives us only at     
great  intervals4    ,i believe our     
fragile existence would soon be broken  
up were we by such  joys incessantly    
inundated4 ,those two men had ceased to 
be robbers in my  eyes4 ,they were dear 
brethren1 precious friends1 such as are 
seldom to  be seen4 ,the narrow and     
shameful prejudices of my religion were 
silent  before the fervent prayers that 
,i had heard from their lips2 they      
disappeared in those tears of           
repentance1 gratitude and love1 which   
fell  from their eyes on my hands4      
,night surrounded us with its deepest   
shades2 but our souls were illuminated  

with a light purer than the rays  of the
 sun4 ,the air that we breathed was cold
 and damp2 but one of these  sparks     
brought down from heaven by ,jesus to   
warm the earth1 had fallen  into our    
hearts1 and we were all penetrated by   
its glow4 ,i pressed their  hands in    
mine1 saying to them3    8,i thank and  
bless you for choosing me as the        
confident of your  misfortunes and      
repentance4 ,to you ,i owe three of the 
most precious  hours of my life4 ,adieu6
 ,we shall see one another no more on   
this earth2  but we shall meet in       
heaven4 ,adieu60    ,it is unnecessary  
to add that it was impossible to sleep  
the remainder  of that memorable night4 
,besides1 ,i had in my possession more  
stolen  articles than would have caused 
fifty men to be hanged4 ,i said to      
myself3 8,what would become of me if the
 police were to break in on me1  and    
find all that ,i have in my hands4 ,what
 could ,i answer if ,i were  asked1 how 
all these had reached me80    ,did ,i   

not go beyond the bounds of prudence in 
what ,i have just done8  ,have ,i not1  
indeed1 slipped a rope around my neck8  
,though my conscience did not reproach  
me with any thing1 especially when  ,i  
had acted on the advice of a man as wise
 as ,mr4 ,demars1 yet was ,i not        
without some anxiety1 and ,i longed to  
get rid of all the things ,i had1  by   
giving them to their legitimate owners4 
,at ten o'clock in the morning1 ,i was  
at ,mr4 ,amiot's1 the wealthiest        
goldsmith in ,quebec1 with my heavy     
satchel of melted silver4 ,after        
obtaining from him a promise of secrecy1
 ,i handed it over to him1 giving  him  
at the same time its history4 ,i asked  
him to weigh it1 keep its  contents1 and
 let me have its value1 which ,i was to 
distribute according  to its label4     
,he told me that there was in it a      
thousand dollars' worth of melted       
silver1 which amount he immediately gave
 me4 ,i went down directly to  give     
about half of it to ,rev4 ,mr4          

,cazeault1 chaplain of the              
congregation1 which had been robbed1 and
 who was then the secretary of  the     
,archbishop of ,quebec2 and ,i          
distributed the remainder to the parties
  indicated on the labels attached to   
this enormous ingot4    ,the good ,lady 
,montgomery could scarcely believe her  
eyes when1 after  obtaining also from   
her the promise of the most inviolable  
secrecy on  what ,i was going to show   
her1 ,i displayed on her table the      
magnificent  dishes of massive silver1  
fruit baskets1 tea and coffee pots1     
sugar  bowls1 cream jugs1 and a great   
quantity of spoons and forks of the     
finest silver1 which had been taken from
 her in #ahce4 ,it seemed to her a      
dream which brought before her eyes     
these precious family relics4    ,she   
then related in a most touching manner  
what a terrible moment she  had passed1 
when the thieves1 having seized her1    
with her maid and a  young man1 rolled  
them in carpets to stifle their cries1  

whilst they  were breaking locks1       
opening chests and cupboards to carry   
off their  rich contents4 ,she told me  
how nearly she had been stifled with her
  faithful servants under the enormous  
weight of carpets heaped upon them  by  
the robbers4    ,this excellent lady was
 a ,protestant1 and it was the first    
time in my  life that ,i met a          
,protestant whose piety seemed so       
enlightened and  sincere4 ,i could not  
help admiring her4    ,when she had most
 sincerely thanked and blessed me for   
the service ,i had  done her1 she asked 
if ,i would have any objection to pray  
with her1 and  to aid her in thanking   
,god for the favor he had just shown    
her4 ,i told  her1 ,i should be happy in
 uniting with her to bless the ,lord for
 his  mercies4 ,upon this1 she gave me a
 ,bible1 magnificently bound1 and we    
read each in turn a verse slowly1 and on
 our knees1 the sublime ,psalm  #ajc3   
8,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul10 etc4    
,as ,i was about to take leave of her1  

she offered me a purse containing  one  
hundred dollars in gold1 which ,i       
refused1 telling her that ,i would      
rather lose my two hands than receive a 
cent for what ,i had done4    8,you     
are10 she said1 8surrounded with poor   
people4 ,give them this that ,i  offer  
to the ,lord as a feeble testimony of my
 gratitude1 and be assured  that as long
 as ,i live ,i will pray ,god to pour   
his most abounding favors  upon you40   
,in leaving that house ,i could not hide
 from myself that my soul had been      
embalmed with the true perfume of piety 
that ,i had never seen in my own        
church4    ,before the day closed1 ,i   
had given back to their rightful owners 
the  effects left in my hands1 whose    
value amounted to more than #g1jjj1 and 
had my receipts in good form4    ,i am  
glad to say here1 that the persons1 most
 of whom were ,protestants1  to whom ,i 
made these restitutions1 were perfectly 
honorable1 and that  not a single one of
 them ever said anything to compromise  

me in this  matter1 nor was ,i ever     
troubled on this subject4    ,i thought 
it my duty to give my venerable friend1 
the ,grand ,vicar  ,demars1 a detailed  
account of what had just happened4 ,he  
heard me with  the deepest interest1 and
 could not retain his tears when ,i     
related the  touching scene of my       
separation from my two new friends1 that
 night1 one  of the darkest--which1     
nevertheless1 has remained one of the   
brightest of  my life4    ,my story     
ended1 he said1 8,i am1 indeed1 very    
old1 but ,i must confess  that never did
 ,i hear anything so strange and so     
beautiful as this  story4 ,i repeat1    
however1 that your mother must have     
given you a brain  harder than diamond  
and nerves more solid than brass1 not to
 have been  afraid during this very     
singular adventure in the night40       
,after the fatigues and incidents of the
 last twenty-four hours1 ,i was in      
great need of rest1 but it was          
impossible for me to sleep a single     

instant during the night which followed4
 ,for the first time1 ,i stood  face to 
face with that ,protestantism which my  
,church had taught me to  hate and fight
 with all the energy that heaven had    
bestowed on me1 and  when that faith had
 been1 by the hand of ,almighty ,god1   
placed in the  scale against my own     
religion1 it appeared as a heap of pure 
gold  opposite a pile of rotten rags4   
,in spite of myself1 ,i could hear      
incessantly the cries of grief of that  
penitent thief3 8,lord1 have mercy  on  
me1 so great a sinner60    ,then1 the   
sublime piety of ,lady ,montgomery1 the 
blessings she had asked  ,god to pour on
 me1 his unprofitable servant1 seemed1  
as so many coals of  fire heaped upon my
 head by ,god1 to punish me for having  
said so much  evil of ,protestants1 and 
so often decried their religion4    ,a  
secret voice arose within me3 8,seest   
thou not how these ,protestants1  whom  
thou wishest to crush with thy disdain1 
know how to pray1 repent1  and make     

amends for their faults1 much more nobly
 than the unfortunate  wretches whom    
thou holdest as so many slaves at thy   
feet by means of the  confessional8     
8,understandest thou not that the       
,spirit of ,god1 the grace and love of  
,jesus ,christ1 produces effectually in 
the hearts and minds of these           
,protestants a work much more durable   
than thy auricular confession8  ,compare
 the miserable wiles of ,mr4 ,parent1   
who makes false restitutions1  to cast  
dust into the eyes of the unsuspecting  
multitude1 with the                     
straightforwardness1 noble sincerity1   
and admirable wisdom of these           
,protestants1 in making amends for their
 wrongs before ,god and men1 and  judge 
for thyself which of those two religions
 raise1 in order to save1  and which    
degrades1 in order to destroy the       
guilty4    8,has ever auricular         
confession worked as efficiently on     
sinners as the  ,bible on these thieves 
to change their hearts8    8,judge1 this

 day1 by their fruits1 which of the two 
religions is led by  the spirit of      
darkness1 or the ,holy ,ghost80    ,not 
wishing to condemn my religion1 nor     
allow my heart to be attacked by        
,protestantism during the long hours of 
that restless night1 ,i remained        
anxious1 humiliated1 and uneasy4    ,it 
is thus1 ,o my ,god1 that thou madest   
use of everything1 even these  thieves1 
to shake that wonderful fabric of       
errors1 superstitions1 and  falsehoods  
that ,rome had raised in my soul4 ,may  
thy name be forever  blessed for thy    
mercies towards me1 thy unprofitable    
servant6                                
,,chapter ,,xxxi4    ,,chambers ,,and   
,,his ,,accomplices ,,condemned ,,to    
,,death--,,asked ,,me ,,to ,,prepare    
,,them    ,,to ,,meet ,,their ,,terrible
 ,,fate--,a ,,week ,,in ,,their         
,,dungeon--,,their ,,sentence ,,of      
,,death ,,changed ,,into ,,deportation  
,,to ,,botany ,,bay--,,their ,,departure
 ,,for    ,,exile--,i ,,meet ,,one ,,of 

,,them1 ,a ,,sincere ,,convert1 ,,very  
,,rich1 ,,in ,a ,,high ,,and            
,,honorable ,,position ,,in ,,australia 
,,in #ahgh4      ,a few days after the  
strange and providential night spent    
with the  repentant thieves1 ,i received
 the following letter signed by         
,chambers  and his unfortunate criminal 
friends3    8,,dear ,,father            
,,chiniquy3--,we are condemned to death4
 ,please come and help  us to meet our  
sentence as ,christians40    ,i will not
 attempt to say what ,i felt when ,i    
entered the damp and dark  cells where  
the culprits were enchained4 ,no human  
words can express  those things4 ,their 
tears and their sobs were going through 
my heart as  a two-edged sword4 ,only   
one of them had1 at first1 his eyes     
dried1 and  kept silent2 ,chambers1 the 
most guilty of all4    ,after the others
 had requested me to hear the confession
 of their sins1  and prepare them for   
death1 ,chambers said3 8,you know that  
,i am a  ,protestant4 ,but ,i am married

 to a ,roman ,catholic1 who is your     
penitent4  ,you have persuaded my two so
 dear sisters to give up their          
,protestantism  and become ,catholics4  
,i have many times desired to follow    
them4 ,my  criminal life alone has      
prevented me from doing so4 ,but now ,i 
am  determined to do what ,i consider to
 be the will of ,god in this important  
matter4 ,please1 tell me what ,i must do
 to become a ,catholic40    ,i was a    
sincere ,roman ,catholic priest1        
believing that out of the ,church  of   
,rome there was no salvation4 ,the      
conversion of that great sinner  seemed 
to me a miracle of the grace of ,god3 it
 was for me a happy  distraction in the 
desolation ,i felt in that dungeon4     
,i spent the next eight days1 in hearing
 their confessions1 reading the  lives  
of some saints1 with several chapters of
 the ,bible as the ,seven  ,penitential 
,psalms1 the sufferings and death of    
,christ1 the history of  the ,prodigal  
,son1 etc4 ,and ,i instructed ,chambers1

 as well as the  shortness of the time  
allowed me1 in the faith of the ,church 
of ,rome4 ,i  usually entered the cells 
at about #i ,a4 ,m4 and left them only  
at #i ,p4 ,m4    ,after ,i had spent    
much time in exhorting them1 reading and
 praying  several times1 ,i asked them  
to tell me some of the details of the   
murders and thefts they had committed1  
which might be to me as a lesson  of    
human depravity1 which would help me    
when preaching on the natural           
corruption and malice of the human      
heart1 when once the fear and the  love1
 or even the faith in ,god1 were        
completely set aside4    ,the facts ,i  
then heard very soon convinced me of the
 need we have of a  religion1 and what  
would become of the world if the        
atheists could  succeed in sweeping away
 the notions of a future punishment     
after death1  or the fear and the love  
of ,god from among men4    ,when        
absolutely left to his own depravity1   
without any religion to stop  him on the

 rapid declivity of his uncontrollable  
passions1 man is more  cruel than the   
wild beasts4 ,the existence of society  
would simply be  impossible without a   
religion and a ,god to protect it4      
,though ,i am in favor of liberty of    
conscience1 in its highest sense1 ,i    
think that the atheist ought to be      
punished like the murderer and the      
thief--for his doctrines tend to make a 
murderer and a thief of every  man4 ,no 
law1 no society is possible if there is 
no ,god to sanction and  protect them4  
,but the more we were approaching the   
fatal day1 when ,i had to go on the     
scaffold with those unfortunate men1 and
 to see them launched into  eternity1   
the more ,i felt horrified4 ,the tears  
the sobs and the cries of  those        
unfortunate men had so melted my heart1 
my soul and my strong  nerves1 they had 
so subdued my unconquerable will1 and   
that stern  determination to do my duty 
at any cost1 which had been my character
  till then1 that ,i was shaking from   

head to feet1 when thinking of that     
awful hour4    ,besides that1 my        
constant intercourse with those         
criminals1 these last  few days1 their  
unbounded confidence in me1 their       
gratitude for my  devotedness to them1  
their desolation and their cries when   
speaking of  their fathers or mothers1  
wives or children1 had filled my heart  
with a  measure of sympathy which ,i    
would vainly try to express4 ,they were 
no  more thieves and murderers1 to me1  
whose bloody deeds had at first  chilled
 the blood in my veins2 they were the   
friends of my bosom--the  beloved       
children whom cruel beasts had wounded4 
,they were dearer to me  than my own    
life--not only ,i felt happy to mix my  
tears with theirs1 and  unite my ardent 
prayers to ,god for mercy with them1 but
 ,i would have  felt happy to shed my   
blood in order to save their lives4 ,as 
several of  them belonged to the most   
reputable families of ,quebec and       
vicinity1 ,i  thought ,i could easily   

interest the clergy and the most        
respectable  citizens to sign a petition
 to the governor1 ,lord ,gosford1 asking
 him to  change their sentence of death 
into one of perpetual exile to the      
distant penal colony of ,botany ,bay1 in
 ,australia4 ,the governor was my       
friend4 ,colonel ,vassal1 who was my    
uncle1 and the adjutant-general of  the 
militia of the whole country1 had       
introduced me to his ,excellency1  who  
many times had overloaded me with the   
marks of his interest and  kindness1 and
 my hope was that he would not refuse me
 the favor ,i was to  ask him1 when the 
petition would be signed by the ,bishop1
 the ,catholic  priests1 the ministers  
of the different ,protestant            
denominations of the  city1 and hundreds
 of the principal citizens of ,quebec4  
,i presented the  petition myself1      
accompanied by the secretary of the     
,archbishop4 ,but to  my great distress1
 the governor answered me that those men
 had committed  so many murders1 and    

kept the country in terror for so many  
years1 that  it was absolutely necessary
 they should be punished according to   
the  sentence of the court4 ,who can    
tell the desolation of those unfortunate
  men1 when1 with a voice choked by my  
sobs and my tears1 ,i told them that    
the governor had refused to grant the   
favor ,i had asked him for them4  ,they 
fell on the ground and filled their     
cells with cries which would  have      
broken the hardest heart4 ,from those   
very cells we were hearing the  noise of
 the men who were preparing the scaffold
 where they were to be  hanged the next 
day4 ,i tried to pray and read1 but was 
unable to do so4  ,my desolation was too
 great to utter a single word4 ,i felt  
as if ,i were  to be hanged with        
them--and to say the whole truth1 ,i    
think ,i would have  been glad to hear  
that ,i was to be hanged the next day to
 save their  lives4 ,for there was a    
fear in me1 which was haunting me as a  
phantom  from hell1 the last three days4

 ,it seemed that1 in spite of all my    
efforts1 prayers1 confessions1          
absolutions and sacraments1 these men   
were not converted1 and that they were  
to be launched into eternity with  all  
their sins4    ,when ,i was comparing   
the calm and true repentance of the two 
thieves1  with whom ,i spent the night a
 few weeks before in the carriage1 with 
the  noisy expressions of sorrow of     
these newly converted sinners1 ,i could 
not help finding an immeasurable        
distance between the first and the      
second of those penitents4 ,no doubt had
 remained in my mind about the  first1  
but ,i had serious apprehensions about  
the last4 ,several  circumstances1 which
 it would be too long and useless to    
mention here1  were depressing me by the
 fear that all my chaplets1 indulgences1
  medals1 scapulars1 holy waters1 signs 
of the cross1 prayers to the  ,virgin1  
auricular confessions1 absolutions1 used
 in the conversion of  these sinners1   
had not the divine and perfect power of 

a simple look to  the dying ,saviour on 
the cross4 ,i was saying to myself1 with
 anxiety3  8,would it be possible that  
those ,protestants1 who were with me in 
the  carriage1 had the true ways of     
repentance1 pardon1 peace and life      
eternal in that simple look to the great
 victim1 and that we ,roman  ,catholics1
 with our signs of the cross and holy   
waters1 our crucifixes  and prayers to  
the saints1 our scapulars and medals1   
our so humiliating  auricular           
confession1 were only distracting the   
mind1 the soul and the  heart of the    
sinner from the true and only source of 
salvation1 ,christ60  ,in the midst of  
those distressing thoughts1 ,i almost   
regretted having  helped ,chambers in   
giving up his ,protestantism for my     
,romanism4    ,at about #d ,p4 ,m4 ,i   
made a supreme effort to shake off my   
desolation1 and  nerve myself for the   
solemn duties ,god had intrusted to me4 
,i put a few  questions to those        
desolated men1 to see if they were      

really repentant  and converted4 ,their 
answers added to my fears that ,i had   
spoken too  much of the virgins and the 
saints1 the indulgences1 medals and     
scapulars1 integrity of confession1 and 
not enough of ,christ dying on  the     
cross for them4 ,it is true1 ,i had     
spoken of ,christ and his death to      
them1 but this had been so much mixed up
 with exhortation to trust in  ,mary1   
put their confidence in their medals1   
scapulars1 confessions1  etc41 that it  
became almost evident to me that1 in our
 religion1 ,christ  was like a precious 
pearl lost in a mountain of sand and    
dust4 ,this fear  soon caused my        
distress to be unbearable4    ,i then   
went to the private1 neat little room1  
which the gaoler had  kindly allotted to
 me1 and ,i fell on my knees to pray    
,god for myself and  for my poor        
convicts4 ,though this prayer brought   
some calm to my mind1  my distress was  
still very great4 ,it was then that the 
thought came  again to my mind to go to 

the governor and make a new and supreme 
effort  to have the sentence of death   
changed into that of perpetual exile to 
,botany ,bay3 and without a moment of   
delay1 ,i went to his palace4    ,it was
 about #g ,p4 ,m4 when he reluctantly   
admitted me to his presence1  telling   
me1 when shaking hands1 8,i hope1 ,mr4  
,chiniquy1 you are not  coming to renew 
your request of the morning1 for ,i     
cannot grant it40    ,without a word of 
answer1 ,i fell on my knees1 and for    
more than ten  minutes ,i spoke as ,i   
had never spoken before4 ,i spoke as we 
speak when  we are the ambassadors of   
,god in a message of mercy4 ,i spoke    
with my  lips4 ,i spoke with my tears4  
,i spoke with my sobs and cries4 ,i     
spoke  with my supplicating hands lifted
 to heaven4 ,for some time1 the governor
  was mute1 and as if stunned4 ,he was  
not only a noble-minded man1 but he  had
 a most tender1 affectionate and kind   
heart4 ,his tears soon began to  flow   
with mine1 and his sobs mixed with my   

sobs2 with a voice1 half  suffocated by 
his emotion1 he extended his friendly   
hand1 and said3    8,father ,chiniquy1  
you ask me a favor which ,i ought not to
 give1 but ,i  cannot resist your       
arguments1 when your tears1 your sobs1  
and your cries  are like arrows which   
pierce and break my heart4 ,i will give 
you the  favor you ask40    ,it was     
nearly #aj ,p4 ,m4 when ,i knocked at   
the door of the gaoler1 asking  his     
permission to see my dear friends in    
their cells1 to tell them that  ,i had  
obtained their pardon1 that they would  
not die4 ,that gentleman  could hardly  
believe me4 ,it was only after reading  
twice the document ,i  had in my hands  
that he saw that ,i told him the truth4 
,looking at the parchment again1 he     
said3 8,have you noticed that it is     
covered and almost spoiled by the spots 
evidently made with the tears of  the   
governor4 ,you must be a kind of a      
sorcerer to have melted the heart  of   
such a man1 and have wrenched from his  

hands the pardon of such  convicts2 for 
,i know he was absolutely unwilling to  
grant the pardon40    8,i am not a      
sorcerer10 ,i answered4 8,but you       
remember that our ,saviour  ,jesus      
,christ had said1 somewhere1 that he had
 brought a fire from  heaven--well1 it  
is evident that he has thrown some      
sparks of that fire  into my poor heart1
 for it was so fiercely burning when ,i 
was at the  feet of the governor1 that  
,i think ,i would have died at his feet1
 had he  not granted me that favor4 ,no 
doubt that some sparks of that fire have
  also fallen on his soul and in his    
heart when ,i was speaking1 for his     
cries1 his tears and his sobs were      
filling his room1 and showing that he   
was suffering as well as myself4 ,it was
 that he might not be consumed by  that 
fire that he granted my request4 ,i am  
now the most happy man under  heaven4   
,please1 make haste4 ,come with me and  
open the cells of those  unfortunate men
 that ,i may tell what our merciful ,god

 has done for  them40 ,when entering    
their desolated cells ,i was unable to  
contain  myself4 ,i cried out3          
8,rejoice1 and bless the ,lord1 my dear 
friends6 ,you  will not die to-morrow6  
,i bring you your pardon with me60      
,two of them fainted1 and came very near
 dying from excess of surprise  and joy4
 ,the others1 unable to contain their   
emotions1 were crying and  weeping for  
joy4 ,they threw their arms around me to
 press me to their  bosom1 kiss my hands
 and cover them with their tears of joy4
 ,i knelt  with them and thanked ,god1  
after which ,i told them how they must  
promise  to ,god to serve him           
faithfully1 after such a manifestation  
of his  mercies4 ,i read to them the    
#ajjth1 #ajast1 #ajb;d1 and #ajc;d      
,psalms1 and ,i  left them after twelve 
o'clock at night to go and take some    
rest4 ,i was  in need of it after a     
whole day of such work and emotions4    
,the next day1 ,i wanted to see my dear 
prisoners early1 and ,i was with  them  

at #g ,a4 ,m4 ,as the whole country had 
been glad to hear that they  were to be 
hanged that very day1 the crowds were   
beginning to gather at  that early hour 
to witness the death of those great     
culprits4 ,the  feelings of indignation 
were almost unmanageable1 when they     
heard that  they were not to be hanged1 
but only to be exiled for their life to 
,botany ,bay4 ,for a time1 it was feared
 that the mob would break the doors  of 
the gaol and lynch the culprits4 ,though
 very few priests were more  respected  
and loved by the people1 they would have
 probably torn me into  pieces when they
 heard that it was ,i who had deprived  
the gibbet of its  victims1 that day4   
,the chief of police had to take        
extraordinary  measures to prevent the  
wrath of the mob from doing mischief4   
,he advised  me not to show myself for a
 few days1 in the streets4    ,more than
 a month passed before all the thieves  
and murderers in ,canada1  to the number
 of about seventy1 who had been         

sentenced to be exiled to  ,botany ,bay1
 could be gathered into the ship which  
was to take them into  that distant     
land4 ,i thought it was my duty1 during 
that interval1 to  visit my penitents in
 gaol every day1 and instruct them on   
the duties of  the new life they were   
called upon to live4 ,when the day of   
their  departure arrived1 ,i gave a     
,roman ,catholic ,new ,testament1       
translated by  ,de,sacy1 to each of them
 to read and meditate on their long and 
tedious  journey1 and ,i bade them      
adieu1 recommending them to the mercy of
 ,god1  and the protection of the       
,virgin ,mary and all the saints4 ,some 
months1  later1 ,i heard that1 on the   
sea1 ,chambers had cut loose his chains 
and  those of some of his companions1   
with the intention of taking possession 
of the ship1 and escaping on some       
distant shore4 ,but he had been         
betrayed1 and was hanged on his arrival 
at ,liverpool4    ,i had almost lost    
sight of those emotional days of my     

young years of  priesthood4 ,those facts
 were silently lying among the big piles
 of the  daily records1 which ,i had    
faithfully kept since the very days of  
my  collegiate life at ,nicolet1 when1  
in #ahgh1 the ,rev4 ,george ,sutherland1
  ,presbyterian minister1 of ,sydney1   
invited me in the name of the           
noble-hearted ,orangemen and many other 
,christians of that great country1  to  
go and lecture in ,australia4 ,they     
accompanied their invitation with a     
check of #ajj for the traveling expenses
 from ,chicago to that distant  land1   
and ,i accepted their kind invitation4  
,some time after my arrival1 when ,i was
 lecturing in one of the young and      
thriving cities of that country1 whose  
future destinies promise to be so       
great1 a rich carross1 drawn by two     
splendid ,english horses1 driven by  two
 men en livre1 stopped before the house 
where ,i had put up for a  few days4 ,a 
venerable gentleman alighted from the   
carriage and knocked  at the door1 as ,i

 was looking at him from the window4 ,i 
went to the  door1 to save trouble to my
 host1 and ,i opened it4 ,in saluting   
me1 the  stranger said3 8,is ,father    
,chiniquy here80    8,yes1 sir10 ,i     
answered4 8,father ,chiniquy is the     
guest of this family40    8,could ,i    
have the honor of a few minute's        
conversation with him80  replied the old
 gentleman4    8,as ,i am ,father       
,chiniquy1 ,i can1 at once1 answer you  
that ,i will feel  much pleasure in     
granting your request40    8,oh1 dear   
,father ,chiniquy10 quickly replied the 
stranger1 8is it  possible that it is   
you8 ,can ,i be absolutely alone with   
you for half an  hour1 without any one  
to see and hear us80    8,certainly10 ,i
 said2 8my comfortable rooms are        
upstairs1 and ,i am  absolutely alone   
there4 ,please1 sir1 come and follow    
me40    ,when alone1 the stranger said3 
8,do you not know me80    8,how can ,i  
know you1 sir10 ,i answered4 8,i do not 
even remember ever  having seen you40   

8,you have not only seen me1 but you    
have heard the confession of my  sins1  
many times2 and you have spent many     
hours in the same room with  me10       
replied the old gentleman4    8,please  
tell me where and when ,i have seen you1
 and also be kind enough  to give your  
name3 for all those things have escaped 
from my memory40    8,do you remember   
the murderer and thief1 ,chambers1 who  
was condemned to  death in ,quebec1 in  
#ahcg1 with eight of his accomplices80  
asked the  stranger4    8,yes1 sir2 ,i  
remember well ,chambers1 and the        
unfortunate men he was  leading in the  
ways of iniquity10 ,i replied4          
8,well1 dear ,father ,chiniquy1 ,i am   
one of the criminals who filled ,canada 
with terror1 for several years1 and who 
were caught and rightly  condemned to   
death4 ,when condemned1 we selected you 
for our father  confessor1 with the hope
 that through your influence we might   
escape the  gallows2 and we were not    
disappointed4 ,you obtained our pardon2 

the  sentence of death was commuted into
 a life of exile to ,botany ,bay4 ,my   
name in ,canada was ,a----1 but here    
they call me ,b----4 ,god has blessed me
  since in many ways2 but it is to you  
,i owe my life1 and all the  privileges 
of my present existence4 ,after ,god1   
you are my saviour4 ,i  come to thank   
and bless you for what you have done for
 me40    ,in saying that1 he threw      
himself into my arms1 pressed me to his 
heart1  and bathed my face and my hands 
with tears of joy and gratitude4    ,but
 his joy did not exceed mine1 and my    
surprise was equal to my joy to  find   
him apparently in such good             
circumstances4 ,after ,i had knelt with 
him to thank and bless ,god for what ,i 
had heard1 ,i asked him to relate  to me
 the details of his strange and         
marvellous story4 ,here is a short      
resume of his answer3    8,after you had
 given us your last benediction1 when on
 board the ship  which was to take us   
from ,quebec to ,botany ,bay1 the first 

thing ,i did  was to open the ,new      
,testament you had given me and the     
other culprits1  with the advice to read
 it with a praying heart4 ,it was the   
first time  in my life ,i had that book 
in my hand4 ,you were the only priest in
  ,canada who would put such a book in  
the hands of common people4 ,but ,i     
must confess that its first reading did 
not do me much good1 for ,i read  it    
more to amuse myself and satisfy my     
curiosity1 than through any good  and   
,christian motive4 ,the only good ,i    
received from that first reading1  was  
that ,i clearly understood1 for the     
first time1 why the priests of  ,rome   
fear and hate that book1 and why they   
take it out of the hands of  their      
parishioners when they hear that they   
have it4 ,it was in vain that  ,i looked
 for mass1 indulgence1 chaplets1        
purgatory1 auricular  confession1 ,lent1
 holy waters1 the worship of ,mary1 or  
prayers in an  unknown tongue4 ,i       
concluded from my first reading of the  

,gospel that our  priests were very wise
 to prevent us from reading a book which
 was  really demolishing our ,roman     
,catholic ,church1 and felt surprised   
that  you had put in our hands a book   
which seemed to me so opposed to the    
belief and practice of our religion as  
you taught it to us when in gaol1  and  
my confidence in your good judgment was 
much shaken4 ,to tell you the  truth1   
the first reading of the ,gospel went   
far to demolish my ,roman  ,catholic    
faith1 and to make a wreck of the       
religion taught me by my  parents1 and  
at the college1 and even by you4 ,for a 
few weeks1 ,i became  more of a skeptic 
than anything else4 ,the only good that 
first reading  of the ,holy ,book did me
 was to give me more serious thoughts   
and prevent  me from uniting myself to  
,chambers and his conspirators in their 
foolish  plot for taking possession of  
the ship and escaping to some unknown   
and  distant shore4 ,he had been shrewd 
enough to conceal a very small1 but     

exceedingly sharp saw1 between his toes 
before coming to the ship1 with  which  
he had already cut the chains of        
eighteen of the prisoners1 when  he was 
betrayed and hanged on his arrival at   
,liverpool4    8,but if my first reading
 of the ,gospel did not do me much good1
 ,i cannot  say the same thing of the   
second4 ,i remember that1 when handing  
to us  that holy book1 you had told us  
never to read it except after a fervent 
prayer to ,god for help and light to    
understand it4 ,i was really tired of   
my former life4 ,in giving up the fear  
and the love of ,god1 ,i had fallen     
into the deepest abyss of human         
depravity and misery1 till ,i had come  
very near ending my life on the         
scaffold4 ,i felt the need of a change4 
,you had often repeated to us the words 
of our ,saviour1 #8,come unto me all  ye
 who are weary and heavy laden1 and ,i  
will give you rest2' but1 with  all the 
other priests1 you had always mixed     
those admirable and saving  words with  

the invocation of ,mary1 the confidence 
in our medals1  scapulars1 signs of the 
cross1 holy waters1 indulgences1        
auricular  confessions1 that the sublime
 appeal of ,christ had always been1 as  
it  always will be1 drowned in the      
,church of ,rome by those absurd and    
impious superstitions and practices4    
8,one morning1 after ,i had spent a     
sleepless night1 and feeling as  pressed
 down under the weight of my sins1 ,i   
opened my gospel book1 after  an ardent 
prayer for light and guidance1 and my   
eyes fell on these words  of ,john1     
#8,here is the ,lamb of ,god1 who takes 
away the sins of the  world6' ,these    
words fell upon my poor guilty soul with
 a divine1  irresistible power4 ,with   
tears and cries of an unspeakable       
desolation1 ,i  spent the day in crying1
 #8,o ,lamb of ,god1 who taketh away the
 sins of the  world1 have mercy upon me6
 ,take away my sins6' ,the day was not  
over1  when ,i felt and knew that my    
cries had been heard at the mercy-seat4 

,the  ,lamb of ,god had taken away my   
sins6 ,he had changed my heart and made 
quite a new man of me4 ,from that day1  
the reading of the ,gospel was to  my   
soul what bread is to the poor1 hungry  
man1 and what pure and  refreshing      
waters are to the thirsty traveler4 ,my 
joy1 my unspeakable  joy1 was to read   
the holy book1 and speak with my        
companions in chains  of the dear       
,saviour's love for the poor sinners2   
and1 thanks be to ,god1  a good number  
of them have found ,him altogether      
precious1 and have been  sincerely      
converted in the dark holds of that     
ship4 ,when working hard at  ,sydney    
with the other culprits1 ,i felt my     
chains to be as light as  feathers when 
,i was sure that the heavy chains of my 
sins were gone2 and  though working hard
 under a burning sun from morning till  
night1 ,i felt  happy1 and my heart was 
full of joy when ,i was sure that my    
,saviour had  prepared a throne for me  
in ,his kingdom1 and that ,he had       

brought a crown  of eternal glory for me
 by dying on the cross to redeem my     
guilty soul4    8,i had hardly spent a  
year in ,australia1 in the midst of the 
convicts1  when a minister of the       
,gospel1 accompanied by another         
gentleman1 came to  me and said3 #8,your
 perfectly good behavior and your       
,christian life has  attracted the      
attention and admiration of the         
authorities1 and the  governor sends us 
to hand you this document1 which says   
you are no more  a criminal before the  
law1 but that you have your pardon1 and 
you can  live the life of an honorable  
citizen1 by continuing to walk in the   
ways  of ,god4' ,after speaking so1 the 
gentlemen put one hundred dollars in my 
hands1 and added3 #8,go and be a        
faithful follower of the ,lord ,jesus1  
and  ,god ,almighty will bless you and  
make you prosper in all your ways4' ,all
  this seemed to me as a dream or vision
 from heaven4 ,i would hardly  believe  
my ears and my eyes4 ,but it was not a  

dream1 it was a reality4  ,my merciful  
,heavenly ,father had again heard my    
humble supplications2  after having     
taken away the heavy chains of my sins1 
,he had mercifully  taken away the      
chains which wounded my feet and my     
hands4 ,i spent  several days and nights
 in weeping and crying for joy1 and in  
blessing  the ,god of my salvation1     
,jesus the redeemer of my soul and my   
body4    8,some years after that1 we    
heard of the discoveries of the rich    
gold  mines in several parts of         
,australia4    8,after having prayed    
,god to guide me1 ,i bought a bag of    
hard crackers1 a  ham and cheese1 and   
started for the mines in company with   
several who  were going1 like myself1 in
 search of gold4 ,but ,i soon preferred 
to be  alone4 ,for ,i wanted to pray and
 to be united to my ,god1 even when     
walking4 ,after a long march1 ,i reached
 a beautiful spot1 between three  small 
hills1 at the foot of which a little    
brook was running down toward  the plain

 below4 ,the sun was scorching1 there   
was no shade1 and ,i was  much tired1 ,i
 sat on a flat stone to take my dinner1 
and quenched my  thirst with the water  
of the brook4 ,i was eating and blessing
 my ,god at  the same time for ,his     
mercies1 when suddenly my eyes fell on a
 stone by  the brook1 which was about   
the size of a goose egg4 ,but the rays  
of the  sun were dancing on the stone1  
as if it had been a mirror4 ,i went and 
picked it up4 ,the stone was almost all 
gold of the purest kind6 ,it was  almost
 enough to make me rich4 ,i knelt to    
thank and bless ,god for this  new token
 of his mercy toward me1 and ,i began to
 look around to see if ,i  could not    
find some new pieces of the precious    
metal1 and you may  imagine my joy1 when
 ,i found that the ground was not only  
literally  covered with pieces of gold  
of every size1 from half an inch to the 
smallest dimensions1 but that the very  
sand1 in great part1 was composed  of   
gold4 ,in a very short time1 it was the 

will of ,god that ,i could carry  to the
 bank particles of gold to the value of 
several thousand pounds4 ,i  continued  
to cover myself with rags and have old  
boots on1 in order not  to excite the   
suspicion of any one on the fortune     
which ,i was  accumulating so rapidly4  
,when ,i had about #hj1jjj deposited in 
the  banks1 a gentleman offered me      
#hj1jjj more for my claim1 and ,i sold  
it4  ,the money was invested by me on a 
piece of land which soon became the     
site of an important city1 and ,i soon  
became one of the wealthy men of        
,australia4 ,i then began to study hard 
and improve the little education ,i  had
 received in ,canada4 ,i married1 and my
 ,god has made me father of  several    
children4 ,the people where ,i settled  
with my fortune and wife1  not knowing  
my antecedents1 have raised me to the   
first dignities of the  place4 ,please1 
dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 come and take      
dinner with me1  to-morrow1 that ,i may 
show you my house and some of my other  

properties1  and also that ,i may       
introduce you to my wife and children4  
,but let me  ask the favor not to make  
them suspect that you have known me in  
,canada1  for they think ,i am an       
,european40 ,when telling me his        
marvellous  adventures1 which ,i am     
obliged to condense and abridge1 his    
voice was1  many times1 choked by his   
emotion his tears and his sobs1 and more
 than  once he had to stop4 ,as for me1 
,i was absolutely beside myself with    
admiration at the mysterious ways       
through which ,god leads his elect1 in  
all ages4 ,now1 ,i understand why my    
,god had given me such a marvellous     
power over the governor of ,canada1 when
 ,i wrenched your pardon from his  hands
 almost in spite of himself1 ,i said3   
8,that merciful ,god wanted to  save    
you1 and you are saved6 ,may his name be
 forever blessed40    ,the next day1 it 
was my privilege to be with his family1 
at dinner4 ,and  never have ,i seen a   
more happy mother1 and a more           

interesting family4  ,the long table was
 actually surrounded by them4 ,after    
dinner1 he showed  me his beautiful     
garden and his rich palace1 after which1
 throwing  himself into my arms1 he     
said3 8,dear ,father ,chiniquy1 all     
those things  belong to you4 ,it is to  
you1 after ,god1 that ,i owe my life1   
all the  blessings of a large and       
,christian family1 and the honor of the 
high  position ,i have in this country4 
,may the ,god of ,heaven for ever bless 
you for what you have done for me40 ,i  
answered him3 8,dear friend1 you  owe me
 nothing1 ,i have been nothing but a    
feeble instrument of the  mercies of    
,god toward you4 ,to that great and     
merciful ,god alone be the  praise and  
the glory4 ,please ask your family to   
come here and join with  us in singing  
to the praise of ,god the #ajc;d        
,psalm40 ,and we sang  together3        
8,praise the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and let 
all that is within me  praise ,his holy 
name4    8,he hath not dealt with us    

after our sins1 nor rewarded us         
according to  our iniquities4    8,for  
as the heaven is high above the earth1  
so great is his mercy toward  them that 
fear him4    8,as far as the east is    
from the west1 so far hath ,he removed  
our  transgressions from us4    8,like  
as a father pitieth his children1 so the
 ,lord pitieth them that  fear ,him40   
,after the singing of that hymn1 ,i bade
 him adieu for the second time1  never  
to meet him again except in that        
,promised ,land1 where we will sing  the
 eternal ,alleluia around the throne of 
the ,lamb1 who was slain for  us1 and   
who redeemed us all in ,his blood4      
,,chapter ,,xxxii4    ,,the ,,miracles  
,,of ,,rome--,,attack ,,of ,,typhoid    
,,fever--,,apparition ,,of ,,st4 ,,anne 
,,and    ,,st4 ,,philomene--,,my        
,,sudden ,,cure--,,the ,,curate ,,of    
,,st4 ,,anne ,,du ,,nord1 ,,mons        
,,ranvoize1 ,a ,,disguised ,,protestant4
      ,the merchant fleet of the fall of
 #ahcf had filled the ,marine ,hospital 

of  ,quebec with the victims of a       
ship-typhoid fever of the worst kind1   
which  soon turned into an epidemic4    
,within the walls of that institution   
,mr4  ,glackmeyer1 the superintendent1  
with two of the attending doctors1 and  
the majority of the servants1 were swept
 away during the winter months4    ,i   
was1 in the spring of #ahcg1 almost the 
only one spared by that  horrible pest4 
,in order not to spread terror among the
 citizens of  ,quebec1 the physicians   
and ,i had determined to keep that a    
secret4 ,but1  at the end of ,may1 ,i   
was forced to reveal it to the ,bishop  
of ,quebec1 ,my  ,lord ,signaie2 for ,i 
felt in my whole frame1 the first       
symptoms of the  merciless disease4 ,i  
prepared myself to die1 as very few who 
had been  attacked by it had escaped4 ,i
 went to the bishop1 told him the truth 
about the epidemic1 and requested him to
 appoint a priest1 immediately1  as     
chaplain in my place1 for ,i added1 ,i  
feel the poison running through  my     

veins1 and it is very probable that ,i  
have not more than ten or  twelve days  
to live4    ,the young ,mons ,d4        
,estimanville was chosen1 and though ,i 
felt very weak1  ,i thought it was my   
duty to initiate him in his new and     
perilous work4 ,i  took him immediately 
to the hospital1 where he never had been
 before1  and1 when at a few feet from  
the door1 ,i said3 8,my young friend1 it
 is  my duty to tell you that there is a
 dangerous epidemic raging in that      
house since last fall1 nothing has been 
able to stop it4 ,the  superintendent1  
two physicians and most of the servants 
have been its  victims4 ,my escape till 
now is almost miraculous4 ,but these    
last ten  hours ,i feel the poison      
running through my whole body4 ,you are 
called by  ,god to take my place2 but   
before you cross the threshold of that  
hospital1 you must make the generous    
sacrifice of your life2 for you are     
going on a battle-field from which only 
few have come out with their  lives40   

,the young priest turned pale and said3 
8,is it possible that such a  deadly    
epidemic is raging where you are taking 
me80 ,i answered3 8,yes6 my  dear young 
brother1 it is a fact1 and ,i consider  
it my duty to tell you  not to enter    
that house1 if you are afraid to die60  
,a few minutes of silence followed1 and 
it was a solemn silence1 indeed6  ,did  
the angels of ,god appear to show him   
the crown given to those who  die for   
their brethren8 ,i do not know4 ,what ,i
 do know is that1 a few  months later1  
that young priest won the glorious crown
 by falling at his  post of duty4 ,he   
then took his handkerchief and wiped    
away some big  drops of sweat1 which    
were rolling from his forehead on his   
cheeks1 and  said3 8,is there a more    
holy and desirable way of dying than in 
ministering to the spiritual and        
temporal wants of my brethren8 ,no6 ,if 
it is the will of ,god that ,i should   
fall when fighting at this post of      
danger1 ,i am ready4 ,let his holy will 

be done40    ,he followed me into the   
pestilential house with the heroic step 
of the  soldier who runs at the command 
of his general to storm an impregnable  
citadel1 when he is sure to fall4 ,it   
took me more than an hour to show  him  
all the rooms1 and introduce him to the 
poor1 but very dear sick and  dying     
mariners4    ,i felt then so exhausted  
that two friends had to support me on my
 return  to the parsonage of ,st4 ,roch4
 ,my physicians were immediately called 
7one  of them1 ,dr4 ,rousseau1 is still 
living7 and soon pronounced my case so  
dangerous that three other physicians   
were called in consultation4 ,for  nine 
days1 ,i suffered the most horrible     
tortures in my brains and the  very     
marrow of my bones1 from the fever1     
which so devoured my flesh1 as  to      
seemingly leave but the skin4    ,on the
 ninth day1 the physicians told the     
bishop1 who had visited me1  that there 
was no hope for my recovery4 ,the last  
sacraments were  administered to me1 and

 ,i prepared myself to die1 as taught by
 the  ,church of ,rome4 ,the tenth day  
,i was absolutely motionless1 and not   
able  to utter a word4 ,my tongue was   
parched like a piece of dry wood4       
,through the terrible ravage on the     
whole system1 my very eyes were so      
turned inside their orbits1 the white   
part only could be seen2 no food  could 
be taken from the beginning of the      
sickness except a few drops of  cold    
water1 which were dropped through my    
teeth with much difficulty4  ,but1      
though all my physical faculties seemed 
dead1 my memory and my  intelligence    
were full of life1 and acting with more 
power than ever4  ,now and then1 in the 
paroxysms of the fever1 ,i used to see  
awful  visions4 ,at one time1 suspended 
by a thread at the top of a high        
mountain1 with my head down over a      
bottomless abyss2 at another1           
surrounded by merciless enemies1 whose  
daggers and swords were plunged  through
 my body4 ,but these were of short      

duration1 though they have left  such an
 impression on my mind that ,i still    
remember the minutest  details4 ,death  
had at first no terrors for me4 ,i had  
done1 to the best  of my ability1 all   
that my church had told me to do to be  
saved4 ,i had1  every day1 given my last
 cent to the poor1 fasted and done      
penance  almost enough to kill myself1  
made my confessions with the greatest   
care  and sincerity1 preached with such 
zeal and earnestness as to fill the     
whole city with admiration4    ,my      
pharisaical virtues and holiness1 in a  
word1 were of such a glaring  and       
deceitful character1 and my             
ecclesiastical superiors were so taken  
by them that they made the greatest     
efforts to persuade me to become the    
first ,bishop of ,oregon and ,vancouver4
    ,one after the other1 all the saints
 of heaven1 beginning with the ,holy    
,virgin ,mary1 were invoked by me that  
they might pray ,god to look down  upon 
me in mercy1 and save my soul4    ,on   

the thirteenth night1 as the doctors    
were retiring1 they whispered to  the   
,revs4 ,baillargeon and ,parent1 who    
were at my bedside3 8,he is dead1  or if
 not1 he has only a few minutes to live4
 ,he is already cold and  breathless1   
and we cannot feel his pulse40 ,though  
these words had been  said in a very low
 tone1 they fell upon my ears as a peal 
of thunder4  ,the two young priests1 who
 were my devoted friends1 filled the    
room with  such cries1 that the curate  
and the priest1 who had gone to rest1   
rushed  to my room1 and mingled their   
tears and cries with theirs4    ,the    
words of the doctor1 8,he is dead60 were
 ringing in my ears as the  voice of a  
hurricane2 ,i suddenly saw that ,i was  
in danger of being  buried alive2 no    
words can express the sense of horror ,i
 felt at that  idea4 ,a cold1 icy wave  
began to move slowly1 but it seemed to  
me1 with  irresistible force1 from the  
extremities of my feet and hands toward 
the  heart1 as the first symptoms of    

approaching death4 ,at that moment1 ,i  
made a great effort to see what hope ,i 
might have of being saved1  invoking the
 help of the blessed ,virgin ,mary4     
,with lightning rapidity1 a  terrible   
vision struck my mind2 ,i saw all my    
good works and penances1 in  which my   
church had told me to trust for         
salvation1 in the balance of  the       
justice of ,god4 ,these were in one side
 of the scales1 and my sins on  the     
other4 ,my good works seemed only as a  
grain of sand compared with  the weight 
of my sins4,b    -----    ,footnote ,b3 
,in order to be understood by those of  
my readers who have never been          
deceived by the diabolical doctrines of 
the ,church of ,rome1 ,i must say       
here1 that when young ,i had learned all
 my ,catechism1 and when a    priest1 ,i
 had believed and preached what ,rome   
says on that subject4    ,here is her   
doctrine as taught in her ,catechism3   
8,who are those who go to heaven80      
,,ans4 8,those only who have never      

offended ,god1 or who1 having offended  
,him1 have done penance40    -----      
,this awful vision entirely destroyed my
 false and pharisaical security1  and   
filled my soul with an unspeakable      
terror4 ,i could not cry to ,jesus      
,christ1 nor to ,god1 his ,father1 for  
mercy2 for ,i sincerely believed what   
my church had taught me on that subject1
 that they were both angry with  me on  
account of my sins4 ,with much anxiety1 
,i turned my thoughts1 my  soul and     
hopes toward ,st4 ,anne and ,st         
,philomene4 ,the first was the  object  
of my confidences since the first time  
,i had seen the numberless  crutches and
 other 8,ex ,votos0 which covered the   
,church of 8,la ,bonne ,st4  ,anne du   
,nord10 and the second was the saint a  
la mode4 ,it was said  that her body had
 lately been miraculously discovered1   
and the world was  filled with the noise
 of the miracles wrought through her    
intercession4  ,her medals were on every
 breast1 her pictures in every house1   

and her  name on all lips4 ,with entire 
confidence in the will and power of     
these  two saints to obtain any favor   
for me1 ,i invoked them to pray ,god to 
grant me a few years more of life2 and  
with the utmost honesty of  purpose1 ,i 
promised to add to my penances1 and to  
live a more holy life1  by consecrating 
myself with more zeal than ever1 to the 
service of the  poor and the sick4 ,i   
added to my former prayer1 the solemn   
promise to  have a painting of the two  
saints put in ,st4 ,anne's ,church1 to  
proclaim  to the end of the world their 
great power in heaven1 if they would    
obtain my cure and restore my health4   
,strange to say6 the last words of  my  
prayer were scarcely uttered1 when ,i   
saw above my head ,st4 ,anne and  ,st4  
,philomene1 sitting in the midst of a   
great light1 on a beautiful  golden     
cloud4 ,st4 ,anne was very old and      
grave1 but ,st4 ,philomene was  very    
young and beautiful4 ,both were looking 
at me with great kindness4    ,however1 

the kindness of ,st4 ,anne was mixed    
with such an air of awe and  gravity1   
that ,i did not like her looks2 while   
,st4 ,philomene had such an  expression 
of superhuman love and kindness1 that ,i
 felt myself drawn to  her by a magnetic
 power1 when she said distinctly3 8,you 
will be cured60  and the vision         
disappeared4    ,but ,i was cured1      
perfectly cured6 ,at the disappearance  
of the two  saints1 ,i felt as though an
 electric shock went through my whole   
frame2  the pains were gone1 the tongue 
was untied1 the nerves were restored to 
their natural and easy power2 my eyes   
were opened1 the cold and icy  waves    
which were fast going from the          
extremities to the regions of the       
heart1 seemed to be changed into a most 
pleasant warm bath1 restoring  life and 
strength to every part of my body4 ,i   
raised my head1 stretched  out my hands1
 which ,i had not moved for three days1 
and looking around1  ,i saw the four    
priests4 ,i said to them3 8,i am cured1 

please give me  something to eat1 ,i am 
hungry40    ,astonished beyond measure1 
two of them threw their arms around my  
shoulders to help me sit a moment1 and  
change my pillow2 when two others  ran  
to the table which the kind nuns of     
,quebec had covered with  delicacies in 
case ,i might want them4 ,their joy was 
mixed with fear1 for  they all confessed
 to me afterwards that they at once     
thought that all  this was nothing but  
the last brilliant flash of light which 
the  flickering lamp gives before dying 
away4 ,but they soon changed their      
minds when they saw that ,i was eating  
ravenously1 and that ,i was  speaking to
 them and thanking ,god with a cheerful 
though very feeble  voice4 8,what does  
this mean80 they all said4 8,the doctors
 told us last  evening that you were    
dead2 and we have passed the night not  
only  weeping over your death1 but      
praying for your soul1 to rescue it from
  the flames of purgatory1 and now you  
look so hungry1 so cheerful and so      

well40    ,i answered3 8,it means that  
,i was not dead1 but very near dying1   
and when  ,i felt that ,i was to die1 ,i
 prayed to ,st4 ,anne and ,st4          
,philomene to come  to my help and cure 
me2 and they have come4 ,i have seen    
them both1  there1 above my head4 ,ah6  
if ,i were a painter1 what a beautiful  
picture  ,i could make of that dear old 
,st4 ,anne and the still dearer ,st4    
,philomene6 for it is ,st4 ,philomene   
who has spoken to me as the messenger   
of the mercies of ,god4 ,i have promised
 to have their portraits painted  and   
put into the church of ,the ,good ,st4  
,anne du ,nord40    ,while ,i was       
speaking thus1 the priests1 filled with 
admiration and awe1  were mute2 they    
could not speak1 except with tears of   
gratitude4 ,they  honestly believed with
 me that my cure was miraculous1 and    
consented  with pleasure to sing that   
beautiful hymn of gratitude1 the 8,te   
,deum40    ,the next morning the news of
 my miraculous cure spread through the  

whole  city with the rapidity of        
lightning1 for besides a good number of 
the  first citizens of ,quebec who were 
related to me by blood1 ,i had not less 
than #a1hjj penitents who loved and     
respected me as their spiritual  father4
    ,to give an idea of the kind        
interest of the numberless friends whom 
,god  had given me when in ,quebec1 ,i  
will relate a single fact4 ,the citizens
  who were near our parsonage1 having   
been told by a physician that the       
inflammation of my brain was so terrible
 that the least noise1 even the  passing
 of carriages or the walking of horses  
on the streets1 was  causing me real    
torture1 they immediately covered all   
the surrounding  streets with several   
inches of straw to prevent the          
possibility of any  more noise4    ,the 
physicians having heard of my sudden    
cure1 hastened to come and see  what it 
meant4 ,at first1 they could scarcely   
believe their eyes4 ,the  night before1 
they had given me up for dead1 after    

thirteen days  suffering with the most  
horrible and incurable of diseases6 ,and
 there ,i  was1 the very next morning1  
perfectly cured6 ,no more pain1 not the 
least  remnant of fever1 all the        
faculties of my body and mind perfectly 
restored6    ,they minutely asked me all
 the circumstances connected with that  
strange1 unexpected cure2 and ,i told   
them simply but plainly1 how1 at  the   
very moment ,i expected to die1 ,i had  
fervently prayed to ,st4 ,anne  and ,st4
 ,philomene1 and how they had come1     
spoken to me and cured me4    ,two of my
 physicians were ,roman ,catholics1 and 
three ,protestants4 ,they1  at first1   
looked at each other without saying a   
word4 ,it was evident  that they were   
not all partakers of my strong faith in 
the power of the  two saints4 ,while the
 ,roman ,catholic doctors1 ,messrs4     
,parent and  ,rousseau1 seemed to       
believe in my miraculous cure1 the      
,protestants  energetically protested   
against that view in the name of science

 and  common sense4    ,dr4 ,douglas put
 me the following questions1 and        
received the following  answers4 ,he    
said3    8,dear ,father ,chiniquy1 you  
know you have not a more devoted friend 
in  ,quebec than ,i1 and you know me too
 well to suspect that ,i want to hurt   
your religious feelings when ,i tell you
 that there is not the least  appearance
 of a miracle in your so happy and      
sudden cure4 ,if you will be  kind      
enough to answer my questions1 you will 
see that you are mistaken  in           
attributing to a miracle a thing which  
is most common and natural4  ,though you
 are perfectly cured1 you are very weak2
 please answer only  #8yes' or #8no' to 
my questions1 in order not to exhaust   
yourself4 ,will  you be so kind as to   
tell us if this is the first vision you 
have had  during the period of that     
terrible fever80    ,,ans4 ,i have had  
many other visions1 but ,i took them as 
being the effect  of the fever4         
,,doctor4 ,please make your answers     

shorter1 or else ,i will not ask you    
another question1 for it would hurt you4
 ,tell us simply1 if you have not  seen 
in those visions1 at times1 very        
frightful and terrible1 and at  others1 
very beautiful things8    ,,ans4 ,yes1  
sir4    ,,doctor4 ,have not those       
visions stamped themselves on your mind 
with such  a power and vividness that   
you never forget them1 and that you deem
 them  more realities than mere visions 
of a sickly brain8    ,,ans4 ,yes1 sir4 
,,doctor4 ,did you not feel1 sometimes1 
much worse1 and sometimes much  better  
after those visions1 according to their 
nature8    ,,ans4 ,yes1 sir4            
,,doctor4 ,when at ease in your mind    
during that disease1 were you not used  
to pray to the saints1 particularly to  
,st4 ,anne and ,st4 ,philomene8         
,,ans4 ,yes1 sir4    ,,doctor4 ,when you
 considered that death was very near    
7and it was indeed7  when you had heard 
my imprudent sentence that you had only 
a few minutes  to live1 were you not    

taken suddenly by such a fear of death  
as you  never felt before8    ,,ans4    
,yes1 sir4    ,,doctor4 ,did you not    
then make a great effort to repel death 
from you8    ,,ans4 ,yes1 sir4          
,,doctor4 ,do you know that you are a   
man of an exceedingly strong will1  and 
that very few men can resist you when   
you want to do something8 ,do  you not  
know that your will is such an          
exceptional power that mountains  of    
difficulties have disappeared before    
you1 here in ,quebec8 ,have you  not    
seen even me1 with many others1 yielding
 to your will almost in  spite of       
ourselves1 to do what you wanted8       
,with a smile1 ,i answered1 8,yes1 sir40
    ,,doctor4 ,do you not know that the 
will1 or if you like it better1 the     
soul1 has a real1 mysterious1 and       
sometimes an irresistible1 power over   
the body1 to silence its passions1 calm 
its sufferings1 and really heal  its    
diseases1 particularly when they are of 
a nervous nature1 as in all  cases of   

fever8    ,,ans4 ,yes1 sir6 ,i know     
that4    ,,doctor4 ,do you not remember 
seeing1 many times1 people suffering    
dreadfully from toothache1 coming to us 
to have their teeth extracted1  who were
 suddenly cured at the sight of the     
knives and other surgical  instruments  
we put upon the table for use8    ,i    
answered1 with a laugh1 8,yes1 sir4 ,i  
have seen that very often1 and it  has  
occurred to me once40    ,,doctor4 ,do  
you think that there was a supernatural 
power1 then1 in the  surgical           
implements1 and that those sudden cures 
of toothache were  miraculous8    ,,ans4
 ,no1 sir4    ,,doctor4 ,have you not   
read the volume of the ,medical         
,directory ,i lent  you1 on typhoid     
fever1 where several cures exactly like 
yours are  reported8    ,,ans4 ,yes1    
sir4    ,then1 addressing the           
physicians1 ,dr4 ,douglas said to them3 
8,we must not exhaust our dear ,father  
,chiniquy4 ,we are too happy to see  him
 full of life again1 but from his       

answers you understand that there  is no
 miracle here4 ,his happy and sudden    
cure is a very natural and  common      
thing4 ,the vision was what we call the 
turning-point of the  disease1 when the 
mind is powerfully bent on some very    
exciting object1  when that mysterious  
thing of which we know so little as yet1
 called the  will1 the spirit1 the soul1
 fights as a giant against death1 in    
which  battle1 pains1 diseases1 and even
 death1 are put to flight and           
conquered4    8,my dear ,father         
,chiniquy1 from your own lips we have   
it2 you have  fought1 last night1 the   
fever and approaching death1 as a giant4
 ,no  wonder that you won the victory1  
and ,i confess1 it is a great victory4  
,i  know it is not the first victory you
 have gained1 and ,i am sure it will    
not be the last4 ,it is surely ,god who 
has given you that irresistible  will4  
,in that sense only does your cure come 
from ,him4 ,continue to fight  and      
conquer as you have done last night1 and

 you will live a long life4  ,death will
 long remember its defeat of last night1
 and will not dare  approach you any    
more1 except when you will be so old    
that you will ask  it to come as a      
friend1 and put an end to the miseries  
of this present  life4 ,good-bye40      
,and with friendly smiles1 all the      
doctors pressed my hand and left me1    
just as the bishop and the curate of    
,quebec1 ,mons4 ,baillargeon1 my        
confessor1 were entering the room4      
,an old proverb says3 8,there is nothing
 so difficult as to persuade a man  who 
does not want to be persuaded40 ,though 
the reasoning and kind words  of the    
doctor ought to have been gladly        
listened to by me1 they had only        
bothered me4 ,it was infinitely more    
pleasant1 and it seemed then1 more      
agreeable to ,god1 and more according to
 my faith in the power of the  saints in
 heaven1 to believe that ,i had been    
miraculously cured4 ,of  course1 the    
bishop with his coadjutor1 and my ,lord 

,turgeon1 as well as  my confessor1 with
 the numberless priests and ,roman      
,catholics who  visited me during my    
convalescence1 confirmed me in my views4
    ,the skillful painter1 ,mr4         
,plamondon1 recently from ,rome1 was    
called1 and  painted at the price of    
#bjj 7#ej7 the tableau1 ,i had promised 
to put in  the church of ,st4 ,anne du  
,nord4 ,it was one of the most beautiful
 and  remarkable paintings of that      
artist1 who had passed several years in 
the  ,capitol of ,fine ,arts in ,italy1 
where he had gained a very good         
reputation for his ability4    ,three   
months after my recovery1 ,i was at the 
parsonage of the curate of  ,st4 ,anne1 
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,ranvoize1 a relative of 
mine4 ,he was about #fd  years of age1  
very rich1 and had a magnificent        
library4 ,when young he  had enjoyed the
 reputation of being one of the best    
preachers in ,canada4    ,never had ,i  
been so saddened and scandalized as ,i  
was by him on this  occasion4 ,it was   

evening when ,i arrived with my tableau4
 ,as soon as we  were left alone1 the   
old curate said3 8,is it possible1 my   
dear young  cousin1 that you will make  
such a fool of yourself to-morrow8 ,that
  so-called miraculous cure is nothing  
but 8natur suprema vis10 as the  learned
 of all ages have called it4 ,your      
so-called vision was a dream of  your   
sickly brain1 as it generally occurs at 
the moment of the supreme  crisis of the
 fever4 ,it is what is called the       
8turning-point0 of the  disease1 when a 
desperate effort of nature kills or     
cures the patient4  ,as for the vision  
of that beautiful girl1 whom you call   
,st4 ,philomene1  who has done you so   
much good1 she is not the first girl1   
surely1 who  has come to you in your    
dreams1 and done you good60 ,at these   
words he  laughed so heartily that ,i   
feared he would split his sides4 ,twice 
he  repeated this unbecoming joke4    ,i
 was1 at first1 so shocked at this      
unexpected rebuke1 which ,i  considered 

as bordering on blasphemy1 that ,i came 
very near taking my  hat1 without       
answering a word1 to go and spend the   
night at his  brother's2 but1 after a   
moment's reflection1 ,i said to him3    
8,how can you speak with such levity on 
so solemn a thing8 ,do you not  believe 
in the power of the saints1 who1 being  
more holy and pure than  we are1 see    
,god face to face1 speak to ,him and    
obtain favors which he  would refuse to 
us rebels8 ,are you not the daily       
witness of the  miraculous cures wrought
 in your own church1 under your own     
eyes8 ,why  those thousands of crutches 
which literally cover the walls of your 
church80    ,my strong faith1 and the   
earnestness of my appeal to the daily   
miracles  of which he was the witness1  
and above all1 the mention of the       
numberless crutches suspended all over  
the walls of his church1 brought  again 
from him such a ,homeric laugh1 that ,i 
was disconcerted and  saddened beyond   
measure4 ,i remained absolutely mute2 ,i

 wished ,i had  never come into such    
company4    ,when he had laughed at me  
to his heart's content1 he said3 8,my   
dear  cousin1 you are the first one to  
whom ,i speak in this way4 ,i do it     
because1 first3 ,i consider you a man of
 intelligence1 and hope you will        
understand me4 ,secondly3 because you   
are my cousin4 ,were you one of  those  
idiotic priests1 real blockheads1 who   
form the clergy of to-day2  or1 were you
 a stranger to me1 ,i would let you go  
your way1 and believe  in those         
ridiculous1 degrading superstitions of  
our poor ignorant and  blind people1 but
 ,i know you from your infancy1 and ,i  
have known your  father1 who was one of 
my dearest friends2 the blood which     
flows in your  veins1 passes thousands  
of times every day through my heart4    
,you are  very young and ,i very old4   
,it is a duty of honor and conscience in
 me to  reveal to you a thing which ,i  
have thought better to keep till now1 a 
secret between ,god and myself4 ,i have 

been here more than thirty years1  and  
though our country is constantly filled 
with the noise of the great  and small  
miracles wrought in my church1 every    
day1 ,i am ready to swear  before ,god1 
and to prove to any man of common sense1
 that not a single  miracle has been    
wrought in my church since ,i have come 
here4 ,every one  of the facts given to 
the ,canadian people as miraculous      
cures1 are sheer  impositions1          
deceptions1 the work of either fools1 or
 the work of  skillful impostors and    
hypocrites1 whether priests or laymen4  
,believe  me1 my dear cousin1 ,i have   
studied carefully the history of all    
those  crutches4 ,ninety-nine out of a  
hundred have been left by poor1 lazy    
beggars1 who1 at first1 thought with    
good reason that1 by walking from  door 
to door with one or two crutches1 they  
would create more sympathy  and bring   
more into their purses2 for how many    
will indignantly turn out  of doors a   
lazy1 strong and healthful beggar1 who  

will feel great  compassion1 and give   
largely to a man who is crippled1 unable
 to work1  and forced to drag himself   
painfully on crutches8 ,those crutches  
are1  then1 passports from door to door4
 ,they are the very keys to open both   
the hearts and purses4 ,but the day     
comes when that beggar has bought a     
pretty good farm with his stolen alms2  
or when he is really tired1  disgusted  
with his crutches and wants to get rid  
of them6 ,how can he do  that without   
compromising himself8    8,by a miracle6
 ,then1 he will sometimes travel again  
hundreds of miles  from door to door1   
begging as usual1 but this time1 he asks
 the prayers  of the whole family1      
saying1 #8,i am going to the #8good ,st4
 ,anne du ,nord'  to ask her to cure my 
leg 7or legs74 ,i hope she will cure me1
 as she has  cured so many others1 ,i   
have great confidence in her power6'0   
8,each one gives twice1 nay1 ten times  
as much as before to the poor  cripple1 
making him promise that if he is cured1 

he will come back and  show himself1    
that they may bless the good ,st4 ,anne 
with him4 ,when he  arrives here1 he    
gives me sometimes one1 sometimes five  
dollars1 to say  mass for him4 ,i take  
the money1 for ,i would be a fool to    
refuse it when  ,i know that his purse  
has been so well filled4 ,during the    
celebration of  the mass1 when he       
receives the communion1 ,i hear         
generally1 a great  noise1 cries of joy6
 ,a miracle6 ,a miracle66 ,the crutches 
are thrown on  the floor1 and the       
cripple walks as well as you or ,i6 ,and
 the last act  of that religious comedy 
is the most lucrative one1 for he       
fulfills his  promise of stopping at    
every house he had ever been seen with  
his  crutches4 ,he narrates how he was  
miraculously cured1 how his feet and    
legs became suddenly all right4 ,tears  
of joy and admiration flow from  every  
eye4 ,the last cent of that family is   
generally given to the  impostor1 who   
soon grows rich at the expense of his   

dupes4 ,this is the  plain1 but true    
story1 of ninety-nine out of every      
hundred of the cures  wrought in my     
church4 ,the hundredth1 is upon people  
as honest1 but1  pardon me the          
expression1 as blind and superstitious  
as you are2 they  are really cured1 for 
they were really sick4 ,but their cures 
are the  natural effects of the great   
efforts of the will4 ,it is the result  
of a  happy combination of natural      
causes which work together on the frame1
  and kill the pain1 expel the disease  
and restore to health1 just as ,i  was  
cured of a most horrible toothache1 some
 years ago4 ,in the paroxysm1  ,i went  
to the dentist and requested him to     
extract the affected tooth4  ,hardly had
 his knife and other surgical           
instruments come before my eyes  than   
the pain disappeared4 ,i quietly took my
 hat and left1 bidding a  hearty        
#8good-by' to the dentist1 who laughed  
at me every time we met1 to  his heart's
 content4    8,one of the weakest points

 of our religion is in the ridiculous1  
,i  venture to say1 diabolical miracles1
 performed and believed every day  among
 us1 with the so-called relics and bones
 of the saints4    8,but1 don't you know
 that1 for the most part1 these relics  
are nothing  but chickens' or sheeps'   
bones4 ,and what could not say1 were ,i 
to tell  you of what ,i know of the     
daily miraculous impostures of the      
scapulars1  holy water1 chaplets and    
medals of every kind4 ,were ,i a pope1  
,i would  throw all these mummeries1    
which come from paganism1 to the bottom 
of  the sea1 and would present to the   
eyes of the sinners1 nothing but        
,christ and ,him crucified as the object
 of their faith1 invocation and  hope1  
for this life and the next1 just as the 
,apostle ,paul1 ,peter and  ,james do in
 their ,epistles40    ,i cannot repeat  
here1 all that ,i heard1 that night1    
from that old  relative1 against the    
miracles1 relics1 scapulars1 purgatory1 
false  saints and ridiculous practices  

of the ,church of ,rome4 ,it would take 
too  long1 for he spoke three hours as a
 real ,protestant4 ,sometimes what he   
said to me seemed according to common   
sense1 but as it was against the        
practices of my church1 and against my  
personal practices1 ,i was  exceedingly 
scandalized and pained1 and not at all  
convinced4 ,i pitied  him for having    
lost his former faith and piety4 ,i told
 him at the end1  without ceremony3 8,i 
heard1 long ago1 that the bishops did   
not like you1  but ,i knew not why4     
,however1 if they could hear what you   
think and say  here about the miracles  
of ,st4 ,anne1 they would surely        
interdict you40    8,will you betray    
me80 he added1 8and will you report our 
conversation to  the bishop80    8,no1  
my cousin10 ,i replied1 8,i would prefer
 to be burned to ashes4 ,i  will not    
sell your kind hospitality for the      
traitor's money40    ,it was two o'clock
 in the morning when we parted to go to 
our sleeping  rooms4 ,but that night was

 again a sleepless one to me4 ,was it   
not too  sad and strange for me to see  
that that old and learned priest was    
secretly a ,protestant6    ,the next    
morning1 the crowds began to arrive1 not
 by hundreds1 but by  thousands1 from   
the surrounding parishes4 ,the channel  
between 8,l',isle  ,d',orleans0 and ,st4
 ,anne1 was literally covered with boats
 of every size1  laden with men and     
women who wanted to hear from my own    
lips1 the  history of my miraculous     
cure1 and see1 with their own eyes1 the 
picture  of the two saints who had      
appeared to me4 ,at #aj ,a4 ,m41 more   
than #aj1jjj  people were crowded inside
 and outside the walls of the ,church4  
,no words can give an idea of my emotion
 and of the emotion of the  multitude   
when1 after telling them in a simple and
 plain way1 what ,i  then considered a  
miraculous fact1 ,i disclosed to their  
eyes1 and  presented it to their        
admiration and worship4 ,there were     
tears rolling  on every cheek and cries 

of admiration and joy from every lip4   
,the picture represented me dying in my 
bed of sufferings1 and the two  saints  
seen1 at a distance1 above me1 and      
stretching their hands1 as if  to say3  
8,you will be cured40 ,it was hung on   
the walls1 in a conspicuous  place1     
where thousands and thousands have come 
to worship it from that  day to the year
 #aheh1 when the curate was ordered by  
the bishop to burn  it1 for it had      
pleased our merciful ,god1 that very    
year1 to take away  the scales which    
were on my eyes and show me his saving  
light1 and ,i had  published all over   
,canada1 my terrible1 though            
unintentional error1 in  believing in   
that false miracle4 ,i1 however1 was    
honest in my belief in  a miraculous    
cure2 and the apparition of the two     
saints had left such a  deep impression 
on my mind1 that1 ,i confess it to my   
shame1 the first  week after my         
conversion1 ,i very often said to       
myself3 8,how is it that ,i  now believe

 that the ,church of ,rome is false1    
when such a miracle has  been wrought on
 me as one of her priests80    ,but1 our
 ,god1 whose mercies are infinite1      
knowing my honesty when a  slave of     
,popery1 was determined to give me the  
full understanding of my  errors in this
 way4    ,about a month after my        
conversion1 in #aheh1 ,i had to visit a 
dying ,irish  convert from ,romanism1   
who had caught in ,chicago1 the same    
fever which  so nearly killed me at the 
,marine ,hospital of ,quebec4 ,i again  
caught the  disease1 and during twelve  
days passed through the same tortures   
and  suffered the same agonies as in    
#ahcg4 ,but this time1 ,i was really    
happy  to die2 there was no fear for me 
to see the good works as a grain of     
sand in my favor1 and the mountains of  
my iniquities in the balance of  ,god   
against me4 ,i just had given up my     
pharisaical holiness of old2 it  was no 
more in my good works1 my alms1 my      
penances1 my personal efforts1  ,i was  

trusting to be saved2 it was in ,jesus  
alone4 ,my good works were no  more put 
by me in the balance of the justice of  
,god to pay my debts and  to appeal for 
mercy4 ,it was the blood of ,jesus1 the 
,lamb slain from the  foundation of the 
world for me1 which was in the balance4 
,it was the  tears of ,jesus1 the nails1
 the crown of thorns1 the heavy cross1  
the  cruel death of ,jesus only1 which  
was there to pay my debts and to cry    
for mercy4 ,i had no fear then1 for ,i  
knew that ,i was saved by ,jesus1 and   
that that salvation was a perfect act of
 ,his love1 ,his mercy and ,his  power2 
,i was glad to die4    ,but when the    
doctor had left me1 the thirteenth day  
of my sufferings1  saying the very same 
words of the doctors of ,quebec3 8,he   
has only a few  minutes to live1 if he  
be not already dead10 the kind friends  
who were  around my bed1 filled the room
 with their cries6 ,although1 for three 
or  four days1 ,i had not moved a       
finger1 said a single word1 or given any

  sign of life1 ,i was perfectly        
conscious4 ,i had heard the words of the
  doctor and ,i was glad to exchange the
 miseries of this short life for  that  
eternity of glory which my ,saviour had 
bought for me4 ,i only  regretted to die
 before bringing more of my dear        
countrymen out of the  idolatrous       
religion of ,rome1 and from the lips of 
my soul1 ,i said3 8,dear  ,jesus1 ,i am 
glad to go with thee just now1 but if it
 be thy will to let  me live a few years
 more1 that ,i may spread the light of  
the gospel  among my countrymen2 grant  
me to live a few years more1 and ,i will
 bless  thee eternally1 with my         
converted countrymen1 for thy mercy40   
,this  prayer had scarcely reached the  
mercy seat1 when ,i saw a dozen bishops 
marching toward me1 sword in hand1 to   
kill me4 ,as the first sword raised  to 
strike was coming down to split my head1
 ,i made a desperate effort1  wrenched  
it from the hand of my would-be         
murderer1 and struck such a  blow on his

 neck that the head rolled down to the  
floor4 ,the second1  third1 fourth1 and 
so on to the last1 rushed to kill me2   
but ,i struck  such terrible blows on   
the necks of every one of them1 that    
twelve heads  were rolling on the floor 
and swimming in a pool of blood4 ,in my 
excitement1 ,i cried to my friends      
around me3 8,do you not see the heads   
rolling and the blood flowing on the    
floor80    ,and suddenly ,i felt a kind 
of electric shock from head to foot4 ,i 
was  cured6 perfectly cured66 ,i asked  
my friends for something to eat2 ,i had 
not taken any food for twelve days4 ,and
 with tears of joy and gratitude  to    
,god1 they complied with my request4    
,this last cure was not only the perfect
 cure of the body1 but it was a  perfect
 cure of the soul4 ,i understood then   
clearly that the first was  not more    
miraculous than the second4 ,i had a    
perfect understanding of  the diabolical
 forgeries and miracles of ,rome4 ,i was
 not cured or saved  by the saints1 the 

bishops or the ,popes1 but by my ,god1  
through his son  ,jesus4                
,,chapter ,,xxxiii4    ,,my ,,nomination
 ,,as ,,curate ,,of                     
,,beauport--,,degradation ,,and ,,ruin  
,,of ,,that    ,,place ,,through        
,,drunkenness--,,my ,,opposition ,,to   
,,my ,,nomination                       
,,useless--,,preparations ,,to          
,,establish ,a ,,temperance             
,,society--,i ,,write ,,to    ,,father  
,,mathew ,,for ,,advice4      ,the #bast
 of ,september1 #ahch1 was a day of     
desolation to me4 ,on that day  ,i      
received the letter of my bishop1       
appointing me curate of ,beauport4      
,many times1 ,i had said to the other   
priests1 when talking about our  choice 
of the different parishes1 that ,i would
 never consent to be  curate of         
,beauport4    ,that parish1 which is a  
kind of a suburb of ,quebec1 was too    
justly  considered the very nest of the 
drunkards of ,canada4 ,with a soil of   
unsurpassed fertility1 inexhaustible    

lime quarries1 gardens covered with     
most precious vegetables and fruits1    
forests near at hand to furnish  wood to
 the city of ,quebec1 at their doors1   
the people of ,beauport were1           
nevertheless1 classed among the poorest1
 most ragged and wretched people  of    
,canada4 ,for almost every cent they    
were getting at the market went  into   
the hands of the saloon-keepers4        
,hundreds of times ,i had seen the      
streets which led from ,st4 ,roch to the
  upper town of ,quebec almost          
impassable1 when the drunkards of       
,beauport  were leaving the market to go
 home4    ,how many times ,i heard them 
fill the air with their cries and       
blasphemies2 and saw the streets        
reddened with their blood1 when         
fighting with one another1 like mad     
dogs4    ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,begin1 who was
 their cure since #ahbe1 had accepted   
the  moral principles of the great      
,roman ,catholic 8,theologia ,liguori10 
which  says1 8that a man is not guilty  

of the sin of drunkenness1 so long as he
  can distinguish between a small pin   
and a load of hay40 ,of course the      
people would not find themselves guilty 
of sin so long as their eyes  could make
 that distinction4    ,after weeping to 
my heart's content at the reading of the
 letter from my  bishop1 which had come 
to me as a thunderbolt1 my first thought
 was that  my misfortune1 though very   
great1 was not irretrievable4 ,i knew   
that  there were many priests who were  
as anxious to become curates of         
,beauport as ,i was opposed to it4      
,my hope was that the bishop would be   
touched by my tears1 if not  convinced  
by my arguments1 and that he would not  
persist in putting on  my shoulders a   
burden which they could not carry4    ,i
 immediately went to the palace1 and did
 all in my power to persuade  his       
lordship to select another priest for   
,beaufort4    ,he listened to my        
arguments with a good deal of patience  
and kindness1  and answered3    8,my    

dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 you forget too     
often that #8implicit and perfect       
obedience' to his superiors is the      
virtue of a good priest8 ,you have      
given me a great deal of trouble and    
disappointment by refusing to  relieve  
the good ,bishop ,provencher of his too 
heavy burden4 ,it was at my  suggestion1
 you know very well1 that he had        
selected you to be his  co-worker along 
the coasts of the ,pacific1 by          
consenting to become the  first ,bishop 
of ,oregon4 ,your obstinate resistance  
to your superiors in  that circumstance1
 and in several other cases1 is one of  
your weak  points4 ,if you continue to  
follow your own mind rather than obey   
those  whom ,god has chosen to guide    
you1 ,i really fear for your future4 ,i 
have  already too often yielded to your 
rebellious character4 ,through respect  
to myself1 and for your own good1 to-day
 ,i must force you to obey me4  ,you    
have spoken of the drunkenness of the   
people of ,beauport1 as one of  the     

reasons why ,i should not put you at the
 head of that parish2 but  this is just 
one of the reasons why ,i have chosen   
you4 ,you are the only  priest ,i know1 
in my diocese1 able to struggle against 
the long-rooted  and detestable evil1   
with a hope of success4    8#8,quod     
scriptum scriptum est4' ,your name is   
entered in our official  registers as   
the curate of ,beauport2 it will remain 
there till ,i find  better reasons than 
those you have given me to change my    
mind4 ,after  all1 you cannot complain2 
,beauport is not only the most beautiful
  parsonage in ,canada1 but it is one of
 the most splendid spots in the  world4 
,in your beautiful parsonage1 at the    
door of the old capital of  ,canada1 you
 will have the privileges of the city1  
and the enjoyments of  some of the most 
splendid scenery of this continent4 ,if 
you are not  satisfied with me to-day1  
,i do not know what ,i can do to please 
you40    ,though far from being         
reconciled to my new position1 ,i saw   

there was no  help2 ,i had to obey4 ,as 
my predecessor1 ,mr4 ,begin1 was to sell
 all his  house furniture1 before taking
 charge of his far distant parish1 ,la  
,riviere ,ouelle1 he kindly invited me  
to go and buy1 on long credit1 what  ,i 
wished for my own use1 which ,i did4    
,the whole parish was on the spot long  
before me1 partly to show their         
friendly sympathy for their late pastor1
 and partly to see their new  curate4 ,i
 was not long in the crowd without      
seeing that my small stature  and my    
leanness were making a very bad         
impression on the people1 who  were     
accustomed to pay their respects to a   
comparatively tall man1 whose  large and
 square shoulders were putting me in the
 shade4    ,many jovial remarks1 though 
made in half-suppressed tones1 came to  
my  ears1 to tell me that ,i was cutting
 a poor figure by the side of my  jolly 
predecessor4    8,he is hardly bigger   
than my tobacco-box10 said one not far  
from me2 8,i  think ,i could put him in 

my vest pocket40    8,has he not the    
appearance of a salted sardine60        
whispered a woman to  her neighbor1 with
 a hearty laugh4    ,had ,i been a      
little wiser1 ,i could have redeemed    
myself by some amiable  or funny words1 
which would have sounded pleasantly in  
the ears of my  new parishioners4       
,but1 unfortunately for me1 that wisdom 
is not among the gifts ,i received  from
 nature4 ,after a couple of hours of    
auction1 a large cloth was  suddenly    
removed from a long table1 and presented
 to our sight an  incredible number of  
wine and beer-glasses1 of empty         
decanters and  bottles of all sizes and 
quality4    ,this brought a burst of    
laughter and clapping of hands from     
almost every  one4 ,all eyes were turned
 toward me1 and ,i heard from hundreds  
of lips3  8,this is for you1 ,mr4       
,chiniquy40    ,without weighing my     
words1 ,i instantly answered3 8,i do not
 come to  ,beauport to buy wine glasses 
and bottles1 but to break them40        

,these words fell upon their ears like a
 spark of fire on a train of  powder4   
,nine-tenths of the multitude1 without  
being very drunk1 had  emptied from four
 to ten glasses of beer or rum1 which   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,begin  himself was offering 
them in a corner of the parsonage4 ,a   
real deluge of  insults and cursings    
overwhelmed me2 and ,i soon saw that the
 best thing  ,i could do was to leave   
the place without noise1 and by the     
shortest  way4    ,i immediately went to
 the bishop's palace to try again to    
persuade his  lordship to put another   
curate at the head of such a people4    
8,you see1 my lord10 ,i said1 8that by  
my indiscreet and rash answer ,i  have  
forever lost the respect and confidence 
of that people4 ,they  already hate me2 
their brutal cursings have fallen upon  
me like balls of  fire4 ,i prefer to be 
carried to my grave next ,sabbath than  
have to  address such a degraded people4
 ,i feel that ,i have neither the moral 
nor  the physical power to do any good  

there40    8,i differ from you10 replied
 the bishop1 8,evidently the people     
wanted to  try your mettle1 by inviting 
you to buy those glasses1 and you would 
have lost yourself by yielding to their 
desire4 ,now they have seen that  you   
are brave and fearless4 ,it is just what
 the people of ,beauport want2  ,i have 
known them for a long time4 ,it is true 
that they are drunkards2  but1 apart    
from that vice1 there is not a nobler   
people under heaven4  ,they have1       
literally1 no education1 but they       
possess marvellous common  sense1 and   
have many noble and redeeming qualities1
 which you will soon  find out4 ,you    
took them by surprise when you boldly   
said you wanted to  break their glasses 
and decanters4 ,believe me1 they will   
bless you if1  by the grace of ,god1 you
 fulfill your prophecy2 though it will  
be a  miracle if you succeed in making  
the people of ,beauport sober4 ,but you 
must not despair4 ,trust in ,god2 fight 
as a good soldier1 and ,jesus  ,christ  

will win the victory40    ,those kind   
words of my bishop did me good1 though  
,i would have preferred  being sent to  
the back woods of ,canada1 than to the  
great parish of  ,beauport4 ,i felt that
 the only thing that ,i had to do was to
 trust in  ,god for success1 and to     
fight as if ,i were to gain the day4 ,it
 came to  my mind that ,i had committed 
a great sin by obstinately refusing to  
become bishop of ,oregon1 and my ,god1  
as a punishment1 had given me the  very 
parish for which ,i felt an almost      
insurmountable repugnance4    ,the next 
,sunday was a splendid day1 and the     
church of ,beauport was  filled to its  
utmost capacity by the people1 eager to 
see and hear1 for  the first time1 their
 new pastor4    ,i had spent the last   
three days in prayers and fastings4 ,god
 knows that  never a priest1 nor any    
minister of the gospel1 ascended the    
pulpit with  more exalted views of his  
sublime functions than ,i did that day1 
and  never a messenger of the gospel had

 been more terrified than ,i was1 when  
in that pulpit1 by the consciousness of 
his own demerits1 inability and         
incompetency1 in the face of the        
tremendous responsibilities of his      
position4 ,my first sermon was on the   
text3 8,woe unto me if ,i preach not    
the gospel0 7#a ,cor4 ix43#af74 ,with a 
soul and heart filled with the          
profoundest emotions1 a voice many times
 suffocated by uncontrollable  sobs1 ,i 
expounded to them some of the awful     
responsibilities of a  pastor4 ,the     
effect of that sermon was felt to the   
last day of my  priestly ministry in    
,beauport4    ,after the sermon1 ,i told
 them3 8,i have a favor to ask of you4  
,as it is  the first1 ,i hope you will  
not rebuke me4 ,i have1 just now1 given 
you  some of the duties of your poor    
young curate toward you2 ,i want you to 
come again this afternoon at half-past  
two o'clock1 that ,i may give you  some 
of your duties toward your pastor40 ,at 
the appointed hour the  church was still

 more crowded than in the morning1 and  
it seemed to me  that my merciful ,god  
blessed still more that second address  
than the  first4    ,the text was3      
8,when he 7the shepherd7 putteth forth  
his own sheep1 he  goeth before them1   
and the sheep follow him1 for they know 
his voice40  7,john x43#d47    ,those   
two sermons on the ,sabbath were a      
startling innovation in the  ,roman     
,catholic ,church of ,canada1 which     
brought upon me1 at once1 many  bitter  
remarks from the bishop and surrounding 
curates4 ,their unanimous  verdict was  
that ,i wanted to become a little       
reformer4 ,they had not the  least doubt
 that in my pride ,i wanted to show to  
the people 8that ,i was  the most       
zealous priest of the country40 ,this   
was not only whispered  from ear to ear 
among the clergy1 but several times it  
was thrown into  my face in the most    
insulting manner4 ,however1 my ,god knew
 that my only  motives were1 first1 to  
keep my people away from the taverns1 by

 having  them before their altars during
 the greatest part of the ,sabbath day2 
second1 to impress more on their minds  
the great saving and regenerating       
truths ,i preached1 by presenting them  
twice on the same day under  different  
aspects4    ,i found such benefits from 
those two sermons that ,i continued the 
practice during the four years ,i       
remained in ,beauport1 though ,i had to 
suffer and hear in silence1 many        
humiliating and cutting remarks from    
many co-priests4    ,i had not been more
 than three months at the head of that  
parish1 when ,i  determined to organize 
a temperance society on the same        
principles as  ,father ,mathew1 in      
,ireland4    ,i opened my mind1 at      
first1 on that subject to the bishop1   
with the hope  that he would throw the  
influence of his position in favor of   
the new  association1 but1 to my great  
dismay and surprise1 not only did he    
turn  my project into ridicule1 but     
absolutely forbade me to think any more 

of  such an innovation4    8,those      
temperance societies are a ,protestant  
scheme10 he said4 8,preach  against     
drunkenness1 but let the respectable    
people who are not  drunkards alone4    
,st4 ,paul advised his disciple ,timothy
 to drink wine4 ,do  not try to be more 
zealous than they were in those         
apostolic days40    ,i left the bishop  
much disappointed1 but did not give up  
my plan4 ,it  seemed to me if ,i could  
gain the neighboring priests to join    
with me in  my crusade ,i wanted to     
preach against the usage of intoxicating
 drinks1  we might bring about a        
glorious reform in ,canada1 as ,father  
,mathew was  doing in ,ireland4    ,but 
the priests1 without a single exception1
 laughed at me1 turned my  plans into   
ridicule1 and requested me in the name  
of common sense1 never  to speak any    
more to them of giving up their social  
glass of wine4    ,i shall never be able
 to give any idea of my sadness1 when ,i
 saw that ,i  was to be opposed by my   

bishop and the whole clergy in the      
reform which  ,i considered then1 more  
and more every day1 the only plank of   
salvation1  not only of my dear people  
of ,beauport1 but of all ,canada4 ,god  
alone  knows the tears ,i shed1 the     
long1 sleepless nights ,i have passed in
  studying1 praying1 meditating on that 
great and holy work of ,beauport4 ,i    
had recourse to all the saints of heaven
 for more strength and light2  for ,i   
was determined1 at any cost1 to try and 
form a temperance society4    ,but every
 time ,i wanted to begin1 ,i was        
frightened by the idea1 not only  of the
 wrath of the whole clergy1 which would 
hunt me down1 but still  more of the    
ridicule of the whole country1 which    
would overwhelm me in  case of a        
failure4 ,in these perplexities1 ,i     
thought ,i would do well to  write to   
,father ,mathew1 and ask him his advice 
and the help of his  prayers4 ,that     
noble apostle of temperance of ,ireland 
answered me in an  eloquent letter1 and 

pressed me to begin the work in ,canada 
as he had  done in ,ireland1 relying on 
,god1 without paying any attention to   
the  opposition of man4    ,the wise and
 ,christian words of that great and     
worthy ,irish priest came  to me as the 
voice of ,god2 and ,i determined to     
begin the work at once1  though the     
whole world should be against me4    ,i 
felt that if ,god was in my favor1 ,i   
would succeed in reforming my  parish   
and my country in spite of all the      
priests and bishops of the  world1 and  
,i was right4 ,before putting the plow  
into the ground1 ,i had  not only prayed
 to ,god and all his saints1 almost day 
and night1 during  many months1 but ,i  
had studied all the best books written  
in ,england1  ,france and the ,united   
,states on the evil wrought by the use  
of  intoxicating drinks4 ,i had taken a 
pretty good course of anatomy in the    
,marine ,hospital under the learned ,dr4
 ,douglas4    ,i was then well posted on
 the great subject ,i was to bring      

before my  country4 ,i knew the enemy ,i
 was to attack4 ,and the weapons which  
would  give him the death blow were in  
my hands4 ,i only wanted my ,god to     
strengthen my hands and direct my blows4
 ,i prayed to ,him1 and in ,his  great  
mercy ,he heard me4                     
,,chapter ,,xxxiv       ,,the ,,hand    
,,of ,,god ,,in ,,the ,,establishment   
,,of ,,the ,,temperance ,,society ,,in  
,,beauport ,,and ,,vicinity4      8,my  
thoughts are not your thoughts10 saith  
the ,lord4 ,and1 we may add1  ,his works
 are not like the works of man4 ,this   
great truth has never been  better      
exemplified than in the marvellous      
rapidity with which the great           
temperance reformation grew in ,canada1 
in spite of the most formidable         
obstacles4 ,to praise any man for such  
work seems to me a kind of  blasphemy1  
when it is so visibly the work of the   
,lord4    ,i had hardly finished reading
 the letter of ,ireland's ,apostle of   
,temperance1 when ,i fell on my knees   

and said3 8,thou knowest1 ,o my ,god1   
that ,i am nothing but a sinner4 ,there 
is no light1 no strength1 in thy  poor1 
unprofitable servant4 ,therefore come   
down into my heart and soul1  to direct 
me in that temperance reform which thou 
hast put into my mind  to establish4    
,without thee1 ,i can do nothing1 but   
with thee1 ,i can do  all things40      
,this was on ,saturday night1 ,march    
#bjth1 #ahci4 ,the next morning was the 
first ,sabbath of ,lent4 ,i said to the 
people after the sermon3 8,i have  told 
you1 many times1 that ,i sincerely      
believe it is my mission from ,god  to  
put an end to the unspeakable miseries  
and crimes engendered every  day1 here  
and in our whole country1 by the use of 
intoxicating drinks4  ,alcohol is the   
greatest enemy of your souls and your   
bodies4 ,it is the  most implacable     
enemy of your husbands1 your wives and  
your children4 ,it  is the most         
formidable enemy of our dear country and
 our holy religion4  ,i must destroy    

that enemy4 ,but ,i cannot fight alone4 
,i must form an army  and raise a banner
 in your midst1 around which all the    
soldiers of the  gospel will rally4     
,jesus ,christ himself will be our      
general4 ,he will  bless and sanctify   
us--,he will lead us to victory4 ,the   
next three days  will be consecrated by 
you and by me in preparing to raise that
 army4  ,let all those who wish to fill 
its ranks1 come and pass these three    
days  with me in prayer and meditation  
at the feet of our sacred altars4 ,let  
even those who do not want to be        
soldiers of ,christ1 or to fight the    
great and glorious battles which are to 
be fought1 come1 through  curiosity1 to 
see a most marvellous spectacle4 ,i     
invite every one of  you1 in the name of
 our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 whom     
alcohol nails anew  to the cross every  
day4 ,i invite you in the name of the   
holy ,virgin  ,mary1 and of all the     
saints and angels of ,god1 who are      
weeping in heaven  for the crimes       

committed every day by the use of       
intoxicating drinks4 ,i  invite you in  
the names of the wives1 whom ,i see here
 in your midst1  weeping because they   
have drunkard husbands4 ,i invite you to
 come in the  names of the fathers whose
 hearts are broken by drunkard children4
 ,i  invite you to come in the name of  
so many children who are starving1      
naked and made desolate by their        
drunkard parents4 ,i invite you to come 
in the name of your immortal souls1     
which are to be eternally damned if  the
 giant destroyer1 ,alcohol1 be not      
driven from our midst40    ,the next    
morning1 at eight o'clock1 my church was
 crammed by the people4  ,my first      
address was at half-past eight o'clock1 
the second at #aj4cj ,a4  ,m41 the third
 at #b ,p4 ,m41 and the fourth at five4 
,the intervals between  the addresses   
were filled by beautiful hymns selected 
for the occasion4    ,many times during 
my discourse1 the sobs and the cries of 
the people  were such that ,i had to    

stop speaking1 to mix my sobs and my    
tears with  those of my people4 ,the    
first day seventy-five men1 from among  
the most  desperate drunkards1 enrolled 
themselves under the banner of          
,temperance4  ,the second day ,i gave   
again four addresses1 the effects of    
which were  still more blessed in their 
result4 ,two hundred of my dear         
parishioners  were enrolled in the grand
 army which was to fight against their  
implacable enemy4    ,but it would      
require the hand of an angel to write   
the history of the  third day1 at the   
end of which1 in the midst of tears1    
sobs1 and cries  of joy1 three hundred  
more of that noble people swore1 in the 
presence  of their ,god1 never to touch1
 taste1 nor handle the cursed drinks    
with  which ,satan inundates the earth  
with desolation1 and fills hell with    
eternal cries of despair4    ,during    
these three days1 more than two-thirds  
of my people had publicly  taken the    
pledge of temperance1 and had solemnly  

said1 in the presence  of ,god1 at the  
feet of their altars1 8,for the love of 
,jesus ,christ1 and  by the grace of    
,god1 ,i promise that ,i will never take
 any intoxicating  drink1 except as a   
medicine4 ,i also pledge myself to do   
all in my power1  by my words and       
example1 to persuade others to make the 
same sacrifice40    ,the majority of my 
people1 among whom we counted the most  
degraded  drunkards1 were changed and   
reformed1 not by me surely1 but by the  
visible1 direct work of the great and   
merciful ,god1 who alone can change  the
 heart of man4    ,as a great number of 
people from the surrounding parishes1   
and even from  ,quebec1 had come to hear
 me the third day1 through curiosity1   
the news  of that marvellous work spread
 very quickly throughout the whole      
country4 ,the press1 both ,french and   
,english1 were unanimous in their       
praises and felicitations4 ,but when the
 ,protestants of ,quebec were  blessing 
,god for that reform1 the ,french       

,canadians1 at the example of  their    
priests1 denounced me as a fool and     
heretic4    ,the second day of our      
revival1 ,i had sent messages to four of
 the  neighboring curates1 respectfully 
requesting them to come and see what    
the ,lord was doing1 and help me to     
bless ,him4 ,but they refused4 ,they    
answered my note with their contemptuous
 silence4 ,one only1 the ,rev4 ,mr4     
,roy1 curate of ,charlesbourg1 deigned  
to write me a few words1 which ,i  copy 
here3    ,rev4 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 ,curate  
of ,beauport4    ,my dear               
,confrere3--,please forgive me if ,i    
cannot forget the respect ,i owe  to    
myself1 enough to go and see your       
fooleries4                              
,truly yours1                           
,,pierre ,,roy4        ,charlesbourg1   
,march #eth1 #ahci4    ,the indignation 
of the bishop knew no bounds4 ,a few    
days after1 he  ordered me to go to his 
palace1 and give an account of what he  
called my  8strange conduct40    ,when  

alone with me1 he said3 8,is it         
possible1 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 that you  have
 so soon forgotten my prohibition not to
 establish that ridiculous  temperance  
society in your parish8 ,had you        
compromised yourself alone by  that     
,protestant comedy--for it is nothing   
but that--,i would remain silent1  in my
 pity for you4 ,but you have compromised
 our holy religion by  introducing a    
society whose origin is clearly         
heretical4 ,last evening1  the venerable
 ,grand ,vicar ,demars told me that you 
would sooner or later  become a         
,protestant1 and that this was your     
first step4 ,do you not see  that the   
,protestants only praise you8 ,do you   
not blush to be praised  only by        
heretics8 ,without suspecting it1 you   
are just entering a road  which leads to
 your ruin4 ,you have publicly covered  
yourself with such  ridicule that ,i    
fear your usefulness is at an end1 not  
only in ,beauport1  but in all my       
diocese4 ,i do not conceal it from you1 

my first thought1  when1 an eye-witness 
told me yesterday what you had done1 was
 to  interdict you4 ,i have been        
prevented from taking that step only by 
the  hope that you will undo what you   
have done4 ,i hope that you yourself    
will dissolve that ,anti-,catholic      
association1 and promise to put an end  
to these novelties1 which have too      
strong a smell of heresy to be          
tolerated by your bishop40    ,i        
answered3 8,my lord1 your lordship has  
not forgotten that it was  absolutely   
against my own will that ,i was         
appointed curate of ,beauport2  and ,god
 knows that you have only to say a word1
 and without a murmur1 ,i  will give you
 my resignation1 that you may put a     
better priest at the  head of that      
people1 which ,i consider1 and which is 
really1 to-day1 the  noblest and the    
most sober people of ,canada4 ,but ,i   
will put a condition  to the resignation
 of my position4 ,it is1 that ,i will be
 allowed to  publish before the world1  

that the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,begin1 my          
predecessor1 has  never been troubled by
 his bishop for having allowed his      
people1 during  twenty-three years1 to  
swim in the mire of drunkenness2 and    
that ,i have  been disgraced by my      
bishop1 and turned out from that same   
parish1 for  having been the instrument1
 by the mercy of ,god1 in making them   
the most  sober people of ,canada40     
,the poor bishop felt at once that he   
could not stand on the ground he  had   
taken with me4 ,he was a few minutes    
without knowing what to say4 ,he  saw   
also that his threats had no influence  
over me1 and that ,i was not  ready to  
undo what ,i had done4    ,after a      
painful silence of a minute or two1 he  
said3    8,do you not see that the      
solemn promises you have extorted from  
those  poor drunkards are rash and      
unwise2 they will break them at the     
first  opportunity4 ,their future state 
of degradation1 after such an           
excitement1 will be worse than the      

first40    ,i answered3 8,i would       
partake of your fears if that change    
were my work2  but as it is the ,lord's 
work1 we have nothing to fear4 ,the     
works of men  are weak and of short     
duration1 but the works of ,god are     
solid and  permanent4    8,about the    
prophecy of the venerable ,mr4 ,demars1 
that ,i have taken my  first step       
towards ,protestantism1 by turning a    
drunken into a sober  people1 ,i have   
only to say that if that prophecy be    
true1 it would show  that ,protestantism
 is more apt than our holy religion to  
work for the  glory of ,god and the good
 of the people4 ,i hope that your       
lordship is  not ready to accept that   
conclusion1 and that you will not then  
trouble  yourself with the premises4    
,the venerable ,grand ,vicar1 with many 
other  priests1 would do better to come 
and see what the ,lord is doing in      
,beauport1 than to slander me and turn  
false prophets against its curate  and  
people4 ,my only answer to the remarks  

of your lordship1 that the  ,protestants
 alone praise me1 when the ,roman       
,catholic priests and people  condemn   
me1 proves only one thing1 viz43 that   
,protestants1 on this  question1        
understand the ,word of ,god and have   
more respect for it than  we ,roman     
,catholics4 ,it would prove also that   
they understand the  interests of       
humanity better than we do1 and that    
they have more  generosity than we have1
 to sacrifice their selfish propensities
 to the  good of all4 ,i take the       
liberty of saying to your lordship1 that
 in  this1 as in many other things1 it  
is high time that we should open our    
eyes to our false position4 ,instead of 
remaining at the lowest step of  the    
ladder of one of the most ,christian    
virtues1 temperance1 we must  raise     
ourselves to the top1 where ,protestants
 are reaping so many  precious fruits4  
,besides1 would your lordship be kind   
enough to tell me  why ,i am denounced  
and abused here1 and by my              

fellow-priests and my  bishop1 for      
forming a temperance society in my      
parish1 when ,father  ,mathew1 who wrote
 to me lately to encourage and direct me
 in that work1  is publicly praised by  
his bishops and blessed by the ,pope for
 covering  ,ireland with temperance     
societies8    8,is your lordship ready  
to prove to me that ,samson was a       
heretic in the  camp of ,israel1 when he
 fulfilled the promise made by his      
parents1 that  he would never drink any 
wine or beer2 and ,john1 the ,baptist1  
was he not  a heretic and a ,protestant 
as ,i am1 when1 to obey the voice of    
,god1 he  did what ,i do to-day1 with my
 dear people of ,beauport80    ,at that 
very moment the sub-secretary entered to
 tell the bishop that a  gentleman      
wanted to see him immediately on        
pressing business1 and the  bishop      
abruptly dismissed me1 to my great      
comfort2 and my impression was  that he 
was as glad to get rid of me as ,i was  
to get rid of him4    ,with the         

exception of the secretary1 ,mr4        
,cazeault1 all the priests ,i met  that 
day and the next month1 either gave me  
the cold shoulder or  overwhelmed me    
with their sarcasms4 ,one of them who   
had friends in  ,beauport1 was bold     
enough to try to go through the whole   
parish to turn  me into ridicule by     
saying that ,i was half crazy1 and the  
best thing the  people could do was to  
drink moderately to my health when they 
went to  town4    ,but at the third     
house1 he met a woman1 who1 after       
listening to the bad  advice he was     
giving to her husband1 said to him3 8,i 
do not know if our  pastor is a fool in 
making people sober1 but ,i know you are
 a messenger  of the devil1 when you    
advise my husband to drink again4 ,you  
know that  he was one of the most       
desperate drunkards of ,beauport4 ,you  
personally  know also what blows ,i have
 received from him when he was drunk2   
how  poor and miserable we were2 how    
many children had to run on the streets1

  half naked1 and beg in order not to   
starve with me6 ,now that my husband    
has taken the pledge of temperance1 we  
have every comfort2 my dear  children   
are well fed and clothed1 and ,i find   
myself as in a little  paradise4 ,if you
 do not go out of this immediately1 ,i  
will turn you out  with my broomstick40 
,and she would have fulfilled her       
promise1 had not the priest had the     
good sense to disappear at the          
double-quick4    ,the next four months  
after the foundation of the society in  
,beauport1 my  position when with the   
other priests was very painful and      
humiliating4 ,i  consequently avoided   
their company as much as possible4 ,and 
as for my  bishop1 ,i took the          
resolution never to go and see him1     
except he should  order me into his     
presence4 ,but my merciful ,god         
indemnified me by the  unspeakable joy  
,i had in seeing the marvellous change  
wrought by ,him  among my dear people4  
,their fidelity in keeping the pledge   

was really  wonderful1 and soon became  
the object of the admiration of the     
whole  city of ,quebec and of the       
surrounding country4 ,the change was so 
sudden1  so complete and so permanent1  
that the scoffing bishops and priests1  
with their friends1 had1 at last1 to    
blush and be silent4    ,the public     
aspect of the parish was soon changed1  
the houses were  repaired1 the debts    
paid1 the children well clad4 ,but what 
spoke most  eloquently about the        
marvellous reform1 was that the seven   
thriving  saloons of ,beauport were soon
 closed1 and their owners forced to take
 to  other occupations4 ,peace1         
happiness1 abundance and industry1      
everywhere  took the place of the riots1
 fighting1 blasphemies and the squalid  
misery which prevailed before4 ,the     
gratitude and respect of that noble     
people for their young curate knew no   
bounds2 as my love and admiration  for  
them cannot be told by human words4     
,however1 though the great majority of  

that good people had taken the  pledge1 
and kept it honorably1 there was a small
 minority1 composed of  the few who     
never had been drunkards1 who had not   
yet enrolled  themselves under our      
blessed banners4 ,though they were glad 
of the  reform1 it was very difficult to
 persuade them to give up their social  
glass6 ,i thought it was my duty to show
 them in a tangible way1 what ,i  had so
 often proved with my words only1 that  
the drinking of the social  glass of    
wine1 or of beer1 is an act of folly1 if
 not a crime4 ,i asked  my kind and     
learned ,doctor ,douglas to analyze1    
before the people1 the  very wine and   
beer used by them1 to show that it was  
nothing else but a  disgusting and      
deadly poison4 ,he granted my favor4    
,during four days that  noble           
philanthropist extracted the alcohol1   
which is not only in the  most common1  
but in the most costly and renowned     
wines1 beer1 brandy and  whiskey4 ,he   
gave that alcohol to several cats and   

dogs1 which died in a  few minutes in   
the presence of the whole people4       
,these learned and most interesting     
experiments1 coupled with his  eloquent 
and scientific remarks1 made a most     
profound impression4 ,it was  the       
corner-stone of the holy edifice which  
our merciful ,god built with  his own   
hands in ,beauport4 ,the few            
recalcitrants joined with the rest of   
their dear friends to show to our dear  
,canada that the temperance  societies  
are nothing else than drops of living   
water which comes from  the fountains of
 eternal life1 to reform and save the   
world4                                  
,,chapter ,,xxxv4    ,,foundation ,,of  
,,temperance ,,societies ,,in ,,the     
,,neighboring                           
,,parishes--,,providential ,,arrival    
,,of ,,monsignor ,,de ,,forbin ,,janson1
 ,,bishop ,,of    ,,nancy--,,he         
,,publicly ,,defends ,,me ,,against     
,,the ,,bishop ,,of ,,quebec1 ,,and     
,,forever    ,,breaks ,,the ,,opposition

 ,,of ,,the ,,clergy4      ,the people  
of ,beauport had scarcely been a year   
enrolled under the  banners of          
temperance1 when the seven thriving     
taverns of that parish  were deserted   
and their owners forced to try some more
 honorable trade  for a living4 ,this   
fact1 published by the whole press of   
,quebec1 more  than anything forced the 
opponents1 especially among the clergy1 
to  silence1 without absolutely         
reconciling them to my views4 ,however1 
it  was becoming every day more and more
 evident to all that the good done  in  
,beauport was incalculable1 both in a   
material and moral point of  view4      
,several of the best thinking people of 
the surrounding parishes  began to say  
to one another3 8,why should we not try 
to bring into our  midst this temperance
 reformation which is doing so much good
 in  ,beauport80 ,the wives of drunkards
 would say3 8,why does not our curate do
  here1 what the curate of ,beauport has
 done there80    ,on a certain day1 one 

of those unfortunate women1 who had     
received1 with  a good education1 a rich
 inheritance1 which her husband had     
spent in  dissipation1 came to tell me  
that she had gone to her curate to ask  
him  to establish a temperance society  
in his parish1 as we had done in        
,beauport2 but he had told her 8to mind 
her own business40 ,she had then        
respectfully requested him to invite me 
to come and help to do for his          
parishioners what ,i had done for mine1 
but she had been sternly rebuked  at the
 mention of my name4 ,the poor woman was
 weeping1 when she said3  8,is it       
possible that our priests are so        
indifferent to our sufferings1  and that
 they will let the demon of drunkenness 
torture us as long as we  live1 when    
,god gives us such an easy and honorable
 way to destroy his  power for ever80   
,my heart was touched by the tears of   
that lady1 and ,i said to her3 8,i  know
 a way to put an end to the opposition  
of your curate1 and force him  to bring 

among you the reformation you so much   
desire2 but it is a very  delicate      
matter for me to mention to you4 ,i must
 rely upon your sacred  promise of      
secrecy1 before opening my mind to you  
on that subject40    8,i take my ,god to
 witness10 she answered1 8that ,i will  
never reveal your  secret40 8,well1     
madame1 if ,i can rely upon your        
discretion and secrecy1  ,i will tell   
you an infallible way to force your     
priest to do what has  been done here40 
8,oh6 for ,god's sake10 she said1 8tell 
me what to do40    ,i replied3 8,the    
first time you go to confession1 say to 
your priest that  you have a new sin to 
confess which is very difficult to      
reveal to him4  ,he will press you more 
to confess it4 ,you will then say3      
8#8,father1 ,i confess ,i have lost     
confidence in you4' ,being asked        
#8,why8'  you will tell him3 #8,father1 
you know the bad treatment ,i have      
received  from my drunken husband1 as   
well as hundreds of other wives in your 

parish from theirs2 you know the tears  
we have shed on the ruin of our         
children1 who are destroyed by the bad  
example of their drunken fathers2  you  
know the daily crimes and unspeakable   
abominations caused by the use  of      
intoxicating drinks2 you could dry our  
tears and make us happy wives  and      
mothers1 you could convert our husbands 
and save our children1 by  establishing 
the society of temperance here1 as it is
 in ,beauport1 and  you refuse to do it4
 ,how1 then1 can ,i believe you are a   
good priest1 and  that there is any     
charity and compassion in you for us8'  
8,listen with a respectful silence to   
what he will tell you2 accept his       
penance1 and when he asks you if you    
regret that sin1 answer him that  you   
cannot regret it till he has taken the  
providential means which ,god  offers   
him to convert the drunkards4    8,get  
as many other women whom you know are   
suffering as you do1 as you  can1 to go 
and confess to him the same thing2 and  

you will see that his  obstinancy will  
melt as the snow before the rays of the 
sun in ,may40    ,she was a very        
intelligent lady3 ,she saw at once that 
she had in hand an  irresistible power  
to force her priest out of his shameful 
and criminal  indifference to the       
welfare of his people4 ,a fortnight     
later she came to  tell me that she had 
done what ,i had advised her1 and that  
more than  fifty other respectable women
 had confessed to their curate that they
  had lost confidence in him1 on account
 of his lack of zeal and charity  for   
his people4    ,my conjectures were     
correct4 ,the poor priest was beside    
himself1 when  forced1 every day1 to    
hear from the very lips of his most     
respectable  female parishioners1 that  
they were losing confidence in him4 ,he 
feared  lest he should lose his fine    
parish near ,quebec1 and be sent to some
 of  the backwoods of ,canada4    ,three
 weeks later1 he was knocking at my     
door1 where he had not been  since the  

establishment of the temperance society4
 ,he was very pale1 and  looked anxious4
 ,i could see in his countenance that ,i
 owed the honor of  this visit to his   
fair penitents4 ,however1 ,i was happy  
to see him4 ,he  was considered a good  
priest1 and had been one of my best     
friends before  the formation of the    
temperance society4 ,i invited him to   
dine with me1  and made him feel at home
 as much as possible1 for ,i knew by his
  embarrassed manner that he had a very 
difficult proposition to make4 ,i  was  
not mistaken4 ,he at last said3    8,mr4
 ,chiniquy1 we had1 at first1 great     
prejudices against your  temperance     
society2 but we see its blessed fruits  
in the great  transformation of         
,beauport4 ,would you be kind enough to 
preach a retreat  of temperance1 during 
three days1 to my people1 as you have   
done here80    ,i answered3 8,yes1 sir2 
with the greatest pleasure4 ,but it is  
on  condition that you will yourself be 
an example of the sacrifice1 and the    

first to take the solemn pledge of      
temperance1 in the presence of your     
people40    8,certainly10 he answered2  
8for the pastor must be an example to   
his  people40    ,three weeks later1 his
 parish had nobly followed the example  
of  ,beauport1 and the good curate had  
no words to express his joy4 ,without   
losing a day1 he went to the two other  
curates of what is called 8,la  ,cote de
 ,beaupre10 persuaded them to do what he
 had done1 and six weeks  after1 all the
 saloons from ,beauport to ,st4 ,joachim
 were closed2 and it  would have been   
difficult1 if not impossible1 to        
persuade any one in  that whole region  
to drink a glass of any intoxicating    
drink4    ,little by little1 the country
 priests were thus giving up their      
prejudices1 and were bravely rallying   
around our glorious banners of          
temperance4 ,but my bishop1 though less 
severe1 was still very cold  toward me4 
,at last1 the good providence of ,god   
forced him1 through a  great            

humiliation1 to count our society among 
the greatest spiritual and  temporal    
blessings of the age4    ,at the end of 
,august1 #ahdj1 the public press        
informed us that the ,count  de ,forbin 
,janson1 ,bishop de ,nancy1 in ,france1 
was just leaving ,new ,york  for        
,montreal4 ,that bishop1 who was the    
cousin and minister to ,charles  the    
,tenth1 had been sent into exile by the 
,french people1 after the king  had lost
 his crown in the ,revolution of #ahcj4 
,father ,mathew had told me1  in one of 
his letters1 that this bishop had       
visited him1 and blessed his  work in   
,ireland1 and had also persuaded the    
,pope to send him his  apostolical      
benediction4    ,i saw1 at once1 the    
importance of gaining the approbation of
 this  celebrated man1 before he had    
been prejudiced by the bishop against   
our  temperance societies4 ,i asked and 
obtained leave of absence for a few     
days1 and went to ,montreal1 which ,i   
reached just an hour after the  ,french 

bishop4 ,i went immediately to pay my   
homage to him1 told him all  about our  
temperance work1 asking him1 in the name
 of ,god1 to throw  bravely the weight  
of his great name and position in the   
scale in favor  of our temperance       
societies4 ,he promised he would1       
adding3 8,i am  perfectly persuaded that
 drunkenness is not only the great and  
common  sin of the people1 but still    
more of the priests in ,america1 as well
 as  in ,ireland4 ,the social habit of  
drinking the detestable and poisonous   
wines1 brandies and beer used on this   
continent1 and in the northern  parts of
 ,europe1 where the vine cannot grow1 is
 so general and strong1  that it is     
almost impossible to save the people    
from becoming drunkards1  except through
 an association in which the elite of   
society will work  together to change   
the old and pernicious habits of common 
life4 ,i have  seen ,father ,mathew1 who
 is doing an incalculable good in       
,ireland2 and1  be sure of it1 ,i shall 

do all in my power to strengthen your   
hands in  that great and good work4 ,but
 do not say to anybody that you have    
seen  me40    ,some days later1 the     
,bishop of ,nancy was in ,quebec1 the   
guest of the  ,seminary1 and a grand    
dinner was given in his honor1 to which 
more than  one hundred priests were     
invited1 with the ,archbishop of        
,quebec1 his  coadjutor1 ,n4 ,g4        
,turgeon1 and the ,bishop of ,montreal1 
,m4 ,q4 ,r4 ,bourget4    ,as one of the 
youngest curates1 ,i had taken the last 
seat1 which was  just opposite the four 
bishops1 from whom ,i was separated only
 by the  breadth of the table4 ,when the
 rich and rare viands had been well     
disposed of1 and the most delicate      
fruits had replaced them1 bottles of    
the choicest wines were brought on the  
table in incredible numbers4 ,then  the 
superior of the college1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 
,demars1 knocked on the table  to       
command silence1 and rising on his feet1
 he said at the top of his  voice3      

8,please1 my lord bishops1 and all of   
you1 reverend gentlemen1 let  us drink  
to the health of my ,lord ,count de     
,forbin ,janson1 ,primate of  ,lorraine 
and ,bishop of ,nancy40    ,the bottles 
passing around were briskly emptied into
 the large glasses  put before every one
 of the guests4 ,but when the wine was  
handed to me1  ,i passed it to my       
neighbor without taking a drop1 and     
filled my glass  with water4 ,my hope   
was that nobody had paid any attention  
to what ,i had  done2 but ,i was        
mistaken4 ,the eyes of my bishop1 my    
,lord ,signaie1 were  upon me4 ,with a  
stern voice1 he said3 8,mr4 ,chiniquy1  
what are you doing  there8 ,put wine in 
your glass1 to drink with us the health 
of ,mgr4 de  ,nancy40    ,these         
unexpected words fell upon me as a      
thunderbolt1 and paralyzed me  with     
terror4 ,i felt as at the approach of   
the most terrible tempest ,i  had ever  
experienced4 ,my blood ran cold in my   
veins2 ,i could not utter a  word4 ,for 

what could ,i say1 there1 without       
compromising myself forever4  ,to openly
 resist my bishop1 in the presence of   
such an august assembly1  seemed        
impossible4 ,but to obey him was also   
impossible2 for ,i had  promised my ,god
 and my country never to drink any wine4
 ,i thought1 at  first1 that ,i could   
disarm my superior by my modesty and my 
humble  silence4 ,however1 ,i felt that 
all eyes were upon me4 ,a real chill of 
terror and unspeakable anxiety was      
running through my whole frame4 ,my     
heart began to beat so violently that ,i
 could not breathe4 ,i wished1  then1 ,i
 had followed my first impression1 which
 was not to come to that  dinner4 ,i    
think ,i would have suffocated1 had not 
a few tears rolled down  from my eyes1  
and helped the circulation of my blood4 
,the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,lafrance1 who was by  
me1 nudged me1 and said3 8,do you not   
hear the order  of my ,lord ,signaie8   
,why do you not answer1 by doing what   
you are  requested to do80 ,i still     

remained mute1 just as if nobody had    
spoken to  me4 ,my eyes were cast down2 
,i wished then ,i were dead4 ,the       
silence of  death1 reigning around the  
tables1 told me that every one was      
waiting  for my answer2 but my lips were
 sealed4 ,after a minute of that        
silence1  which seemed as long as a     
whole year1 the bishop1 with a loud and 
angry  voice which filled the large     
room1 repeated3 8,why do you not put    
wine in  your glass1 and drink to the   
health of my ,lord ,forbin ,janson1 as  
the  rest of us are doing80    ,i felt  
,i could not be silent any longer4 8,my 
lord10 ,i said1 with a  subdued and     
trembling voice1 8,i have put in my     
glass what ,i want to  drink4 ,i have   
promised my ,god and my country that ,i 
would never drink  any more wine40      
,the bishop1 forgetting the respect he  
owed to himself and to those  around    
him1 answered me in the most insulting  
manner3 8,you are nothing  but a        
fanatic1 and you want to reform us40    

,these words struck me as the shock of a
 galvanic battery1 and  transformed me  
into a new man4 ,it seemed as if they   
had added ten feet  to my stature and a 
thousand pounds to my weight4 ,i forgot 
that ,i was  the subject of that bishop1
 and remembered that ,i was a man1 in   
the  presence of another man4 ,i raised 
my head and opened my eyes2 as quick  as
 lightning ,i rose to my feet1 and      
addressing the ,grand ,vicar ,demars1   
superior of the seminary1 ,i said with  
calmness3 8,sir1 was it that ,i  might  
be insulted at your table that you have 
invited me here8 ,is it not  your duty  
to defend my honor when ,i am here1 your
 guest8 ,but1 as you  seem to forget    
what you owe to your guests1 ,i will    
take my own defense  against my unjust  
aggressor40 ,then1 turning towards the  
,bishop de ,nancy1  ,i said3 8,my ,lord 
de ,nancy1 ,i appeal to your lordship   
from the unjust  sentence of my own     
bishop4 ,in the name of ,god1 and of    
,his ,son1 ,jesus  ,christ1 ,i request  

you to tell us1 here1 if a priest       
cannot1 for his  ,saviour's sake1 and   
for the good of his fellow-men1 as well 
as for his  own self-denial1 give up    
forever the use of wine and other       
intoxicating  drinks1 without being     
abused1 slandered and insulted1 as ,i am
 here1 in  your presence80    ,it was   
evident that my words had made a deep   
impression on the whole  company4 ,a    
solemn silence followed for a few       
seconds1 which was  interrupted only by 
my bishop1 who said to the ,bishop de   
,nancy3 8,yes1  yes1 my lord2 give us   
your sentence40    ,no words can give an
 idea of the excitement of every one in 
that  multitude of priests1 who1        
accustomed from their infancy1 abjectly 
to  submit to their bishop1 were1 for   
the first time1 in the presence of  such
 a hand-to-hand conflict between a      
powerless1 humble1 unprotected  young   
curate and his all-powerful1 proud and  
haughty archbishop4    ,the ,bishop of  
,nancy1 at first1 refused to grant my   

request4 ,he felt the  difficulty of his
 position2 but after ,bishop ,signaie   
had united his  voice to mine1 to press 
him to give his verdict1 he rose and    
said3    8,my ,lord ,archbishop of      
,quebec1 and you1 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 please
 withdraw  your request4 ,do not press  
me to give my views on such a new1 but  
important subject4 ,it is only a few    
days since ,i came in your midst4 ,it   
will not do that ,i should so soon      
become your judge4 ,the responsibility  
of a judgment in such a momentous matter
 is too great4 ,i cannot accept  it40   
,but when the same pressing request was 
repeated by nine-tenths of that  vast   
assembly of priests2 and that the       
archbishop pressed him more and  more to
 pronounce his sentence1 he raised his  
eyes and hands to heaven1  and made a   
silent but ardent prayer to ,god4 ,his  
countenance took an air  of dignity1 ,i 
might say majesty1 which gave him more  
the appearance of  an old prophet than  
of a man of our day4 ,then1 casting his 

eyes upon his  audience1 he remained a  
considerable time1 meditating4 ,all eyes
 were  upon him1 anxiously waiting for  
the sentence4 ,there was an air of      
grandeur in him1 at that moment1 which  
seemed to tell us that the purest  blood
 of the great kings of ,france was      
flowing in his veins4 ,at last1 he      
opened his lips1 but it was again       
pressingly to request me to settle the  
difficulty with the archbishop among    
ourselves1 and to discharge him of  that
 responsibility4 ,but we both refused   
again to grant him his request1  and    
pressed him to give his judgment4 ,all  
this time1 ,i was standing1  having     
publicly said that ,i would never sit   
again at that table1 unless  that insult
 was wiped away4    ,then he said with  
unspeakable dignity3 8,my ,lord of      
,quebec6 ,here1 before  us1 is our young
 priest1 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 who1 once on   
his knees1 in the  presence of ,god and 
his angels1 for the love of ,jesus      
,christ1 the good  of his own soul and  

the good of his country1 has promised   
never to  drink6 ,we are the witnesses  
that he is faithful to his promise1     
though  he has been pressed to break it 
by your lordship4    8,and because he   
keeps his pledge with such heroism1 your
 lordship has  called him a fanatic6    
,now1 ,i am requested by every one here1
 to  pronounce my verdict on that       
painful occurrence4 ,here it is6 ,mr4   
,chiniquy drinks no wine6 ,but1 if ,i   
look through the past ages1 when ,god   
himself was ruling his own people1      
through his prophets1 ,i see ,samson1   
who1 by the special order of ,god1 never
 drank wine or any other  intoxicating  
drink6 ,if from the ,old ,testament1 ,i 
pass to the ,new1 ,i see  ,john the     
,baptist1 the precursor of our ,saviour 
,jesus ,christ1 who to obey  the command
 of ,god1 never drank any wine66 ,when  
,i look at ,mr4 ,chiniquy1  and see     
,samson at his right hand to protect    
him2 and ,john the ,baptist at  his left
 to bless him1 ,i find his position so  

strong and impregnable1  that ,i would  
not dare attack or condemn him60        
,these words were pronounced in the most
 eloquent and dignified manner1  and    
were listened to with a most respectful 
and breathless attention4    ,bishop de 
,nancy1 keeping his gravity1 sat down1  
emptied his wine glass  into a tumbler1 
filled it with water1 and drank to my   
health4    ,the poor archbishop was so  
completely confounded and humiliated1   
that  every one felt for him4 ,the few  
minutes spent at the table1 after this  
extraordinary act of justice1 seemed    
oppressive to every one4 ,scarcely  any 
one dared to look at his neighbor1 or   
speak1 except in a low and  subdued     
tone1 as when a great calamity has just 
occurred4    ,nobody thought of drinking
 his wine2 and the health of the ,bishop
 de  ,nancy was left undrunk4 ,but a    
good number of priests filled their     
glasses with water1 and giving me a     
silent sign of approbation1 drank to  my
 health4    ,the society of temperance  

had been dragged by her enemies to the  
battle-field1 to be destroyed2 but she  
bravely fought1 and gained the  victory4
 ,now1 she was called to begin her      
triumphant march through our  dear      
,canada4                                
,,chapter ,,xxxvi                       
,,the ,,god ,,of ,,rome ,,eaten ,,by ,a 
,,rat4      ,has ,god given us ears to  
hear1 eyes to see1 and intelligence to  
understand8 ,the ,pope says1 no6 ,but   
the ,son of ,god says1 yes4 ,one of the 
most severe rebukes of our ,saviour to  
,his disciples1 was for their not       
paying sufficient attention to what     
their eyes had seen1 their ears  heard1 
and their intelligence perceived4       
8,perceive ye not yet1 neither          
understand8 ,have ye your heart yet     
hardened8 ,having eyes1 see ye not1     
having ears1 hear ye not8 and do not ye 
remember80--7,mark viii3 #ag1 #ah47     
,this solemn appeal of our ,saviour to  
our common sense1 is the most  complete 
demolition of the whole fabric of ,rome4

 ,the day that a man  ceases to believe 
that ,god would give us our senses and  
our intelligence  to ruin and deceive   
us1 but that they were given to guide   
us1 he is lost  to the ,church of ,rome4
 ,the ,pope knows it2 hence the         
innumerable  encyclicals1 laws1 and     
regulations by which the ,roman         
,catholics are  warned not to trust the 
testimony of their ears1 eyes1 or       
intelligence4    8,shut your eyes10 says
 the ,pope to his priests and people2   
8,i will keep  mine opened1 and ,i will 
see for you4 ,shut your ears1 for it is 
most  dangerous for you to hear what is 
said in the world4 ,i will keep my ears 
opened1 and will tell you what you must 
know4 ,remember that to trust  your own 
intelligence1 in the research of truth1 
and the knowledge of  the ,word of ,god1
 is sure perdition4 ,if you want to know
 anything1 come  to me3 ,i am the only  
sure infallible fountain of truth10     
saith the pope4    ,and this stupendous 
imposture is accepted by the people and 

the priests  of ,rome with a mysterious 
facility1 and retained with a most      
desolating  tenacity4    ,it is to them 
what the iron ring is to the nose of the
 ox1 when a rope  is once tied to it4   
,the poor animal loses its self-control4
 ,its natural  strength and energies    
will avail it nothing2 it must go left  
or right1  at the will of the one who   
holds the end of the rope4    ,reader1  
please have no contempt for the         
unfortunate priests and people  of      
,rome1 but pity them1 when you see them 
walking in the ways into which          
intelligent beings ought not to take a  
step4 ,they cannot help it4 ,the  ring  
of the ox is at their nose1 and the     
,pope holds the end of the rope4  ,had  
it not been for that ring1 ,i would not 
have been long at the feet of  the wafer
 god of the ,pope4 ,let me tell you of  
one of the shining rays of  truth1 which
 were evidently sent by our merciful    
,god1 with a mighty  power1 to open my  
eyes4 ,but ,i could not follow it2 the  

iron ring was at  my nose2 and the ,pope
 was holding the end of the rope4       
,this was after ,i had been put at the  
head of the magnificent parish of       
,beauport1 in the spring of #ahdj4      
,there was living at 8,la jeune         
,lorette10  an old retired priest1 who  
was blind4 ,he was born in ,france1     
where he  had been condemned to death1  
under the ,reign of ,terror4 ,escaped   
from the  guillotine1 he had fled to    
,canada1 where the bishop of ,quebec had
 put  him in the elevated post of       
,chaplain of the ,ursuline ,nunnery4 ,he
 had a  fine voice1 was a good musician1
 and had some pretensions to the title  
of poet4 ,having composed a good number 
of church hymns1 he had been  called    
8,pere ,cantique10 but his real name was
 8,pere ,daule40 ,his faith  and piety  
were of the most exalted character among
 the ,roman ,catholics2  though these   
did not prevent him from being one of   
the most amiable and  jovial men ,i ever
 saw4 ,but his blue eyes1 sweet as the  

eyes of the dove2  his fine yellow hair1
 falling on his shoulders as a golden   
fleece2 his  white1 rosy cheeks1 and his
 constantly smiling lips1 had been too  
much  for the tender hearts of the good 
nuns4 ,it was not a secret that 8,pere  
,cantique10 when young1 had made several
 interesting conquests in the           
monastery4 ,there was no wonder at that4
 ,indeed1 how could that young and      
inexperienced butterfly escape damaging 
his golden wings1 at the  numberless    
burning lamps of the fair virgins8 ,but 
the mantle of charity  had been put on  
the wounds which the old warrior had    
received on that  formidable            
battlefield1 from which even the        
,davids1 ,samsons1 ,solomons1  and many 
others1 had escaped only after being    
mortally wounded4    ,to help the poor1 
blind priest1 the curates around ,quebec
 used to keep  him by turn in their     
parsonages1 and give him the care and   
marks of  respect due to his old age4   
,after the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,roy1 curate of   

,charlesbourg1 had kept him five or six 
weeks1 ,i had taken him to my           
parsonage4 ,it was in the month of      
,may--a month entirely consecrated to   
the worship of the ,virgin ,mary1 to    
whom ,father ,daule was a most devoted  
priest4 ,his zeal was really            
inexhaustible1 when trying to prove to  
us  how ,mary was the surest foundation 
of the hope and salvation of sinners2   
how she was constantly appeasing the    
just wrath of her son ,jesus1 who1  were
 it not for his love and respect to her 
would have1 long since1  crushed us     
down4    ,the ,councils of ,rome have   
forbidden their blind priests to say    
their  mass2 but on account of high     
piety1 he had got from the ,pope the    
privilege of celebrating the short mass 
of the ,virgin1 which he knew  perfectly
 by heart4 ,one morning1 when the old   
priest was at the altar1  saying his    
mass1 and ,i was in the vestry1 hearing 
the confessions of the  people1 the     
young servant boy came to me in haste1  

and said1 8,father  ,daule calls you2   
please come quick40    ,fearing         
something wrong had happened to my old  
friend1 ,i lost no time1  and ran to    
him4 ,i found him nervously tapping the 
altar with his two  hands1 as in an     
anxious search for some very precious   
thing4 ,when very  near to him1 ,i said3
 8,what do you want80 ,he answered with 
a shriek of  distress3 8,the good god   
has disappeared from the altar4 ,he is  
lost6  7,j'ai perdu le ,bon ,dieu4 ,il  
est disparu de dessus l'autel607 ,hoping
 that  he was mistaken1 and that he had 
only thrown away the good god1 8,le ,bon
  ,dieu10 on the floor1 by some         
accident1 ,i looked on the altar1 at his
  feet1 everywhere ,i could suspect that
 the good god might have been  moved    
away by some mistake of the hand4 ,but  
the most minute search was  of no avail2
 the good god could not be found4 ,i    
really felt stunned4 ,at  first1        
remembering the thousand miracles ,i had
 read of the disappearance  and         

marvellous changes of form of the wafer 
god1 it came to my mind that  we were in
 the presence of some great miracle2 and
 that my eyes were to  see some of these
 great marvels of which the books of the
 ,church of ,rome  are filled4 ,but ,i  
had soon to change my mind1 when a      
thought flashed  through my memory1     
which chilled the blood in my veins4    
,the church of  ,beauport was inhabited 
by a multitude of the boldest and most  
insolent  rats ,i have ever seen4 ,many 
times1 when saying my mass1 ,i had seen 
the  ugly nose of several of them1 who1 
undoubtedly attracted by the smell of   
the fresh wafer1 wanted to make their   
breakfast with the body1 blood1  soul   
and divinity of my ,christ4 ,but1 as ,i 
was constantly in motion1 or  praying   
with a loud voice1 the rats had         
invariably been frightened and  fled    
away into their secret quarters4 ,i felt
 terror-stricken at the  thought that   
the good god 7,le ,bon ,dieu7 had been  
taken away and eaten by  the rats4      

,father ,daule so sincerely believed    
what all the priests of ,rome are  bound
 to believe1 that he had the power to   
turn the wafer into ,god1  that1 after  
he had pronounced the words by which the
 great marvel was  wrought1 he used to  
pass from five to fifteen minutes in    
silent  adoration4 ,he was then as      
motionless as a marble statue1 and his  
feelings were so strong that often      
torrents of tears used to flow from  his
 eyes on his cheeks4 ,leaning my head   
toward the distressed old  priest1 ,i   
asked him3 8,have you not remained1 as  
you are used1 a long  time motionless1  
in adoring the good god1 after the      
consecration80    ,he quickly answered1 
8,yes1 but what has this to do with the 
loss of the  good god80    ,i replied in
 a low voice1 but with a real accent of 
distress and awe1  8,some rats have     
dragged and eaten the good god60        
8,what do you say80 replied ,father     
,daule4 8,the good god carried away and 
eaten by rats80    8,yes10 ,i replied1  

8,i have not the least doubt about it40 
8,my ,god6 my ,god6 what a dreadful     
calamity upon me60 rejoined the old     
man2 and raising his hands and his eyes 
to heaven1 he cried out again1  8,my    
,god6 my ,god6 ,why have you not taken  
away my life before such a  misfortune  
could fall upon me60 ,he could not speak
 any longer2 his voice  was choked by   
his sobs4    ,at first1 ,i did not know 
what to say2 a thousand thoughts some   
very  grave1 some exceedingly ludicrous1
 crossed my mind more rapidly than ,i   
can say them4 ,i stood there1 as nailed 
to the floor1 by the old priest1  who   
was weeping as a child1 till he asked   
me1 with a voice broken by his  sobs1   
8,what must ,i do now80 ,i answered him3
 8,the ,church has foreseen  occurrences
 of that kind1 and provided for them the
 remedy4 ,the only  thing you have to do
 is to get a new wafer1 consecrate it1  
and continue  your mass as if nothing   
strange had occurred4 ,i will go and get
 you1  just now1 new bread40 ,i went1   

without losing a moment1 to the vestry1 
got and brought a new wafer1 which he   
consecrated and turned into a new  god1 
and finished his mass1 as ,i had told   
him4 ,after it was over1 ,i took  the   
disconsolate old priest by the hand to  
my parsonage for breakfast4  ,but all   
along the way he rent the air with his  
cries of distress4 ,he  would hardly    
taste anything1 for his soul was drowned
 in a sea of  trouble4 ,i vainly tried  
to calm his feelings1 by telling him    
that it was  no fault of his2 that this 
strange and sad occurrence was not the  
first  of that kind2 that it had been   
calmly foreseen by the ,church1 which   
had  told us what to do in these        
circumstances2 that there was no        
neglect1 no  fault1 no offence against  
,god or man on his part4    ,but as he  
would not pay the least attention to    
what ,i said1 ,i felt the  only thing ,i
 had to do was to remain silent and     
respect his grief1 by  letting him      
unburden his heart by his lamentations  

and tears4    ,i had hoped that his good
 common sense would help him to overcome
 his  feelings1 but ,i was mistaken2 his
 lamentations were as long as those of  
,jeremiah1 and the expressions of his   
grief as bitter4    ,at last1 ,i lost   
patience and said3 8,my dear ,father    
,daule1 allow me to  tell you           
respectfully that it is quite time to   
stop these lamentations  and tears4 ,our
 great and just ,god cannot like such an
 excess of sorrow  and regret about a   
thing which was only1 and entirely1     
under the control  of ,his power and    
eternal wisdom40    8,what do you say   
there80 replied the old priest1 with a  
vivacity which  resembled anger4    8,i 
say that1 as it was not in your power to
 foresee or to avoid that  occurrence1  
you have not the least reason to act and
 speak as you do4  ,let us keep our     
regrets and our tears for our sins2 we  
cannot shed too  many tears on them4    
,but there is no sin here1 and there    
must be some  reasonable limit to our   

sorrow4 ,if anybody had to weep and     
regret  without measure what has        
happened1 it would be ,christ4 ,for ,he 
alone  could foresee that event1 and he 
alone could prevent it4 ,had it been    
,his  will to oppose this sad and       
mysterious act1 it was in ,his1 not in  
our  power to prevent it4 ,he alone has 
suffered from it1 because it was ,his   
will to suffer it40    8,mr4 ,chiniquy10
 he replied1 8you are quite a young man1
 and ,i see you  have the want of       
attention and experience which are often
 seen among  young priests4 ,you do not 
pay a sufficient attention to the awful 
calamity which has just occurred in your
 church4 ,if you had more faith  and    
piety you would weep with me instead of 
laughing at my grief4 ,how  can you     
speak so lightly of a thing which makes 
the angels of ,god weep8  ,our dear     
,saviour dragged and eaten by rats6 ,oh6
 great ,god6 does not this  surpass the 
humiliation and horrors of ,calvary80   
8,my dear ,father ,daule10 ,i replied1  

8allow me respectfully to tell you  that
 ,i understand1 as well as you do1 the  
nature of the deplorable event  of this 
morning4 ,i would have given my blood to
 prevent it4 ,but let us  look at that  
fact in its proper light4 ,it is not a  
moral action for us2  it did not depend 
on our will more than the spots of the  
sun4 ,the only  one who is accountable  
for that fact is our ,god6 ,for1 again1 
,i say1 that  ,he was the only one who  
could foresee and prevent it4 ,and1 to  
give you  plainly my own mind1 ,i tell  
you here that if ,i were ,god ,almighty1
 and a  miserable rat would come to eat 
me1 ,i would strike him dead before he  
could touch me40    ,there is no need of
 confessing it here2 every one who reads
 these pages1  and pays attention to    
this conversation1 will understand that 
my former  so robust faith in my        
priestly power of changing the wafer    
into my ,god  had melted away and       
evaporated from my mind1 if not         
entirely1 at least  to a great extent4  

,great and new lights had flashed       
through my soul in that hour2  evidently
 my ,god wanted to open my eyes to the  
awful absurdities and  impieties of a   
religion whose ,god could be dragged and
 eaten by rats4  ,had ,i been faithful  
to the saving lights which were in me   
then1 ,i was  saved in that very hour2  
and before the end of that day ,i would 
have  broken the shameful chains by     
which the ,pope had tied my neck to his 
idol of bread4 ,in that hour it seemed  
to me evident that the dogma of         
transubstantiation was a sic monstrous  
imposture1 and my priesthood an  insult 
to ,god and man4    ,my intelligence    
said to me with a thundering voice3 8,do
 not remain any  longer the priest of a 
,god whom you make every day1 and whom  
the rats  can eat40    ,though blind1   
,father ,daule understood very well by  
the stern accents of  my voice1 that my 
faith in the god whom he had created    
that morning1 and  whom the rats had    
eaten1 had been seriously modified1 if  

not entirely  crumbled down4 ,he        
remained silent for some time1 after    
which he invited  me to sit by him2 and 
he spoke to me with a pathos and an     
authority  which my youth and his old   
age alone could justify4 ,he gave me the
 most  awful rebuke ,i ever had2 he     
opened on my poor wavering intelligence1
  soul and heart1 all the cataracts of  
heaven4 ,he overwhelmed me with a       
deluge of ,holy ,fathers1 ,councils and 
infallible ,popes1 who had believed  and
 preached before the whole world1 in all
 ages1 the dogma of  transubstantiation4
    ,if ,i had paid attention to the    
voice of my intelligence1 and accepted  
the lights which my merciful ,god was   
giving me1 ,i could easily have  smashed
 the arguments of the old priest of     
,rome4 ,but what has the  intelligence  
to do in the ,church of ,rome8 ,what    
could my intelligence  say8 ,i was      
forbidden to hear it4 ,what was the     
weight of my poor1  isolated            
intelligence1 when put in the balance   

against so many learned1  holy          
infallible intelligences8    ,alas6 ,i  
was not aware1 then1 that the weight of 
the intelligence of ,god1  the ,father1 
,son and ,holy ,ghost was on my side2   
and that1 weighted  against the         
intelligence of the ,popes1 they were   
greater than all the  words against a   
grain of sand4    ,one hour after1      
shedding tears of regret1 ,i was at the 
feet of ,father  ,daule1 in the         
confessional box1 confessing the great  
sin ,i had committed  by doubting1 for a
 moment1 of the power of the priests to 
change a wafer  into ,god4    ,the old  
priest1 whose voice had been like a     
lion's voice1 when speaking  to the     
unbelieving curate of ,beauport1 had    
become sweet as the voice of  a lamb    
when he had me at his feet1 confessing  
my unbelief4 ,he gave me my  pardon4    
,for my penance1 he forbade me ever to  
say a word on the sad end  of the god he
 had created that morning2 for1 said he3
 8,this would  destroy the faith of the 

most sincere ,roman ,catholics40 ,for   
the other  part of the penance1 ,i had  
to go on my knees every day1 during nine
  days1 before the fourteen images of   
the way of the cross1 and say a         
penitential psalm before every picture1 
which ,i did4 ,but the sixth day  the   
skin of my knees was pierced1 and the   
blood was flowing freely4 ,i  suffered  
real torture every time ,i kneeled down1
 and at every step ,i  made4 ,but it    
seemed to me that these terrible        
tortures were nothing  compared to my   
great iniquity6    ,i had refused1 for a
 moment1 to believe that a man can      
create his ,god  with a wafer6 and ,i   
had thought that a church which adores a
 god eaten  by rats must be an          
idolatrous church6                      
,,chapter ,,xxxvii     ,,visit ,,of ,a  
,,protestant ,,stranger--,,he ,,throws  
,,an ,,arrow ,,into ,,my ,,priestly     
,,soul                                  
,,never ,,to ,,be ,,taken ,,out4      ,a
 few days before the arrival of ,bishop 

de ,forbin ,janson1 ,i was alone in  my 
study1 considering my false position    
toward my ecclesiastical  superiors1 on 
account of my establishing the          
temperance society against  their formal
 protest4 ,my heart was sad4 ,my partial
 success had not  blinded me to the     
reality of my deplorable isolation from 
the great mass  of the clergy4 ,with    
very few exceptions1 they were speaking 
of me as a  dangerous man4 ,they had    
even given me the nickname of 8,le      
reformateur  au petit pied0 7small-sized
 reformer71 and were losing no          
opportunity  of showing me their supreme
 contempt and indignation1 for what they
  called my obstinacy4    ,in that sad  
hour1 there were many clouds around my  
horizon1 and my mind  was filled with   
anxiety2 when1 suddenly1 a stranger     
knocked at my door4  ,he was a          
good-sized man1 his smiling lips and    
honest face were beaming  with the      
utmost kindness4 ,his large and noble   
forehead told me1 at once1  that my     

visitor was a man of superior intellect4
 ,his whole mien was that  of a true    
gentleman4    ,he pressed my hand with  
the cordiality of an old friend1 and    
giving me  his name1 he told me at once 
the object of his visit1 in these words4
    8,i do not come here only in my     
name2 but it is in the name of many1 if 
not of all the ,english-speaking people 
of ,quebec and ,canada4 ,i want to  tell
 you our admiration for the great reform
 you have accomplished in  ,beauport4   
,we know the stern opposition of your   
superiors and  fellow-priests to your   
efforts1 and we admire you more for     
that4    8,go on1 sir1 you have on your 
side the great ,god of heaven1 who has  
said  to us all3 #8,look not thou upon  
the wine when it is red1 when it giveth 
its color in the cup1 when it moveth    
itself aright4 ,at the last1 it  biteth 
like a serpent1 it stingeth like an     
adder4'    8,take courage1 sir10 he     
added2 8you have1 on your side1 the     
,saviour of  the world1 ,jesus ,christ  

himself1 who has inspired his ,apostle  
,paul to  say3 #8,i will not drink any  
wine if it can be a cause of sin to my  
neighbor4' ,fear not man1 sir1 when ,god
 the ,father1 and ,his son1 ,jesus      
,christ1 are on your side4 ,if you find 
any opposition from some quarter1  and  
if deluded men turn you into ridicule   
when you are doing such a  ,christian   
work1 bless the ,lord4 ,for ,jesus      
,christ has said3 #8,blessed are  they  
who do hunger and thirst after          
righteousness1 for they shall be        
filled4 ,blessed are ye when men shall  
revile you and persecute you1 and  shall
 say all manner of evil against you1    
falsely1 for my sake4'    8,i come also 
to tell you1 sir1 that if there are men 
who oppose you1  there are many more who
 are praying for you day and night1     
asking our  ,heavenly ,father to pour   
upon you ,his most abundant blessings4  
8,intoxicating drinks are the curse of  
this young country4 ,it is the most     
deadly foe of every father and mother1  

the most implacable enemy of  every     
child in ,canada4 ,it is the ruin of our
 rich families1 as well as  the         
destruction of the poor4    8,the use of
 intoxicating drinks1 under any form or 
pretext is an act of  supreme folly2 for
 alcohol kills the body and damns the   
soul of its  blind victim4    8,you     
have1 for the first time1 raised the    
glorious banners of temperance  among   
the ,french ,canadian people2 though you
 are alone1 to-day1 to lift  it up1 be  
not discouraged2 for1 before long1 you  
will see your  intelligent countrymen   
rallying around it to help you to fight 
and  conquer4    8,no doubt the seed you
 sow to-day is often watered with your  
tears2 but  before long you will reap   
the richest crop1 and your heart will be
  filled with joy when your grateful    
country will bless your name40    ,after
 a few other sentences of the same      
elevated sentiments1 he hardly  gave me 
time enough to express my feelings of   
gratitude1 and said3 8,i  know you are  

very busy1 ,i do not want to trespass   
upon your time4  ,good-bye1 sir2 may the
 ,lord bless you1 and be your keeper in 
all your  ways40    ,he pressed my hand1
 and soon disappeared4 ,i would try1 in 
vain1 to  express what ,i felt when     
alone with my ,god1 after that strange  
and  providential visit4 ,my first      
thought was to fall on my knees and     
thank  that merciful ,god for having    
sent me such a messenger to cheer me in 
one  of the darkest hours of my life2   
for every word from his lips had fallen 
on my wounded soul as the oil of the    
,good ,samaritan on the bleeding  wounds
 of the traveler to ,jericho4 ,there had
 been such an elevation of  thought1    
such a ring of true1 simple but sublime 
faith and piety2 such  love of man and  
fear of ,god in all that he had said4   
,it was the first  time ,i had heard    
words so conformable to my personal     
views and profound  convictions on that 
subject4 ,that stranger1 whose visit had
 passed as  quickly as the visit of an  

angel from ,god1 had filled my heart    
with such  joy and surprise at the      
unexpected news that all the            
,english-speaking  people of ,canada    
were praying for me6    ,however1 ,i did
 not fall on my knees to thank ,god2 for
 my sentiments of  gratitude to ,god    
were suddenly chilled by the unspeakable
 humiliation ,i  felt when ,i considered
 that that stranger was a ,protestant6  
,the comparison ,i was forced to make   
between the noble sentiments1 the  high 
philosophy1 the ,christian principles of
 that ,protestant layman with  the low  
expressions of contempt1 the absolute   
want of generous and  ,christian        
thoughts of my bishop and my            
fellow-priests when they were  turning  
into ridicule that temperance society   
which ,god was so visibly  presenting to
 us as the best1 if not the only way1 to
 save the thousands  of drunkards who   
were perishing around us1 paralyzed my  
lips1 bewildered  my mind1 and made it  
impossible for me to utter a word of    

prayer4 ,my  first sentiments of joy and
 of gratitude to ,god soon gave way to  
sentiments of unspeakable shame and     
distress4    ,i was forced to           
acknowledge that these ,protestants1    
whom my ,church had  taught me1 through 
all her councils1 to anathematize and   
curse as the  damned slaves and         
followers of ,satan1 were1 in their     
principles of  morality1 higher above us
 than the heavens are above the earth6  
,i had to  confess to myself that those 
heretics1 whom my ,church had taught me 
to  consider as rebels against ,christ  
and ,his ,church1 knew the laws of ,god 
and followed them much more closely than
 ourselves4 ,they had raised  themselves
 to the highest degree of ,christian    
temperance1 when my  bishops1 with their
 priests1 were swimming in the deadly   
waters of  drunkenness6    ,a voice     
seemed crying to me3 8,where is the     
superiority of holiness of  your proud  
,church of ,rome over those so-called   
heretics1 who follow more  closely the  

counsels and precepts of the gospel of  
,christ80    ,i tried to stifle that    
voice1 but ,i could not4 ,louder and    
louder it was  heard asking me3 8,who is
 nearer ,god--the bishop1 who so        
obstinately  opposes a reform which is  
so evidently according to the ,divine   
,word1 or  those earnest followers of   
the gospel1 who make the sacrifice of   
their  old and most cherished usages    
with such pleasure1 when they see it is 
for the good of their fellow-men and the
 glory of ,god80    ,i wished then to be
 a hundred feet below the ground1 in    
order not to  hear those questions      
answered within my soul4 ,but there was 
no help2 ,i  had to hear them1 and to   
blush at the reality before my eyes4    
,pride6 yes1 diabolical pride6 is the   
vice1 par excellence1 of every  priest  
of ,rome4 ,just as he is taught to      
believe and say that his church  is far 
above every other church1 so he is      
taught to believe and say  that1 as a   
priest1 he is above all the kings1      

emperors1 governors and  presidents of  
this world4 ,that pride is the daily    
bread of the pope1  the bishop1 the     
priests1 and even the lowest layman in  
the ,church of  ,rome4    ,it is also   
the great secret of their power and     
strength4 ,it is this  diabolical pride 
which nerves them with an iron will1 to 
bring down  everything to their feet2   
subject every human being to their will1
 and  tie every neck to the wheels of   
their chariot4 ,it is this fearful pride
  which so often gives them that stoical
 patience and indomitable courage  in   
the midst of the most cruel pain1 or in 
the face of the most  appalling death1  
which so many deluded ,protestants take 
for ,christian  courage and heroism4    
,the priest of ,rome believes that he is
 called by  ,god ,almighty to rule1     
subdue and govern the world4 ,with all  
those  prerogatives that he fancies     
granted him by heaven1 he builds up a   
high  pyramid1 on the top of which he   
seats himself1 and from that elevation  

looks down with the utmost contempt on  
the rest of the world4    ,if anyone    
suspects that ,i exaggerate in thus     
speaking of the pride of  the priest1   
let him read the following haughty words
 which ,cardinal  ,manning puts on the  
lips of the pope in one of his lectures3
    8,i acknowledge no civil power2 ,i  
am the subject of no prince4 ,i am more 
than this4 ,i claim to be the supreme   
judge and director of the  conscience of
 men3 of the peasant who tills his field
 and of the prince  who sits upon the   
throne2 of the household that lives in  
the shade of  privacy1 and the          
legislator that makes laws for the      
kingdom4 ,i am the  sole1 last1 supreme 
judge of what is right or wrong40    ,is
 it not evident that the ,holy ,ghost   
speaks of this pride of the  priests and
 of the pope--the high priest of        
,rome--when he says3 8,that man  of sin1
 that son of perdition1 who opposeth and
 exalteth himself above  all that is    
called ,god1 or that is worshipped1 so  

that he1 as ,god1 sits  in the temple of
 ,god1 showing himself that he is ,god40
    ,that caste pride which was in me1  
though ,i did not see it then1 as it is 
in every priest of ,rome1 though he does
 not suspect it1 had received a  rude   
check1 indeed1 from that ,protestant    
visitor4 ,yes1 ,i must confess  it1 he  
had inflicted a deadly wound on my      
priestly pride2 he had thrown  a barbed 
arrow into my priestly soul which ,i    
tried many times1 but  always in vain1  
to take away4 ,the more ,i attempted to 
get rid of this  arrow1 the deeper it   
went through my very bones and marrow4  
,that strange  visitor1 who caused me to
 pass so many hours and days of         
humiliation1  when forcing me to blush  
at the inferiority of the ,christian    
principles  of my ,church compared with 
those of the ,protestants1 is well known
 in  ,canada1 the ,united ,states and   
,great ,britain1 as the founder and     
first  editor of two of the best        
religious papers of ,america1 the       

,montreal  ,witness and the ,new ,york  
,witness4 ,his name is ,john ,dougall4  
,as he is still living1 ,i am happy to  
have this opportunity of thanking  and  
blessing him again for the visit he paid
 to the young curate of  ,beauport      
forty-five years ago4    ,i was not     
aware then that the wounds inflicted by 
that unknown but  friendly hand was one 
of the great favors bestowed upon me by 
my  merciful ,god2 but ,i understand it 
now4 ,many rays of light have since     
come from the wounds which my priestly  
pride received that day4 ,those  rays of
 light helped much to expel the darkness
 which surrounded me1 by  leading me to 
see1 in spite of myself1 that the       
vaunted holiness of the  ,church of     
,rome is a fraud4                       
,,chapter ,,xxxviii4    ,,erection ,,of 
,,the ,,column ,,of                     
,,temperance--,,school                  
,,buildings--,,addresses--,a ,,noble    
,,and ,,touching ,,act ,,of ,,the       
,,people ,,of ,,beauport4      ,the     

battle fought and gained at the grand   
dinner of the ,quebec ,seminary  by the 
society of temperance had been decisive4
    ,the triumph was as complete as it  
was glorious4 ,hereafter her march to   
the conquest of ,canada was to be a     
triumph4 ,her blessed banners were  soon
 to be planted over all the cities1     
towns and villages of my dear  country4 
,to commemorate the expression of their 
joy and gratitude to ,god to the        
remotest generations1 the people of     
,beauport erected the beautiful  ,column
 of ,temperance1 which is still seen    
halfway between ,quebec and the         
,montmorency ,falls4 ,the ,bishop de    
,nancy1 my ,lord ,forbin ,janson1       
blessed  that first monument of         
temperance1 ,september #gth1 #ahda1 in  
the midst of  an immense multitude of   
people4    ,the parishes of ,st4 ,peter1
 ,st4 ,john1 ,st4 ,famille 7,orleans    
,island71 with  ,st4 ,michel were the   
first after ,lange ,gardien1 ,chateau   
,richer1 ,st4 ,anne  and ,st4 ,joachin1 

to request me to preach on temperance4  
,soon after1 the whole population of    
,st4 ,roch1 ,quebec1 took the pledge    
with a wonderful unanimity1 and kept it 
long with marvellous fidelity4  ,in     
order to show to the whole country their
 feelings of gratitude1 they  presented 
me with a fine picture of the ,column of
 ,temperance and a  complimentary       
address1 written and delivered by one of
 the most  promising young men of       
,quebec1 ,mr4 ,john ,cauchon1 who was   
raised some  years later to the dignity 
of a ,cabinet ,minister1 and who has    
been the  worthy lieutenant-governor of 
,manitoba4    ,that address was soon    
followed by another from the citizens of
 ,quebec  and ,beauport1 presented along
 with my portrait1 by ,mr4 ,joseph      
,parent1  then editor of the ,canadien1 
and afterwards ,provincial ,secretary of
  ,canada4    ,what a strange being man 
is6 ,how fickle are his judgments6 ,in  
#ahdb1 they  had no words sufficiently  
flattering to praise the very man in the

 face  of whom they were spitting in    
#ahch1 for doing the very same thing6   
,was ,i  better for establishing the    
society of temperance in #ahdb than ,i  
was in  establishing it in #ahch8 ,no6  
,and was ,i worse when1 in #ahch1       
bishops1  priests and people were       
abusing1 slandering and giving me bad   
names for  raising the banners of       
temperance over my country1 than ,i was 
in  continuing to lift it up in #ahdb8  
,no8    ,the sudden and complete change 
of the judgment of men in such a short  
period of time had the good and         
providential effect of filling my mind  
with the most supreme indifference1 not 
to say contempt1 for what men  thought  
or said of me4    ,yea6 this sudden     
passage from condemnation to that of    
praise1 when ,i was  doing the very same
 work1 had the good effect to cure me of
 that natural  pride which one is apt to
 feel when publicly applauded by men4   
,it is to that knowledge1 acquired when 
young1 that ,i owe the  preservation of 

my dignity as man and priest1 when all  
my bishops and  their priests were      
arrayed against me at the dining table  
of the  ,seminary of ,quebec4 ,it is    
that knowledge1 also1 that taught me not
 to  forget that ,i was nothing but a   
worm of the dust and an unprofitable    
servant of ,god1 when the same men      
overwhelmed me with their unmerited     
praises4    ,let not my readers think1  
however1 that ,i was absolutely         
indifferent to  this change of public   
feeling2 for no words can tell the joy  
,i felt at  the assurance which these   
public manifestations afforded me that  
the  cause of temperance was to triumph 
everywhere in my country4    ,let me    
here tell a fact too honorable to the   
people of ,beauport to be  omitted4 ,as 
soon as the demon of intemperance was   
driven from my parish1  ,i felt that my 
first duty was to give my attention to  
education1 which  had been so shamefully
 neglected by my predecessors that there
 was not a  single school in the parish 

worthy of that name4 ,i proposed my plan
 to  the people1 asked their            
co-operation and set to work without    
delay4    ,i began by erecting the fine 
stone school house near the church1 on  
the  site of the old parsonage4 ,the old
 walls were pulled down1 and on the  old
 foundation a good structure was soon   
erected with the free  collections      
raised in the village4 ,but the work was
 hardly half finished  when ,i found    
myself without a cent to carry it on4 ,i
 saw at once that1  having no idea of   
the value of education1 the people would
 murmur at my  asking any more money4 ,i
 therefore sold my horse1 a fine animal 
given me  by a rich uncle1 and with the 
money finished the building4    ,my     
people felt humiliated and pained at    
seeing their pastor obliged to  walk    
when going to ,quebec or visiting the   
sick4 ,they said to each other2  8,is it
 not a burning shame for us to have     
forced our young curate to  sell his    
fine horse to build our school houses1  

when it would have been  so easy to do  
that work ourselves8 ,let us repair our 
faults40    ,on my return from          
establishing the society of temperance  
in ,st4 ,john1  two weeks later1 my     
servant man said to me3    8,please1    
,mr4 le ,cure1 come to the stable and   
see a very curious thing40    8,what    
curious thing can there be80 ,i         
answered4    8,well1 sir1 please come   
and you will see40    ,what was both my 
surprise and pleasure to find one of the
 most splendid  ,canadian horses there1 
as mine6 ,for my servant said to me3    
8,during your  absence the people have  
raised five hundred dollars and bought  
this fine  horse for you4 ,they say they
 do not want any longer to see their    
curate  walking in the mud4 ,when they  
drove the horse here1 that ,i might     
present  him to you as a surprise on    
your arrival1 ,i heard them saying that1
 with  the temperance society1 you have 
saved them more than five hundred       
dollars every week in money1 time and   

health1 and that it was only an  act of 
justice to give you the savings of a    
week40    ,the only way of expressing my
 gratitude to my noble people was to    
redouble my exertions in securing the   
benefits of a good education to  their  
children4 ,i soon proposed to the people
 to build another school  house two     
miles distant from the first4    ,but ,i
 was not long without seeing that this  
new enterprise was to be  still more    
uphill work than the first one among the
 people1 of whom  hardly one in fifty   
could sign his name4    8,have not our  
fathers done well without those costly  
schools80 said  many4 8,what is the use 
of spending so much money for a thing   
that does  not add a day to our         
existence1 nor an atom to our comfort80 
,i soon felt confronted by such a deadly
 indifference1 not to say  opposition1  
on the part of my best farmers1 that ,i 
feared for a few days  lest ,i had      
really gone too far4 ,the last cent of  
my own revenues was not  only given1 but

 a little personal debt created to meet 
the payments1 and  a round sum of #ejj  
had to be found to finish the work4 ,i  
visited the  richest man of ,beauport to
 ask him to come to my rescue4 ,forty   
years  before he had come to ,beauport  
barefooted1 without a cent1 to work4 ,he
  had employed his first earned dollars 
in purchasing some rum1 with which  he  
had doubled his money in two hours2 and 
had continued to double his  money1 at  
that rate1 in the same way1 till he was 
worth nearly #bjj1jjj4    ,he had then  
stopped selling rum1 to invest his money
 in city properties4  ,he answered me3  
8,my dear curate1 ,i would have no      
objections to give you  the #ejj you    
want1 if ,i had not met the ,grand      
,vicar ,demars yesterday1  who warned   
me1 as an old friend1 against what he   
calls your dangerous  and exaggerated   
views in reference to the education of  
the people4 ,he  advised me1 for your   
own good1 and the good of the people1 to
 do all in  my power to induce you to   

desist from your plan of covering our   
parishes  with schools40    8,will you  
allow me10 ,i answered1 8to mention our 
conversation to ,mr4  ,demars1 and tell 
him what you have just said about his   
advising you to  oppose me in my efforts
 to promote the interests of education80
    8,yes1 sir1 by all means10 answered 
,mr4 ,des ,roussell4 8,i allow you to   
repeat to the venerable superior of the 
,seminary of ,quebec what he said  to me
 yesterday2 it was not a secret1 for    
there were several other  farmers of    
,beauport to whom he said the very same 
thing4 ,if you ignore  that the priests 
of ,quebec are opposed to your plans of 
educating our  children you must be the 
only one who does not know it1 for it is
 a  public fact4 ,your difficulties in  
raising the funds you want come only    
from the opposition of the rest of the  
clergy to you in this matter2 we  have  
plenty of money in ,beauport to-day1 and
 we would feel happy to help  you4 ,but 
you understand that our good-will is    

somewhat cooled by the  opposition of   
men whom we are accustomed to respect40 
,i replied3 8,do you not remember1 my   
dear ,mr4 ,des ,roussell1 that those    
very same priests opposed me in the same
 way in my very first efforts to        
establish the temperance society in your
 midst80    8,yes1 sir10 he answered    
with a smile1 8we remember it well1 but 
you have  converted them to your views  
now40    8,well1 my dear sir1 ,i hope we
 shall convert them also in this        
question  of education40    ,the very   
next morning1 ,i was knocking at the    
door of the ,rev4 ,grand  ,vicar        
,demars1 after ,i had tied my splendid  
horse in the courtyard of the  ,seminary
 of ,quebec4 ,i was received with the   
utmost marks of courtesy4  ,without     
losing any time1 ,i repeated to the old 
superior what ,mr4 ,des  ,roussell had  
told me of his opposition to my         
educational plans1 and  respectfully    
asked him if it were true4    ,the poor 
,grand ,vicar seemed as if              

thunder-struck by my abrupt1 though     
polite question4 ,he tried1 at first1 to
 explain what he had said1 by  taking a 
long circuit1 but ,i mercilessly brought
 him to the point at  issue1 and forced 
him to say1 8,yes1 ,i said it40    ,i   
then rejoined and said3 8,mr4 ,grand    
,vicar1 ,i am only a child before  you1 
when comparing my age with yours2       
however1 ,i have the honor to be  the   
curate of ,beauport4 ,it is in that     
capacity that ,i respectfully ask  you  
by what right you oppose my plans for   
educating our children80    8,i hope1   
,mr4 ,chiniquy10 he answered1 8that you 
do not mean to say that ,i  am the enemy
 of education2 for ,i would answer you  
that this is the first  house of        
education on this continent1 and that ,i
 was at its head before  you were born4 
,i hope that ,i have the right to       
believe and say that the  old ,superior 
of the ,seminary of ,quebec understands 
as well as the young  curate of         
,beauport the advantage of a good       

education4 ,but ,i will repeat  to you  
what ,i said to ,mr4 ,des ,roussell1    
that it is a great mistake to  introduce
 such a general system of education as  
you want to do in  ,beauport4 ,let every
 parish have its well educated notary1  
doctor1  merchants1 and a few others to 
do the public business2 that is enough4 
,our parishes of ,canada are models of  
peace and harmony under the  direction  
of their good curates1 but they will    
become unmanageable the  very day your  
system of education spreads abroad2 for 
then all the bad  propensities of the   
heart will be developed with an         
irresistible force4  ,besides1 you know 
that since the conquest of ,canada by   
,protestant  ,england1 the ,protestants 
are waiting for their opportunity to    
spread the  ,bible among our people4    
,the only barrier we can oppose to that 
danger is  to have in the future1 as in 
the past1 only a very limited number of 
our  people who can read or write4 ,for 
as soon as the common people are able   

to read1 they will1 like ,adam and ,eve1
 taste the forbidden fruit2 they  will  
read the ,bible1 turn ,protestant1 and  
be lost for time and  eternity40    ,in 
my answer1 among other things1 ,i said3 
8,go into the country1 look at  the farm
 which is well cultivated1 ploughed with
 attention and skill1  richly manured1  
and sown with good seed1 is it not      
infinitely more  pleasant and beautiful 
to live on such a farm than on one which
 is  neglected1 unskilfully managed and 
covered with noxious weeds8 ,well1 the  
difference between a well-educated and  
an uneducated people is still  greater  
in my mind4    8,i know that the priests
 of ,canada1 in general1 have your      
views1 and it  is for that reason that  
the parish of ,beauport1 with its       
immense  revenues1 has been left without
 a school worthy the name1 from its     
foundation till my going there4 ,but my 
views are absolutely different2  and as 
for your fear of the ,bible1 ,i confess 
we are antipodes to each  other4 ,i     

consider that one of the greatest       
blessings ,god has bestowed  upon me1 is
 that ,i have read the ,bible when ,i   
was on my mother's knees4  ,i do not    
even conceal from you that one of my    
objects in giving a good  education to  
every boy and girl of ,beauport1 is to  
put the gospel of  ,christ in their     
hands as soon as they are able to read  
it40    ,at the end of our conversation1
 which was very excited on both sides1  
though kept in the bounds of politeness 
during nearly two hours1 ,i said3  8,mr4
 ,grand ,vicar1 ,i did not come here to 
convert you to my views--this  would    
have been impertinence on my part2 nor  
can you convert me to  yours1 if you are
 trying it1 for you know ,i have the bad
 reputation of  being a hard case4 ,i   
came to ask you1 as a favor1 to let me  
work  according to my conscience in a   
parish which is mine and not yours4 ,do 
not interfere any more in my affairs    
between me and my parishioners than  you
 would like me to interfere in the      

management of your seminary4 ,as  you   
would not like me to criticize you      
before your pupils and turn you  into   
ridicule1 please cease adding to my     
difficulties among my people1  by       
continuing in the future what you have  
done in the past4    8,you know1 ,mr4   
,grand ,vicar1 that ,i have always      
respected you as my  father2 you have   
many times been my adviser1 my confessor
 and my friend2  ,i hope you will grant 
me the favor ,i ask from you in the name
 of our  common ,saviour4 ,it is for the
 spiritual and temporal good of the     
people  and pastor of ,beauport that ,i 
make this prayer40    ,the old priest   
was a kind-hearted man4 ,these last     
words melted his  heart4 ,he promised   
what ,i wanted1 and we parted from each 
other on  better terms than ,i had      
expected at first4    ,when crossing the
 courtyard of the seminary1 ,i saw the  
,archbishop  ,signaie1 who1 coming from 
taking a ride1 had stopped to look at my
 horse  and admire it4 ,when near him1  

,i said3 8,my lord1 this is a bishop's  
horse1 and ought to be in your hands40  
8,it is what ,i was saying to my        
secretary10 replied the bishop4 8,how   
long  is it since you got it80    8,only
 a few days ago1 my lord40    8,have you
 any intention of selling it80    8,i   
would1 if it would please my bishop10 ,i
 replied4    8,what is the price80 asked
 the bishop4    8,those who gave it to  
me paid #ejj for it10 ,i replied4       
8,oh6 oh6 that is too dear10 rejoined   
the bishop2 8with five hundred  dollars 
we can get five good horses4 ,two       
hundred would be enough40    8,your     
lordship is joking4 ,were ,i as rich as 
,i am poor1 one thousand  dollars would 
not take that noble animal from my      
hands1 except to have  it put in the    
carosse of my bishop40    8,go and make 
a check for two hundred dollars to the  
order of ,mr4  ,chiniquy10 said the     
bishop to his sub-secretary1 ,mr4       
,belisle4    ,when the secretary had    
gone to make the check1 the bishop being

 alone  with me1 took from his          
portfeuille three bank bills of one     
hundred  dollars each1 and put them into
 my hands1 saying3 8,this will make up  
your #ejj1 when my secretary gives you  
the check4 ,but please say nothing  to  
anybody1 not even to my secretary4 ,i do
 not like to have my private  affairs   
talked of around the corners of the     
streets4 ,that horse is the  most       
splendid ,i ever saw1 and ,i am much    
obliged to you for having sold  it to   
me40    ,i was also very glad to have   
#ejj in hand4 ,for with #cjj ,i could   
finish  my school house1 and there was  
#bjj more to begin another1 three miles 
distant4    ,just two weeks later1 when 
,i was dressing myself at sunrise1 my   
servant  came to my room and said3      
8,there are twenty men on horseback who 
want to  speak to you40    8,twenty men 
on horseback who want to speak to me60  
,i answered4 8,are you  dreaming80      
8,i do not dream10 answered my young    
man2 8there they are at the door1 on    

horseback1 waiting for you40    ,i was  
soon dressed and in the presence of     
twenty of my best farmers1 on           
horseback1 who had formed themselves in 
a half-circle to receive me4    8,what  
do you want1 my friends80 ,i asked them4
    ,one of them1 who had studied a few 
years in the ,seminary of ,quebec1      
answered3    8,dear pastor1 we come in  
the name of the whole people of         
,beauport to ask  your pardon for having
 saddened your heart by not coming as we
 ought to  your help in the superhuman  
efforts you make to give good schools to
 our  children4 ,this is the result of  
our ignorance4 ,having never gone to    
school ourselves1 the greater part of us
 have never known the value of          
education4 ,but the heroic sacrifices   
you have made lately have opened  our   
eyes4 ,they ought to have been opened at
 the sale of your first  horse4 ,but we 
were in need of another lesson to       
understand our meanness4  ,however1 the 
selling of the second horse has done    

more than anything  else to awaken us   
from our shameful lethargy4 ,the fear of
 receiving a  new rebuke from us1 if you
 made another appeal to our generosity1 
has  forced you to make that new        
sacrifice4 ,the first news came to us as
 a  thunderbolt4 ,but there is always   
some light in a thunderbolt4 ,through   
that light we have seen our profound    
degradation1 in shutting our ears  to   
your earnest and paternal appeals in    
favor of our own dear children4  ,be    
sure1 dear pastor1 that we are ashamed  
of our conduct4 ,from this day1  not    
only our hearts but our purses are      
yours1 in all you want to do to  secure 
a good education for our families4      
,however1 our principal object  in      
coming here to-day is not to say vain   
words1 but to do an act of  reparation  
and justice4 ,our first thought1 when we
 heard that you had  sold the horse we  
had given you1 was to present you with  
another4 ,we  have been prevented from  
doing this by the certainty that you    

would sell  it again1 either to help    
some poor people or to build another    
school  house4 ,as we cannot bear to see
 our pastor walking in the mud when     
going  to the city or visiting us1 we   
have determined to put another horse    
into  your hands1 but in such a way that
 you will not have the right to sell    
it4 ,we ask you then1 as a favor1 to    
select the best horse here among  these 
twenty which are before you1 and to keep
 it as long as you remain  in our midst1
 which we hope will be very long4 ,it   
will be returned to  its present        
possessor if you leave us2 and be sure1 
dear pastor1 that  the one of us who    
leaves his horse in your hands will be  
the most happy  and proudest of all40   
,when speaking thus1 that noble-hearted 
man had several times been unable  to   
conceal the tears which were rolling    
down his cheeks1 and more than  once his
 trembling voice had been choked by his 
emotion4    ,i tried in vain at first to
 speak4 ,my feelings of gratitude and   

admiration could be expressed only with 
my tears4 ,it took some time  before ,i 
could utter a single word4 ,at last ,i  
said3 8,my dear friends1  this is too   
much for your poor pastor4 ,i feel      
overwhelmed by this grand  act of       
kindness4 ,i do not say that ,i thank   
you--the word thank is too  small1 too  
short and insignificant to tell you what
 your poor unworthy  pastor feels at    
what his eyes see and his ears hear just
 now4 ,the great  and merciful ,god1 who
 has put those sentiments into your     
hearts1 alone  can repay you for the joy
 with which you fill my soul4 ,i would  
hurt your  feelings1 ,i know1 by not    
accepting your offering4 ,i accept it4  
,but to  punish your speaker1 ,mr4      
,parent1 for his complimentary address1 
,i will  take his horse for the time ,i 
am curate of ,beauport1 which ,i hope   
will  be till ,i die40 ,and ,i laid my  
hand on the bridle of the splendid      
animal4    ,there was then a struggle   
which ,i had not expected4 ,every one of

 the  nineteen whom ,i left with their  
horses began to cry3 8,oh6 do not take  
that horse2 it is not worth a penny2    
mine is much stronger10 said one4       
8,mine is much faster10 cried out       
another4 8,mine is a safe rider10 said a
  third4 ,every one wanted me to take   
his horse1 and tried to persuade me     
that it was the best of all2 they really
 felt sorry that they were not  able to 
change my mind4    ,has any one ever    
felt more happy than ,i was in the midst
 of these  generous friends8    ,the    
memory of that happy hour will never    
pass away from my mind4                 
,,chapter ,,xxxix4    ,,sent ,,to       
,,succeed ,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,,varin1 ,,curate
 ,,of ,,kamouraska--,,stern ,,opposition
 ,,of    ,,that ,,curate ,,and ,,the    
,,surrounding ,,priest ,,and            
,,people--,,hours ,,of ,,desolation     
,,in ,,kamouraska--,,the ,,good ,,master
 ,,allays ,,the ,,tempest1 ,,and ,,bids 
,,the ,,waves    ,,be ,,still4      ,on 
the morning of the #beth of ,august1    

#ahdb1 we blessed and opened the        
seventh school of ,beauport4 ,from that 
day all the children were to  receive as
 good an education as could be given in 
any country place of  ,canada4 ,those   
schools had been raised on the ruins of 
the seven taverns  which had so long    
spread ruin1 shame1 desolation and death
 over that  splendid parish4 ,my heart  
was filled with an unspeakable joy at   
the  sight of the marvellous things     
which1 by the hand of ,god1 had been    
wrought in such a short time4    ,at    
about two ,p4 ,m4 of that               
never-to-be-forgotten day1 after ,i had 
said  my vespers1 and was alone1 pacing 
the alleys of my garden1 under the      
shade of the old maple trees bordering  
the northern part of that  beautiful    
spot1 ,i was reviewing the struggles and
 the victories of these  last four      
years4 ,it seemed that everything around
 me--not only the giant  trees which    
were protecting me from the burning sun1
 but even the  humblest grasses and     

flowers of my garden--had a voice to    
tell me1 8,bless  the ,lord for ,his    
mercies40    ,at my feet the majestic   
,st4 ,lawrence was rolling its deep     
waters2  beyond1 the old capital of     
,canada1 ,quebec1 with its massive      
citadel1 its  proud towers1 its         
bristling cannons1 its numerous houses  
and steeples1  with their tin roofs     
reflecting the light of the sun in      
myriads of rays1  formed such a         
spectacle of fairy beauty as no pen can 
describe4 ,the  fresh breeze from the   
river1 mingled with the perfume of the  
thousand  flowers of my parterre1 bathed
 me in an atmosphere of fragrance4      
,never  yet had ,i enjoyed life as at   
that hour4 ,all the sanguine desires of 
my  heart and the holy aspirations of my
 soul had been more than realized4      
,peace1 harmony1 industry1 abundance1   
happiness1 religion and education  had  
come on the heels of temperance1 to     
gladden and cheer the families  which   
,god had entrusted to me4 ,the former   

hard feelings of my  ecclesiastical     
superiors had been changed into         
sentiments and acts of  kindness1 much  
above my merits4 ,with the most sincere 
feelings of  gratitude to ,god1 ,i said 
with the old prophet1 8,bless the ,lord1
 ,o my  soul40    ,by the great mercy of
 ,god1 that parish of ,beauport1 which  
at first had  appeared to me as a       
bottomless abyss1 in which ,i was to    
perish1 had been  changed for me into an
 earthly paradise4 ,there was only one  
desire in my  heart4 ,it was that ,i    
never should be removed from it4 ,like  
,peter on  ,mount ,tabor1 ,i wanted to  
pitch my tent in ,beauport to the end of
 my  life4 ,but the rebuke which had    
shamed ,peter came as quickly as        
lightning  to show me the folly and     
vanity of my dreams4    ,suddenly the   
carrosse of the ,bishop of ,quebec came 
in sight1 and rolled  down to the door  
of the parsonage4 ,the sub-secretary1   
the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,belisle1 alighting from
 it1 directed his steps towards the     

garden1 where  he had seen me1 and      
handed me the following letter from the 
,right ,rev4  ,turgeon1 ,coadjutor of   
,quebec3    ,my dear ,mons4 ,chiniquy4  
,his lordship ,bishop ,signaie and ,i   
wish to confer with you on a most       
important matter4 ,we have sent our     
carriage to bring you to ,quebec4       
,please come without the least delay4   
,truly yours1                           
,,flav4 ,,turgeon4    ,one hour after1  
,i was with the two bishops4 ,my ,lord  
,signaie said3    8,monseigneur ,turgeon
 will tell you why we have sent for you 
in such  haste40    8,mons4 ,chiniquy10 
said ,bishop ,turgeon1 8is not          
,kamouraska your  birthplace80    8,yes1
 my lord40    8,do you like that place1 
and do you interest yourself much in its
  welfare80    8,of course1 my lord1 ,i 
like ,kamouraska2 not only because it is
 my  birthplace1 and the most happy     
years of my youth were spent in it1 but 
also because1 in my humble opinion1 the 
beauties of its scenery1 the  purity of 

its atmosphere1 the fine manners and    
proverbial intelligence  of its people1 
make it the very gem of ,canada40       
8,you know10 rejoined the bishop1 8that 
,rev4 ,mons4 ,varin has been too        
infirm1 these last years1 to superintend
 the spiritual interest of that         
important place1 it is impossible to    
continue putting a young vicar at  the  
head of such a parish1 where hundreds of
 the best families of the  aristocracy  
of ,quebec and ,montreal resort every   
summer4 ,we have1 too  long1 tried that 
experiment of young priests in the midst
 of such a  people4 ,it has been a      
failure4 ,drunkenness1 luxury and       
immoralities of  the most degrading kind
 are eating up the very life of         
,kamouraska  to-day4 ,not less than     
thirty illegitimate births are known and
  registered in different places from   
,kamouraska these last twelve months4   
,it is quite time to stop that state of 
affairs1 and you are the only  one1     
,mons4 ,chiniquy1 on whom we can rely   

for that great and difficult  work40    
,these words passed through my soul as a
 two-edged sword4 ,my lips  quivered1 ,i
 felt as if ,i were choking1 and my     
tongue1 with difficulty  muttered3 8,my 
lord1 ,i hope it is not your intention  
to remove me from my  dear parish of    
,beauport40    8,no1 ,mons4 ,chiniquy1  
we will not make use of our authority1  
to break the  sacred and sweet ties     
which unite you to the parish of        
,beauport4 ,but we  will put before your
 conscience the reasons we have to wish 
you at the  head of the great and       
important parish of ,kamouraska40       
,for more than an hour1 the two bishops 
made strong appeals to my charity  for  
the multitudes who were sunk into the   
abyss of drunkenness and every  vice1   
and had no one to save them4    8,see   
how ,god and men are blessing you       
to-day10 added the ,archbishop          
,signaie1 for what you have done in     
,beauport6 ,will they not bless you     
still more1 if you save that great and  

splendid parish of ,kamouraska1 as  you 
have saved ,beauport8 ,will not a double
 crown be put upon your  forehead by    
your bishops1 your country and your     
,god1 if you consent to  be the         
instrument of the mercies of ,god       
towards the people of your own          
birthplace1 and the surrounding country1
 as you have just been for  ,beauport   
and its surrounding parishes8 ,can you  
rest and live in peace  now in          
,beauport1 when you hear day and night  
the voice of the multitudes  who cry3   
#8,come to our help1 we are perishing8' 
,what will you answer to  ,god1 at the  
last day1 when ,he will show you the    
thousands of precious  souls lost at    
,kamouraska1 because you refused to go  
to their rescue8 ,as  ,monseigneur      
,turgeon has said1 we will not make use 
of our authority to  force you to leave 
your present position2 we hope that the 
prayers of  your bishops will be enough 
for you4 ,we know what a great sacrifice
 it  will be for you to leave ,beauport 

to-day2 but do not forget that the      
greater the sacrifice1 the more precious
 will the crown be48    ,my bishops had 
spoken to me with such kindness6 ,their 
paternal and  friendly appeals had      
surely more power over me than orders4  
,not without  many tears2 but with a    
true good will1 ,i consented to give up 
the  prospects of peace and comfort     
which were in store for me in ,beauport1
  to plunge myself again into a future  
of endless trouble and warfare1 by      
going to ,kamouraska4    ,there is no   
need of saying that the people of       
,beauport did all in their  power to    
induce the bishops to let me remain     
among them some time  longer4 ,but the  
sacrifice had to be made4 ,i gave my    
farewell address on  the second ,sabbath
 of ,september2 in the midst of         
indescribable cries1  sobs and tears1   
and on the #agth of the same month1 ,i  
was on my way to  ,kamouraska4 ,i had   
left everything behind me at ,beauport1 
even to my  books1 in order to be freer 

in that formidable conflict which seemed
 to  be in store for me in my new       
parish4    ,when ,i took leave of the   
bishops of ,quebec1 they showed me a    
letter just  received by them from      
,mons4 ,varin1 filled with the most     
bitter  expressions of indignation on   
account of the choice of such a fanatic 
and fire-brand as ,chiniquy1 for a place
 so well known for its peaceful  habits 
and harmony among all classes40 ,the    
last words of the letter were  as       
follows3    8,the clergy and people of  
,kamouraska and vicinity consider the   
appointment of ,mons4 ,chiniquy to this 
parish as an insult1 and we hope  and   
pray that your lordship will change your
 mind on the subject40    ,in showing me
 the letter1 my lord ,signaie and       
,turgeon said3 8,we fear  that you will 
have more trouble than we expected with 
the old curate and  his partisans1 but  
we commend you to the grace of ,god and 
the protection  of the ,virgin ,mary1   
remembering that our ,saviour has said3 

#8,fear not1 ,i  have overcome the      
world4'0    ,i arrived at ,kamouraska   
the #bast of ,september1 #ahdb1 on one  
of the  finest days of the year4 ,but my
 heart was filled with an unspeakable   
desolation1 for all along the way1 the  
curates had told me that the  people1   
with their old pastor1 were unanimous in
 their opposition to my  going there4   
,it was even rumored that the doors of  
the church would be  shut against me1   
the next ,sunday4 ,to this bad news were
 added two very  strange facts4 ,my     
brother ,achilles1 who was living at    
,st4 ,michel1 was to  drive me from that
 place to ,st4 ,roch des ,aulnets1      
whence my other  brother ,louis1 would  
take me to ,kamouraska4 ,but we had not 
traveled more  than five or six miles1  
when the wheel of the newly finished and
  beautifully painted buggy1 having     
struck a stone1 the seat was broken     
into fragments1 and we both fell to the 
ground4    ,by chance1 as my brother was
 blessing the man who sold him that rig 

for  a new and first-class conveyance1 a
 traveler going the same way passed  by4
 ,i asked him for a place in his        
caleche1 bade adieu to my brother1  and 
consoled him by saying3 8,as you have   
lost your fine buggy in my  service1 ,i 
will give you a better one40    ,two    
days after1 my second brother was       
driving me to my destination1 and  when 
about three or four miles from          
,kamouraska1 his fine horse stepped  on 
a long nail which was on the road1 fell 
down and died in the awful  convulsions 
of tetanus4 ,i took leave of him1 and   
consoled him also by  promising to give 
him another horse4    ,another carriage 
took me safely to the end of my journey4
 ,however1  having to pass by the       
church1 which was about #bjj yards from 
the  parsonage1 ,i dismissed my driver  
at the door of the sacred edifice1 and  
took my satchel in hand1 which was my   
only baggage1 entered the church  and   
spent more than an hour in fervent      
prayers1 or rather in cries and  tears4 

,i felt so heart-sick that ,i needed    
that hour of rest and prayer4  ,the     
tears ,i shed there relieved my burdened
 spirit4    ,a few steps from me1 in the
 cemetery1 lay the sacred remains of my 
beloved mother1 whose angelic face and  
memory were constantly before me4       
,facing me was the altar where ,i had   
made my first communion2 at my left1    
was the pulpit which was to be the      
battlefield where ,i had to fight the   
enemies of my ,god and my people1 who1  
,i had been repeatedly told1 were       
cursing and grinding their teeth at me4 
,but the vision of that old  curate ,i  
had soon to confront1 and who had       
written such an impudent  letter against
 me to the bishops1 and the public      
opposition of the  surrounding priests  
to my coming into their midst1 were the 
most  discouraging aspects of my new    
position4 ,i felt as if my soul had been
  crushed4 ,my very existence seemed an 
unbearable burden4    ,my new           
responsibilities came so vividly before 

my mind in that  distressing hour1 that 
my courage1 for a moment1 failed me4 ,i 
reproached  myself for the act of folly 
in yielding to the request of the       
bishops4  ,it seemed evident that ,i had
 accepted a burden too heavy for me to  
bear4  ,but ,i prayed with all the      
fervor of my soul to ,god and to the    
,virgin  ,mary1 and wept to my heart's  
content4    ,there was a marvellous     
power in the prayers and tears which    
came from my  heart4 ,i felt as a new   
man4 ,i seemed to hear the trumpet of   
,god calling  me to the battlefield4 ,my
 only business then was to go and fight1
  relying on ,him alone for victory4 ,i 
took my traveling bag1 went out of  the 
church1 and walked slowly towards the   
parsonage1 which has been  burnt since4 
,it was a splendid two-story building1  
eighty feet in  length1 with capacious  
cellars4 ,it had been built shortly     
after the  conquest of ,canada1 as a    
store for contraband goods2 but after a 
few  years of failure1 became the       

parsonage of the parish4    ,the ,rev4  
,mons4 ,varin1 though infirm and sick1  
had watched me from his  window1 and    
felt bewildered at my entering the      
church and remaining so  long4    ,i    
knocked the first door1 but as nobody   
answered1 ,i opened it1 and  crossed the
 first large room to knock at the second
 door2 but1 here  also1 no answer came  
except from two furious little dogs4 ,i 
entered the  room1 fighting the dogs1   
which bit me several times4 ,i knocked  
at the  third and fourth doors with the 
same result--no one to receive me4    ,i
 knew that the next was the old curate's
 sleeping-room4 ,at my knocking1  an    
angry voice cried out3 8,walk in40    ,i
 entered1 made a step toward the old and
 infirm curate1 who was sitting  in his 
large arm chair4 ,as ,i was about to    
salute him1 he angrily said3  8,the     
people of ,beauport have made great     
efforts to keep you in their  midst1 but
 the people of ,kamouraska will make as 
great an effort to turn  you out of this

 place40    8,mons4 le ,cure10 ,i       
answered calmly1 8,god knoweth that ,i  
never desired to  leave ,beauport for   
this place4 ,but ,i think it is that    
great and merciful  ,god who has brought
 me here by the hand2 and ,i hope ,he   
will help me to  overcome all           
opposition1 from whatever quarter it may
 come40    ,he replied angrily3 8,is it 
to insult me that you call me #8,mons4  
le  ,cure8' ,i am no more the curate of 
,kamouraska4 ,you are the curate now1   
,mr4 ,chiniquy40    8,i beg your pardon1
 my dear ,mr4 ,varin2 you are still1 ,i 
hope you will  remain all your life1 the
 honored and beloved curate of          
,kamouraska4 ,the  respect and gratitude
 ,i owe you have caused me to refuse the
 titles and  honors which our bishop    
wanted to give me40    8,but1 then1 if  
,i am the curate1 what are you80 replied
 the old priest1  with more calmness4   
8,i am nothing but a simple soldier of  
,christ1 and a sower of the good  seed  
of the gospel60 ,i answered4 8,when ,i  

fight the common enemy in the  plain1 as
 ,joshua did1 you1 like ,moses1 will    
stand on the top of the  mountain1 lift 
up your hands to heaven1 send your      
prayers to the  mercy-seat1 and we will 
gain the day4 ,then both will bless the 
,god of  our salvation for the victory40
    8,well6 well6 this is beautiful1    
grand and sublime10 said the old priest1
  with a voice filled with friendly     
emotions4 8,but where is your household 
furniture1 your library80    8,my       
household furniture10 ,i answered1 8is  
in this little bag which ,i  hold in my 
hand4 ,i do not want any of my books1 as
 long as ,i have the  pleasure and honor
 to be with the good ,mons4 ,varin1 who 
will allow me1 ,i  am sure of it1 to    
ransack his splendid library1 and study 
his rare and  learned books40    8,but  
what rooms do you wish to occupy80      
rejoined the good old curate4    8,as   
the parsonage is yours1 and not mine10  
,i answered1 8please tell me  where you 
want me to sleep and rest4 ,i will      

accept1 with gratitude1 any  room you   
will offer me1 even if it were in your  
cellar or granary4 ,i do  not want to   
bother you in any way4 ,when ,i was     
young1 a poor orphan in  your parish1   
some twenty years ago1 were you not a   
father to me8 ,please  continue to look 
upon me as your own child1 for ,i have  
always loved you  and considered you as 
a father1 and still do the same4 ,were  
you not my  guide and adviser1 in my    
first steps in the ways of ,god8 ,please
 continue  to be my friend and adviser  
to the end of your life4 ,my only       
ambition is  to be your right-hand man1 
and to learn from your old experience   
and  your sincere piety1 how to live and
 work as a good priest of ,jesus        
,christ40    ,i had not finished the    
last sentence1 when the old man burst   
into tears1  threw himself into my arms1
 pressed me to his heart1 bathed me with
 his  tears1 and said1 with a voice     
half-suffocated by his sobs3 8,dear ,mr4
  ,chiniquy1 forgive me the evil things 

,i have written and said about you4     
,you are welcome in my parsonage1 and ,i
 bless ,god to have sent me such a      
young friend1 who will help me to carry 
the burden of my old age40    ,i then   
handed him the bishop's letter1 which   
had confirmed all ,i had  said about my 
mission of peace towards him4    ,from  
that day to his death1 which occurred   
six months after1 ,i never had  a more  
sincere friend than ,mr4 ,varin4    ,i  
thanked ,god1 who had enabled me at     
once1 not only to disarm the chief  of  
my opponents1 but to transform him into 
my most sincere and devoted  friend4 ,my
 hope was that the people would soon    
follow their chief1 and  be reconciled  
to me1 but ,i did not expect that this  
would be so soon1  and from such an     
unforeseen and unexpected cause4    ,the
 principal reason the people had to     
oppose my coming to ,kamouraska1  was1  
that ,i was the nephew of the ,hon4     
,amable ,dionne1 who had made a         
colossal fortune at their expense4 ,the 

,rev4 ,mr4 ,varin1 who was always in    
his debt1 was also forced by the        
circumstances1 to buy everything1 both  
for himself and the church1 from him1   
and had to pay1 without a murmur1  the  
most exorbitant prices for everything4  
,in that way1 the church and the curate1
 though they had very large  revenues1  
had never enough to clear their         
accounts4 ,when the people  heard that  
the nephew of ,mons4 ,dionne was their  
curate1 they said to  each other3 8,now 
our poor church is forever ruined1 for  
the nephew will1  still more than the   
curate1 favor his uncle1 and the uncle  
will be less  scrupulous than ever in   
asking most unreasonable prices for his 
merchandise40    ,they felt they had    
more than fallen from ,charybdis into   
,scylla4    ,the very next day after my 
arrival1 the beadle told me that the    
church  needed a few yards of cotton for
 some repairs1 and asked me if he would 
not go1 as usual1 to ,mr4 ,dionne's     
store4 ,i told him to go there first1   

ask the price of that article1 and then 
go to the other stores1 ordering  him to
 buy at the cheapest one4 ,thirty cents 
was asked at ,mr4 ,dionne's1  and only  
fifteen cents at ,mr4 ,st4 ,pierre's2 of
 course we bought at the  latter's      
store4    ,the day was not over before  
this apparently insignificant fact was  
known  all over the parish1 and was     
taking the most extraordinary and       
unforeseen proportions4    ,farmers     
would meet with their neighbors1 and    
congratulate themselves  that1 at last1 
the yoke imposed upon them by the old   
curate and ,mr4  ,dionne was broken2    
that the taxes they had to pay the store
 were at an  end1 with the monopoly     
which had cost them so much money4 ,many
 came to  ,mr4 ,st4 ,pierre to hear from
 his own lips that their new curate had1
 at  once1 freed them from what they    
considered the long and ignominious     
bondage1 against which they so often1   
but so vainly protested4 ,for the  rest 
of the week1 this was the only subject  

of conversation4 ,they  congratulated   
themselves1 that they had1 at last1 a   
priest1 with such an  independent and   
honest mind1 that he would not do them  
any injustice1  even to please a        
relative in whose house he had spent the
 years of his  childhood4    ,this      
simple act of fair play towards that    
people won over their  affection4 ,only 
one little dark spot remained in their  
minds against me4  ,they had been told  
that the only subject on which ,i could 
preach was3  ,rum1 whiskey and          
drunkenness4 ,and it seemed to them     
exceedingly tedious  to hear nothing    
else from the curate1 particularly when 
they were more  than ever determined to 
continue drinking their social glasses  
of  brandy1 rum and wine4    ,there was 
an immense crowd at church the next     
,sunday4 ,my text was3 8,as  the ,father
 has loved me1 so have ,i loved you40   
,showing them how ,jesus  had proved    
that ,he was their friend4    ,but their
 sentiments of piety and pleasure at    

what they had heard were  nothing       
compared to their surprise when they saw
 that ,i had preached  nearly an hour   
without saying a word on whiskey1 rum or
 beer4    ,people are often compared to 
the waters of the sea in the ,holy      
,scriptures4 ,when you see the roaring  
waves dashing on that rock to-day1  as  
if they wanted to demolish it1 do not   
fear that this fury will last  long4    
,the very next day1 if the wind has     
changed1 the same waters will  leave    
that rock alone1 to spend their fury on 
the opposite rock4 ,so it  was in       
,kamouraska4 ,they were full of         
indignation and wrath when ,i set my    
feet in their midst2 but a few days     
later1 those very men would have  given 
the last drop of their blood to protect 
me4 ,the dear ,saviour had  evidently   
seen the threatening storm which was to 
destroy ,his poor  unprofitable servant4
 ,he had heard the roaring waves which  
were dashing  against me4 ,so he came   
down and bid the storm 8be still10 and  

the waves  be calm4                     
,,chapter ,,xl4    ,,organization ,,of  
,,temperance ,,societies ,,in           
,,kamouraska ,,and ,,surrounding        
,,country--,,the ,,girl ,,in ,,the      
,,garb ,,of ,a ,,man ,,in ,,the         
,,service ,,of ,,the ,,curates ,,of     
,,quebec ,,and                          
,,eboulements--,,frightened ,,by ,,the  
,,scandals ,,seen ,,everywhere--,,give  
,,up ,,my ,,parish ,,of ,,kamouraska    
,,to ,,join ,,the 8,,oblates ,,of ,,mary
 ,,immaculate ,,of    ,,longgueil40     
,two days after my arrival at           
,kamouraska1 ,i received a letter from  
the  surrounding priests1 at the head of
 whom was the ,grand ,vicar ,mailloux1  
expressing the hope that ,i would not   
try to form any temperance society  in  
my new parish1 as ,i had done in        
,beauport2 for the good reasons1 they   
said1 that drunkenness was not          
prevailing in that part of ,canada1 as  
it  was in the city of ,quebec4 ,i      
answered them politely1 that1 so long as

 ,i  should be at the head of this new  
parish1 ,i would try1 as ,i had ever    
done1 to mind my own business1 and ,i   
hoped that my neighboring friends  would
 do the same4 ,not long after1 ,i saw   
that the curates felt ashamed  of their 
vain attempt to intimidate me4    ,the  
next ,sabbath1 the crowd was greater    
than at the first4 ,having heard  that  
the merchants were to start the next    
day1 with their schooners1 to  buy their
 winter provisions of rum1 ,i said1 in a
 very solemn way1 before  my sermon3    
8,my friends1 ,i know that1 to-morrow1  
the merchants leave for ,quebec1 to     
purchase their rum4 ,let me advise them1
 as their best friend1 not to buy  any2 
and as the ambassador of ,christ1 ,i    
forbid them to bring a single  drop of  
those poisonous drinks here4 ,it will   
surely be their ruin1 if  they pay no   
attention to this friendly advice2 for  
they will not sell a  single drop of it1
 after next ,sabbath4 ,that day1 ,i will
 show to the  intelligent people of this

 parish1 that rum1 and all the other    
drugs  sold here1 under the name of     
brandy1 wine and beer1 are nothing else 
than disgusting1 deadly and cursed      
poisons40    ,i then preached on the    
words of our ,saviour3 8,be always      
ready2 for ye  know neither the day nor 
the hour when the ,son of ,man cometh40 
,though  the people seemed much pleased 
and impressed by that second sermon1    
they  felt exceedingly irritated at my  
few warning words to the merchants4     
,when the service was over1 they all    
rallied around the merchants to tell    
them not to mind what they had heard4   
8,if our young curate10 said they1      
8thinks he will lead us by the nose1  as
 he has done with the drunkards of      
,beauport1 he will soon see his         
mistake4 ,instead of one hundred tons1  
as you brought last fall1 bring us  two 
hundred1 this year2 we will drink them  
to his health4 ,we have a good  crop1   
and we want to spend a jolly winter40   
,it is probable that the church of      

,kamouraska had never seen within its   
walls such a crowd as on the second     
,sabbath of ,october1 #ahdb4 ,it was    
literally crammed4 ,curiosity had       
attracted the people1 who1 not less     
eager to hear my first grand sermon     
against rum1 than to see the failure    
they expected1 and wished1 of my first  
efforts to form a temperance  society4  
,long before the public service1 at the 
door of the church1 as  well as during  
the whole preceding week1 the people had
 pledged  themselves never to give up   
their strong drink1 and never to join   
the  temperance society4    ,but what   
are the resolutions of man against ,god8
 ,is ,he not their master8    ,the half 
of that first sermon on temperance was  
not heard1 when that  whole multitude   
had forgotten their public promises4    
,the hearts were not  only touched--they
 were melted and changed by ,god1 who   
wanted to show1  once more1 that ,his   
works of mercy were above all the works 
of ,his  hands4    ,from the very first 

day of my arrival in ,kamouraska1 ,i had
 made a  serious and exact inquiry about
 the untold miseries brought upon the   
people by intoxicating drinks4    ,i had
 found that1 during the last twenty     
years1 twelve men had been  drowned1 and
 eight had been frozen to death1 who had
 left twenty widows  and sixty orphans  
in the most distressing poverty4 ,sixty 
farmers had  lost their lands1 and had  
been obliged to emigrate to other       
places1  where they were suffering all  
the pangs of poverty from the           
drunkenness  of their parents2 several  
other families had their properties     
mortgaged  for their whole value1 to the
 rum merchants1 and were expected1 every
  day1 to be turned out from their      
inheritances1 to pay their rum bills4   
,seven mothers had died in delirium     
tremens1 one had hung herself1  another 
drowned herself when drunk4 ,one hundred
 thousand dollars had  been paid to the 
rum merchants during the last fifteen   
years4 ,two  hundred thousand more were 

due to the storekeeper2 three-fourths of
  which were for strong drink4 ,four men
 had been murdered1 among whom was      
their landlord1 ,achilles ,tache1 from  
their drunken habits6    ,when ,i had   
recapitulated all these facts1 which    
were public and  undeniable1 and        
depicted the desolation of the ruined   
families1 composed  of their own        
brothers1 sisters1 and dear children2   
when ,i brought before  their minds1 the
 tears of the widows1 the cries of the  
starving and  naked children1 the shame 
of the families1 the red hands of the   
murderers1 and the mangled bodies of    
their victims2 the eternal cries of  the
 lost from drunkenness1 the             
broken-hearted fathers and mothers1     
whose  children had been destroyed by   
strong drink2 when ,i proved to them    
that  there was not a single one in     
their midst who had not suffered1 either
  in his own person1 or in that of his  
father or mother1 brothers1 sisters  or 
children4 ,yes1 when ,i had given them  

the simple and awful story of  the      
crimes committed in their midst2 the    
ruin and deaths1 the misery of          
thousands of precious souls for whom    
,christ died in vain1 the church was    
filled with such sobs and cries that ,i 
often could not be heard4 ,many  times  
my voice was drowned by the             
indescribable confusion and  lamentation
 of that whole multitude4 ,unable to    
contain myself1 several  times ,i       
stopped and mingled my sobs and cries   
with those of my people4    ,when the   
sermon1 which lasted two hours1 was     
finished1 ,i asked all those  who were  
determined to help me in stopping the   
ravages of intoxicating  drinks1 in     
drying the tears which they caused to   
flow1 and saving the  precious souls    
they were destroying1 to come forward   
and take the public  pledge of          
temperance1 by kissing a crucifix which 
,i held in my hand4  ,thirteen hundred  
and ten came4    ,not fifty of the      
people had refused to enroll themselves 

under the  blessed and glorious banners 
of temperance6 and these few            
recalcitrants  came forward1 with a very
 few exceptions1 the next time ,i spoke 
on the  subject4    ,the very same day1 
the wives of the merchants sent         
despatches to their  husbands in        
,quebec1 to tell them what had been     
done1 and not a single  barrel of       
intoxicating drinks was brought by them4
 ,the generous example  of the admirable
 people of ,kamouraska spoke with an    
irresistible  eloquence to the other    
parishes of that district1 and before   
long1 the  blessed banners of temperance
 floated over all the populations of    
,st4  ,pascal1 ,st4 ,andrew1 ,isle      
,verte1 ,cacouna1 ,riviere du ,loup1    
,rimouski1  ,matane1 ,st4 ,anne1 ,st4   
,roch1 ,madawaska1 ,st4 ,benoit1 ,st4   
,luce1 etc41 on  the south side of the  
,st4 ,lawrence1 and the ,eboulements1   
,la ,malbaye1 and  the other parishes on
 the north side of the river2 and the   
people kept  their pledge with such     

fidelity that the trade in rum was      
literally  killed in that part of       
,canada1 as it had been in ,beauport and
 its  vicinity4    ,the blessed fruits  
of this reform were soon felt and seen  
everywhere1 in  the public prosperity   
and the spread of education4            
,kamouraska1 which was  owing #bjj1jjj1 
to the merchants in #ahdb1 had not only 
paid its  interest1 but had reduced its 
debt to only #abj1jjj1 when ,i left it  
to  go to ,montreal1 in #ahdf4    ,god  
only knows my joy at these admirable    
manifestations of his mercies  toward my
 country4 ,however1 the joys of man are 
never without their  mixture of sadness4
    ,in the good providence of ,god1    
being invited by all the curates to     
establish temperance societies among    
their people1 ,i had the sad            
opportunity1 as no priest ever had in   
,canada1 to know the secret and  public 
scandals of each parish4 ,when ,i went  
to the ,eboulements1 on the  north side 
of the river1 invited by the ,rev4 ,noel

 ,toussignant1 ,i learned  from the very
 lips of that young priest1 and the     
ex-priest1 ,tetreau1 the  history of the
 most shameful scandals4    ,in #ahcj1 a
 young priest of ,quebec1 called        
,derome1 had fallen in love  with one of
 his young female penitents of          
,vercheres1 where he had  preached a few
 days1 and he had persuaded her to      
follow him to the  parsonage of ,quebec4
 ,the better to conceal their iniquity  
from the  public1 he persuaded his      
victim to dress herself as a young man1 
and  throw her dress into the river1 to 
make her parents and the whole parish   
believe that she was drowned4 ,i had    
seen her many times at the parsonage  of
 ,quebec1 under the name of ,joseph1 and
 had much admired her refined  manners1 
though more than once ,i was very much  
inclined to think that  the smart       
,joseph was no one else than a lost     
girl4 ,but the respect ,i had  for the  
curate of ,quebec 7who was the coadjutor
 of the bishop7 and his  young vicars1  

caused me to reject those suspicions as 
unfounded4  ,however1 many1 even among  
the first citizens of the city1 had the 
same  suspicions1 and they pressed me to
 go to the coadjutor and warn him2 but  
,i refused1 and told those gentlemen to 
do that delicate work themselves1  and  
they did it4    ,the position of that   
high dignitary and his vicar was not    
then a very  agreeable one4 ,their bark 
had evidently drifted into dangerous    
waters4  ,to keep ,joseph among         
themselves was impossible1 after the    
friendly  advice from such high         
quarters1 and to dismiss him was not    
less  dangerous4 ,he knew too well how  
the curate of ,quebec1 with his vicars1 
were keeping their vows of celibacy1 to 
dismiss him without danger to           
themselves2 a single word from his lips 
would destroy them4 ,happily1 for  them1
 ,mr4 ,clement1 then curate of the      
,eboulements1 was in search of such  a  
servant1 and took him to his parsonage1 
after persuading the  bishop-coadjutor  

to give ,joseph a large sum of money to 
seal his lips4    ,things went on pretty
 smoothly between ,joseph and the priest
 for several  years1 till some          
suspicions arose in the minds of the    
sharp-sighted  people of the parish1 who
 told the curate that it would be safer 
and  more honorable for him to get rid  
of his servant4 ,in order to put an end 
to those suspicions1 and to retain him  
in the parsonage1 the curate  persuaded 
him to marry the daughter of a poor     
neighbor4    ,the three bans were       
published1 and the two girls were duly  
married by  the curate1 who continued   
his criminal intimacies1 in the hope    
that no  one would trouble him any more 
on that subject4 ,but not long after he 
was removed to ,la ,petite ,riviere1 and
 in #ahch1 the ,rev4 ,m4 ,tetreau was   
appointed curate of the ,eboulements4   
,this new priest1 knowing nothing of    
the abominations which his predecessor  
had practiced1 continued to  employ     
,joseph4 ,one day1 when ,joseph was     

working at the gate of the  parsonage1  
in the presence of several people1 a    
stranger came and asked  him if ,mr4    
,tetreau was at home4    8,yes1 sir1    
,mr4 ,curate is at home10 answered      
,joseph2 8but as you seem a  stranger to
 the place1 would you allow me to ask   
you from what parish  you come80    8,i 
am not ashamed of my parish10 answered  
the stranger4 8,i come from             
,vercheres40    ,at the word            
8,vercheres10 ,joseph turned so pale    
that the stranger was  puzzled4 ,he     
looked carefully at him1 and exclaimed3 
8,oh6 my ,god6 ,what do ,i see here8    
,genevieve6 ,genevieve6 over whom we    
have  mourned so long as drowned6 ,here 
you are1 disguised as a man60    8,dear 
uncle0 7it was her uncle72 8for ,god's  
sake1 not a word more here60    ,but it 
was too late2 the people who were there 
had heard the uncle and  the niece4     
,their long and secret suspicions were  
well-founded4 ,one of  their former     
priests had kept a girl1 under the      

disguise of a man1 in  his house2 and to
 blind his people more thoroughly1 he   
had married that  girl to another1 in   
order to have them both in the house    
when he  pleased1 without awakening any 
suspicion6    ,the news went1 almost as 
quickly as lightning1 from one end to   
the other  of the parish1 and spread all
 over the country1 on both sides of the 
,st4  ,lawrence4 ,i had heard of that   
horror1 but ,i could not believe it4    
,however1 ,i had to believe it1 when1 on
 the spot1 ,i heard from the lips  of   
the ex-curate1 ,m4 ,tetreau1 and the new
 curate1 ,m4 ,noel de  ,toussignant1 and
 from the lips of my landlord1 the      
,honorable ,laterriere1  the following  
details1 which had come to light only a 
short time before4    ,the justice of   
the peace had investigated the matter1  
in the name of  public morality4 ,joseph
 was brought before the magistrates1 who
 decided  that a physician should be    
charged to make1 not a post mortem but  
an  ante-mortem inquest4 ,the ,honorable

 ,laterriere1 who made the inquest1     
declared that ,joseph was a girl1 and   
the bonds of marriage were legally      
dissolved4    ,at the same time1 the    
curate ,m4 ,tetreau1 had sent a dispatch
 to the  ,right ,rev4 ,bishop-coadjutor 
of ,quebec1 informing him that the young
 man  whom he had kept in his house1    
several years1 was legally proved a     
girl2  a fact which1 ,i need hardly     
state1 was well known by the bishop and 
his  vicars6 ,they immediately sent a   
trustworthy man with #ejj1 to induce the
  girl to leave the country without     
delay1 lest she were prosecuted and     
sent to the penitentiary4 ,she accepted 
the offer1 and crossed the lines  to the
 ,united ,states with her #b1jjj1 where 
she was soon married1 and  where she    
still lives4    ,i wished that this     
story had never been told me1 or at     
least1 that ,i  might be allowed to     
doubt some of its circumstances2 but    
there was no  help4 ,i was forced to    
acknowledge that in my ,church of ,rome1

 there was  such corruption from head to
 foot1 which could scarcely be surpassed
 in  ,sodom4 ,i remember what the ,rev4 
,mr4 ,perras had told me of the tears   
and  desolation of ,bishop ,plessis1    
when he had discovered that all the     
priests of ,canada1 with the exception  
of three1 were atheists4                
,illustration3 ,,cardinal ,,newman4     
,i would not be honest1 did ,i not      
confess that the personal knowledge of  
that fact1 which ,i learned in all its  
scandalous details from the very  lips  
of unimpeachable witnesses1 saddened me1
 and for a time1 shook my  faith in my  
religion1 to its foundation4 ,i felt    
secretly ashamed to  belong to a body of
 men so completely lost to every sense  
of honesty1 as  the priests and bishops 
of ,canada4 ,i had heard of many        
scandals before4  ,the infamies of the  
grand vicar ,manceau and ,quiblier of   
,montreal1  ,cadieux at ,three ,rivers1 
and ,viau at ,riviere ,ouelle4 ,the     
public acts of  depravity of the priests

 ,lelievre1 ,tabeau1 ,pouliot1 ,belisle1
 ,brunet1  ,quevillon1 ,huot1 ,lajuste1 
,rabby1 ,crevier1 ,bellecourt1 ,valle1  
,mignault1  ,noel1 ,pinet1 ,duguez1     
,davely and many others1 were known to  
me1 as well  as by the whole clergy4    
,but the abominations of which ,joseph  
was the  victim seemed to overstep the  
conceivable limits of infamy4 ,for the  
first time1 ,i sincerely regretted that 
,i was a priest4 ,the priesthood of     
,rome seemed then1 to me1 the very      
fulfillment of the prophecy of          
,revelation1 about the great prostitute1
 who makes the nations drunk with  the  
wines of her prostitutions4             
,auricular confession1 which ,i knew to 
be the first1 if not the only  cause1 of
 these abominations1 appeared to me1    
what it really is1 a  school of         
perdition for the priest and his female 
penitents4 ,the  priest's oath of       
celibacy1 was to my eyes1 in those hours
 of distress1  but a shameful mask to   
conceal a corruption which was unknown  

in the  most depraved days of old       
paganism4 ,new and bright lights came1  
then1  before my mind which1 had ,i     
followed them1 would have guided me to  
the  truth of the gospel4 ,but ,i was   
blind6 ,the ,good ,master had not yet   
touched my eyes with his divine and     
life-giving hand4 ,i had no idea that   
there could be any other church than the
 ,church of ,rome1 in which ,i  could be
 saved4 ,i was1 however1 often saying to
 myself3 8,how can ,i hope  to conquer  
on a battlefield where so many1 as      
strong and even much  stronger than ,i  
am1 have perished80    ,i felt no longer
 at peace4 ,my soul was filled with     
trouble and anxiety4  ,i not only       
distrusted myself1 but ,i lost          
confidence in the rest of the  priests  
and bishops4 ,in fact1 ,i could not see 
any one in whom ,i could  trust4 ,though
 my beautiful and dear parish of        
,kamouraska was1 more than  ever1       
overwhelming me with tokens of its      
affection1 gratitude and  respect1 it   

had lost its attraction for me4 ,to     
whatever side ,i turned my  eyes1 ,i saw
 nothing but the most seducing examples 
of perversion4 ,it  seemed as if ,i were
 surrounded by numberless snares1 from  
which it was  impossible to escape4 ,i  
wished to depart from this deceitful and
 lost  world4    ,when my soul was as   
drowned under the waves of a bitter sea1
 the ,rev4  ,mr4 ,guignes1 ,superior of 
the ,monastery of the ,fathers of       
,oblates of ,mary  ,immaculate1 at      
,longueuil1 near ,montreal1 came to pass
 a few days with  me1 for the benefit of
 his health4    ,i spoke to him of that 
shameful scandal1 and did not conceal   
from him  that my courage failed me1    
when ,i looked at the torrent of        
iniquity  which was sweeping everything1
 under our eyes1 with an irresistible   
force4    8,we are here alone1 in the   
presence of ,god10 ,i said to him4 8,i  
confess  that ,i feel an unspeakable    
horror at the moral ruin which ,i see   
everywhere in our church4 ,my           

priesthood1 of which ,i was so proud    
till  lately1 seems to me1 to-day1 the  
most ignominious yoke1 when ,i see it   
dragged in the mud of the most infamous 
vices1 not only by the immense  majority
 of the priests1 but even by our        
bishops4 ,how can ,i hope to save       
myself1 when ,i see so many stronger    
than ,i am1 perishing all around me80   
,the ,reverend ,superior1 with the      
kindness of a father and the gravity of 
an apostle1 answered me3    8,i         
understand your fears perfectly4 ,they  
are legitimate and too  well-founded4   
,like you1 ,i am a priest2 and like you1
 if not more than  you1 ,i know the     
numberless and formidable dangers which 
surround the  priest4 ,it is because ,i 
know them too well1 that ,i have not    
dared to be  a secular priest1 a single 
day4 ,i knew the humiliating and        
disgraceful  history of ,joseph and the 
coadjutor bishop of ,quebec4 ,nay6 ,i   
know many  things still more horrible   
and unspeakable which ,i have learned   

when  preaching and hearing confessions 
in ,france and in ,canada4 ,my fear is  
that1 to-day1 there are not many more   
undefiled souls among the priests1  than
 in ,sodom1 in the days of ,lot4 ,the   
fact is1 that it is morally  impossible 
for a secular priest to keep his vows of
 celibacy1 except by  a miracle of the  
grace of ,god4 ,our holy church would be
 a modern ,sodom1  long ago1 had not our
 merciful ,god granted her the grace    
that many of  our priests have always   
enrolled themselves among the armies of 
the  regular priests1 in the different  
religious orders which are1 to the      
church1 what the ark was to ,noah and   
his children1 in the days of the        
deluge4 ,only the priests whom ,god     
calls1 in ,his mercy1 to become members 
of any of those orders1 are safe4 ,for  
they are under the paternal care  and   
surveillance of superiors whose zeal and
 charity are like a shield  to protect  
them4 ,their holy and strict laws are   
like strong walls and  high towers which

 the enemy cannot storm40    ,he then   
spoke to me1 with an irresistible       
eloquence1 of the peace of  soul which a
 regular priest enjoys within the walls 
of his monastery4 ,he  represented1 in  
the most attractive colors1 the         
spiritual and constant  joys of the     
heart which one feels when living1 day  
and night1 under the  eyes of a superior
 to whom he has vowed a perfect         
submission4 ,he added3  8,your          
providential work is finished in the    
diocese of ,quebec4 ,the  temperance    
societies are established almost        
everywhere4 ,we are in need  of your    
long experience and your profound       
studies on that subject1 in  the diocese
 of ,montreal4 ,it is true that the good
 ,bishop de ,nancy has  done what he    
could to support that holy cause1 but1  
though he is working  with the utmost   
zeal1 he has not studied that subject   
enough to make a  lasting impression on 
the people4 ,come with us4 ,we are more 
than thirty  priests1 oblates of ,mary  

,immaculate1 who will be too happy to   
second  your efforts in that noble work1
 which is too much for one man alone4   
,moreover1 you cannot do justice to your
 great parish of ,kamouraska and  to the
 temperance cause together4 ,you must   
give up one1 to consecrate  yourself to 
the other4 ,take courage1 my young      
friend6 ,offer to ,god the  sacrifice of
 your dear ,kamouraska1 as you made the 
sacrifice of your  beautiful ,beauport1 
some years ago1 for the good of ,canada 
and in the  interest of the ,church1    
which calls you to its help40    ,it    
seemed to me that ,i could oppose no    
reasonable argument to these            
considerations4 ,i fell on my knees1 and
 made the sacrifice of my  beautiful and
 precious ,kamouraska4 ,the last        
,sabbath of ,september1 #ahdf1  in the  
midst of tears and desolation which no  
words can depict1 ,i gave  my farewell  
address to the so dear and intelligent  
people of ,kamouraska1  to go to        
,longueuil and become a novice of the   

,oblates of ,mary  ,immaculate4         
,,chapter ,,xli4    ,,perversion ,,of   
,,dr4 ,,newman ,,to ,,the ,,church ,,of 
,,rome ,,in ,,the ,,light ,,of ,,his    
,,own    ,,explanations1 ,,common       
,,sense ,,and ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god4  
,the year #ahdc will be long remembered 
in the ,church of ,rome for the         
submission of ,dr4 ,newman to her       
authority4 ,this was considered by many 
,roman ,catholics as one of the greatest
 triumphs ever gained by their  church  
against ,protestantism4 ,but some of us1
 more acquainted with the  daily        
contradictions and tergiversations of   
the ,oxford divine1 could not  associate
 ourselves in the public rejoicings of  
our church4    ,from almost the very    
beginning of his public life1 ,dr4      
,newman1 as well  as ,dr4 ,pusey1       
appeared to many of us as cowards and   
traitors in the  ,protestant camp1 whose
 object was to betray the church which  
was feeding  them1 and which they were  
sworn to defend4 ,they both seemed to us

 to be  skillful but dishonest          
conspirators4    ,dr4 ,newman1 caught in
 the very act of that conspiracy1 has   
boldly denied  it4 ,brought before the  
tribunal of public opinion as a traitor 
who1  though enrolled under the banners 
of the ,church of ,england1 was giving  
help and comfort to its foe1 the ,church
 of ,rome1 he has published a           
remarkable book under the title of      
8,apologia pro vita sua10 to exculpate  
himself4 ,i hold in my hands the ,new   
,york edition of #ahfe4 ,few men will   
read that book from beginning to end2   
and still fewer will understand it  at  
its first reading4 ,the art of throwing 
dust in the eyes of the public  is      
brought to perfection in that work4 ,i  
have read many books in my long  life1  
but ,i have never met with anything like
 the ,jesuit ability shown  by ,dr4     
,newman in giving a color of truth to   
the most palpable errors and            
falsehoods4 ,i have had to read it at   
least four times1 with the utmost       

attention1 before being sure of having  
unlocked all its dark corners and       
sophistries4    ,that we may be         
perfectly fair towards ,dr4 ,newman1 let
 us forget what his  adversaries have   
written against him1 and let us hear    
only what he says  in his own defence4  
,here it is4 ,i dare say that his most  
bitter enemies  could never have been   
able to write a book so damaging against
 him as  this one which he has given us 
for his apology4    ,let me tell the    
reader at once that ,i1 with many other 
priests of ,rome1  felt at first an     
unspeakable joy at the reading of many  
of the 8,tracts  for the ,times40 ,it is
 true that we keenly felt the blows ,dr4
 ,newman was  giving us now and then2   
but we were soon consoled by the more   
deadly  blows which he was striking at  
his own ,church--the ,church of         
,england4  ,besides that1 it soon became
 evident that the more he was advancing 
in  his controversial work1 the nearer  
he was coming to us4 ,we were not long  

without saying to each other3 8,dr4     
,newman is evidently1 though secretly1  
for us2 he is a ,roman ,catholic at     
heart1 and will soon join us4 ,it is    
only from want of moral courage and     
honesty that he remains a  ,protestant40
    ,but from the very beginning there  
was a cloud in my mind1 and in the      
minds of many other of my co-priests1   
about him4 ,his contradictions were  so 
numerous1 his sudden transitions from   
one side to the other extreme1  when    
speaking of ,romanism and ,anglicanism2 
his eulogiums of our ,church  to-day1   
and his abuses of it the very next day2 
his expressions of love  and respect for
 his own ,church in one tract1 so       
suddenly followed by the  condemnation  
of her dearest doctrines and practices  
in the next1 caused  many others as well
 as myself to suspect that he had no    
settled  principles1 or faith in any    
religion4    ,what was my surprise1 when
 reading this strange book1 ,i found    
that my  suspicions were too well       

founded2 that ,dr4 ,newman was nothing  
else than  one of those free-thinkers   
who had no real faith in any of the     
sacred  dogmas he was preaching1 and on 
which he was writing so eloquently6     
,what  was my astonishment when1 in     
#ahfe1 ,i read in his own book1 the     
confession made by that unfortunate man 
that he was nothing else but a  giant   
weathercock1 when the whole people of   
,england were looking upon  him as one  
of the most sincere and learned         
ministers of the ,gospel6 ,here  is his 
own confession1 pages #aaa1 #aab4       
,speaking of the years he had  spent in 
the ,episcopal ,church as a minister1 he
 says3 8,alas6 ,it was my  portion1 for 
whole years1 to remain without any      
satisfactory basis for  my religious    
profession2 in a state of moral         
sickness1 neither able to  acquiesce in 
,anglicanism1 nor able to go to ,rome60 
,this is ,cardinal  ,newman1 painted by 
himself6 ,he tells us how miserable he  
was when an  ,episcopalian minister1 by 

feeling that his religion had no basis1 
no  foundation6    ,what is a preacher  
of religion who feels that he has no    
basis1 no  foundation1 no reason to     
believe in that religion8 ,is he not    
that blind  man of whom ,christ speaks1 
8who leads other blind men into the     
ditch80    ,note it is not ,rev4        
,charles ,kingsley2 it is not any of the
 able  ,protestant controversialists3 it
 is not even the old ,chiniquy1 who says
  that ,dr4 ,newman was nothing else but
 an unbeliever1 when the ,protestant    
people were looking upon him as one of  
their most pious and sincere  ,christian
 theologians4 ,it is ,dr4 ,newman       
himself who1 without suspecting  it1 is 
forced by the marvellous ,providence of 
,god1 to reveal that  deplorable fact in
 his 8,apologia pro vita sua40    ,now  
what was the opinion entertained by him 
of the high and low sections  of his    
church8 ,here are his very words1 page  
#ia3 8,as to the ,high ,church  and the 
,low ,church1 ,i thought that the one   

had not much more of a  logical basis   
than the other2 while ,i had a thorough 
contempt for the  ,evangelical60 ,but   
please observe that when this minister  
of the ,church  of ,england had found1  
with the help of ,dr4 ,pusey1 that this 
church had  no logical basis1 and that  
he had a 8thorough contempt for the     
,evangelical10 he kept a firm and       
continuous hold upon the living which   
he was enjoying from day to day4 ,nay1  
it is when paid by his church to  preach
 her doctrines and fight her battles    
that he set at work to raise  another   
church6 ,of course the new church was to
 have a firm basis on  logic1 history   
and the ,gospel2 the new church was to  
be worthy of the  ,british people1 it   
was to be the modern ark to save the    
perishing world6    ,the reader will    
perhaps think ,i am joking1 and that ,i 
am caricaturing  ,dr4 ,newman4 ,no6 the 
hour in which we live is too solemn to  
be spent in  jokes--it is rather with   
tears and sobs that we must approach the

  subject4 ,here are the very words of  
,dr4 ,newman about the new church he    
wished to build after demolishing the   
,church of ,england as established  by  
law4 ,he says 7page #aaf73 8,i have said
 enough on what ,i consider to  have    
been the general objects of the various 
works which ,i wrote1  edited1 or       
prompted in the years which ,i am       
reviewing4 ,i wanted to  bring out in a 
substantive form a living ,church of    
,england1 in a  position proper to      
herself1 and founded on distinct        
principles2 as far  as paper could do   
it1 and as earnestly preaching it and   
influencing  others toward it1 could    
tend to make it in fact2--a living      
church1 made  of flesh and blood1 with  
voice1 complexion1 motion and action1   
and a  will of its own40 7,the italics  
are mine47 ,if ,i had not said that     
these  words were written by ,dr4       
,newman1 would the reader have suspected
 it8    ,what is to be the name of the  
new church8 ,dr4 ,newman himself has    

called  it 8,via ,media40 ,as the phrase
 indicates1 it was to stand between the 
rival ,churches of ,england and ,rome1  
and it was to be built with the         
materials taken1 as much as possible1   
from the ruins of both4    ,the first   
thing to be done1 then1 was to demolish 
that huge1 illogical1  unscriptural1    
unchristian church1 restored by the     
,english reformers4 ,dr4  ,newman       
bravely set to work1 under the eye and  
direction of ,dr4 ,pusey4  ,his         
merciless hammer was heard almost day   
and night from #ahcc to #ahcd1  striking
 alternately1 with hard blows1 now      
against the church of the  ,pope1 whom  
he railed ,antichrist1 and then against 
his own church1 which  he was1 very     
soon1 to find still more corrupted and  
defiled than its  anti-,christian rival4
 ,for1 as he was proceeding in his work 
of  demolition1 he tells us that he     
found more clearly1 every day1 that the 
materials and the foundations of the    
,church of ,rome were exceedingly       

better than those of his own4 ,he then  
determined to give a coup de  grace to  
the ,church of ,england1 and strike such
 a blow that her walls  would be forever
 pulverized4 ,his perfidious tract ,,xc4
 aims at this  object4    ,nothing can  
surpass the ability and the pious       
cunning with which ,dr4  ,newman tries  
to conceal his shameful conspiracy in   
his 8,apologia40    ,hear the           
un-,british and unmanly excuses which he
 gives for having  deceived his readers1
 when he was looked upon as the most    
reliable  theologian of the day1 in     
defence of the doctrine of the ,church  
of  ,england4 ,in pages #bcf-cg he says3
 8,how could ,i ever hope to make them  
believe in a second theology1 when ,i   
had cheated them in the first8 ,with    
what face could ,i publish a new edition
 of a dogmatic creed1 and ask  them to  
receive it as gospel8 ,would it not be  
plain to them that no  certainty was to 
be found anywhere8 ,well1 in my defence1
 ,i could make  but a lame apology2     

however1 it was the true one--viz3 that 
,i had not  read the ,fathers critically
 enough2 that in such nice points as    
those  which determine the angle of     
divergence between the two churches1 ,i 
had  made considerable miscalculations2 
and how came this about8 ,why1 the  fact
 was1 unpleasant as it was to avow1 that
 ,i had leaned too much upon  the       
assertions of ,usher1 ,jeremy ,taylor1  
or ,barrow1 and had been deceived  by   
them40    ,here is a specimen of the    
learning and honesty of the great       
,oxford  divine6 ,dr4 ,newman confesses 
that when he was telling his people     
8,st4  ,augustine says this1 ,st4       
,jerome says that0--when he assured them
 that ,st4  ,gregory supported this     
doctrine1 and ,origen that1 it was all  
false4  ,those holy fathers had never   
taught such doctrines4 ,it was ,usher1  
,taylor  and ,barrow who were citing    
them1 and they had deceived him6    ,is 
it not a strange thing that such a      
shrewd man as ,dr4 ,newman should  have 

so completely destroyed his own good    
name in the very book he  wrote1 with so
 much care and ingenuity1 to defend     
himself8 ,one remains  confounded--he   
can hardly believe his own eyes at such 
want of honesty in  such a man4 ,it is  
evident that his mind was troubled at   
the souvenir of  such a course of       
procedure4 ,but he wanted to excuse     
himself by saying it  was the fault of  
,usher1 ,taylor and ,barrow6    ,are we 
not forcibly brought to the solemn and  
terrible drama in the  ,garden of ,eden8
 ,adam hoped to be excused by saying1   
8,the woman whom thou  gavest to be with
 me1 she gave me the fruit of the tree1 
and ,i did eat40  ,the woman said1 8,the
 serpent beguiled me1 and ,i did eat40  
,but what was  the result of those      
excuses8 ,we read3 8,therefore the ,lord
 ,god sent him  forth from the ,garden  
of ,eden40 ,dr4 ,newman has lost the    
precious  inheritance ,god has given    
him4 ,he has lost the lamp he had       
received to  guide his steps1 and he is 

now in the dark dungeon of ,popery1     
worshipping as a poor slave1 the wafer  
god of ,rome4    ,but what has become of
 that new church or religion1 the ,via  
,media1  which has just come out from   
the sickly brain of the ,oxford         
professor8  ,let us hear its sad and    
premature end from ,dr4 ,newman himself4
 ,let me1  however1 premise1 that when  
,dr4 ,newman began his attacks against  
his  church1 he at first so skillfully  
mixed the most eloquent eulogiums with  
his criticisms1 that1 though many       
sincere ,christians were grieved1 few   
dared to complain4 ,the names of ,pusey 
and ,newman commanded such respect  that
 few raised their voices against the    
conspiracy4 ,this emboldened  them4     
,month after month they became unguarded
 in their denunciations of  the ,church 
of ,england1 and more explicit in their 
support of ,romanism4  ,in the meantime1
 the ,church of ,rome was reaping a rich
 harvest of  perverts2 for many         
,protestants were unsettled in their    

faith1 and were  going the whole length 
of the road to ,rome1 so cunningly      
indicated by  the conspirators4 ,at     
last1 the #ijth tract appeared in #ahdc4
 ,it fell as a  thunderbolt on the      
church4 ,a loud cry of indignation was  
raised all over  ,england against those 
who had so mercilessly struck at the    
heart of that  church which they had    
sworn to defend4 ,the bishops almost    
unanimously  denounced ,dr4 ,newman and 
his ,romish tendencies1 and showed the  
absurdity  of his ,via ,media4    ,now1 
let us hear him telling himself this    
episode of his life4 ,for ,i  want to be
 perfectly fair to ,dr4 ,newman4 ,it is 
only from his own words  and public acts
 that ,i want the reader to judge him4  
,here is what he says of himself1 after 
being publicly condemned3 8,i saw       
indeed clearly that my place in the     
movement was lost4 ,public confidence   
was at an end4 ,my occupation was gone4 
,it was simply an impossibility  that ,i
 could say anything henceforth to good  

effect1 when ,i had been  posted up by  
the ,marshal on the buttery hatch of    
every college of my  ,university after  
the manner of discommoned pastry-cooks1 
and when1 in  every part of the country1
 and every class of society1 through    
every  organ and occasion of opinion1 in
 newspapers1 in periodicals1 at         
meetings1 in pulpits1 at dinner-tables  
in coffee-rooms1 in railway  carriages1 
,i was denounced as a traitor who had   
laid his train1 and was  detected in the
 very act of firing it against the      
time-honored  establishment40444        
8,confidence in me was lost4 ,but ,i had
 already lost  full confidence in       
myself40 7p4 #acb47    ,let the reader  
hear these words from the very lips of  
,dr4  ,newman--8,confidence in me was   
lost6 ,but ,i had already lost full     
confidence in myself60 7p4 #acb47 ,are  
these words the indications of a  brave1
 innocent man8 ,or are they not the cry 
of despair of a cowardly  and guilty    
conscience8    ,was it not when ,wishart

 heard that the ,pope and his millions  
of slaves  had condemned him to death1  
that he raised his head as a giant1 and 
showed that he was more above his       
accusers and his judges than the        
heavens are above the earth8 ,had he    
lost his confidence in himself and  in  
his ,god when he said3 8,i am happy to  
suffer and die in the cause of  ,truth80
 ,did ,luther lose confidence in himself
 and in his ,god1 when  condemned by the
 ,pope and all his ,bishops1 and ordered
 to go before the  ,emperor to be       
condemned to death1 if he would not     
retract8 ,no6 ,it is in  those hours of 
trial that he made the world to re-echo 
the sublime words  of ,david3 8,god is  
our refuge and our strength1 a present  
help in  trouble4 ,therefore1 we will   
not fear1 though the earth be removed1  
and  though the mountains be carried    
into the midst of the sea4 ,though the  
waters thereof roar and be troubled1    
though the mountains shake with the     
swelling thereof40 ,but ,luther had a   

good cause4 ,he knew1 he felt1 that  the
 ,god of ,heaven was on his side1 when  
,dr4 ,newman knew well that he was      
deceiving the world1 after having       
deceived himself4 ,luther was strong    
and fearless3 for the voice of ,jesus   
had come through the fifteen  centuries 
to tell him3 8,fear not1 ,i am with     
thee40 ,dr4 ,newman was weak1  trembling
 before the storm1 for his conscience   
was reproaching him for  his treachery  
and his unbelief4    ,did ,latimer      
falter and lose his confidence in       
himself and in his ,god1  when condemned
 by his judges and tied to the stake to 
be burnt8 ,no6 ,it  is then that he     
uttered those immortal and sublime      
words3 8,master  ,ridley3 ,be of good   
comfort and play the man2 we shall1 this
 day1 light a  candle1 by ,god's grace1 
in ,england1 as ,i trust shall never be 
put out60    ,this is the language of   
men who are fighting for ,christ and    
,his ,gospel4  ,dr4 ,newman could not   
use such noble language when he was     

betraying  ,christ and ,his ,gospel4    
,now1 let us hear from himself when1    
after having lost the confidence of  his
 ,church and his country1 and having    
also lost his confidence in  himself1 he
 saw a ghost1 and found that the ,church
 of ,rome was right4 ,at  page #aeg1 he 
says3 8,my friend1 an anxiously         
religious man1 pointed out  the palmary 
words of ,st4 ,augustine which were     
contained in one of the  extracts made  
in the 7,dublin7 ,review1 and which had 
escaped my  observation1 #8,securus     
judicat orbis terrarum4' ,he repeated   
these words  again and again2 and when  
he was gone1 they kept ringing in my    
ears4444  ,the words of ,st4 ,augustine 
struck me with such a power which ,i    
never had  felt from any words before4  
,to take a familiar instance1 they were 
like  the #8,turn again1 ,whittington1' 
of the chime2 or1 to take a more serious
  one1 they are like the #8tolle lege'  
of the child which converted ,st4       
,augustine himself4 #8,securus judicat  

orbis terrarum6' ,by those great  words 
of the ancient father1 the theory of the
 ,via ,media was  absolutely pulverized4
 ,i became excited at the view thus     
opened upon  me4444 ,i had seen the     
shadow of a hand upon the wall4444 ,he  
who has seen  a ghost cannot be as if he
 had never seen it4 ,the heaven had     
opened and  closed again4 ,the thought1 
for the moment1 had been3 #8,the ,church
 of ,rome  will be found right1 after   
all4'0 7#aeh74    ,it would be amusing1 
indeed1 if it were not so humiliating1  
to see the  naivete with which ,dr4     
,newman confesses his own aberration1   
want of  judgment and honesty in        
reference to the pet scheme of his whole
  theological existence at ,oxford4 8,by
 these words10 he says1 8the ,via       
,media was absolutely pulverized60      
,we all know the history of the mountain
 in travail1 which gave birth to  a     
mouse4 ,dr4 ,newman tells us frankly    
that1 after ten years of hard and       
painful travail1 he produced something  

less than a mouse4 ,his ,via  ,media was
 pulverized2 it turned to be only a     
handful of dust4    ,remember the       
high-sounding of his trumpet about his  
plan of a new  church1 that ,new        
,jerusalem on earth1 the church of the  
future which was  to take the place of  
his rotten ,church of ,england4 ,let me 
repeat to you  his very words about that
 new ark of salvation with which the    
professor  of ,oxford was to save the   
world4 7,page #aaf73 8,i wanted to bring
 out1 in  a substantive form1 a living  
,church of ,england1 in a position      
proper to  herself and founded on       
distinct principles1 as far as paper    
could do it1  and as earnestly preaching
 it and influencing others towards it   
could  tend to make it a fact3 a living 
church1 made of flesh and blood1 with   
voice1 complexion1 and motion1 and      
action1 and a will of its own40    ,now1
 what was the end of that masterpiece of
 theological architecture of  ,dr4      
,newman8 ,here is its history1 given by 

the great architect himself3  8,i read  
the palmary words of ,st4 ,augustine1   
#8,securus judicat orbis  terrarum6' ,by
 those great words of the ancient       
father1 the theory of  the ,via ,media  
was pulverized6 ,i became excited at the
 view thus opened  before me4 ,i had    
seen the shadow of a hand on the wall4  
,he who has seen  a ghost can never be  
as if he had not seen it2 the heavens   
had opened  and closed again4 ,the      
thought1 for a moment1 was #8,the       
,church of ,rome  will be found right1  
after all4'0 7#aeh74 ,have we ever seen 
a man  destroying himself more          
completely at the very moment that he   
tries to  defend himself8 ,here he does 
ingeniously confess what every one knew 
before1 that his whole work1 for the    
last ten years1 was not only a          
self-deception1 but a supreme effort to 
deceive the world--his ,via  ,media was 
a perfect string of infidelity1 sophism1
 and folly4 ,the whole  fabric had      
fallen to the ground at the sight of a  

ghost6 ,to build a  grand structure1 in 
the place of his ,church which he wanted
 to demolish1  he had thought it was    
sufficient to throw a great deal of     
glittering  sand1 with some blue1 white1
 and red dust1 in the air6 ,he tells us 
that  one sad hour came when he heard   
five ,latin words from ,st4 ,augustine1 
saw  a ghost--and his great structure   
fell to the ground66    ,what does this 
all mean8 ,it simply means that ,god    
,almighty has dealt  with ,dr4 ,newman  
as ,he did with the impious ,pharaoh in 
the ,red ,sea1 when  he was marching at 
the head of his army against the church 
of old1 his  chosen people1 to destroy  
them4    ,dr4 ,newman was not only      
marching with ,dr4 ,pusey at the head of
 an army  of theologians to destroy the 
,church of ,god1 but he was employing   
all  the resources of his intellect1 all
 his false and delusive science1 to     
raise an idolatrous church in its place2
 and when ,pharaoh and ,dr4 ,newman     
thought themselves sure of success1 the 

,god of ,heaven confounded them  both4  
,the first went down with his army to   
the bottom of the sea as a  piece of    
lead4 ,the second lost1 not his life1   
but something infinitely  more          
precious--he lost his reputation for    
intelligence1 science and  integrity2 he
 lost the light of the ,gospel1 and     
became perfectly blind1  after having   
lost his place in the kingdom of        
,christ6    ,i have never judged a man  
by the hearsay of anyone1 and ,i would  
prefer  to have my tongue cut out than  
to repeat a word of what the adversaries
  of ,dr4 ,newman have said against him4
 ,but we have the right1 and ,i think   
it is our duty1 to hear and consider    
what he says of himself1 and to  judge  
him on his own confession4    ,at page  
#agd we read these words from his own   
pen to a friend3 8,i cannot  disguise   
from myself that my preaching is not    
calculated to defend that  system of    
religion which has been received for    
three hundred years1 and  of which the  

,heads of ,houses are the legitimate    
maintainers in this  place4444 ,i fear  
,i must allow that1 whether ,i will or  
no1 ,i am disposing  them 7the young    
men7 towards ,rome40 ,here ,dr4 ,newman 
declares1 in plain  ,english1 that he   
was disposing his hearers and students  
at ,oxford to  join the ,church of      
,rome6 ,i ask it3 what can we think of a
 man who is  paid and sworn to do a     
thing1 who not only does it not1 but who
 does the  very contrary8 ,who would    
hesitate to call such a man dishonest8  
,who  would hesitate to say that such a 
one has no respect for those who  employ
 him1 and no respect for himself8       
,dr4 ,newman writes this whole book to  
refute the public accusation that  he   
was a traitor1 that he was preparing the
 people to leave the ,church  of        
,england and to submit to the ,pope4    
,but1 strange to say1 it is in that     
very book we find the irrefutable proof 
of his shameful and ignominious         
treachery6 ,in a letter to ,dr4         

,russell1 ,president of the ,roman      
,catholic  ,college of ,maynooth1 he    
wrote1 page #bbg3 8,roman ,catholics    
will find this  to be the state of      
things in time to come1 whatever promise
 they may  fancy there is of a large    
secession to their church4 ,this man or 
that  may leave us1 but there will be no
 general movement4 ,there is1 indeed1   
an incipient movement of our church     
towards yours1 and this your leading    
men are doing all they can to frustrate 
by their unwearied efforts1 at  all     
risks to carry off individuals4 ,when   
will they know their position1  and     
embrace a larger and wiser policy80 ,is 
it not evident here that ,god  was      
blinding ,dr4 ,newman1 and that ,he was 
making him confess his  treachery in the
 very moment that he was trying to      
conceal it8 ,do we not  see clearly that
 he was complaining of the unwise policy
 of the leaders  of the ,church of ,rome
 who were retarding that incipient      
movement of  his church towards         

,romanism1 for which he was working day 
and night with  ,dr4 ,pusey8    ,but had
 not ,dr4 ,newman confessed his own     
treachery1 we have1 to-day1 its         
undeniable proof in the letter of ,dr4  
,pusey to the ,english ,church ,union1  
written in #ahgi4 ,speaking of ,dr4     
,newman and the other ,tractarians1 he  
says3 8,an acute man1 ,dr4 ,hawkins1    
,provost of ,oriel1 said of the         
#8,tracts1' on their first appearance1  
#8,i know they have a forced            
circulation4' ,we put the leaven into   
the meal1 and waited to see what  would 
come of it4 ,our object was to          
,catholicise ,england40    ,and this    
confession of ,dr4 ,pusey1 that he      
wanted to ,catholicise ,england1  is    
fully confirmed by ,dr4 ,newman 7page   
#ajh1 #aji7 where he says3 8,i  suspect 
it was ,dr4 ,pusey's influence and      
example which set me and made  me set   
others on the larger and more careful   
works in defense of the  principles of  
the movement which followed0 7towards   

,rome7 8in a course  of years40         
,nothing is more curious than to hear   
from ,dr4 ,newman himself with what     
skill he was trying to conceal his      
perfidious efforts in preparing that    
movement towards ,rome4 ,he says on that
 subject1 page #abd3 8,i was            
embarrassed in consequence of my wish to
 go as far as possible in  interpreting 
the articles in the direction of ,roman 
dogma1 without  disclosing what ,i was  
doing to the parties whose doubts ,i was
 meeting1  who might be1 thereby1       
encouraged to go still farther than1 at 
present1  they found in themselves any  
call to do40    ,a straw fallen on the  
water indicates the way the tide goes4  
,here we  have the straw1 taken by ,dr4 
,newman himself1 and thrown by him on   
the  water4 ,a thousand volumes written 
by the ex-,professor of ,oxford to deny 
that he was a conspirator at work to    
lead his people to ,rome1 when in  the  
service of the ,church of ,england1     
could not destroy the evident  proof of 

his guilt given by himself in this      
strange book4    ,if we want to have a  
proof of the supreme contempt ,dr4      
,newman had for  his readers1 and his   
daily habit of deceiving them by        
sophistries and  incorrect assertions1  
we have it in the remarkable lines which
 ,i find at  page #abc of his ,apologia4
 ,speaking of his 8doctrinal            
development10 he  says3 8,i wanted to   
ascertain what was the limit of that    
elasticity in  the direction of ,roman  
dogma4 ,but1 next1 ,i had a way of      
inquiry of my  own which ,i state       
without defending4 ,i instanced it      
afterward in my  essay on #8,doctrinal  
,development4' ,that work1 ,i believe1  
,i have not read  since ,i published it1
 and ,i doubt not at all that ,i have   
made many  mistakes in it1 partly from  
my ignorance of the details of doctrine 
as  the ,church of ,rome holds them1 but
 partly from my impatience to clear as  
large a range for the ,principles of    
doctrinal development 7waiving the      

question of historical fact7 as was     
consistent with the strict  apostolicity
 and identity of the ,catholic creed4   
,in like manner1 as  regards the        
,thirty-nine ,articles1 my method of    
inquiry was to leap #8in  medias res'0  
7#abc-abd74    ,dr4 ,newman is the      
author of two new systems of theology2  
and1 from his  own confession1 the two  
systems are a compendium of error1      
absurdities1  and folly4 ,his ,via      
,media was 8pulverized0 by the vision of
 a ghost1  when he heard the four words 
of ,st4 ,augustine3 8,securus judicat   
orbis  terrarum40 ,the second1 known    
under the name of 8,doctrinal           
,development10  is1 from his own        
confession1 full of errors on account of
 his ignorance  of the subject on which 
he was writing1 and his own impatience  
to  support his sophisms4    ,dr4       
,newman is really unfortunate in his    
paternity4 ,he is the father of  two    
children4 ,the first-born was called    
,via ,media4 ,but it had neither  head  

nor feet1 it was suffocated on the day  
of its birth by a 8ghost40  ,the second1
 called 8,doctrinal ,development10 was  
not viable4 ,the father  is so shocked  
with the sight of the monster1 that he  
publicly confessed  its deformities and 
cries out1 8,mistake6 mistake6 mistake60
 7pages  #abc-abd ,apologia pro vita    
sua74    ,the troubled conscience of    
,dr4 ,newman has forced him to confess  
7page  #aaa7 that he was miserable1 from
 his want of faith1 when a minister of  
the ,church of ,england and a ,professor
 of ,theology of ,oxford3 8,alas6 it    
was my portion for whole years to remain
 without any satisfactory basis  for my 
religious profession60 ,at page #agd and
 #age he tells us how  miserable and    
anxious he was when the voice of his    
conscience reproached  him in the       
position he held in the ,church of      
,england1 while leading her  people to  
,rome4 ,at page #aeh he confesses his   
unspeakable confusion when  he saw his  
supreme folly in building up the ,via   

,media1 and heard it  crash at the      
appearance of a ghost4 ,at page #abc he 
acknowledges how he  deceived his       
readers1 and deceived himself1 in his   
8,doctrinal  ,development40 ,at page    
#acb he tells us how he had not only    
completely  lost the confidence of his  
country1 but lost confidence in himself4
 ,and  it is after this humiliating and 
shameful course of life that he finds   
out 8that the ,church of ,rome is       
right60    ,must we not thank ,god for  
having forced ,dr4 ,newman to tell us   
through  what dark and tortuous ways a  
,protestant1 a disciple of the ,gospel1 
a  minister of ,christ1 a ,professor of 
,oxford1 fell into that sea of ,sodom   
called ,romanism or ,papism6 ,a great   
lesson is given us here4 ,we see the    
fulfillment of ,christ's word about     
those who have received great talents   
and have not used them for the 8,good   
,master's honor and glory40    ,dr4     
,newman1 without suspecting it1 tells us
 that it was his course of  action      

towards that branch of the ,church of   
,christ of which he was a  minister1    
that caused him to lose the confidence  
of his country1 and  troubled him so    
much that it caused him to lose that    
self-confidence  which is founded on our
 faith and our union with ,christ1 who  
is our  rock1 our only strength in the  
hour of trial4 ,having lost her sails1  
her  anchor1 and her helm1 the poor ship
 was evidently doomed to become a       
wreck4 ,nothing could prevent her from  
drifting into the engulfing abyss  of   
,popery4    ,dr4 ,newman confesses that 
it is only when his guilty conscience   
was  uniting its thundering voice with  
that of his whole country to condemn    
him1 that he said1 8,after all1 the     
,church of ,rome is right60    ,these   
are the arguments1 the motives1 the     
light which have led ,dr4  ,newman to   
,rome6 ,and it is from himself that we  
have it6 ,it is a just1  and avenging   
,god who forces his adversary to glorify
 ,him and say the  truth in spite of    

himself in this 8,apologia pro vita     
sua40    ,no one can read that book1    
written with almost a superhuman skill1 
ability1 and fineness1 without a feeling
 of unspeakable sadness at the  sight of
 such bright talents1 such eloquence1   
such extensive studies1  employed by the
 author to deceive himself and deceive  
his readers2 for  it is evident1 on     
every page1 that ,dr4 ,newman has       
deceived himself  before deceiving his  
readers4 ,but no one can read that book 
without  feeling a sense of terror also4
 ,for he will hear1 at every page1 the  
thundering voice of the ,god of the     
,gospel1 8,because they received not    
the love of the ,truth that they might  
be saved1 ,god shall send them  strong  
delusions1 that they should believe a   
lie40 7#b ,thess4 ii3#aj-aa74    ,what1 
at first1 most painfully puzzles the    
mind of the ,christian reader  of this  
book is the horror which ,dr4 ,newman   
has for the ,holy ,scriptures4  ,the    
unfortunate man who is perishing from   

hydrophobia does not keep  himself more 
at a distance from water than he does   
from the word of ,god4  ,it seems       
incredible1 but it is a fact1 that from 
the first page of the  history of his   
8,religious ,opinions0 to page #bfa1    
where he joins the  ,church of ,rome1 we
 have not a single line to tell us that 
he has gone to  the ,word of ,god for   
light and comfort in his search after   
truth4 ,we see  ,dr4 ,newman at the feet
 of ,daniel ,wilson1 ,scott1 ,milner1   
,whately1  ,hawkins1 ,blanco ,white1    
,william ,james1 ,butler1 ,keble1       
,froude1 ,pusey1 c41  asking them what  
to believe1 what to do to be saved3 but 
you do not see  him a single minute1 no6
 not a single minute1 at the feet of the
  ,saviour1 asking him1 8,master1 what  
must ,i do to have #8,eternal ,life8'0  
,the sublime words of ,peter to ,christ1
 which are filling all the echoes  of   
heaven and earth1 these eighteen hundred
 years1 8,lord6 ,to whom shall  we go8  
,thou hast the words of eternal life60  

have never reached his  ears6 ,in the   
long and gloomy hours1 when his soul was
 chilled and  trembling in the dark     
night of infidelity2 when his uncertain 
feet were  tired by vainly going here   
and there1 to find the true way1 he has 
never  heard ,christ telling him3 8,come
 unto ,me4 ,i am the ,way2 ,i am the    
,door2 ,i  am the ,life60 ,in those     
terrible hours of distress of which he  
speaks so  eloquently1 when he cries    
7page #aaa7 8,alas6 ,i was without any  
basis for  my religious profession1 in a
 state of moral sickness3 neither able  
to  acquiesce in ,anglicanism1 nor able 
to go to ,rome30 when his lips were     
parched with thirst after truth1 he     
never1 no never1 went to the  fountain  
from which flow the waters of eternal   
life6    ,one day1 he goes to the ,holy 
,fathers4 ,but what will he find there8 
,will  he see how ,st4 ,cyprien sternly 
rebuked the impudence of ,stephen1      
,bishop  of ,rome1 who pretended to have
 some jurisdiction over the ,see of     

,carthage8 ,will he find how ,gregory   
positively says that the ,bishop who    
will pretend to be the 8,universal      
,bishop0 is the forerunner of           
,anti-,christ8 ,will he hear ,st4       
,augustine declaring that when ,christ  
said  to ,peter1 8,thou art ,peter1 and 
upon this rock ,i will build my         
,church10  ,he was speaking of ,himself 
as the rock upon which the ,church would
  stand8 ,no4 ,the only thing which ,dr4
 ,newman brings us from the ,holy       
,fathers is so ridiculous and so        
unbecoming that ,i am ashamed to have to
  repeat it4 ,he tells us 7page #gh71   
8,i have an idea4 ,the mass of the      
,fathers 7,justin1 ,anthenagoras1       
,irenus1 ,clement1 ,tertullian1 ,origen1
  ,ambrose71 hold that1 though ,satan   
fell from the beginning1 the angels     
fell before the deluge1 falling in love 
with the daughters of men4 ,this  has   
lately come across me as a remarkable   
solution of a notion ,i cannot  help    
holding40    ,allow me here to remind   

the reader that1 though the ,fathers    
have written  many beautiful evangelical
 pages1 some of them have written the   
greatest  nonsense and the most absurd  
things which human folly can imagine4   
,many  of them were born and educated as
 pagans4 ,they had learned and believed 
the history and immorality of their     
demi-gods2 they had brought those       
notions with them into the ,church2 and 
they had attributed to the angels  of   
,god1 the passions and love for women   
which was one of the most  conspicuous  
characters of ,jupiter1 ,mars1 ,cupid1  
,bacchus1 etc4 ,and ,dr4  ,newman1 whose
 want of accuracy and judgment is so    
often revealed and  confessed by him in 
this book1 has not been able to see that
 those  sayings of the ,fathers were    
nothing but human aberrations4 ,he has  
accepted that as ,gospel truth1 and he  
has been silly enough to boast of  it4  
,the bees go to the flowers to make     
their precious honey4 ,they wisely      
choose what is more perfect1 pure and   

wholesome in the flowers to feed        
themselves4 ,dr4 ,newman does the very  
contrary3 he goes to those flowers  of  
past ages1 the ,holy ,fathers1 and takes
 from them what is impure for  his food4
 ,after this1 is it a wonder that he has
 so easily put his lips  to the cup of  
the great enchantress who is poisoning  
the world with the  wine of her         
prostitution8    ,when the reader has   
followed with attention the history of  
the religious  opinions of ,dr4 ,newman 
in his 8,apologia pro vita sua10 and he 
sees him  approaching1 day after day1   
the bottomless abyss of folly1          
corruption1  slavery and idolatry of    
,rome1 into which he suddenly falls     
7page #bfa71  he is forcibly reminded of
 the strange spectacle recorded in the  
eloquent pages of ,chateaubriand1 about 
the ,niagara ,falls4    ,more than once1
 travelers standing at the foot of that 
marvel of the  marvels of the works of  
,god1 looking up toward heaven1 have    
been struck  by the sight of a small1   

dark spot1 moving in large circles1 at a
 great  distance above the fall4 ,gazing
 at that strange object1 they soon      
remarked that in its circular march in  
the sky1 the small1 dark spot was       
rapidly growing larger1 as it was coming
 down towards the thundering  fall4     
,they soon discovered the majestic form 
of one of the giant eagles  of ,america6
 ,and the eagle1 balancing himself in   
the air1 seemed to look  down on the    
marvellous fall1 as if absolutely taken 
with admiration at  its grandeur and    
magnificence6 ,for some time1 the giant 
of the air  remained above the majestic 
cataract1 describing his large circles4 
,but  when coming down nearer and nearer
 the terrific abyss1 he was suddenly    
dragged by an irresistible power into   
the bottomless abyss1 to  disappear4    
,some time later the body1 bruised and  
lifeless1 is seen  floating on the rapid
 and dark waters1 to be forever lost in 
the bitter  waters of the sea1 a long   
distance below4    ,rome is a fall4 ,it 

is the name which ,god himself has given
 her3 8,there  come a falling away0 7#b 
,thess4 ii41 #c74 ,as the giant eagle of
 ,america1  when imprudently coming too 
near the mighty ,fall of ,niagara1 is   
often  caught in the irresistible vortex
 which attracts it from a long          
distance1 so that eagle of ,oxford1 ,dr4
 ,newman1 whom ,god had created for     
better things1 has imprudently come too 
near the terrific papal fall4 ,he  has  
been enchanted by its beauty1 its       
thousand bright rainbows2 he has  taken 
for real suns the fantastic jets of     
light which encircles its  misty head1  
and conceals its dark and bottomless    
abyss4 ,bewildered by  the bewitching   
voice of the enchantress1 he has been   
unable to save  himself from her        
perfidious and almost irresistible      
attractions4 ,the  eagle of ,oxford has 
been caught in the whirlpool of the     
engulphing  powers of ,rome1 and you see
 him to-day1 bruised1 lifeless1 dragged 
on  the dark waters of ,popery towards  

the shore of a still darker eternity4   
,dr4 ,newman could not make his         
submission to ,rome without perjuring   
himself4 ,he swore that he would never  
interpret the ,holy ,scriptures  except 
according to the unanimous consent of   
the ,holy ,fathers4 ,well1 ,i  challenge
 him here1 to meet me and show me that  
the ,holy ,fathers are  unanimous on the
 supremacy of the power of the ,pope    
over the other  ,bishops2 that he is    
infallible2 that the ,priest has the    
power to make  his ,god with a wafer2   
that the ,virgin ,mary is the only hope 
for sinners4  ,i challenge him to show  
us that auricular confession is an      
ordinance of  ,christ4 ,dr4 ,newman     
knows well that those things are        
impostures4 ,he has  never believed1 he 
never will believe them4    ,the fact is
 that ,dr4 ,newman confesses that he    
never had any faith when  he was a      
minister of the ,church of ,england2 and
 it is clear that he is  the same since 
he became a ,roman ,catholic4 ,in page  

#bhb we read this  strange exposition of
 his faith3 8,we are called upon not to 
profess  anything1 but to submit and be 
silent10 which is just the faith of the 
mute animal which obeys the motion of   
the bridle1 without any resistance  or  
thought of its own4 ,this is--,i cannot 
deny it--the true1 the only faith  in   
the ,church of ,rome2 it is the faith   
which leads directly to ,atheism  or    
idiotism4 ,but ,christ gave us a very   
different idea of the faith he  asks    
from his disciples when he said3 8,the  
time has come when the  worshippers     
shall worship the ,father in spirit and 
in truth40 7,john vi41  #bc47    ,that  
degraded and brutal religion of ,dr4    
,newman1 surely was not the  religion of
 ,paul1 when he wrote1 8,i speak as to  
wise men2 judge ye what  ,i say40 7#a   
,cor4 x41 #ae47 ,dr4 ,newman honestly   
tells us 7page #bbh71 when  speaking of 
the worship of the ,virgin ,mary3 8,such
 devotional  manifestations in honor of 
our ,lady had been my great ,crux as    

regards  ,catholicism4 ,i say1 frankly  
that ,i do not fully enter into them now
 444  they are suitable for ,italy1 but 
are not suitable for ,england40 ,he has 
only changed his appearance--his heart  
is what it was formerly1 when a         
minister of the ,church of ,england4 ,he
 wanted then another creed1 another     
,church for ,england4 ,so now1 he finds 
that this and that practice of ,rome    
may do for the ,italians1 but not for   
the ,english people6    ,was he pleased 
with the promulgation of ,papal         
infallibility8 ,no4 ,it is a  public    
fact that one of his most solemn        
actions1 a few years since his          
connection with the ,church of ,rome1   
was to protest against the  promulgation
 of that dogma4 ,more than that1 he     
expressed his doubts  about the wisdom  
and the right of the ,council to        
proclaim it4    ,let us read his        
interesting letter to ,bishop           
,ullathorne--8,rome ought to  be a name 
to lighten the heart at all times2 and a

 council's proper  office is1 when some 
great heresy or other evil impends1 to  
inspire hope  and confidence in the     
faithful4 ,but now we have the greatest 
meeting  which ever has been1 and that  
at ,rome1 infusing into us by the       
accredited organs of ,rome and of its   
partisans 7such as the ,civilta1  the   
,armonia1 the ,univers and the ,tablet7 
little else than fear and  dismay6 ,when
 we are all at rest and have no doubts1 
and--at least  practically1 not to say  
doctrinally--hold the ,holy ,father to  
be  infallible1 suddenly there is       
thunder in the clear sky1 and we are    
told  to prepare for something1 we know 
not what1 to try our faith1 we know  not
 how--no impending danger is to be      
averted1 but a great difficulty is  to  
be created4 ,is this the proper work of 
an ,,oecumenical ,council8 ,as  to      
myself1 personally1 please ,god1 ,i do  
not expect any trial at all2 but  ,i    
cannot help suffering with the many     
souls who are suffering1 and ,i  look   

with anxiety at the prospect of having  
to defend decisions which  may not be   
difficult to my own private judgment1   
but may be most  difficult to maintain  
logically in the face of historical     
facts4    8,what have we done to be     
treated as the faithful never were      
treated  before8 ,when has a definition 
de fide been a luxury of devotion1 and  
not a stern1 painful necessity8 ,why    
should an aggressive1 insolent  faction 
be allowed to #8make the heart of the   
just sad1 whom the ,lord  hath not made 
sorrowful8' ,why cannot we be let alone1
 when we have  pursued peace1 and       
thought no evil6    8,i assure you1 my  
,lord1 some of the truest minds are     
driven one way and  another1 and do not 
know where to rest their feet--one day  
determining  #8to give up all theology  
as a bad job1' and recklessly to believe
  henceforth almost that the ,pope is   
impeccable2 at another1 tempted to      
#8believe all the worst that a book like
 ,janus says2' others doubting  about   

#8the capacity possessed by ,bishops    
drawn from corners of the  earth1 to    
judge what is fitting for ,european     
society2' and then1 again1  angry with  
the ,holy ,see for listening to #8the   
flattery of a clique of  ,jesuits1      
redemptorists1 and converts4'    8,then1
 again1 think of the store of           
,pontifical scandals in the history  of 
eighteen centuries1 which have partly   
been poured forth1 and partly  are still
 to come4 ,what ,murphy inflicted upon  
us in one way1 ,m4 ,veuillot  is        
indirectly bringing on us in another4   
,and then1 again1 the blight  which is  
falling upon the multitude of ,anglican 
,ritualists1 etc41 who1  themselves1    
perhaps--at least their leaders--may    
never become ,catholics1  but who are   
leavening the various ,english          
denominations and parties 7far  beyond  
their own range71 with principles and   
sentiments towards their  ultimate      
absorption into the ,catholic ,church4  
8,with these thoughts ever before me1 ,i

 am continually asking myself  whether  
,i ought not to make my feelings public8
 ,but all ,i do is to pray  those early 
doctors of the ,church1 whose           
intercession would decide the  matter   
7,augustine1 ,ambrose and ,jerome1      
,athanasius1 ,chrysostom and  ,basil71  
to avert this great calamity4    8,if it
 is ,god's will that the ,pope's        
infallibility be defined1 then it  is   
,god's will to throw back #8the times   
and movements' of that triumph  which   
,he has destined for ,his kingdom1 and  
,i shall feel ,i have but to  bow my    
head to ,his adorable1 inscrutable      
providence4    8,you have not touched   
upon the subject yourself1 but ,i think 
you will  allow me to express to you    
feeling which1 for the most part1 ,i    
keep to  myself40,c    -----            
,footnote ,c3      8,the ,pope1 the     
,kings1 and the ,people40 7,mullan      
,son1 ,paternoster    ,square1 pp4      
#bfi-gj47 ,also see 7,london7 ,standard1
 #gth ,april1 #ahgj4    -----    ,these 

eloquent complaints of the new convert  
exceedingly irritated ,pius  ,,ix4 and  
the ,jesuits at ,rome2 they entirely    
destroyed their confidence in  him4     
,they were too shrewd to ignore that he 
had never been anything else  but a kind
 of free-thinker1 whose ,christian faith
 was without any basis1  as he himself  
confessed4 ,they had received him1 of   
course1 with  pleasure1 for he was the  
very best man in ,england to unsettle   
the minds  of the young ministers of the
 ,church1 but they had left him alone in
 his  oratory of ,birmingham1 where they
 seemed to ignore him4    ,however1 when
 the protest of the new so-called       
convert showed that his  submission was 
but a sham1 and that he was more        
,protestant than ever1  they lashed him 
without mercy4 ,but before we hear the  
stern answers of  the ,roman ,catholics 
to their new recruit1 let us remember   
the fact that  when that letter         
appeared1 ,dr4 ,newman had lost the     
memory of it2 he  boldly denied its     

paternity at first2 it was only when the
 proofs were  publicly given that he had
 written it1 that he acknowledged it1   
saying  for his excuse that he had      
forgotten his writing it66    ,now let  
us hear the answer of the ,civilta1 the 
organ of the ,pope1 to  ,dr4 ,newman4   
8,do you not see that it is only        
temptation that makes you  see          
everything black8 ,if the ,holy ,doctors
 whom you invoke1 ,ambrose1  ,jerome1   
etc41 do not decide the controversy in  
your way1 it is not as  the ,protestant 
,pall ,mall ,gazette fancies1 because   
they will not or  cannot interpose1 but 
because they agree with ,st4 ,peter1 and
 with the  petition of the majority4    
,would you have us make a procession in 
sackcloth and ashes to avert this       
scourge of the definition of a  verity80
 ,ibid1 p4 #bha4    ,the clergy of      
,france1 through their organ1           
,l',univers 7,vol4 #aa1 p4  #ca-cd71 was
 still more severe and sarcastic4 ,they 
had just collected  #d1jjj to help ,dr4 

,newman to pay the enormous expenses of 
the suit for  his slanders against      
,father ,achille1 which he had lost4    
,dr4 ,newman1 as it appears by the      
article from the pen of the celebrated  
editor of the ,univers1 had not even had
 the courtesy to acknowledge  the gift1 
nor the exertions of those who had      
collected that large sum of  money4 ,now
 let us see what they thought and said  
in ,france about the  ex-,professor of  
,oxford whom they called the            
8,respectable ,convict40  ,speaking of  
the #d1jjj sent from ,france1 ,veuillot 
says3 8,the respectable  convict        
received it1 and was pleased2 but he    
gave no thanks and showed  no mercy4    
,father ,newman ought to be more careful
 in what he says2  everything that is   
comely demands it of him4 ,but1 at any  
rate1 if his  ,liberal passion carries  
him away1 till he forgets what he owes  
to us and  to himself1 what answer must 
one give him1 but that he had better go 
on  as he set out1 silently             

ungrateful8--,l',univers1 ,vol4 #aa4 p4 
#cb-cd4  ,ibid1 p4 #bgb4    ,these      
public rebukes1 addressed from ,paris   
and ,rome by the two most  popular      
organs of the ,church of ,rome1 tell us 
the old story2 the  services of traitors
 may be accepted1 but they are never    
trusted4 ,father  ,newman had not the   
confidence of the ,roman ,catholics4    
,but some one will say3 ,has not the    
dignity of ,cardinal1 to which he has   
lately been raised1 proved that the     
present ,pope has the greatest          
confidence in ,dr4 ,newman8    ,had ,i  
not been #be years a priest of ,rome1 ,i
 would say 8,yes60 ,but ,i know  too    
much of their tactics for that4 ,the    
dignity of ,cardinal has been  given to 
,drs4 ,manning and ,newman as the baits 
which the fisherman of  ,prince ,edward 
,island throw into the sea to attract   
the mackerels4 ,the  ,pope1 with those  
long scarlet robes thrown over the      
shoulders of the two  renegades from the
 ,church of ,england1 hopes to catch    

more ,english  mackerels4    ,besides   
that1 we all know the remarkable words  
of ,st4 ,paul3 8,and those  members of  
the body which we think to be less      
honourable1 upon them we  bestow more   
abundant honours1 and our uncomely parts
 have more abundant  comeliness40 7#a   
,cor4 xii41 #bc47    ,it is on that     
principle that the ,pope has acted4 ,he 
knew well that ,dr4  ,newman had played 
the act of a traitor at ,oxford2 that he
 had been  caught in the very act of    
conspiracy by his ,bishops2 that he had 
entirely lost the confidence of the     
,english people4 ,these public facts    
paralyzed the usefulness of the new     
convert4 ,he was really a member of  the
 ,church of ,rome1 but he was one of the
 most uncomely ones2 so much  so1 that  
the last ,pope1 ,pius ,,ix41 had left   
him alone1 in a dark corner1  for nearly
 eighteen years4 ,leo ,,xiii4 was more  
shrewd4 ,he felt that  ,newman might    
become one of the most powerful agents  
of ,romanism in  ,england1 if he were   

only covering his uncomeliness with the 
rich red  ,cardinal robe4    ,but will  
the scarlet colors which now clothe ,dr4
 ,newman make us forget  that1 to-day1  
he belongs to the most absurd1 immoral1 
abject and  degrading form of idolatry1 
the world has ever seen8 ,will we forget
 that  ,romanism1 these last six        
centuries1 is nothing else than old     
paganism in  its most degrading forms1  
coming back under a ,christian name8    
,what is  the divinity which is adored  
in those splendid temples of modern     
,rome8  ,is it anything else but the old
 ,jupiter ,tonans8 ,yes1 the ,pope has  
stolen  the old gods of paganism1 and he
 has sacrilegiously written the adorable
  name of ,jesus in their faces1 that   
the more deluded modern nations may     
have less objection to accept the       
worship of their pagan ancestors4 ,they 
adore a ,christ in the ,church of ,rome2
 they sing beautiful hymns to ,his      
honor2 they build him magnificent       
temples2 they are exceedingly devoted   

to ,him--they make daily enormous       
sacrifices to extend ,his power and     
glory  all over the world4 ,but what is 
that ,christ8 ,it is simply an idol of  
bread1 baked every day by the servant   
girl of the priest1 or the  neighboring 
nuns4    ,i have been #be years one of  
the most sincere and zealous priests of 
that  ,christ4 ,i have made ,him with   
mine own hands1 and the help of my      
servants  for a quarter of a century2 ,i
 have a right to say that ,i know ,him  
perfectly well4 ,it is that ,i may tell 
what ,i know of that ,christ that  the  
,god of the ,gospel has taken me by the 
hand1 and granted me to give  my        
testimony before the world4 ,hundreds of
 times1 ,i have said to my  servant girl
 what ,dr4 ,newman and all the priests  
of ,rome say1 every day1  to their own  
servants or their nuns3 8,please make me
 some wafers1 that ,i  may say mass1 and
 give the communion to those who want to
 receive it40  ,and the dutiful girl    
took some wheat flour1 mixed it with    

water1 and put  the dough between these 
two well-polished and engraven irons1   
which she  had well heated before4 ,in  
less time than ,i can write it1 the     
dough was  baked into wafers4 ,handing  
them to me1 ,i brought them to the      
altar1 and  performed a ceremony which  
is called 8the mass40 ,in the very midst
 of  that mass1 ,i pronounced on the    
wafer five magic words1 8,hoc est enim  
corpus meum10 and had to believe1 what  
,dr4 ,newman and all the priests  of    
,rome profess to believe1 that there    
were no more wafers1 no more  bread     
before me1 but that what were wafers1   
had been turned into the  great ,eternal
 ,god who had created the world4 ,i had 
to prostrate myself1  and ask my people 
to prostrate themselves before the ,god 
,i had just made  with five words from  
my lips2 and the people1 on their knees1
 bowing  their heads1 and bringing their
 faces to the dust1 adored ,god whom ,i 
had  just made1 with the help of these  
heated irons and my servant girl4       

,now1 is this not a form of idolatry    
more degrading1 more insulting to  the  
infinite ,majesty of ,god than the      
worship of the golden calf8 ,where  is  
the difference between the idolatry of  
,aaron and the ,israelites  adoring the 
golden calf in the wilderness and the   
idolatry of ,dr4 ,newman  adoring the   
wafer in his temple8 ,the only          
difference is1 that ,aaron  worshipped a
 god infinitely more respectable and    
powerful1 in melted  gold1 than ,dr4    
,newman worshipping his baked dough4    
,the idolatry of ,dr4 ,newman is more   
degrading than the idolatry of the      
worshippers of the sun4    ,when the    
,persians adore the sun1 they give their
 homage to the greatest1  the most      
glorious being which is before us4 ,that
 magnificent fiery orb1  millions of    
miles in circumference1 which rises as a
 giant1 every  morning1 from behind the 
horizon1 to march over the world and    
pour  everywhere its floods of heat1    
light and life1 cannot be contemplated  

without feelings of respect1 admiration 
and awe4 ,man must raise his eyes  up to
 see that glorious sun--he must take the
 eagle's wings to follow his  giant     
strides throughout the myriads of worlds
 which are there1 to speak  to us of the
 wisdom1 the power1 and love of our     
,god4 ,it is easy to  understand that   
poor1 fallen1 blind men may take that   
great being for  their god4 ,would not  
every one perish and die1 if the sun    
would forget  to come every day1 that we
 may bathe and swim in his ocean of     
light and  life8    ,then1 when ,i see  
the ,persian priests of the sun1 in     
their magnificent  temple1 with censers 
in their hands1 waiting for the         
appearance of its  first rays1 to intone
 their melodious hymns and sing their   
sublime  canticles1 ,i know their error 
and ,i understand it2 ,i was about to   
say1 ,i  almost excuse it4 ,i feel an   
immense compassion for these deluded    
idolaters4 ,however1 ,i feel they are   
raised above the dust of the earth3     

their intelligence1 their souls cannot  
but receive some sparks of light  and   
life from the contemplation of that     
inexhaustible focus of light and  life4 
,but is not ,dr4 ,newman with his ,roman
 ,catholic people a thousand  times more
 worthy of our compassion and our tears1
 when they are  abjectly prostrated     
before this ignoble wafer--to adore it  
as their  ,saviour1 their ,creator1     
their ,god8 ,is it possible to imagine a
 spectacle  more humiliating1           
blasphemous and sacrilegious1 than a    
multitude of men  and women prostrating 
their faces to the dust to adore a god  
whom the  rats and mice have1 thousands 
of times1 dragged and eaten in their    
dark  holes8 ,where are the rays of     
light and life coming from that wafer8  
,instead of being enlarged and elevated 
at the approach of this  ridiculous     
modern divinity1 is not the human       
intelligence contracted1  diminished    
paralyzed1 chilled and struck with      
idiocy and death at its  feet8    ,can  

we be surprised that the ,roman         
,catholic nations are so fast falling   
into the abyss of infidelity and        
atheism1 when they hear their priests   
telling them that more than #bjj1jjj    
times1 every day1 this contemptible     
wafer is changed by them into the great 
,god who has created heaven and  earth  
at the beginning1 and who has saved this
 perishing world by  sacrificing the    
body and the blood which ,he has taken  
as ,his tabernacle  to show us ,his     
eternal love6    ,come with me and see  
those multitudes of people with their   
faces  prostrated in the dust1 adoring  
their white elephant of ,siam4    ,oh6  
what ignorance and superstition6 what   
blindness and folly6 you will  exclaim4 
,to adore a white elephant as ,god6     
,but there is a spectacle more          
humiliating and more deplorable3 ,there 
is  a superstition1 an idolatry below   
that of the ,siamese4 ,it is the        
idolatry practiced by ,dr4 ,newman and  
his millions of co-religionists  to-day4

 ,yes6 ,the elephant-god of the ,asiatic
 people1 is infinitely more  respectable
 than the wafer-god of ,dr4 ,newman4    
,that elephant may be taken  as the     
symbol of strength1 magnanimity1        
patience1 etc4 ,there is life1  motion  
in that noble animal--he sees with his  
eyes1 he walks with his  feet4 ,let some
 one attack him1 he will protect        
himself--with his mighty  trunk he will 
throw his enemy high in the air--he will
 crush him under  his feet4    ,but look
 at this modern divinity of ,rome4 ,it  
has eyes1 but does not see2  feet1 but  
does not move2 a mouth1 but does not    
speak4 ,there is neither  life nor      
strength in the wafer god of ,rome4     
,but if the fall of ,dr4 ,newman into   
the bottomless abyss of the idolatry  of
 ,rome is a deplorable fact1 there is   
another fact still more  deplorable4    
,how many fervent ,christians1 how many 
venerable ministers of ,christ          
everywhere1 are1 just now1 prostrated at
 the dear ,saviour's feet1  telling ,him

 with tears3 8,didst thou not sow the   
good ,gospel seed all  over our dear    
country1 through the hands of our heroic
 and martyred  fathers8 ,from whence1   
then1 hath it these ,popish and         
idolatrous tares80  ,and the 8,good     
,master0 answers1 to-day1 what he       
answered eighteen hundred  years ago4   
8,while men slept1 the enemy came during
 the night2 he has  sowed those tares   
among the wheat1 and he went            
away40--7,matthew xiii3  #be47    ,and  
if you want to know the name of the     
enemy who has sowed tares1 in  the      
night1 amongst the wheat1 and went away1
 you have only to read this  8,apologia 
pro vita sua40 ,you will find this      
confession of ,dr4 ,newman  at page     
#agd3--    8,i cannot disguise from     
myself that my preaching is not         
calculated to  defend that system of    
religion which has been received for    
three hundred  years1 and of which the  
,heads of ,houses are the legitimate    
maintainers  in this place4444 ,i must  

allow that ,i was disposing the minds of
 young  men towards ,rome60    ,now1    
having obtained from the very enemy's   
lips how he has sowed tares  during the 
night 7secretly71 read page #bfb1 and   
you will see how he went  away and      
prostrated himself at the feet of the   
most implacable enemy of  all the rights
 and liberties of men1 to call him      
8,most ,holy ,father40  ,read how he    
fell at the knees of the very power     
which prepared and  blessed the ,armada 
destined to cover his native land1      
,england1 with  desolation1 ruins1 tears
 and blood1 and enchain those of her    
people who  would not have been         
slaughtered on the battle-field6 ,see   
how the enemy1  after having sown the   
tares1 went away to the feet of a       
,sergius ,,iii41  the public lover of   
,maroria--and to the feet of his        
bastard1 ,john ,,xi41  who was still    
more debauched than his father--and to  
the feet of ,leo ,,vi41  killed by an   
outraged citizen of ,rome1 in the act of

 such an infamous  crime that ,i cannot 
name it here--to the feet of an         
,alexander1 who  seduced his own        
daughter1 and surpassed in cruelty and  
debauchery ,nero  and ,caligula4 ,let us
 see ,dr4 ,newman falling at the feet of
 all those  monsters of depravity1 to   
call them1 8,most ,holy ,fathers10      
8,most ,holy  ,heads of the ,church40   
8,most ,holy and ,infallible ,vicars of 
,jesus ,christ60    ,at the sight of    
such a fall1 what can we do1 but say    
with ,isaiah3    8,the ,lord has broken 
the staff of the wicked1 and the scepter
 of the  ruler4444 ,how art thou fallen1
 ,o ,lucifer1 ,son of the morning6 how  
art  thou cut down to the ground80 ,is4 
xiv4                                    
,,chapter ,,xlii4    ,,noviciate ,,in   
,,the ,,monastery ,,of ,,the ,,oblates  
,,of ,,mary ,,immaculate ,,of           
,,longueuil--,,some ,,of ,,the          
,,thousand ,,acts ,,of ,,folly ,,and    
,,idolatry ,,which ,,form    ,,the      
,,life ,,of ,a ,,monk--,,the            

,,deplorable ,,fall ,,of ,,one ,,of     
,,the ,,fathers--,,fall ,,of    ,,the   
,,grand ,,vicar ,,quiblier--,,sick ,,in 
,,the ,,hotel ,,dieu ,,of               
,,montreal--,,sister    ,,urtubise1     
,,what ,,she ,,says ,,of ,,maria        
,,monk--,,the ,,two ,,missionaries ,,to 
,,the    ,,lumber ,,men--,,fall ,,and   
,,punishment ,,of ,a ,,father           
,,oblate--,,what ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,best
    ,,father ,,oblates ,,thinks ,,of    
,,the ,,monks ,,and ,,the ,,monastery4  
,on the first ,sabbath of ,november1    
#ahdf1 after a retreat of eight days1 ,i
  fell on my knees1 and asked as a      
favor1 to be received as a novice of    
the religious order of the ,oblates of  
,mary ,immaculate of ,longueuil1  whose 
object is to preach retreats 7revivals7 
among the people4 ,no child  of the     
,church of ,rome ever enrolled himself  
with more earnestness and  sincerity    
under the mysterious banners of her     
monastic armies1 than ,i  did1 that day4
 ,it is impossible to entertain more    

exalted views of the  beauty and        
holiness of the monastic life1 than ,i  
had4 ,to live among the  holy men who   
had made the solemn vows of poverty1    
obedience and charity1  seemed to me the
 greatest and the most blessed privilege
 which my ,god  could grant on earth4   
,within the walls of the peaceful       
monastery of ,longueuil1 among those    
holy men who had1 long since1 put an    
impassable barrier between  themselves  
and that corrupted world1 from the      
snares of which ,i was just  escaping1  
my conviction was that ,i should see    
nothing but actions of the  most exalted
 piety2 and that the deadly weapons of  
the enemy could not  pierce those walls 
protected by the ,immaculate ,mother of 
,god6    ,the frightful storms which had
 covered with wrecks the roaring sea1   
where ,i had so often nearly perished1  
could not trouble the calm waters  of   
the port where my bark had just entered4
 ,every one of the members of  the      
community was to be like an angel of    

charity1 humility1 modesty1  whose      
example was to guide my steps in the    
ways of ,god4 ,my superior  appeared to 
be less a superior than a father1 whose 
protecting care1 by  day and night1     
would be a shield over me4 ,noah1 in the
 ark1 safe from  the raging waves which 
were destroying the world1 did not feel 
more  grateful to ,god1 than ,i was1    
when once in this holy solitude4 ,the   
vow of  perfect poverty was to save me1 
for ever1 from the cares of the world4  
,having1 hereafter1 no right to possess 
a cent1 the world would become to  me a 
paradise1 where food1 clothing1 and     
lodging would come without  anxiety or  
care4 ,my father superior would supply  
all these things1  without any other    
condition on my part1 than to love1 and 
obey a man of  ,god whose whole life was
 to be spent in guiding my steps in the 
ways of  the most exalted evangelical   
virtues4 ,had not that father himself   
made a  solemn vow to renounce not only 
all the honors and dignities of the     

church1 that his whole mind and heart   
might be devoted to my holiness on      
earth1 and my salvation in ,heaven8     
,how easy to secure that salvation now6 
,i had only to look to that father  on  
earth1 and obey him as my ,father in    
,heaven4 ,yes6 ,the will of that        
father1 was to be1 for me1 the will of  
my ,god4 ,though ,i might err in        
obeying him1 my errors would not be laid
 to my charge4 ,to save my soul1  ,i    
should have only to be like a corpse1 or
 a stick in the hands of my  father     
superior4 ,without any anxiety or any   
responsibility whatever of  my own1 ,i  
was to be led to heaven as a new-born   
child in the arms of his  loving mother 
without any fear1 thoughts or anxiety of
 his own4    ,with the ,christian poet  
,i could have sung3                     
8,rocks and storms ,i'll fear no more1  
,when on that eternal shore1            
,drop the anchor6 ,furl the sail6       
,i am safe within the vail40    ,but how
 short were to be these fine dreams of  

my poor deluded mind6 ,when  on my      
knees1 father ,guigues handed me1 with  
great solemnity1 the ,latin  books of   
the rules of that monastic order1 which 
is their real gospel1  warning me that  
it was a secret book1 that there were   
things in it  that ,i ought not to      
reveal to any one2 and he made me       
solemnly promise  that ,i would never   
show it to any one outside of the order4
    ,when alone1 the next morning1 in my
 cell1 ,i thanked ,god and the ,virgin  
,mary for the favors of the last day1   
and the thought came involuntarily  to  
my mind3    8,have you not1 a thousand  
times1 heard and said that the ,holy    
,church of  ,rome absolutely condemns   
and anathematizes secret societies4     
,and1 do you  not1 to-day1 belong to a  
secret society8 ,how can you reconcile  
the  solemn promise of secrecy you made 
last night1 with the anathemas hurled   
by all your popes against secret        
societies80 ,after having1 in vain1     
tried1 in my mind1 to reconcile those   

two things1 ,i happily remembered  that 
,i was a corpse1 that ,i had forever    
given up my private  judgment--that my  
only business1 now1 was to obey4 8,does 
a corpse argue  against those who turn  
it from side to side8 ,is it not in     
perfect peace1  whatever may be the     
usage to which it is exposed1 or to     
whatever place  it is dragged8 ,shall ,i
 lose the rich crown which is before me1
 at my  first step in the way of        
perfection80    ,i bade my rebellious   
intelligence to be still1 my private    
judgment to be  mute1 and1 to distract  
my mind from this first temptation1 ,i  
read that  book of rules with the utmost
 attention4 ,i had not gone through it  
all1  before ,i understood why it was   
kept from the eyes of the curates and   
other secular priests4 ,to my           
unspeakable amazement1 ,i found that1   
from  the beginning to the end1 it      
speaks with the most profound contempt  
for  them all4 ,i said to myself3 8,what
 would be the indignation of the        

curates1 if they should suspect that    
these strangers from ,france have  such 
a bad opinion of them all6 ,would the   
good ,canadian curates receive  them as 
angels from heaven1 and raise them so   
high in the esteem of the  people1 if   
they knew that the first thing an oblate
 has to learn1 is  that the secular     
priest is1 to-day1 steeped in           
immorality1 ignorance1  worldliness1    
laziness1 gluttony1 etc42 that he is the
 disgrace of the  church1 which would   
speedily be destroyed1 was she not      
providentially  sustained1 and kept in  
the ways of ,god1 by the holy monastic  
men whom  she nurses as her only hope8  
,clear as the light of the sun on a     
bright  day1 the whole fabric of the    
order of the oblates presented itself to
 my  mind1 as the most perfect system of
 ,pharisaism the world had ever seen4   
,the oblate who studies his book of     
rules1 his only gospel1 must have his   
mind filled with the idea of his        
superior holiness1 not only over the    

poor sinful1 secular priest1 but over   
everyone else4 ,the oblate alone is     
,christian1 holy and saved2 the rest of 
the world is lost6 ,the oblate  alone is
 the salt of the earth1 the light of the
 world6    ,i said to myself3 8,is it to
 attain this pharisaical perfection1    
that ,i  have left my beautiful and dear
 parish of ,kamouraska1 and given up the
  honorable position which my ,god had  
given me in my country60    ,however1   
after some time spent in these sad and  
despondent reflections1  ,i again felt  
angry with myself2 ,i quickly directed  
my mind to the  frightful1 unsuspected  
and numberless scandals ,i had known in 
almost  every parish ,i had visited4 ,i 
remembered the drunkenness of that      
curate1  the impurities of this1 the    
ignorance of another1 the worldliness   
and  absolute want of faith of others1  
and concluded that1 after all1 the      
oblates were not far from the truth in  
their bad opinions of the secular       
clergy4 ,i ended my sad reflections by  

saying to myself3 8,after all1 if  the  
oblates live a life of holiness1 as ,i  
expect to find here1 is it a  crime that
 they should see1 feel and express among
 themselves1 the  difference which      
exists between a regular and a secular  
clergy8 ,am ,i  come here to judge and  
condemn these holy men8 ,no6 ,i came    
here to save  myself by the practice of 
the most heroic ,christian virtues1 the 
first  of which1 is that ,i should      
absolutely and forever give up my       
private  judgment--consider myself as a 
corpse in the hand of my superior40     
,with all the fervor of my soul1 ,i     
prayed to ,god and to the ,virgin ,mary1
  day and night1 that week1 that ,i     
might attain that supreme state of      
perfection1 when ,i would have no will1 
no judgment of my own4 ,the days  of    
that first week passed very quickly1    
spent in prayer1 reading and  meditation
 of the ,scriptures1 studies of         
ecclesiastical history and  ascetical   
books1 from half-past five in the       

morning till half-past nine  at night4  
,the meals were taken at the regular    
hours of seven1 twelve and  six o'clock1
 during which1 with rare exceptions1    
silence was kept1 and  pious books were 
read4 ,the quality of the food was good2
 but1 at first1  before they got a      
female cook to preside over the kitchen1
 everything  was so unclean1 that ,i had
 to shut my eyes at meals1 not to see   
what ,i  was eating4 ,i should have     
complained1 had not my lips been sealed 
by  that strange monastic vow of        
perfection that every religious man is a
  corpse6 ,what does a corpse care about
 the cleanliness or uncleanliness  of   
what is put into its mouth8 ,the third  
day1 having drank at breakfast  a glass 
of milk which was literally mixed with  
the dung of the cow1 my  stomach        
rebelled2 a circumstance which ,i       
regretted exceedingly1  attributing it  
to my want of monastic perfection4 ,i   
envied the high  state of holiness of   
the other fathers1 who had so perfectly 

attained to  the sublime perfection of  
submission that they could drink that   
impure  milk1 just as if it had been    
clean4    ,everything went on well the  
first week1 with the exception of a     
dreadful  scare ,i had1 at the dinner of
 the first ,friday4 ,just after eating  
soup1  when listening with the greatest 
attention to the reading of the life of 
a saint1 ,i suddenly felt as if the     
devil had taken hold of my feet2 ,i     
threw down my knife and fork1 and ,i    
cried1 at the top of my voice1 8,my     
,god6 ,my ,god6 what is there80 and as  
quick as lightning1 ,i jumped on my     
chair to save myself from ,satan's      
grasp4 ,my cries were soon followed by  
an inexpressible burst of convulsive    
laughter from everyone4    8,but what   
does that mean8 ,who has taken hold of  
my feet80 ,i asked4    ,father ,guigues 
tried to explain the matter to me1 but  
it took him a  considerable time4 ,when 
he began to speak1 an irrepressible     
burst of  laughter prevented his saying 

a word4 ,the fits of laughter became    
still  more uncontrollable1 on account  
of the seriousness with which ,i was    
repeatedly asking them who could have   
taken hold of my feet6 ,at last1  some  
one said1 8,it is ,father ,lagier who   
wanted to kiss your feet60 ,at  the same
 time1 ,father ,lagier1 walking on his  
hands and knees1 his face  covered with 
sweat1 dust and dirt1 was crawling out  
from under the  table1 literally rolling
 on the floor1 in such an uncontrollable
 fit of  laughter1 that he was unable to
 stand on his feet4    ,of course1 when 
,i understood that no devil had tried to
 drag me by the  feet1 but that it was  
simply one of the father oblates1 who1  
to go  through one of the common        
practices of humility in that monastery1
 had  crawled under the table1 to take  
hold of the feet of everyone and kiss   
them1 ,i joined with the rest of the    
community1 and laughed to my heart's    
content4    ,not many days after this1  
we were going1 after tea1 from the      

dining-room  to the chapel1 to pass five
 or ten minutes in adoration of the     
wafer-god2 we had two doors to cross1   
and it was pretty dark4 ,being the  last
 who had entered the monastery1 ,i had  
to walk first1 the other monks          
following me2 we were reciting1 with a  
loud voice1 the ,latin ,psalm3  8,misere
 mihi ,deus40 ,we were all marching     
pretty fast1 when1 suddenly1  my feet   
met a large1 though unseen object1 and  
down ,i fell1 and rolled  on the floor2 
my next companion did the same1 and     
rolled over me1 and so  did five or six 
others1 who1 in the dark had also struck
 their feet on  that object4 ,in a      
moment1 we were five or six 8,holy      
,fathers0 rolling on  each other on the 
floor1 unable to rise up1 splitting our 
sides with  convulsive laughter4 ,father
 ,brunette1 in one of his fits of       
humility1  had left the table a little  
before the rest1 with the permission of 
the  ,superior1 to lay himself flat on  
the floor1 across the door4 ,not        

suspecting it1 and unable to see        
anything1 from the want of sufficient   
light1 ,i had entangled my feet on that 
living corpse1 as also the rest  of     
those who were walking too close behind 
me to stop1 before tumbling  over one   
another4    ,illustration3 ,,fall ,,of  
,,the 8,,holy ,,fathers40    ,no words  
can describe my feelings of shame when  
,i saw1 almost every day1  some         
performance of this kind going on1 under
 the name of ,christian  humility4 ,in  
vain1 ,i tried to silence the voice of  
my intelligence1  which was crying to   
me1 day and night1 that this was a mere 
diabolical  caricature of the humility  
of ,christ4 ,striving to silence my     
untamed  reason by telling it that it   
had no right to speak and argue and     
criticise1 within the holy walls of the 
monastery4 ,it1 nevertheless1  spoke    
louder1 day after day1 telling me that  
such acts of humility were  a mockery4  
,in vain1 ,i said to myself1 8,chiniquy1
 thou art not come here  to philosophize

 on this and that1 but to sanctify      
thyself by becoming  like a corpse1     
which has no preconceived ideas1 no     
acquired store of  knowledge1 no rule of
 common sense to guide you6 ,poor1      
wretched1 sinful  ,chiniquy1 thou art   
here to save thyself by admiring every  
idea of the  holy rules of your         
superiors1 and to obey every word of    
their lips60    ,i felt angry against   
myself1 and unspeakably sad1 when1 after
 whole  weeks and months of efforts1 not
 only to silence the voice of my reason1
  but to kill it1 it had more life than 
ever1 and was more and more loudly      
protesting against the unmanly1         
unchristian and ridiculous daily usages 
and rules of the monastery4 ,i envied   
the humble piety of the other good      
,fathers1 who were apparently so happy1 
having conquered themselves so          
completely as to destroy that haughty   
reason which was constantly  rebelling  
in me4    ,twice1 every week1 ,i went to
 reveal to my guide and confessor1      

,father  ,allard1 the master of novices1
 my interior struggles2 my constant1    
though vain efforts to subdue my        
rebellious reason4 ,he always gladdened 
me with the promise that1 sooner or     
later1 ,i should have that interior     
perfect peace which is promised to the  
humble monk1 when he has attained  the  
supreme monastic perfection of          
considering himself as a corpse1 as     
regards the rules and will of his       
superiors4 ,my sincere and constant     
efforts to reconcile myself to the rules
 of the monastery were1 however1  soon  
to receive a new and rude check4 ,i had 
read in the book of rules1  that a true 
monk must closely watch those who live  
with him1 and  secretly report to his   
superior the defects and sins which he  
detects in  them4 ,the first time ,i    
read that strange rule1 my mind was so  
taken up  by other things1 that ,i did  
not pay much attention to it4 ,but the  
second  time1 ,i studied that clause1   
the blush came to my face1 and in spite 

of  myself1 ,i said3 8,is it possible   
that we are a band of spies80 ,i was not
  long in seeing the disastrous effects 
of this most degrading and immoral      
rule4 ,one of the fathers1 for whom ,i  
had a particular affection1 for his     
many good qualities1 and who had1 many  
times1 given me the sincere proof  of   
his friendship1 said to me one day3     
8,for ,god's sake1 my dear ,father      
,chiniquy1 tell me if it is you who     
denounced me to the ,superior1 for      
having said that the conduct of ,father 
,guigues toward me was  uncharitable80  
8,no6 my dear friend10 ,i answered1 8,i 
never said such a  thing against you1   
for two reasons3 ,the first is1 that you
 have never  said a word in my presence 
which could give me the idea that you   
had  such an opinion of our good ,father
 ,superior2 the second reason is1 that1 
though you might have told me anything  
of that kind1 ,i would prefer to  have  
my tongue cut and eaten by dogs1 than to
 be a spy1 and denounce  you60    8,i am

 glad to know that10 he rejoined1 8for  
,i was told by some of the  fathers that
 you were the one who had reported me to
 the superior as  guilty1 though ,i am  
innocent of that offense1 but ,i could  
not believe  it40 ,he added1 with tears3
 8,i regret having left my parish to be 
an  oblate1 on account of that          
abominable law which we are sworn to    
fulfill4  ,that law makes a real hell of
 this monastery1 and1 ,i suppose1 of all
 the  monastic orders1 for ,i think it  
is a general law with all the religious 
houses4 ,when you have passed more time 
here1 you will see that the law  of     
detection puts an insurmountable wall   
between us all2 it destroys  every      
spring of ,christian and social         
happiness40    8,i understand perfectly 
well what you say10 ,i answered him2    
8the last  time ,i was alone with father
 superior1 he asked me why ,i had said  
that  the present ,pope was an old fool2
 he persisted in telling me that ,i must
  have said it1 #8for1' he added1 #8one 

of our most reliable fathers has        
assured me you said it4' #8,well1 my    
dear father superior1' ,i answered  him1
 #8that reliable father has told you a  
big lie2 ,i never said such a  thing1   
for the good reason that ,i sincerely   
think that our present ,pope  is one of 
the wisest that ever ruled the church4'0
 ,i added3 8,now ,i  understand why     
there is so much unpleasantness in our  
mutual  intercourse1 during the hours we
 are allowed to talk4 ,i see that nobody
  dares to speak his mind on any grave  
subject4 ,the conversations are         
colorless and without life40    8,that  
is just the reason10 answered my friend4
 8,when some of the  fathers1 like you  
and me1 would prefer to be hung rather  
than become  spies1 the great majority  
of them1 particularly among the ,french 
priests  recently imported from ,france1
 will not hear ten words from your lips 
on  any subject1 without finding an     
opportunity of reporting eight of them  
as unbecoming and unchristian1 to the   

superiors4 ,i do not say that it is     
always through malice that they give    
such false reports3 it is more  through 
want of judgment4 ,they are very        
narrow-minded2 they do not  understand  
the half of what they hear in its true  
sense3 and they give  their false       
impressions to the superiors1 who1      
unfortunately1 encourage  that system of
 spying1 as the best way of transforming
 every one of us  into corpses4 ,as we  
are never confronted with our false     
accusers1 we can  never know them1 and  
we lose confidence in each other2 thus  
it is that  the sweetest and holiest    
springs of true ,christian love are     
forever  dried up4 ,it is on this spying
 system1 which is the curse and the hell
  of our monastic houses1 that a        
celebrated ,french writer1 who had been 
a  monk himself1 wrote of all the monks3
    8,ils rentrent dans leurs monasteres
 sans se connaitre2 ils y vivent sans   
s'aimer et ils se separent sans se      
regretter0 7monks enter the monastery   

without knowing each other4 ,they live  
there1 without loving each other1  and  
they depart from each other without any 
regret74    ,however1 though ,i         
sincerely deplored that there was such a
 law of  espionage among us1 ,i tried to
 persuade myself that it was like the   
dark  spots of the sun which do not     
diminish its beauty1 its grandeur and   
its  innumerable blessings4 ,the society
 of the oblates was still to me the     
blessed ark where ,i should find a sure 
shelter against the storms which  were  
desolating the rest of the world4       
,not long after my reception as a       
novice1 the providence of ,god put      
before my eyes one of those terrible    
wrecks which would make the  strongest  
of us tremble4 ,suddenly1 at the hour of
 breakfast1 the  superior of the        
,seminary of ,st4 ,sulpice1 and grand   
vicar of the ,diocese  of ,montreal1 the
 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,quibiler1 knocked at our   
door1 to rest an hour  and breakfast    
with us1 when on his way to ,france4    

,this unfortunate priest1 who was among 
the best orators and the best  looking  
men1 ,montreal had ever seen1 had lived 
such a profligate life  with his        
penitent nuns and ladies of ,montreal1  
that a cry of indignation  from the     
whole people had forced ,bishop ,bourget
 to send him back to  ,france4 ,our     
father superior took the opportunity of 
the fall of that  talented priest1 to   
make us bless ,god for having gathered  
us behind the  walls of our monastery1  
where the efforts of the enemy were     
powerless4  ,but alas6 we were soon to  
know1 at our own expense1 that the heart
 of  man is weak and deceitful          
everywhere4    ,it was not long after   
the public fall of the grand vicar of   
,montreal1  when a fine-looking widow   
was engaged to preside over our kitchen4
 ,she  was more than forty years old1   
and had very good manners4              
,unfortunately1  she had not been four  
months in the monastery1 when she fell  
in love  with her father confessor1 one 

of the most pious of the ,french father 
oblates4 ,the modern ,adam was not      
stronger than the old one against the   
charms of the new ,eve4 ,both were      
found1 in an evil hour1 forgetting one  
of the holy laws of ,god4 ,the guilty   
priest was punished and the weak  woman 
dismissed4 ,but an unspeakable shame    
remained upon us all6 ,i would  have    
preferred to have my sentence of death1 
than the news of such a  fall inside the
 walls of that house where ,i had so    
foolishly believed  that ,satan could   
not lay his snares4 ,from that day1 it  
was the will of  ,god that the strange  
and beautiful illusions which had       
brought me to  that monastery1 should   
fade away one after the other1 like the 
white  mist which conceals the bright   
rays of the morning sun4 ,the oblates   
began to appear to me pretty much like  
other men4 ,till then1 ,i had  looked at
 them with my eyes shut1 and ,i had seen
 nothing but the  glittering colors with
 which my imagination was painting them4

 ,from that  day1 ,i studied them with  
my eyes opened1 and ,i saw them just as 
they  were4    ,in the spring of #ahdg1 
having a severe indisposition1 the      
doctor ordered  me to go to the ,hotel  
,dieu of ,montreal1 which was1 then1    
near the  splendid ,st4 ,mary's ,church4
 ,i made there1 for the first time1 the 
acquaintance of a venerable old nun1 who
 was very talkative4 ,she was one  of   
the superiors of the house2 her family  
name was ,urtubise4 ,her mind  was still
 full of indignation at the bad conduct 
of two father oblates1  who1 under the  
pretext of sickness1 had lately come to 
her monastery to  seduce the young nuns 
who were serving them4 ,she told me how 
she had  turned them out ignominiously1 
forbidding them ever to come again1     
under  any pretext1 into the hospital4  
,she was young1 when ,bishop ,lartigue1 
being driven away from the ,sulpician   
,seminary of ,montreal1 in #ahbd1 had   
taken refuge1 with his secretary1 the   
,rev4 ,ignace ,bourget1 into the  modest

 walls of that nunnery4 ,she told me how
 the nuns had soon to  repent having    
received that bishop with his secretary 
and other priests4    8,it was nearly   
the ruin of our community4 ,the         
intercourse of the priests  with a      
certain number of the nuns10 she said3  
8was the cause of so much  disorder and 
scandal1 that ,i was deputed with some  
other nuns1 to the  bishop to           
respectfully request him not to prolong 
his stay in our  nunnery4 ,i told him1  
in my name1 and in the name of many     
others1 that if  he would not comply    
with our legitimate request1 we should  
instantly  leave the house1 go back to  
our families and get married1 that it   
was  better to be honestly married than 
to continue to live as the priests1     
even our father confessors1 wanted us to
 do40    ,after she had given me several
 other spicy stories of those           
interesting  distant days1 ,i asked her 
if she had known ,maria ,monk1 when she 
was in  their house1 and what she       

thought of her book 8,awful             
,disclosures80 8,i  have known her      
well10 she said4 8,she spent six months 
with us4 ,i have  read her book1 which  
was given me1 that ,i might refute it4  
,but after  reading it1 ,i refused to   
have anything to do with that deplorable
  exposure4 ,there are surely some      
inventions and suppositions in that     
book4 ,but there is a sufficient amount 
of truth to cause all our  nunneries to 
be pulled down by the people1 if only   
the half of them were  known to the     
public80    ,she then said to me3 8,for 
,god's sake1 do not reveal these things 
to the  world1 till the last one of us  
is dead1 if ,god spares you40 ,she then 
covered her face with her hands1 burst  
into tears1 and left the room4    ,i    
remained horrified4 ,her words fell upon
 me as a thunderbolt4 ,i  regretted     
having heard them1 though ,i was        
determined to respect her  request not  
to reveal the terrible secret she had   
entrusted to me4 ,my  ,god knows that ,i

 never repeated a word of it till now4  
,but ,i think it is  my duty to reveal  
to my country and the whole world the   
truth1 on that  grave subject1 as it was
 given me by a most respectable and     
unimpeachable eye-witness4    ,the      
terrible secrets which sister ,urtubise 
had revealed to me rendered  my stay in 
the ,hotel ,dieu as unpleasant as it had
 been agreeable at  first4 ,though not  
quite recovered1 ,i left1 the same day1 
for ,longueuil1  where ,i entered the   
monastery with a heavy heart4 ,the day  
before1 two of  the fathers had come    
back from a two or three months'        
evangelical  excursion among the lumber 
men1 who were cutting wood in the       
forests1  along the ,ottawa ,river and  
its tributaries1 from one to three      
hundred  miles north-west of ,montreal4 
,i was glad to hear of their arrival4 ,i
  hoped that the interesting history of 
their evangelical excursions1  narrow   
escapes from the bears and the wolves of
 the forests2 their  hearty receptions  

by the honest and sturdy lumber men1    
which the  superior had requested me1   
some weeks before1 to write1 would cause
 a  happy diversion from the deplorable 
things ,i had recently learned4 ,but    
only one of those fathers could be seen1
 and his conversation was  anything but 
interesting and pleasant4 ,there was    
evidently a dark cloud  around him4 ,and
 the other oblate1 his companion1 where 
was he8 ,the very  day of his arrival1  
he had been ordered to keep his room1   
and make a  retreat of ten days1 during 
which time he was forbidden to speak to 
any  one4    ,i inquired from a devoted 
friend among the old oblates the reason 
of  such a strange thing4 ,after        
promising never to reveal to the        
superiors  the sad secret he trusted me 
with1 he said3 8,poor father ,d---- has 
seduced  one of his fair penitents1 on  
the way4 ,she was a married woman1 the  
lady  of the house where our            
missionaries used to receive the most   
cordial  hospitality4 ,the husband      

having discovered the infidelity of his 
wife1  came very near killing her2 he   
ignominiously turned out the two        
fathers1  and wrote a terrible letter to
 the superior4 ,the companion of the    
guilty  father1 denounced him and       
confessed everything to the superior1   
who has  seen that the letter of the    
enraged husband was only giving too true
 and  correct version of the whole      
unfortunate and shameful occurrence4    
,now1  the poor weak father1 for his    
penance1 is condemned to ten days of    
seclusion from the rest of the          
community4 ,he must pass that whole time
  in prayer1 fasting1 and acts of       
humiliation1 dictated by the superior40 
8,do these deplorable facts occur very  
often among the father oblates80 ,i     
asked4    ,my friend raised his eyes1   
filled with tears1 to ,heaven1 and with 
a deep  sigh1 he answered3 8,dear       
,father ,chiniquy1 would to ,god that ,i
 might be  able to tell you that it is  
the first crime of that nature committed

 by  an oblate4 ,but alas6 you know1 by 
what has occurred with our female  cook1
 not long ago1 that it is not the first 
time that some of our  fathers have     
brought disgrace upon us all4 ,and you  
know also the  abominable life of       
,father ,telmont with the two nuns at   
,ottawa60    8,if it be so10 ,i replied1
 8where is the spiritual advantage of   
the  regular clergy over the secular80  
8,the only advantage ,i see10 answered  
my friend1 8is that the regular  clergy 
gives himself with more impunity to     
every kind of debauch and               
licentiousness than the secular4 ,the   
monks being concealed from the eyes  of 
the public1 inside the walls of their   
monastery1 where nobody1 or at  least   
very few people have any access1 are    
more easily conquered by the  devil1 and
 more firmly kept in his chains1 than   
the secular priests4 ,the  sharp eyes of
 the public1 and the daily intercourse  
the secular priests  have with their    
relations and parishioners1 form a      

powerful and salutary  restraint upon   
the bad inclinations of our depraved    
nature4 ,in the  monastery1 there is no 
restraint except the childish and       
ridiculous  punishment of retreats1     
kissing of the floor1 or of the feet1   
the  prostration of the ground as father
 ,brunet did1 a few days after your     
coming among us4    8,there is surely   
more hypocrisy and selfishness among the
 regular than  the secular clergy4 ,that
 great social organization which forms  
the human  family1 is a divine work4    
,yes6 those great social organizations  
which  are called the city1 the         
township1 the country1 the parish1 and  
the  household1 where every one is      
called to work in the light of day1 is a
  divine organization1 and makes society
 as strong1 pure and holy as it  can be4
    8,i confess that there are also     
terrible temptations1 and deplorable    
falls there1 but the temptations are not
 so unconquerable1 and the falls  not so
 irreparable1 as in these dark recesses 

and unhealthy prisons  raised by ,satan 
only for the birds of night called      
monasteries or  nunneries4    8,the     
priest and the woman who fall in the    
midst of a well organized  ,christian   
society1 break the hearts of the beloved
 mother1 cover with  shame a venerable  
father1 cause the tears of cherished    
sisters and  brothers to flow1 pierce1  
with a barbed arrow the hearts of       
thousands of  friends2 they forever lose
 their honor and good name4 ,these      
considerations are so many providential1
 ,i dare say divine shields1 to  protect
 the sons and daughters of ,eve against 
their own frailty4 ,the  secular priest 
and the woman shrink before throwing    
themselves into such  a bottomless abyss
 of shame1 misery and regret4 ,but      
behind the thick and  dark walls of the 
monastery1 or the nunnery1 what has the 
fallen monk or  nun to fear8 ,nobody    
will hear of it1 no bad consequences    
worth  mentioning will follow1 except a 
few days of retreat1 some               

insignificant1 childish1 ridiculous     
penances1 which the most devoted in  the
 monastery are practicing almost every  
day4    8,as you ask me1 in earnest1    
what are the advantages of a monastic   
life  over a secular1 in a moral and    
social point of view1 ,i will answer    
you3  ,in the monastery1 man as the     
image of ,god forgets his divine origin1
  loses his dignity2 and as a           
,christian1 he loses the most holy      
weapons  ,christ has given to his       
disciples to fight the battle of life4  
,he1 at  once and forever1 loses that   
law of self-respect1 and respect for    
others1 which is one of the most        
powerful and legitimate barriers        
against vice4 ,yes6 ,that great and     
divine law of self-respect1 which ,god  
himself has implanted in the heart of   
every man and woman who live in a       
,christian society1 is completely       
destroyed in the monastery and nunnery4 
,the foundation of perfection in the    
monk and the nun is that they must      

consider themselves as corpses4 ,do you 
not see that this principle  strikes at 
the root of all that ,god has made good1
 grand and holy in  man8 ,does it not   
sweep away every idea of holiness1      
purity1 greatness6  every principle of  
life which the ,gospel of ,christ had   
for its mission  to reveal to the fallen
 children of ,adam8    8,what           
self-respect can we expect from a       
corpse8 and what respect can a  corpse  
feel for the other corpses which        
surround it8 ,thus it is that the  very 
idea of monastic perfection carries with
 it the destruction of all  that is     
good1 pure1 holy and spiritual in the   
religion of the gospel4 ,it  destroys   
the very idea of life1 to put death into
 its place4    8,it is for that reason  
that if you study the true history1 not 
the  lying history1 of monachism1 you   
will find the details of a corruption   
impossible1 anywhere else1 not even     
among the lowest houses of              
prostitution4 ,read the ,memoirs of     

,scipio de ,ricci1 one of the most pious
  and intelligent bishops our ,church   
has ever had1 and you will see that  the
 monks and the nuns of ,italy lead the  
very life of the brutes in the  fields4 
,yes6 read the terrible revelations of  
what is going on among  those           
unfortunate men and women1 whom the iron
 hand of monachism keeps  tied in their 
dark dungeons1 you will hear from the   
very lips of the  nuns that the monks   
are more free with them than the        
husbands are with  their legitimate     
wives2 you will see that every one of   
those monastic  institutions is ,sodom6 
8,the monastic axiom1 that the highest  
point of perfection is attained  only   
when you consider yourself a corpse in  
the hand of your superior1  is          
anti-social and anti-,christian2 it is  
simply diabolical4 ,it  transforms into 
a vile machine that man whom ,god had   
created in his  likeness1 and made      
forever free4 ,it degrades below the    
brute that man  whom ,christ1 by his    

death1 has raised to the dignity of a   
child of ,god1  and inheritor of an     
eternal kingdom in ,heaven4 ,everything 
is mechanical1  material1 false1 in the 
life of a monk and a nun4 ,even the best
 virtues  are deceptions and lies4 ,the 
monks and the nuns being perfect only   
when  they have renounced their own free
 will and intelligence1 to become       
corpses1 can have neither virtues nor   
vices1    ,their best actions are       
mechanical4 ,their acts of humility are 
to crawl  under the table and kiss the  
feet of each other1 or to make a cross  
on a  dirty floor with the tongue1 or   
lie down in the dust to let the rest of 
the monks or the nuns pass over them4   
,have you not remarked how these        
so-called monks speak with the utmost   
contempt of the rest of the world8  ,one
 must have opportunities as ,i have had 
of seeing the profound hatred  which    
exists among all monastic orders against
 each other4 ,how the  ,dominicans have 
always hated the ,franciscans1 and how  

they both hate the  ,jesuits1 who pay   
them back in the same coin4 ,what a     
strong and merciless  hatred divides the
 oblates1 to whom we belong1 from the   
,jesuits6 ,the  ,jesuits never lose an  
opportunity of showing us their supreme 
contempt6  ,you are aware that1 on      
account of those bad feelings1 it is    
absolutely  forbidden to an oblate to   
confess to a ,jesuit1 as we know it is  
forbidden to the ,jesuits to confess to 
an oblate1 or to any other  priest4     
8,i need not tell you1 for you know that
 their vow of poverty is a mask  to help
 them to become rich with more rapidity 
than the rest of the  world4 ,is it not 
under the mask of that vow that the     
monks of ,england1  ,scotland1 ,france  
and ,italy became the masters of the    
richest lands of  those countries1 which
 the nations were forced1 by bloody     
revolutions1  to wrench from their      
grasp8    8,i have seen much more of the
 world than you4 ,when a young priest1  
,i was  the chaplain1 confessor and     

intimate friend of the ,duchesse ,de    
,berry1  the mother of ,henry ,v41 now  
the only legitimate ,king of ,france4   
,when1 in  the midst of those great and 
rich princes and nobles of ,france1 ,i  
never  saw such a love of money1 of     
honor1 of vain glory1 as ,i have seen   
among  the monks since ,i have become   
one of them4 ,when the ,duchess ,de     
,berry  finished her providential work  
in ,france1 after making the false step 
which ruined her1 ,i threw myself into  
the religious order of the  ,chartreux4 
,i have lived several years in their    
palatial monastery of  ,rome2 have      
cultivated and enjoyed their sweet      
fruits in their  magnificent gardens2   
but ,i was not there long1 without      
seeing the fatal  error ,i had committed
 in becoming a monk4 ,during the many   
years ,i  resided in that splendid      
mansion1 where laziness1 stupidity1     
filthiness1  gluttony1 superstition1    
tediousness1 ignorance1 pride and       
unmentionable  immoralities1 with very  

few exceptional cases1 reigned supreme4 
,i had  every opportunity to know what  
was going on in their midst4 ,life soon 
became an unbearable burden1 but for the
 hope ,i had of breaking my  fetters4   
,at last ,i found out that the best1 if 
not the only way of doing  this1 was to 
declare to the ,pope that ,i wanted to  
go and preach the  gospel to the savages
 of ,america1 which was and is still    
true4    8,i made my declaration1 and by
 the ,pope's permission1 the doors of my
  gaol were opened1 with the condition  
that ,i should join the order of the    
,oblates ,immaculate1 in connection with
 which ,i should evangelize the  savages
 of the ,rocky ,mountains4    8,i have  
found among the monks of ,canada1 the   
very same things ,i have  seen among    
those of ,france and ,italy4 ,with very 
few exceptions1 they are  all corpses1  
absolutely dead to every sentiment of   
true honesty and real  ,christianity2   
they are putrid carcasses1 which have   
lost the dignity of  manhood4    8,my   

dear ,father ,chiniquy10 he added1 8,i  
trust you as ,i trust myself1  when ,i  
tell you for your own good1 a secret    
which is known to ,god alone4  ,when ,i 
am on the ,rocky ,mountains1 ,i will    
raise myself up1 as the eagles  of those
 vast countries1 and ,i shall go up to  
the regions of liberty1  light and life2
 ,i will cease being a corpse1 to become
 what my ,god has  made me--a free and  
intelligent man4 ,i will cease to be a  
corpse1 in  order to become one of the  
redeemed of ,christ1 who serve ,god in  
spirit  and in truth4    8,christ is the
 light of the world2 monachism is its   
night6 ,christ is the  strength1 the    
glory1 the life of man2 monachism is its
 decay1 shame and  death6 ,christ died  
to make us free2 the monastery is built 
up to make  slaves of us6 ,christ died  
that we might be raised to the dignity  
of  children of ,god2 monachism is      
established to bring us down much below 
the living brutes1 for it transforms us 
into corpses6 ,christ is the  highest   

conception of humanity2 monachism is its
 lowest4    8,yes1 yes1 ,i hope my ,god 
will soon give me the favor ,i have     
asked so  long4 ,when ,i shall be on the
 top of the ,rocky ,mountains1 ,i will1 
forever1 break my fetters4 ,i will rise 
from my tomb1 ,i will come out  from    
among the dead1 to sit at the table of  
the redeemed1 and eat the  bread of the 
living children of ,god40    ,i do      
regret that the remarkable monk1 whose  
abridged views on monachism  ,i have    
here given1 should have requested me    
never to give his name1 when  he allows 
me to tell some of his adventures1 which
 will make a most  interesting romance4 
,faithful to his promise1 he went1 as an
 oblate1 to  preach to the savages of   
the ,rocky ,mountains1 and there1       
without noise1  he slipped out of their 
hands2 broke his chains1 to live the    
life of a  freedman of ,christ1 in the  
holy bonds of a ,christian marriage with
 a  respectable ,american lady4    ,weak
 and timid soldier that ,i was once2    

frightened by the ruins spread          
everywhere on the battle-field1 ,i      
looked around to find a shelter  against
 the impending danger2 ,i thought that  
the monastery of the  oblates of ,mary  
,immaculate was one of those strong     
towers1 built by my  ,god1 where the    
arrows of the enemy could not reach me1 
and ,i threw  myself into it4    ,but1  
hardly beginning to hope that ,i was out
 of danger1 behind those  dark and high 
walls1 when ,i saw them shaking like a  
drunken man2 and the  voice of ,god     
passed like a hurricane over me4        
,suddenly1 the high towers and walls    
around me fell to the ground1 and  were 
turned into dust4 ,not one stone        
remained on another4    ,and ,i heard a 
voice saying to me3 8,soldier6 come out 
and get in the  light of the sun2 trust 
no more in the walls built by the hand  
of man2  they are nothing but dust4     
,come and fight in the open day1 under  
the  eyes of ,god1 protected only by the
 gospel banners of ,christ6 ,come out   

from behind those walls1 they are a     
diabolical deception1 a snare1 a        
fraud60    ,i listened to the voice1 and
 ,i bade adieu to the inmates of the    
monastery of the oblates of ,mary       
,immaculate4    ,when1 on the first of  
,october1 #ahdg1 ,i pressed them on my  
heart for the  last time1 ,i felt the   
burning tears of many of them falling on
 my  cheeks1 and my tears moistened     
their faces3 for they loved me1 and ,i  
loved them4 ,i had met there several    
noble hearts and precious souls1  worthy
 of a better fate4 ,oh6 if ,i could     
have1 at the price of my life1  given   
them the light and liberty which my     
merciful ,god had given me6 ,but  they  
were in the dark2 and there was no power
 in me to change their  darkness into   
light4    ,the hand of ,god brought me  
back to my dear ,canada1 that ,i might  
again  offer it the sweat and labors1   
the love and life of the least of its   
sons4                                   
,,chapter ,,xliii4    ,i ,,accept ,,the 

,,hospitality ,,of ,,the ,,rev4 ,,mr4   
,,brassard1 ,,of ,,longueuil--,i ,,give 
,,my ,,reasons ,,for ,,leaving ,,the    
,,oblates ,,to ,,bishop ,,bourget--,,he 
,,presents ,,me    ,,with ,a            
,,medallion1 ,,portrait ,,of ,,the      
,,pope ,,and ,a ,,splendid ,,crucifix   
,,blessed    ,,by ,,his ,,holiness ,,for
 ,,me1 ,,and ,,accepts ,,my ,,services  
,,in ,,the ,,cause ,,of    ,,temperance 
,,in ,,the ,,diocese ,,of ,,montreal4   
,the eleven months spent in the         
monastery of the oblates of ,mary       
,immaculate1 were among the greatest    
favors ,god has granted me4 ,what ,i    
had read of the monastic orders1 and    
what my honest1 though deluded          
imagination had painted of the holiness1
 purity and happiness of the  monastic  
life1 could not be blotted out of my    
mind1 except by a kind of  miraculous   
interposition4 ,no testimony whatever   
could have convinced me  that the       
monastic institutions were not one of   
the most blessed of the  gospel4 ,their 

existence1 in the bosom of the ,church  
of ,rome1 was1 for  me1 an infallible   
token of her divine institution1 and one
 of the  strongest proofs that those    
heretics were entirely separated from   
,christ4 ,without religious orders1 the 
,protestant denominations were to  me1  
as dead and decayed branches cut from   
the true vine1 which are  doomed to     
perish4    ,but1 just as the eyes of    
,thomas were opened1 and his            
intelligence was  convinced of the      
divinity of ,christ1 only after he had  
seen the wounds  in his hands and side1 
so ,i could never have believed that the
 monastic  institutions were of heathen 
and diabolical origin1 if my ,god had   
not  forced me to see with my own eyes1 
and to touch with my fingers1 their     
unspeakable corruptions4    ,though ,i  
remained for some time longer1 a sincere
 ,catholic priest1 ,i  dare say that    
,god himself had just broken the        
strongest tie of my  affections and     
respect for that church4    ,it is true 

that several pillars remained1 on which 
my robust faith in  the holiness and    
apostolicity of the church rested for a 
few years  longer1 but ,i must here     
confess1 to the glory of ,god1 that the 
most  solid of those pillars had forever
 crumbled to pieces1 when in the        
monastery of ,longueuil4    ,long before
 my leaving the oblates1 many           
influential priests of the  district of 
,montreal1 had told me that my only     
chance of success1 if ,i  wanted to     
continue my crusade against the demon of
 drunkenness1 was to  work alone4       
8,those monks are pretty good speakers  
on temperance10 they unanimously  said1 
8but they are nothing else than a band  
of comedians4 ,after  delivering their  
eloquent tirades against the use of     
intoxicating  drinks1 to the people1 the
 first thing they do is to ask for a    
bottle of  wine1 which soon disappears6 
,what fruit can we expect from the      
preaching  of men who do not believe a  
word of what they say1 and who are the  

first1 among themselves1 to turn their  
own arguments into ridicule8 ,it  is    
very different with you2 you believe    
what you say2 you are consistent  with  
yourself2 your hearers feel it2 your    
profound1 scientific and  ,christian    
conviction pass into them with an       
irresistible power4    8,god visibly    
blesses your work with a marvellous     
success6 ,come to us10  said the        
curates1 8not as sent by the superior of
 the oblates1 but as  sent by ,god      
himself1 to regenerate ,canada4 ,present
 yourself as a ,french  ,canadian       
priest2 a child of the people4 ,that    
people will hear you with  more         
pleasure1 and follow your advice with   
more perseverance4    8,let them know   
and feel that ,canadian blood runs in   
your veins2 that a  ,canadian heart     
beats in your breast2 continue to be in 
the future1 what  you have been in the  
past4 ,let the sentiments of the true   
patriot be  united with those of a      
,catholic priest2 and when you address  

the people  of ,canada1 the citadels of 
,satan will crumble everywhere before   
you in  the district of ,montreal1 as   
they have done in that of ,quebec40     
,at the head of the ,french ,canadian   
curates1 who thus spoke1 was my         
venerable personal friend and           
benefactor1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,brassard1   
curate  of ,longueuil4 ,he had not only 
been one of my most devoted friends and 
teachers1 when ,i was studying m the    
college of ,nicolet1 but had helped  me1
 with his own money1 to go through the  
last four years of my studies1  when ,i 
was too poor to meet my collegiate      
expenses4 ,no one had thought  more     
highly than he of the oblates of ,mary  
,immaculate1 when they first  settled in
 ,canada4 ,but their monastery was too  
near the parsonage for  their own       
benefit4 ,his sharp eyes1 high          
intelligence and integrity of           
character1 soon detected that there was 
more false varnish than pure  gold1 on  
their glittering escutcheon4 ,several   

love scrapes between some  of the       
oblates and the pretty young ladies of  
his parish1 and the long  hours of night
 spent by ,father ,allard with the nuns1
 established in his  village1 under the 
pretext of teaching them grammar and    
arithmetic1 had  filled him with        
disgust4 ,but what had absolutely       
destroyed his  confidence1 was the      
discovery of a long suspected iniquity1 
which at  first seemed incredible to    
him4 ,father ,guigues1 the superior1    
after his  nomination1 but before his   
installation to the ,bishopric of       
,ottawa1 had  been closely watched1 and 
at last discovered opening the letters  
of ,mr4  ,brassard1 which1 many times1  
had passed from the post office through 
his  hands4 ,that criminal action came  
very near being brought before the      
legal courts by ,mr4 ,brassard2 this was
 avoided only by ,father ,guigues       
acknowledging his guilt1 asking pardon  
in the most humiliating way1  before me 
and several other witnesses4    ,long   

before ,i left the oblates1 ,mr4        
,brassard had said to me3 8,the  oblates
 are not the men you think them to be4  
,i have been sorely  disappointed in    
them1 and your disappointment will be no
 less than mine1  when your eyes are    
opened4 ,i know that you will not remain
 long in their  midst4 ,i offer you1 in 
advance1 the hospitality of my          
parsonage1 when  your conscience calls  
you out of their monastery60    ,i      
availed myself of this kind invitation  
on the evening of the #ast of           
,november1 #ahdg4    ,the next week was 
spent in preparing the memoir which ,i  
intended to  present to my ,lord        
,bourget1 ,bishop of ,montreal1 as an   
explanation of my  leaving the oblates4 
,i knew that he was disappointed and    
displeased with  the step ,i had taken4 
,the curate of ,chambly1 ,rev4 ,mr4     
,mignault1 having gone to the bishop1 to
  express his joy that ,i had left the  
monks1 in order to serve again the      
church1 in the ranks of secular clergy1 

had been very badly received4  ,the     
bishop had answered him3 8,mr4 ,chiniquy
 may leave the oblates if he  likes2 but
 he will be disappointed if he expects  
to work in my diocese4  ,i do not want  
his services40    ,this did not surprise
 me4 ,i knew that those monks had been  
imported by  him from ,france1 and that 
they were pets of his4    ,when ,i      
entered their monastery1 just eleven    
months before1 he was just  starting for
 ,rome1 and expressed to me the pleasure
 he felt that ,i was  to join them4     
,my reasons1 however1 were so good1 and 
the memoir ,i was preparing was so  full
 of undoubted facts and unanswerable    
arguments1 that ,i was pretty  sure1 not
 only to appease the wrath of my bishop1
 but to gain his esteem  more firmly    
than before4 ,i was not disappointed in 
my expectation4    ,a few days later1 ,i
 called upon his lordship1 and was      
received very  coldly4 ,he said3 8,i    
cannot conceal from you my surprise and 
pain1 at the  rash step you have just   

taken4 ,what a shame1 for all your      
friends to see  your want of consistency
 and perseverance6 ,had you remained    
among those  good monks1 your moral     
strength could have been increased more 
than  ten-fold4 ,but you have stultified
 yourself in the eyes of the people1 as 
well as in mine2 you have lost the      
confidence of your best friends1 by     
leaving1 without good reasons1 the      
company of such holy men4 ,some bad     
rumors are already afloat against you1  
which give us to understand that  you   
are an unmanageable man1 a selfish      
priest1 whom the superiors have  been   
forced to turn out as a black sheep1    
whose presence could not be  any longer 
tolerated inside the peaceful walls of  
that holy monastery40    ,those words   
were uttered with an expression of bad  
feeling which told me  that ,i had not  
heard the tenth part of what he had in  
his heart4  ,however1 as ,i came into   
his presence1 prepared to hear all kinds
 of bad  reports1 angry reproaches1 and 

humiliating insinuations1 ,i remained   
perfectly calm4 ,i had1 in in advance1  
resolved to hear all his  unfriendly1   
insulting remarks1 just as if they were 
addressed to another  person1 a perfect 
stranger to me4 ,the last three days had
 been spent in  prayers to obtain that  
favor4 ,my ,god had evidently heard me2 
for the  storm passed over me1 without  
exciting the least unpleasant feelings  
in  my soul4    ,i answered3 8,my lord3 
,allow me to tell you that1 in taking   
the solemn  step of leaving the         
monastery of ,longueuil1 ,i was not     
afraid of what the  world would say or  
think of me4 ,my only desire is to save 
my soul1 and  give the rest of my life  
to my country and my ,god1 in a more    
efficacious  way than ,i have yet done4 
,the rumors which seem to trouble your  
lordship  about my supposed expulsion   
from the oblates1 do not affect me in   
the  least1 for they are without the    
least foundation4 ,from the first to the
  last day of my stay in that monastery1

 all the inmates1 from the  superior1 to
 the last one1 have overwhelmed me with 
the most sincere  marks of kindness1 and
 even of respect4 ,if you had seen the  
tears which  were shed by the brothers1 
when ,i bade them adieu1 you would have 
understood that ,i never had more       
devoted and sincere friends than the    
members of that religious community4    
,please read this important  document1  
and you will see that ,i have kept my   
good name during my stay  in that       
monastery40 ,i handed him the following 
testimonial letter which  the superior  
had given me when ,i left3    8,i1 the  
undersigned1 superior of the noviciate  
of the oblates of ,mary  ,immaculate1 at
 ,longueuil1 do certify that the conduct
 of ,mr4 ,chiniquy1  when in our        
monastery1 has been worthy of the sacred
 character which he  possesses1 and     
after this year of solitude1 he does not
 less deserve the  confidence of his    
brethren in the holy ministry than      
before4 ,we wish1  moreover1 to give our

 testimony of his persevering zeal in   
the cause of  temperance4 ,we think that
 nothing was more of a nature to give a 
character of stability to that admirable
 reform1 and to secure its  perfect     
success1 than the profound reflections  
and studies of ,mr4  ,chiniquy1 when in 
the solitude of ,longueuil1 on the      
importance of that  work4               
,t4 ,f4 ,,allard1                       
,superior of the ,noviciate ,o4 ,m4 ,i40
    ,it was really most pleasant for me 
to see that every line of that          
document1 read by the bishop1 was       
blotting out some of the stern and      
unfriendly lines which were on his face1
 when speaking to me4 ,nothing  was more
 amiable than his manners1 when he      
handed it back to me1 saying3  8,i thank
 ,god to see that you are still as      
worthy of my esteem and  confidence as  
when you entered that monastery4 ,but   
would you be kind  enough to give me the
 real reasons why you have so abruptly  
separated  from the oblates80    8,yes1 

my lord1 ,i will give them to you3 but  
your lordship knows that  there are     
things of such a delicate nature1 that  
the lips of man shiver  and rebel when  
required to utter them4 ,such are some  
of the deplorable  things which ,i have 
to mention to your lordship4 ,i have put
 those  reasons in these pages1 which ,i
 respectfully request your lordship to  
read10 and ,i handed him the ,memoir1   
about thirty pages long1 which ,i  had  
prepared4    ,the bishop read1 very     
carefully1 five or six pages1 and said3 
8,are you  positive as to the exactness 
of what you write here80    8,yes1 my   
lord6 ,they are as true and real as ,i  
am here40    ,the bishop turned pale1   
and remained a few minutes silent1      
biting his  lips1 and after a deep sigh1
 said3 8,is it your intention to reveal 
those  sad mysteries to the world1 or   
can we hope that you will keep that     
secret80    8,my lord10 ,i answered1 8if
 your lordship and the oblates deal with
 me1  as ,i hope they will do1 as with  

an honorable ,catholic priest2 if ,i am 
kept in the position which an honest    
priest has a right to fill in the       
,church1 ,i consider myself bound1 in   
conscience and honor1 to keep those     
things secret4 ,but1 if from any abuse1 
persecutions emanating from the         
oblates1 or any other party1 ,i am      
obliged to give to the world the true   
reasons of my leaving that monastic     
order1 your lordship understands  that1 
in self-defence1 ,i will be forced to   
make these revelations60    8,but the   
oblates cannot say a word1 or do        
anything wrong against you10  promptly  
answered the bishop1 8after the         
honorable testimony they have  given    
you40    8,it is true1 my lord1 that ,i 
have no reason to fear anything from the
  oblates60 ,i answered2 8but those     
religious men are not the only ones who 
might force me to defend myself4 ,you   
know another who has my future          
destinies in his hands4 ,you know that  
my future course will be shaped on  his 

own toward me40    ,with amiable smile1 
the bishop answered3    8,i understand  
you4 ,but ,i pledge myself that you have
 nothing to fear  from that quarter4    
,though ,i frankly tell you that ,i     
would have preferred  seeing you work as
 a member of that monastic institution1 
it may be that  it is more according to 
the will of ,god1 that you should go    
among the  people1 as sent by ,god1     
rather than by a superior1 who might be 
your  inferior in the eyes of many1 in  
that glorious temperance of which you   
are evidently the blessed apostle in    
,canada4 ,i am glad to tell you that  ,i
 have spoken of you to his holiness1 and
 he requested me to give you a  precious
 medal1 which bears his most perfect    
features1 with a splendid  crucifix4    
,his holiness has graciously attached   
#cjj days indulgences for  every one who
 will take the pledge of temperance in  
kissing the feet of  that crucifix4     
,wait a moment10 added the bishop1 8,i  
will go and get them  and present them  

to you40    ,when the bishop returned1  
holding in his hands those two          
infallible  tokens of the kind          
sentiments of the ,pope towards me1 ,i  
fell on my knees  to receive them and   
press them both to my lips with the     
utmost respect4  ,my feelings of joy and
 gratitude1 in that happy hour1 cannot  
be  expressed4 ,i remained mute1 for    
some time with surprise and admiration1 
when holding those precious things which
 were coming to me1 as ,i then          
sincerely believed1 from the very       
successor of ,peter1 and the true ,vicar
  of ,christ himself4 ,when handing me  
those sacred gifts1 the bishop          
addressed me the kindest words which a  
bishop can utter to his priest1  or a   
father to his beloved son4 ,he granted  
me the power to preach and  hear        
confessions all over his diocese1 and he
 dismissed me only after  having put his
 hand on my head and asked ,god to pour 
upon me ,his most  abundant benedictions
 everywhere ,i should go to work in the 

holy cause  of temperance in ,canada4   
,,chapter ,,xliv4    ,,preparations     
,,for ,,the ,,last ,,conflict--,,wise   
,,counsel1 ,,tears ,,and ,,distress ,,of
    ,,father ,,mathew--,,longueuil ,,the
 ,,first ,,to ,,accept ,,the ,,great    
,,reform ,,of    ,,temperance--,,the    
,,whole ,,district ,,of ,,montreal1     
,,st4 ,,hyacinthe ,,and ,,three         
,,rivers ,,conquered--,,two ,,hundred   
,,thousand ,,teetotalers--,,the ,,city  
,,of ,,montreal    ,,with ,,the         
,,suplicians ,,take ,,the               
,,pledge--,,gold ,,medal--,,officially  
,,named    ,,apostle ,,of ,,temperance  
,,of ,,canada--,,gift ,,of #ejj ,,from  
,,parliament4      ,our adorable        
,saviour said3 8,what king1 going to    
make war against another  king sitteth  
not down first1 and consulteth whether  
he be able1 with ten  thousand1 to meet 
him that cometh against him with twenty 
thousand80  7,luke #ad3 #ca47 ,to follow
 that advice1 how often had ,i fallen on
 my knees  before my ,god1 to implore   

the necessary strength and wisdom to    
meet that  terrible enemy which was     
marching against me and my brethren6    
,many times  ,i was so discouraged by   
the sense of personal incapacity1 that  
,i came  near fainting and flying away  
at the sight of the power and resources 
of  the foe6 ,but the dear ,saviour's   
voice has as many times strengthened me1
  saying3 8,fear not1 ,i am with thee60 
,he seemed1 at every hour1 to whisper   
in my ears3 8,cheer up1 ,i have overcome
 the world60 ,trusting1 then1 in my     
,god1 alone1 for victory1 ,i            
nevertheless understood that my duty was
 to  arm myself with the weapons which  
the learned and the wise men of the     
past ages had prepared4 ,i again studied
 the best works written on the  subject 
of wine1 from the learned naturalist1   
,pleny1 to the celebrated  ,sir ,astley 
,cooper4 ,i not only compiled a         
multitude of scientific notes1          
arguments and facts from these books1   
but prepared a 8,manual of              

,temperance10 which obtained so great a 
success for such a small country  as    
,canada1 that it went through four      
editions of twenty-five thousand  copies
 in less than four years4 ,but my best  
source of information and  wisdom was   
from letters received from ,father      
,mathew1 and my personal  interviews    
with him1 when he visited the ,united   
,states4    ,the first time ,i met him1 
in ,boston1 he told me how he regretted 
his  having1 at first1 too much relied  
on the excitement and enthusiasm of  the
 multitudes4 8,those fits10 he said1    
8pass away as quickly as the  clouds of 
the storm2 and they1 too often1 leave no
 more traces of their  passage4         
,persevere in the resolution you have   
taken in the beginning1  never to give  
the pledge1 except when you give a      
complete course of  lectures on the     
damning effects of intoxicating drinks4 
,how can we  expect that the people will
 forever give up beverages which they   
honestly1 though ignorantly1 believe to 

be beneficial and necessary to  their   
body8 ,the first thing we do we must    
demonstrate to them that these          
alcoholic drinks are absolutely         
destructive of their temporal as well as
  of their eternal life4 ,so long as the
 priest and the people believe1 as  they
 do to-day1 that rum1 brandy1 wine1 beer
 and cider give strength to  help man to
 keep up his health in the midst of his 
hard labors2 that  they warm his blood  
in winter and cool it in the summer2 all
 our  efforts1 and even our successes1  
will be like the burning bundle of      
straw1 which makes a bright light1      
attracts the attention for a moment1    
and leaves nothing but smoke and        
cinders4    8,hundreds of times1 ,i have
 seen my ,irish countrymen honestly     
taking the  pledge for life2 but before 
a week had elapsed1 they had obtained a 
release from their priest1 under the    
impression that they were unable to     
earn their own living and support their 
families1 without drinking those        

detestable drugs4 ,very few priests in  
,ireland have taken the pledge1 and     
still fewer have kept it4 ,in ,new      
,york1 only two ,irish priests have     
given  up their intoxicating glass1 and 
the very next week ,i met both of them  
drunk6 ,archbishop ,hughes turned my    
humble efforts into ridicule1 before    
his priests1 in my own presence1 and    
drank a glass of brandy to my  health   
with them at his own table1 to mock me4 
,and here in ,boston the  drinking      
habits of the ,bishop and his priest are
 such1 that ,i have been  forced1       
through self-respect1 to quietly        
withdraw from his palace and  come to   
this hotel4 ,this bad conduct paralyzes 
and kills me40    ,in saying these last 
words1 that good and noble man burst    
into a fit of  convulsive sobs and      
tears2 his breast was heaving under his 
vain efforts  to suppress his sighs4 ,he
 concealed his face in his hands1 and   
for  nearly ten minutes he could not    
utter a word4    ,the spectacle of the  

desolation of a man whom ,god had raised
 so high1  and so much blessed1 and the 
tears of one who had himself dried up so
  many tears1 and brought so much joy1  
peace and comfort1 to so many  desolate 
homes1 has been one of the most solemn  
lessons my ,god ever gave  me4 ,i then  
learned more clearly than ever1 that all
 the glory of the  world is ,vanity1 and
 that one of the greatest acts of folly 
is to  rely1 for happiness1 on the      
praises of men1 and the success of our  
own  labors4 ,for who had received more 
merited praises1 and who had seen his   
own labors more blessed by ,god and man1
 than ,father ,mathew1 whom all  ages   
will call 8,the ,apostle of ,temperance 
of ,ireland80    ,my gratitude to ,mr4  
,brassard caused me to choose his       
parish1 near  ,montreal1 for the first  
grand battle-field of the impending     
struggle  against the enemy of my ,god  
and my country2 and the first week of   
,advent  determined upon for the opening
 of the campaign4 ,but the nearer the   

day  chosen to draw the sword against   
the modern ,goliath the more ,i felt the
  solemnity of my position1 and the more
 ,i needed the help of ,him on whom     
alone we can trust for light and        
strength4    ,i had determined never to 
lecture on temperance in any place1     
without  having previously inquired1    
from the most reliable sources1 about3  
#ast4 ,the number of deaths and         
accidents caused by drunkenness the last
  fifteen or twenty years4    #b;d4 ,the
 number of orphans and widows made by   
drunkenness4    #c;d4 ,the number of    
rich families ruined1 and the number of 
poor families  made poorer by the same  
cause4    #dth4 ,the approximate sum of 
money expended by the people during the 
last  twenty years4    ,as the result of
 my inquiries1 ,i learned that during   
that short period1  that #cb men had    
lost their lives when drunk2 and through
 their  drunkenness #be widows and #cg  
orphans had been left in the lowest     
degree  of poverty2 #gb rich families   

had been entirely ruined and turned out 
of  their once happy homes by the demon 
of intemperance1 and #ij kept poor4     
,more than three hundred thousand       
dollars 7#cjj1jjj7 had been paid in     
cash1 without counting the loss of time1
 for the intoxicating beverages  drank  
by the people of ,longueuil during the  
last twenty years4    ,for three days1  
,i spoke twice a day to crowded houses4 
,my first text  was3 8,look not upon the
 wine when it is red1 when it giveth its
 color in  the cup3 when it moveth      
itself aright4 ,at last1 it biteth like 
a serpent  and stingeth like an adder0  
7,prov4 #cc3 #ca-cb74    ,the first day 
,i showed how alcoholic beverages were  
biting like a  serpent and stinging like
 an adder1 by destroying the lungs1 the 
brains1  and the liver2 the nerves and  
the muscles2 the blood and the very life
  of man4    ,the second day ,i proved  
that intoxicating drinks were the most  
implacable and cruel enemies of the     
fathers1 the mothers1 the children2  of 

the young and the old2 of the rich and  
the poor2 of the farmers1 the  merchants
 and the mechanics2 the parish and the  
country4    ,the third day ,i proved1   
clearly1 that those intoxicating liquors
 were  the enemy of intelligence1 and   
the soul of man2 the gospel of ,christ  
and  of ,his holy church2 the enemy of  
all the rights of man and the laws of   
,god4    ,my conclusion was1 that we    
were all bound to raise our hands       
against  that gigantic and implacable   
foe1 whose arm was raised against every 
one  of us4 ,i presented the thrilling  
tableau of our friends1 near and dear   
relations1 and neighbors1 fallen and    
destroyed around us2 the thousands  of  
orphans and widows1 whose fathers and   
husbands had been slaughtered  by strong
 drink4 ,i brought before their minds   
the true picture of the  starving       
children1 the destitute widows and      
mothers1 whose life had to  be spent in 
tears1 ignominy1 desolation and         
unspeakable miseries1 from  the daily   

use of strong drink4 ,i was not half    
through my address when  tears flowed   
from every eye4 ,the cries and sobs so  
much drowned my  voice1 that ,i had     
several times to stop speaking for a few
 minutes4    ,then holding the crucifix1
 blessed and given to me by the ,pope1  
,i showed  what ,christ had suffered on 
the cross for sins engendered by the use
 of  intoxicating drinks4 ,and ,i       
requested them to listen to the voices  
of the  thousands of desolate orphans1  
widows1 wives1 and mothers1 coming from 
every corner of the land2 the voices of 
their priests and their church2  the    
voices of the angels1 the ,virgin ,mary 
and the saints in heaven2 the  voice of 
,jesus ,christ their ,saviour1 calling  
them to put an end to the  deluge of    
evils and unspeakable iniquities caused 
by the use of those  cursed drinks2     
8for10 said ,i1 8those liquors are      
cursed by millions of  mothers and      
children1 widows and orphans1 who owe to
 them a life of  shame1 tears1 and      

untold desolation4 ,they are cursed by  
the ,virgin ,mary  and the angels who   
are the daily witnesses of the          
iniquities with which  they deluge the  
world4    8,they are cursed by the      
millions of souls which they have       
plunged into  eternal misery4    8,they 
are cursed by ,jesus ,christ1 from whose
 hands they have wrenched  untold       
millions of souls1 for whom he died on  
,calvary40    ,every one of those       
truths1 incontrovertible for ,roman     
,catholics1 were  falling with          
irresistible power on that multitude of 
people4 ,the  distress and consternation
 were so profound and universal1 that   
they  reacted1 at last1 on the poor     
speaker1 who several times could not    
express what he himself felt except with
 his tears and his sobs4    ,when ,i    
hoped that1 by the great mercy of ,god1 
all resistances were  subdued1 the      
obstacles removed1 the intelligences    
enlightened1 the wills  conquered1 ,i   
closed the address1 which had lasted    

more than two hours1  by an ardent      
prayer to ,god1 to grant us the grace to
 give up forever the  use of those      
cursed poisons1 and ,i requested every  
one to repeat with  me1 in their hearts1
 the solemn pledge of temperance in the 
following  words3    8,adorable and dear
 ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 who died on  
the cross to take  away my sins and save
 my guilty soul1 for thy glory1 the good
 of my  brethren and of my country1 as  
well as for my own good1 ,i promise1    
with  thy help1 never to drink1 nor to  
give to anybody any intoxicating        
beverages2 except when ordered by an    
honest physician40    ,our merciful ,god
 had visibly blessed the work and his   
unprofitable  servant4 ,the success was 
above our sanguine expectations4 ,two   
thousand  three hundred citizens of     
,longueuil enrolled under the banners of
  temperance4 ,instead of inviting them 
to sign any written pledge1 ,i asked    
them to come to the foot of the altar   
and kiss the crucifix ,i was  holding1  

as the public and solemn pledge of their
 engagement4    ,the first thing done by
 the majority of the intelligent farmers
 of  ,longueuil1 on the return from the 
church1 was to break their decanters    
and their barrels1 and spill the last   
drop of the accursed drink on the       
ground4    ,seven days later1 there were
 eighty requests in my hands to go and  
show  the ravages of alcoholic liquors  
to many other parishes4                 
,boucherville1 ,chambly1 ,varennes1 ,st4
 ,hyacinthe1 etc41 ,three ,rivers1 the  
great city of ,montreal1 with all the   
priests of ,st4 ,sulpice1 the  parishes 
along the ,chambly river1 ,laprairie1   
,lachine4 ,in a word1 the  vast diocese 
of ,montreal1 ,three ,rivers and ,st4   
,hyacinthe1 one after the  other1 raised
 the war cry against the usages of      
intoxicating drinks1  with a unanimity  
and determination which seemed to be    
more miraculous  than natural4          
,during the four years1 ,i gave #a1hjj  
public addresses1 in #bjj parishes1     

with the same fruits1 and enrolled more 
than #bjj1jjj people under the  banners 
of temperance4 ,everywhere1 the taverns1
 the distilleries and  breweries were   
shut1 and their owners forced to take   
other trades to  make a living2 not on  
account of any stringent law1 but by the
 simple  fact that the whole people had 
ceased drinking their beverages1 after  
having been fully persuaded that they   
were injurious to their bodies1  opposed
 to their happiness1 and ruinous to     
their souls4    ,the convictions were so
 unanimous and strong on that subject1  
that1 in  many places1 the last evening 
,i spent in their midst1 the merchants  
used  to take all their barrels of rum1 
beer1 wine and brandy to the public     
squares1 make a pyramid of them1 to     
which ,i was invited to set fire4 ,the  
whole population1 attracted by the      
novelty and sublimity of that           
spectacle1 would then fill the air with 
their cries and shouts of joy4  ,when   
the husbands and wives1 the parents and 

children of the redeemed  drunkards rent
 the air with their cries of joy at the 
destruction of  their enemy1 and the    
fire was in full blaze1 one of the      
merchants would  give me an ax to stave 
in the last barrel of rum4 ,after the   
last drop  was emptied1 ,i usually stood
 on it to address some parting words to 
the  people4    ,such a spectacle       
baffles any description4 ,the brilliant 
lights of the  pine and cedar trees1    
mixed with all kinds of inflammable     
materials  which every one had been     
invited to bring1 changed the darkest   
hour of  that time into the brightest of
 days4 ,the flames1 fed by the fiery    
liquids1 shot forth their tongues of    
fire towards ,heaven1 as if to  praise  
their great ,god1 whose merciful hand   
had brought the marvellous  reformation 
we were celebrating4 ,the thousand      
faces1 illuminated by the  blaze1 beamed
 with joy4 ,the noise of the cracking   
barrels1 mixed with  that of a raging   
fire2 the cries and shouts of that      

multitude1 with the  singing of the ,te 
,deum1 formed a harmony which filled    
every soul with  sentiments of          
unspeakable happiness4 ,but where shall 
,i find words to  express my feelings1  
when ,i had finished speaking6 ,the     
mothers and wives  to whom our blessed  
temperance had given back a loving      
husband and some  dear children1 were   
crowding around me with their families  
and redeemed  ones1 to thank me1 press  
my hands to their lips1 and water them  
with  their grateful tears4    ,the only
 thing which marred that joy were the   
exaggerated honors and  unmerited       
praises with which ,i was really        
overwhelmed4    ,i was1 at first1 forced
 to receive an ovation from the curates 
and  people of ,longueuil1 and the      
surrounding parishes1 when they         
presented  to me my portrait1 painted by
 the artist ,hamel1 which filled me with
  confusion1 for ,i felt so keenly that 
,i did not deserve such honors6 ,but  it
 was still worse at the end of ,may1    

#ahdi4 ,judge ,mondelet was deputed  by 
the bishop and the priests and the city 
of ,montreal1 accompanied by  #ae1jjj   
people1 to present me with a gold medal1
 and a gift of #djj4    ,but the        
greatest surprise my ,god had in store  
for me1 was kept for the  end of ,june1 
#ahej4 ,at that time1 ,i was deputed by 
#dj1jjj teetotalers1 to  present a      
petition to the ,parliament of ,toronto1
 in order to make the  rumsellers       
responsible for the ravages caused to   
the families of the  poor drunkards to  
whom they had sold their poisonous      
drugs4 ,the ,house of  ,commons having  
kindly appointed a committee of ten     
members to help me to  frame that bill1 
it was an easy matter to have it pass   
through the three  branches4 ,i was     
present when they discussed and accepted
 that bill4  ,napoleon was not more     
happy when he won the battle of         
,austerlitz1 than ,i  was when ,i heard 
that my pet bill had become a law1 and  
that hereafter1  the innocent victims of

 the drunken father or husband would    
receive an  indemnity from the          
landsharks who were fattening on their  
poverty and  unspeakable miseries4      
,but what was my surprise and           
consternation1 when1 immediately after  
the  passing of that bill1 the ,hon4    
,dewitt rose and proposed that a public 
expression of gratitude should be given 
me by ,parliament1 under the form  of a 
large pecuniary gift6    ,his speech    
seemed to me filled with such           
exaggerated eulogiums1 that ,i  would   
have been tempted to think it was       
mockery1 had ,i not known that  the     
,protestant gentleman was one of my most
 sincere friends4 ,he was  followed by  
the ,honorables ,baldwin and            
,lafontaine1 ,prime ,minister at the    
time1 and half a dozen other members1   
who went still further into what ,i  so 
justly consider the regions of          
exaggeration4    ,it seemed to me       
bordering on blasphemy to attribute to  
,chiniquy1 a  reformation which was so  

clearly the work of my merciful ,god4   
,the speeches on that subject lasted two
 hours1 and were followed by a          
unanimous vote to present me with #ejj1 
as a public testimony of the  gratitude 
of the people for my labors in the      
temperance reform of  ,canada4 ,previous
 to that1 the bishops of ,quebec and    
,montreal had given  me tokens of their 
esteem which1 though unmerited1 had been
 better  appreciated by me4    ,when in 
,may1 #ahej1 the ,archbishop of ,quebec1
 my ,lord ,turgeon1 sent the  ,rev4     
,charles ,baillargeon1 curate of        
,quebec1 to ,rome1 to become his        
successor1 he advised him to come to    
,longueuil and get a letter from me1    
which he might present to the ,pope1    
with a volume of my 8,temperance        
,manual40 ,i complied with his request1 
and wrote to the ,pope4 ,some months    
later1 ,i received the following lines3 
,,rome1 ,,aug4 #aj,,th1 #ahej4          
,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,,chiniquy3    ,,sir ,,and 
,,dear ,,friend3--,monday the #abth1 was

 the first opportunity given me  to have
 a private audience with the ,sovereign 
,pontiff4 ,i presented him  your book1  
with your letter1 which he received1 ,i 
will not say with that  goodness which  
is so eminently characteristic of him1  
but with all  special marks of          
satisfaction and approbation1 while     
charging me to  state to you that he    
accords his apostolic benediction to you
 and to the  holy work of temperance you
 preach4 ,i consider myself happy to    
have had  to offer on your behalf1 to   
the ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ1 a book    
which1  after it had done so much good  
to my countrymen1 had been able to draw 
from his venerable lips1 such solemn    
words of approbation of the  temperance 
society and of blessings on those who   
are its apostles2 and  it is also1 from 
my heart1 a very sweet pleasure to      
transmit them to  you4                  
,your ,friend1                          
,,charles ,,baillargeon1                
,priest4    ,a short time before ,i     

received that letter from ,rome1 my     
,lord ,bourget1  ,bishop of ,montreal1  
had officially given me the title of    
8,apostle of  ,temperance20 in the      
following documents1 which1 on account  
of their  importance1 the readers will  
probably like to have its original      
,latin3    8,,ignatius ,,bourget1       
,,miseratione ,,divina ,,et ,,st4       
,,sedis ,,apostolic ,,gratia1           
,,episcopus ,,marianopolitanensis1      
,,etc41 ,,etc41 ,,etc40    8,,universis 
prsentes litteras inspecturis1 notum    
facimus et attestamur  ,venerabilem     
,carolum ,chiniquy1 ,temperanti         
,apostolum1 ,nostr ,dioccis             
,sacerdotem1 ,nobis optime notum esse1  
exploratumque habere illum vitam        
laudabilem et professione ,ecclesiastica
 consonam agere1 nullisque              
ecclesiasticis censuris1 saltem qu ad   
nostram devenerunt ,notitiam            
innodiatum3 qua propter1 per viscera    
,misericordi ,dei ,nostri1 obsecramus   
omnes et ,singulos ,archiepiscopos1     

,episcopos1 cteras que ,ecclesi         
dignitates ad quos ipsum declinare      
contingent1 ut eum1 pro ,christi        
,amore1 benigne tractare dignentur1 et  
quando cumque ab eo fuerint  requisiti1 
,sacrum ,miss ,sacrificium ipsi         
celebrare1 nec non alia munia           
,ecclesiastica1 et pietatis opera       
exercere permittant1 paratos nos ad     
similia et majora exhibentes3 ,in quorum
 fidem1 prsentes litteras signo         
sigilloque nostris1 ac ,secretarii      
,episopatus nostri subscriptione        
communitas expediri mandavimus          
,marianopoli1 in ,,oedibus ,nostris     
,beati  ,jacobi1 anno millesimo         
quinquagesimo4 ,die vero mensis ,junii  
,sexta40                                
8,,ig4 ,,epus4 ,,marianopolitanensis40  
8,j4 ,o4 ,,pare1 ,,can4 ,,secrius40     
,,translation4    ,,ignatius ,,bourget1 
,,by ,,the ,,divine ,,mercy ,,and       
,,grace ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,apostolic   
,,see1 ,,bishop ,,of ,,montreal4    ,to 
all who would inspect the present       

letters1 we make known and certify  that
 the venerable ,charles ,chiniquy1      
8,apostle of ,temperance10 ,priest of   
our ,diocese1 is very well known to us1 
and we regard him as proved1 to  lead a 
praiseworthy life1 and agreeable to his 
ecclesiastical  profession4 ,through the
 tender mercies of our ,god1 he is under
 no  ecclesiastical censures1 at least1 
which have come to our knowledge4    ,we
 entreat each and all1 ,archbishop1     
,bishop and other dignitaries of the    
church1 to whom it may happen that he   
may go1 that they1 for the love of      
,christ1 entertain him kindly and       
courteously1 and as often as they may   
be asked by him1 permit him to celebrate
 the holy sacrifice of the mass1  and   
exercise other ecclesiastical privileges
 of piety4 ,being ourselves  ready to   
grant him these and other greater       
privileges4 ,in proof of this  we have  
ordered the present letters to be       
prepared under our sign and  seal1 and  
with subscription of our secretary1 in  

our palace of the  blessed ,james1 in   
the year one thousand eight hundred and 
fifty1 on the  sixth day of the month of
 ,june4                                 
,,ignatius4 ,,bishop ,,of               
,,marianopolis4    ,by order of the most
 illustrious and most ,reverend ,bishops
 of  ,marianopolis1 ,d4 ,d4             
,j4 ,o4 ,,pare1 ,canon1                 
,secretary4    ,no words from my pen can
 give an idea of the distress and shame 
,i felt  when these unmerited praises   
and public honors began to flow upon me4
  ,for1 when the siren voice of my      
natural pride was near to deceive me1   
there was the noise of a sudden storm in
 my conscience1 crying with a  louder   
voice3 8,chiniquy1 thou art a sinner1   
unworthy of such honors40    ,this      
conflict made me very miserable4 ,i said
 to myself4 8,are those great  successes
 due to my merits1 my virtues and my    
eloquence8 ,no6 ,surely ,no6  ,they are 
due to the great mercy of ,god for my   
dear country4 ,will ,i not  forever be  

put to shame if ,i consent to these     
flattering voices which  come to me from
 morning till night1 to make me forget  
that to my ,god  alone1 and not to me1  
must be given the praise and glory of   
that  marvellous reform80    ,these     
praises were coming every day1 thicker  
and thicker1 through the  thousand      
trumpets of the press1 as well as       
through the addresses daily  presented  
to me from the places which had been so 
thoroughly reformed4    ,those unmerited
 honors were bestowed on me by          
multitudes who came in  carriages and on
 horseback1 bearing flags1 with bands of
 music1 to  receive me on the borders of
 their parishes1 where the last parishes
 had  just brought me with the same kind
 of ovations4    ,sometimes1 the roads  
were lined on both sides1 by thousands  
and  thousands of maple1 pine or spruce 
trees1 which they had carried from      
distant forests1 in spite of all my     
protests4    ,how many times the        
curates1 who were sitting by me in the  

best  carriages1 drawn by the most      
splendid horses1 asked me3 8,why do you 
look  so sad1 when you see all these    
faces beaming with joy80 ,i answered1   
8,i  am sad1 because these unmerited    
honors these good people do me1 seems to
  be the shortest way the ,devil has    
found to destroy me40    8,but the      
reform you have brought about is so     
admirable and so  complete--the good    
which is done to the individuals1 as    
well as to the  whole country1 is so    
great and universal1 that the people    
want to show  you their gratitude40     
8,do you know1 my dear friends10 ,i     
answered1 8that that marvellous change  
is too great to be the work of man8 ,is 
it not evidently the work of ,god8  ,to 
,him1 and ,him alone1 then we ought to  
give the praise and the glory40    ,my  
constant habit1 after these days of     
ovation1 was to pass a part of  the     
night in prayer to ,god1 to the ,virgin 
,mary1 and to all the saints in  heaven1
 to prevent me from being hurt by these 

worldly honors4 ,it was my  custom then 
to read the passion of ,jesus ,christ1  
from his triumphant  entry into         
,jerusalem to his death on the cross1 in
 order to prevent this  shining dust    
from adhering to my soul4 ,there was a  
verse of the gospel1  which ,i used to  
repeat very often in the midst of those 
exhibitions of  the vanities of this    
world3 8,what is a man profited if he   
should gain  the whole world and lose   
his own soul80 7,matt4 #af3bf74         
,another source of serious anxiety for  
me1 was then coming from the large  sums
 of money constantly flowing from the   
hands of my too kind and  grateful      
reformed countrymen into mine4    ,it   
was very seldom that the public         
expression of gratitude presented me  in
 their rhetorical addresses were not    
accompanied by a gift of from #ej  to   
#ejj1 according to the means and        
importance of the place4 ,those sums    
multiplied by the #cfe days of the year 
would have soon made of me one of  the  

richest men of ,canada4    ,had ,i been 
able to trust to my own strength against
 the hungers of  riches1 ,i should have 
been able1 easily1 to accumulate a sum  
of at least  #gj1jjj1 with which ,i     
might have done a great amount of good4 
,but ,i confess1 that when in the       
presence of ,god1 ,i went to the bottom 
of  my heart1 to see if it were strong  
enough to carry such a glittering       
weight1 ,i found it1 by far1 too weak4  
,i knew so many who1 though  evidently  
stronger than ,i was1 had fallen on the 
way and perished under  too heavy burden
 of their treasures1 that ,i feared for 
myself at the  sight of such unexpected 
and immense fortune4 ,besides1 when only
 #ah  years old1 my venerable and dear  
benefactor1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,leprohon1   
director of the ,college of ,nicolet1   
had told me a thing ,i never had        
forgotten3 8,chiniquy10 he said1 8,i am 
sure you will be what we call a         
successful man in the world4 ,you will  
easily make your way among your         

contemporaries2 and1 consequently1 it is
 probable that you will have  many      
opportunities of becoming rich4 ,but    
when the silver and gold flow  into your
 hands1 do not pile and keep it4 ,for1  
if you set your  affections on it1 you  
will be miserable in this world and     
damned in the  next4 ,you must not do   
like the fattened hogs1 which give their
 grease  only after their death4 ,give  
it while you are living4 ,then you will 
not  be blessed only by ,god and man1   
but you will be blessed by your own     
conscience4 ,you will live in peace and 
die in joy40    ,these solemn warnings  
from one of the wisest and best friends 
,god had  ever given me when young1 has 
never gone out of my mind4 ,i found them
  corroborated in every page of that    
,bible which ,i loved so much and       
studied every day4 ,i found them also   
written1 by ,god1 on my heart4 ,i  then1
 on my knees1 took the resolution1      
without making an absolute vow  of it1  
to keep only what ,i wanted for my daily

 support and give the rest  to the poor1
 or some ,christian or patriotic object4
 ,i kept my promise4  ,the #ejj given me
 by parliament did not remain three     
weeks in my hands4  ,i never put a cent 
in ,canada in the vaults of any bank2   
and when ,i left  for ,illinois1 in the 
fall of #ahea1 instead of taking with me
 #gj1jjj1 as  it would have been very   
easy1 had ,i been so minded1 ,i had     
hardly #a1ejj  in hand1 the price of a  
part of my library1 which was too heavy 
to be  carried so far away4             
,,chapter ,,xlv4    ,,my ,,sermon ,,on  
,,the ,,virgin ,,mary--,,compliments    
,,of ,,bishop ,,prince--,,stormy        
,,night--,,my ,,first ,,serious ,,doubts
 ,,about ,,the ,,church ,,of            
,,rome--,,painful    ,,discussion ,,with
 ,,the ,,bishop--,,the ,,holy ,,fathers 
,,opposed ,,to ,,the ,,modern           
,,worship ,,of ,,the ,,virgin--,,the    
,,branches ,,of ,,the ,,vine4      ,the 
#aeth of ,august1 #ahej1 ,i preached in 
the ,cathedral of ,montreal1 on  the    

blessed ,virgin ,mary's power in heaven1
 when interceding for sinners4  ,i was  
sincerely devoted to the ,virgin ,mary4 
,nothing seemed to me more  natural than
 to pray to her1 and rely on her        
protection4 ,the object of  my sermon   
was to show that ,jesus ,christ cannot  
refuse any of the  petitions presented  
to him by his mother2 that she has      
always obtained  the favors she asked   
her ,son1 ,jesus1 to grant to her       
devotees4 ,of  course1 my address was   
more sentimental than scriptural1 as it 
is the  style among the priests of      
,rome4 ,but ,i was honest2 and ,i       
sincerely  believed what ,i said4       
8,who among you1 my dear brethren10 ,i  
said to the people1 8will refuse  any of
 the reasonable requests of a beloved   
mother8 ,who will break and  sadden her 
loving heart when1 with supplicating    
voice and tears1 she  presents to you a 
petition which it is in your power1 nay1
 to your  interests1 to grant8 ,for my  
own part1 were my beloved mother still  

living1 ,i would prefer to have my right
 hand crushed and burned into  cinders1 
to have my tongue cut1 than to say1 ,no6
 to my mother1 asking me  any favor     
which it was in my power to bestow4     
8,these are the sentiments which the    
,god of ,sinai wanted to engrave in  the
 very hearts of humanity1 when giving   
his laws to ,moses1 in the midst  of    
lightning and thunders1 and these are   
the sentiments which the ,god of  the   
,gospel wanted to impress on our souls  
by the shedding of his blood  on        
,calvary4 ,these sentiments of filial   
respect and obedience to our  mothers1  
,christ ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god and    
,son of ,mary1 practiced to  perfection4
 ,although ,god and man1 he was still in
 perfect submission to  the will of his 
mother1 of which he makes a law to each 
of us4    8,the ,gospel says1 in        
reference to his parents1 ,joseph and   
,mary1 #8,he was  subject unto them4'   
7,luke #b3ea47 ,what a grand and shining
 revelation we  have in these few short 

words3 #8,jesus was subject unto ,mary6'
 ,is it not  written in the same        
,gospel1 that #8,jesus is the same      
to-day1 as he was  yesterday1 and will  
be forever8' ,he has not changed4 ,he is
 still the ,son  of ,mary1 as he was    
when only twelve years old4    8,this is
 why our holy ,church1 which is the     
pillar and foundation of  ,truth1       
invites you and me1 to-day1 to put an   
unbounded confidence in her             
intercession4 ,remembering that ,jesus  
has always granted the petitions        
presented to him by his divine mother1  
let us put our petitions in her  hands1 
if we want to receive the favors we are 
in need of4    8,the second reason why  
we must all go to ,mary1 for the favors 
we want  from heaven1 is that we are    
sinners--rebels in the sight of ,god4   
,jesus  ,christ is our ,saviour4 ,yes6  
but he is also our ,god1 infinitely     
just1  infinitely holy4 ,he hates our   
sins with an infinite hatred4 ,he abhors
  our rebellions with an infinite1 a    

godly hatred4 ,if we had loved and      
served him faithfully we might go to    
him1 not only with the hope1 but  with  
the assurance of being welcomed4 ,but we
 have forgotten and offended  ,him2 we  
have trampled ,his laws under our feet2 
we have joined with those  who nailed   
,him on the cross1 pierced his heart    
with the lance1 and shed  ,his blood to 
the last drop4 ,we belong to the crowd  
which mocked at ,his  tortures1 and     
insulted ,him at ,his death4 ,how can we
 dare to look at ,him  and meet ,his    
eyes8 ,must we not tremble in his       
presence8 ,must we not fear  before that
 ,lion of the tribe of ,judah whom we   
have wounded and nailed  to the cross8  
8,where is the rebel who does not       
shiver1 when he is dragged to the feet  
of the mighty ,prince against whom he   
has drawn the sword8 ,what will he  do  
if he wants to obtain pardon8 ,will he  
go himself and speak to that  offended  
,majesty8 ,no6 ,but he looks around the 
throne to see if he can  find some one  

of the great officers and friends1 or   
some powerful and  influential person1  
through whose intercession he can obtain
 pardon4 ,if  he finds any such1 he goes
 immediately to him1 puts his petitions 
into  their hands1 and they go to the   
foot of the throne to plead for the     
rebel1 and the favor which would have   
been indignantly refused to the  guilty 
subject1 had he dared to speak himself1 
is granted1 when it is  asked by a      
faithful officer1 a kind friend1 a dear 
sister or a beloved  mother4    8,this  
is why our holy church1 speaking through
 her infallible supreme  pontiff1 the   
,vicar of ,christ1 ,gregory ,,xvi41 has 
told us1 in the most  solemn manner1    
that #8,mary is the only hope of        
sinners4'    ,winding up my arguments1  
,i added3 8,we are those insolent1      
ungrateful  rebels4 ,jesus is the ,king 
of ,kings against whom we have1 a       
thousand  times1 risen in rebellion4 ,he
 has a thousand good reasons to refuse  
our  petitions1 if we are impudent      

enough to speak to ,him ourselves4 ,but 
look  at the right hand of the offended 
,king1 and behold his dear and divine   
mother4 ,she is your mother also4 ,for  
it is to every one of us1 as well  as to
 ,john1 that ,christ said on the cross1 
speaking of ,mary1 #8,behold  your      
,mother4'    8,jesus has never refused  
any favor asked by that ,queen of       
,heaven4 ,he  cannot rebuke ,his        
,mother4 ,let us go to her2 let us ask  
her to be our  advocate and plead our   
cause1 and she will do it4 ,let us      
suppliantly  request her to ask for our 
pardon1 and she will get it40    ,i then
 sincerely took these glittering        
sophisms for the true religion of       
,christ1 as all the priests and people  
of ,rome are bound to take them  to-day1
 and presented them with all the        
earnestness of an honest though  deluded
 mind4    ,my sermon had made a visible 
and deep impression4 ,bishop ,prince1   
coadjutor of my ,lord ,bourget1 who was 
among my hearers1 thanked and           

congratulated me for the good effect it 
would have on the people1 and ,i        
sincerely thought ,i had said what was  
true and right before ,god4    ,but when
 night came1 before going to bed1 ,i    
took my ,bible as usual1  knelt down    
before ,god1 in the neat little room ,i 
occupied in the  bishop's palace1 and   
read the twelfth chapter of ,matthew1   
with a praying  heart and a sincere     
desire to understand it1 and be         
benefitted thereby4  ,strange to say6   
when ,i reached the #djth verse1 ,i felt
 a mysterious awe1  as if ,i had entered
 for the first time1 into a new and most
 holy land4  ,though ,i had read that   
verse1 and the following1 many times1   
they came  to my mind with a freshness  
and newness as if ,i had never seen them
  before4 ,there was a lull in my mind  
for a few moments4 ,slowly1 and with    
breathless attention1 supreme veneration
 and respect1 ,i read the history  of   
that visit of ,mary to the sacred spot  
where ,jesus1 my ,saviour1 was  standing

 in the midst of the crowd1 feeding his 
happy hearers with the  bread of life4  
,when ,i contemplated that blessed      
,mary1 whom ,i loved1 as so tenderly    
approaching the house where she was to  
meet her divine ,son1 who had been  so  
long absent from her1 my heart suddenly 
throbbed in sympathy with  hers4 ,i felt
 as if sharing her unspeakable joy at   
every step which  brought her nearer to 
her adorable and beloved son4 ,what     
tears had she  not shed when ,jesus had 
left her alone1 in her poor1 now1 and   
cheerless  home1 that ,he might preach  
the gospel in the distant places1 where 
his  ,father had sent ,him6 ,with ,jesus
 in her humble home1 was she not more   
happy than the greatest queen on her    
throne6 ,did she not possess a  treasure
 more precious than all the world6 ,how 
sweet to her ears were  the words she   
had heard from ,his lips6    ,how lovely
 the face of the most beautiful among   
the sons of men6 ,how  happy she must   
have felt when she heard that he was1   

now1 near enough to  allow her to go and
 see ,him6 ,how quick were her steps6   
,how cheerful and  interesting the      
meeting6 ,how the beloved ,saviour will 
repay by ,his  respectful and divine    
love to his mother1 the trouble and the 
fatigue of  her long journey6 ,my heart 
beat with joy at the privilege of       
witnessing  that interview1 and of      
hearing the respectful words ,jesus     
would address  to ,his mother6    ,with 
heart and soul throbbing with these     
feelings1 ,i slowly read1    8,while he 
talked to the people1 behold ,his mother
 and ,his brethren1  stood without      
desiring to speak with ,him4    8,then  
one said unto ,him3 ,behold1 thy mother 
and thy brethren stand  without desiring
 to speak with thee4    8,but he        
answered1 and said unto him that told   
,him3 ,who is my mother8 ,who  are my   
brethren8    8,and he stretched forth   
,his hands towards ,his disciples1 and  
said3  ,behold my mother and brethren6  
8,for whosoever shall do the will of my 

,father which is in ,heaven1 the  same  
is my brother1 sister and mother40    ,i
 had hardly finished reading the last   
verse1 when big drops of sweat  began to
 flow from my face1 my heart beat with a
 tremendous speed1 and ,i  came near    
fainting2 ,i sat in my large armchair1  
expecting every minute  to fall on the  
floor4 ,those alone who have stood      
several hours at the  fall of the       
marvellous ,niagara1 heard the          
thundering noise of its  waters1 and    
felt the shaking of the rocks under     
their feet1 can have any  idea of what  
,i felt in that hour of agony4    ,a    
voice1 the voice of my conscience1 whose
 thunders were like the voice  of a     
thousand ,niagaras1 was telling me3 8,do
 you not see that you have  preached a  
sacrilegious lie1 this morning1 when1   
from the pulpit1 you  said to your      
ignorant and deluded people1 that ,jesus
 always granted the  petitions of ,his  
mother1 ,mary8 ,are you not ashamed to  
deceive yourself1  and deceive your poor

 countrymen with such silly falsehoods80
    ,reader1 read again these words6 and
 understand that1 far from granting  all
 the petitions of ,mary1 ,jesus has     
always1 except when a child1 said       
8,no60 to her requests4 ,he has always  
rebuked her1 when she asked him         
anything in public6 ,here she comes to  
ask ,him a favor before the whole       
people4 ,it is the easiest1 the most    
natural favor that a mother ever  asked 
of her son4 ,it is a favor that a son   
has never refused to a  mother4 ,he     
answers by a rebuke1 a public and solemn
 rebuke6 ,is it  through want of love   
and respect for ,mary that ,he gave her 
that rebuke8  ,no6 ,never a son loved   
and respected a mother as ,he did4 ,but 
it was a  solemn protest against the    
blasphemous worship of ,mary1 as        
practiced in  the ,church of ,rome4     
,i felt1 at once1 so bewildered and     
confounded1 by the voice1 which was     
shaking my very bones1 that ,i thought  
it was the devil's voice2 and1 for  a   

moment1 ,i feared less ,i was possessed 
of a demon4    8,my ,god10 ,i cried1    
8have mercy on me6 ,come to my help6    
,save me from my  enemy's hands60    ,as
 quick as lightning1 the answer came3   
8,it is not ,satan's voice you  hear4   
,it is ,i1 thy ,saviour and thy ,god1   
who speaks to thee4 ,read what  ,mark1  
,luke1 and ,john tell you about the way 
,i received her petitions1  from the    
very day ,i began to work1 and speak    
publicly as the ,son of ,god1  and the  
,saviour of the world40    ,these cries 
of my awakening intelligence were       
sounding in my ears for  more than one  
hour1 before ,i consented to obey them4 
,at last1 with a  trembling hand1 and a 
distressed mind1 ,i took my ,bible and  
read in ,st4  ,mark1 chapter iii3 verses
 #ca1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd and #ce3 8,there    
came then his  brethren and his mother1 
and standing without1 sent unto him1 and
  calling him4 ,and the multitude sat   
about him and they said unto him3       
,behold thy mother and thy brethren     

without1 sending for thee4 ,and he      
answered them1 saying3 who is my mother 
and my brethren8    8,and he looked     
round about on them which sat about him1
 and said3 ,behold  my mother and my    
brethren4 ,for whosoever shall do the   
will of ,god1 the  same is my brother1  
my sister1 and my mother40    ,the      
reading of these words acted upon me as 
the shock of a sword going  through and 
through the body of one who had already 
been mortally  wounded4 ,i felt         
absolutely confounded4 ,the voice       
continued to sound in  my ears3 8,do you
 not see you have presented a           
blasphemous lie1 every  time you said   
that ,jesus always granted the petitions
 of his mother80    ,i remained again1 a
 considerable time1 bewildered1 not     
knowing how to  fight down thoughts     
which were so mercilessly shaking my    
faith1 and  demolishing the respect ,i  
had kept1 till then1 for my church4     
,after more  than half an hour of vain  
struggle to silence these thoughts1 it  

came to  my mind that ,st4 ,luke had    
narrated this interview of ,mary and    
,jesus in a  very different way4 ,i     
opened the holy book again to read the  
eighth  chapter4 ,but how shall ,i find 
words to express my distress when ,i saw
  that the rebuke of ,jesus ,christ was 
expressed in a still sterner way by     
,st4 ,luke than by the two other        
evangelists6    8,then came to him his  
mother and brethren1 and could not come 
at him for  the press4    8,and it was  
told him3 ,thy mother and thy brethren  
stand without1  desiring to see thee4   
8,and he answered1 and said unto them3  
my mother and brethren are those  who   
will hear the word of ,god and do it40  
7,luke viii3 #ai1 #bj1 #ba47    ,it then
 seemed to me as if those three         
,evangelists said to me3 8,how dare  you
 preach1 with your apostate and lying   
church1 that ,jesus has always  granted 
all the petitions of ,mary1 when we were
 ordered by ,god to write  and proclaim 
that all the public petitions she had   

presented to him1  when working as the  
,son of ,god1 and the ,saviour of the   
world1 had been  answered by a public   
rebuke80    ,what could ,i answer8 ,how 
could ,i stand the rebuke of these three
  ,evangelists8 ,trembling from head to 
foot1 ,i fell upon my knees1 crying  to 
the ,virgin ,mary to come to my help and
 pray that ,i might not succumb  to this
 temptation1 and lose my faith and      
confidence in her4 ,but the  more ,i    
prayed1 the louder the voice seemed to  
say3 8,how dare you preach  that ,jesus 
has always granted the petitions of     
,mary1 when we tell you  the contrary by
 the order of ,god himself80    ,my     
desolation became such1 that a cold     
sweat covered my whole frame  again2 my 
head was aching1 and ,i think ,i would  
have fainted had ,i not  been released  
by a torrent of tears4 ,in my distress1 
,i cried3 8,oh6 my  ,god6 my ,god6 look 
down upon me in thy mercy2 strengthen my
 faith in thy  ,holy ,church6 ,grant me 
to follow her voice and obey her        

commands with  more and more fidelity2  
she is thy beloved church4 ,she cannot  
err4 ,she  cannot be an apostate        
church40 ,but in vain ,i wept and cried 
for help4 ,my  whole being was filled   
with dismay and terror from the voices  
of the  three witnesses1 who were crying
 louder and louder4    8,how dare you   
preach that ,christ has always granted  
the petitions of  ,mary1 when the       
gospels1 written under the inspiration  
of the ,holy ,ghost1  tell you so       
clearly the contrary80    ,when ,i had1 
in vain1 wept1 prayed1 cried1 and       
struggled from ten at  night till three 
in the morning2 the miraculous change of
 water into  wine1 by ,christ1 at the   
request of his mother1 suddenly came to 
my mind4  ,i felt a momentary relief    
from my terrible distress1 by the hope  
that ,i  could prove to myself that1 in 
this case the ,saviour had obeyed the   
demands of his holy mother4 ,i eagerly  
opened my ,bible again and read3        
8,and the third day there was a marriage

 in ,cana1 of ,galilee1 and the  mother 
of ,jesus was there4    8,and both      
,jesus was called1 and his disciples1 to
 the marriage4 ,and when  they wanted   
wine1 the mother of ,jesus said unto    
him1 they have no wine4  ,jesus saith   
unto her3 ,woman1 what have ,i to do    
with thee8 ,mine hour is  not yet come4 
8,his mother saith unto the servants3   
whatsoever he saith unto you1 do  it40  
7,john ii3 #b47    ,till that hour1 ,i  
had always accepted that text in the    
sense given in  the ,church of ,rome1 as
 proving that the very first miracle of 
,jesus  ,christ was wrought at the      
request of his mother4 ,and ,i was      
preparing  myself to answer the three   
mysterious witnesses3 8,here is the     
proof that  you are three devils1 and   
not three evangelists1 when you tell me 
that  ,jesus has never granted the      
petitions of his mother1 except when a  
child4 ,here is the glorious title of   
,mary to my confidence in her           
intercession2 here is the seal of her   

irresistible superhuman power over  her 
divine son2 here is the undeniable      
evidence that ,jesus cannot refuse      
anything asked by his divine mother60   
,but when1 armed with these             
explanations of the church1 ,i was      
preparing to meet what ,matthew1 ,st4   
,mark1 and ,st4 ,luke had just told me1 
a sudden distressing thought came  to my
 mind2 and this thought was as if ,i    
heard the three witnesses  saying3 8,how
 can you be so blind as not to see that 
instead of being a  favor granted to    
,mary1 this first miracle is the first  
opportunity  chosen by ,christ to       
protest against her intercession4 ,it is
 a solemn  warning to ,mary never to ask
 anything from him1 and to us1 never to 
put  any confidence in her requests4    
,here1 ,mary1 evidently full of         
compassion  for those poor people1 who  
had not the means to provide the wine   
for the  guests who had come with       
,jesus1 wants her ,son to give them the 
wine they  wanted4 ,how does ,christ    

answer her requests8 ,he answers it by a
 rebuke1  a most solemn rebuke4 ,instead
 of saying3 8,yes1 mother1 ,i will do as
 you  wish10 he says1 8,woman1 what have
 ,i to do with thee80 which clearly     
means 8,woman1 thou hast nothing to do  
in this matter4 ,i do not want you  to  
speak to me of the bridegroom's         
distress4 ,it was my desire to come to  
their help and show my divine power4 ,i 
do not want you to put yourself  between
 the wants of humanity and me4 ,i do not
 want the world to believe  that you had
 any right1 any power or influence over 
me1 or more  compassion on the miseries 
of man than ,i have4 ,is it not to me1  
and me  alone1 the lost children of     
,adam must look to be saved8 ,woman1    
what have  ,i to do with thee in my     
great work of saving this perishing     
world8  ,nothing1 absolutely nothing4 ,i
 know what ,i have to do to fulfill1 not
  your will1 but my ,father's will60    
,this is what ,jesus meant by the solemn
 rebuke given to ,mary4 ,he wanted  to  

banish all idea of her ever becoming an 
intercessor between man and  ,christ4   
,he wanted to protest against the       
doctrine of the ,church of ,rome1  that 
it is through ,mary that ,he will bestow
 ,his favor1 to ,his disciples1  and    
,mary understood it well when she said1 
8,whatsoever ,he saith unto  you1 do    
it40 ,never come to me1 but go to ,him4 
8,for there is no other  name given     
among men1 whereby we must be saved40   
,every one of these thoughts passed over
 my distressed soul like a  hurricane4  
,every sentence was like a flash of     
lightning in a dark night4  ,i was like 
the poor dismantled ship suddenly       
overtaken by the tempest in  the midst  
of the ocean4    ,till the dawn of day1 
,i felt powerless against the efforts of
 ,god to  pull down and demolish the    
huge fortress of sophisms1 falsehoods1  
idolatries1 which ,rome had built around
 my soul4 ,what a fearful thing it  is  
to fight against the ,lord6    ,during  
the long hours of that night1 my ,god   

was contending with me1 and  ,i was     
struggling against ,him4 ,but though    
brought down to the dust2 ,i was  not   
conquered4 ,my understanding was very   
nearly convinced2 but my  rebellious and
 proud will was not yet ready to yield4 
,the chains by which ,i was tied to the 
feet of the idols of ,rome1 though      
rudely shaken1 were not yet broken4     
,however1 to say the truth1 my views    
about the worship of ,mary had received 
a severe shock1 and were much  modified4
 ,that night had been sleepless2 and in 
the morning my eyes were  red1 and my   
face swollen with my tears4    ,when1 at
 breakfast1 ,bishop ,prince1 who was    
sitting by me1 asked3 8,are  you sick8  
,your eyes are as if you had wept all   
night80    8,your lordship is not       
mistaken1 ,i have wept the whole night60
 ,i  answered4    8,wept all the night60
 replied the bishop4 8,might ,i know the
 cause of  your sorrow80    8,yes1 my   
lord4 ,you can1 you must know it4 ,but  
please come to your room4  ,what ,i have

 to say is of such a private and        
delicate nature1 that ,i want  to be    
alone with your lordship1 when opening  
my mind to the cause of my  tears40     
,bishop ,prince1 then coadjutor of      
,bishop ,bourget and late bishop of ,st4
  ,hyacinthe1 where he became insane in 
#aheh and died in #ahfj1 had been my    
personal friend from the time ,i entered
 the college at ,nicolet1 where he  was 
professor of ,rhetoric4 ,he very often  
came to confession to me1 and  had taken
 a lively interest in my labors on      
temperance4    ,when alone with him1 ,i 
said3 8,my lord1 ,i thank you for your  
kindness in  allowing me to unburden my 
heart to you4 ,i have passed the most   
horrible  night of my life4 ,temptations
 against our holy religion such as ,i   
never  had before1 have assailed me all 
night4 ,your lordship remembers the kind
  words you addressed to me1 yesterday1 
about the sermon ,i preached4 ,but1     
last night1 very different things came  
to my mind1 which have changed  the joys

 of yesterday into the most unspeakable 
desolation4 ,you  congratulated me1     
yesterday1 on the manner ,i had proved  
that ,jesus had  always granted the     
request of ,his mother1 and that ,he    
cannot refuse any  of her petitions4    
,the whole night it has been told to me 
that this was a  blasphemous lie1 and   
from the ,holy ,scriptures themselves1  
,i have been  nearly convinced that you 
and ,i1 nay1 that our holy church1 are  
preaching a blasphemous falsehood every 
time we proclaim the doctrines  of the  
worship of ,mary as the gospel truth40  
,the poor bishop1 thunderstruck by this 
simple and honest declaration1  quickly 
answered3 8,i hope you have not yielded 
to these temptations1 and  that you will
 not become a ,protestant as so many of 
your enemies whisper  to each other40   
8,it is my hope1 my lord1 that our      
merciful ,god will keep me1 to the end  
of my life1 a dutiful and faithful      
priest of our holy church4 ,however1 ,i 
cannot conceal from your lordship that  

my faith was terribly shaken1  last     
night4    8,as a bishop1 your portion of
 light and wisdom must be greater than  
mine4 ,i hope you will grant me some of 
the lights which still brightly  shine  
before your eyes3 ,i have never been so 
much in need of the  counsels of your   
piety and the help of your spiritual    
knowledge as  to-day4 ,please help me to
 come out from the intellectual slough  
in which  ,i spent the night4    8,your 
lordship has congratulated me for having
 said that ,jesus ,christ  has always   
granted the petitions of ,mary4 ,please 
tell me how you  reconcile that         
proposition with this text10 and ,i     
handed him the gospel  of ,matthew3     
pointing to the last five verses of the 
twelfth chapter1 ,i  requested him to   
read them aloud40    ,he read them and  
said3 8,now what do you want from me80  
8,my lord1 ,i want respectfully to ask  
you how can we say that ,jesus has      
always granted the requests of ,his     
mother1 when this evangelist tells us   

that ,he never granted her petitions1   
when acting in ,his capacity of         
,saviour of the world4    8,must we not 
fear that we proclaim a blasphemous     
falsehood when we  support a proposition
 directly opposed to the gospel80       
,the poor bishop seemed absolutely      
confounded by this simple and honest    
question4 ,i also felt confused and     
sorry for his humiliation4 ,beginning  a
 phrase1 he would give it up2 trying    
arguments1 he could not push to  their  
conclusion4 ,it seemed to me that he had
 never read that text1 or  if he had    
read it1 he1 like myself and the rest of
 the priests of ,rome1  had never noted 
that they entirely demolish the         
stupendous impostures of  the church in 
reference to the worship of ,mary4      
,in order to help him out of the        
inextricable difficulties into which ,i 
had once pushed him1 ,i said3 8,my lord1
 will you allow me to put a few  more   
questions to you80    8,with pleasure10 
he answered4    8,well6 my lord1 who    

came to this world to save you and me8  
,is it ,jesus  or ,mary80    8,it is    
,jesus10 answered the bishop4    8,who  
was called1 and is1 in reality1 the     
sinner's best friend8 ,was it  ,jesus or
 ,mary80    ,the bishop answered3 8,it  
was ,jesus40    8,now please allow me a 
few more questions40    8,when ,jesus   
and ,mary were on earth1 whose heart was
 most devoted to  sinners8 ,who loved   
them with a more efficacious and saving 
love2 was it  ,jesus or ,mary80         
8,jesus1 being ,god1 ,his love was      
evidently more efficacious and saving   
than ,mary's10 answered the bishop4     
8,in the days of ,jesus and ,mary1 to   
whom did ,jesus invite sinners to go    
for their salvation2 was it to himself  
or ,mary80 ,i asked again4    ,the      
bishop answered3 8,jesus has said to all
 sinners1 #8,come unto me4' ,he  never  
said come or go to ,mary40    8,have we 
any examples1 in the ,scriptures1 of    
sinners1 who1 fearing to be  rebuked by 
,jesus1 have gone to ,mary and obtained 

access to him through  her1 and been    
saved through her intercessions80    8,i
 do not remember of any such cases10    
replied the bishop4    ,i then asked3   
8,to whom did the penitent thief1 on the
 cross1 address  himself to be saved2   
was it to ,jesus or to ,mary80    8,it  
was to ,jesus10 replied the bishop4     
8,did that penitent thief do well to    
address himself to ,jesus on the  cross1
 rather than to ,mary who was at ,his   
feet80 said ,i4    8,surely he did      
better10 answered the bishop4    8,now1 
my lord1 allow me only one question     
more4 ,you told me that ,jesus  loved   
sinners1 when on earth1 infinitely more 
than ,mary2 that he was  infinitely more
 their true friend than she was2 that he
 infinitely took  more interest in their
 salvation1 than ,mary2 that it was     
infinitely  better for sinners to go to 
,jesus than to ,mary1 to be saved2 will 
you  please tell me if you think that   
,jesus has lost1 in heaven1 since he is 
sitting at the right hand of his        

,father1 any of his divine and infinite 
superiority of love and mercy over ,mary
 for sinners3 and can you show me  that 
what ,jesus has lost has been gained by 
,mary80    8,i do not think that ,christ
 has lost any of his love1 and power to 
save  us1 now that he is in heaven10    
answered the bishop4    8,now1 my lord1 
if ,jesus is still my best friend2 my   
most powerful1  merciful and loving     
friend1 why should ,i not go directly to
 him8 ,why  should we1 for a moment1 go 
to any one who is infinitely inferior1  
in  power1 love and mercy1 for our      
salvation80    ,the bishop was stunned  
by my questions4    ,he stammered some  
unintelligible answer1 excused himself  
for not being  able to remain any       
longer1 on account of some pressing     
business2 and  extending his hand to me 
before leaving he said3 8,you will find 
an  answer to your questions and        
difficulties in the ,holy ,fathers40    
8,can you lend me the ,holy ,fathers1 my
 lord80    ,he replied3 8,no sir1 ,i    

have them not40    ,this last answer    
from my bishop1 shook my faith to its   
foundation1 and  left my mind in a state
 of great distress4 ,with the sincere   
hope of  finding in the ,holy ,fathers1 
some explanations which would dispel my 
painful doubts1 ,i immediately went to  
,mr4 ,fabre1 the great bookseller of    
,montreal1 who got me1 from ,france1 the
 splendid edition of the ,holy          
,fathers1 by ,migne4 ,i studied with the
 utmost attention1 every page where  ,i 
might find what they taught of the      
worship of ,mary1 and the doctrines     
that ,jesus had never refused any of her
 prayers4    ,what was my desolation1 my
 shame and my surprise1 to find that the
 ,holy  ,fathers of the first six       
centuries had never advocated the       
worship of  ,mary1 and that the many    
eloquent pages on the power of ,mary in 
heaven1  and her love for sinners1 found
 in every page of my theologians2 and   
other ascetic books ,i had read till    
then1 were but impudent lies2  additions

 interpolated in their works a hundred  
years after their death4    ,when       
discovering these forgeries1 under the  
name of the ,holy ,fathers1 of  which my
 church was guilty1 how many times1 in  
the silence of my long  nights of study 
and prayerful meditations1 did ,i hear a
 voice telling  me3 8,come out of       
,babylon40    ,but where could ,i go8   
,out of the ,church of ,rome1 where     
could ,i find that  salvation which was 
to be found only within her walls8 ,i   
said to myself1  8,surely there are some
 errors in my dear church40    8,the    
dust of ages may have fallen on the     
precious gold of her treasures1  but    
will ,i not find still more damnable    
errors among those hundreds of          
,protestant churches1 which1 under the  
name of ,episcopalians1  ,presbyterians1
 ,baptists1 ,methodists1 c41 c41 are    
divided and  sub-divided into scores of 
contemptible sects anathematizing and   
denouncing each other before the world80
    ,my ideas of the great family of    

evangelical churches1 comprised under   
the broad name of ,protestantism1 were  
so exaggerated then1 that it was        
absolutely impossible for me to find in 
them that unity which ,i  considered the
 essentials of the church of ,christ4   
,the hour was not yet come1 but it was  
coming fast1 when my dear ,saviour      
would make me understand his sublime    
words3 8,i am the vine and ye are  the  
branches40    ,it was some time later1  
when under the beautiful vine ,i had    
planted in  my own garden1 and which ,i 
had cultivated with mine own hands1 ,i  
saw  that there was not a single branch 
like another in that prolific vine4     
,some branches were very big1 some very 
thin1 some very long1 some very  short1 
some going up1 some going down1 some    
straight as an arrow1 some  crooked as a
 flash of lightning1 some turning to the
 west1 some to the  east1 some to the   
north1 and others to the south4    ,but1
 although the branches were so different
 from each other in so many  things1    

they all gave me excellent fruit1 so    
long as they remained  united to the    
vine4                                   
,,chapter ,,xlvi4    ,,the ,,holy       
,,fathers--,,new ,,mental ,,troubles    
,,at ,,not ,,finding ,,the ,,doctrines  
,,of ,,my    ,,church ,,in ,,their      
,,writings--,,purgatory ,,and ,,the     
,,sucking ,,pig ,,of ,,the ,,poor ,,man 
,,of ,,varennes4      ,the most desolate
 work of a sincere catholic priest is   
the study of the  ,holy ,fathers4 ,he   
does not make a step in the labyrinth of
 their  discussions and controversies   
without seeing the dreams of his        
theological studies and religious views 
disappear as the thick morning  mist1   
when the sun rises above the horizon4   
,bound1 as he is1 by a solemn  oath1 to 
interpret the ,holy ,scriptures only    
according to the unanimous  consent of  
the ,holy ,fathers1 the first thing     
which puzzles and  distresses him is    
their absolute want of unanimity on the 
greater part  of the subjects which they

 discuss4 ,the fact is1 that more than  
two-thirds of what one ,father has      
written1 is to prove that what some     
other ,holy ,father has written1 is     
wrong and heretical4    ,the student of 
the ,fathers not only detects that they 
do not agree with  one another1 but     
finds that many of them do not even     
agree with  themselves4 ,very often they
 confess that they were mistaken when   
they  said this and that2 that they have
 lately changed their minds2 that they  
now hold for saving truth1 what they    
formerly condemned as damnable  error6  
,what becomes of the solemn oath of     
every priest1 in presence of this       
undeniable fact8 ,how can he make an act
 of faith when he feels that its        
foundation is nothing but falsehood8    
,no words can give an idea of the mental
 tortures ,i felt1 when ,i saw          
positively1 that ,i could not1 any      
longer1 preach on the eternity of the   
suffering of the damned1 nor believe in 
the real presence of the body1  soul and

 divinity of ,christ in the sacrament of
 communion2 nor in the  supremacy of the
 sovereign pontiff of ,rome1 nor in any 
of the other  dogmas of the church1     
without perjuring myself6 ,for there was
 not one of  those dogmas which had not 
been flatly and directly denied by some 
,holy  ,fathers4    ,it is true1 that in
 my ,roman ,catholic theological books1 
,i had long  extracts of ,holy ,fathers1
 very clearly supporting and confirming 
my  faith in these dogmas4 ,for         
instance1 ,i had the apostolic liturgies
 of  ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,mark1 and ,st4  
,james1 to prove that the sacrifice of  
the  mass1 purgatory1 prayers for the   
dead1 transubstantiation1 were believed 
and taught from the very days of the    
apostles4    ,but what was my dismay    
when ,i discovered that those liturgies 
were  nothing else than vile and        
audacious forgeries presented to the    
world1  by my ,popes and my church1 as  
gospel truths4    ,i could not find     
words to express my sense of shame and  

consternation1  when ,i became sure that
 the same church which had invented     
these  apostolic liturgies1 had accepted
 and circulated the false decretals of  
,isidore1 and forged innumerable        
additions and interpolations to the     
writings of the ,holy ,fathers1 in order
 to make them say the very  contrary of 
what they intended4    ,how many times1 
when alone1 studying the history of the 
shameless  fabrications1 ,i said to     
myself3 8,does the man whose treasury is
 filled  with pure gold1 forge false    
coins1 or spurious pieces of money8 ,no6
 ,how1  then1 is it possible that my    
church does possess the pure truth1 when
  she has been at work during so many   
centuries1 to forge such egregious      
lies1 under the names of liturgies and  
decretals1 about the holy mass1         
purgatory1 the supremacy of the ,pope1  
etc40    8,if those dogmas could have   
been proved by the gospel and the true  
writings of the ,fathers1 where was the 
necessity of forging lying  documents8  

,would the ,popes and councils have     
treasuries with spurious  bank bills1 if
 they had had exhaustless mines of pure 
gold in hand8 ,what  right has my church
 to be called holy and infallible1 when 
she is  publicly guilty of such         
impostures80    ,from my infancy ,i had 
been taught1 with all the ,roman        
,catholics1 that  ,mary is the mother of
 ,god1 and many times every day1 when   
praying to  her1 ,i used to say1 8,holy 
,mary1 mother of ,god1 pray for me40    
,but what was my distress when ,i read  
in the 8,treatise on ,faith and         
,creed10 by ,st ,augustine1 chapter iv41
  #i1 these very words1 8,when the      
,lord said3 ,woman1 what have ,i to do  
with thee8 ,mine hour is not yet  come40
 7,john xix3 #d47 ,he rather admonishes 
us to understand that1 in  respect of   
,his being ,god1 there was no mother for
 ,him4    ,this was so completely       
demolishing the teachings of my church1 
and  telling me that it was blasphemy to
 call ,mary1 mother of ,god1 that ,i    

felt as if struck with a thunderbolt4   
,several volumes might be written1 if my
 plan were to give the story of  my     
mental agonies1 when reading the ,holy  
,fathers1 ,i found their furious        
battles against each other1 and reviewed
 their fierce divisions on  almost every
 subject4 ,the horror of many of them at
 the dogmas which my  church had taught 
to make me believe from my infancy1 as  
the most solemn  and sacred revelations 
of ,god to man1 such as                 
transubstantiation1  auricular          
confession1 purgatory1 the supremacy of 
,peter1 the absolute  supremacy of the  
,pope over the whole church of ,christ4 
,yes6 what  thrilling pages ,i would    
give to the world1 were it my intention 
to  portray in their true colors1 the   
dark clouds1 the flashing lights and    
destructive storms which1 during the    
long and silent hours of the many       
nights ,i spent in comparing the        
,fathers with the ,word of ,god and the 
teachings of my church4 ,their fierce   

and constant conflicts2 their           
unexpected1 though undeniable opposition
 to many of the articles of the  faith  
,i had to believe and preach2 were      
coming to me day after day1 as  the     
barbed darts thrown at the doomed whale 
when coming out of the dark  regions of 
the deep to see the light and breathe   
the pure air4    ,thus1 as the          
unexpected contradictions of the ,holy  
,fathers to the tenets  of my church1   
and their furious and uncharitable      
divisions among  themselves1 were       
striking me1 ,i plunged deeper and      
deeper in the deep  waters of the       
,fathers and the ,word of ,god1 with the
 hope of getting rid  of the deadly     
darts which were piercing my ,roman     
,catholic conscience4  ,but it was in   
vain4 ,the deeper ,i went1 the more the 
deadly weapons would  stick to the flesh
 and bone of my soul4 ,how deep was the 
wound ,i  received from ,gregory the    
,great1 one of the most learned ,popes  
of ,rome1  against supremacy and        

universality of the power of the ,pope  
of ,rome as  taught to-day1 the         
following extracts from his writings    
will show3 8,but  ,i confidently say    
that whosoever calls himself universal  
bishop1 or  desires to be called so1 in 
his pride1 he prefers himself to the    
rest4  ,and he is led to error with a   
similar pride4 ,for as that wicked one  
wishes to appear a ,god1 above all men1 
whosoever he is1 who alone  desires to  
be called a supreme ,bishop1 extols     
himself above the other  bishops40 7,bk4
 vii4 ,int4 #ae4 ,epist4 #cc1 to        
,maurituus ,augustus47    ,these words  
wounded me very painfully4 ,i showed    
them to ,mr4 ,brassard1  saying3 8,do   
you not see here the incontrovertible   
proof of what ,i have  told you many    
times1 that1 during the first six       
centuries of  ,christianity1 we do not  
find the least proof that there was     
anything  like our dogma of the supreme 
power and authority of the ,bishop of   
,rome1  or any other bishop1 over the   

rest of the ,christian world8 ,if there 
is  anything which comes to the mind    
with an irresistible force1 when        
reading the ,fathers of the first       
centuries1 it is that1 not one of them  
had any idea that there was1 in the     
church1 any man chosen by ,god1 to be   
in fact or name1 the universal and      
supreme pontiff4 ,with such an          
undeniable fact before us1 how can we   
believe and say that the religion  we   
profess and teach is the same which was 
preached from the beginning  of         
,christianity80    8,my dear ,chiniquy10
 answered ,mr4 ,brassard1 8did ,i not   
tell you1 when you  bought the ,holy    
,fathers1 that you were doing a foolish 
and dangerous  thing8 ,in every age1 the
 man who singularises himself and walks 
out of  the common tracks of life is    
subject to fall into ridicule4 ,as you  
are  the only priest in ,canada who has 
the ,holy ,fathers1 it is thought and   
said in many quarters1 that it is       
through pride you got them2 that it is  

to raise yourself above the rest of the 
clergy1 that you study them1 not  only  
at home1 but that you carry some        
wherever you go4 ,i see with  regret1   
that you are fast losing ground in the  
mind1 not only of the  bishop1 but of   
the priests in general1 on account of   
your indomitable  perseverance in giving
 all your spare time in their study4    
,you are also  too free and imprudent in
 speaking of what you call the          
contradictions  of the ,holy ,fathers1  
and their want of harmony with some of  
our  religious views4 ,many say that    
this too great application to study1    
without a moment of relaxation1 will    
upset your intelligence and trouble     
your mind4 ,they even whisper that there
 is danger ahead for your faith1  which 
you do not suspect1 and that they would 
not be surprised if the  reading of the 
,bible and the ,holy ,fathers would     
drive you into the abyss  of            
,protestantism4 ,i know that that they  
are mistaken1 and ,i do all in my  power

 to defend you4 ,but1 ,i thought1 as    
your most devoted friend1 that  it was  
my duty to tell you those things1 and   
warn you before it is too  late40    ,i 
replied3 8,bishop ,prince told me the   
very same things1 and ,i will give  you 
the answer he got from me2 #8,when you  
ordain a priest1 do you not  make him   
swear that he will never interpret the  
,holy ,scriptures1 except  according to 
the unanimous consent of the ,holy      
,fathers8 ,ought you not1  then1 to know
 what they teach8 ,for1 how can we know 
their unanimous  consent without        
studying them4 ,is it not more than     
strange that not only  the priests do   
not study the ,holy ,fathers1 but the   
only one in ,canada  who is trying to   
study them1 is turned into ridicule and 
suspected of  heresy8 ,is it my fault if
 that precious stone1 called 'unanimous 
consent  of the ,holy ,fathers' which is
 the very foundation of our religious   
belief and teachings1 is to be found    
nowhere in them8 ,is it my fault if     

,origen never believed in the eternal   
punishment of the damned2 if ,st4       
,cyprien denied the supreme authority of
 the ,bishop of ,rome1 if ,st4          
,augustine positively said that nobody  
was obliged to believe in  purgatory1 if
 ,st4 ,john ,chrysostom publicly denied 
the obligations of  auricular           
confession1 and the real presence of the
 body of ,christ in the  eucharist8 ,is 
it my fault if one of the most learned  
and holy ,popes1  ,gregory the ,great1  
has called by the name of ,antichrist1  
all his  successors1 for taking the name
 of supreme pontiff1 and trying to      
persuade the world that they had1 by    
divine authority1 a supreme             
jurisdiction and power over the rest of 
the church8'0    8,and what did ,bishop 
,prince answer you80 rejoined ,mr4      
,brassard4    8,just as you did1 by     
expressing his fears that my too great  
application  to the study of the ,bible 
and the ,holy ,fathers would either send
 me to  the lunatic asylum1 or drive me 

into the bottomless abyss of            
,protestantism40    ,i answered him1 in 
a jocose way3 8that if the too great    
study of the  ,bible and the ,holy      
,fathers were to open me the gates of   
the lunatic  asylum1 ,i feared ,i would 
be left alone there1 for ,i know that   
they are  keeping themselves at a       
respectable distance from those         
dangerous  writings40 ,i added          
seriously4 8,so long as ,god keeps my   
intelligence  sound1 ,i cannot join     
,protestants1 for the numberless and    
ridiculous  sects of these heretics are 
a sure antidote against their poisonous 
errors4 ,i will not remain a good       
,catholic on account of the unanimity of
  the ,holy ,fathers1 which does not    
exist1 but ,i will remain a ,catholic on
  account of the grand and visible      
unanimity of the prophets1 apostles and 
the evangelists1 with ,jesus ,christ4   
,my faith will not be founded upon  the 
fallible1 obscure and wavering words of 
,origen1 ,tertullian1  ,chrysostom1     

,augustine or ,jerome2 but on the       
infallible word of ,jesus1  the ,son of 
,god1 and ,his inspired writers2        
,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 ,john1  ,peter1 
,james and ,paul4 ,it is ,jesus1 not    
,origen who will now guide me2  for the 
second was a sinner1 like myself1 and   
the first is forever my  ,saviour and my
 ,god4 ,i know enough of the ,holy      
,fathers to assure your  lordship that  
the oath we take accepting the ,word of 
,god according to  their unanimous      
consent1 is a miserable blunder1 if not 
a blasphemous  perjury4 ,it is evident  
that ,pius ,,iv41 who imposed the       
obligation of that  oath upon us all1   
never read a single volume of the ,holy 
,fathers4 ,he  would not have been      
guilty of such an incredible blunder1 if
 he had  known that the ,holy ,fathers  
are unanimous in only one thing1 which  
is to  differ from each other on almost 
everything2 except we suppose that1     
like the last ,pope1 he was too fond of 
good champagne1 and that he wrote  that 

ordinance after a luxurious dinner40    
,i spoke this last sentence in a        
half-serious and half-joking way4       
,the bishop answered3 8,who told you    
that about our last ,pope80    8,your   
lordship10 ,i answered1 8told me that1  
when you complimented me on  the        
apostolical benediction which the       
present ,pope sent me through my  ,lord 
,baillargeon1 #8that his predecessor    
would not have given me his  benediction
 for preaching temperance because he was
 too fond of wine6'0    8,oh yes6 yes6  
,i remember it now10 answered the       
bishop4 8,but it was a bad  joke on my  
part1 which ,i regret40    8,good or bad
 joke10 ,i replied1 8,it is not the less
 the fact1 that our  last ,pope was too 
fond of wine4 ,there is not a single    
priest of ,canada  who has gone to      
,rome1 without bringing that back as a  
public fact1 from  ,italy40    8,and    
what did my ,lord ,prince say to that10 
asked again ,mr4 ,brassard4    8,just as
 when he was cornered by me1 on the     

subject of the ,virgin ,mary1  he       
abruptly put an end to the conversation1
 by looking at his watch and  saying    
that he had a call to make1 at that very
 hour40    ,not long after that painful 
conversation about the ,holy ,fathers1  
it was  the will of ,god1 that a new    
arrow should be thrust into my ,roman   
,catholic conscience1 which went through
 and through1 in spite of myself4    ,i 
had been invited to give a course of    
three sermons at ,varennes4 ,the  second
 day1 at tea time1 after preaching and  
hearing confessions for the  whole      
afternoon1 ,i was coming from the church
 with the curate1 when  half-way to the 
parsonage1 we were met by a poor man1   
who looked more  like one coming out of 
the grave1 than a living man2 he was    
covered with  rags1 and his pale and    
trembling lips indicated that he was    
reduced to  the last degree of human    
misery4 ,taking off his hat1 through    
respect for  us1 he said to ,rev4       
,primeau1 with a trembling voice2 8,you 

know1 ,mr4 le  ,cure1 that my poor wife 
died1 and was buried ten days ago1 but  
,i was too  poor to have a funeral      
service sung the day she was buried1 and
 ,i fear  she is in purgatory1 for      
almost every night1 ,i see her in my    
dreams1  wrapped up in burning flames4  
,she cries to me for help1 and asks me  
to  have a high mass sung for the rest  
of her soul4 ,i come to ask you to be   
so kind as to sing that high mass for   
her40    8,of course10 answered the     
curate1 8your wife is in the flames of  
purgatory1 and suffers there the most   
unspeakable tortures1 which can be      
relieved only by the offering of the    
holy sacrifice of mass4 ,give me  five  
dollars and ,i will sing that mass      
to-morrow morning40    8,you know very  
well1 ,mr4 le ,cure10 answered the poor 
man1 in a most  supplicating tone1 8that
 my wife has been sick1 as well as      
myself1 a  good part of the year4 ,i am 
too poor to give you five dollars60     
8,if you cannot pay1 you cannot have any

 mass sung4 ,you know it is the  rule4  
,it is not in my power to change it40   
,these words were said by the curate    
with a high and unfeeling tone1  which  
were in absolute contrast with the      
solemnity and distress of the  poor sick
 man4 ,they made a very painful         
impression upon me1 for ,i felt  for    
him4 ,i knew the curate was well-off1 at
 the head of one of the  richest        
parishes of ,canada2 that he had several
 thousand dollars in the  bank4 ,i hoped
 at first1 that he would kindly grant   
the petition  presented to him1 without 
speaking of the pay1 but ,i was         
disappointed4  ,my first thought1 after 
hearing his hard rebuke1 was to put my  
hand in  my pocket and take one of the  
several five-dollar gold pieces ,i had1 
and  give it to the poor man1 that he   
might be relieved from his terrible     
anxiety about his wife4 ,it came also to
 my mind to say to him3 8,i will  sing  
your high mass for nothing to-morrow40  
,but alas6 ,i must confess1 to  my      

shame1 ,i was too cowardly to do that   
noble deed4 ,i had a sincere  desire to 
do it1 but was prevented by the fear of 
insulting that priest1  who was older   
than myself1 and for whom ,i had always 
entertained great  respect4 ,it was     
evident to me that he would have taken  
my action as a  condemnation of his     
conduct4    ,when ,i was feeling ashamed
 of my own cowardice1 and still more    
indignant  against myself than against  
the curate1 he said to the disconcerted 
poor  man3 8,that woman is your wife2   
not mine4 ,it is your business1 and not 
mine1 to see how to get her out of      
purgatory40    ,turning to me1 he said1 
in the most amiable way3 8,please1 sir1 
come to  tea40    ,we hardly started1   
when the poor man1 raising his voice1   
said1 in a most  touching way3 8,i      
cannot leave my poor wife in the flames 
of purgatory2  if you cannot sing a high
 mass1 will you please say five low     
masses to  rescue her soul from those   
burning flames80    ,the priest turned  

towards him and said3 8,yes1 ,i can say 
five masses to  take the soul of your   
wife out of purgatory1 but give me five 
shillings2  for you know the price of a 
low mass is one shilling40    ,the poor 
man answered3 8,i can no more give one  
dollar than ,i can five4 ,i  have not a 
cent2 and my three poor little children 
are as naked and  starving as myself40  
8,well6 well60 answered the curate1     
8when ,i passed this morning1 before    
your house1 ,i saw two beautiful sucking
 pigs4 ,give me one of them1 and ,i     
will say your five low masses40    ,the 
poor man said3 8,these small pigs were  
given me by a charitable  neighbor1 that
 ,i might raise them to feed my poor    
children next winter4  ,they will surely
 starve to death1 if ,i give my pigs    
away40    ,but ,i could not listen any  
longer to that strange dialogue2 every  
word  of which fell upon my soul as a   
shower of burning coals4 ,i was beside  
myself with shame and disgust4 ,i       
abruptly left the merchant of souls1    

finishing his bargains1 went to my      
sleeping-room1 locked the door1 and     
fell upon my knees to weep to my heart's
 content4    ,a quarter of an hour      
later1 the curate knocked at my door and
 said3 8,tea  is ready2 please come     
down60 ,i answered3 8,i am not well2 ,i 
want some  rest4 ,please excuse me1 if  
,i do not take my tea to-night40    ,it 
would require a more eloquent pen than  
mine to give the correct  history of    
that sleepless night4 ,the hours were   
dark and long4    8,my ,god6 my ,god60  
,i cried1 a thousand times1 8,is it     
possible that1 in my  so dear ,church of
 ,rome1 there can be such abominations  
as ,i have seen  and heard to-day8 ,dear
 and adorable ,saviour1 if thou wert    
still on  earth1 and should see the soul
 of a daughter of ,israel fallen into a 
burning furnace1 wouldst thou ask a     
shilling to take it out8 ,wouldst  thou 
force the poor father1 with his starving
 children1 to give their  last morsel of
 bread1 to persuade thee to extinguish  

the burning flames8  ,thou hast shed the
 last drop of thy blood to save her4    
,and how cruel1  how merciless1 we1 thy 
priests1 are1 for the same precious     
soul6 ,but are  we really thy priests8  
,is it not blasphemous to call ourselves
 thy  priests1 when not only we will not
 sacrifice anything to save that soul1  
but will starve the poor husband and his
 orphans8 ,what right have we to  extort
 such sums of money from thy poor       
children to help them out of  purgatory8
 ,do not thy apostles say that thy blood
 alone can purify the  soul8    8,is it 
possible that there is such a fiery     
prison for the sinners after  death1 and
 that neither thyself nor any of thy    
apostles has said a word  about it8     
8,several of the ,fathers consider      
purgatory as of ,pagan origin4          
,tertullian spoke of it only after he   
had joined the sect of the  ,montanists1
 and he confesses that it is not through
 the ,holy ,scriptures1  but through the
 inspiration of the ,paraclete of       

,montanus that he knows  anything about 
purgatory4 ,augustine1 the most learned 
and pious of the  ,holy ,fathers1 does  
not find purgatory in the ,bible1 and   
positively says  that its existence is  
dubious2 that every one may believe what
 he thinks  proper about it4 ,is it     
possible that ,i am so mean as to have  
refused to  extend a helping hand to    
that poor distressed man1 for fear of   
offending  the cruel priest8    8,we    
priests believe1 and say that we can    
help souls out of the burning  furnace  
of purgatory1 by our prayers and masses2
 but instead of rushing  to their       
rescue1 we turn to the parents1 friends1
 the children of those  departed souls1 
and say3 8,give me five dollars2 give me
 a shilling1 and  ,i will put an end to 
those tortures2 but if you refuse us    
that money1 we  will let your father1   
husband1 wife1 child1 or friend endure  
those  tortures1 hundreds of years more6
 ,would not the people throw us into the
  river1 if they could once understand  

the extent of our meanness and  avarice8
 ,ought we not to be ashamed to ask a   
shilling to take out of the  fire a     
human being who calls us to the rescue8 
,who1 except a priest1 can  descend so  
low in the regions of depravity80    ,it
 would take too long to give the        
thoughts which tortured me during  that 
terrible night4 ,i literally bathed my  
pillow with my tears4 ,before  saying my
 mass next morning1 ,i went to confess  
my criminal cowardice and  want of      
charity towards that poor man1 and also 
the terrible temptation  against my     
faith which tortured my conscience      
during the long hours of  that night6   
,and ,i repaired my cowardice by giving 
#e4jj to that poor  man4    ,i spent the
 morning in hearing confessions till ten
 o'clock1 when ,i  delivered a very     
exciting sermon on the malice of sin1   
proved by the  sufferings of ,christ on 
the cross4 ,this address gave a happy   
diversion  to my mind1 and made me      
forget the sad story of the sucking pig4

    ,after the sermon1 the curate took  
me by the hand to his dining room1      
where he gave me1 in spite of myself1   
the place of honor4    ,he had the      
reputation of having one of the best    
cooks of ,canada1 in the  widow of one  
of the governors of ,nova ,scotia1 whom 
he had as his  housekeeper4 ,the dishes 
before our eyes did not diminish his    
good  reputation4    ,the first dish was
 a sucking pig1 roasted with an art and 
perfection as  ,i had never seen2 it    
looked like a piece of pure gold1 and   
its smell  would have brought water to  
the lips of the most penitent anchorite4
    ,i had not tasted anything for the  
last twenty-four hours2 had preached    
two exciting sermons1 and spent six     
hours in hearing confessions4 ,i felt   
hungry2 and the sucking pig was the most
 tempting thing to me4 ,it was a  real  
epicurean pleasure to look at it and    
smell its fragrance4 ,besides1  that was
 a favorite dish with me4 ,i cannot     
conceal that it was with real  pleasure 

that ,i saw the curate1 after sharpening
 his long1 glittering  knife on the     
file1 cutting a beautiful slice from the
 shoulder1 and  offering it to me4 ,i   
was too hungry to be over patient4 ,my  
knife and  fork had soon done their     
work4 ,i was carrying to my mouth the   
tempting  and succulent mouthful1 when1 
suddenly1 the remembrance of the poor   
man's sucking pig came to my mind4 ,i   
laid the piece on my plate1 and  with   
painful anxiety1 looked at the curate   
and said3 8,will you allow me  to put   
you a question about this dish80        
8,oh6 yes2 ask me1 not only one1 but two
 questions1 and ,i will be happy  to    
answer you to the best of my ability10  
answered he1 with his fine  manners4    
8,is this the sucking pig of the poor   
man of yesterday80 ,i asked4    ,with a 
convulsive fit of laughter1 he replied3 
8,yes2 it is just it4 ,if  we cannot    
take away the soul of the poor woman out
 of the flames of  purgatory1 we will1  
at all events1 eat a fine sucking pig60 

,the other thirteen priests filled the  
room with laughter1 to show their       
appreciation of their host's wit4       
,however1 their laughter was not of long
 duration4 ,with a feeling of  shame and
 uncontrollable indignation1 ,i pushed  
away my plate with such  force1 that it 
crossed the table1 and nearly fell on   
the floor1 saying1  with a sentiment of 
disgust which no pen can describe3 8,i  
would rather  starve to death than eat  
of that execrable dish2 ,i see in it the
 tears  of the poor man2 ,i see the     
blood of his starving children2 it is   
the  price of a soul4 ,no6 no1          
gentlemen2 do not touch it4 ,you know1  
,mr4  ,curate1 how #cj1jjj priests and  
monks were slaughtered in ,france1 in   
the  bloody days of #agib4 ,it was for  
such iniquities as this that ,god       
,almighty visited the church in ,france4
 ,the same future awaits us here in     
,canada1 the very day that people will  
awaken from their slumber and see  that1
 instead of being ministers of ,christ1 

we are vile traders of  souls1 under the
 mask of religion40    ,the poor curate1
 stunned by the solemnity of my words1  
as well as by the  consciousness of his 
guilt1 lisped some excuse4 ,the sucking 
pig remained  untouched2 and the rest of
 the dinner had more the appearance of a
  burial ceremony than of a convivial   
repast4    ,by the mercy of ,god1 ,i had
 redeemed my cowardice of the day       
before4 ,but  ,i had mortally wounded   
the feelings of that curate and his     
friends1 and  forever lost their        
good-will4    ,it is in such ways that  
,god was directing the steps of his     
unprofitable  servant through ways      
unknown to him4 ,furious storms were    
constantly  blowing around my fragile   
bark1 and tearing my sails into         
fragments4  ,but1 every storm was       
pushing me1 in spite of myself1 towards 
the shores  of eternal life1 where ,i   
was to land safely a few years later4   
,,chapter ,,xlvii4    ,,letter ,,from   
,,the ,,rev4 ,,bishop ,,vandeveld1 ,,of 

,,chicago--,,vast ,,project ,,of ,,the  
,,bishops ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  
,,to ,,take ,,possession ,,of ,,the     
,,rich ,,valley ,,of    ,,the           
,,mississippi ,,and ,,the ,,prairies    
,,of ,,the ,,west1 ,,to ,,rule ,,that   
,,great    ,,republic--,,they ,,want    
,,to ,,put ,,me ,,at ,,the ,,head ,,of  
,,the ,,work--,,my ,,lectures ,,on      
,,temperance ,,at                       
,,detroit--,,intemperance ,,of ,,the    
,,bishop ,,and ,,priests ,,of ,,that    
,,city4      ,on the #aeth of ,december1
 #ahej1 ,i received the following       
letter3                                 
,,chicago1 ,ill41 ,dec4 #ast1 #ahej4    
,,rev4 ,,father ,,chiniquy1             
,apostle of ,temperance of ,canada4     
,,dear ,,sir3--,when ,i was in ,canada1 
last fall1 ,i intended to confer with   
you  on a very important subject4 ,but  
you were then working in the diocese of 
,boston1 and my limited time prevented  
me from going so far to meet you4  ,you 
are aware that the lands of the ,state  

of ,illinois and the whole  valley of   
the ,mississippi are among the richest  
and most fertile of the  world4 ,in a   
near future1 those regions1 which are   
now a comparative  wilderness1 will be  
the granary1 not only of the ,united    
,states1 but of  the whole world2 and   
those who will possess them1 will not   
only possess  the very heart and        
arteries of this young and already so   
great republic1  but will become its    
rulers4    ,it is our intention1 without
 noise1 to take possession of those vast
 and  magnificent regions of the west in
 the name and for the benefit of our    
holy church4 ,our plan to attain that   
object is as sure as easy4 ,there  is1  
every year1 an increasing tide of       
emigration from the ,roman ,catholic    
regions of ,europe and ,canada towards  
the ,united ,states4 ,unfortunately1    
till now1 our emigrants have blindly    
scattered themselves among the          
,protestant populations1 which too often
 absorb them and destroy their  faith4  

,why should we not direct their steps to
 the same spot8 ,why should we  not1 for
 instance1 induce them to come and take 
possession of these  fertile ,states of 
,illinois1 ,missouri1 ,iowa1 ,kansas1   
etc4 ,they can get  those lands now at a
 nominal price4 ,if we succeed1 as ,i   
hope we will1  our holy church will soon
 count her children here by ten and     
twenty  millions1 and through their     
numbers1 their wealth and unity1 they   
will  have such a weight in the balance 
of power that they will rule            
everything4    ,the ,protestants1 always
 divided among themselves1 will never   
form any  strong party without the help 
of the united vote of our ,catholic     
people2  and that party alone which will
 ask and get our help by yielding to our
  just demands1 will rule the country4  
,then1 in reality1 though not in        
appearance1 our holy church will rule   
the ,united ,states1 as she is  called  
by our ,saviour ,himself to rule the    
whole world4 ,there is1 to-day1  a wave 

of emigration from ,canada towards the  
,united ,states which1 if not  stopped  
or well directed1 is threatening to     
throw the good ,french  ,canadian people
 into the mire of ,protestantism4 ,your 
countrymen1 when  once mixed with the   
numberless sects which try to attract   
them1 are soon  shaken in their faith4  
,their children sent to ,protestant     
schools1 will  be unable to defend      
themselves against the wily and united  
efforts made  to pervert them4    ,but  
put yourself at the head of the         
emigrants from ,canada1 ,france and     
,belgium2 prevent them from settling any
 longer among the ,protestants1 by      
inducing them to follow you to          
,illinois1 and with them you will soon  
see  here a ,roman ,catholic people1    
whose number1 wealth and influence will 
amaze the world4 ,god ,almighty has     
wonderfully blessed your labors in      
,canada1 in that holy cause of          
temperance4 ,but now the work is done1  
the  same ,great ,god presents to your  

,christian ambition a not less great and
  noble work for the rest of your life4 
,make use of your great influence  over 
your countrymen to prevent them from    
scattering any longer among             
,protestants1 by inducing them to come  
here1 in ,illinois4 ,you will then  lay 
the foundation of a ,roman ,catholic    
,french people whose piety1 unity1      
wealth and number will soon renew and   
revive1 on this continent1 the  past and
 fading glories of the ,church of       
,france4    ,we have already1 at        
,bourbonnais1 a fine colony of ,french  
,canadians4 ,they  long to see and hear 
you4 ,come and help me to make that     
comparatively  small1 though thriving   
people1 grow with the emigrants from the
  ,french-speaking countries of ,europe 
and ,america1 till it covers the  whole 
territory of ,illinois with its sturdy  
sons and pious daughters4 ,i  will ask  
the pope to make you my coadjutor1 and  
you will soon become my  successor1 for 
,i already feel too weak and unhealthy  

to bear alone the  burden of my too     
large diocese4    ,please consider what 
,i propose to you before ,god1 and      
answer me4 ,but be  kind enough to      
consider this overture as strictly      
confidential between  you and me1 till  
we have brought our plans into          
execution4                    ,truly    
,yours1               ,,oliv            
,,vandeveld1                            
,bishop of ,chicago4    ,i answered him 
that the bishops of ,boston1 ,buffalo   
and ,detroit had  already advised me to 
put myself at the head of the ,french   
,canadian  emigration1 in order to      
direct its tide towards the vast and    
rich  regions of the ,west4 ,i wrote him
 that ,i felt as he did1 that it was the
  best way to prevent my countrymen from
 falling into the snares laid  before   
them by ,protestants1 among whom they   
were scattering themselves4  ,i told him
 that ,i would consider it a great honor
 and privilege to spend  the last part  
of my life in extending the power and   

influence of our  holy church over the  
,united ,states1 and that ,i would1 in  
,june next1 pay  my respects to him in  
,chicago1 when on my way towards the    
colony of my  countrymen at ,bourbonnais
 ,grove4 ,i added that after ,i should  
have seen  those territories of         
,illinois and the ,mississippi valley   
with my own  eyes it would be more easy 
to give him a definite answer4 ,i ended 
my  letter by saying3 8,but ,i          
respectfully request your lordship to   
give up  the idea of selecting me for   
your coadjutor or successor4 ,i have    
already  twice refused to become a      
bishop4 ,that high dignity is too much  
above my  merits and capacities to be   
ever accepted by me4 ,i am happy and    
proud to  fight the battles of our holy 
church2 but let my superiors allow me to
  continue to remain in her ranks simply
 as a soldier to defend her honor  and  
extend her power4 ,i may1 then1 with the
 help of ,god1 do some good4  ,but ,i   
feel and know that ,i would spoil       

everything1 if raised to an  elevated   
position1 for which ,i am not fit40     
,without speaking to anybody of the     
proposition of the ,bishop of ,chicago1 
,i was preparing to go and see the new  
field where he wanted me to work1  when1
 in the beginning of ,may1 #ahea1 ,i    
received a very pressing  invitation    
from my ,lord ,lefebre1 ,bishop of      
,detroit1 to lecture on  temperance to  
the ,french ,canadians1 who were then   
forming the majority  of the ,roman     
,catholics of that city4    ,that bishop
 had taken the place of ,bishop ,rese1  
whose public scandals  and infamies had 
covered the whole ,catholic church of   
,america with  shame4 ,during the last  
years he had spent in his diocese1 very 
few weeks  had been passed without his  
being picked up beastly drunk in the    
lowest  taverns1 and even in the streets
 of ,detroit1 and dragged1 unconscious  
to  his palace4    ,after long and vain 
efforts to reform him1 the pope and the 
bishops of  ,america had happily        

succeeded in persuading him to go to    
,rome1 and pay  his respects to the     
so-called vicar of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this
 was a snare  too skilfully laid to be  
suspected by the drunken bishop4 ,he had
 hardly  set his feet in ,rome when the 
inquisitors threw him into one of their 
dungeons1 where he remained till the    
republicans set him at liberty1 in      
#ahdh1 after ,pope ,pius ,,ix4 had fled 
to ,civita ,vecchia4    ,in order to    
blot out from the face of his church the
 black spots with  which his predecessor
 had covered it1 my ,lord ,lefebre made 
the greatest  display of zeal for the   
cause of temperance4 ,as soon as he was 
inducted1  he invited his people to     
follow his example and enroll themselves
 under  its banners1 in a very powerful 
address on the evils caused by the use  
of intoxicating drinks4 ,at the end of  
his eloquent sermon1 laying his  right  
hand on the altar1 he made a solemn     
promise never to drink any  alcoholic   
liquors4    ,his telling sermon on      

temperance1 with his solemn and public  
promise1  were published through nearly 
all the papers of that time1 and ,i read
 it  many times to the people with good 
effect4 ,when on my way to ,illinois1 ,i
  reached the city of ,detroit to give  
the course of lectures demanded by  the 
bishop1 in the first week in ,june4     
,though the bishop was absent1 ,i       
immediately began to preach to an       
immense audience in the ,cathedral4 ,i  
had agreed to give five lectures1 and it
 was only during the third one  that    
,bishop ,lefebre arrived4 ,after paying 
me great compliments for my  zeal and   
success in the temperance cause1 he took
 me by the hand to his  dining-room and 
said3 8,let us go and refresh           
ourselves40    ,i shall never forget my 
surprise and dismay1 when ,i perceived  
the long  dining table covered with     
bottles of brandy1 wine1 beer1 etc41    
prepared  for himself and his six or    
seven priests1 who were already around  
it1  joyfully emptying their glasses4   

,my first thought was to express my     
surprise and indignation1 and leave the 
room in disgust1 but by a second  and   
better thought ,i waited a little to see
 more of that unexpected  spectacle4 ,i 
accepted the seat offered me by the     
bishop at his right  hand4    8,father  
,chiniquy10 he said1 8this is the       
sweetest claret you ever  drank40 ,and  
before ,i could utter a word1 he had    
filled my large glass  with the wine and
 drank his own to my health4    ,looking
 at the bishop in amazement1 ,i said3   
8,what does this mean1 my  lord80       
8,it means that ,i want to drink with   
you the best claret you ever  tasted40  
8,do you take me for a comedian8 and    
have you called me here to play such  a 
strange comedy80 ,i replied1 with lips  
trembling with indignation4    8,i did  
not invite you to play a comedy10 he    
answered4 8,i invited you to  lecture on
 temperance to my people1 and you have  
done it in a most  admirable way these  
last three days4 ,though you did not see

 me1 ,i was  present at this evening's  
address4 ,i never heard anything so     
eloquent on  that subject as what you   
said4 ,but now that you have fulfilled  
your  duty1 ,i must do mine1 which is to
 treat you as a gentleman and drink     
that bottle of wine with you40    8,but1
 my lord1 allow me to tell you that ,i  
would not deserve to be  called or      
treated as a gentleman were ,i vile     
enough to drink wine after  the address 
,i gave this evening40    8,i beg your  
pardon for differing from you10 answered
 the bishop48 ,those  drunken people to 
whom you spoke so well against the evils
 of  intemperance are in need of the    
stringent and bitter remedies you offer 
them in your teetotalism4 ,but here we  
are sober men and gentlemen1 we do  not 
want such remedies4 ,i never thought    
that the physicians were  absolutely    
bound to take the pills they administer 
to their patients40    8,i hope your    
lordship will not deny me the right you 
claim for yourself1  to differ with me  

in this matter4 ,i entirely differ from 
you1 when you  say that men who drink as
 you do with your priests1 have a right 
to be  called sober men40    8,i fear1  
,mr4 ,chiniquy1 that you forget where   
you are1 and to whom you  speak just    
now10 replied the bishop4    8,it may be
 that ,i have made a blunder1 and that  
,i am guilty of some  grave error in    
coming here and speaking to you as ,i am
 doing1 my lord4  ,in that case1 ,i am  
ready to ask your pardon4 ,but before ,i
 retract what ,i  have said1 please     
allow me to respectfully ask you a very 
simple  question40    ,then taking from 
my pocket-book his printed address1 and 
his public and  solemn promise never to 
drink1 neither to offer any intoxicating
 drinks  to others1 ,i read it aloud1   
and said3    8,are you the same ,bishop 
of ,detroit1 called ,lefebre1 who has   
made this  solemn promise8 ,if you are  
not the same man1 ,i will retract and   
beg your  pardon1 but if you are the    
same1 ,i have nothing to retract40      

,my answer fell upon the poor bishop as 
a thunderbolt4    ,he lisped some       
unintelligible and insignificant        
explanation1 which1  however1 he ended  
by a coup d'etat1 in saying3    8,my    
dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 ,i did not invite  
you to preach to the bishop1 but  only  
to the people of ,detroit40    8,you are
 right1 my lord1 ,i was not called to   
preach to the bishop1 but  allow me to  
tell you that if ,i had known sooner    
that when the ,bishop of  ,detroit1 with
 his priests1 solemnly1 publicly1 and   
with their right hand  on the altar1    
promised that they would never drink any
 intoxicating  drinks1 it means that    
they will drink and fill themselves with
 those  detestable liquors till their   
brains shiver with their poisonous      
fumes1  ,i would not have troubled you  
with my presence or my remarks here4    
,however1 allow me to tell your lordship
 to be kind enough to find  another     
lecturer for your temperance meetings2  
for ,i am determined to  take the train 

to-morrow morning for ,chicago40        
,there is no need to say that during    
that painful conversation the  priests  
7with only one exception7 were as full  
of indignation against me  as they were 
full of wine4 ,i left the table and went
 to my sleeping  apartment1 overwhelmed 
with sadness and shame4    ,half an hour
 later1 the bishop was with me1         
conjuring me to continue my  lectures1  
on account of the fearful scandals which
 would result from my  sudden and       
unexpected exit from ,detroit1 when the 
whole people had the  assurance from me 
that very night that ,i would continue  
to lecture the  two following evenings4 
,i acknowledged that there would be a   
great  scandal1 but ,i told him that he 
was the only one responsible for it1 by 
his want of faith and consistency4      
,he1 at first1 tried to persuade me that
 he was ordered to drink by his  own    
physicians1 for his health2 but ,i      
showed him that this was a  miserable   
illusion4 ,he then said that he         

regretted what had occurred1  and       
confessed that it would be better if the
 priests practiced what they  preached  
to the people4 ,after which1 he asked   
me1 in the name of our  ,lord ,jesus    
,christ1 to forget the errors of the    
bishop and priests of  ,detroit1 in     
order to think only of the good which   
the conversion of the  numberless       
drunkards of that city would do to the  
people4    ,he spoke to me with such    
earnestness of the souls saved1 the     
tears  dried1 the happiness restored to 
hundreds of families by temperance1     
that he touched the most sensitive      
chords of my heart1 and got from me  the
 promise that ,i would deliver the other
 two expected lectures4 ,he was  so glad
 that he pressed me on his bosom and    
gave me1 what we call in  ,french1 ,le  
baiser de paix 7kiss of peace71 to show 
me his esteem and  gratitude4    ,when  
alone1 ,i tried to drown in a sound     
sleep the sad emotions of that  evening2
 but it was impossible4 ,that night was 

to be again a sleepless  one to me4 ,the
 intemperance of that high dignitary and
 his priests  filled me with an         
unspeakable horror and disgust4 ,many   
times during the  dark hours of that    
night1 ,i heard as if it were a voice1  
saying to me3  8,do you not see that the
 bishops and priests of your church do  
not  believe a word of their religion8  
,their only object is to throw dust in  
the eyes of the people1 and live a jolly
 life4 ,do you not see that you  do not 
follow the ,word of ,god1 but only the  
vain and lying traditions of  men1 in   
the ,church of ,rome8 ,come out of it2  
break the heavy yoke which  is upon you1
 and follow the simple1 pure religion of
 ,jesus ,christ40    ,i tried to silence
 that voice by saying to myself3 8,these
 sins are not  the sins of my holy      
church--they are the sins of            
individuals4 ,it was not  the fault of  
,christ if ,judas was a thief6 ,it is   
not more the fault of my  holy church if
 this bishop and his priests are        

drunkards and worldly  men4 ,where will 
,i go if ,i leave my church8 ,will ,i   
not find drunkards and  infidels        
everywhere ,i may go in search of a     
better religion80    ,the dawn of the   
next day found me feverish1 and unable  
to get any rest  in my bed4 ,hoping that
 the first fresh air of the morning     
would do me  good1 ,i went to the       
beautiful garden1 covered with fruit    
trees of all  kinds1 which was then     
around the ,episcopal residence4 ,but   
what was my  surprise to see the bishop 
leaning on a tree1 with his handkerchief
 over  his face1 and bathed in tears4 ,i
 approached him with the least noise    
possible4 ,i saw that he did not        
perceive me4 ,by the motion of his head 
and shoulders1 it became evident to me  
that he was in anguish of soul4 ,i  said
 to him3 8,my dear bishop1 what is the  
matter8 ,why do you weep and  cry at    
such an early hour80    ,pressing my    
hand convulsively in his1 he answered3  
8,dear ,father ,chiniquy1 you do not yet

 know the awful calamity which has      
befallen me this night40    8,what      
calamity80 ,i asked4    8,do you not    
remember10 he answered1 8that young     
priest who was sitting  at your right   
hand1 last evening8 ,well6 he went away1
 during the night1  with the wife of a  
young man1 whom he had seduced1 and     
stole #d1jjj from  me before he left40  
8,i am not at all surprised at that1    
when ,i remember how that priest        
emptied his glasses of beer and wine    
last night10 ,i answered4 8,when the    
blood of a man is heated by those fiery 
liquors1 it is sheer absurdity  to think
 that he will keep his vow of chastity40
    8,you are right6 ,you are right6    
,god ,almighty has punished me for      
breaking  the public pledge ,i had taken
 never to drink any intoxicating drinks4
 ,we  want a reform in our midst1 and we
 will have it10 he answered4 8,but what 
horrible scandal6 ,one of my young      
priests gone with that young wife1      
after stealing #d1jjj from me6 ,great   

,god6 ,must we not hide our face now1   
in this city80    ,i could say nothing  
to alleviate the sorrow of the poor     
bishop1 but to  mingle my tears of shame
 and sorrow with his4 ,i went back to my
 room1  where ,i wept a part of the day1
 to my heart's content1 on the          
unspeakable degradation of that         
priesthood of which ,i had been so      
proud1  and about which ,i had such     
exalted views when ,i entered its ranks1
  before ,i had an inside view of its   
dark mysteries4    ,of course1 the next 
two days that ,i was the guest of       
,bishop ,lefebre1 not  a single drop of 
intoxicating drink was seen on the      
table4 ,but ,i know  that not long      
after1 that representative of the pope  
forgot again his  solemn vows and       
continued with his priests drinking1    
till he died a most  miserable death in 
#ahge4                                  
,,chapter ,,xlviii4    ,,my ,,visit ,,to
 ,,chicago ,,in #ahea--;,,bishop        
,,vandeveld--,,his ,,predecessor        

,,poisoned--,,magnificent ,,prairies    
,,of ,,the ,,west--,,return ,,to        
,,canada--,,bad    ,,feelings ,,of      
,,bishop ,,bourget--,i ,,decline        
,,sending ,a ,,rich ,,woman ,,to ,,the  
,,nunnery ,,to ,,enrich ,,the           
,,bishop--,a ,,plot ,,to ,,destroy ,,me4
      ,the journey from ,detroit to     
,chicago1 in the month of ,june1 #ahea1 
was not  so pleasant as it is to-day4   
,the ,michigan ,central ,railroad was   
completed  then only to ,new ,buffalo4  
,we took the steamer there and crossed  
,lake  ,michigan to ,chicago1 where we  
arrived the next morning1 after nearly  
perishing in a terrible storm4 ,on the  
#aeth of ,june1 ,i first landed1 with   
the greatest difficulty1 on a badly     
wrecked wharf1 at the mouth of the      
river4 ,some of the streets ,i had to   
cross in order to reach the bishop's    
palace were almost impassable4 ,in many 
places loose planks had been  thrown    
across them to prevent people from      
miring in the mud and  quicksands4      

,the first sight of ,chicago was then   
far from giving an idea of what that    
city has become in #ahhf4 ,though it had
 rapidly increased in the last ten      
years1 its population was then not much 
more than #cj1jjj4 ,the only line  of   
railroad finished was from ,chicago to  
,aurora1 about forty miles4    ,the     
whole population of the ,state of       
,illinois was then not much beyond      
#bjj1jjj4 ,to-day1 ,chicago alone       
numbers more than #ejj1jjj souls within 
her limits4 ,probably more grain1       
lumber1 beef and pork are now bought    
and sold in a single day in ,chicago    
than were then in a whole year4    ,when
 ,i entered the miserable house called  
the 8bishop's palace10 ,i could  hardly 
believe my eyes4 ,the planks of the     
lower floor1 in the  dining-room1 were  
floating1 and it required a great deal  
of ingenuity to  keep my feet dry while 
dining with him for the first time4 ,but
 the  ,christian kindness and courtesy  
of the bishop1 made me more happy in his

  poor house than ,i felt1 later1 in the
 white marble palace built by his       
haughty successor1 ,c4 ,o',regan4       
,there were then in ,chicago about #bjj 
,french ,canadian families1 under the   
pastorate of the ,rev4 ,m4 ,a4 ,lebel1  
who1 like myself1 was born in           
,kamouraska4 ,the drunkenness and other 
immoralities of the clergy1  pictured to
 me by that priest1 surpassed all ,i had
 ever heard or known4    ,after getting 
my promise that ,i would never reveal   
the fact before his  death1 he assured  
me that the last bishop had been        
poisoned by one of  his grand vicars in 
the following way4 ,he said1 the grand  
vicar1 being  father confessor of the   
nuns of ,loretto1 had fallen in love    
with one of  the so-called virgins1 who 
died a few days after becoming the      
mother of  a still-born child4    ,this 
fact having transpired1 and threatening 
to give a great deal of  scandal1 the   
bishop thought it was his duty to make  
an inquiry and  punish his priest1 if he

 should be found guilty4 ,but the grand 
vicar1  seeing that his crime was to be 
easily detected1 found that the shortest
  way to escape exposure was to put an  
end to the inquest by murdering the     
poor bishop4 ,a poison very difficult to
 detect was administered1 and the  death
 of the prelate soon followed1 without  
exciting any surprise in the  community4
    ,horrified by the long and minute   
details of that mystery of iniquity1 ,i 
came very near returning to ,canada1    
immediately1 without going any  further4
 ,but after more mature consideration1  
it seemed to me that these  awful       
iniquities on the part of the priests of
 ,illinois was just the  reason why ,i  
should not shut my ears to the voice of 
,god1 if it were ,his  will that ,i     
should come to take care of the precious
 souls ,he would  trust to me4 ,i spent 
a week in ,chicago1 lecturing on        
temperance every  evening1 and listening
 during the days to the grand plans the 
bishop was  maturing1 in order to make  

our ,church of ,rome the mistress and   
ruler of  the magnificent valley of the 
,mississippi1 which included the ,states
 of  ,minnesota1 ,iowa1 ,missouri1      
,kansas1 ,mississippi1 etc4 ,he clearly 
demonstrated to me1 that once mistress  
of the incalculable treasures of  those 
rich lands1 through the millions of her 
obedient children1 our  church would    
easily command the respect and the      
submission of the less  favored states  
of the east4    ,my zeal for my church  
was so sincere that ,i would have given1
 with  pleasure1 every drop of my blood1
 in order to secure to her such a       
future of power and greatness4 ,i felt  
really happy and thankful to ,god  that 
,he should have chosen me to help the   
pope and the bishops realize  such a    
noble and magnificent project4          
,leaving ,chicago1 it took me nearly    
three days to cross the vast  prairies1 
which were then a perfect wilderness1   
between ,chicago and  ,bourbonnais1     
where ,i spent three weeks in preaching 

and exploring the  country extending    
from the ,kankakee river to the         
south-west towards the  ,mississippi4   
,it was only then that ,i plainly       
understood the greatness of the plans of
  the bishop1 and that ,i determined to 
sacrifice the exalted position ,god  had
 given me in ,canada to guide the steps 
of the ,roman ,catholic  emigrants from 
,france1 ,belgium and ,canada towards   
the regions of the  west1 in order to   
extend the power and influence of my    
church all over  the ,united ,states4   
,on my return to ,chicago1 in the second
 week of ,july1 all was arranged  with  
the bishop for my coming back in the    
autumn1 to help him to  accomplish his  
gigantic plans4    ,however1 it was     
understood between us that my leaving   
,canada for the  ,united ,states would  
be kept a secret till the last hour1 on 
account of  the stern opposition ,i     
expected from my bishop4    ,the last   
thing to be done1 on my return to       
,canada1 in order to prepare  the       

emigrants to go to ,illinois1 rather    
than any other part of the  ,united     
,states1 was to tell them through the   
press the unrivaled  advantages which   
,god had prepared for them in the west4 
,i did so by a  letter1 which was       
published not only by the press of      
,canada1 but also in  many papers of    
,france and ,belgium4 ,the importance of
 that letter is such  that ,i hope my   
reader will bear with me in reproducing 
the following  extracts from it4        
,,montreal1 ,,canada ,,east4            
,august #acth1 #ahea4    ,it is         
impossible to give our friends1 by      
narration1 an idea of what we  feel1    
when we cross for the first time the    
immense prairies of ,illinois4  ,it is a
 spectacle which must be seen to be well
 understood4    ,as you advance in the  
midst of these boundless deserts1 where 
your eyes  perceive nothing but lands of
 inexhaustible richness1 remaining in   
the  most desolating solitude1 you feel 
something which you cannot express by   

any words4    ,is your soul filled with 
joy1 or your heart broken with sadness8 
,you  cannot say4 ,you lift up your eyes
 to heaven1 and the voice of your soul  
is chanting a hymn of gratitude4 ,tears 
of joy are trickling down your  cheeks1 
and you bless ,god1 whose curse seems   
not to have fallen on the  land where   
you stand3 8,cursed is the earth in thy 
work2 thorns and  thistles shall it     
bring forth to thee40    ,you see around
 you the most luxuriant verdure2 flowers
 of every kind1  and magnificence above 
description4    ,but1 if in the silence 
of meditation1 you look with new        
attention on  those prairies1 so rich1  
so magnificent1 you feel an             
inexpressible  sentiment of sadness1 and
 addressing yourself to the blessed     
land1 you  say3 8,why art thou so       
solitary8 ,why is the wild game alone   
here to  glorify my ,god80    ,and if   
you continue to advance through those   
immense prairies1 which1  like a        
boundless ocean1 are spreading their    

rolling waves before you1  and seem to  
long after the presence of man1 to cover
 themselves with  incalculable          
treasures1 you remember your friends in 
,canada1 and more  particularly those   
among them who1 crushed down by misery1 
are watering  with the sweat of their   
brow a sterile and desolated soil1 you  
say3    8,ah6 if such and such of my    
friends were here1 how soon they would  
see  their hard and ungrateful labors   
changed into the most smiling and happy 
position40    ,perhaps ,i will be       
accused here1 of trying to depopulate my
 country1 and  drive my countrymen from 
,canada to the ,united ,states4    ,no6 
no4 ,i never had so perverse a design4  
,here is my mind about the  subject of  
emigration1 and ,i see no reason to be  
ashamed of it1 or to  conceal it4    ,it
 is a fact that a great number 7and much
 greater than generally  believed7 of   
,french ,canadians are yearly emigrating
 from ,canada1 and  nobody regrets it   
more than ,i do2 but as long as those   

who govern ,canada  will not pay more   
attention to that evil1 it will be an   
incurable one1  and every year ,canada  
will lose thousands and thousands of its
 strongest  arms and noblest hearts1 to 
benefit our happy neighbors4    ,with   
many others1 ,i had the hope that the   
eloquent voice of the poor  settlers of 
our eastern townships would be heard1   
and that the  government would help     
them2 but that hope has gone like a     
dream1 and we  have now every reason to 
fear that our unfortunate settlers of   
the east  will be left to themselves4   
,the greatest part of them1 for the want
 of roads to the markets of  ,quebec and
 ,montreal1 and still more by the       
tyranny of their cruel  landlords1 will 
soon be obliged to bid an eternal adieu 
to their  country1 and with an enraged  
heart against their haughty oppressors1 
they will seek in the exile to a strange
 land the protection they could  not    
find in their own country4    ,yes6 ,if 
our ,canadian government continues a    

little longer to show the  same         
incomprehensible and stupid apathy for  
the welfare of its own  subjects1       
emigration will increase every year from
 ,canada to swell the  ranks of the     
,american people4    ,since we cannot   
stop that emigration1 is it not our     
first duty to direct  it in such a way  
that it will be to the poor emigrants as
 little injury  as possible8    ,let us 
do everything to hinder them from going 
to the large cities of  the ,united     
,states4    ,drowned in the mixed       
population of ,american cities1 our     
unfortunate  emigrating countrymen would
 be too much exposed to losing their    
morality  and their faith4    ,surely   
there is not another country under the  
heavens where space1  bread1 and liberty
 are so universally assured to every    
member of the  community1 as the ,united
 ,states4 ,but it is not in the great   
cities of  the ,united ,states that our 
poor countrymen will soonest find these 
three  gifts4 ,the ,french ,canadian who

 will stop in the large cities1 will    
not1  with a very few exceptions1 raise 
himself above the unenviable position   
of a poor journeyman4    ,but those     
among them who will direct their steps  
towards the rich and  extensive prairies
 of ,bourbonnais1 will certainly find a 
better lot4    ,many in ,canada would   
believe that ,i am exaggerating1 were ,i
 to publish  how happy1 prosperous and  
respectable is the ,french ,canadian    
population  of ,bourbonnais4    ,the    
,french ,canadians of ,bourbonnais have 
had the intelligence to follow  the good
 example of the industrious ,american   
farmers in the manner of  cultivating   
the lands4    ,on their farms as well as
 those of their neighbors1 you will find
 the  best machinery to cut their crops1
 to thresh their grain4    ,they enjoy  
the just reputation of having the best  
horses in the country1  and very few can
 beat them for the number and quality of
 their cattle4    ,now1 what can be the 
prospects of a young man in ,canada1 if 

he has not  more than #bjj8 ,a whole    
life of hard labor and continued        
privation is  his too certain lot4 ,but1
 let that young man go directly to      
,bourbonnais1  and if he is industrious1
 sober and religious1 before a couple of
 years  he will see nothing to envy in  
the most happy farmer in ,canada4    ,as
 the land he will take in ,illinois1 is 
entirely prepared for the plow1  he has 
no trees to cut or eradicate1 no stones 
to move1 no ditch to dig1  his only work
 is to fence and break his land and sow 
it1 and the very  first year the value  
of the crop will be sufficient to pay   
for his farm4    ,holy ,providence has  
prepared everything for the benefit of  
the happy  farmers of ,illinois4        
,that fertile country is well watered by
 a multitude of rivers and large        
creeks1 whose borders are generally     
covered with the most rich and          
extensive groves of timber of the best  
quality1 as black oak1 maple1  white    
oak1 burr oak1 etc4    ,the seeds of the

 beautiful acacia 7locust71 after five  
or six years1  will give you a splendid 
tree4    ,the greatest variety of fruits
 are growing naturally in almost every  
part of ,illinois2 coal mines have been 
discovered in the very heart of  the    
country1 more than sufficient for the   
wants of the people4 ,before  long1 a   
railroad from ,chicago to ,bourbonnais  
will bring our happy  countrymen to the 
most extensive market1 the ,queen city  
of the  west--,chicago4    ,i will then 
say to my young countrymen who intend   
emigrating from  ,canada3 8,my friend1  
exile is one of the greatest calamities 
that can  befall a man4    8,young      
,canadian1 remain in thy country1 keep  
thy heart to love it1 thy  intelligence 
to adorn it1 and thine arms to protect  
it4    8,young and dear countrymen1     
remain in thy beautiful country2 there  
is  nothing more grand and sublime in   
the world than the waters of the ,st4   
,lawrence4 ,it is on those deep and     
majestic waters that1 before long1      

,europe and ,america will meet and bind 
themselves to each other by the  blessed
 bonds of an eternal peace2 it is on its
 shores that they will  exchange their  
incalculable treasures4 ,remain in the  
country of thy  birth1 my dear son4 ,let
 the sweat of thy brow continue to      
fertilize it1  and let the perfume of   
thy virtues bring the blessing of ,god  
upon it4    8,but1 my dear son1 if thou 
hast no more room in the valley of the  
,st4  ,lawrence1 and if1 by the want of 
protection from the ,government1 thou   
canst not go to the forest without      
running the danger of losing thy life   
in a pond1 or being crushed under the   
feet of an ,english or ,scotch  tyrant1 
,i am not the man to invite thee to     
exhaust thy best days for the  benefit  
of the insolent strangers1 who are the  
lords of the eastern  lands4 ,i will    
sooner tell thee1 #8go my child1' there 
are many extensive  places still vacant 
on the earth1 and ,god is everywhere4   
,that ,great ,god  calleth thee to      

another land1 submit thyself to ,his    
,divine ,will4    8,but1 before you bid 
a final adieu to thy country1 engrave on
 thy heart  and keep as a holy deposit1 
the love of thy holy religion1 of thy   
beautiful language and of the dear and  
unfortunate country of thy birth4       
8,on thy way to the land of exile1 stop 
as little as possible in the  great     
cities1 for fear of the many snares thy 
eternal enemy has prepared  for thy     
perdition4    8,but go straight to      
,bourbonnais4 ,there you will find many 
of thy  brothers1 who have erected the  
cross of ,christ2 join thyself to them1 
thou shalt be strong of their strength2 
go and help them to conquer to  the     
,gospel of ,jesus those rich countries1 
which shall1 very soon1 weigh  more than
 is generally believed1 in the balance  
of the nations4    8,yes1 go straight to
 ,illinois4 ,thou shalt be not entirely 
in a strange  and alien country4 ,holy  
,providence has chosen thy fathers to   
find that  rich country1 and to reveal  

to the world its admirable resources4   
8,more than once1 that land of ,illinois
 has been sanctified by the blood  of   
thy ancestors4    8,in ,illinois1 thou  
shalt not make a step without finding   
indestructible  proof of the            
perseverance1 genius1 bravery and piety 
of thy ,french  forefathers4    8,go to 
,illinois1 and the many names of        
,bourbonnais1 ,joliet1 ,dubuque1 ,la    
,salle1 ,st4 ,charles1 ,st4 ,mary1 etc41
 that you will meet everywhere1 will    
tell you more than my words1 that that  
country is nothing but the rich         
inheritance which your fathers have     
found for the benefit of their          
grandchildren40                         
,c4 ,,chiniquy4    ,i would never have  
published this letter1 if ,i had        
foreseen its effects  on the farmers of 
,canada4 ,in a few days after its       
appearance1 their  farms fell to half   
their value4 ,every one1 in some        
parishes1 wanted to  sell their lands   
and emigrate to the west4 ,it was only  

for want of  purchasers that we did not 
see an emigration which would have      
surely  ruined ,canada4 ,i was          
frightened by its immediate effect on   
the public  mind4 ,however1 while some  
were praising me to the skies1 for      
having  published it1 others were       
cursing me1 and calling me a traitor4   
,the very  day after its publication1 ,i
 was in ,quebec1 where the bishops of   
,canada  were met in council4 ,the first
 one ,i met1 was my ,lord ,de           
,charbonel1  ,bishop of ,toronto4 ,after
 having blessed me1 he pressed my hand  
and said3    8,i have just read your    
admirable letter4 ,it is one of the most
 beautiful  and eloquently written      
articles ,i ever read4 ,the ,spirit of  
,god has  surely inspired every one of  
its sentences4 ,i have1 just now1       
forwarded  six copies of it to different
 journals of ,france and ,belgium1 where
 they  will be republished and do an    
incalculable amount of good1 by         
directing  the ,french-speaking         

,catholic emigrants towards a country   
where they will  run no risk of losing  
their faith1 with the assurance of      
securing a  future of unbounded         
prosperity for their families4 ,your    
name will be put  among the names of the
 greatest benefactors of humanity40     
,though these compliments seemed to me  
much exaggerated and unmerited1 ,i      
cannot deny that they pleased me1 by    
adding to my hopes and convictions  that
 great good would surely come from the  
plan ,i had of gathering all  the ,roman
 ,catholic emigrants on the same spot1  
to form such large and  strong          
congregations2 that they would have     
nothing to fear from  heretics4 ,i      
thanked the bishop for his kind and     
friendly words1 and left  him to go and 
present my respectful salutations to my 
,bishop of  ,montreal1 my ,lord         
,bourget1 and give him a short sketch of
 my voyage to  the far west4 ,i found   
him alone in his room1 in the very act  
of reading  my letter4 ,a lioness1 who  

had just lost her whelps1 would not have
  looked upon me with more angry and    
threatening eyes than that bishop  did4 
8,is it possible10 he said1 8,mr4       
,chiniquy1 that your hand has written   
and  signed such a perfidious document8 
,how could you so cruelly pierce the    
bosom of your own country1 after her    
dealing so nobly with you8 ,do you  not 
see that your treasonable letter will   
give such an impetus to  emigration that
 our most thriving parishes will soon be
 turned into  solitude8 ,though you do  
not say it1 we feel at every line of    
that  letter1 that you also will leave  
your country1 to give help and comfort  
to our natural enemies40    ,surprised  
by this unexpected burst of bad         
feelings1 ,i kept my sang  froid1 and   
answered3    8,my lord1 your lordship   
has surely misunderstood me1 if you have
 found  in my letter any treasonable    
plan to ruin our country4 ,please read  
it  again1 and you will see that every  
line has been inspired by the purest    

motives of patriotism1 and the highest  
views of religion4 ,how is it  possible 
that the worthy ,bishop of ,toronto     
should have told me that the  ,spirit of
 ,god ,himself had dictated every line  
of that letter1 when my  good bishop's  
opinion is so completely opposite80     
,the abrupt answer the bishop gave to   
these remarks1 clearly indicated  that  
my absence would be more welcome than my
 presence4 ,i left him1  after asking   
his blessing1 which he gave me in the   
coldest manner  possible4    ,on the    
#beth of ,august1 ,i was back at        
,longueuil1 from my voyage to  ,quebec1 
which ,i had extended as far as         
,kamouraska1 to see again the           
noble-hearted parishioners1 whose       
unanimity in taking the pledge of       
temperance1 and admirable fidelity in   
keeping it then1 had filled my  heart   
with such joy4    ,i related my last    
interview with ,bishop ,bourget to my   
faithful friend  ,mr4 ,brassard4 ,he    
answered me3    8,the present bad       

feelings of the ,bishop of ,montreal    
against you1 are no  secret to me4      
,unfortunately the low-minded men who   
surround and council  him1 are as unable
 as the bishop himself1 to understand   
your exalted  views in directing the    
steps of the ,roman ,catholics towards  
the splendid  valley of the             
,mississippi4 ,they are beside          
themselves1 because they see  that you  
will easily succeed in forming a grand  
colony of  ,french-speaking people in   
,illinois4 ,now1 ,i am sure of what ,i  
say1 though  ,i am not free to tell you 
how it came to my knowledge2 there is a 
plot  somewhere to dishonor and destroy 
you1 at once4 ,those who are at the     
head of that plot1 hope that if they can
 succeed in destroying your  popularity1
 nobody will be tempted to follow you to
 ,illinois4 ,for1  though you have      
concealed it as well as you could1 it is
 evident to  every one now1 that you are
 the man selected by the bishops of the 
west  to direct the uncertain steps of  

the poor emigrants towards those rich   
lands40    8,do you mean1 my dear ,mr4  
,brassard10 ,i replied1 8that there are 
priests  around the ,bishop of          
,montreal1 cruel and vile enough to     
forge calumnies  against me1 and spread 
them before the country in such a way   
that ,i  shall be unable to refute      
them40    8,it is just what ,i mean10   
answered ,mr4 ,brassard4 8,mind what ,i 
tell you2  the bishop has made use of   
you to reform his diocese4 ,he likes you
 for  that work4 ,but your popularity is
 too great1 to-day1 for your enemies2   
they want to get rid of you1 and no     
means will be too vile or criminal  to  
accomplish your destruction1 if they can
 attain their object40    8,but1 my dear
 ,mr4 ,brassard1 can you give me any    
details of the plots  which are in store
 against me80 ,i asked4    8,no6 ,i     
cannot1 for ,i know them not4 ,but be on
 your guard2 for your few1  but powerful
 enemies1 are jubilant4 ,they speak of  
the absolute impotency  to which you    

will soon be reduced2 if you accomplish 
what they so  maliciously and falsely   
call your treacherous objects40    ,i   
answered2 8,our ,saviour has said to all
 ,his disciples2 #8,in the world1  ye   
shall have tribulations4 ,but be of good
 cheer1 ,i have overcome the  world4' ,i
 am more determined than ever1 to put my
 trust in ,god and fear  no man40       
,two hours after this conversation1 ,i  
received the following from the  ,rev4  
,m4 ,pare1 secretary to the ,bishop3    
,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,,chiniquy1     
,apostle of ,temperance4    ,,my ,,dear 
,,sir3--,my lord ,bishop of ,montreal   
would like to see you upon some         
important business4 ,please come at your
 earliest convenience4                  
,yours truly1                           
,,jos4 ,,pare1 ,secretary4    ,the next 
morning ,i was alone with ,monseigneur  
,bourget1 who received me  very kindly4 
,he seemed at first to have entirely    
banished the bad  feelings he had shown 
in our last interview at ,quebec4 ,after

 making some  friendly remarks on my    
continual labors and success in the     
cause of  temperance1 he stopped for a  
moment1 and seemed embarrassed how to   
resume the conversation4 ,at last he    
said3    8,are you not the father       
confessor of ,mrs4 ,chenier80    8,yes6 
my lord4 ,i have been her confessor     
since ,i lived in ,longueuil40    8,very
 well1 very well10 he rejoined1 8,i     
suppose that you know that her  only    
child is a nun1 in the ,congregation    
,convent40    8,yes6 my lord1 ,i know   
it10 ,i replied4    8,could you not     
induce ,mrs ,chenier to become a nun    
also80 asked the  bishop4    8,i never  
thought of that1 my lord10 ,i answered1 
8and ,i do not see why ,i  should advise
 her to exchange her beautiful cottage1 
washed by the fresh  and pure waters of 
the ,st4 ,lawrence1 where she looks so  
happy and  cheerful1 for the gloomy     
walls of the nunnery40    8,but she is  
still young and beautiful2 she may be   
deceived by temptation  when she is     

there1 in that beautiful house1         
surrounded by all the  enjoyments of her
 fortune10 replied the bishop4    8,i   
understand your lordship4 ,yes1 ,mrs    
,chenier has the reputation of  being   
rich2 though ,i know nothing of her     
fortune1 she has kept well the  charms  
and freshness of her youth4 ,however1 ,i
 think that the best remedy  against the
 temptations you seem to dread so much  
for her1 is to advise  her to marry4 ,a 
good ,christian husband seems to me a   
much better remedy  against the dangers1
 to which your lordship alludes1 than   
the cheerless  walls of a nunnery40     
8,you speak just as a ,protestant10     
rejoined the bishop1 with an evident    
nervous irritation4 8,we remark that1   
though you hear the confessions of  a   
great number of young ladies1 there is  
not a single one of them who  has ever  
become a nun4 ,you seem to ignore1 that 
the vow of chastity is  the shortest way
 to a life of holiness in this world and
 happiness in  the next40    8,i am     

sorry to differ from your lordship1 in  
that matter10 ,i replied4  8,but ,i     
cannot help it1 the remedy you have     
found against sin is quite  modern4 ,the
 old remedy offered by our ,god         
,himself1 is very different and  much   
better1 ,i think4    8#8,it is not good 
that man shall remain alone1 ,i will    
make a help-mate  for him1' said our    
,creator in the earthly paradise4 #8,and
 to avoid  fornication1 let every man   
have his wife1 and let every woman have 
her  husband1' said the same ,god1      
through ,his apostle ,paul4    8,i know 
too well how the great majority of nuns 
keep their vows of  chastity1 to believe
 that the modern remedy against the     
temptations you  mention1 is an         
improvement on the old one found and    
given by our ,god60 ,i  answered4       
,with an angry look1 the bishop replied3
    8,this is ,protestantism1 ,mr4      
,chiniquy4 ,this is sheer               
,protestantism40    8,i respectfully ask
 your pardon for differing from your    

lordship4 ,this  is not ,protestantism4 
,it is simply and absolutely the #8pure 
word of  ,god4' ,but1 my lord1 ,god     
knows that it is my sincere desire1 as  
it is my  interest and my duty1 to do   
all in my power to deserve your esteem4 
,i do  not want to vex nor disobey you4 
,please give me a good reason why ,i    
should advise ,mrs4 ,chenier to enter a 
monastery1 and ,i will comply with  your
 request the very first time she comes  
to confess40    ,resuming his most      
amiable manner1 the bishop answered me3 
8,my first reason is1 the spiritual good
 which she would receive from her  vows 
of perpetual chastity and poverty in    
nunnery4 ,the second reason is1  that   
the lady is rich2 and we are in need of 
money4 ,we would soon  possess her whole
 fortune2 for her only child is already 
in the  ,congregation ,convent40    8,my
 dear bishop10 ,i replied1 8you already 
know what ,i think of your  first       
reason4 ,after having investigated that 
fact1 not in the ,protestant  books1 but

 from the lips of the nuns themselves1  
as well as from their  father           
confessors1 ,i am fully convinced that  
the real virtue of purity  is much      
better kept in the homes of our         
,christian mothers1 married  sisters1   
and female friends1 than in the secret  
rooms1 not to say  prisons1 where the   
poor nuns are enchained by the heavy    
fetters assumed  by their vows1 which   
the great majority curse when they      
cannot break  them4    8,and for the    
second reason1 your lordship gives me to
 induce ,mrs4  ,chenier becoming a nun1 
,i am again sorry to say1 that ,i cannot
  conscientiously accept it4 ,i have not
 consecrated myself to the  priesthood  
to deprive respectable families of their
 legal inheritance in  order to enrich  
myself1 or anybody else4 ,i know she has
 poor relations  who need her fortune   
after her death40    8,do you pretend to
 say that your bishop is a thief80      
angrily rejoined  the bishop4    8,no1  
my lord6 ,by no means4 ,no doubt1 from  

your high standpoint of view1  your     
lordship may see things in a very       
different aspect1 from what ,i see      
them1 in the low position ,i occupy in  
the church4 ,but1 as your lordship  is  
bound to follow the dictates of your    
conscience in everything1 ,i also  feel 
obliged to give heed to the voice of    
mine40    ,this painful conversation had
 already lasted too long4 ,i was anxious
 to  see the end of it2 for ,i could    
easily read in the face of my superior  
that every word ,i uttered was sealing  
my doom4 ,i rose up to take leave  of   
him1 and said3 8,my lord1 ,i beg your   
pardon for disappointing your           
lordship40    ,he coldly answered me3   
8,it is not the first time1 though ,i   
would it were the last1 that you  show  
such a want of respect and submission to
 the will of your  superiors4 ,but1 as  
,i feel it is a conscientious affair on 
your part1 ,i  have no ill-will against 
you1 and ,i am happy to tell you that ,i
  entertain for you all my past esteem4 

,the only favor ,i ask from you1  just  
now1 is that this conversation may be   
kept secret40    ,i answered3 8,it is   
still more to my interest than yours to 
keep this  unfortunate affair a secret  
between us4 ,i hope that neither your   
lordship1 nor the ,great ,god1 who alone
 has heard us1 will ever make it  an    
imperious duty for me to mention it40   
8,what good news do you bring me from   
the bishop's palace80 asked my          
venerable friend1 ,mr4 ,brassard1 when  
,i returned1 late in the afternoon4     
8,i would have very spicy1 though       
unpalatable news to give you1 had not   
the bishop asked me to keep what has    
been said between us a secret40    ,mr4 
,brassard laughed outright1 at my       
answer1 and replied3    8,a secret6 a   
secret6 ,ah6 but it is a gazette secret2
 for the bishop has  bothered me1 as    
well as many others1 with that matter1  
frequently1 since  your return from     
,illinois4 ,several times he has asked  
us to persuade you  to advise your      

devoted penitent1 ,mrs4 ,chenier1 to    
become a nun4 ,i knew  he invited you to
 his palace1 yesterday1 for that        
object40    8,the eyes and the heart of 
our poor bishop10 continued ,mr4        
,brassard1  8are too firmly fixed on the
 fortune of that lady4 ,hence1 his zeal 
about  the salvation of her soul1       
through the monastic life4 ,in vain ,i  
tried to  dissuade the bishop from      
speaking to you on that subject1 on     
account of  your prejudices against our 
good nuns4 ,he would not listen to me4  
,no  doubt you have realized my worst   
anticipations2 you have1 with your      
usual stubbornness1 refused to yield to 
his demands4 ,i fear you have  added to 
his bad feelings1 and consummated your  
disgrace40    8,what a deceitful man    
that bishop is10 ,i answered            
indignantly4 8,he has  given me to      
understand that this was a most sacred  
secret between him  and me2 when ,i see1
 by what you say1 that it is nothing    
else than a  farcical secret1 known by  

the hundreds who have heard of it4      
8,but please1 my dear ,mr4 ,brassard1   
tell me1 is it not a burning shame  that
 our nunneries are changed into real    
traps1 to steal cheat and ruin  so many 
unsuspecting families8 ,i have no words 
to express my disgust and  indignation1 
when ,i see that all those great        
demonstrations and eloquent  tirades    
about the perfection and holiness of the
 nuns1 on the part of  our spiritual    
rulers1 are nothing else1 in reality1   
than a veil to  conceal their stealing  
operations4 ,do you not feel that those 
poor nuns  are the victims of the most  
stupendous system of swindling the world
 has  ever seen8    8,i know that there 
are some honorable exceptions4 ,for     
instance1 the  nunnery you have founded 
here1 is an exception4 ,you have not    
built it to  enrich yourself1 as you    
have spent your last cent in its        
erection4 ,but  you and ,i are only     
simpletons1 who have1 till now1 ignored 
the terrible  secrets which put that    

machine of the nunneries and monkeries  
in motion4  ,i am more than ever        
disgusted and terrified1 not only by the
 unspeakable  corruptions1 but also by  
the stupendous system of swindling which
 is  their foundation stone4 ,if the    
cities of ,quebec and ,montreal could   
know  what ,i know of the incalculable  
sums of money secretly stolen through   
the confessional to aid our bishops in  
building the famous cathedrals  and     
splendid palaces1 or to cover themselves
 with robes of silk1 satin1  silver and 
gold2 to live more luxurious than the   
,pashas of ,turkey1 they  would set fire
 to all those palatial buildings2 they  
would hang the  confessors who have     
thrown the poor nuns into these         
dungeons1 under the  pretext of saving  
their souls1 when the real motive was to
 lay hands on  their inheritance and    
raise their colossal fortunes4 ,the     
bishop has  opened before me a most     
deplorable and shameful page of the     
history of  our church4 ,it makes me    

understand many facts which were a      
mystery to me  till to-day4 ,now ,i     
understand the terrible wrath of the    
,english people  in the days of old1 and
 of the ,french people more recently1   
when they so  violently wrenched from   
the hands of the clergy the enormous    
wealth they  had accumulated during the 
dark ages4 ,i have condemned those great
  nations till now4 ,but1 to-day1 ,i    
absolve them4 ,i am sure that those men1
  though blind and cruel in their       
vengeance1 were the ministers of the    
justice of ,god4 ,the ,god of heaven    
could not1 forever1 tolerate a          
sacrilegious system of swindling1 as ,i 
know1 now1 to be in operation  from one 
end to the other1 not only of ,canada1  
but of the whole world1  under the mask 
of religion4 ,i know that the bishop and
 his flatterers  will hate and persecute
 me for my stern opposition to his      
rapacity4 ,but  ,i do feel happy and    
proud of his hatred4 ,the ,god of truth 
and justice1  the ,god of the gospel1   

will be on my side1 when they attack me4
 ,i do not  fear them2 let them come4   
,that bishop surely did not know me1    
when he  thought that ,i would consent  
to be the instrument of his hypocrisy1  
and  that1 under the false pretext of a 
delusive perfection1 ,i would throw     
that lady into a dungeon for her life1  
that he might become rich with  her     
inheritance40    ,mr4 ,brassard answered
 me3 8,i cannot blame you for your      
disobeying the  bishop1 in this         
instance4 ,i foretold him what has      
occurred2 for ,i knew  what you think of
 the nuns4 ,though ,i do not go as far  
as you in that1 ,i  cannot absolutely   
shut my eyes to the facts which stare us
 in the face4  ,those monkish           
communities have1 in every age1 been the
 principal cause  of the calamities     
which have befallen the church4 ,for    
their love of  riches1 their pride and  
laziness1 with their other scandals1    
have always  been the same4    8,had ,i 
been able to foresee what has occurred  

inside the walls of the  nunnery ,i     
built up here1 ,i never would have      
erected it4 ,however1 now  that ,i have 
built it1 it is the child of my old age2
 ,i feel bound to  support it to the    
end4 ,this does not prevent me from     
being afflicted  when ,i see the        
facility with which our poor nuns yield 
to the criminal  desires of their too   
weak confessors4 ,who could have        
thought1 for  instance1 that that lean  
and ugly superior of the oblates1       
,father  ,allard1 could have fallen in  
love with his young nuns1 and that so   
many  would have lost their hearts on   
his account4 ,have you heard how the    
young men of our village1 indignant at  
his spending the greater part of  the   
night with the nuns1 have whipped him1  
when he was crossing the  bridge1 not   
long before his leaving ,longueuil for  
,africa8 ,it is evident  that our bishop
 multiplies too fast those religious    
houses4    8,my fear is that they will1 
sooner than we expect1 bring upon our   

,church  of ,canada the same cataclysms 
which have so often desolated her in    
,england1 ,france1 ,germany and even in 
,italy40    ,the clock struck twelve    
just when this last sentence fell from  
the lips  of ,mr4 ,brassard4 ,it was    
quite time to take some rest4 ,when     
leaving me  for his sleeping room1 he   
said3 8,my dear ,chiniquy1 gird your    
loins well1  sharpen your sword for the 
impending conflict4 ,my fear is that the
  bishop and his advisers will never    
forget your wrenching from their  hands 
the booty they were coveting so long4   
8,they will never forgive the spirit of 
independence with which you have        
rebuked them4    8,in fact1 the conflict
 is already begun2 may ,god protect you 
against the  open blows1 and the secret 
machinations they have in store for     
you40    ,i answered him3 8,i do not    
fear them4 ,i put my trust in ,god4 ,it 
is for  ,his honor ,i am fighting and   
suffering4 ,he will surely protect me   
from  those sacrilegious traders in     

souls40                                 
,,chapter ,,xlix4    ,,the ,,plot ,,to  
,,destroy ,,me--,,the ,,interdict--,,the
 ,,retreat ,,at ,,the ,,jesuits'        
,,college--,,the ,,lost ,,girl1         
,,employed ,,by ,,the ,,bishop1         
,,retracts--,,the ,,bishop              
,,confounded1 ,,sees ,,his ,,injustice1 
,,makes ,,amends--,,testimonial         
,,letters--,,the    ,,chalice--,,the    
,,benediction ,,before ,i ,,leave       
,,canada4      ,the first week of       
,september1 #ahea1 ,i was hearing       
confessions in one of  the churches of  
,montreal1 when a fine-looking girl came
 to confess sins1  whose depravity      
surpassed anything ,i had ever heard4   
,though ,i forbade  her twice to do it1 
she gave me the names of several priests
 who were  the accomplices of her       
orgies4 ,the details of her iniquities  
were told  with such cynical impudence  
that the idea struck me1 at once1 that  
she  was sent by some one to ruin me4 ,i
 abruptly stopped her disgusting        

stories by saying3 8,the way you confess
 your sins1 is a sure indication  that  
you do not come here to reconcile       
yourself to ,god1 but to ruin me4  ,by  
the grace of ,god1 you will fail4 ,i    
forbid you to come any more to my       
confessional4 ,if ,i see you again among
 my penitents1 ,i will order the  beadle
 to turn you out of the church40    ,i  
instantly shut the door of the small    
aperture through which she was  speaking
 to me4    ,she answered something which
 ,i could not understand4 ,but the tone 
of her  voice1 the shaking of her hands 
and head1 with her manner of walking1   
when she left the confessional1         
indicated that she was beside herself   
with rage1 as she went to speak a few   
words to a carter who was in the  church
 preparing himself to confess4    ,the  
next evening1 ,i said to ,rev4 ,mr4     
,brassard that ,i suspected that a  girl
 was sent to my confessional to ruin me4
    ,he answered3 8,did ,i not warn you 
sometime ago that there was a plot to   

destroy you8 ,i have not the least doubt
 but that that girl was hired to  begin 
that diabolical work4 ,you have no idea 
of my anxiety about you4  ,for ,i know  
your enemies will not shrink from any   
iniquity to destroy  your good name1 and
 prevent you from directing the tide of 
emigration  from ,canada to the valley  
of the ,mississippi40    ,i replied     
8that ,i could not partake of his fears2
 that ,god knew my  innocence and the   
purity of my motives2 ,he would defend  
and protect me40    8,my dear           
,chiniquy10 replied ,mr4 ,brassard1 8,i 
know your enemies4 ,they are  not       
numerous1 but they are implacable1 and  
their power for mischief  knows no      
limits4 ,surely1 ,god can save you from 
their hands2 but ,i cannot  share your  
security for the future4 ,your answer to
 the bishop1 in  reference to ,mrs4     
,chenier1 when you refused to send her  
to the nunnery1  that he might inherit  
her fortune1 has1 forever1 alienated him
 from you4  ,bishop ,bourget has the    

merited reputation of being the most    
revengeful  man in ,canada4 ,he will    
avail himself of the least opportunity  
to strike  you without mercy40    ,i    
answered3 8,though there should be a    
thousand ,bishops ,bourget to plot      
against me1 ,i will not fear them1 so   
long as ,i am in the right1 as ,i am    
to-day40    ,as the clock struck twelve1
 ,i bade him good night1 and ten minutes
 later  ,i was sound asleep4    ,the    
following days ,i went to deliver a     
course of lectures on temperance  to    
several parishes south of ,laprairie1   
till the #bhth of ,september1  after    
which ,i came back from ,st4 ,constant  
to rest1 for a few days1 and  prepare to
 start for ,chicago4    ,on my arrival1 
,i found on my table a short letter from
 ,bishop ,bourget1  telling me that1 for
 a criminal action1 which he did not    
want to  mention1 committed with a      
person he would not name1 he had        
withdrawn all  my priestly powers and   
interdicted me4    ,i handed the letter 

to ,mr4 ,brassard and said3 8,is not    
this the  fulfillment of your           
prophecies8 ,what do you think of a     
bishop who  interdicts a priest without 
giving him a single fact1 and without   
even  allowing him to know his          
accusers80    8,it is just what ,i      
expected from the implacable vengeance  
of the ,bishop  of ,montreal4 ,he will  
never give you the reasons of your      
interdict1 for  he knows well you are   
innocent1 and he will never confront you
 with your  accusers2 for it would be   
too easy for you to confound them40     
8,but is not this against all the laws  
of ,god and man8 ,is it not against  the
 laws of the church80 ,i replied4       
8,of course it is10 he answered2 8but do
 you not know that1 on this  continent  
of ,america1 the bishops have1 long ago1
 thrown overboard all  the laws of ,god 
and man1 and all the laws of the church1
 to rule and  enslave the priests80     
,i replied3 8,if it be so1 are not      
,protestants correct when they say that 

our church has rejected the ,word of    
,god1 to follow the traditions of  man8 
,what can we answer them when they tell 
us that our church has no  right to be  
called the ,church of ,god8 ,would the  
,son of ,god have given up  his life on 
the cross to save men1 that they might  
be the property of a  few lawless       
tyrants1 who should have the right to   
take away their honor  and life80    8,i
 am not ready to answer those puzzling  
questions10 he answered1 8but  this is  
the fact4 ,though it is absolutely      
against all the laws of the  church to  
condemn a priest without showing him his
 guilt1 and  confronting him with his   
accusers1 our modern bishops1 every     
week1  condemn some of their priests    
without specifying any fact1 or even    
giving them the names of their          
accusers40    8,mind what ,i tell you10 
,i replied4 8,i will not allow the      
bishop to deal  with me in that way4 ,if
 he dares to trample the laws of the    
gospel under  his feet to accomplish my 

ruin1 and satisfy his vengeance1 ,i will
 teach  him a lesson that he will never 
forget4 ,thanks be to ,god1 it is not   
the  gory cross of the bloody           
,inquisition1 but the emblem of the     
,british ,lion  which ,i see there      
floating on the tower1 to protect our   
honor and life  in ,canada4 ,i am       
innocent2 ,god knows it4 ,my trust is in
 ,him2 ,he will not  forsake me4 ,i will
 go immediately to the bishop4 ,if he   
never knew what  power there is in an   
honest priest1 he will learn it to-day40
    ,two hours later1 ,i was knocking at
 the bishop's door4 ,he received me     
with icy politeness4    8,my lord10 ,i  
said1 8you already know why ,i am in    
your presence4 ,here is  a letter from  
you1 accusing me of a crime which is not
 specified1 under  the testimony of     
accusers whom you refuse to name6 ,and  
before hearing  me1 and confronting me  
with my accusers1 you punish me as      
guilty6 ,you  not only take away my     
honor1 with that unjust sentence1 but my

 life6 ,i  come in the name of ,god1 and
 of ,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 to       
respectfully  ask you to tell me the    
crime of which ,i am accused1 that ,i   
may show you  my innocence4 ,i want to  
be confronted with my accusers1 that ,i 
may  confound them40    ,the bishop was1
 at first1 evidently embarrassed by my  
presence2 his lips  were pale and       
trembling1 but his eyes were dry and    
red1 like the tiger's  eyes in the      
presence of his prey4 ,he answered3     
8,i cannot grant your request1 sir40    
,opening1 then1 my ,new ,testament1 ,i  
read3    8,receive no accusation against
 a priest1 except under two or three    
witnesses0 7#ast ,tim4 v3 #ai74 ,i      
added3 8,it was after ,i had heard this 
voice of ,god1 and of ,his holy church1 
that ,i consented to be a priest4 ,i    
hope it is not the intention of your    
lordship to put aside this ,word of     
,god and of ,his church4 ,it is not your
 intention to break that solemn         
covenant made by ,christ1 with ,his     

priests1 and sealed with ,his blood80   
,with an air of contempt and tyrannical 
authority1 which ,i had never  suspected
 to be possible in a bishop1 he         
answered3    8,i have no lesson of      
,scripture or canonical law to receive  
from you1  sir1 and no answer to give to
 your impertinent questions4 ,you are   
interdicted6 ,i have nothing to do with 
you40    ,these words1 uttered by the   
man whom ,i was accustomed to consider  
as my  superior1 had a strange effect   
upon me4 ,i felt as if awakening from a 
long and painful dream4    ,for the     
first time1 ,i understood the sad       
prophecies of the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,brassard1
 and ,i realized the horror of my       
position4 ,my ruin was  accomplished4   
,though ,i knew that that high dignitary
 was a monster of  hypocrisy1 injustice 
and tyranny1 he had1 among the masses1  
the  reputation of a saint4 ,his unjust 
sentence would be considered as just    
and equitable by the multitude over whom
 he was reigning supremely4 ,at a  nod  

of his head1 the people would fall at   
his feet and obey his commands  to crush
 me4 ,all ears would be shut1 and all   
hearts hardened against me4  ,in that   
fatal hour1 for the first time in my    
life1 my moral strength and  courage    
failed me4 ,i felt as if ,i had just    
fallen into a bottomless  abyss1 out of 
which it was impossible to escape4 ,what
 would my  innocence1 known only to     
,god1 avail me1 when the whole world    
would  believe me guilty8 ,no words can 
give an idea of the mental torture of   
that horrible hour4    ,for more than a 
quarter of an hour not a word was       
exchanged between the  bishop and me4   
,he seemed very busy writing letters1   
while ,i was resting  my head between my
 hands1 and shedding torrents of tears4 
,at last1 ,i  fell on my knees1 took the
 hands of the bishop in mine1 and1 with 
a  voice half choked with sighs1 ,i     
said3 8,my lord1 in the name of our     
,lord  ,jesus ,christ1 and in the       
presence of ,god1 ,i swear that ,i have 

done  nothing which could bring such a  
sentence against me4 ,i again implore   
your lordship to confront me with my    
accusers1 that ,i may show you my       
innocence40    ,with a savage insolence1
 the bishop withdrew his hands1 as if ,i
 had  contaminated them1 and said1 after
 rising from his chair3    8,you are    
guilty2 go out of my presence40    ,a   
thousand times since1 ,i have thanked my
 ,god that ,i had no dagger with  me1   
for ,i would have plunged it into his   
heart4 ,but1 strange to say1 the        
diabolical malice and dishonesty of that
 depraved man1 suddenly brought  back my
 former self-respect and courage4 ,i at 
once took the stern  resolution to face 
the storm4 ,i felt1 in my soul1 that    
giant strength  which1 often1 ,god      
,himself implants in the breast of the  
oppressed when  he is in the presence of
 his merciless tyrants4 ,it seemed that 
a flash  of lightning had passed through
 my soul1 after having written in       
letters  of fire on the walls of the    

palace3 8,mystery of iniquity40         
,relying entirely on the ,god of truth  
and justice1 who knew my innocence  and 
the great perversity of my oppressor1 ,i
 left the room1 without  saying a word1 
and hastened back to ,longueuil1 to     
acquaint the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,brassard with 
my firm resolution to fight the bishop  
to the end4 ,he  burst into tears when  
,i told him what had occurred in the    
bishop's  palace4    8,though innocent1 
you are condemned10 he said4 8,the      
infallible proof of  your innocence1 is 
the cruel refusal of allowing you to be 
confronted  with your accusers4 ,were   
you guilty1 they would be too glad to   
show it1  by confounding you before     
those witnesses4 ,but the perversity of 
your  accusers is so well known that    
they are ashamed of giving their names4 
,the bishop prefers to crush you under  
the weight of his unmerited  reputation 
for justice and holiness2 for very few  
know him as we do4 ,my  fear is that he 
will succeed in destroying you4 ,though 

innocent1 you are  condemned and lost4  
,you will never be able to contend      
against such a  mighty adversary40      
8,my dear ,mr4 ,brassard1 you are       
mistaken10 ,i replied4 8,i never was so 
sure of coming out victorious from a    
conflict as to-day4 ,the monstrous      
iniquity of the bishop carries its      
antidote with itself4 ,it was not a     
dream ,i saw when he so ignominiously   
turned me out of his room4 ,a flash  of 
lightning passed before my eyes and     
wrote1 as if on the walls of the        
palace1 #8,mystery of iniquity6' ,when  
,canada1 the whole of ,christendom1     
shall know the infamous conduct of that 
dignitary2 when they shall see  the     
#8mystery of iniquity1' which ,i shall  
stamp upon his forehead1 there  will be 
only one cry of indignation against him6
 ,oh6 if ,i can only find  out the names
 of my accusers6 ,how ,i will force that
 mighty tyrant to  withdraw that        
sentence1 at double quick4    ,i am     
determined to show1 not only to ,canada1

 but to the whole world1  that this     
infamous plot is but the work of the    
vile male and female  slaves by whom the
 bishop is surrounded4    8,my first    
thought was to start immediately for    
,chicago where ,bishop  ,vandeveld      
expected me4    8,but ,i am resolved not
 to go until ,i have forced my merciless
 oppressor  to withdraw his unjust      
sentence4 ,i will1 immediately1 go to   
the ,jesuit  ,college1 where ,i propose 
spending the next eight days in prayer  
and  retreat4    8,the ,jesuits are the 
ablest men under heaven to detect the   
most hidden  things4 ,i hope they will  
help me to unearth that dark mystery of 
iniquity1 and expose it to the world40  
8,i am glad to see that you do not fear 
the terrible storm which is upon  you1  
and that your sails are so well         
trimmed10 answered ,mr4 ,brassard4      
8,you do well in putting your trust in  
,god1 first1 and in the ,jesuits        
afterwards4 ,the fearless way in which  
you intend to meet the attacks of  your 

merciless enemies1 will give you an easy
 victory4 ,my hope is that  the ,jesuits
 will help you to find out the names of 
your false accusers1  and that you will 
make use of them to hurl back in the    
face of the  bishop the shame and       
dishonor he had prepared for you40      
,at six ,p4 ,m41 in a modest1           
well-lighted and ventilated room of the 
,jesuit ,college1 ,i was alone with the 
venerable ,mr4 ,schneider1 its          
director4    ,i told him how the ,bishop
 of ,montreal1 four years before1 after 
giving  up his prejudices against me1   
when ,i had left the oblate1 had        
earnestly  supported me in my labors4 ,i
 acquainted him also with the sudden    
change  of those good feelings into the 
most uncontrollable hatred1 from the day
  ,i had refused to force ,mrs4 ,chenier
 to become a nun1 that he might  secure 
her fortune4 ,i told him also how those 
bad feelings had found new  food in my  
plan of consecrating the rest of my life
 to direct the tide  of the ,french     

,catholic emigration towards the        
,mississippi valley4 ,i  exposed to him 
my suspicions about that miserable girl 
,i had turned out  from my confessional4
 8,i have a double object in view10 ,i  
added3    8,the first1 is to spend the  
last eight days of my residence in      
,canada in  prayer4 ,but my second is1  
to ask the help of your charity1 wisdom 
and  experience in forcing the bishop to
 withdraw his unjust sentence against   
me4 ,i am determined1 if he does not    
withdraw it1 to denounce him before  the
 whole country1 and to challenge him1   
publicly1 to confront me with  my       
accusers40    8,if you do that10        
answered ,mr4 ,schneider1 8,i fear lest 
you not only do  an irreparable damage  
to the ,bishop of ,montreal1 but to our 
holy church  also40    ,i replied3 8,our
 holy church would indeed suffer an     
irreparable damage1  if she sanctioned  
the infamous conduct of the bishop2 but 
this is  impossible40    8,you are      
correct10 rejoined the ,jesuit4 8,our   

holy church cannot sanction  such       
criminal conduct4 ,she has1 hundreds of 
times1 condemned those  tyrannical and  
unjust actions1 in other bishops4 ,such 
want of common  honesty and justice will
 be condemned everywhere1 as soon as it 
is  known4 ,the first thing we have to  
do1 is to find out the names of your    
accusers4 ,i have not the least doubt   
that they are the blind instruments  of 
,machiavelist plots against you4 ,but   
those plots have only to be  brought to 
light1 to vanish away4 ,my impression   
is1 that the miserable  girl you have so
 abruptly and so wisely turned out of   
your confessional1  knows more than the 
bishop wants us to find out1 about the  
plots4 ,it is  a pity you did not ask   
her name and residence4 ,at all events1 
you may  rely on my efforts to persuade 
our bishop that his personal interest1  
as  well as the interest of our holy    
religion1 is1 that he should speedily   
withdraw that sentence1 which is a      
nullity by itself4 ,it will not be      

difficult for me to show him that he has
 fallen into the very pit he has  dug   
under your feet4 ,he has taken a        
position against you which is           
absolutely untenable4 ,before your      
retreat is at an end1 no doubt he will  
be too happy to make his peace with you4
 ,only trust in ,god1 and in the        
blessed ,virgin ,mary1 and you have     
nothing to fear from the conflict4 ,our 
bishop has put himself above all the    
laws of man and ,god1 to condemn the    
priest he had himself officially named3 
#8the ,apostle of ,temperance of        
,canada4' ,there is not a single man1 in
 the church1 who will allow him to      
stand on that ground4 ,the #bjj1jjj     
soldiers you have enrolled under the    
holy banners of temperance1 will force  
him to retract his too hasty and  unjust
 sentence40    ,it would be too long to 
repeat here all the encouraging words   
which that  wise ,jesuit uttered4       
,father ,schneider was a ,european      
priest1 who was in ,montreal only since 

#ahdi4 won my confidence1 the very first
 time ,i met him1 and ,i had chosen     
him1 at once1 for my confessor and      
adviser4 ,the third day of my retreat1  
,father ,schneider came to my room      
earlier than usual1 and said3    8,i    
have worked hard the last two days1 to  
find out the name and  residence of the 
carter to whom that miserable girl spoke
 in the church1  after you had turned   
her out of your confessional1 and ,i    
have it4 ,if you  have no objection ,i  
will send for him4 ,he may know that    
girl and induce  her to come here40     
8,by all means1 dear father10 ,i        
answered1 8do it without losing a       
moment40    ,two hours later1 the carter
 was with me4 ,i recognized him as one  
of  those dear countrymen whom our      
society of temperance had transformed   
into a new man4 ,i asked him if he      
remembered the name of the girl who1 a  
few days before1 had spoken to him in   
the church1 after going out of my       
confessional4    8,yes sir6 ,i know her 

well4 ,she has a very bad name1 though  
she belongs  to a respectable family40  
,i added3 8,do you think you could      
induce her to come here1 by telling her 
that a priest1 in the ,jesuit ,college1 
wants to see her8 ,but do not give  her 
my name40    ,he answered3 8,nothing is 
more easy4 ,she will be here in a couple
 of  hours1 if ,i find her at home40    
,at three ,p4 ,m41 the carter was again 
knocking at my door1 and said1 with  a  
low voice3    8,the girl you want is in 
the parlor2 she has no idea you are     
here1 for  she told me that you were now
 preaching in ,st4 ,constant4 ,she seems
 to be  very angry against you1 and     
bitterly complains against your want of 
courtesy1 the very first time she went  
to confess to you40    8,is it possible 
that she told you that80 ,i replied4    
8,yes sir6 ,she told me that to explain 
her terrible excitement when  coming out
 of your confessional1 the other day2   
she then requested me to  drive her     
home4 ,she was really beside herself1   

and swore that she would  make you pay  
for your harsh words and rude manner    
towards her4 ,you will  do well to be on
 your guard with her4 ,she is one of the
 most depraved  girls of ,montreal1 and 
has a most dangerous tongue1 though to  
the shame  of our holy religion1 she is 
daily seen in the bishop's palace40     
,i immediately went to ,father          
,schneider1 and said3 8,my dear father1 
by  the mercy of ,god1 the girl we want 
to see is in the parlor4 ,by what ,i    
have just heard from the carter who     
drove her1 ,i have not the least  doubt 
but that she is the one employed by the 
bishop to slander me1 and  get a pretext
 for what he has done4 ,please come with
 me to witness my  innocence4 ,but1 take
 your gospel1 ink1 paper and pen with   
you40    8,all right10 answered the wise
 ,jesuit4    ,two minutes later we were 
in her presence4    ,it is impossible to
 describe her dismay1 when she saw me4  
,she came near  fainting4 ,i feared she 
should not be able to utter a word4     

,i spoke to her very kindly1 and ran to 
get a glass of cold water1 which  did   
her good4    ,when she recovered1 ,i    
said to her1 with a tone of mixed       
authority and  kind firmness3 8,you are 
here in the presence of ,god and two of 
his  priests4 ,that great ,god will hear
 every word which will fall from your   
lips4 ,you must speak the truth4 ,you   
have denounced me to the bishop as      
guilty of some great iniquity4 ,you are 
the cause of my being  interdicted4     
,you1 alone1 can repair the injury you  
have done me4 ,that  injury is very     
great2 but it can be easily repaired by 
you4 ,in the  presence of that venerable
 priest1 say whether or not1 ,i am      
guilty of  the crime you have brought to
 my charge60    ,at these words1 the    
unfortunate girl burst into tears4 ,she 
hid her face  in her handkerchief1 and  
with a voice half-suffocated with sighs1
 she  said3    8,no sir6 ,you are not   
guilty40    ,i added3 8,confess another 
thing4 ,is it not a fact that you had   

come to  my confessional more with the  
intention of tempting me to sin1 than to
  reconcile yourself to ,god80    8,yes 
sir60 she added1 8this was my wicked    
intention4    8,continue to tell the    
truth1 and our great and merciful ,god  
will forgive  you4 ,is it not to revenge
 yourself for my rebuking you1 that you 
have  brought the false accusations to  
the bishop in order that he might       
interdict me80    8,yes sir6 that is the
 only reason ,i had for accusing you40  
,after ,father ,schneider had made four 
copies of those declarations1  signed by
 him as witness1 and after she had sworn
 on the gospel1 ,i  forgave her the     
injury she had done me1 ,i gave her some
 good advice and  dismissed her4    8,is
 it not evident10 ,i said to ,father    
,schneider1 8that our merciful ,god     
never forsakes those who trust in him80 
8,yes1 ,i never saw the interposition of
 ,god so marvellously manifested as  in 
this perfect deliverance from the hands 
of your enemies4 ,but1 please  tell me  

why you requested me to make four copies
 of her sworn  declaration of your      
innocence2 was not one sufficient80     
asked ,mr4  ,schneider4    ,i answered3 
8,one of those copies was for the       
bishop2 another will remain  in your    
hands1 ,mr4 ,brassard will have one1 and
 ,i need one for myself4  ,for the      
dishonesty of the bishop is so evident  
to me1 now1 that ,i think  him able to  
destroy the copy ,i will send him1 with 
the hope1 after its  destruction1 of    
keeping me at his feet4 ,if he does that
 new act of  iniquity1 ,i will confound 
him with the three other authentic      
copies  which will remain4 ,besides1    
this unfortunate girl may die sooner    
than we  expect4 ,in that case1 ,i would
 find myself again with the bishop's    
knife  on my throat1 if ,i had no other 
retractation to the perjured declaration
  which he has persuaded her to give    
him40    8,you are right10 replied      
,father ,schneider1 8now the only thing 
for you  to do is to send that          

retractation to the bishop1 with a firm 
and polite  request to retract his      
unjust sentence against you4 ,let me do 
the rest  with him4 ,the battle is over4
 ,it has been fierce1 but short4        
,however1  thanks be to ,god1 you have a
 most complete victory over your unjust 
aggressors4 ,the bishop will do all in  
his power1 no doubt1 to make you  forget
 this darkest page of his life40    ,the
 shrewd ,jesuit was correct1 in his     
previsions4 ,never did any bishop       
receive me with so many marks1 not only 
with kindness1 but ,i dare say of       
respect1 than ,bishop ,bourget1 when1   
after my retreat1 ,i went to take  leave
 of him1 before my departure from       
,canada to the ,united ,states4    8,i  
trust1 my lord10 ,i said1 8that1 to-day1
 ,i can hope to possess the  confidence 
and friendly feelings of your lordship80
    8,certainly1 my dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy1
 certainly2 you possess my full         
confidence and friendship4 ,i dare say  
more2 you possess my most sincere       

gratitude1 for what you have done in my 
diocese40    ,i answered3 8,i am much   
obliged to your lordship for this       
expression of  your kind feelings4 ,but1
 now1 ,i have two new favors to ask from
 your  lordship4 ,the first1 is a       
written document expressive of those    
kind  feelings4    8,the second1 is a   
chalice from your hands to offer the    
holy sacrifice of  mass the rest of my  
life40    8,i will grant your request   
with the utmost pleasure10 answered the 
bishop2 and without losing a moment1 he 
wrote the following letter1  which ,i   
reproduce here1 on account of its       
importance4                             
,,translation4                          
,,montreal4 ,,oct4 #ac,,th1 #ahea4      
,,sir3--,you request me to give you     
permission to leave my diocese in order 
to go and offer your services to the    
,bishop of ,chicago4 ,as you still      
belong to the ,diocese of ,quebec1 ,i   
think you ought to address yourself  to 
my lord of ,quebec1 to get the extract  

you want4 ,as for me1 ,i cannot  but    
thank you for what you have done in our 
midst2 and in my gratitude  towards you1
 ,i wish you the most abundant blessing 
from heaven4 ,every  day of my life1 ,i 
will remember you4 ,you will always be  
in my heart1 and  ,i hope that on some  
future day1 the providence of ,god will 
give me some  opportunity of showing you
 all the feelings of gratitude ,i feel  
towards  you4              ,i remain1   
your most obedient servant1             
,,ignace4                               
,bishop of ,montreal4    ,,rev4 ,c4     
,,chiniquy4    ,though that letter was a
 most perfect recantation of all he had 
said and  done against me1 and was of   
immense value to me in such             
circumstances1  the bishop added to its 
importance by the exceedingly kind      
manner in  which he handed it to me4    
,as he was going into another room he   
said3    8,i will give you the silver   
chalice you want1 to offer the holy     
sacrifice of mass the rest of your      

days40    ,but1 he came back and said3  
8,my secretary is absent1 and has the   
key of the trunk which contains  those  
vases40    8,it makes no difference1 my 
lord10 ,i replied1 8please order your   
secretary to put that chalice in the    
hands of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,brassard1 who  will
 forward it1 with a box of books which  
he has to send me to ,chicago1  next    
week40    ,the bishop very kindly       
promised to do so2 and he fulfilled his 
promise4  ,the next day1 the precious   
gift was put in the hands of ,mr4       
,brassard1 in  presence of several      
priests4    ,it was sent1 the following 
week1 to ,chicago1 where ,i got it1 and 
that  fine silver chalice is still in my
 possession4    ,i then fell on my      
knees1 and said3    8,my lord1 ,i am    
just leaving ,canada for the ,far ,west1
 please give me your  benediction40     
,he blessed me and pressed me to his    
heart with a tenderness of a father1    
saying3    8,may ,god ,almighty bless   
you1 wherever you go and in everything  

you do1  till the end of your life40    
,,chapter ,l4    ,,address ,,presented  
,,me ,,at ,,longueuil--,i ,,arrive ,,at 
,,chicago--,i ,,select ,,the ,,spot     
,,for ,,my ,,colony--,i ,,build ,,the   
,,first ,,chapel--,,jealousy ,,and      
,,opposition ,,of ,,the    ,,priests    
,,of ,,bourbonnais ,,and                
,,chicago--,,great ,,success ,,of ,,the 
,,colony4      ,though ,i had kept my   
departure from ,canada as secret as     
possible1 it had  been suspected1 by    
many2 and ,mr4 ,brassard1 unable to     
resist the desire  that his people      
should give me the expression of their  
kind feelings1  had let the secret slip 
from his lips1 two days before ,i left4 
,i was not  a little surprised1 a few   
hours before my taking leave of him1 to 
see  his whole parish gathered at the   
door of his parsonage1 to present me    
the following address4                  
,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,father ,,chiniquy4  
,,venerable ,,sir3--,it is only three   
years since we presented you your       

portrait1 not only as an expression of  
our gratitude for your labors and       
success in the cause of temperance in   
our midst1 but also as a memorial1      
which would tell our grandchildren the  
good you have done to our  country4 ,we 
were1 then1 far from thinking that we   
were so near the day  when we would have
 the sorrow to see you separating       
yourself from us4    ,your unforeseen   
exit from ,canada fills us with a regret
 and sadness1  which is increased by the
 fear we have1 that the reform you have 
started1 and so gloriously established  
everywhere1 will suffer from your       
absence4 ,may our merciful ,god grant   
that your faithful co-laborers may      
continue it1 and walk in your footsteps4
    ,while we submit to the decrees of  
providence1 we promise that we will     
never forget the great things you have  
done for the prosperity of our  country4
 ,your likeness1 which is in every      
,canadian family1 will tell to  the     
future generations1 what ,father        

,chiniquy has done for ,canada4    ,we  
console ourselves by the assurance that1
 wherever you go1 you will  raise the   
glorious banners of temperance among    
those of our countrymen  who are        
scattered in the land of exile4 ,may    
those brethren put on your  forehead1   
the crown of immortality1 which you have
 so well deserved for  your noble work  
in our midst4 ,signed                   
,l4 ,m4 ,,brassard1                     
,priest and ,curate4                    
,h4 ,,hicks1 ,vicar4                    
,,and #cjj ,,others4    ,i ,,answered3  
,,gentlemen3--,i thank you for the honor
 you do me by your address4 ,but  allow 
me to tell you1 that the more ,i look   
upon the incalculable good  resulting   
from the ,temperance ,reform ,i have    
established1 nearly from one  end of    
,canada to the other1 the more ,i would 
deceive myself1 were ,i to  attribute to
 myself the whole merit of that blessed 
work4    ,if our ,god has chosen me1 his
 so feeble servant1 as the instrument of

  his infinite mercies towards our dear 
country2 it is because he wanted  us to 
understand that ,he alone could make the
 marvellous change we see  everywhere1  
and that we shall give all the glory to 
,him4    ,it is more to the fervent     
prayers1 and to the good examples of our
  venerable bishops and curates1 than to
 my feeble efforts1 that we owe  the    
triumph of temperance in ,canada2 and it
 is my firm conviction that  that holy  
cause will lose nothing by my absence4  
,our merciful ,god has called me to     
another field4 ,i have heard his voice4 
,though it is a great sacrifice for me  
to leave my own beloved country1 ,i     
must go to work in the midst of a new   
people1 in the distant lands of         
,illinois4    ,from many parts of       
,europe and ,canada1 multitudes are     
rushing towards the  western territories
 of the ,united ,states1 to secure to   
their families1  the incalculable       
treasures which the good providence of  
,god has  scattered over those broad    

prairies4    ,those emigrants are in    
need of priests4 ,they are like those   
little ones  of whom ,god speaks in his 
,word1 who wanted bread and had nobody  
to give  them any3 8,i have heard their 
cries1 ,i have seen their wants40 ,and  
in  spite of the great sacrifice ,i am  
called upon to make1 ,i must bless the  
,good ,master1 who calls me to work in  
that vineyard1 planted by his own       
hands1 in those distant lands4    ,if   
anything can diminish the sadness of my 
feelings1 when ,i bid adieu to  my      
countrymen1 it is the assurance given me
 by the noble people of  ,longueuil1    
that ,i have in ,canada many friends    
whose fervent prayers will  constantly  
ascend to the throne of grace1 to bring 
the benedictions of  heaven upon me1    
wherever ,i go4                         
,c4 ,,chiniquy4    ,i arrived at        
,chicago on the #bith of ,october1      
#ahea1 and spent six days  with ,bishop 
,vandeveld1 in maturing the plans of our
 ,catholic  colonization4    ,he gave me

 the wisest advice with the most        
extensive powers which a  bishop can    
give a priest1 and urged me to begin1 at
 once1 the work1 by  selecting the most 
suitable spot for such an important and 
vast  prospect4    ,my heart was filled 
with uncontrollable emotions when the   
hour came to  leave my superior and go  
to the conquest of the magnificent      
,state of  ,illinois1 for the benefit of
 my church4    ,i fell at his knees to  
ask his benediction1 and requested him  
never to  forget me in his prayers4 ,he 
was not less affected than ,i was1 and  
pressing me to his bosom1 bathed my face
 with his tears1 and blessed me4    ,it 
took me three days to cross the prairies
 from ,chicago to ,bourbonnais4  ,those 
prairies were then a vast solitude1 with
 almost impassable roads4  ,at the      
invitation of their priest1 ,mr4        
,courjeault1 several people had  come   
long distances to receive and overwhelm 
me with the public  expressions of their
 joy and respect4    ,after a few days  

of rest1 in the midst of their          
interesting young  colony1 ,i explained 
to ,mr4 ,courjeault that1 having been   
sent by the  bishop to found a          
settlement of ,roman ,catholic          
emigrants1 on a  sufficiently grand     
scale to rule the government of         
,illinois1 it was my  duty to go further
 south1 in order to find the most       
suitable place for  the first village ,i
 intended to raise4 ,but to my          
unspeakable regret1 ,i  saw that my     
proposition filled the heart of that    
unfortunate priest with  the most bitter
 feelings of jealousy and hatred4 ,it   
had been just the  same thing with ,rev4
 ,mr4 ,lebel1 at ,chicago4    ,the very 
moment ,i told him the object of my     
coming to ,illinois1 ,i felt  the same  
spirit of jealousy had turned him into  
an implacable enemy4 ,i  had expected   
very different things from those two    
priests1 for whom ,i  had entertained1  
till then1 most sincere sentiments of   
esteem4 ,so long  as they were under the

 impression that ,i had left ,canada to 
help them  increase their small         
congregations1 by inducing the emigrants
 to settle  among them1 they loaded me1 
both in public and private1 with marks  
of  their esteem4 ,but the moment they  
saw that ,i was going to found1 in the  
very heart of ,illinois1 settlements on 
such a large scale1 they banded         
together to paralyze and ruin my        
efforts4 ,had ,i suspected such         
opposition from the very men on whose   
moral help ,i had relied for the        
success of my colonizing schemes1 ,i    
would have never left ,canada1 for      
,illinois4 ,but it was now too late to  
stop my onward march4 ,trusting in  ,god
 alone for success1 ,i felt that those  
two men were to be put among  those     
unforeseen obstacles which ,heaven      
wanted me to overcome1 if ,i  could not 
avoid them4 ,i persuaded six of the most
 respectable citizens  of ,bourbonnais  
to accompany me1 in three wagons1 in    
search of the best  site for the center 

of my future colony4 ,i had a compass1  
to guide me  through those vast         
prairies1 which were spread before me   
like a  boundless ocean4 ,i wanted to   
select the highest point in ,illinois   
for my  first town1 in order to secure  
the purest air and water for the new    
emigrants4    ,i was fortunate enough1  
under the guidance of ,god1 to succeed  
better  than ,i expected1 for the       
government surveyors have lately        
acknowledged  that the village of ,st4  
,anne occupies the very highest point of
 that  splendid state4    ,to my great  
surprise1 ten days after ,i had selected
 that spot1 fifty  families from ,canada
 had planted their tents around mine1 on
 the  beautiful site which forms to-day 
the town of ,st4 ,anne4    ,we were at  
the end of ,november1 and though the    
weather was still mild1 ,i  felt ,i had 
not an hour to lose in order to secure  
shelter for every one  of those         
families1 before the cold winds and     
chilly rains of winter  should spread   

sickness and death among them4 ,the     
greater part were  illiterate and poor  
people1 without any idea of the dangers 
and  incredible difficulties of         
establishing a new settlement1 where    
everything had to be created4 ,there    
were1 at first1 only two small  houses1 
one #be by #cj1 and the other #af by #bj
 feet1 to lodge us4    ,with the rest of
 my dear emigrants1 wrapped in buffalo  
robes1 with my  overcoat for my pillow1 
,i slept soundly1 many nights on the    
bare floor1  during the three months    
which it took to get my first house     
erected4    ,having taken the census of 
the people on the first of ,december1 ,i
 found  two hundred souls1 one hundred  
of whom were adults4 ,i said to them3   
8,there are not three of you1 if left   
alone1 able to prepare a shelter  for   
your families1 this winter2 but if1     
forgetting yourselves1 you work  for    
each other1 as true friends and         
brethren1 you will increase your        
strength tenfold1 and in a few weeks1   

there will be a sufficient number  of   
small1 but solid buildings1 to protect  
you against the storms and  snow of the 
winter which is fast coming upon us4    
,let us go to the forest  together and  
cut the wood1 to-day2 and to-morrow we  
will draw that  timber to one of the    
lots you have selected1 and you will see
 with what  marvellous speed the house  
will be raised1 if your hands and hearts
 are  perfectly united to work for each 
other1 under the eyes and for the love  
of the merciful ,god who gives us this  
splendid country for our  inheritage4   
,but before going to the forest1 let us 
kneel down to ask our  ,heavenly ,father
 to bless the work of our hands1 and    
grant us to be of  one mind and one     
heart1 and to protect us against the too
 common  accidents of those forests and 
building works40    ,we all knelt on the
 grass1 and1 as much with our tears as  
with our lips1  we sent to the          
mercy-seat a prayer1 which was surely   
heard by the ,one  who said1 8,ask and  

you will receive10 and we started for   
the forest4    ,the readers would       
scarcely believe me1 were ,i to tell    
them with what  marvellous rapidity the 
first forty small1 but neat houses were 
put up  on our beautiful prairies4      
,whilst the men were cutting timber1 and
 raising one another's houses1  with a  
unity1 a joy1 a good-will and rapidity1 
which many times drew  from me tears of 
admiration1 the women would prepare the 
common meals4  ,we obtained our flour   
and pork from ,bourbonnais and ,momence1
 at a very  low price2 and1 as ,i was a 
good shot1 one or two friends and ,i1   
used to  kill1 every day1 enough prairie
 chickens1 quails1 ducks1 wild geese1   
brants and deer1 to feed more people    
than there were in our young  colony4   
,those delicious viands1 which would    
have been welcomed on the table of  the 
king1 and which would have satisfied the
 most fastidious gourmand1  caused many 
of my poor1 dear emigrants to say3      
8,our daily and most common meals here1 

are more sumptuous and delicate  than   
the richest ones in ,canada1 and they   
cost almost nothing40    ,when ,i saw   
that a sufficient number of houses had  
been built to give  shelter to every one
 of the first emigrants1 ,i called a    
meeting and  said3    8,my dear friends1
 by the great mercy of ,god1 and in     
almost a miraculous  way1 7thanks be to 
the unity and charity which have bound  
you to each  other till now1 as members 
of the same family17 you are in your    
little1  but happy homes1 and you have  
nothing to fear from the winds and snow 
of  the winter1 ,i think that my duty   
now is to direct your attention to the  
necessity of building a two-story house4
 ,the upper part will be used as  the   
school-house for your children on week  
days1 and for a chapel on  ,sundays1 and
 the lower part will be my parsonage4 ,i
 will furnish the  money for the        
flooring1 shingles1 the nails and the   
windows1 and you  will give your work   
gratis to cut and draw the timber and   

put it up4 ,i  will also pay the        
architect1 without asking a cent from   
you4 ,it is quite  time to provide a    
school for your children2 for in this   
country1 as in  any other place1 there  
is no possible prosperity or happiness  
for a  people1 if they neglect the      
education of their children4 ,now1 we   
are too  numerous to continue having our
 ,sabbath worship in any private house1 
as  we have done till now4 ,what do you 
think of this80    ,they unanimously    
answered3    8,yes6 after you have      
worked so hard to give a home to every  
one of us1  it is just that we should   
help you to make one for yourself4 ,we  
are  happy to hear that it is your      
intention to secure a good education for
  our children4 ,let us begin the work  
at once40    ,this was the #afth of     
,january1 #aheb4 ,the sun was as warm as
 on a  beautiful day of ,may in ,canada4
 ,we again fell upon our knees to       
implore  the help of ,god1 and sang a   
beautiful ,french hymn4    ,the next    

day1 we were seventy-two men in a       
neighboring forest1 felling  the great  
oaks2 and on the #agth of ,april1 only  
three months later1 that  fine two-story
 building1 nearly forty feet square1 was
 blessed by ,bishop  ,vandeveld4    ,it 
was surmounted by a nice steeple1 thirty
 feet high1 in which we had  put a bell1
 weighing #bej pounds1 whose solemn     
sound was to tell our joys  and sorrows 
over the boundless prairies4    ,on that
 day1 instead of being only fifty       
families1 as at the last  census1 we    
numbered more than one hundred1 among   
whom more than #ejj were  adults4 ,the  
chapel which we thought1 at first1 would
 be too large1 was  filled to its utmost
 capacity on the day of its consecration
 to ,god4    ,not a month later1 we had 
to speak of making an addition of forty 
feet  more1 which when finished1 six    
months later1 was found to be still     
insufficient for the accommodation of   
the constantly increasing flood of      
immigration1 which came1 not only from  

,canada1 but from ,belgium and  ,france4
 ,it soon became necessary to make a new
 center1 and expand the  limits of my   
first colony2 which ,i did1 by planting 
a cross at l',erable1  about fifteen    
miles southwest of ,st4 ,anne1 and      
another at a place we  call ,st4 ,mary1 
twelve miles southeast1 in the county of
 ,iroquois4 ,these  settlements were    
soon filled2 for that very spring1 more 
than one  thousand new families came    
from ,canada1 to join us4    ,no words  
can express the joy of my heart1 when ,i
 saw with what rapidity1  my 7then7 so  
dear ,church of ,rome was taking        
possession of those  magnificent lands1 
and how soon she would be unrivaled     
mistress1 not  only of the ,state of    
,illinois1 but of the whole valley of   
the  ,mississippi4 ,but the ways of men 
are not the ways of ,god4 ,i had been   
called1 by the ,bishops of ,rome1 to    
,illinois1 to extend the power of that  
church4 ,but my ,god had called me      
there1 that ,i might give1 to that      

church1 the most deadly blow she has    
ever received on this ,continent4    ,my
 task is now to tell my readers1 how the
 ,god of ,truth1 and ,light and  ,life1 
broke1 one after another1 all the       
charmed bonds by which ,i was  kept a   
slave at the feet of the ,pope2 and how 
,he opened my eyes1 and  those of my    
people1 to the unsuspected and untold   
abominations of  ,romanism4             
,,chapter ,,li4    ,,intrigues1         
,,impostures1 ,,and ,,criminal ,,life   
,,of ,,the ,,priest ,,in                
,,bourbonnais--,,indignation ,,of ,,the 
,,bishop--,,the ,,people ,,ignominiously
 ,,turn    ,,out ,,the ,,criminal       
,,priest ,,from ,,their                 
,,parish--,,frightful ,,scandal--,,faith
 ,,in    ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,rome     
,,seriously ,,shaken4      8,please     
accompany me to ,bourbonnais2 ,i have to
 confer with you and the  ,rev4 ,mr4    
,courjeault1 on important matters10 said
 the bishop1 half an  hour before       
leaving ,st4 ,anne1 after having blessed

 the chapel4    8,i intended1 my lord1  
to ask your lordship to grant me that   
honor1  before you offered it10 ,i      
answered4    ,two hours of good driving 
took us to the parsonage of the ,rev4   
,mr4  ,courjeault1 who had prepared a   
sumptuous dinner1 to which several of   
the  principal citizens of ,bourbonnais 
had been invited4    ,when all the      
guests had departed1 and the bishop1    
,mr4 ,courjeault1 and ,i1  were alone1  
he drew from his trunk1 a bundle of     
weekly papers of  ,montreal1 ,canada1 in
 which several letters1 very insulting  
and  compromising for the bishop1 were  
published1 signed ,r4 ,l4 ,c4 ,showing  
them to me1 he said3    8,mr4 ,chiniquy1
 can ,i know the reason you had for     
writing such insulting  things against  
your bishop80    8,my lord10 ,i         
answered4 8,i have no words to express  
my surprise and  indignation1 when ,i   
read those letters4 ,but1 thanks be to  
,god1 ,i am not  the author of those    
infamous writings4 ,i would rather have 

my right hand  cut off1 than to allow it
 to pen such false and perfidious things
  against you1 or any one else40    8,do
 you assure me that you are not the     
writer of the letters8 ,are you         
positive in that denegation2 and do you 
know the contents of these lying        
communications80 replied the ,bishop4   
8,yes1 my lord1 ,i know the contents of 
these communications4 ,i have read      
them1 several times1 with supreme       
disgust and indignation2 and ,i         
positively assert that ,i never wrote a 
single line of them40    8,then1 can you
 tell me who did write them80 said the  
bishop4    ,i answered3 8,please1 my    
lord1 put that question to the ,rev4    
,mr4  ,courjeault2 he is more able than 
any one to satisfy your lordship on     
that matter40    ,i looked at ,mr4      
,courjeault with an indignant air1 which
 told him1 that  he could not any longer
 wear the mask1 behind which he had     
concealed  himself1 for the last three  
or four months4 ,the eyes of the bishop 

were  also turned1 and firmly fixed on  
the wretched priest4    ,no6 ,never had 
,i seen anything so strange1 as the     
countenance of that  guilty man4 ,his   
face1 though usually ugly1 suddenly took
 a cadaverous  appearance2 his eyes were
 fixed on the floor1 as if unable to    
move4    ,the only signs of life left in
 him1 were given by his knees1 which    
were  shaking convulsively2 and by the  
big drops of sweat rolling down his     
unwashed face2 for1 ,i must say here1 en
 passant1 that1 with very few           
exceptions1 that priest was the dirtiest
 man ,i ever saw4    ,the bishop1 with  
unutterable expressions of indignation1 
exclaimed3    8,mr4 ,courjeault2 you are
 the writer of those infamous and       
slanderous  letters6 ,three times1 you  
have written1 and twice you told me1    
verbally1  that they were coming from   
,mr4 ,chiniquy6 ,i do not ask you if you
 are the  author of these slanders      
against me4    8,i see it written in    
your face4 ,your malice against ,mr4    

,chiniquy1 is  really diabolical4 ,you  
wanted to ruin him in my estimation1 as 
well as  in that of his countrymen4 ,and
 to succeed the better in that plot1 you
  publish the most egregious falsehoods 
against me in the ,canadian press1  to  
induce me to denounce ,mr4 ,chiniquy as 
an impostor4    8,how is it possible    
that a priest can so completely give    
himself to the  ,devil80    ,addressing 
me1 the bishop said3 8,mr4 ,chiniquy1 ,i
 beg your pardon for  having believed   
and repeated1 that you were depraved    
enough to write  those calumnies against
 your bishop1 ,i was deceived by that   
deceitful  man4    8,i will immediately 
retract what ,i have written and said   
against you40    ,then1 addressing ,mr4 
,courjeault he again said3    8,the     
least punishment ,i can give you is to  
turn you out of my diocese1  and write  
to all the ,bishops of ,america1 that   
you are the vilest priest  ,i ever saw1 
that they may never give you any        
position on this  ,continent40    ,these

 last words had hardly fallen from the  
lips of the bishop1 when ,mr4           
,courjeault fell on his knees1 before   
me1 and bathing1 with his tears1 my     
hands1 which he was convulsively        
pressing in his1 said3    8,dear ,mr4   
,chiniquy1 ,i see the greatness of my   
iniquity against you and  against our   
common bishop4 ,for the dear ,saviour   
,jesus' sake1 forgive me4  ,i take ,god 
to witness that you will never have a   
more devoted friend  than ,i will be4   
,and you1 my lord1 allow me to tell you1
 that ,i thank ,god  that my malice and 
my great sin against both you and ,mr4  
,chiniquy is  known and punished at     
once4 ,however1 in the name of our      
crucified  ,saviour1 ,i ask you to      
forgive me4 ,god knows that1 hereafter1 
you will  not have a more obedient and  
devoted priest than ,i40    ,it was a   
most touching spectacle to see the      
tears1 and hear the sobs of  that       
repentant sinner4 ,i could not contain  
myself1 nor refrain from  tears4 ,they  

were mingled with those of that         
returning stray sheep4 ,i  answered3    
8,yes1 ,mr4 ,courjeault1 ,i forgive you 
with all my heart1 as ,i wish my        
merciful ,god to forgive me my sins4    
,may the ,god who sees your repentance  
forgive you also60    ,bishop           
,vandeveld1 who was gifted with a most  
sensitive and kind nature1  was also    
shedding tears1 when ,i lifted up ,mr4  
,courjeault to press him to  my heart1  
and to tell him again with my voice     
choked with sobs3 8,i  forgive you most 
sincerely1 as ,i want to be forgiven40  
,he asked me3 8,what do you advise me to
 do8 ,must ,i forgive also8 and can  ,i 
continue to keep him at the head of this
 important mission80    8,yes1 my lord4 
,please forgive and forget the errors of
 that dear  brother2 he has already done
 so much good to my countrymen of       
,bourbonnais4 ,i pledge myself that he  
will1 hereafter1 be one of your  best   
priests40    ,and the bishop forgave    
him1 after some very appropriate and    

paternal  advice1 admirably mixed with  
mercy and firmness4    ,it was then     
about three o'clock in the afternoon4   
,we separated1 to say  our vespers and  
matins 7prayers which took nearly an    
hour74    ,i had just finished reciting 
them in the garden1 when ,i saw the     
,rev4 ,mr4  ,courjeault walking from the
 church towards me1 but his steps were  
uncertain1 as one distracted or half    
drunk4 ,i was puzzled at the sight1  for
 he was a strong teetotaler1 and ,i knew
 he had no strong drink in the  church4 
,he advanced three or four steps1 then  
retreated4 ,at last1 he  came very near1
 but his face had such an expression of 
terror and  sadness that he was hardly  
recognizable4 ,he muttered something    
that ,i  could not understand4          
8,please repeat your sentence10 ,i said 
to him1 8,i did not understand  you40   
,he then put his hands on his face1 and 
again muttered something4 ,his  voice   
was drowned in his tears and sobs4      
,supposing that he was coming to  ask me

 again to pardon his past malice and    
calumnies against me1 ,i felt  an       
unspeakable compassion for him4    ,as  
there were a couple of seats near by1 ,i
 said to him3    8,my dear ,mr4         
,courjeault1 come and sit here with me2 
and do not think any  more of what ,god 
,almighty has blotted out with the blood
 of ,his ,son4 ,i  will never think any 
more of your momentary errors4 ,you may 
look upon me  as your most devoted      
friend40    8,dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy10 he  
answered1 8,i have to reveal to you     
another dark  mystery of my miserable   
life4 ,since more than a year1 ,i have  
lived with  the beadle's daughter as if 
she were my wife6    8,she has just told
 me that she is to become a mother in a 
few days1 and  that ,i have to see to   
that1 and give her #ejj4 ,she threatens 
to denounce  me publicly to the bishop  
and people if ,i do not support her and 
her  offspring4 ,would it not be better 
for me to flee away1 this night1 and  go
 back to ,france to live in my own      

family1 and conceal my shame8           
,sometimes1 ,i am even tempted to throw 
myself in the river1 to put an end  to  
my miserable and dishonored existence4  
,do you think that the bishop  would    
forgive this new crime1 if ,i threw     
myself at his feet and asked  pardon8   
,would he give me some other place in   
his vast diocese1 where my  misfortunes 
and my sins are not known8 ,please tell 
me what to do40    ,i remained          
absolutely stupefied1 and did not know  
what to answer4 ,though  ,i had         
compassion for the unfortunate man1 ,i  
must confess that this new  development 
of his hypocrisy and rascality filled me
 with an unspeakable  horror and        
disgust4 ,he had1 till then1 wrapped    
himself in such a thick  mantle of      
deception that many of his people looked
 upon him as an angel  of purity4 ,his  
infamies were so well concealed under an
 exterior of  extreme moral rigidity    
that several of his parishioners looked 
upon him  as a saint1 whose relics could

 perform miracles4 ,not long before1 two
  young couples1 of the best families of
 ,bourbonnais1 having danced in a       
respectable social gathering1 had been  
condemned by him1 and compelled  to ask 
pardon1 publicly1 in the church4 ,this  
pharisaical rigidity caused  the secret 
vices of that priest to be still more   
conspicuous and  scandalous4 ,i felt    
that the scandal which would follow the 
publication  of this mystery of iniquity
 would be awful2 that it would even     
cause  many1 forever1 to lose faith in  
our church4 ,so many sad thoughts filled
  my mind that ,i was confused and      
unable to give him any advice4 ,i       
answered3    8,your misfortune is really
 great4 ,if the bishop were not here1 ,i
 might1  perhaps1 tell you my mind about
 the best thing to do1 just now4 ,but   
the  bishop is here2 he is the only man 
to whom you have to go to know how to   
come out of the bottomless abyss into   
which you have fallen4 ,he is your      
proper counsellor2 go and tell him1     

frankly1 everything1 and follow his     
advice40    ,with staggering step1 and  
in such deep emotions that his sobs and 
cries  could be heard for quite a       
distance1 he went to the bishop4 ,i     
remained  alone1 half petrified at what 
,i had heard4    ,half an hour later1   
the bishop came to me4 ,he was pale and 
his eyes  reddened with tears4 ,he said 
to me3    8,mr4 ,chiniquy1 what an awful
 scandal6 ,what a new disgrace for our  
holy  church6 ,that ,mr4 ,courjeault1   
whom ,i thought1 till to-day1 to be one 
of  my best priests1 is an incarnate    
devil4 ,what shall ,i do with him8      
,please  help me by your advice2 tell me
 what you consider the best way of      
preventing the scandal1 and protecting  
the faith of the good people  against   
the destructive storm which is coming   
upon them40    8,my dear ,bishop10 ,i   
answered1 8the more ,i consider these   
scandals here1  the less ,i see how we  
can save the church from becoming a     
dreadful  wreck4 ,i feel too much the   

responsibility of my advice to give it4 
,let  your lordship1 guided by the      
,spirit of ,god1 do what you consider   
the  best for the honor of the church   
and the salvation of so many souls1     
which are in danger of perishing when   
this scandal becomes known4 ,for  me1   
the only thing ,i can do is to conceal  
my face with shame1 go back to  my young
 colony to pray and weep and work40     
,the bishop replied3 8,here is what ,i  
intend to do4 ,mr4 ,courjeault tells  me
 that there is not the least suspicion  
among the people of his sin1  and that  
it is an easy thing to send that girl to
 the house provided in  ,canada for     
priests' offenses1 without awakening any
 suspicion4 ,he seems  so penitent1 that
 ,i hope1 hereafter1 we have nothing to 
fear from him4  ,he will now live the   
life of a good priest here1 without     
giving any  scandal4 ,but if ,i remove  
him1 then there will be some suspicions 
of his  fall1 and the awful scandal we  
want to avoid will come4 ,please lend me

  #ajj1 which ,i will give to ,mr4      
,courjeault1 to send that girl to       
,canada  as soon as possible2 and he    
will continue here1 to work with wisdom 
after this terrible trial4 ,what do you 
think of that plan80    8,if your       
lordship is sure of the conversion of   
,mr4 ,courjeault1 and that  there is no 
danger of his great iniquity being known
 by the people1  evidently the wisest   
thing you can do is to send that girl to
 ,canada1  and keep ,mr4 ,courjeault    
here4 ,though ,i see great dangers even 
in that  way of dealing in this sad     
affair4 ,but1 unfortunately1 ,i have not
 a cent  in hand to-day1 and ,i cannot  
lend you the #ajj you want40    8,then10
 said the bishop1 8,i will give a draft 
on a bank of ,chicago1 but  you must    
endorse it40    8,i have no objection1  
my lord1 to endorse any draft signed by 
your  lordship10 ,i replied4    ,though 
it was late in the day1 and that ,i had1
 at first1 proposed to  spend the night1
 ,i came back to my dear colony of ,st4 

,anne4 ,bourbonnais  appeared to me like
 a burning house1 in the cellar of which
 there was a  barrel of powder1 from    
which one could not keep himself too far
 away4    ,five days later1 four of the 
principal citizens of that interesting1 
but  sorely tried1 place knocked at my  
door4 ,they were sent as a deputation   
from the whole village to ask me what to
 do about their curate1 ,mr4            
,courjeault4 ,they told me that several 
of them had1 long since1 suspected  what
 was going on between that priest and   
the beadle's daughter1 but  they had    
kept that secret4 ,however1 yesterday1  
they said the eyes of the  parish had   
been opened to the awful scandal4       
,the disgusting demonstrations and      
attention of the curate1 when the       
victim of his lust took the diligence1  
left no doubt in the minds of any  one  
that she is to have a child in          
,montreal4    8,now1 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 we 
are sent here to ask your advice4       
,please tell us  what to do40    8,my   

dear friends10 ,i answered1 8it is not  
from me1 but from our common  bishop1   
that you must ask what is to be done in 
such deplorable  affairs40    ,but they 
replied3 8,would you not be kind enough 
to come to ,bourbonnais  with us1 and go
 to our unfortunate priest to tell him  
that his criminal  conduct is known by  
the whole people1 and that we cannot    
decently keep  him a day longer as our  
,christian teacher4 ,he has rendered us 
great  services in the past1 which we   
will never forget4 ,we do not want to   
abuse or insult him in any way4 ,though 
guilty1 he is still a priest4 ,the  only
 favor we ask from him now is that he   
quits the place1 without noise  and     
scandal1 in the night1 to avoid any     
disagreeable demonstrations  which might
 come from his personal enemies1 whom   
his pharisaical  rigidity has made      
pretty numerous and bitter40    8,i do  
not see any reason to refuse you that   
favor10 ,i answered4    ,three hours    
later1 in the presence of those four    

gentlemen1 ,i was  delivering my sad    
message to the unfortunate curate4 ,he  
received it as  his death warrant4 ,but 
he was humble1 and submitted to his     
fate4    ,after spending four hours with
 us in settling his affairs1 he fell on 
his knees1 with torrents of tears1 he   
asked pardon for the scandal he  had    
given1 and requested us to ask pardon   
from the whole parish1 and at  #ab      
o'clock at night he left for ,chicago4  
,that hour was a sad one1  indeed1 for  
us all4 ,but my ,god had a still sadder 
hour in store for me4  ,the people of   
,bourbonnais had requested me to give   
them some religious  evening services   
the next week1 and ,i was just at the   
end of one of  them1 the #gth of ,may1  
when1 suddenly1 the ,rev4 ,mr4          
,courjeault entered  the church1 walked 
through the crowd1 saluting this one1   
smiling on that  one1 and pressing the  
hands of many4 ,his face bore the marks 
of  impudence and debauchery4    ,from  
one end of the church to the other1 a   

whisper of amazement and  indignation   
was heard4    8,mr4 ,courjeault6 ,mr4   
,courjeault66 ,great ,god6 what does    
this mean80    ,i observed that he was  
advancing towards me1 probably with the 
intention  of shaking hands1 before the 
people1 but ,i did not give him time to 
do  it4 ,i left by the back door1 and   
went to the parsonage1 which was only a 
few steps distant4 ,he1 then1 went back 
to the door to have a talk with  the    
people1 but very few gave him that      
chance4 ,though he affected to be       
exceedingly gay1 jocose and talkative1  
he could not get many people to  stop   
and hear him4 ,every one1 particularly  
the women1 were filled with  disgust1 at
 his impudence4 ,seeing himself nearly  
deserted1 at the church  door1 he turned
 his steps towards the parsonage1 which 
he entered1  whistling4 ,when he beheld 
me1 he laughed and said3    8,oh6 oh6   
our dear little ,father ,chiniquy here8 
,how do you do80    8,i am quite        
unwell10 ,i answered1 8since ,i see that

 you are so miserably  destroying       
yourself40    8,i do not want to destroy
 myself10 he answered2 8but it is you   
who wants  to turn me out of my         
beautiful parish of ,bourbonnais1 to    
take my place4  ,with the four          
blockheads who accompanied you1 the     
other day1 you have  frightened and     
persuaded me that my misfortune with    
,mary was known by  all the people2 but 
our good bishop has understood that this
 was a trick  of yours1 and that it was 
one of your lying stories4 ,i came back 
to take  possession of my parish1 and   
turn you out40    8,if the bishop has   
sent you back here to turn me out1 that 
,i may go back  to my dear colony1 he   
has just done what ,i asked him to do2  
for he  knows1 better than any man1 for 
what great purpose ,i came to this      
country1 and that ,i cannot do my work  
so long as he asks me to take care  of  
,bourbonnais4 ,i go1 at once1 and leave 
you in full possession of your          
parsonage4 ,but ,i pity you1 when ,i see

 the dark cloud which is on your        
horizon4 ,good-bye60    8,you are the   
only dark cloud on my horizon10 he      
answered4 8,when you are  gone1 ,i will 
be in as perfect peace as ,i was before 
you set your feet in  ,illinois4        
,good-bye2 and please never come back   
here1 except ,i invite  you40    ,i     
left1 and ordered my servant-man to     
drive me back to ,st4 ,anne4 ,but  when 
crossing the village1 ,i saw that there 
was a terrible excitement  among the    
people4 ,several times they stopped me1 
and requested me to  remain in their    
midst to advise them what to do4    ,but
 ,i refused1 saying to them3 8,it would 
be an insult on my part to  advise you  
anything1 in a matter where your duty as
 men and ,catholics is  so clear4       
,consult the respect you owe to         
yourselves1 to your families  and to    
your church1 and you will know what to  
do40    ,it took me all night1 which was
 very dark1 to come back to ,st4 ,anne1 
where ,i arrived at dawn1 the #ith of   

,may1 #aheb4    ,the next ,sabbath day1 
,i held a public service in my chapel1  
which was  crowded1 without making any  
allusion to that deplorable affair4 ,on 
the  ,monday following1 four citizens of
 ,bourbonnais were deputed to tell me   
what they had done1 and asked me not to 
desert them in that hour of  trial1 but 
to remember that ,i was their           
countryman1 and that they had  nobody   
else to whom they could look to help to 
fulfill their religious  duties4 ,here  
is the substance of their message3      
8,as soon as we saw that you had left   
our village1 without telling us  what to
 do1 we called a public meeting1 where  
we passed the following  resolutions03  
#ast4 ,no personal insult shall be given
 to ,mr4 ,courjeault4    #bnd4 ,we      
cannot consent to keep him a single hour
 as our pastor4    #crd4 ,when1 next    
,sabbath1 he will begin his sermon1 we  
will instantly  leave the church1 and go
 to the door1 that he may remain        
absolutely  alone1 and understand our   

stern determination not to have him any 
more  for our spiritual teacher4        
#dth4 ,we will send these resolutions to
 the bishop1 and ask him to allow  ,mr4 
,chiniquy to divide his time and        
attention between his new colony and    
us1 till we have a pastor able to       
instruct and edify us4    ,strange to   
say1 poor ,mr4 ,courjeault1 shut up in  
his parsonage during  that night1 knew  
nothing of that meeting4 ,he had not    
found a single  friend to warn him of   
what was to happen the next ,sunday4    
,that ,sunday1  the weather was         
magnificent1 and there never had been   
such a multitude  of people at the      
church4    ,the miserable priest1       
thinking by that unusual crowd1 that    
everything  was to be right with him1   
that day1 began his mass and went to the
  pulpit to deliver his sermon4 ,but he 
had hardly pronounced the first  words1 
when1 at a signal given by some one1 the
 whole people1 without a  single        
exception1 ran out of the church1 as if 

it had been on fire1 and  he remained   
alone4    ,of course1 this fell upon him
 as a thunderbolt1 and he came very near
  fainting4 ,however1 recovering        
himself1 he went to the door1 and having
  with his tears and sobs1 as with his  
words1 persuaded the people to  listen  
to what he had to tell them1 he said3   
8,i see that the hand of ,god is upon   
me1 and ,i deserve it4 ,i have sinned1  
and made a mistake by coming back4 ,you 
do not want me any more to be  your     
pastor4 ,i can not complain of that2    
this is your right1 you will be         
satisfied4 ,i will leave the place      
forever1 to-night4 ,i only ask you to   
forgive my past errors and pray for me40
    ,this short address was followed by 
the most deadly silence1 not a voice    
was heard to insult him4 ,many1 on the  
contrary1 were so much impressed  with  
the sad solemnity of this occurrence    
that they could not refrain  their      
tears4 ,the whole people went back to   
their homes with broken  hearts4 ,mr4   

,courjeault left ,bourbonnais that very 
night1 never to return  again4 ,but the 
awful scandal he had given did not      
disappear with him4    ,our ,great and  
,merciful ,god1 who1 many times1 has    
made the very sins and  errors of his   
people to work for good1 caused that    
public iniquity of  the priest to remove
 the scales from many eyes and prepare  
them to  receive the light1 which was   
already dawning at the horizon4 ,a voice
  from heaven was as if heard by many of
 us3    8,do you not see that in your   
,church of ,rome1 you do not follow the 
,word  of ,god1 but the lying traditions
 of men8 ,is it not evident that your   
priest's celibacy is a snare and an     
institution of ,satan80    ,many asked  
me to show them1 in the ,gospel1 where  
,christ had established  the law of     
celibacy4    8,i will do better10 ,i    
added1 8,i will put the ,gospel in your 
hands1 and  you will look for yourselves
 in that holy book what is said on that 
matter40    ,the very same day ,i       

ordered a merchant1 from ,montreal1 to  
send me a  large box filled with ,new   
,testaments1 printed by the order of the
  ,archbishop of ,quebec1 and on the    
#beth as many from ,new ,york4 ,very    
soon  it was known by every one of my   
emigrants that not only had ,jesus never
  forbidden ,his apostles and priests to
 marry1 but he had left them free  to   
have their wives1 and live with them1   
according to the very testimony  of     
,paul3 8,have we not the power to lead  
about with us a wife and sister1  as    
well as the rest of the apostles and    
brethren of the ,lord1 and  ,cephas0    
7,cor4 ix3 #ee72 they saw1 by their     
,gospel1 that the doctrine of  celibacy 
of the priests was not brought from     
heaven by ,christ1 but had  been forged 
in darkness1 to add to the miseries of  
man4 ,they read and  read over again    
these words of ,christ3    8,if you     
continue in my word1 you shall be my    
disciples indeed4    8,you shall know   
the truth1 and it shall make you free4  

8,if1 therefore1 the son shall make you 
free1 you shall be free indeed0  7,john 
viii3 #ca1 #cb1 #cf74    ,and those     
promises of liberty1 which ,christ gave 
to those who read and  followed ,his    
,word1 made their hearts leap with joy4 
,they fell upon their  minds as music   
from heaven4 ,they also soon found1 by  
themselves1 that  every time the        
disciples of ,christ had asked ,him who 
would be the first  ruler1 or the pope1 
in ,his church1 he had always solemnly  
and positively  said that1 in ,his      
church1 nobody would ever become the    
first1 the ruler  or the pope4    ,and  
they began1 seriously1 to suspect that  
the great powers of the pope  and his   
bishops were nothing but a sacrilegious 
usurpation4 ,i was not  long without    
seeing that the reading of the ,holy    
,scriptures by my dear  countrymen was  
changing them into other men4    ,their 
minds were evidently enlarged and raised
 to higher spheres of  thought4 ,they   
were beginning to suspect that the heavy

 chains which were  wounding their      
shoulders were preventing them from     
making progress in  wealth1 intelligence
 and liberty1 as their more fortunate   
fellow-men1  called ,protestants4       
,this was not yet the bright light of   
the day1 but it was the blessed  dawn4  
,,chapter ,,lii4      ,on the #bjth of  
,may1 #aheb1 ,i received the following  
letter from ,bishop  ,vandeveld3        
,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,,chiniquy4    ,,my ,,dear 
,,mr4 ,,chiniquy3--,the ,rev4 ,mr4      
,courjeault is just returned from       
,bourbonnais1 where he ought never to   
have gone back4 ,he has told me of  his 
complete failure and ignominious exit4  
,i bitterly regret having  allowed him  
to go there again4 ,but he had so       
persuaded me that his  criminal conduct 
with his servant girl was ignored by the
 people1 that ,i  had yielded to his    
request4    ,i feel that this new       
attempt1 on his part1 to impose himself 
on that  honest people1 has added to the
 enormity of his first scandal4 ,i      

advise  him now to go back to ,france1  
where he can more easily conceal his    
shame  than in ,america4 ,but one of the
 darkest features of that disgusting    
affair is that ,i am obliged to pay the 
#ejj which the girl asked1 in  order to 
prevent ,mr ,courjeault from being      
dragged before the civil  tribunal and  
sent to jail4    ,the malice of that    
priest against you has received its just
 reward4 ,but  my fear is that you have 
another implacable enemy here in ,mr4   
,lebel1  whose power to do evil is      
greater than ,mr4 ,courjeault's4        
,before you began your great work of    
directing the flood of ,roman  ,catholic
 emigration towards this country1 to    
secure it to our holy  church1 he was in
 favor of that glorious scheme1 but his 
jealousy  against you has suddenly      
changed his mind4    ,he has1 lately1   
addressed a letter to the ,canadian     
press1 every word of  which is an       
unmitigated falsehood4 ,of course1 the  
,bishop of ,montreal1  who is more than 

ever opposed to our colonization plan1  
has published  that lying letter in his 
journal2 more than that1 he has         
reproduced the  testimony of a perjured 
man1 who swears that many of the people 
of  ,illinois are bitten and killed by  
the rattlesnakes1 and those who escape  
are taxed six cents for each pane of    
glass of their windows4    ,will you be 
discouraged by this opposition8 ,i hope 
not4 ,this opposition  is the greatest  
evidence we could have that our scheme  
is from ,god1 and  that ,he will support
 you4 ,i am tempted to interdict ,mr4   
,lebel1 and send  him back to ,canada1  
for writing things which he so well     
knows to be  false4 ,the want of a      
,french-speaking priest for your        
countrymen of  ,chicago is the only     
thing which has prevented me from       
withdrawing his  faculties4 ,but ,i have
 warned him that if he writes any more  
against the  truth1 ,i will punish him  
as he deserves4    ,for you1 my dear    
sir1 ,i will address to you the very    

words which ,god  ,himself addressed to 
,his servant1 ,joshua3 8,be strong1 and 
of good  courage2 for unto this people  
shalt thou divide1 for an inheritance1  
the  land which ,i swear unto their     
fathers to give them0 7,joshua #a3 #f74 
#a agree with what you wrote me in your 
last letter1 that the charge ,i  have   
given you of ,bourbonnais1 pro tempore1 
will seriously interfere  with your     
other numberless duties towards your    
dear emigrants4 ,but there  is no help2 
the only thing ,i can promise1 is to    
relieve you as soon as  possible4 ,i    
have no other priest to whom ,i can     
trust the interesting  mission of       
,bourbonnais4 ,for ,father ,huick is too
 old and infirm for such  a work4 ,it is
 evidently the will of ,god that you    
should extend your  labors over the     
first limits you had fixed4 ,be faithful
 to the end1 and  the ,lord will be with
 you1 and support you throughout all    
your labors  and tribulations4          
,truly ,yours1                          

,,oliv ,,vandeveld1                     
,bishop of ,chicago4    ,during the next
 six months1 more than #ejj families    
from ,france1 ,belgium  and ,canada came
 and gave to our colony a life1 power   
and prosperity  impossible for me to    
depict4 ,the joy ,i felt at this        
unforeseen success  was much diminished1
 however1 by the sudden news that ,mr4  
,courjeault had  come back from ,france1
 where he spent only one month4    ,not 
daring to visit ,bourbonnais again1 he  
was lurking on the frontiers  of        
,indiana1 only a few miles distant1     
evidently with some sinister  intention4
    ,driven to a state of madness by his
 jealousy and hatred1 that  unfortunate 
man addressed to me1 on the #bc;d of    
,january1 #ahec1 the most  abusive      
letter ,i ever received1 and ended it by
 telling me that the fine  7though      
unfinished7 church of ,bourbonnais1     
which he had built1 was to be  burned1  
and that my life would be in danger if  
,i remained at the head of  that        

mission4    ,i immediately sent that    
letter to the bishop1 asking his advice4
 ,in his  answer he told me that he     
thought that ,mr4 ,courjeault was wicked
 enough  to fulfill his threats4 ,he    
added3 8,though ,i have not yet clear   
evidence  of it1 it is my fear that ,mr4
 ,lebel is united with ,mr4 ,courjeault 
in the  diabolical plot of burning your 
church of ,bourbonnais4 ,several people 
have reported to me that he says that   
your presence there will be the  ruin of
 that people1 and the destruction of    
their church4 ,oh6 to what  extremities 
bad priests can go1 when once they have 
given themselves to  their unbridled    
passions6 ,the first thing ,i would     
advise you1 my dear  ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 in 
the presence of such a terrible         
calamity1 is to insure  that church     
without delay4 ,i have tried to do it   
here1 but they have  refused1 under the 
pretext that it is an unfinished1 frame 
building1 and  there are too many       
dangers of fire when people are still   

working at it4    8,my impression is    
that ,mr4 ,lebel is on intimate terms   
with some  insurance gentlemen1 and has 
frightened them by speaking of that     
rumor  of danger1 of which he is        
probably the father1 with that miserable
  ,courjeault4 ,perhaps you may have a  
better chance1 by addressing yourself   
to some insurance company which you     
might find at ,joliet or at             
,springfield40    ,after vain efforts to
 insure the church1 ,i wrote to the     
bishop3 8,the  only way to escape the   
impending danger is to finish the church
 at once1  and insure it after4 ,i have 
just made a collection of #djj among the
  people of ,bourbonnais1 to which ,i   
added #cjj from my own private          
resources1 and will go to work          
immediately if your lordship has no     
objections40    ,having got the         
approbation of my superior1 on the #ast 
of ,march ,i began  to put the last hand
 to that building4    ,we worked almost 
day and night1 till the #ast of ,may1   

when it was all  finished4 ,i dare      
affirm1 that for a country place1 that  
church was  unsurpassed in beauty4 ,the 
inside frame-work was all made of the   
splendid black oak of ,bourbonnais1     
polished and varnished by most  skillful
 men1 and it looked like a mirror4 ,very
 seldom have ,i seen  anything more     
grand and beautiful than the altar1 made
 also of that  precious black oak4 ,it  
was late at night when1 with my         
fellow-laborers1  covered with dust and 
sweat1 we could say with joy the solemn 
words1 8,it  is finished60 ,afterwards  
we sung the ,te ,deum4    ,had ,i had   
any opportunity1 at that late hour1 it  
was my thought and  desire to insure it4
 ,but ,i was forced to postpone this    
till the next  ,monday4    ,the next day
 7the first ,sabbath of ,may1 #ahec71   
the sun seemed to come  out from the    
horizon and rise above our heads with   
more than usual  magnificence4    ,the  
air was calm and pure1 and the          
numberless spring flowers of our        

gardens mingling their perfumes with the
 fragrant leaves of the splendid  forest
 at the front of the village1 the balmy 
atmosphere1 the songs of  the birds1    
seemed to tell us that this ,sabbath day
 was to be the most  happy one for me   
and my dear people of ,bourbonnais4 ,the
 church had never  been so crowded4 ,the
 hymns we sung had never been so        
melodious1 and the  words of gratitude  
which ,i addressed to my ,god1 when ,i  
thanked him for  the church he had given
 us1 in which to adore and bless him1   
had never  been so sincere and earnest3 
never had our tears of joy flowed so    
profusely as on that splendid and       
never-to-be-forgotten ,sabbath4         
,alas6 who would suspect that1 six hours
 later1 the same people1 gathered       
around the smoking ruins of their       
church1 would rend the air with their   
cries of desolation6 ,such1 however1 was
 the case4    ,while taking my dinner1  
after the public service1 two little    
boys1 who  had remained in the church to

 wait for the hour of the ,catechism1   
ran to  the parsonage1 crying3 8,fire6  
,fire66 ,fire6660    ,bare-headed1 and  
half-paralyzed with the idea that my    
church was on  fire1 ,i went out to see 
the awful reality4 ,a girdle of smoke   
and fire  was already issuing from      
almost every part1 between the top of   
the  wooden walls and the roof4    ,i   
had rushed to the church with a pail of 
water in my hand4 ,but it was  too late 
to make any use of it2 the flames were  
already running and  leaping with a     
fearful rapidity over the fresh varnish1
 like a long  train of powder4 ,in less 
than two hours all was finished again4  
,no doubt could remain in our minds4    
,this was the work of an incendiary1    
for there was no fire in the church     
after the service4 ,many strangers  who 
had come from a distance1 had gone      
through the whole nave and the  upper   
galleries1 to have a better sight of the
 whole building1 and two  of them had   
been seen by the little boys1 remaining 

ten or fifteen  minutes alone2 they had 
gone back to some of the houses of the  
village  without being remarked by      
anybody1 for it was dinner time1 and    
there was  nobody to watch them4        
,though stunned by that awful calamity1 
the noble-hearted people of             
,bourbonnais did not lose their minds4  
,seeing that they were all gathered     
around the smoking ruins1 at about six  
,p4 ,m41 ,i addressed to them a few     
words to support their courage4 ,i told 
them that it was only in the  midst of  
great trials and difficulties that men  
could show their noblest  qualities1 and
 their true manhood2 that if we were    
true men1 instead of  losing our time in
 shedding tears and rending the air with
 our cries of  desolation1 we would     
immediately put our hands to the work1  
and begin  the very next day to raise   
up1 not a frame building1 which the     
flames  could turn into ashes in a few  
minutes1 and which the storm could blow 
down over our heads1 but a stone church1

 which would stand before ,god  and man 
as an imperishable monument of their    
faith1 indomitable courage  and         
liberality4 ,we immediately started a   
subscription1 to erect1 without  delay1 
a stone church4 ,in less than one hour1 
#d1jjj in money1 and more  than #e1jjj  
in time1 timber and stone and other     
material1 were  subscribed1 every cent  
of which has been faithfully given for  
the  erection of that fine stone church 
of ,bourbonnais4    ,the next ,thursday1
 ,bishop ,vandeveld came from ,chicago  
to confer with me  about what could be  
done to repair that terrible loss1 and  
to inquire  confidentially of me as to  
the author of that fire4 ,all the facts 
we  gathered pointed to the same        
direction4 ,it was evident that the     
miserable ,courjeault1 with ,lebel1 the 
,french ,canadian priest of ,chicago1   
had done that evil work through their   
emissaries4 ,no doubt of this  remained 
in my mind when ,i learned that soon    
after1 ,mr4 ,courjeault had  thrown     

himself into one of those dark dungeons 
called a monastery of ,la  ,trappe1     
which ,satan has built on earth as a    
preparation for the dark  hereafter of  
the wicked4    ,the unexpected visit of 
the bishop1 had1 at first1 rejoiced me1 
by the  hope that he would bring me     
words of encouragement4    ,but what was
 my disappointment1 when he said to me3 
8,my dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 ,i must reveal
 to you a thing that ,i have not yet    
made known to anyone4 ,it is            
confidential1 and ,i request you not to 
say a  word before it is accomplished4  
,i can not remain any longer ,bishop of 
,illinois6 ,no6 ,i cannot any longer    
assume the responsibilities of such a   
high position1 because it is beyond my  
power to fulfill my duties and do  what 
the church requires of me4 ,the conduct 
of the priests of this  diocese is such1
 that1 should ,i follow the regulations 
of the canon1 ,i  would be forced to    
interdict all my priests with the       
exception of you  and two or three      

others4    8,they are all either        
notorious drunkards1 or given to public 
or secret  concubinage2 several of them 
have children by their own nieces1 and  
two  by their own sisters4 ,i do not    
think that ten of them believe in ,god4 
,religion is nothing to them but a      
well-paying comedy4 ,where can ,i find a
  remedy for such a general evil8 ,can  
,i punish one of them and leave the     
others free in their abominable doings1 
when they are almost all equally        
guilty8 ,would not the general          
interdiction of these priests be the    
death  blow to our church in ,illinois8 
,besides1 how can ,i punish them1 when  
,i  know that many of them are ready to 
poison me the very moment ,i raise a    
finger against them4 ,i suppose that you
 do not ignore the fact that my  poor   
predecessor was poisoned by one of those
 priests who had seduced  several nuns1 
when he was in the very act of          
investigating the matter4    8,i intend 
to go to ,rome1 as soon as ,i receive my

 permit from the pope1  to renounce at  
his feet the ,bishopric of ,chicago1    
which ,i will not keep  on any          
consideration4    8,if the pope does not
 give me another diocese1 with a better 
set of  priests1 ,i prefer to spend the 
rest of my life at the head of a small  
congregation1 where ,i shall not have1  
on my shoulders1 the awful              
responsibility which is killing me here4
 ,the last horrible deeds of            
,courjeault and ,lebel1 of which you are
 the victim to-day1 has filled the      
bitter cup which ,god has put to my lips
 to drink4 ,it is overflowing4 ,i       
cannot any longer endure it40    ,when  
speaking so1 the bishop's face was      
bathed with tears4 ,it was very         
late--too late1 indeed1 to make the     
remonstrances which came to my mind1  in
 order to change his resolutions4    ,i 
determined to wait till the next        
morning1 when ,i should have plenty of  
time1 ,i hoped1 to expel his dark       
thoughts1 and give him more courage4    

,besides1 ,i was1 myself1 so discouraged
 by those awful disclosures1 that  ,i   
was in need of mental as well as bodily 
rest4 ,but1 alas6 the next day  was to  
be one of the darkest of my priestly    
life6    ,when the hour for breakfast   
came the next morning1 ,i went to awaken
 the  bishop4 ,what was my dismay1 when 
,i found him drunk6    ,before going to 
bed1 he had secretly asked my           
housekeeper to give him  the bottle of  
wine which ,i used to celebrate mass4   
,it was a large  bottle1 containing     
nearly a quart of wine1 which would last
 me at least  six months4 ,the whole of 
which he had drank during the night6    
,i had been told that ,bishop ,vandeveld
 7as well as the greater number of  the 
,bishops of the ,united ,states7 was a  
drunkard1 but ,i had never  believed it4
 ,he always drank very moderately1      
before me1 any time ,i sat  at his      
table1 or he at mine4 ,it appears that  
it was at night1 when  nobody could see 
him1 that he gave himself up to that    

detestable habit4  ,his room was filled 
with the odor of what he had vomited1   
after drinking  such an enormous        
quantity of wine4 ,he left the room1    
only at noon1 after  the fumes of the   
wine had almost entirely disappeared1   
and requested the  housekeeper to       
cleanse it herself1 without letting the 
servants know  anything of the          
occurrence of the night4    ,but words  
would fail to express my consternation  
and the discouragement  ,i felt4 ,i had 
formed such a good and exalted opinion  
of that man6 ,i had  found in him such  
noble qualities6 ,his intelligence was  
so bright1 his  learning so extensive1  
his heart so large1 his plans so grand1 
his piety  so sincere1 his charity so   
worthy of a ,bishop of ,christ6    ,it  
was so pleasant for me to know1 till    
then1 that ,i was honored with  the full
 confidence of a bishop who1 it seemed  
to me1 had not a superior  in our       
church6    ,the destruction of my dear  
church by the hands of incendiaries was 

surely a great calamity for me2 but the 
fall of my bishop1 from the high        
position he had in my heart and mind1   
was still greater4    ,i had the means1 
in hand1 to rebuild that church2 but my 
confidence in  my bishop was            
irremediably1 and forever lost6 ,never  
had a son loved his  father more        
sincerely1 than ,i had loved him2 and   
never had any priest  felt a more       
sincere respect for his bishop1 than ,i 
for him6 ,oh6 what a  terrible wound was
 made in my heart that day6 what        
tortures ,i felt6    ,but how many      
times1 since1 ,i have blessed my ,god   
for these wounds6  ,without them1 ,i    
should never have known1 that instead of
 being in the  bosom of the ,immaculate 
,church of ,christ1 ,i was the slave of 
that great  ,babylon1 which poisons the 
nations with the wine of her            
abominations4    ,my love and respect   
for ,bishop ,vandeveld1 were very strong
 chains1 by  which ,i was bound to the  
feet of the idols of ,rome4 ,i will     

earnestly  bless ,god for having himself
 broken these chains1 on that day of    
supreme  desolation4    ,the remaining  
part of the day1 as well as the hour of 
the next morning  which the bishop spent
 in my house1 ,i remained almost mute in
 his  presence4 ,he was not less        
embarrassed when he asked me my view    
about his  project of leaving the       
diocese4 ,i answered him1 in a few      
words1 that ,i  could not disapprove the
 purpose2 for ,i would1 myself1 prefer  
to live in  a dark forest1 in the midst 
of wild animals1 than among drunken1    
atheist  priests and bishops4    ,some  
months later1 ,i learned1 without       
regret1 that the ,pope had accepted  his
 resignation of the ,bishopric of       
,chicago1 and appointed him ,bishop of  
,natchez1 in ,louisiana4 ,his successor 
to the ,bishopric of ,chicago1 was      
,rev4 ,o',regan4    ,one of the very    
first things which this new bishop did1 
was to bring  ,bishop ,vandeveld before 
the criminal tribunals1 as a thief1     

accusing him  of having stolen #ajj1jjj 
from the ,bishopric of ,chicago1 and    
carrying  them away with him4 ,there is 
no need to say1 that this action caused 
a  terrible scandal4 ,not only in       
,illinois1 but through all the ,united  
,states1 both priests and laymen had to 
blush1 and cast down their eyes  before 
the world4 ,the two bishops1 employing  
the best lawyers to fight  each other1  
came very near proving to the world that
 both of them were  equally swindlers   
and thieves2 when the ,pope forced them 
both to stop  their contestation1 and   
bring the affair before his tribunal1 at
 ,rome4  ,there1 it was decided that the
 #ajj1jjj1 which had really been taken  
from ,chicago to the ,natchez diocese1  
should be equally divided between  the  
two bishops4    ,how many times did ,i  
feel my soul brought to the dust1 in the
 midst of  those horrible scandals6 ,how
 many sleepless nights have ,i spent1   
when a  voice1 which ,i could not       
silence1 seemed crying to me1 louder    

than  thunder3    8,what are you doing  
here1 extending the power of a church1  
which is a  den of thieves1 drunkards1  
and impure atheists8 ,a church1 governed
 by  men whom you know to be godless1   
swindlers1 and vile comedians8 ,do you  
not see that you do not follow the ,word
 of ,god1 but the lying traditions  of  
men1 when you consent to bow your knees 
before such men8 ,is it not  blasphemy  
to call such men the ambassadors1 and   
the disciples of the  humble1 pure1     
holy1 peaceful1 and divine ,jesus8 ,come
 out of that church6  ,break the        
fetters1 by which you are bound1 as a   
vile slave1 to the feet  of such men6   
,take the ,gospel for thine only guide1 
and ,christ for thine  only ,ruler60    
,i was in desolation1 at finding that my
 faith in my church was1 in spite  of   
myself1 shaken by these scandals4 ,with 
burning tears rolling down my  cheeks1  
and with a broken1 and humiliated heart1
 ,i fell1 one night1 on  my knees1 and  
asked my ,god to have mercy upon me1 by 

strengthening my  faith and preserving  
it from ruin4 ,but it seemed that       
neither my tears  nor my cries were of  
any avail1 and ,i remained the whole    
night1 as a  ship struck by a hurricane1
 drifting on an unknown sea1 without a  
compass or a rudder4    ,i was not aware
 of it then1 but ,i learned it after1   
that the divine and  sure ,pilot was    
directing my course towards the port of 
salvation6    ,the next day1 ,i had a   
happy diversion1 in the arrival of fifty
 new  emigrants1 who knocked at my door1
 asking my advice about the best place  
to select for their future home4    ,it 
seemed to me1 though pretty long after  
that1 that my duty was to go  and pay my
 respects to my new bishop1 and open to 
him my heart as to my  best friend1 and 
the guide whom ,god ,himself had chosen 
to heal the  wounds of my soul1 by      
pouring the oil and wine of charity into
 them4    ,i will never forget the day  
7the #aath day of ,december1 #ahed7 when
 ,i saw  ,bishop ,o',regan1 for the     

first time1 nor the painful impressions 
,i  received from that first interview4 
,he was of medium stature1 with a       
repugnant face1 and his head always in  
motion3 all its motions seemed the      
expression of insolence1 contempt1      
tyranny1 and pride2 there was absolutely
 nothing pleasant1 either in his  words1
 or in his manners4 ,i fell on my knees 
to ask his benediction1  when ,i had    
given him my name and kissed his hand1  
which seemed as cold  as that of a      
corpse4    8,ah6 ah6 you are ,father    
,chiniquy10 he said1 8,i am glad to see 
you1  though you have deferred your     
visit a long time2 please sit down1 ,i  
want  some explanation from you about a 
certain very strange document1 which ,i 
have just read to-day20 and he went1 at 
the double quick1 to his room to  get   
the document4 ,there were two ,irish    
priests in the room1 who came a  few    
minutes before me4 ,when we were alone1 
one of them said3 8,we had  hoped that  
we would gain by changing ,bishop       

,vandeveld1 for this one4 ,but  my fear 
is that we have only passed from        
,charybdis to ,scylla10 and they        
laughed outright4 ,but ,i could not     
laugh4 ,i was more inclined to weep4    
,after less than ten minutes of absence1
 the bishop returned1 holding in  his   
hand a paper1 which ,i understood1 at   
once1 to be the deed of the  eleven     
acres of land1 which ,i had bought1 and 
on which ,i had built my  chapel of ,st4
 ,anne4    8,do you known this paper80  
he asked me in an angry manner4         
8,yes1 my lord1 ,i know it10 ,i         
answered4    8,but1 then10 he quickly   
replied1 8you must know that that title 
is a  nullity2 a fraud1 which you ought 
never to have signed40    8,your        
venerable and worthy predecessor has    
accepted it10 ,i answered1  8and what   
might have been incorrect has been made 
valid1 ,i hope1 by his  acceptation40   
8,i do not care a straw about what my   
predecessor has done10 he abruptly      
answered1 8he is not here to defend     

himself2 neither are we here to  discuss
 his merits or demerits4 ,we have not to
 deal with my lord  ,vandeveld1 but with
 a document which is a nullity1 a       
deception1 which  must be thrown into   
the fire2 you must give me another title
 of that  property60    ,and saying     
this1 he flung my deed on the floor4 ,i 
calmly picked it up1  and said3    8,i  
exceedingly regret1 my lord1 that my    
first interview with your  lordship     
should be the occasion of such an       
unexpected act4 ,but ,i hope  this will 
not destroy the paternal sentiments     
which ,god must have put  into the heart
 of my bishop1 for the last and least of
 his priests4 ,i  see that your lordship
 is very busy2 ,i do not want to        
trespass on your  valuable time2 ,i take
 this rejected document with me1 to make
 another  one1 which ,i hope will be    
more agreeable to your views20 and ,i   
then took  my departure4    ,i leave the
 reader to imagine the sentiments which 
filled my mind when  coming back to my  

colony4    ,i did not dare to say a word
 to my people about our bishop4 ,when   
questioned by them1 ,i gave the most    
evasive answers ,i could4 ,but ,i felt  
as the mariner feels when he hears the  
rumbling thunder approaching4  ,though  
the sea is calm as the oil of a lamp1 he
 knows the storm is  coming1 he trims   
his sails1 and prepares for the         
impending hurricane4    ,it seemed that 
my most pressing duty1 after my first   
interview1 was to  bring my heart nearer
 to my ,god than ever2 to read and study
 my ,bible  with more attention1 and to 
get my people to take more than ever the
  ,word of ,god as their daily bread4 ,i
 began1 also1 to speak more openly of   
our ,christian rights1 as well as of our
 duties1 as these are set forth  in the 
,gospel of ,christ4    ,some time1      
before this1 feeling more than ever that
 ,i could not do  justice to my colony1 
by keeping any longer the charge of     
,bourbonnais1 ,i  had respectfully sent 
my resignation to the bishop1 which had 

been  accepted4 ,a priest had been      
called by him to take my place there4   
,but he  too was ere long1 guilty of a  
public scandal with his servant girl4   
,the  principal citizens of ,bourbonnais
 protested against his presence in      
their midst1 and soon forced the bishop 
to dismiss him4 ,his successor  was the 
miserable priest1 ,lebel1 who had been  
turned out of ,chicago for  a criminal  
offence with his own niece1 and was now 
to be the curate of  ,bourbonnais4 ,but 
his drunkenness and other public vices1 
caused him to  be interdicted1 and      
expelled from that place1 in the month  
of ,september1  #ahee4 ,about the same  
time1 a priest1 who had been expelled   
from ,belgium1  for a great scandal1 was
 sent to ,kankakee1 as the curate of the
 ,french  ,canadians of that interesting
 young city4 ,after his expulsion from  
,belgium1 he had come to ,chicago1      
where1 under another name1 he had made  
a fortune1 and for five or six years    
kept a house of prostitution4  ,becoming

 tired of that occupation1 he offered   
#e1jjj to the bishop1 if  he would      
accept him as one of his priests1 and   
give him a parish4 ,bishop  ,o',regan   
being in need of money1 accepted the    
gift1 and fulfilled the  condition by   
sending him as missionary to ,kankakee4 
,as soon as he had taken possession of  
that interesting mission1 he came  with 
,mr4 ,lebel to pay me a visit4 ,i       
received them as politely as  possible1 
though they were both half drunk when   
they arrived4 ,after  dinner1 they went 
to shoot prairie chickens1 and got so   
drunk that one  of them1 ,mr4 ,lebel1   
lost his boots in a slough1 and came    
back to my  house barefooted1 without   
noticing his loss4 ,i had to help them  
get  their carriage1 and the next day ,i
 wrote them1 forbidding them to ever    
set a foot in my house again4    ,but   
what was my surprise and sadness1 not   
long before these two infamous  priests 
were ignominiously turned out by their  
people1 to receive a  letter from my    

bishop1 which ended in these words3     
8,i am sorry to hear that you refuse to 
live on good terms with your two        
neighboring brother priests4 ,this ought
 not to be1 and ,i hope to hear  soon1  
that you have reconciled yourself with  
them1 in a friendly way1 as  you ought  
to have done long ago40    ,i answered  
him3    8,it is my interest1 as well as 
my duty1 to obey my bishop4 ,i know it4 
,but as long as my bishop gives me for  
neighbors1 priests1 one of whom  has    
lived publicly with his own niece1 as   
his wife1 and the other who  has kept a 
house of prostitution in ,chicago1 ,i   
respectfully ask my  bishop to be       
excused for not visiting them40    ,the 
bishop felt insulted by my letter1 and  
was furious against me4 ,it  came to be 
a public fact that he had said before   
many people3 8,i would  give anything to
 the one who would help me to get rid of
 that  unmanageable ,chiniquy40         
,among those who heard the bishop1 was a
 land speculator1 a real  land-shark1   

against whom a bill for perjury had been
 found by the jury  of ,iroquois county1
 the #bgth of ,april1 #ahed4 ,that man  
was very angry  against me for          
protecting my poor countrymen against   
his too sharp  speculations4 ,he said to
 the bishop1 8if you pay the expenses of
 the  suit1 ,i pledge myself to have    
,chiniquy put in gaol40 ,the bishop had 
publicly answered him3    8,no sum of   
money will be too great to be delivered 
from a priest1 who  alone gives me more 
trouble than the rest of my clergy40    
,to comply with the desires of the      
bishop1 this speculator dragged me      
before the criminal court of ,kankakee1 
on the #afth day of ,may1 #ahee1 but  he
 lost his action1 and was condemned to  
pay the cost4    ,it was my impression  
that the bishop1 having so often        
expressed in  public his bad feelings   
against me1 would not visit my colony4  
,but1 ,i  was mistaken1 on the #aath of 
,june1 taking the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,lebel and 
,carthuval for his companions1 he came  

to ,st4 ,anne to administer the         
sacrament of confirmation4    ,as the   
infamous conduct of those two priests   
was known to every one of  my people1 ,i
 felt a supreme disgust at their        
arrival1 and came very near  forbidding 
them to sit at my table4 ,having1       
however1 asked the bishop to  give me   
half-an-hour of private interview1 ,i   
respectfully1 but  energetically        
protested against the presence of these 
two degraded men  in my house4    ,he   
coldly answered me3    8,mr4 ,chiniquy1 
you forget that ,i am the ,bishop of    
,illinois1 and that you  are a simple   
priest1 whom ,i can interdict and remove
 from here when ,i  like4 ,i do not come
 here to receive your lessons1 but to   
intimate to you  my orders4 ,you seem to
 forget that charity is above all others
 the  virtue which must adorn the soul  
of a good priest4 ,your great zeal is   
nothing before ,god1 and it is less than
 nothing before me1 so long as  you have
 not charity4 ,it is my business1 and   

not yours1 to know what  priests ,i must
 employ or reject4 ,your business is to 
respect them1 and  forget their past    
errors1 the very day ,i see fit to      
receive them among  my priests40    8,my
 lord10 ,i answered1 8allow me          
respectfully to tell you1 that though   
you are a bishop1 and ,i am a simple    
priest1 the ,gospel of ,christ1 which   
we have to preach1 tells us to avoid the
 company of publicly vicious and        
profligate men4 ,my conscience tells me 
that through respect for myself1  and my
 people1 and through respect for the    
,gospel ,i preach1 ,i must avoid  the   
company of men1 one of whom has lived   
with his niece as his wife1  and the    
other has1 till very lately1 been guilty
 of keeping a house of  prostitution in 
,chicago4 ,your lordship may ignore     
these things1 and1 in  consequence of   
that1 may give his confidence to these  
men2 but nothing  is more apt to destroy
 the faith of our ,french ,canadian     
people1 than to  see such men in your   

company when you come to administer the 
sacrament  of confirmation4 ,it is      
through respect for your lordship1 that 
,i take  the liberty of speaking thus40 
,he angrily answered me3    8,i see1    
now1 the truthfulness of what people say
 about you4 ,it is to the  ,gospel you  
constantly appeal on everything4 ,the   
,gospel6 ,the ,gospel6 is  surely a holy
 book2 but remember that it is the      
church which must  guide you4 ,christ   
has said3 #8,hear my church4' ,i am here
 the interpreter1  ambassador--the      
representative of the church--when you  
disobey me1 it is  the church you       
disobey40    8,now1 my lord1 that ,i    
have fulfilled what ,i consider a       
conscientious  duty1 ,i promise1 that   
through respect for your lordship1 and  
to keep  myself in the bonds of peace   
with my bishop1 ,i1 to-day1 will deal   
with  these two priests1 as if they were
 worthy of the honorable position you   
give them40    8,all right6 all right60 
replied the bishop4 8,but it must be    

near the  hour for dinner40    8,yes1 my
 lord1 ,i have just heard the bell      
calling us to the  dining-room40        
,after the blessing of the table by the 
bishop he looked at the ,rev4           
,carthuval1 who was sitting just before 
him1 and said3    8,what is the matter  
with you1 ,mr4 ,carthuval1 you do not   
look well80    8,no1 my lord10 he       
answered1 8,i am not well1 ,i want to go
 to bed40    ,he was correct1 he was not
 well1 for he was drunk4    ,during the 
public services1 he had left the chapel 
to come down to ask  for a bottle of the
 wine ,i kept to celebrate mass4 ,the   
housekeeper1  thinking he wanted the    
wine in the chapel1 handed him the      
bottle1 which  he drank in her presence1
 in less than five minutes4 ,after which
 he went  up the chapel to help the     
bishop in administering the confirmation
 to  the #aej people whom ,i had        
prepared for the reception of that rite4
    ,as soon as dinner was finished1 the
 bishop requested me to go and take a   

walk with him4 ,after giving me some    
compliments1 on the beauty of the  site 
,i had chosen for my first village and  
chapel1 he saw at a short  distance1 a  
stone building1 which was raised only a 
little above the  windows1 and directing
 his steps towards it1 he stopped only  
twenty or  thirty feet distant and asked
 me3    8,whose house is this80    8,it 
is mine1 my lord40    8,it is yours60 he
 replied1 8and to whom does that fine   
garden belong80    8,it is mine1 also1  
my lord40    8,well6 ,well60 he         
rejoined4 8,where did you get the money 
to purchase that  fine piece of land1   
and build that house80    8,i got the   
money where every honest man gets what  
he possesses1 in my  hard labor1 and in 
the sweat of my brow10 ,i replied4      
8,i want that house and that piece of   
land60 rejoined the bishop1 with an     
imperative voice4    8,so do ,i10 ,i    
replied4    8,you must give me that     
house1 with the land on which it is     
built10 said  the bishop4    8,i can not

 give them as long as ,i am in need of  
them1 my lord10 ,i  replied4    8,i see 
that you are a bad priest1 as ,i have   
often been told1 since you  disobey your
 bishop10 he rejoined with an angry     
manner6    ,i replied3 8,i do not see   
why ,i am a bad priest1 because ,i keep 
what my  ,god has given me40    8,are   
you ignorant of the fact that you have  
no right to possess any  property10 he  
answered4    8,yes6 my lord1 ,i am      
ignorant of any law in our holy church  
that deprives  me of any such rights4   
,if1 however1 your lordship can show me 
any such  law1 ,i will give you the     
title of that property just now40       
8,if there is not such a law10 he       
replied1 stamping on the ground with    
his feet1 8,i will get one passed40     
8,my lord10 ,i replied1 8,you are a     
great bishop4 ,you have great power in  
the church1 but allow me to tell you    
that you are not great enough to  have  
such a law passed1 in our holy church60 
8,you are an insolent priest10 he       

answered with an accent of terrible     
anger1 8and ,i will make you repent for 
your insolence40    ,he then turned his 
face towards the chapel1 without waiting
 for my  answer1 and ordered the horses 
put in the carriage1 that he might leave
  in the shortest possible time4    ,a  
quarter of an hour later1 he had left   
,st4 ,anne1 where he was never to  come 
again4    ,the visit of that mitred     
thief1 with his two profligate priests1 
though  very short1 did much by the     
mercy of ,god1 to prepare our minds to  
understand that ,rome is the great      
harlot of the ,bible1 which seduces  and
 intoxicates the nations with the wine  
of her prostitution4                    
,,chapter ,,liii4                 ,,the 
,,immaculate ,,conception ,,of ,,the    
,,virgin ,,mary4      ,the #hth         
,december1 #ahed1 ,pope ,pius ,,ix4 was 
sitting on his throne2 a  triple crown  
of gold and diamonds was on his head2   
silk and damask--red  and white         
vestments on his shoulders2 five hundred

 mitred prelates were  surrounding him2 
and more than fifty thousand people were
 at his feet1  in the incomparable ,st4 
,peter's ,church of ,rome4    ,after a  
few minutes of most solemn silence1 a   
,cardinal1 dressed with his  purpled    
robe1 left his seat1 and gravely walked 
towards the ,pope1  kneeled before him1 
and humbly prostrating himself1 at his  
feet said3    8,holy ,father3 tell us if
 we can believe and teach that the      
,mother of  ,god1 the ,holy ,virgin     
,mary1 was immaculate in her            
conception80    ,the ,supreme ,pontiff  
answered4 8,i do not know2 let us ask   
the light of  the ,holy ,ghost40    ,the
 ,cardinal withdrew2 the ,pope and the  
numberless multitude fell on  their     
knees2 and the harmonious choir sang the
 8,veni ,creator ,spiritus40    ,the    
last note of the sacred hymn had hardly 
rolled under the vaults of  the ,temple1
 when the same ,cardinal left his place1
 and again advanced  towards the throne 
of the ,pontiff1 prostrated himself at  

his feet1 and  said3    8,holy ,father1 
tell us if the ,holy ,mother of ,god1   
the blessed ,virgin  ,mary1 was         
immaculate in her conception40    ,the  
,pope again answered3 8,i do not know2  
let us ask the light of the  ,holy      
,ghost40    ,and1 again1 the 8,veni     
,creator ,spiritus0 was sung4    ,the   
most solemn silence had1 a second time1 
succeeded to the melodious  sacred song1
 when again the eyes of the multitude   
were following the  grave steps of the  
purple-robed ,cardinal1 advancing1 for  
the third time1  to the throne of the   
successor of ,st4 ,peter1 to ask again3 
8,holy ,father1 tell us if we can       
believe that the blessed ,virgin ,mary1 
the ,mother of ,god1 was immaculate80   
,the ,pope1 as if he had just received a
 direct communication from ,god1        
answered with a solemn voice3    8,yes6 
we must believe that the blessed ,virgin
 ,mary1 the ,mother of ,god1  was       
immaculate in her conception4 99 99 99  
,there is no salvation to those  who do 

not believe this dogma60    ,and1 with a
 loud voice1 the ,pope intoned the ,te  
,deum2 the bells of three  hundred      
churches of ,rome rang2 the cannons of  
the citadel were fired4  ,the last act  
of the most ridiculous and sacrilegious 
comedy the world  has ever seen1 was    
over2 the doors of heaven were1 for     
ever1 shut  against those who would     
refuse to believe the anti-scriptural   
doctrine  that there is a daughter of   
,eve who has not inherited the sinful   
nature  of ,adam1 to whom the ,lord said
 in his justice3    8,dust thou art1 and
 unto dust shalt thou return60 and of   
the children of  whom the ,god of truth 
has said3    8',there is none righteous2
 no1 not one2 they have all sinned6'0   
,we look in vain to the first centuries 
of the ,church to find any traces  of   
that human aberration4 ,the first dark  
clouds which ,satan had brought  to mar 
the gospel truth1 on that subject1      
appeared only between the  eighth and   
ninth centuries4 ,but1 in the beginning1

 that error made very  slow progress2   
those who propagated it1 at first1 were 
a few ignorant  fanatics1 whose names   
are lost in the night of the dark ages4 
,it is only in the twelfth century that 
it began to be openly preached by  some 
brainless monks4 ,but1 then1 it was     
opposed by the most learned men  of the 
time4 ,we have a very remarkable letter 
of ,st4 ,bernard to refute  some monks  
of ,lyons who were preaching this new   
doctrine4    ,a little later1 ,peter    
,lombard adopted the views of the monks 
of ,lyons1  and wrote a book to support 
that opinion2 but he was refuted by ,st4
  ,thomas ,aquinas1 who is justly       
considered1 by the ,church of ,rome1 as 
the  best theologian of that time4      
,after that1 the celebrated order of the
 ,franciscans used all their  influence 
to persuade the world that 8,mary was   
immaculate in her  conception10 but they
 were vigorously opposed and refuted by 
the not  less celebrated order of the   
,dominicans4 ,these two learned and     

powerful  bodies1 during more than a    
century1 attacked each other without    
mercy on  that subject1 and filled the  
world with the noise of their angry     
disputes1 both parties calling their    
adversaries heretics4 ,they  succeeded  
in driving the ,roman ,catholics of     
,europe into two camps of  fierce       
enemies4 ,the 8,immaculate ,conception0 
became the subject of  burning          
discussions1 not only between the       
learned universities1 between  the      
bishops and the priests and the nuns of 
those days2 but it divided  the families
 into two fiercely contending parties4  
,it was discussed1  attacked and        
defended1 not only in the chairs of     
universities1 and the  pulpits of the   
cathedrals1 but also in the fields1 and 
in the very  streets of the cities4 ,and
 when the two parties had exhausted the 
reasons which their ingenuity1 their    
learning1 or their ignorant  fanaticism 
could suggest to prove or deny the      
8,immaculate ,conception10  they often  

had recourse to the stick and to the    
sword to sustain their  arguments4      
,it will appear almost incredible       
to-day1 but it is a fact1 that the      
greatest number of the large cities of  
,europe1 particularly in ,spain1  were  
then reddened with the blood of the     
supporters and opponents of  that       
doctrine4 ,in order to put an end to    
these contests1 which were  troubling   
the peace of their subjects1 the kings  
of ,europe sent  deputation after       
deputation to the ,popes to know1 from  
their infallible  authority1 what to    
believe on the subject4    ,philip      
,,iii4 and ,philip ,,iv4 made what we   
may call supreme efforts to  force the  
,popes1 ,paul ,v41 ,gregory ,,xv41 and  
,alexander ,,vii41 to stop the  shedding
 of blood1 and disarm the combatants1 by
 raising the opinion in  favor of the   
,immaculate ,conception to the dignity  
of a ,catholic dogma4  ,but they failed4
 ,the only answer they could get from   
the infallible head  of the ,church of  

,rome was1 that 8that dogma was not     
revealed in the ,holy  ,scriptures1 had 
never been taught by the ,apostles1 nor 
by the ,fathers1  and had never been    
believed or preached by the ,church of  
,rome as an  article of faith60    ,the 
only thing the ,popes could do to please
 the supplicant kings and  bishops1 and 
nations of ,europe in those days1 was to
 forbid both  parties to call each other
 heretics3 and to forbid to say that it 
was an article of faith which ought to  
be believed to be saved4    ,at the     
,council of ,trent1 the ,franciscans1   
and all the partisans of the            
8,immaculate ,conception10 gathered her 
strength to have a decree in favor  of  
the new dogma2 but the majority of the  
bishops were visibly against  that      
sacrilegious innovation1 and they       
failed4    ,it was reserved to the      
unfortunate ,pius ,,ix41 to drag the    
,church of ,rome  to that last limit of 
human folly4 ,in the last century1 a    
monk1 called  ,father ,leonard1 had a   

dream1 in which he heard the ,virgin    
,mary telling  him3 8,there would be an 
end to the wars in the world1 and to the
  heresies and schism in the church1    
only after a ,pope should have  obliged1
 by a decree1 all the faithful to       
believe that she was  'immaculate in her
 conception4'0    ,that dream1 under the
 name of a 8celestial vision10 had been 
extensively  circulated1 by means of    
little tracts4 ,many believed it to be a
 genuine  revelation from heaven2 and1  
unfortunately1 the good natured1 but    
weak-minded ,pius ,,ix41 was among the  
number4    ,when he was an exile in     
,gaeta1 he had1 himself1 a dream1 which 
he took  for a vision1 on the same      
subject4 ,he saw the ,virgin1 who told  
him that  he should come back to ,rome1 
and get an eternal peace for the church1
  only after he should have promised to 
declare that the 8,immaculate           
,conception0 was a dogma1 which every   
one had to believe to be saved4 ,he     
awoke from his dream much impressed by  

it2 and the first thing he did  when up1
 was to make a vow to promulgate the new
 dogma as soon as he  should be back to 
,rome1 and the world has seen how he has
 fulfilled that  vow4    ,but1 by the   
promulgation of this new dogma1 ,pius   
,,ix41 far from securing  an eternal    
peace to his church1 far from destroying
 what he was pleased  to call the       
heresies which are attacking ,rome on   
every side1 has done  more to shake the 
faith of the ,roman ,catholics than all 
their enemies4    ,by trying to force   
this new article of faith on the        
consciences of his  people1 in a time   
that so many can judge for themselves1  
and read the  records of past           
generations1 he has pulled down the     
strongest column  which was supporting  
the whole fabric of his church2 he      
forever  destroyed the best arguments   
which the priests had to offer to the   
ignorant1 deluded multitudes which they 
kept so abjectly tied to their  feet4   
,no words can sufficiently express the  

dignified and supreme contempt  with    
which1 before that epoch1 the priests of
 ,rome were speaking of the  8new       
articles of faith1 the novelties of the 
arch-heretics1 ,luther1  ,calvin1 ,knox1
 c41 c60 ,how eloquent were the priests 
of ,rome1 before  the #hth of ,december1
 #ahed1 when saying to their poor       
ignorant dupes3 8,in  our holy ,church  
of ,rome there is no change1 no         
innovations1 no  novelties1 no new      
dogmas4 ,we believe to-day just what our
 fathers  believed1 and what they have  
taught us2 we belong to the apostolical 
church2 which means we believe only what
 ,apostles have believed and  preached40
 ,and the ignorant multitudes were      
saying3 8,amen60    ,but1 alas1 for the 
poor priests of ,rome to-day2 those     
dignified  nonsenses1 those precious and
 dear illusions1 are impossible6 ,they  
have  to confess that those             
high-sounding denunciations against what
 they call  the new doctrines of the    
heretics1 were nothing but big guns     

loaded to  the mouth to destroy the     
,protestants1 which are discharging     
their deadly  missiles against the      
crumbling walls of their ,church of     
,rome4 ,they have  to confess that their
 pretensions to an unchangeable creed is
 all mere  humbug1 shameful lies2 they  
have to confess that the ,church of     
,rome is  ,,forging ,,new ,,dogmas1     
,,new ,,articles ,,of ,,faith2 they do  
not any longer dare  to say to the      
disciples of the ,gospel3 8,where was   
your religion before  the days of       
,luther and ,calvin80 for the secret    
voice of their conscience  says to-day  
to the ,roman ,catholics3 8,where was   
your religion before the  #hth of       
,december1 #ahed80 and they cannot      
answer4    ,there is an inexorable and  
irresistible logic in the minds even of 
the  most unlearned men1 which defies1  
to-day1 all the sophisms of the  priests
 of ,rome1 if they dare to speak again  
on their pet subjects3 8the  novelties  
and new dogmas of the ,protestants40    

,there is a silent1 but  crushing voice1
 going1 to-day1 from the crowds to the  
priest1 telling  him3 8,now1 be quiet   
and silent on what you are used to call 
the  novelties and new doctrines of the 
,protestants6 for1 are you not          
preaching to us an awful novelty8 ,are  
you not damning us to-day for           
disbelieving a thing which the church1  
during eighteen hundred years  has1 a   
hundred times1 solemnly declared1 by the
 mouth of the ,popes1 had  never been   
revealed in the ,holy ,scriptures1 had  
never been taught by the  ,fathers1 had 
never been heard of by the church       
herself80    ,i will never forget the   
sadness which overcame me when ,i       
received the  order from ,bishop        
,o',regan to proclaim that new dogma to 
my people1 7then  all ,roman            
,catholics47 ,it was as if an earthquake
 had shaken and  destroyed the ground on
 which my feet were resting4 ,my most   
cherished  illusions about the          
immutability and the infallibility of my

 church were  crumbling down1 in my     
intelligence1 in spite of my efforts to 
keep them  up4 ,i have seen old priests1
 to whom ,i opened my mind on that      
subject1  shed tears of sorrow on the   
injury this new dogma would do to the   
church4    ,the ,archbishop of ,paris1  
at the head of the most learned members 
of the  clergy of ,france1 had sent his 
protest to the ,pope against this dogma 
before it was decreed2 and he had       
eloquently foretold the deplorable      
consequences which would follow that    
innovation2 but their warning voice     
failed to make any impression on the    
mind of the infatuated ,pope4    ,and1  
we children of ,god1 must we not        
acknowledge the hand of the ,lord1  in  
that blindness of 8the man of sin60     
,the days are not far away that a cry of
 joy will be heard from one end  of the 
world to the other3 8,fear ,god1 and    
give glory to him6 ,babylon is  fallen6 
,babylon is fallen6 because she made all
 nations drink of the  wine of the wrath

 of her fornications40    ,for1 when we 
see that 8wicked one1 who exalteth      
himself above all that  is called ,god10
 destroying himself by the excess of his
 own folly and  impurities1 we must     
bless the ,lord4    ,the proclamation of
 this new dogma is one of those great   
moral  iniquities which carry their     
punishment and their remedy in their own
  hands4    ,when the ,pope1 in the     
morning of the #hth of ,december1 #ahed1
 answered  twice3 8,i do not know20 to  
the question put to him3 8,is the       
,virgin ,mary  ,immaculate in her       
,conception80 and then1 a minute after1 
to the same  question1 he answered3     
8,yes6 ,i know it3 the ,holy ,virgin    
,mary was  ,immaculate in her           
,conception20 he proved to his most     
credulous dupes  that he was nothing but
 a sacrilegious comedian4 ,how would a  
jury of  honest men deal with a witness 
who1 being interrogated about what he   
knows of a certain fact1 would answer3  
8,i know nothing about it20 and a       

moment after would acknowledge that 8he 
knows everything about it80  ,would not 
such a witness be justly punished as a  
perjurer8    ,such is the sad and       
unenviable position which the ,pope made
 to himself  and to his church1 on the  
#hth of ,december1 #ahed4 ,interrogated 
by the  nations of ,europe about what   
was to be believed on the 8,conception  
of  the ,virgin ,mary10 the ,church of  
,rome1 during ten centuries1 had        
answered3 8,i do not know40 ,and let    
every one remember that she wants to  be
 believed ,,infallible when she says she
 8knows nothing about the  ,immaculate  
,conception40    ,but1 to-day1 that same
 church assures us1 through the         
infallible decree  of ,pius ,,ix41 that 
she knows1 and that she has always known
 and  believed that the ,virgin ,mary   
was ,immaculate6    ,has the world ever 
seen such a want of self-respect1 such  
an unblushing  impudence6    ,what      
verdict will the ,christian world give  
against that great mother of  lies8     

,what punishment will the ,god of truth 
administer to that great  culprit who   
swears 8yes0 and 8no0 on the same       
question8    ,it is a fact1 that by the 
promulgation of this decree1 ,pius ,,ix4
 had  forever destroyed his prestige in 
the minds of millions of his  followers4
    ,a few days after ,i had read to my 
congregation the decree of the pope     
proclaiming the new dogma1 and damning  
all those who would not believe  it1 one
 of my most intelligent and respectable 
farmers came to visit me1  and put to me
 the following questions on the new     
articles of faith3    8,mr4 ,chiniquy1  
please tell me1 have ,i correctly       
understood the letter  from the pope you
 read us last ,sabbath8 ,does the pope  
tell us in that  letter that we can find
 this new dogma of the #8,immaculate    
,conception' in  the ,holy ,scriptures2 
that it has been taught by the ,fathers1
 and that  the church has constantly    
believed it from the days of the        
,apostles80    ,i answered3 8,yes1 my   

friend1 the pope tells us all those     
things in his  letter which ,i read in  
the church last ,sabbath40    8,but1    
sir1 will you be so kind as to read me  
the verses of the ,holy  ,scriptures    
which are in favor of the ,immaculate   
,conception of the ,holy  ,virgin       
,mary80    8,my dear friend10 ,i        
answered18 8,now1 please tell me the    
names of the  ,holy ,fathers who have   
preached that we must believe in the    
,immaculate  ,conception1 or be forever 
damned if we do not believe in it60     
,i answered my parishioner3 8,i would   
have preferred1 my dear friend1 that    
you should have never come to put to me 
these questions2 but as you ask  me the 
truth1 ,i must tell you the truth4 ,i   
have studied the ,fathers with  a pretty
 good attention1 but ,i have not yet    
found a single one of them  who was of  
that opinion in any way40    8,i hope10 
added the good farmer1 8you will excuse 
me if ,i put to you  another question on
 this subject4 ,perhaps you do not know 

it1 but there  is a great deal of       
feeling and talking about this new      
article of faith  among us since last   
,sabbath2 ,i want to know a little more 
about it4 ,the  pope says in his letter 
that the ,church of ,rome has always    
believed and  taught that dogma of      
,immaculate ,conception4 ,is that       
correct80    8,yes1 my friend1 the pope 
says that in his ,encyclical2 but these 
last  nine hundred years more than one  
hundred popes have declared that the    
church had never believed it4 ,even     
several popes have forbidden to say     
#8that the ,immaculate ,conception was  
an article of faith'--and they  solemnly
 permitted us to believe and say what we
 please on that matter40    8,if it be  
so with this new dogma1 how can we know 
it is not so with the  other dogmas of  
our church1 as the confession1 the      
purgatory1 etc480  added the farmer4    
8,my dear friend1 do not allow the devil
 to shake your faith4 ,we are  living in
 bad days1 indeed4 ,let us pray ,god to 

enlighten us and save us4  ,i would have
 given much had you never put to me     
these questions60    ,my honest         
parishioner had left me2 but his awful  
questions 7they were  really awful1 as  
they are still awful for a priest of    
,rome71 and the  answers ,i had been    
forced to give were sounding in my soul 
as  thunder-claps4 ,there was in my poor
 trembling heart1 as the awful noise  of
 an irresistible storm which was to     
destroy all that ,i had so dearly       
cherished and respected in my then so   
dear and venerated ,church of ,rome4    
,my head was aching4 ,i fell on my      
knees2 but for a time ,i could not utter
  a word of prayer2 big tears were      
rolling on my burning cheeks2 new light 
was coming before the eyes of my soul2  
but ,i took it for the deceitful        
temptation of ,satan2 a voice was       
speaking to me--it was the voice of my  
,god1 telling me1 8,come out from       
,babylon60 ,but ,i took that voice for  
the  voice of ,satan2 ,i was trying to  

silence it4 ,the ,lord was then drawing 
me  away from my perishing ways2 but ,i 
did not know ,him then2 ,i was          
struggling against ,him to remain in the
 dark dungeons of error4 ,but ,god  was 
to be the stronger4 ,in ,his infinite   
mercy ,he was to overpower ,his         
unfaithful servant2 ,he was to conquer  
me1 and with me many others4            
,,chapter ,,liv                   ,,the 
,,abominations ,,of ,,auricular         
,,confession4      ,there are two women 
who ought to be constant objects of the 
compassion  of the disciples of ,christ1
 and for whom daily prayers ought to be 
offered at the mercy-seat--the ,brahmin 
woman1 who1 deceived by her  priests1   
burns herself on the corpse of her      
husband to appease the wrath  of her    
wooden gods2 and the ,roman ,catholic   
woman1 who1 not less deceived  by her   
priests1 suffers a torture far more     
cruel and ignominious in the            
confessional-box1 to appease the wrath  
of her wafer-god4    ,for ,i do not     

exaggerate when ,i say1 that for many   
noble-hearted1  well-educated1          
high-minded women to be forced to unveil
 their hearts  before the eyes of a man1
 to open to him all the most secret     
recesses of  their souls1 all the most  
sacred mysteries of their single or     
married  life1 to allow him to put to   
them questions which the most depraved  
woman would never consent to hear from  
her vilest seducer1 is often more       
horrible and intolerable than to be tied
 on burning coals4    ,more than once1  
,i have seen women fainting in the      
confessional-box1 who  told me          
afterwards that the necessity of        
speaking to an unmarried man on  certain
 things1 on which the most common laws  
of decency ought to have  forever sealed
 their lips1 had almost killed them6    
,not hundreds1 but  thousands of times1 
,i have heard from the lips of dying    
girls1 as well  as married women1 the   
awful words3 8,i am forever lost6 ,all  
my past  confessions and communions have

 been so many sacrileges6 ,i have never 
dared to answer correctly the questions 
of my confessors6 ,shame has  sealed my 
lips and damned my soul60    ,how many  
times ,i remained as one petrified by   
the side of a corpse1 when  these last  
words having hardly escaped the lips of 
one of my female  penitents who had been
 snatched out of my reach by the        
merciless hand of  death before ,i could
 give her pardon through the deceitful  
sacramental  absolution4 ,i then        
believed1 as the dead sinner herself had
 believed1  that she should not be      
forgiven except by that absolution4     
,for there are not only thousands1 but  
millions1 of ,roman ,catholic girls  and
 women whose keen sense of modest and   
womanly dignity are above all  the      
sophisms and diabolical machinations of 
their priests4 ,they never  can be      
persuaded to answer 8,yes0 to certain   
questions of their  confessors4 ,they   
would prefer to be thrown into the      
flames and burnt to  ashes with the     

,brahmin widows1 rather than allow the  
eyes of a man to  pry into the sacred   
sanctuary of their souls4 ,though       
sometimes guilty  before ,god1 and under
 the impression that their sins will    
never be  forgiven if not confessed1 the
 laws of decency are stronger in their  
hearts than the laws of their perfidious
 church4 ,no consideration1 not  even   
the fear of eternal damnation1 can      
persuade them to declare to a  sinful   
man sins which ,god alone has the right 
to know1 for ,he alone can  blot them   
out with the blood of ,his ,son1 shed on
 the cross4    ,but what a wretched life
 must that be of those exceptional noble
 souls  which ,rome keeps in the dark   
dungeons of her superstition6 ,they read
 in  all their books and hear from all  
their pulpits that if they conceal a    
single sin from their confessors1 they  
are forever lost6 ,but being  absolutely
 unable to trample under their feet the 
laws of self-respect  and decency1 which
 ,god ,himself has impressed in their   

souls1 they live  in constant dread of  
eternal damnation4 ,no human words can  
tell their  desolation and distress1    
when at the feet of their confessors1   
they find  themselves under the horrible
 necessity of speaking of things on     
which  they would prefer to suffer the  
most cruel death rather than to open    
their lips1 or to be forever damned if  
they do not degrade themselves  forever 
in their own eyes by speaking on matters
 which a respectable  woman will never  
reveal to her own mother1 much less to a
 man6    ,i have known only too many of 
these noble-hearted women1 who1 when    
alone  with ,god in a real agony of     
desolation and with burning tears1 had  
asked  ,him to grant them what they     
considered the greatest favor1 which was
 to  lose so much of their self-respect 
as to be enabled to speak of those      
unmentionable things just as their      
confessors wanted them to speak2 and1   
hoping that their petition had been     
granted1 they went again to the         

confessional-box1 determined to unveil  
their shame before the eyes of  that    
inexorable man4 ,but when the moment had
 come for the  self-immolation1 their   
courage failed1 their knees trembled1   
their lips  became pale as death1 cold  
sweat poured from all their pores6 ,the 
voice  of modesty and womanly           
self-respect was speaking louder than   
the voice  of their false religion4     
,they had to go out of the              
confessional-box  unpardoned--nay1 with 
the burden of a new sacrilege on their  
conscience4    ,oh6 how heavy is the    
yoke of ,rome--how bitter is human      
life--how cheerless  is the mystery of  
the cross to those deluded and perishing
 souls6 ,how  gladly they would rush    
into the blazing piles with the ,brahmin
 women1 if  they could hope to see the  
end of their unspeakable miseries       
through the  momentary tortures which   
would open to them a better life6    ,i 
do here publicly challenge the whole    
,roman ,catholic priesthood to deny     

that the greater part of their female   
penitents remain a certain period  of   
time--some longer1 some shorter--under  
that most distressing state of  mind4   
,yes1 by far the greater majority of    
women at first find it impossible to    
pull down the sacred barriers of        
self-respect1 which ,god ,himself has   
built around their hearts1 intelligences
 and souls as the best safeguard        
against the snares of this polluted     
world4 ,those laws of self-respect1  by 
which they cannot consent to speak an   
impure word into the ears of a  man1 and
 which shut all the avenues of the heart
 against his unchaste  questions1 even  
when speaking in the name of ,god--those
 laws of  self-respect are so clearly   
written on their conscience1 and they   
are so  well understood by them to be a 
most ,divine gift1 that1 as ,i have     
already said1 many prefer to run the    
risk of being forever lost by  remaining
 silent4    ,it takes many years of the 
most ingenious 7,i do not hesitate to   

call it  diabolical7 efforts on the part
 of the priests to persuade the majority
  of their female penitents to speak on 
questions which even pagan savages      
would blush to mention among themselves4
 ,some persist in remaining  silent on  
those matters during the greater part of
 their lives1 and many  of them prefer  
to throw themselves into the hands of   
their merciful ,god1  and die without   
submitting to the defiling ordeal1 even 
after they have  felt the poisonous     
stings of the enemy1 rather than receive
 their pardon  from a man who1 as they  
feel1 would surely have been scandalized
 by the  recital of their human         
frailties4 ,all the priests of ,rome are
 aware of  this natural disposition of  
their female penitents4 ,there is not a 
single one--no1 not a single one of     
their moral theologians1 who does not   
warn the confessors against that stern  
and general determination of the  girls 
and married women never to speak in the 
confessional on matters  which may more 

or less deal with sins against the      
seventh commandment4  ,dens1 ,liguori1  
,debreyene1 ,bailly1 etc41--in a word1  
all the theologians  of ,rome1 own that 
this is one of the greatest difficulties
 which the  confessors have to contend  
with in the confessional-box4    ,not a 
single ,roman ,catholic priest will dare
 to deny what ,i say on this  matter1   
for they know that it would be easy for 
me to overwhelm them  with such a crowd 
of testimonials that their grand        
imposture would  forever be unmasked4   
,i intend1 at some future day1 if ,god  
spares me and gives me time for it1  to 
make known some of the innumerable      
things which the ,roman ,catholic       
theologians and moralists have written  
on this question4 ,it will form  one of 
the most curious books ever written1 and
 it will give  unanswerable evidence of 
the fact that1 instinctively1 without   
consulting each other1 and with an      
unanimity which is almost marvellous1   
the ,roman ,catholic women1 guided by   

the honest instincts which ,god has     
given them1 shrink from the snares put  
before them in the  confessional-box1   
and that everywhere they struggle to    
nerve themselves  with a superhuman     
courage against the torturer who is sent
 by the pope  to finish their ruin1 and 
to make shipwrecks of their souls4      
,everywhere  woman feels that there are 
things which ought never to be told1 as 
there  are things which ought never to  
be done1 in the presence of the ,god of 
holiness4 ,she understands that to      
recite the history of certain sins1     
even of thought1 is not less shameful   
and criminal than to do them4 ,she      
hears the voice of ,god whispering into 
her ears18 ,perhaps the world has  never
 seen a more terrible1 desperate1 solemn
 struggle than the one  which is going  
on in the soul of a poor trembling young
 woman1 who1 at  the feet of that man1  
has to decide whether or not she will   
open her  lips on those things which the
 infallible voice of ,god1 united to the

 no  less infallible voice of her       
womanly honor and self-respect1 tell her
  never to reveal to any man6    ,the   
history of that secret1 fierce1         
desperate struggle1 has never yet1  so  
far as ,i know1 been fully given4 ,it   
would draw the tears of  admiration and 
compassion of the whole world1 if it    
could be written  with its simple1      
sublime1 and terrible realities4    ,how
 many times ,i have wept as a child when
 some noble-hearted and  intelligent    
young girl1 or some respectable married 
woman1 yielding to  the sophisms with   
which ,i or some other confessor1 had   
persuaded them to  give up their        
self-respect and their womanly dignity  
to speak with me on  matters on which a 
decent woman should never say a word    
with a man4 ,they  have told me of their
 invincible repugnance1 their horror of 
such  questions and answers1 and they   
have asked me to have pity on them4     
,yes6  ,i have often wept bitterly on my
 degradation1 when a priest of ,rome4 ,i

  have realized all the strength1 the   
grandeur and the holiness of their      
motives for being silent on these       
defiling matters1 and ,i could not but  
admire them4 ,it seemed at times that   
they were speaking the language of      
angels of light2 that ,i ought to fall  
at their feet and ask their pardon  for 
having spoken to them of questions on   
which a man of honor ought  never to    
converse with a woman whom he respects4 
,but alas6 ,i had soon to reproach      
myself1 and regret those short          
instances of my wavering faith in the   
infallible voice of my church4 ,i  had  
soon to silence the voice of my         
conscience1 which was telling me1  8,is 
it not a shame that you1 an unmarried   
man1 dare to speak on these  matters    
with a woman8 ,do you not blush to put  
such questions to a young  girl8 ,where 
is your self-respect--where is your fear
 of ,god8 ,do you not  promote the ruin 
of that girl by forcing her to speak on 
these matters80    ,how many times my   

,god has spoken to me as ,he speaks to  
all the priests  of ,rome1 and said with
 a thundering voice3 8,what would that  
young man  do1 could he hear the        
questions you put to his wife8 ,would he
 not blow  out your brains8 ,and that   
father1 would he not pass his dagger    
through  your breast if he could know   
what you ask from his poor trembling    
daughter8 ,would not the brother of that
 young girl put an end to your          
miserable life if he could hear the     
unmentionable subjects on which you     
speak with her in the confessional80    
,i was compelled by all the popes1 the  
moral theologians1 and the  ,councils of
 ,rome to believe that this warning     
voice of my merciful ,god  was the voice
 of ,satan4 ,i had to believe1 in spite 
of my own conscience  and intelligence1 
that it was good1 nay1 necessary1 to put
 those  polluting1 damning questions4   
,my infallible church was mercilessly   
forcing me to oblige those poor         
trembling1 weeping1 desolate girls and  

women to swim with me and all their     
priests in those waters of ,sodom and   
,gomorrah1 under the pretext that their 
self-will would be broken down1  their  
fear of sin and humility increased1 and 
that they would be  purified by our     
absolutions4    ,with what supreme      
distress1 disgust and surprise we see1  
to-day1 a great  part of the noble      
,episcopal ,church of ,england struck by
 a plague which  seems incurable1 under 
the name of ,puseyism1 or ,ritualism1   
bringing  again--more or less openly--in
 many places the diabolical and filthy  
auricular confession among the          
,protestants of ,england1 ,australia and
  ,america ,the ,episcopal church is    
doomed to perish in that dark and       
stinking pool of popery--auricular      
confession--if she does not find a      
prompt remedy to stop the plague brought
 by the disguised ,jesuits1 who  are at 
work everywhere to poison and enslave   
her too unsuspecting  daughters and     
sons4    ,in the beginning of my        

priesthood1 when ,i was in ,quebec ,i   
was not a  little surprised and         
embarrassed to see a very accomplished  
and  beautiful young lady1 whom ,i used 
to meet almost every week at her        
father's house1 entering the box of my  
confessional4 ,she had been used  to    
confess to another young priest of my   
acquaintance1 and she was  always looked
 upon as one of the most pious girls of 
the city4 ,though  she had disguised    
herself as much as possible1 in order   
that ,i might not  know her1 ,i felt    
sure that ,i was not mistaken--she was  
the amiable ,mary 99  99    ,not being  
absolutely certain of the correctness of
 my impressions1 ,i  left her entirely  
under the hope that she was a perfect   
stranger to me4  ,at the beginning she  
could hardly speak2 her voice was       
suffocated by her  sobs1 and through the
 little apertures of the thin partition 
between her  and me1 ,i saw two streams 
of big tears trickling down her cheeks4 
,after  much effort1 she said3 8,dear   

,father1 ,i hope you do not know me1 and
 that  you will never try to know me--,i
 am a desperately great sinner4 ,oh6 ,i 
fear that ,i am lost6 ,but if there is  
still a hope for me to be saved1  for   
,god's sake1 do not rebuke me6 ,before  
,i begin my confession1 allow me  to ask
 you not to pollute my ears by questions
 which our confessors are  in the habit 
of putting to their female penitents2 ,i
 have already been  destroyed by those  
questions4 ,before ,i was seventeen     
years old1 ,god  knows that ,his angels 
are not more pure than ,i was2 but the  
chaplain of  the nunnery where my       
parents had sent me for my education1   
though  approaching old age1 put to me  
in the confessional a question which1 at
  first1 ,i did not understand1 but1    
unfortunately1 he had put the same      
questions to one of my young            
class-mates1 who made fun of them in my 
presence1 and explained them to me3 for 
she understood them too well4  ,this    
first unchaste conversation of my life  

plunged my thoughts into a  sea of      
iniquity1 till then absolutely unknown  
to me2 temptations of the  most         
humiliating character assailed me for a 
week1 day and night2 after  which1 sins 
which ,i would blot out with my blood1  
if it were possible1  overwhelmed my    
soul as with a deluge4 ,but the joys of 
the sinner are  short4 ,struck with     
terror at the thought of the judgment of
 ,god1 after a  few weeks of the most   
deplorable life1 ,i determined to give  
up my sins  and reconcile myself to     
,god4 ,covered with shame1 and trembling
 from head  to foot ,i went to confess  
to my old confessor1 whom ,i respected  
as a  saint and cherished as a father4  
,it seems to me that1 with sincere tears
  of repentance1 ,i confessed to him the
 greatest part of my sins1 though ,i    
concealed one of them1 through shame and
 respect for my spiritual guide4  ,but  
,i did not conceal from him that the    
strange questions he had put to  me at  
my last confession were1 with the       

natural corruption of my heart1  the    
principal cause of my destruction4      
8,he spoke to me very kindly1 encouraged
 me to fight against my bad             
inclinations1 and1 at first1 gave me    
very kind and good advice4 ,but when  ,i
 thought he had finished speaking1 and  
as ,i was preparing to leave the        
confessional-box1 he put to me two new  
questions of such a polluting  character
 that1 ,i fear neither the blood of     
,christ1 nor all the fires of  hell will
 ever be able to blot them out of my    
memory4 ,those questions  have achieved 
my ruin2 they have stuck to my mind like
 two deadly  arrows2 they are day and   
night before my imagination2 they fill  
my  arteries and veins with deadly      
poison4    8,it is true1 that at first1 
they filled me with horror and disgust2 
but  alas6 ,i soon got so accustomed to 
them that they seemed to be             
incorporated with me1 and as if becoming
 a second nature4 ,those thoughts  have 
become a new source of innumerable      

criminal thoughts1 desires and  actions4
    8,a month later1 we were obliged by 
the rules of our convent to go and      
confess2 but by this time1 ,i was so    
completely lost1 that ,i no longer      
blushed at the idea of confessing my    
shameful sins to a man2 it was the  very
 contrary4 ,i had a real1 diabolical    
pleasure in the thought that ,i  should 
have a long conversation with my        
confessor on those matters1 and  that he
 would ask me more of his strange       
questions4 ,in fact1 when ,i had  told  
him everything without a blush1 be began
 to interrogate me1 and ,god  knows what
 corrupting things fell from his lips   
into my poor criminal  heart6 ,every one
 of his questions was thrilling my      
nerves and filling me  with the most    
shameful sensations6 ,after an hour of  
this criminal  tete-a-tete with my old  
confessor 7for it was nothing else but a
  criminal tete-a-tete71 ,i perceived   
that he was as depraved as ,i was       
myself4 ,with some half-covered words1  

he made a criminal proposition1  which  
,i accepted with covered words also2 and
 during more than a year1  we have lived
 together on the most sinful intimacy4  
,though he was much  older than ,i1 ,i  
loved him in the most foolish way4 ,when
 the course of my  convent instruction  
was finished1 my parents called me back 
to their  home4 ,i was really glad of   
that change of residence1 for ,i was    
beginning  to be tired of my criminal   
life4 ,my hope was that1 under the      
directions  of a better confessor1 ,i   
should reconcile myself to ,god and     
begin a  ,christian life4               
8,unfortunately for me1 my new          
confessor1 who was very young1 began    
also  his interrogation4 ,he soon fell  
in love with me1 and ,i loved him in a  
most criminal way4 ,i have done with him
 things which ,i hope you will  never   
request me to reveal to you1 for they   
are too monstrous to be  repeated1 even 
in the confessional1 by a woman to a    
man4    8,i do not say these things to  

take away the responsibility of my      
iniquities with my young confessor1 from
 my shoulders1 for ,i think ,i  have    
been more criminal than he was4 ,it is  
my firm conviction that he  was a good  
and holy priest before he knew me2 but  
the questions he put  to me1 and the    
answers ,i had to give him1 melted his  
heart--,i know  it--just as boiling lead
 would melt the ice on which it flows4  
8,i know this is not such a detailed    
confession as our holy ,church  requires
 me to make1 but ,i have thought it     
necessary for me to give you  this short
 history of the life of the greatest and
 most miserable sinner  who ever asked  
you to help her to come out from the    
tomb of her  iniquities4 ,this is the   
way ,i have lived these last few years4 
,but last  ,sabbath1 ,god1 in ,his      
infinite mercy1 looked down upon me4 ,he
 inspired  you to give us the ,prodigal 
,son as a model of true conversion1 and 
as  the most marvellous proof of the    
infinite compassion of the dear ,saviour

  for the sinner4 ,i have wept day and  
night since that happy day1 when ,i     
threw myself into the arms of my loving1
 merciful ,father4 ,even now1 ,i  can   
hardly speak1 because my regret for my  
past iniquities1 and my joy  that ,i am 
allowed to bathe the feet of the        
,saviour with tears1 are so  great that 
my voice is as choked4 8 ,i was then a  
very young priest1 and  never had any   
words so sublime come to my ears in the 
confessional-box4  ,her tears and her   
sobs1 mingled with the frank declaration
 of the most  humiliating actions1 had  
made such a profound impression upon me 
that ,i  was1 for some time1 unable to  
speak4 ,it had come to my mind also that
 ,i  might be mistaken about her        
identity1 and that perhaps she was not  
the  young lady that ,i had imagined4 ,i
 could1 then1 easily grant her first    
request1 which was to do nothing by     
which ,i could know her4 ,the second    
part of her prayer was more             
embarrassing2 for the theologians are   

very  positive in ordering the          
confessors to question their penitents1 
particularly those of the female sex1 in
 many circumstances4    ,i encouraged   
her in the best way ,i could1 to        
persevere in her good  resolutions1 by  
invoking the blessed ,virgin ,mary and  
,st4 ,philomene1 who  was1 then1 ,sainte
 a la mode1 just as ,marie ,alacoque is 
to-day1 among  the blind slaves of      
,rome4 ,i told her that ,i would pray   
and think over  the subject of her      
second request2 and ,i asked her to come
 back in a  week for my answer4    ,the 
very same day1 ,i went to my own        
confessor1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,baillargeon1 
then curate of ,quebec1 and afterwards  
,archbishop of ,canada4 ,i told him  the
 singular and unusual request she had   
made1 that ,i should never put  to her  
any of those questions suggested by the 
theologians1 to insure  the integrity of
 the confession4 ,i did not conceal from
 him that ,i was  much inclined to grant
 her that favor2 for ,i repeated what ,i

 had already  several times told him1   
that ,i was supremely disgusted with the
 infamous  and polluting questions which
 the theologians forced us to put to our
  female penitents4 ,i told him frankly 
that several old and young priests  had 
already come to confess to me2 and that1
 with the exception of two1  they had   
told me that they could not put those   
questions and hear the  answers they    
elicited without falling into the most  
damnable sins4    ,my confessor seemed  
to be much perplexed about what he      
should answer4 ,he  asked me to come the
 next day1 that he might review some    
theological  books1 in the interval4    
,the next day1 ,i took down in writing  
his answer1  which ,i find in my old    
manuscripts1 and ,i give it here in all 
its sad  crudity3--    8,such cases of  
the destruction of female virtue by the 
questions of the  confessors is an      
unavoidable evil4 ,it cannot be helped2 
for such  questions are absolutely      
necessary in the greater part of the    

cases with  which we have to deal4 ,men 
generally confess their sins with so    
much  sincerity that there is seldom any
 need for questioning them1 except  when
 they are very ignorant4 ,but ,st4      
,liguori1 as well as our personal       
observation1 tells us that the greatest 
part of girls and women1 through  a     
false and criminal shame1 very seldom   
confess the sins they commit  against   
purity4 ,it requires the utmost charity 
in the confessors to  prevent these     
unfortunate slaves of their secret      
passions from making  sacrilegious      
confessions and communions4 ,with the   
greatest prudence and  zeal he must     
question them on those matters1         
beginning with the smallest  sins1 and  
going1 little by little1 as much as     
possible by imperceptible  degrees1 to  
the most criminal actions4 ,as it seems 
evident that the  penitent referred to  
in your questions of yesterday is       
unwilling to make  a full and detailed  
confession of all her iniquities1 you   

cannot promise  to absolve her without  
assuring yourself1 by wise and prudent  
questions1  that she has confessed      
everything4    8,you must not be        
discouraged when1 through the           
confessional or any other  way1 you     
learn the fall of priests into the      
common frailties of human  nature with  
their penitents4 ,our ,saviour knew very
 well that the  occasions and the       
temptations we have to encounter1 in the
 confessions  of girls and women1 are so
 numerous1 and sometimes so             
irresistible1 that  many would fall4    
,but ,he has given them the ,holy       
,virgin ,mary1 who  constantly asks and 
obtains their pardon2 ,he has given them
 the  sacrament of penance1 where they  
can receive their pardon as often as    
they ask for it4 ,the vow of perfect    
chastity is a great honor and           
privilege2 but we cannot conceal from   
ourselves that it puts on our  shoulders
 a burden which many cannot carry       
forever4 ,st4 ,liguori says  that we    

must not rebuke the penitent priest who 
falls only once a month2  and some other
 trustworthy theologians are still more 
charitable40    ,this answer was far    
from satisfying me4 ,it seemed to me    
composed of soft  soap principles4 ,i   
went back with a heavy heart and an     
anxious mind2 and  ,god knows that ,i   
made many fervent prayers that this girl
 should never  come again to give me her
 sad history4 ,i was then hardly        
twenty-six  years old1 full of youth and
 life4 ,it seemed to me that the stings 
of a  thousand wasps to my ears could   
not do me so much harm as the words of  
that dear1 beautiful1 accomplished1 but 
lost girl4    ,i do not mean to say that
 the revelations which she made1 had1 in
 any  way1 diminished my esteem and my  
respect for her4 ,it was just the       
contrary4 ,her tears and her sobs1 at my
 feet2 her agonizing expressions  of    
shame and regret2 her noble words of    
protest against the disgusting  and     
polluting interrogations of the         

confessors1 had raised her very high  in
 my mind4 ,my sincere hope was that she 
would have a place in the  kingdom of   
,christ with the ,samaritan women1 ,mary
 ,magdalene1 and all the  sinners who   
have washed their robes in the blood of 
the ,lamb4    ,at the appointed day1 ,i 
was in my confessional1 listening to the
  confession of a young man1 when ,i saw
 ,miss ,mary entering the vestry1 and   
coming directly to my confessional-box1 
where she knelt by me4 ,though  she had1
 still more than at the first time1     
disguised herself behind a  long1 thick1
 black veil1 ,i could not be mistaken2  
she was the very same  amiable young    
lady in whose father's house ,i used to 
pass such pleasant  and happy hours4 ,i 
had often listened1 with breathless     
attention1 to her  melodious voice1 when
 she was giving us1 accompanied by her  
piano1 some  of our beautiful church    
hymns4 ,who could then see and hear her1
 without  almost worshipping her8 ,the  
dignity of her steps1 and her whole     

mien1  when she advanced towards my     
confessional1 entirely betrayed her and 
destroyed her incognito4    ,oh6 ,i     
would have given every drop of my blood 
in that solemn hour1 that  ,i might have
 been free to deal with her just as she 
had so eloquently  requested me to      
do--to let her weep ,and cry at the feet
 of ,jesus to her  heart's content4 ,oh6
 if ,i had been free to take her by the 
hand1 and  silently show her the dying  
,saviour1 that she might have bathed    
,his feet  with her tears1 and spread   
the oil of her love on ,his head1       
without my  saying else but 8,go in     
peace3 thy sins are forgiven40    ,but  
there1 in that confessional-box1 ,i was 
not the servant of ,christ1 to  follow  
,his ,divine1 saving words1 and obey the
 dictates of my honest  conscience4 ,i  
was the slave of the ,pope6 ,i had to   
stifle the cry of my  conscience1 to    
ignore the inspirations of my ,god6     
,there1 my conscience  had no right to  
speak2 my intelligence was a dead thing6

 ,the theologians  of the ,pope1 alone1 
had a right to be heard and obeyed6 ,i  
was not there  to save1 but to destroy2 
for1 under the pretext of purifying1 the
 real  mission of the confessor1 often1 
if not always1 in spite of himself1 is  
to scandalize and damn their souls4     
,as soon as the young man who was making
 his confession at my left hand1  had   
finished1 ,i1 without noise1 turned     
myself towards her1 and said1  through  
the little aperture1 8,are you ready to 
begin your confession80    ,but she did 
not answer me4 ,all that ,i could hear  
was3 8,oh1 my ,jesus1  have mercy upon  
me6 ,i come to wash my soul in ,thy     
blood2 wilt ,thou  rebuke me80          
,during several minutes she raised her  
hands and eyes to heaven1 and wept  and 
prayed4 ,it was evident that she had not
 the least idea that ,i was  observing  
her2 she thought the door of the little 
partition between her  and me was shut4 
,but my eyes were fixed upon her2 my    
tears were flowing  with her tears1 and 

my ardent prayers were going to the feet
 of ,jesus  with her prayers4 ,i would  
not have interrupted her for any        
consideration1 in this1 her sublime     
communication with her merciful         
,savior4    ,but after a pretty long    
time1 ,i made a little noise with my    
hand1 and  putting my lips near the     
opening of the partition which was      
between us1  ,i said in a low voice1    
8,dear sister1 are you ready to begin   
your  confession80    ,she turned her   
face a little towards me1 and said with 
trembling voice1  8,yes1 dear father1 ,i
 am ready40    ,but she then stopped    
again to weep and pray1 though ,i could 
not hear  what she said4    ,after some 
time in silent prayer1 ,i said1 8,my    
dear sister1 if you are  ready1 please  
begin your confession40 ,she then said1 
8,my dear father1 do  you remember the  
prayers which ,i made to you1 the other 
day8 ,can you  allow me to confess my   
sins without forcing me to forget the   
respect  that ,i owe to myself1 to you1 

and to ,god1 who hears us8 ,and can you 
promise that you will not put to me any 
of those questions which have  already  
done me such irreparable injury8 ,i     
frankly declare to you that  there are  
sins in me that ,i cannot reveal to     
anyone1 except to ,christ1  because ,he 
is my ,god1 and that he already knows   
them all4 ,let me weep  and cry at ,his 
feet3 can you not forgive me without    
adding to my  iniquities by forcing me  
to say things that the tongue of a      
,christian  woman cannot reveal to a    
man80    8,my dear sister10 ,i answered1
 8were ,i free to follow the voice of my
 own  feelings ,i would be only too     
happy to grant your request2 but ,i am  
here  only as the minister of our holy  
church1 and bound to obey the laws4     
,through her most holy ,popes and       
theologians she tells me that ,i cannot 
forgive your sins1 if you do not confess
 them all1 just as you have  committed  
them4 ,the church tells me also that you
 must give the details1  which may add  

to the malice or change the nature of   
your sins4 ,i am  sorry to tell you that
 our most holy theologians make it a    
duty of our  confessor to question the  
penitent on the sins which he has good  
reason  to suspect have been voluntarily
 omitted40    ,with a piercing cry she  
exclaimed1 8,then1 ,o my ,god1 ,i am    
lost--forever  lost60    ,this cry fell 
upon me like a thunderbolt2 but ,i was  
still more  terror-stricken when1       
looking through the aperture1 ,i saw she
 was  fainting2 ,i heard the noise of   
her body falling upon the floor1 and of 
her head striking against the sides of  
the confessional box4    ,quick as      
lightning ,i ran to help her1 took her  
in my arms1 and called a  couple of men 
who were at a little distance1 to assist
 me in laying her  on a bench4 ,i washed
 her face with some cold water and      
vinegar4 ,she was  as pale as death1 but
 her lips were moving1 and she was      
saying something  which nobody but ,i   
could understand--    8,i am lost--lost 

forever60    ,we took her home to her   
disconsolate family1 where1 during a    
month she  lingered between life and    
death4 ,her two first confessors came to
 visit  her2 but having asked every one 
to go out of the room1 she politely1 but
  absolutely1 requested them to go away1
 and never come again4 ,she asked  me to
 visit her every day1 8for10 she said1  
8,i have only a few more days  to live4 
,help me to prepare myself for the      
solemn hour which will open  to me the  
gates of eternity60    ,every day ,i    
visited her1 and ,i prayed and ,i wept  
with her4    ,many times1 when alone1   
with tears ,i requested her to finish   
her  confession2 but1 with a firmness   
which1 then1 seemed to be mysterious    
and inexplicable1 she politely rebuked  
me4    ,one day1 when alone with her1 ,i
 was kneeling by the side of her bed to 
pray1 ,i was unable to articulate a     
single word1 because of the             
inexpressible anguish of my soul on her 
account1 she asked me1 8,dear  father   

why do you weep80    ,i answered1 8,how 
can you put such a question to your     
murderer6 ,i weep  because ,i have      
killed you1 dear friend40    ,this      
answer seemed to trouble her            
exceedingly4 ,she was very weak that    
day4 ,after she had wept and prayed in  
silence1 she said1 8do not weep  for me1
 but weep for so many priests who       
destroy their penitents in the          
confessional4 ,i believe in the holiness
 of the sacrament of penance1  since our
 holy church has established it4 ,but   
there is1 somewhere1  something         
exceedingly wrong in the confessional4  
,twice ,i have been  destroyed1 and ,i  
know many girls who have also been      
destroyed by the  confessional4 ,this is
 a secret1 but will that secret be kept 
forever8 ,i  pity the poor priests the  
day that our fathers will know what     
becomes of  the purity of their         
daughters in the hands of their         
confessors4 ,father  would surely kill  
my two last confessors1 if he could only

 know they  have destroyed his poor     
child40    ,i could not answer except by
 weeping4    ,we remained silent for a  
long time2 then she said1 8,it is true  
that ,i  was not prepared for the rebuke
 you have given me1 the other day1 in   
the  confessional2 but you acted        
conscientiously as a good and honest    
priest4  ,i know you must be bound by   
certain laws40    ,she then pressed my  
hand with her cold hand and said18 ,she 
had hardly  finished her last word when 
she fainted1 and ,i feared lest she     
should  die just then1 when ,i was alone
 with her4    ,i called the family1 who 
rushed into the room4 ,the doctor was   
sent for4  ,he found her so weak that he
 thought proper to allow only one or two
  persons to remain in the room with me4
 ,he requested us not to speak at  all3 
8,for10 said he1 8the least emotion     
might kill her instantly2 her  disease  
is1 in all probability1 an aneurism of  
the aorta1 the big vein  which brings   
the blood to the heart3 when it breaks1 

she will go as  quick as lightning40    
,it was nearly ten at night when ,i left
 the house1 to go and take some  rest4  
,but it is not necessary to say that ,i 
passed a sleepless night4 ,my  dear     
,mary was there1 pale1 dying from the   
deadly blow which ,i had given  her in  
the confessional4 ,she was there1 on her
 bed of death1 her heart  pierced with  
the dagger which my church had put into 
my hands6 and  instead of rebuking1 and 
cursing me for my savage1 merciless     
fanaticism1  she was blessing me6 ,she  
was dying from a broken heart6 and ,i   
was not  allowed by my church to give   
her a single word of consolation and    
hope1  for she had not made her         
confession8 ,i had mercilessly bruised  
that  tender plant1 and there was       
nothing in my hands to heal the wounds  
,i had  made6    ,it was very probable  
that she would die the next day1 and ,i 
was  forbidden to show her the crown of 
glory which ,jesus has prepared in ,his 
kingdom for the repenting sinner6    ,my

 desolation was really unspeakable1 and 
,i think ,i would have been  suffocated 
and have died that night1 if the stream 
of tears which  continually flowed from 
my eyes had not been as a balm to my    
distressed  heart4    ,how dark and long
 the hours of that night seemed to me6  
,before the dawn of day1 ,i arose to    
read my theologians again1 and see if   
,i could not find some one who would    
allow me to forgive the sins of that    
dear child1 without forcing her to tell 
me anything she had done4 ,but  they    
seemed to me1 more than ever1           
unanimously inexorable1 and ,i put  them
 back on the shelves of my library with 
a broken heart4    ,at nine ,a4 ,m4 the 
next day1 ,i was by the bed of our dear 
sick ,mary4 ,i  cannot sufficiently tell
 the joy ,i felt1 when the doctor and   
whole  family said to me1 8,she is much 
better2 the rest of last night has      
wrought a marvelous change1 indeed40    
,with a really angelic smile she        
extended her hand towards me1 that ,i   

might press it in mine1 and she said1   
8,i thought last evening1 that the  dear
 ,savior would take me to ,him1 but ,he 
wants me1 dear father1 to give  you a   
little more trouble2 however1 be        
patient1 it cannot be long before  the  
solemn hour of the appeal will ring4    
,will you please read me the  history of
 the suffering and death of the beloved 
,savior1 which you read  me the other   
day8 ,it does me so much good to see how
 ,he has loved me1  such a miserable    
sinner40    ,there was a calm and       
solemnity in her words which struck me  
singularly1  as well as all those who   
were there4    ,after ,i had finished   
reading1 she exclaimed1 8,he has loved  
me so much  that ,he died for my sins60 
,and she shut her eyes as if to meditate
 in  silence1 but there was a stream of 
big tears rolling down her cheeks4    ,i
 knelt down by her bed1 with her family1
 to pray2 but ,i could not utter  a     
single word4 ,the idea that this dear   
child was there1 dying from the  cruel  

fanaticism of my theologians and my own 
cowardice in obeying them1  was a       
mill-stone to my neck4 ,it was killing  
me4    ,oh6 if by dying a thousand      
times1 ,i could have added a single day 
to her  life1 with what pleasure ,i     
would have accepted those thousand      
deaths6    ,after we had silently prayed
 and wept by her bedside1 she requested 
her  mother to leave her alone with me4 
,when ,i saw myself alone1 under the    
irresistible impression that this was   
her last day1 ,i fell on my knees again1
 and with tears of the most  sincere    
compassion for her soul1 ,i requested   
her to shake off her shame  and to obey 
our holy church1 which requires every   
one to confess their  sins if they want 
to be forgiven4    ,she calmly1 but with
 an air of dignity which no human words 
can express1  said18 8,yes10 ,i said1   
8this is what the ,holy ,scriptures tell
 us40    8,well1 then1 how is it        
possible that our confessors dare to    
take away  from us that holy1 divine    

coat of modesty and self-respect8 ,has  
not  ,almighty ,god ,himself made1 with 
,his own hands1 that coat of womanly    
modesty and self-respect1 that we might 
not be to you and to ourselves1  a cause
 of shame and sin80    ,i was really    
stunned by the beauty1 simplicity1 and  
sublimity of that  comparison4 ,i       
remained absolutely mute and confounded4
 ,though it was  demolishing all the    
traditions and doctrines of my church1  
and  pulverizing all my holy doctors and
 theologians1 that noble answer found   
such an echo in my soul1 that it seemed 
to me a sacrilege to try to  touch it   
with my finger4    ,after a short time  
of silence1 she continued1 8,twice ,i   
have been  destroyed by priests in the  
confessional4 ,they took away from me   
that  divine coat of modesty and        
self-respect which ,god gives to ever   
human  being who comes into this world1 
and twice1 ,i have become for those very
  priests a deep pit of perdition1 into 
which they have fallen1 and where1  ,i  

fear1 they are forever lost6 ,my        
merciful heavenly ,father has given me  
back that coat of skins1 that nuptial   
robe of modesty1 self-respect1 and      
holiness1 which had been taken away from
 me4 ,he cannot allow you or any  other 
man1 to tear again and spoil that       
vestment which is the work of  ,his     
hands40    ,these words had exhausted   
her2 it was evident to me that she      
wanted some  rest4 ,i left her alone1   
but ,i was absolutely beside myself4    
,filled with  admiration for the sublime
 lessons which ,i had received from the 
lips of  that regenerated daughter of   
,christ1 who1 it was evident1 was soon  
to  fly away from us1 ,i felt a supreme 
disgust for myself1 my                  
theologians1--shall ,i say it8 yes1 ,i  
felt in that solemn hour a supreme      
disgust for my church1 which was cruelly
 defiling me1 and all her  priests1 in  
the confessional-box4 ,i felt1 in that  
hour1 a supreme horror  for that        
auricular confession1 which is so often 

a pit of perdition and  supreme misery  
for the confessor and penitent4 ,i went 
out and walked two  hours on the ,plains
 of ,abraham1 to breathe the pure and   
refreshing air  of the mountains4       
,there1 alone1 ,i sat on a stone1 on the
 very spot where  ,wolf and ,montcalm   
fought and died2 and ,i wept to my      
heart's content1 on  my irreparable     
degradation1 and the degradation of so  
many priests  through the confessional4 
,at four o'clock in the afternoon ,i    
went back again to the house of my  dear
 dying ,mary4 ,the mother took me apart1
 and very politely said1 8,my  dear ,mr4
 ,chiniquy1 do you not think it is time 
that our dear child  should receive the 
last sacraments8 ,she seemed to be much 
better this  morning1 and we were full  
of hope3 but she is now rapidly sinking4
  ,please lose no time in giving her the
 holy viaticum and the extreme          
unction40    ,i said1 8,yes1 madam3 let 
me pass a few minutes alone with our    
dear  child1 that ,i may prepare her for

 the last sacraments40    ,when alone   
with her1 ,i again fell on my knees1    
and1 amidst torrents of  tears1 ,i said1
 8,dear sister1 it is my desire to give 
you the holy  viaticum and the extreme  
unction3 but tell me1 how can ,i dare do
 a thing  so solemn against all the     
prohibitions of our holy church8 ,how   
can ,i  give you the holy communion     
without first giving you absolution8 and
 how  can ,i give you absolution when   
you earnestly persist in telling me that
  you have so many sins which you will  
never declare to me or any other        
confessor8    8,you know that ,i cherish
 and respect you as if you were an angel
 sent to  me from heaven4 ,you told me1 
the other day1 that you blessed the day 
that you first saw and knew me4 ,i say  
the same thing4 ,i bless the day  that  
,i have known you2 ,i bless every hour  
that ,i have spent by your bed  of      
suffering2 ,i bless every tear which ,i 
have shed with you on your sins  and on 
my own2 ,i bless every hour we have     

passed together in looking to  the      
wounds of our beloved1 dying ,savior2 ,i
 bless you for having forgiven  me your 
death6 for ,i know it1 and ,i confess it
 in the presence of ,god1 ,i  have      
killed you1 dear sister4 ,but now ,i    
prefer a thousand times to die  than to 
say to you a word which would pain you  
in any way1 or trouble  the peace of    
your soul4 ,please1 my dear sister1 tell
 me what ,i can and  must do for you in 
this solemn hour80    ,calmly1 and with 
a smile of joy such as ,i had never seen
 before1 nor  seen since1 she said1 8,i 
thank and bless you1 dear father1 for   
the  parable of the ,prodigal ,son1 on  
which you preached a month ago4 ,you    
have  brought me to the feet of the dear
 ,savior2 there ,i have found a peace   
and a joy surpassing anything that human
 heart can feel2 ,i have thrown  myself 
into the arms of my ,heavenly ,father1  
and ,i know ,he has mercifully  accepted
 and forgiven ,his poor prodigal child6 
,oh1 ,i see the angels with  their      

golden harps around the throne of the   
,lamb6 ,do you not hear the  celestial  
harmony of their songs8 ,i go--,i go to 
join them in my ,father's  house4 ,i    
,,shall ,,not ,,be ,,lost6    ,while she
 was thus speaking to me my eyes were   
really turned into two  fountains of    
tears2 ,i was unable1 as well as        
unwilling1 to see anything1  so entirely
 overcome was ,i by the sublime words   
which were flowing from  the dying lips 
of that dear child1 who was no more a   
sinner1 but a real  angel of ,heaven to 
me4 ,i was listening to her words2 there
 was a  celestial music in every one of 
them4 ,but she had raised her voice in  
such a strange way1 when she had begun  
to say18and she had made such a  cry of 
joy when she had to let the last words1 
8not be lost10 escape her  lips1 that ,i
 raised my head and opened my eyes to   
look at her4 ,i  suspected that         
something strange had occurred4    ,i   
got upon my feet1 passed my handkerchief
 over my face to wipe away the  tears   

which were preventing me from seeing    
with accuracy1 and looked at  her4      
,her hands were crossed on her breast1  
and there was on her face the           
expression of a really superhuman joy2  
her beautiful eyes were fixed as  if    
they were looking on some grand and     
sublime spectacle2 it seemed to  me1 at 
first1 that she was praying4    ,in that
 very instant the mother rushed into the
 room1 crying1 8,my ,god6  my ,god6 what
 does that cry #8lost' mean80--,for her 
last words1 8not to  be lost10          
particularly the last one1 had been     
pronounced with such a  powerful voice1 
that they had been heard almost         
everywhere in the house4    ,i made a   
sign with my hand to prevent the        
distressed mother from making  any noise
 and troubling her dying child in her   
prayer1 for ,i really  thought that she 
had stopped speaking1 as she used so    
often to do1 when  alone with me1 in    
order to pray4 ,but ,i was mistaken4    
,the redeemed soul  had gone1 on the    

golden wings of love1 to join the       
multitude of those  who have washed     
their robes in the blood of the ,lamb1  
to sing the  eternal ,alleluia4    ,the 
revelation of the unmentionable         
corruptions directly and unavoidably    
engendered by auricular confession1 had 
come to me from the lips of that  young 
lady1 as the first rays of the sun which
 were to hurl back the  dark clouds of  
night by which ,rome had wrapped my     
intelligence on that  subject4    ,so   
miserable by her fall and her sins1 but 
so admirable by her  conversion1 that   
young lady was standing before me1 for  
the rest of my  priestly life1 as the   
bright beacon raised on the solitary    
rocks stands  before the sailor whose   
ship is drifting through the shoals1 in 
a dark  and stormy night4    ,she was   
brought there1 by the merciful hand of  
,god1 to right my course4    ,lost and  
degraded by auricular confession1 only  
after having given it  up1 that precious
 soul was to find peace and life1 when  

washed in the  blood of the ,lamb1 as   
the only hope and refuge of sinners4    
,her words1 filled with a superhuman    
wisdom1 and her burning tears1 came  to 
me1 by the marvelous ,providence of     
,god1 as the first beams of the ,sun  of
 ,righteousness1 to teach me that       
auricular confession was a ,satanic     
invention4    ,had this young person    
been the only one to tell me that1 ,i   
might still  have held some doubt about 
the diabolical origin of that           
institution4  ,but thousands and        
thousands1 before and after her1 have   
been sent by my  merciful ,god to tell  
me the same tale1 till after twenty-five
 years of  experience it became a       
certitude to me that that modern        
invention of  ,rome must1 sooner or     
later1 with very few exceptions1 drag   
both the  confessor and his female      
penitents into a common and irreparable 
ruin4,d    -----    ,footnote ,d3       
,those who would like to know all about 
the abominations of auricular           

confession should have my volume 8,the  
,priest1 ,the ,woman and ,the           
,confessional40 ,it is probably the only
 book ever written on that    subject   
which completely unveils the mask of    
,rome1 by telling the    whole truth4   
-----                                   
,,chapter ,,lv4    ,,the                
,,ecclesiastical ,,retreat--,,conduct   
,,of ,,the ,,priests--,,the ,,bishop    
,,forbids ,,me    ,,to ,,distribute     
,,the ,,bible4      ,on the first of    
,aug41 #ahee1 ,i received the following 
letter3                                 
,,the ,,college--,chicago ,july #bdth1  
#ahee4     ,,rev4 ,,mr4 ,,chiniquy4     
,you will have the goodness to attend a 
spiritual retreat to be given  next     
month at the college1 in ,chicago1 for  
the clergy of the diocese of  ,chicago  
and ,quincy4    ,the spiritual          
exercises1 which will be conducted by   
the ,rt4 ,rev4 the  ,bishop of          
,louisville1 are to commence on         
,tuesday1 the #bhth of ,aug41 and  will 

terminate on the following ,sunday4     
,this arrangement will  necessitate your
 absence from your church on ,sunday1   
the #adth1 after  ,pentecost1 which you 
will make known to your congregation4   
,no clergyman  is allowed to be absent  
from this retreat without the previous  
written  consent of the bishop of the   
diocese1 which consent will not be given
  except in cases which he will judge to
 be of urgent necessity4                
,by order of ,rt4 ,rev4 ,bishop1        
,,matthew ,,dillon1                     
,pro ,secretary4    ,wishing to study   
the personnel of that ,irish clergy of  
which ,bishop  ,vandeveld had told such 
frightful things1 ,i went to ,st4       
,mary's  ,university1 two hours ahead of
 time4    ,never did ,i see such a band 
of jolly fellows4 ,their dissipation and
  laughter1 their exchange of witty1 and
 too often1 unbecoming  expressions1 the
 tremendous noise they made in          
addressing each other1 at  a distance3  
,their 8,hallo1 ,patrick60 8hallo1      

,murphy608,the answers3 8,yes6  yes6    
,she will never leave me20 or 8no6 no6  
the crazy girl is gone10 were           
invariably followed by outbursts of     
laughter4    ,though nine-tenths of them
 were evidently under the influence of  
intoxicating drinks1 not one could be   
said to be drunk4 ,but the strong  odor 
of alcohol1 mixed with the smoke of     
cigars1 soon poisoned the air  and made 
it suffocating4    ,i had withdrawn in a
 corner1 alone1 in order to observe     
everything4    ,what stranger1 in       
entering that large hall1 would have    
suspected that  those men were about to 
begin one of the most solemn and sacred 
actions  of a priest of ,jesus ,christ6 
,with the exception of five or six1 they
  looked more like a band of carousing  
raftsmen1 than priests4    ,about an    
hour before the opening of the          
exercises1 ,i saw one of the  priests   
with hat in hand accompanied by two of  
the fattest and most  florid of the     
band1 going to every one1 collecting    

money and with the  most hilarity and   
pleasure1 each one threw his bank bills 
into the hat4  ,i supposed that this    
collection was intended to pay for our  
board1  during the retreat1 and ,i      
prepared the #ae ,i wanted to give4     
,when they  came near me--the big hat   
was literally filled with five and ten  
dollar  bills4 ,before handing my money 
to them1 ,i asked3 8,what is the object 
of  that collection80    8,ah6 ah60 they
 answered with a hearty laugh18and the  
collectors laughed  outright4    ,i     
answered politely1 but seriously3       
8,gentlemen1 ,i came here to meditate   
and pray2 and when ,i am thirsty1 the   
fresh and pure water of ,lake  ,michigan
 will quench my thirst4 ,i have given   
up1 long ago1 the use of  intoxicating  
drinks4 ,please excuse me1 ,i am a      
teetotaler40    8,so we are60 they      
answered with a laugh2 8,we have all    
taken the pledge  from ,father ,mathew2 
but this does not prevent us from taking
 a little  drop to quench our thirst and

 keep up our health4 ,father ,mathew is 
not  so merciless as you are40    8,i   
know ,father ,mathew well20 ,i answered1
 8,i have written to him and seen  him  
many times4 ,allow me to tell you that  
we are of the same mind about  the use  
of intoxicating drink40    8,is it      
possible6 you know ,father ,mathew6 and 
you are exchanging letters  with him6   
,what a holy man he is1 and what good he
 has done in ,ireland1  and everywhere60
 they answered4    8,but the good he has
 done will not last long10 ,i said1 8if 
all his  disciples keep their pledges as
 you do40    ,as we were talking1 a good
 number of priests came around to hear  
what  was said2 for it was evident to   
all1 that the bark of their collectors1 
not only had come to shallow waters1 but
 had struck on a rock4    ,one of the   
priests said3 8,i thought we were to be 
preached by ,bishop  ,spaulding2 ,i had 
no idea that it was ,father ,chiniquy   
who had that  charge40    8,gentlemen10 
,i answered1 8,i have as much right to  

preach to you in favor  of temperance as
 you have to preach to me in favor of   
intemperance4 ,you  may do as you please
 about the use of strong drink1 during  
the retreat2  but ,i hope ,i also may   
have the right to think and do as ,i    
please1 in  that matter40    8,of       
course10 they all answered1 8,but you   
are the only one who will not  give us a
 cent to get a little drop40    8,so    
much the worse for you all1 gentlemen1  
if ,i am the only one4 ,but  please     
excuse me1 ,i cannot give you a cent for
 that object40    ,they then left me1   
saying something which ,i could not     
understand1 but  they were evidently    
disgusted1 with what they considered my 
stubbornness  and want of good manners4 
,i must1 however1 say here1 that two of 
them1 ,mr4 ,dunn1 pastor of one of  the 
best congregations in ,chicago1 and the 
other unknown to me1 came to            
congratulate me on the stern rebuke ,i  
had given the collectors4    8,i        
regret10 said ,mr ,dunn1 8the five      

dollars ,i have thrown into that hat4   
,if ,i had spoken to you before1 and had
 known that you would be brave  enough  
to rebuke them1 ,i would have stood by  
you1 and kept my money for  better use4 
,it is really a shame that we should be 
preparing ourselves  for a retreat by   
wasting #ejj for such a shameful object4
 ,they have just  told me that they have
 raised that sum for the champagne1     
brandy1 whisky  and beer they will      
drink1 this week4 ,ah6 what disgrace6   
,what a cry of  indignation would be    
raised against us1 if such a shameful   
thing should  be known6 ,i am sorry     
about the unkind words those priests    
have spoken to  you2 but you must excuse
 them1 they are already full of bad     
whisky4    8,do not think1 however1 that
 you are friendless1 here1 in our midst4
 ,you  have more friends than you think 
among the ,irish priests2 and ,i am one 
of them1 though you do not know me4     
,bishop ,vandeveld has often spoken to  
me of your grand colonization work1     

among the ,french40    ,mr4 ,dunn1 then1
 pressed my hand in his1 and taking me a
 short distance  from the others1 said3 
8,consider me1 hereafter1 as your       
friend3 you have won my confidence by   
the fearless way in which you have just 
spoken1 and the common sense of  your   
arguments4    8,you have lost a true    
friend in ,bishop ,vandevelde4 ,i fear  
that our  present bishop will not do you
 justice4 ,lebel and ,carthyvel have    
prejudiced him against you4 ,but ,i will
 stand by you1 if you are ever  unjustly
 dealt with1 as ,i fear you will1 by the
 present administration  of the diocese4
 ,i fear we are on the eve of great     
evils4 ,the scandalous  suit which      
,bishop ,o',regan has brought upon his  
predecessor is a  disgrace4 ,if he has  
gained #ej1jjj by it1 he has forever    
lost the  respect and confidence of all 
his priests and diocesans4    8,after   
the mild and paternal ruling of ,bishop 
,vandevelde1 neither the  priests1 nor  
the people of ,illinois will long bear  

the iron chains which  the present      
bishop has in store for us all40    ,i  
thanked ,mr4 ,dunn for his kind words1  
and told him that ,i had already  tasted
 the paternal love of my bishop by being
 twice dragged by ,spink  before the    
criminal court for having refused to    
live on good terms with  the two most   
demoralized priests ,i have ever known4 
,he1 then1 speaking with a more subdued 
voice1 said3    8,i must tell you1      
confidentially1 that one of those       
priests1 ,lebel1 will  be turned out    
ignominiously from the diocese1 during  
the retreat4 ,last  week1 a new fact1   
which surpasses all his other           
abominations1 has been  revealed and    
proved to the bishop1 for which he will 
be interdicted40    ,at that moment1 the
 bell called us to the chapel to hear   
the regulations  of the bishop in       
reference to the retreat1 after which we
 sang the  matins4    ,at #h ,p4 ,m41 we
 had our first sermon by ,bishop        
,spaulding1 from ,kentucky4  ,he was a  

fine-looking man1 a giant in stature1   
and a good speaker4 ,but  the way in    
which he treated his subject1 though    
very clever1 left1 in my  mind1 the     
impression that he did not believe a    
word of what he said4 ,at  certain      
times1 there was much fire in his       
elocution1 but it was a fire  of straw4 
,he delivered two sermons1 each day2 and
 the ,rev4 ,mr4  ,vanhulest1 a ,jesuit1 
gave us two meditations1 each of them   
lasting from  forty to fifty minutes4   
,the rest of the time was spent in      
reading aloud  the life of a saint1     
reciting the breviarum1 examination of  
conscience  and going to confession4    
,we had half an hour for meals1 followed
 by one hour of recreation4 ,thus  were 
the days spent4 ,but the nights6 the    
nights6 what shall ,i say of  them6     
,what pen can describe the orgies ,i    
witnessed during those dark  nights6 and
 who can believe what ,i shall have to  
say about them6 though  ,i will not and 
cannot say the half of what ,i have seen

 and heard6    ,i got from the ,rev4    
,mr4 ,dunn1 then one of the bishop's    
counselors1 and  soon after1 ,vicar     
,general1 the statement that the sum of 
#ejj was  expended in intoxicating      
drinks during the six days of the       
retreat4 ,i  ought to say during the    
five nights4 ,my pen refuses to write   
what my  eyes saw and my ears heard     
during the long hours of those nights1  
which  ,i cannot forget though ,i should
 live a thousand years4    ,the drinking
 used to begin about #i o'clock1 as soon
 as the lights were  put out4 ,some were
 handing the bottles from bed to bed1   
while others  were carrying them to     
those at a distance1 at first1 with the 
least  noise possible2 but half an hour 
had not elapsed before the alcohol was  
beginning to unloose the tongues1 and   
upset the brain4 ,then the bons  mots1  
the witty stories1 at first1 were soon  
followed by the most  indecent and      
shameful recitals4 ,then the songs1     
followed by the barking  of dogs1 the   

croaking of frogs1 the howling of       
wolves4 ,in a word1 the  cries of all   
kinds of beasts1 often mixed with the   
most lascivious  songs1 the most        
infamous anecdotes flying from bed to   
bed1 from room to  room1 till one or two
 o'clock in the morning4    ,one night  
three priests were taken with delirium  
tremens1 almost at the  same time4 ,one 
cried out that he had a dozen           
rattle-snakes at his shirt2  the second 
was fighting against thousands of bats  
which were trying to  tear his eyes from
 their sockets3 and the third1 with a   
stick1 was  repulsing millions of       
spiders which1 he said1 were as big as  
wild  turkeys1 all at work to devour    
him4 ,the cries and lamentations of     
those  three priests were really        
pitiful6 ,to those cries1 add the       
lamentations  of some dozen of them     
whose overloaded stomachs were ejecting 
in the  beds and all around1 the        
enormous quantity of drink they had     
swallowed6    ,the third day1 ,i was so 

disgusted and indignant1 that ,i        
determined to  leave1 without noise1    
under the pretext that ,i was sick4 ,it 
was not a  false pretext2 for ,i was    
really sick4 ,there was no possibility  
of  sleeping before two or three        
o'clock4 ,besides1 the stench in the    
dormitories was horrible4    ,there was1
 however1 another thing which was still 
more overwhelming me4  ,it was the      
terrible moral struggle in my soul from 
morning till night1  and from night till
 morning1 when the voice of conscience1 
which ,i had  to take for the voice of  
,satan1 was crying in my ears38 ,oh6    
what an  awful thing it is to resist the
 voice of ,god6 ,to take him for the    
evil  one1 when1 by his warnings1 he    
seeks to save your soul6 ,although the  
horrible scandal ,i had seen distressed 
me more than human words can  tell1     
those mental conflicts were still more  
distressing4 ,fearing lest ,i  should   
entirely lose my faith in my religion1  
and become an absolute  infidel1 by     

remaining any longer in the midst of    
such profligacy1 ,i  determined to      
leave2 but before doing so1 ,i wanted to
 consult the new  friend whom the       
,providence of ,god had given me in ,mr4
 ,dunn4 ,it seemed  the unbearable      
burden which was on my shoulders would  
become lighter1 by  sharing it with such
 a sympathetic brother priest4    ,i    
went to him1 after dinner1 and taking   
him apart1 ,i told him all about  the   
orgies of last night1 and asked his     
advice on my determination not  to      
continue that retreat1 which was        
evidently nothing else than a blind1    
and a sacrilegious comedy1 to deceive   
the world4    ,he answered3 8,you teach 
me nothing1 for ,i spent last night in  
the same  dormitory where you were4 ,one
 of the priests told me all about those 
orgies1 yesterday2 ,i could hardly      
believe what he said1 and ,i determined 
to see and hear for myself what was     
going on4 ,you do not exaggerate1 you   
do not even mention half of the horrors 

of last night4 ,it baffles any          
description4 ,it is simply incredible   
for any one who has not himself         
witnessed them4 ,however1 ,i do not     
advise you to leave4 ,it would forever  
ruin you in the mind of the bishop1 who 
is not already too well disposed  in    
your favor4 ,the best thing you can do  
is to go and tell everything to  ,bishop
 ,spaulding4 ,i have done it this       
morning2 but ,i felt that he did  not   
believe the half of what ,i told him4   
,when the same testimony comes  from    
you1 then he will believe it1 and will  
probably take some measures1  with our  
own bishop1 to put an end to those      
horrors4 ,i have something to  tell you1
 confidentially1 which surpasses1 in a  
measure1 anything you  know of the      
abominations of these last three nights4
 8 8,with these fine  words ringing in  
my ears10 said good ,mr4 ,dunn1 8,i had 
to leave his room  at the double quick4 
,it is of no use for us to speak to     
,bishop ,o',regan1  on that matter4 ,it 

will do no good4 ,he wants to get a     
large subscription  from those priests1 
at the end of the retreat1 and he is    
rather inclined  to pet than punish     
them1 till he obtains the #ajj1jjj he   
wants to build  his white marble palace 
on the lake shore40    ,i replied3      
8,though you add to my desolation1      
instead of diminishing it1  by what you 
say of the strange principles of our    
bishop1 ,i will speak to  my lord       
,spaulding as you advise me40           
,without a moment's delay1 ,i went to   
his room4 ,he received me very  kindly1 
and did not at all seem surprised at    
what ,i said4 ,it was as if  he had been
 accustomed to see the same1 or still   
worse abominations4  ,however1 when ,i  
told him the enormous quantity of liquor
 drank1 and that  retreat would be only 
a ridiculous comedy1 if no attempt at   
reform was  tried1 he agreed with me2   
8but it would be advisable to try it10  
he  said48 ,although the ,bishop of     
,chicago seemed puzzled at seeing me    

entering the room with my lord          
,spaulding1 he was as polite as         
possible4  ,he listened with more       
attention than ,i expected to the       
narrative ,i gave  of what is going on  
among the priests4 ,after telling him my
 sad story1  ,bishop ,spaulding said3   
8,my lord of ,chicago3 ,these facts are 
very grave1  and there cannot be any    
doubt about the truth of what we have   
just  heard4 ,two other gentlemen gave  
me the same testimony this morning40    
8,yes60 said ,bishop ,o',regan1 8it is  
very sad to see that our priests have   
so little self-respect1 even during such
 solemn days as those of a  public      
retreat4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,dunn has just 
told me the same sad story as  ,father  
,chiniquy4 ,but what remedy can we find 
for such a state of things8  ,perhaps it
 might do well to give them a good      
sermon on temperance4 ,mr4  ,chiniquy1  
,i am told that you are called #8the    
temperance apostle of  ,canada4' and    
that you are a powerful speaker on that 

subject2 would you  not like to give    
them one or two addresses on the injury 
they are doing  to themselves and to our
 holy church1 by their drunkenness80    
8,if those priests could understand me  
in ,french10 ,i replied1 8,i would      
accept the honor you offer me1 with     
pleasure2 but to be understood by  them1
 ,i would have to speak in ,english2 and
 ,i am not sufficiently free  in that   
language to attempt it4 ,my broken      
,english would only bring  ridicule upon
 the holy cause of temperance4    8,but 
my lord ,spaulding has already preached 
on that subject in ,kentucky1  and an   
address from his lordship would be      
listened to with more  attention and    
benefit from him than from me40    ,it  
was1 then1 agreed that he should change 
his programme1 and give two  addresses  
on temperance1 which he did4 ,but though
 these addresses were  really eloquent1 
they were pearls thrown before swine4   
,the drunken priests slept as usual2 and
 even snored1 almost through the  whole 

length of the delivery4 ,it is true that
 we could notice a little  improvement  
and less noise the following nights2 the
 change1 however1  was very little4     
,the fourth day of the retreat1 the     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,lebel came to me with his   
bag in his hand4 ,he looked furious4 ,he
 said3    8,now1 you must be satisfied1 
,i am interdicted and turned out        
ignominiously from this diocese4 ,it is 
your work6 ,but mind what ,i tell  you2 
you will1 also1 soon1 be turned out from
 your colony by the mitred  tyrant who  
has just struck me down4 ,he told me1   
several times1 that he  would1 at any   
cost1 break your plans of ,french       
colonization1 by sending  you to the    
south-west of ,illinois1 along the      
,mississippi1 to an old  ,french        
settlement1 opposite ,st4 ,louis4       
8,he is enraged against you for your    
refusing to give him your fine  property
 at ,st4 ,anne40    ,i answered him3    
8,you are mistaken when you think that  
,i am the author of  your misfortunes4  

,you have disgraced yourself1 by your   
own acts4 ,god has  given you talents   
and qualities1 which1 if cultivated1    
would have  exalted you in the church1  
but you have preferred to destroy those 
great  gifts1 in order to follow the    
evil inclinations of your poor degraded 
human nature2 you reap to-day what you  
have sown4 ,nobody is more sorry  than  
,i am1 for your misfortune1 and my most 
sincere wish is that the  past may be a 
lesson to guide your steps in the       
future4 ,the desire of my  bishop to    
turn me out of my colony does not       
trouble me4 ,if it is the  will of ,god 
to keep me at the head of that great    
work1 the ,bishop of  ,chicago will go  
down from his episcopal throne before ,i
 go down the  beautiful hill of ,st4    
,anne4 ,adieu60    ,he soon disappeared4
 ,but how the fall of this priest1 whom 
,i had so  sincerely loved1 saddened me6
    ,the next ,sabbath was the last day 
of the retreat4 ,all the priests went   
in procession to the cathedral1 to      

receive the holy communion1 and every   
one of them ate1 what we had to believe 
the true body1 soul and divinity  of    
,jesus ,christ4 ,this1 however1 did not 
prevent thirteen of them from  spending 
the greater part of the next night in   
the calaboose1 to which  they had been  
taken by the police1 from houses of     
ill-fame1 where they  were rioting and  
fighting4 ,the next morning1 they were  
discharged from  the hands of the police
 by paying pretty round sums of money   
for the  trouble of the night6    ,the  
next day1 ,i went to ,mr4 ,dunn's       
parsonage to ask him if he could give   
me any explanation of the rumor which   
was afloat1 and to which ,mr4 ,lebel    
had made allusion1 that it was the      
intention of the bishop to remove me    
from my colony to some distant part of  
his diocese4    8,it is unfortunately   
too true10 said he4 8,bishop ,o',regan  
thinks that he  has a mission from      
heaven to undo all his predecessor has  
done1 and as  one of the best and       

grandest schemes of ,bishop ,vandevelde 
was to secure  the possession of this   
magnificent ,state of ,illinois to our  
church1 by  inducing all the ,roman     
,catholic emigrants from ,france1       
,belgium and  ,canada1 to settle here1  
our present bishop does not conceal that
 he will  oppose that plan by removing  
you to such a distance1 that your       
colonization plans will be at an end4   
,he says that the ,french are1 as a     
general thing1 rebels and disobedient to
 their bishops4 ,he prefers  seeing the 
,irish coming1 on account of their      
proverbial docility to  their           
ecclesiastical superiors4    8,i have1  
in vain1 tried to change his mind4 ,i   
told you1 before1 that he  often asks my
 opinion on what ,i think the best thing
 to be done for the  good of the        
diocese4 ,but ,i do not think that he   
intends to follow my  advice6 it is just
 the contrary4 ,my impression now is1   
that he wants to  know our views1 only  
for the pleasure of acting diametrically

 in  opposition to what we advise40     
,i must not omit to say1 that we had    
been requested to spend the forenoon  of
 ,monday1 in the ,university1 for an    
important affair which the ,bishop  had 
to propose to his clergy4 ,we were all  
there1 in the great hall1 at  the       
appointed hour4 ,even the thirteen      
priests who had spent the best  part of 
the night at the police station1 heard  
the voice of their  bishop1 and they    
were there1 as docile lambs4    ,we knew
 beforehand1 the proposition which was  
to be put before us4 ,it  was to build a
 palace for our bishop1 worthy of the   
great ,illinois  ,state1 the cost of    
which would be about #ajj1jjj4          
,though every one of us felt that this  
was most extravagant in such a  young   
and poor diocese1 nobody dared to raise 
his voice against that act  of pride and
 supreme folly4 ,every one promised to  
do all in his power to  raise that sum1 
and to show our good will1 we raised    
among ourselves1 at  once1 #g1jjj1 which

 we gave in cash or in promissory notes4
    ,after this act of liberality1 we   
were blessed and dismissed by our       
bishop4    ,i was but a few steps from  
the ,university1 when an ,irish priest1 
unknown  to me1 ran after me to say3    
8,my lord ,o',regan wants to see you    
immediately40 ,and1 five minutes later1 
,i was alone with my bishop1 who1       
without any preface1 told me3    8,mr4  
,chiniquy1 ,i hear very strange and     
damaging things about you1 from  every  
quarter4 ,but the worst of all is1 that 
you are a secret ,protestant  emissary2 
that1 instead of preaching the true     
doctrines of our holy  church1 about the
 immaculate conception1 purgatory1 the  
respect and  obedience due to their     
superiors by the people1 auricular      
confession1  etc41 etc41 you spend a    
part of your time in distributing       
,bibles and ,new  ,testaments among your
 emigrants2 ,i want to know from your   
own lips1 if  this be true or not40     
,i answered3 8,a part of what the people

 told you about the matter is not  true2
 the other is true4 ,it is not true that
 ,i neglect the preaching of  the       
doctrines of our holy church1 about     
purgatory1 immaculate conception  of    
,mary1 auricular confession1 or the     
respect due to our superiors4 ,but  it  
is true that ,i do distribute the ,holy 
,bible and the ,gospel of ,christ1      
among my people40    8,and instead of   
blushing at such unpriestly conduct1 you
 seem to be  proud of it10 angrily      
replied the bishop4    8,i do not       
understand1 my lord1 why a priest of    
,christ could blush for  distributing   
the ,word of ,god among his people2 as  
,i am bound to preach  that ,holy ,word1
 it is not only my right1 but my duty to
 give it to them4  ,i am fully persuaded
 that there is no preaching so          
efficacious and  powerful as the        
preaching of ,god ,himself1 when        
speaking to us in ,his  ,holy ,book40   
8,this is sheer ,protestantism1 ,mr4    
,chiniquy1 this is sheer                

,protestantism10 he answered me1        
angrily4    8,my dear bishop10 ,i       
answered calmly1 8if to give the ,bible 
to the people  and invite them to read  
and meditate on it1 is ,protestantism1  
our holy  ,pope ,pius ,,vi4 was a good  
,protestant1 for in his letter to       
,martini1 which  is probably in the     
first pages of the beautiful ,bible ,i  
see on your  lordship's table1 he not   
only blesses him for having translated  
that  ,holy book into ,italian1 but     
invites the people to read it40    ,the 
bishop1 assuming an air of supreme      
contempt1 replied3    8,your answer     
shows your complete ignorance on the    
subject on which you  speak so boldly4  
,if you were a little better informed on
 that grave  subject1 you would know    
that the translation by ,martini1 which 
the ,pope  advised the ,italian people  
to read1 formed a work of twenty-three  
big  volumes in folio1 which1 of course1
 nobody except very rich and idle       
people could read4 ,not one in ten      

thousand ,italians have the means of    
purchasing such a voluminous work2 and  
not one in fifty thousand have  the time
 or the will to peruse such a mass of   
endless commentaries4 ,the  ,pope would 
never have given such an advice to read 
a ,bible1 as the one  you distribute so 
imprudently40    8,then1 my lord1 do you
 positively tell me that the ,pope gave 
permission  to read ,martini's          
translation because he knew that the    
people could  never get it on account of
 its enormous size and price1 and do you
  assure me that he would never have    
given such an advice had the same       
people been able to purchase and read   
that holy work80    8,yes1 sir6 ,it is  
what ,i mean10 answered the bishop1 with
 an air of  triumph1 8for ,i know1      
positively1 that this is the fact40     
,i replied1 calmly3 8,i hope your       
lordship is unwillingly mistaken2 for if
  you were correct1 the stern and       
unflinching principles of logic would   
force me to think and say that that     

,pope1 and all his followers were       
deceivers1 and that encyclical1 a public
 fraud in his own hands2 for we1        
,catholic priests1 make use of it1 all  
over the world1 and reprint it at  the  
head of our own ,bibles1 to make the    
people1 both ,protestants and           
,catholics1 believe that we approve of  
their reading our own versions of  that 
,holy ,book40    ,had ,i thrown a spark 
of fire in a keg of powder1 the         
explosion would not  have been more     
prompt and terrible than the rage of    
that prelate4  ,pointing his finger to  
my face1 he said3    8,now1 ,i see the  
truth of what ,i have been told1 that   
you are a disguised  ,protestant1 since 
the very day you were ordained a priest4
    8,the ,bible6 the ,bible6 is your   
motto6 ,for you1 the ,bible is          
everything1  and the holy church1 with  
her ,popes and bishops1 nothing6 what an
  insolent1 ,i dare say1 what a         
blasphemous word ,i have just heard from
  you6 ,you dare call an encyclical     

letter of one of our most holy ,popes1 a
  fraud60    ,in vain1 ,i tried to      
explain2 he would not listen1 and he    
silenced me by  saying3    8,if our holy
 church has1 in an unfortunate day1     
appointed you one of her  priests in my 
diocese1 it was to preach her doctrines1
 and not to  distribute the ,bible6 ,if 
you forget that1 ,i will make you       
remember it60    ,and with that threat  
on my head1 as a ,damocles' sword1 ,i   
had to take to  the door1 which he had  
opened1 without any au revoir4 ,thanks  
be to  ,god1 this first persecution and 
these outrages ,i received for my dear  
,bible's sake1 did not diminish my      
respect for ,god's ,holy ,word nor my   
confidence in it4 ,on the contrary1 on  
reaching home1 ,i took it1 fell on  my  
knees1 and pressing it to my heart1 ,i  
asked my ,heavenly ,father to  grant me 
the favor to love it more sincerely1 and
 follow its divine  teachings with more 
fidelity1 till the end of my life4      
,,chapter ,,lvi4    ,,public ,,acts ,,of

 ,,simony--,,thefts ,,and ,,brigandage  
,,of ,,bishop ,o',,regan--,,general     
,,cry ,,of ,,indignation--,i ,,determine
 ,,to ,,resist ,,him ,,to ,,his         
,,face--,,he ,,employs    ,,mr4 ,,spink 
,,again ,,to ,,send ,,me ,,to ,,gaol1   
,,and ,,he ,,fails--,,drags ,,me ,,as ,a
    ,,prisoner ,,to ,,urbana ,,in ,,the 
,,spring ,,of #ahef ,,and ,,fails       
,,again--,,abraham    ,,lincoln         
,,defends ,,me--,,my ,,dear ,,bible     
,,becomes ,,more ,,than ,,ever ,,my     
,,light ,,and    ,,my ,,counselor4      
,a month had hardly elapsed since the   
ecclesiastical retreat1 when all  the   
cities of ,illinois1 were filled by the 
most strange and humiliating  clamors   
against our bishop4 ,from ,chicago to   
,cairo1 it would have been  difficult to
 go to a single town1 without having1   
from the most  respectable people1 or   
reading in big letters1 in some of the  
most  influential papers1 that ,bishop  
,o',regan was a thief or a simoniac1 a  
perjurer1 or even something worse4 ,the 

bitterest complaints were  crossing each
 other over the breadth and length of   
,illinois1 from almost  every           
congregation3    8,he has stolen the    
beautiful and costly vestments we bought
 for our  church10 cried the ,french    
,canadians of ,chicago4 8,he has        
swindled us out  of a fine lot given us 
to build our church1 sold it for        
#dj1jjj1 and  pocketed the money1 for   
his own private use1 without giving us  
any  notice10 said the ,germans4        
8,his thirst for money is so great10    
said the whole ,catholic people of      
,illinois1 8that he is selling even the 
bones of the dead to fill his           
treasures60    ,i had not forgotten the 
bold attempt of the bishop to wrench my 
little  property from my hands1 at his  
first visit to my colony4    ,the       
highway thief who puts his dagger at the
 breast of the traveler1  threatening to
 take away his life1 if he does not give
 him his purse1  does not appear more   
infamous to his victim than that bishop 

appeared to  me1 that day4 ,but my hope1
 then1 was1 that this was an isolated   
and  exceptional case in the life of my 
superior2 and ,i did not whisper a  word
 of it to anybody4 ,i began to think    
differently1 however1 when ,i saw  the  
numerous articles in the principal      
papers of the ,state1 signed by  the    
most respectable names1 accusing him of 
theft1 simony and lies4 ,my  hope1 at   
first1 was that there were many         
exaggerations in those reports4  ,but   
they came thicker1 day after day1 ,i    
thought my duty was to go to  ,chicago1 
and see for myself1 to what extent those
 rumors were true4 ,i  went directly to 
the ,french ,canadian church2 and to my 
unspeakable  dismay1 ,i found that it   
was too true that the bishop had stolen 
the fine  church vestments1 which my    
countrymen had bought for their own     
priest1  for grand festivals2 and he had
 transferred them to the cathedral of   
,st4  ,mary for his own personal use4   
,the indignation of my poor countrymen  

knew no bounds4 ,it was really          
deplorable to hear with what supreme    
disgust1 and want of respect1 they were 
speaking of their bishop4               
,unfortunately1 the ,germans and ,irish 
people were still ahead of them in      
their unguarded1 disrespectful          
denunciations4 ,several spoke of        
prosecuting him before the civil courts1
 to force him to disgorge what  he had  
stolen2 and it was with the greatest    
difficulty that ,i succeeded  in        
preventing some of them from mobbing and
 insulting him publicly in  the streets1
 or even in his own palace4 ,the only   
way ,i could find to  appease them was  
to promise that ,i would speak to his   
lordship1 and tell  him that it was the 
desire of my countrymen to have those   
vestments  restored to them4    ,the    
second thing ,i did was to go to the    
cemetery1 and see for myself1 to  what  
extent it was true or not that our      
bishop was selling the very  bones of   
his diocesans1 in order to make money4  

,on my way to the ,roman ,catholic      
graveyard1 ,i met a great many          
cart-loads  of sand1 which1 ,i was told 
by the carters1 had been taken from the 
cemetery2 but ,i did not like to stop   
them till ,i was at the very door of    
the consecrated spot4 ,there1 ,i found  
three carters1 who were just  leaving   
the grounds4 ,i asked and obtained from 
them1 the permission to  search the sand
 which they carried1 to see if there    
were not some bones4  ,i could not find 
any in the first cart2 and my hope was  
that it would be  the same in the two   
others4 ,but1 to my horror and shame1 ,i
 found the  inferior jaw of a child1 in 
the second2 and part of the bones of an 
arm1  and almost the whole foot of a    
human being1 in the third cart6 ,i      
politely requested the carters to show  
me the very place where they had  dug   
that sand1 and they complied with my    
prayer4 ,to my unspeakable  regret and  
shame1 ,i found that the bishop had told
 an unmitigated  falsehood when1 to     

appease the public indignation against  
his  sacrilegious trade1 he had         
published that he was selling only the  
sand  which was outside of the fence1 on
 the very border of the lake4    ,it is 
true that1 to make his case good1 he had
 ordered the old fence to  be taken     
away1 in order to make a new one1 many  
feet inside the old one4  ,but this     
miserable and shameful subterfuge       
rendered his crime still  greater than  
it had at first appeared4 ,what added to
 the gravity of that  public iniquity1  
is that the ,bishop of ,chicago had     
received that piece  of land from the   
city1 for a burial ground1 only after   
they had taken a  solemn oath to use it 
only for burying the dead4 ,every load  
of that  ground sold then1 was not only 
an act of simony1 but the breaking of a 
solemn oath6 ,no words can express the  
shame ,i felt1 after convincing  myself 
of the correctness of what the press of 
,chicago1 and of the whole  ,state of   
,illinois1 had published against our    

bishop1 about this  sacrilegious        
traffic4    ,slowly retracing my steps  
to the city from the cemetery1 ,i went  
directly  to the bishop1 to fulfil the  
promise ,i had made to the ,french      
,canadians1  to try to obtain the       
restoration of their fine vestments4    
,but ,i was not  long with him without  
seeing that ,i would gain nothing but   
his  implacable enmity in pleading the  
cause of my poor countrymen4 ,however1  
,i thought that my duty was to do all in
 my power to open the eyes of my  bishop
 to the pit he was digging for himself  
and for us all ,catholics1  by his      
conduct4    8,my lord10 ,i said1 8,i    
will not surprise your lordship1 when ,i
 tell you  that all the true ,catholics 
of ,illinois1 are filled with sorrow by 
the  articles they find1 every day1 in  
the press1 against their bishop40       
8,yes6 yes60 he abruptly replied1 8the  
good ,catholics must be sad indeed  to  
read such disgusting diatribes against  
their superior2 and ,i presume  that you

 are one of those that are sorry4 ,but1 
then1 why do you not  prevent your      
insolent and infidel countrymen from    
writing those things6  ,i see that a    
great part of those libels are signed by
 the ,french  ,canadians40    ,i        
answered3 8,it is to try1 as much as it 
is in my power1 to put an end  to those 
scandals that ,i am in ,chicago1 to-day1
 my lord40    8,very well1 very well10  
he replied1 8as you have the reputation 
of  having great influence over your    
countrymen1 make use of it to stop them 
in their rebellious conduct against me1 
and ,i will1 then1 believe that  you are
 a good priest40    ,i answered3 8,i    
hope that ,i will succeed in what your  
lordship wants me  to do4 ,but there are
 two things to be done1 in order to     
secure my  success40    8,what are      
they80 quickly asked the bishop4        
8,the first is1 that your lordship give 
back the fine church vestments  which   
you have taken from the ,french         
,canadian congregation of ,chicago4     

8,the second is1 that your lordship     
abstain1 absolutely1 from this day1  to 
sell the sand of the burying ground1    
which covers the tombs of the  dead40   
,without answering a word1 the bishop   
struck his fist violently upon the      
table1 and crossed the room at a quick  
step1 two or three times2 then  turning 
towards me1 and pointing his finger to  
my face1 he exclaimed in  an            
indescribable accent of rage3    8,now1 
,i see the truth of what ,mr4 ,spink    
told me6 you are not only my  bitterest 
enemy1 but you are at the head of my    
enemies4 ,you take sides  with them     
against me4 ,you approve of their       
libellous writings against  me6 ,i will 
never give back those church vestments4 
,they are mine1 as the  ,french         
,canadian church is mine6 ,do you not   
know1 that the ground on  which the     
churches are built1 as well as the      
churches themselves1 and  all that      
belongs to the church1 belongs to the   
bishop8 ,was it not a  burning shame to 

use those fine vestments in a poor      
miserable church of  ,chicago1 when the 
bishop of that important city was       
covered with rags8  ,it was in the      
interest of the episcopal dignity1 that 
,i ordered those  rich and splendid     
vestments1 which were mine by law1 to be
 transferred  from that small and       
insignificant congregation1 to my       
cathedral of ,st4  ,mary1 and if you had
 an ounce of respect for your bishop1   
,mr4 ,chiniquy1  you would immediately  
go to your countrymen and put a stop to 
their  murmurs and slanders against me2 
by simply telling them that ,i have     
taken what was mine from that church1   
which is mine also1 to the  cathedral1  
which is altogether mine4    8,tell your
 countrymen to hold their tongues1 and  
respect their bishop1  when he is in the
 right1 as ,i am to-day40    ,i had1    
many times1 considered the infamy and   
injustice of the law which  the bishops 
have had passed all over the ,united    
,states1 making every one  of them a    

corporation1 with the right of          
possessing personally all the  church   
properties of the ,roman ,catholics4    
,but ,i had never understood the  infamy
 and tyranny of that law so clearly as  
in that hour4    ,it is impossible to   
describe with ink and paper the air of  
pride and  contempt with which the      
bishop really in substance1 if not in   
words1  told me3    8,all those things  
are mine4 ,i do what ,i please with     
them1 you must be  mute and silent when 
,i take them away from you4 ,it is      
against ,god  ,himself that you rebel   
when you refuse me the right of         
dispossessing you  of all those         
properties which you have purchased with
 your own money1  and which have not    
cost me a cent60    ,in that moment ,i  
felt that the law which makes every     
bishop the only  master and proprietor  
of all the religious goods1 houses1     
churches1  lands and money of their     
people as ,catholics1 is simply         
diabolical3 and  that the church which  

sanctions such a law1 is antichristian4 
,though it  was1 at the risk and peril  
of every thing dear to me1 that ,i      
should  openly protest against that     
unjust law1 there was no help2 ,i felt  
constrained to do so with all the energy
 ,i possessed4    ,i answered3 8,my     
lord1 ,i confess that this is the law1  
in the ,united  ,states2 but this is a  
human law1 directly opposed to the      
,gospel4 ,i do  not find a single word  
in the ,gospel which gives this power to
 the  bishop4 ,such a power is an       
abusive1 not a divine power1 which will 
sooner or later destroy our holy church1
 in the ,united ,states1 as it has      
already mortally wounded her in ,great  
,britain1 in ,france and in many  other 
places4 ,when ,christ said1 in the ,holy
 ,gospel1 that ,he had not  enough of   
ground whereon to lay ,his head1 ,he    
condemned1 in advance1 the  pretensions 
of the bishops who lay their hands on   
our church properties  as their own4    
,such a claim is an usurpation and not a

 right1 my lord4  ,our ,saviour ,jesus  
,christ protested against that          
usurpation1 when asked  by a young man  
to meddle in his temporal affairs with  
his brothers2 ,he  answered that 8,he   
had not received such power40 ,the      
,gospel is a long  protest against that 
usurpation2 in every page1 it tells us  
that the  ,kingdom of ,christ is not of 
this world4 ,i have myself given #ej to 
help  my countrymen to buy those church 
vestments4 ,they belong to them1 and    
not to you60    ,my words1 uttered with 
an expression of firmness which the     
bishop had  never yet seen in any of his
 priests1 fell upon him1 at first1 as a 
thunderbolt4 ,they so puzzled him1 that 
he looked at me1 a moment1 as if  he    
wanted to see if it was a dream or a    
reality1 that one of his priests  had   
the audacity to use such language1 in   
his presence4    ,but1 soon1 recovering 
from his stupor1 he interrupted me by   
striking his  fist again on the table1  
and saying in anger3    8,you are half a

 ,protestant6 ,your words smell         
,protestantism6 ,the ,gospel6  the      
,gospel66 that is your great tower of   
strength against the laws and           
regulations of our holy church6 ,if you 
think1 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 that you  will   
frighten me with your big words of the  
,gospel1 you will soon see  your        
mistake1 at your own expense4 ,i will   
make you remember that it is  the       
,church you must obey1 and it is through
 your bishop that the  church rules     
you60    8,my lord10 ,i answered1 8,i   
want to obey the church4 ,yes6 but it is
 a  church founded on the ,gospel2 a    
church that respects and follows the    
,gospel1 that ,i want to obey60         
,these words threw him into a fit of    
rage1 and he answered3 8,i am too  busy 
to hear your impertinent babblings any  
longer4 ,please let me alone1  and      
remember that you will1 soon1 hear from 
me again1 if you cannot  teach your     
people to respect and obey their        
superiors60    ,the bishop kept his     

promise4 ,i heard of him very soon      
after1 when his  agent1 ,peter ,spink1  
dragged me1 again1 a prisoner1 before   
the ,criminal  ,court of ,kankakee1     
accusing me falsely of crimes which his 
malice alone  could have invented4      
,my lord ,o',regan had determined to    
interdict me2 but not being able to     
find any cause in my private or public  
life as a priest1 to found such a       
sentence1 he had pressed that land      
speculator1 ,spink1 to prosecute me     
again2 promising to base his interdict  
on the condemnation which1 he had  been 
told1 would be passed against me by the 
,criminal ,court of ,kankakee4    ,but  
the bishop and ,peter ,spink were again 
to be disappointed2 for the  verdict of 
the court1 given on the #acth of        
,november1 #ahee1 was again in  my      
favor4    ,my heart filled with joy at  
this new and great victory my ,god had  
given  me against my merciless          
persecutors4 ,i was blessing him1 when  
my two  lawyers1 ,messrs4 ,osgood and   

,padcock1 came to me and said3 8,our    
victory1  though great1 is not so       
decisive as was expected2 for ,mr4      
,spink has just  taken an oath that he  
has no confidence in this ,kankakee     
,court1 and he  has appealed1 by a      
change of venue1 to the ,court of       
,urbana1 in ,champaign  ,county4 ,we are
 sorry to have to tell you that you must
 remain a  prisoner1 under bail1 in the 
hands of the sheriff1 who is bound to   
deliver you to the sheriff of ,urbana1  
the #aith of ,may1 next spring40    ,i  
nearly fainted when ,i heard this4 ,the 
ignominy of being again in the  hands of
 the sheriff1 for so long a time2 the   
enormous expenses1 far  beyond my means1
 to bring my fifteen to twenty witnesses
 such a long  distance of nearly one    
hundred miles2 the new ocean of insults1
 false  accusations and perjuries1 with 
which my enemies were to overwhelm me   
again2 and the new risk of being        
condemned1 though innocent1 at that     
distant court2 all those things crowded 

themselves in my mind1 to crush  me4    
,for a few minutes1 ,i was obliged to   
sit down2 for ,i would have1  surely1   
fallen down1 had ,i continued to stand  
on my feet4 ,a kind friend  had to bring
 me some cold water1 and bathe my       
forehead1 to prevent me  from fainting4 
,it seemed that ,god had forsaken me1   
for the time being1  and that ,he was to
 let me fall powerless into the hand of 
my foes4 ,but ,i  was mistaken4 ,that   
merciful ,god was near me1 in that dark 
hour1 to give  me one of the marvellous 
proofs of his paternal and loving care4 
,the very moment ,i was leaving the     
court with a heavy heart1 a gentleman1  
a stranger1 came to me and said38 ,i    
answered3 8,i am much obliged to you    
for your sympathetic words2 but would   
you please allow me to ask your  name80 
8,be kind enough to let me keep my      
incognito here10 he answered4 8,the     
only thing ,i can say is1 that ,i am a  
,catholic like you1 and one who1  like  
you1 cannot bear any longer the tyranny 

of our ,american bishops4  ,with many   
others1 ,i look to you as our deliverer1
 and for that reason ,i  advise you to  
engage the services of ,abraham         
,lincoln40    8,but10 ,i replied1 8who  
is that ,abraham ,lincoln8 ,i never     
heard of that  man before40    ,he      
replied3 8,abraham ,lincoln is the best 
lawyer and the most honest man  we have 
in ,illinois40    ,i went1 immediately1 
with that stranger1 to my two lawyers1  
who were in  consultation only a few    
steps from us1 and asked them if they   
would have  any objections that ,i      
should ask the services of ,abraham     
,lincoln1 to  help them to defend me at 
,urbana4    ,they both answered3 8,oh6  
,if you can secure the services of      
,abraham  ,lincoln2 by all means do it4 
,we know him well2 he is one of the best
  lawyers1 and one of the most honest   
men we have in our ,state40    ,without 
losing a minute1 ,i went to the         
telegraph office with that  stranger1   
and telegraphed to ,abraham ,lincoln to 

ask him if he would  defend my honor and
 my life 7though ,i was a stranger to   
him7 at the next  ,may term of the court
 at ,urbana4    ,about twenty minutes   
later1 ,i received the answer3    8,yes1
 ,i will defend your honor and your life
 at the next ,may term at  ,urbana4     
,,abraham ,,lincoln40    ,my unknown    
friend then paid the operator1 pressed  
my hand1 and said3  8,may ,god bless and
 help you1 ,father ,chiniquy4 ,continue 
to fight  fearlessly for truth and      
righteousness1 against our mitred       
tyrant2 and  ,god will help you to the  
end40 ,he then took a train for the     
north1 and  soon disappeared1 as a      
vision from heaven4 ,i have not seen him
 since1  though ,i have not let a day   
pass without asking my ,god to bless    
him4 ,a  few minutes later1 ,spink came 
to the office1 to telegraph to ,lincoln1
  asking his services at the next ,may  
term of the ,court1 at ,urbana4 ,but it 
was too late4    ,before being dragged  
to ,urbana1 ,i had to renew1 at ,easter1

 #ahef1 the oil  which is used for the  
sick1 in the ceremony which the ,church 
of ,rome  calls the sacrament of        
,extreme ,unction1 and in the ,baptism  
of ,children4  ,i sent my little silver 
box to the bishop by a respectable young
  merchant of my colony1 called ,dorion4
 ,but he brought it back without a  drop
 of oil1 with a most abusive letter from
 the bishop1 because ,i had  not sent   
five dollars to pay for the oil4 ,it was
 just what ,i expected4 ,i  knew that it
 was his habit to make his priests pay  
five dollars for that  oil1 which was   
not worth more than two or three cents4 
,this act of my bishop was one of the   
many evident cases of simony of  which  
he was guilty every day4 ,i took his    
letter1 with my small silver  box to the
 ,archbishop of ,st4 ,louis1 my ,lord   
,kenrick1 before whom ,i  brought my    
complaints against the ,bishop of       
,chicago1 on the #ith of  ,april1 #ahef4
 ,that high dignitary told me that many 
priests of the  diocese of ,chicago had 

already brought the same complaints     
before him1  and exposed the infamous   
conduct of their bishop4 ,he agreed with
 me that  the rapacity of ,bishop       
,o',regan1 his thefts1 his lies1 his    
acts of  simony1 were public and        
intolerable1 but that he had no remedy  
for them1  and said3 8,the only thing ,i
 advise you to do is to write to the    
pope  directly4 ,prove your charges     
against that guilty bishop as clearly as
  possible4 ,i will myself write to     
corroborate all you have told me1 for ,i
  know it is true4 ,my hope is that your
 complaints will attract the  attention 
of the pope4 ,he will probably send some
 one from ,rome to make  an inquiry1 and
 then that wicked man will be forced to 
offer his  resignation4 ,if you succeed1
 as ,i hope1 in your praiseworthy       
efforts to  put an end to such scandals1
 you will have well deserved the        
gratitude  of the whole church4 ,for    
that unprincipled dignitary is the cause
 that  our holy religion is not only    

losing her prestige in the ,united      
,states1  but is becoming an object of  
contempt where-ever those public crimes 
are  known40    ,i was1 however1 forced 
to postpone my writing to the pope4     
,for1 a few  days after my return from  
,st4 ,louis to my colony1 ,i had to     
deliver  myself again into the hands of 
the sheriff of ,kankakee county1 who was
  obliged by ,spink to take me prisoner1
 and deliver me as a criminal in to  the
 hands of the sheriff of ,champaign     
county1 on the #aith of ,may1 #ahef4    
,it was then that ,i met ,abraham       
,lincoln for the first time4 ,he was a  
giant in stature2 but ,i found him still
 more a giant in the noble  qualities of
 his mind and heart4 ,it was impossible 
to converse five  minutes with him      
without loving him4 ,there was such an  
expression of  kindness and honesty in  
that face1 and such an attractive       
magnetism in  the man2 that1 after a few
 moments' conversation1 one felt as tied
 to  him by all the noblest affections  

of the heart4    ,when pressing my hand1
 he told me3 8,you were mistaken when   
you  telegraphed that you were unknown  
to me4 ,i know you1 by reputation1 as   
the stern opponent of tyranny of your   
bishop1 and the fearless protector  of  
your countrymen in ,illinois4 ,i have   
heard much of you from two  priests2    
and1 last night1 your lawyers1 ,messrs4 
,osgood  ,paddock1  acquainted me with  
the fact that your bishop employs some  
of his tools  to get rid of you4 ,i hope
 it will be an easy thing to defeat his 
projects and protect you against his    
machinations40    ,he then asked me how 
,i had been induced to desire his       
services4 ,i  answered by giving him the
 story of that unknown friend who had   
advised  me to have ,mr4 ,abraham       
,lincoln for one of my lawyers1 for the 
reason  that 8he was the best lawyer and
 the most honest man in ,illinois40 ,he 
smiled at my answer1 with that          
inimitable and unique smile1 which we   
may  call the 8,lincoln smile10 and     

replied3 8,that unknown friend would    
surely  have been more correct had he   
told you that ,abraham ,lincoln was the 
ugliest lawyer of the country60 ,and he 
laughed outright4    ,i spent six long  
days at ,urbana as a criminal1 in the   
hands of the  sheriff1 at the feet of my
 judges4 ,during the greatest part of   
that  time1 all that human language can 
express of abuse and insult was heaped  
on my poor head4 ,god only knows what ,i
 suffered in those days2 but ,i was     
providentially surrounded1 as by a      
strong wall1 when ,i had ,abraham       
,lincoln for my defence4 8,the best     
lawyer and the most honest man of       
,illinois10 and the learned and upright 
,david ,davis for my judge4 ,the  latter
 became ,vice-,president of the ,united 
,states in #ahhb1 and the  former its   
most honored ,president from #ahfa to   
#ahfe4    ,i never heard anything like  
the eloquence of ,abraham ,lincoln1 when
 he  demolished the testimonies of the  
two perjured priests1 ,lebel and        

,carthevel1 who1 with ten or twelve     
other false witnesses1 had sworn        
against me4 ,i would have surely been   
declared innocent1 after that  eloquent 
address1 and the charge of the learned  
,judge ,davis1 had not my  lawyers1 by a
 sad blunder1 left a ,roman ,catholic on
 the jury4 ,of course1  that ,irish     
,roman ,catholic wanted to condemn me1  
while the eleven honest  and intelligent
 ,protestants were unanimous in voting  
8,not guilty40 ,the  court1 having at   
last found that it was impossible to    
persuade the jury  to give a unanimous  
verdict1 discharged them4 ,but ,spink   
again forced the  sheriff to keep me    
prisoner1 by obtaining from the court   
the permission  to begin the prosecution
 de novo at the term of the fall1 the   
#aith of  ,october1 #ahef4    ,humanly  
speaking1 ,i would have been one of the 
most miserable of men had  ,i not had my
 dear ,bible1 which ,i was meditating   
and studying day and  night1 in those   
dark days of trial4    ,but1 though ,i  

was then still in the desolate          
wilderness1 far away yet  from the      
,promised ,land1 my ,heavenly ,father   
never forsook me4 ,he many  times let   
the sweet manna fall from heaven to feed
 my desponding soul1  and cheer my      
fainting heart4 ,more than once1 when ,i
 was panting with  spiritual thirst1 ,he
 brought me near the ,rock1 from the    
side of which  the living waters were   
gushing to refresh and renew my strength
 and  courage4    ,though the world did 
not suspect it1 ,i knew from the        
beginning1 that all  my tribulations    
were coming from my unconquerable       
attachment and my  unfaltering love and 
respect for the ,bible1 as the root and 
source of  every truth given by ,god to 
man2 and ,i felt assured that my ,god   
knew it  also4 ,that assurance supported
 my courage in the conflict4 ,every day1
 my  ,bible was becoming dearer to me4  
,i was then constantly trying to walk in
  its marvellous light and divine       
teaching4 ,i wanted to learn my duties  

and rights4 ,i like to acknowledge that 
it was the ,bible which gave me  the    
power and wisdom ,i then so much needed1
 to fearlessly face so many  foes4 ,that
 power and wisdom ,i felt were not mine4
 ,on this very account1  my dear ,bible 
enabled me to remain calm in the very   
lion's den2 and it  gave me1 from the   
very beginning of that terrible         
conflict1 the  assurance of a final     
victory2 for every time ,i bathed my    
soul in its  divine light1 ,i heard my  
merciful heavenly ,father's voice       
saying1 8,fear  not1 for ,i am with     
thee40                                  
,,chapter ,,lvii    ,,bishop ,o',,regan 
,,sells ,,the ,,parsonage ,,of ,,the    
,,french ,,canadians ,,of ,,chicago1    
,,pockets ,,the ,,money1 ,,and ,,turns  
,,them ,,out ,,when ,,they ,,come ,,to  
,,complain--,,he    ,,determines ,,to   
,,turn ,,me ,,out ,,of ,,my ,,colony    
,,and ,,send ,,me ,,to ,,kahokia--,,he  
,,forgets ,,it ,,the ,,next ,,day1 ,,and
 ,,publishes ,,that ,,he ,,has          

,,interdicted ,,me--,,my    ,,people    
,,send ,a ,,deputation ,,to ,,the       
,,bishop--,,his ,,answers--,,the ,,sham 
,,excommunication ,,by ,,three ,,drunken
 ,,priests4      ,the ,holy ,scriptures 
say that an abyss calls for another     
abyss 7abyssus  abyssum invocat74 ,that 
axiom had its accomplishment in the     
conduct of  ,bishop ,o',regan4 ,when    
once on the declivity of iniquity1 he   
descended to  its lowest depths1 with   
more rapidity than a stone thrown into  
the sea4  ,not satisfied with the       
shameful theft of the rich vestments of 
the  ,french ,canadian ,church of       
,chicago1 he planned iniquity1 which was
 to  bring upon him1 more than ever1 the
 execration of the ,roman ,catholics of 
,illinois4 ,it was nothing less than the
 complete destruction of the  thriving  
congregations of my ,french ,canadian   
countrymen of ,chicago and  ,st4 ,anne4 
,the removal of the ,french-speaking    
priest of ,chicago from his  people1 as 
well as my removal from my colony1 were 

determined4    ,our churches were1 at   
first1 to be closed1 and after some time
 sold to  the ,irish people1 or to the  
highest bidder1 for their own use4 ,it  
was in  ,chicago that this great        
iniquity was to begin4    ,not long     
after ,easter1 #ahef1 the ,rev4 ,mons4  
,lemaire was turned out1  interdicted   
and ignominiously driven from the       
diocese of ,chicago without  even giving
 the shadow of a reason1 and the ,french
 ,canadians suddenly  found themselves  
without a pastor4    ,a few days after1 
the parsonage they had built for their  
priest in ,clark  street1 was sold for  
#a1bjj to an ,american4 ,the beautiful  
little church  which they had built on  
the lot next to the parsonage1 at the   
cost of so  many sacrifices1 was removed
 five or six blocks southwest1 and      
rented by  the bishop to the ,irish     
,catholics for about #b1jjj per annum1  
and the  whole money was pocketed1      
without even a word of notice to my     
countrymen4    ,though accustomed to his

 acts of perfidy1 ,i could not believe  
at first  the rumors which reached me of
 those transactions4 ,they seemed to be 
beyond the limits of infamy1 and to be  
impossible4 ,i went to ,chicago1  hoping
 to find that the public rumor had      
exaggerated the evil4 ,but alas6        
nothing had been exaggerated6    ,the   
wolf had dispersed the sheep and        
destroyed the flock4 ,the once  thriving
 ,french congregation of ,chicago was no
 more6 ,wherever ,i went1 ,i  saw tears 
of distress among my dear countrymen1   
and heard cries of  indignation against 
the destroyer4 ,young and old1 rich and 
poor among  them1 with one voice1       
denounced and cursed the heartless      
mitred brigand  who had dared to commit 
publicly such a series of iniquities1 to
 satisfy  his thirst for gold and his   
hatred of the ,french ,canadians4       
,they asked me what they should do2 but 
what could ,i answer8 ,they  requested  
me to go again to him and remonstrate4  
,but ,i showed them that  after my      

complete failure1 when ,i had tried to  
get back the sacerdotal  vestments1     
there was no hope that he would disgorge
 the house and the  church4 ,the only   
thing ,i could advise them was to select
 five or six of  the most influential   
members of their congregation to go and 
respectfully ask him by what right he   
had taken away1 not only their  priest1 
but the parsonage and the church they   
had built and transferred  them to      
another people4 ,they followed my       
advice4 ,messrs4 ,franchere and         
,roffinot 7who are still living7 and six
 other respectable ,french  ,canadians  
were sent by the whole people to put    
those questions to their  bishop4 ,he   
answered them3    8,french ,canadians3  
,you do not know your religion6 ,were   
you a little  better acquainted with it1
 you would know that ,i have the right  
to sell  your churches and church       
properties1 pocket the money1 and go eat
 and  drink it where ,i please40        
,after that answer they were            

ignominiously turned out from his       
presence  into the street4 ,posterity   
will scarcely believe those things1     
though  they are true4    ,the very next
 day1 ,august #aith1 #ahef1 the bishop  
having heard that ,i was  in ,chicago1  
sent for me4 ,i met him after his       
dinner4 ,though not  absolutely drunk1  
,i found him full of wine and terribly  
excited4    8,mr4 ,chiniquy10 he said1  
8you had promised me to make use of your
  influence to put an end to the        
rebellious conduct of your countrymen   
against me4 ,but ,i find that they are  
more insolent and unmanageable than     
ever2 and my firm belief is that it is  
your fault4 ,you1 and the handful  of   
,french ,canadians of ,chicago1 give me 
more trouble than all of my  priests and
 my people of ,illinois4 ,you are too   
near ,chicago1 sir2 your  influence is  
too much felt on your people here4 ,i   
must remove you to a  distant place1    
where you will have enough to do without
 meddling in my  administration4 ,i want

 your service to ,kahokia1 in my diocese
 of ,quincy2  and if you are not there  
by the #aeth of ,september next1 ,i will
 interdict  and excommunicate you1 and  
forever put an end to your intrigues40  
,these words fell upon me as a          
thunderbolt4 ,the tyranny of the bishop 
of  my church and the absolute          
degradation of the priest whose honor1  
position and life are entirely in his   
hands1 had never been revealed to  me so
 vividly as in that hour4 ,what could ,i
 say or do to appease that  mitred      
despot8 ,after some moments of silence1 
,i tried to make some  respectful       
remonstrances1 by telling him that my   
position was an  exceptional one2 that  
,i had not come to ,illinois as his     
other priests1  to be at the head of any
 existing congregation2 but that ,i had 
been  invited by his predecessor to     
direct the tide of emigration of the    
,french-speaking people of ,europe and  
,america4 ,that ,i had come to a        
wilderness which1 by the blessing of    

,god1 ,i had changed into a thriving    
country1 covered with an industrious and
 religious people4 ,i further  told him 
that ,i had left the most honorable     
position which a priest had  ever held  
in ,canada1 with the promise from his   
predecessor that1 as long  as ,i lived  
the life of a good priest1 ,i should not
 be disturbed in my  work4 ,as ,i soon  
perceived that he was too much under the
 influence of  liquor to understand me1 
and speak with intelligence1 ,i only    
added3    8,my lord1 you speak of       
interdict and excommunication6 ,allow me
 to  respectfully tell you that if you  
can show me that ,i have done anything  
to deserve to be interdicted or         
excommunicated1 ,i will submit in       
silence  to your sentence4 ,but before  
you pass that sentence1 ,i ask you1 in  
the  name of ,god1 to make a public     
inquest about me1 and have my accusers  
confront me4 ,i warn your lordship that 
if you interdict or excommunicate  mu   
without holding an inquest1 ,i will make

 use of all the means which  our holy   
church puts in the hands of her priests1
 to defend my honor and  prove my       
innocence4 ,i will also appeal to the   
laws of our great  ,republic1 which     
protects the character of all her       
citizens against  anyone who slanders   
them4 ,it will then be at your risk and 
peril that  you will pass such a        
sentence against me40    ,my calm answer
 greatly excited his rage4 ,he violently
 struck the table  with his fist1 and   
said3    8,i do not care a straw about  
your threats4 ,i repeat it1 ,mr4        
,chiniquy1 if  you are not at ,kahokia  
by the #aeth of next month1 ,i will     
interdict and  excommunicate you40      
,feeling that it was a folly on my part 
to argue with a man who was  beside     
himself by passion and excess of wine1  
,i replied3    8,with the help of ,god1 
,i will never bear the infamy of an     
interdict or  excommunication4 ,i will  
do all that religion and honor will     
allow me to  prevent such a dark spot   

from defiling my name1 and the man who  
does try  it1 will learn at his own     
expense that ,i am not only a priest of 
,christ  but also an ,american citizen4 
,i respectfully tell your lordship that 
,i  neither smoke1 nor use intoxicating 
drinks4 ,the time which your other      
priests give to those habits1 ,i spend  
in the study of books1 and  especially  
of my ,bible4 ,i found in them not only 
my duties but my  rights2 and just as ,i
 am determined1 with the help of ,god1  
to perform my  duties1 ,i will stand by 
my rights40    ,i then immediately left 
the room to take the train to ,st4      
,anne4    ,having spent a part of the   
night praying ,god to change the heart  
of my  bishop1 and keep me in the midst 
of my people1 who were becoming dearer  
and dearer to me1 in proportion to the  
efforts of the enemy to drive me  away  
from them1 ,i addressed the following   
letter to the bishop3    ,,to ,,the     
,,rt4 ,,rev4 ,o',,regan1 ,bishop of     
,chicago4    ,,my ,,lord3--,the more ,i 

consider your design to turn me out of  
the colony  which ,i have founded and of
 which ,i am the pastor1 the more ,i    
believe it  a duty which ,i owe to      
myself1 my friends and to my countrymen1
 to  protest before ,god and man against
 what you intend to do4    ,not a single
 one of your priests stands higher than 
,i do in the public  mind1 neither is   
more loved and respected by his people  
than ,i am4 ,i  defy my bitterest       
enemies to prove the contrary4 ,and that
 character  which is my most precious   
treasure you intend to despoil me of by 
ignominiously sending me away from among
 my people6 ,certainly1 ,i have         
enemies1 and ,i am proud of it4 ,the    
chief ones are well known in this       
country as the most depraved of men4    
,the cordial reception they say they    
have received from you1 has not taken   
away the stains they have on their      
foreheads4    ,by this letter1 ,i again 
request you to make a public and most   
minute  inquest into my conduct4 ,my    

conscience tells me that nothing can be 
found against me4 ,such a public and    
fair dealing with me would confound  my 
accusers4 ,but ,i speak of accusers1    
when ,i do not really know if ,i  have  
any4 ,where are they8 ,what are their   
names8 ,of what sin do they  accuse me8 
,all these questions1 which ,i put to   
you last ,tuesday1 were  left           
unanswered6 and would to ,god that you  
would answer them to-day1 by  giving me 
their names4 ,i am ready to meet them   
before any tribunal4  ,before you strike
 the last blow on the victim of the most
 hellish plot1  ,i request you1 in the  
name of ,god1 to give a moment's        
attention to the  following consequences
 of my removal from this place at       
present4    ,you know ,i have a suit    
with ,mr4 ,spink at the ,urbana ,court1 
for the  beginning of ,october4 ,my     
lawyers and witnesses are all in        
,kankakee and  ,iroquois counties2 and  
in the very time ,i want most to be here
 to prove  my innocence and guard my    

honor1 you order me to go to a place    
more than  #cjj miles distant8 ,did you 
ever realize that by that strange       
conduct you  help ,spink against your   
own priest8 ,when at ,kahokia1 ,i will  
have to bear  the heavy expenses of     
traveling more than #cjj miles1 many    
times1 to  consult my friends1 or1 be   
deprived of their valuable help6 ,is it 
possible that you thus try to tie my    
hands and feet1 and deliver me into  the
 hands of my remorseless enemies8 ,since
 the beginning of that suit1  ,mr4      
,spink proclaims that you help him1 and 
that1 with the perjured  priests1 you   
have promised to do all in your power to
 crush me down6 ,for  the sake of the   
sacred character you bear1 do not show  
so publicly that  ,mr4 ,spink's         
boastings are true4 ,for the sake of    
your high position in  the church1 do   
not so publicly lend a helping hand to  
the heartless land  speculator of       
,l',erable4 ,he has already betrayed his
 ,protestant friends  to get a wife2 he 

will1 ere long1 betray you for less4    
,let me then live  in peace here1 till  
that suit is over4    ,by turning me    
away from my settlement1 you destroy it4
 ,more than  nine-tenths of the         
emigrants came here to live near me2 by 
striking me  you strike them all4       
,where will you find a priest who will  
love that people so much as to  give    
them1 every year1 from one to two       
thousand dollars1 as ,i have  invariably
 done4 ,it is at the price of those     
sacrifices that1 with the  poorest class
 of emigrants from ,canada1 ,i have     
founded here in four  years a settlement
 which cannot be surpassed1 or even     
equaled1 in the  ,united ,states1 for   
its progress4 ,and now that ,i have     
spent my last cent  to form this colony1
 you turn me out of it4 ,our college1   
where #aej boys  are receiving such a   
good education1 will be closed the very 
day ,i  leave4 ,for1 you know very well 
the teachers ,i got from ,montreal will 
leave as soon as ,i will4    ,ah6 if you

 are merciless towards the priest of    
,st4 ,anne1 have pity on  these poor    
children4 ,i would rather be condemned  
to death than to see  them destroy their
 intelligence by running in the streets4
 ,let me then  finish my work here1 and 
give me time to strengthen these young  
institutions1 which would fall to the   
ground with me4    ,if you turn me out  
or interdict me1 as you say you will do1
 if ,i disobey  your orders1 my enemies 
will proclaim that you treat me with    
that rigor  because you have found me   
guilty of some great iniquity1 and this 
necessarily will prejudice my judges    
against me4 ,they will consider me  as a
 vile criminal4 ,for who will suppose1  
in this free country1 that  there is a  
class of men who can judge a man and    
condemn him as our  ,bishop of ,chicago 
is doing to-day1 without giving him the 
names of his  accusers or telling him of
 what crimes he is accused4    ,in the  
name of ,god1 ,i again ask you not to   
force me to leave my colony  before ,i  

prove my innocence1 and the iniquity of 
,spink1 to the honest  people of        
,urbana4    ,but1 if you are deaf to my 
prayers1 and if nothing can deter you   
from  your resolution1 ,i do not wish to
 be in the unenviable position of an    
interdicted priest among my countrymen4 
,send me1 by return mail1 my  letters of
 mission for the new places you intend  
trusting to my care4  ,the sooner ,i get
 there1 the better for me and my people4
 ,i am ready6  ,when on the road of     
exile1 ,i will pray the ,god of ,abraham
 to give me the  fortitude and the faith
 he gave to ,isaac1 when laying his head
 on the  altar1 he willingly presented  
his throat to the sword4 ,i will pray my
  ,saviour1 bearing ,his heavy cross to 
the top of ,calvary1 to direct and  help
 my steps towards the land of exile you 
have prepared for your                  
,devoted ,priest1                       
,c4 ,,chiniquy4    ,this letter was not 
yet mailed when we heard that the       
drunkard priests  around us were        

publishing that the bishop had          
interdicted me1 and they  had received  
orders from him to take charge of the   
colony of ,st4 ,anne4 ,i  immediately   
called a meeting of the whole people and
 told them3 8,the  bishop has not       
interdicted me as the neighboring       
priests publish2 he has  only threatened
 to do so1 if ,i do not leave this place
 for ,kahokia1 by  the #aeth of next    
month4 ,but though he has not           
interdicted me1 it may be  that he does 
to-day falsely publish that he has done 
it4 ,we can expect  anything from the   
destroyer of the fine congregation of   
the ,french  ,canadians of ,chicago4 ,he
 wants to destroy me and you as he has  
destroyed  them4 ,but before he         
immolates us1 ,i hope that1 with the    
help of ,god1 we  will fight as         
,christian soldiers1 for our life1 and  
we will use all the  means which the    
laws of our church1 the ,holy ,word of  
,god1 and the  glorious ,constitution of
 the ,united ,states allow us to employ 

against  our merciless tyrant4    8,i   
ask you1 as a favor1 to send a          
deputation of four members of our       
colony in whom you place the most       
implicit confidence1 to carry this      
letter to the bishop4 ,but before       
delivering it1 they will put to him the 
following questions1 the answers of     
which1 they will write down with  great 
care in his presence1 and deliver them  
to us faithfully4 ,it is  evident that  
we are now entering into a momentous    
struggle4 ,we must act  with prudence   
and firmness4 ,messrs4 ,j4 ,b4 ,lemoine1
 ,leon ,mailloux1  ,francis ,bechard and
 ,b4 ,allaire1 having been unanimously  
chosen for that  important mission1 we  
gave them the following questions to put
 to the  bishop3    #ast4 8,have you    
interdicted ,mr4 ,chiniquy8    #bnd4    
8,why have you interdicted him8 ,is ,mr4
 ,chiniquy guilty of any crime  to      
deserve to be interdicted8 ,have those  
crimes been proved against him  in a    
canonical way8    #crd4 8,why do you    

take ,mr4 ,chiniquy away from us8       
,our deputies came back from ,chicago   
with the following report and  answers1 
which they swore to1 some time after    
before the ,kankakee  court4    #ast4   
8,i have suspended ,mr4 ,chiniquy on the
 #aith inst41 on account of his         
stubbornness and want of submission to  
my orders1 when ,i ordered him to       
,kahokia4    #bnd4 8,if ,mr4 ,chiniquy  
has said mass since as you say1 he is   
irregular  and the pope alone can       
restore him in his ecclesiastical and   
sacerdotal  functions4    #crd4 8,i take
 him away from ,st4 ,anne1 despite his  
prayers and yours1  because he has not  
been willing to live in peace and       
friendship with the  ,revs4 ,messrs4    
,lebel and ,cartevel4    ,the bishop1   
being asked if those two priests had not
 been interdicted  by him for public    
scandals1 was forced to say1 8,yes60    
#dth4 8,my second reason for taking ,mr4
 ,chiniquy from ,st4 ,anne1 and  sending
 him to his new mission1 is to stop the 

law-suit ,mr4 ,spink has  instituted    
against him4    ,the bishop being asked 
if he would promise that the suit would 
be  stopped by the removal of ,mr4      
,chiniquy1 answered3 8,i cannot promise 
that40    #eth4 8,mr4 ,chiniquy is one  
of the best priests in my diocese1 and  
,i do  not want to deprive myself of his
 services4 ,no accusation against his   
morality has been proved before me4     
#fth4 8,mr4 ,chiniquy has demanded an   
inquest to prove his innocence  against 
certain accusations made against him2 he
 asked me the names of  his accusers1 to
 confound them4 ,i have refused to grant
 his request4    ,after the bishop had  
made these declarations1 the deputation 
presented  him the letter of ,mr4       
,chiniquy4 ,it evidently made a deep    
impression upon  him4 ,as soon as he had
 read it1 he said3    #gth4 8,tell ,mr4 
,chiniquy to come and meet me to prepare
 for his new  mission1 and ,i will give 
him the letters he wants1 to go and     
labor  there4                           

,,francis ,,bechard1                    
7,signed7 ,j4 ,b4 ,,lemoine1            
,,basilique ,,allaire1                  
,,leon ,,mailloux40,e    -----          
,footnote ,e3      ,those gentlemen1    
with the exception of ,mr4 ,allaire1 are
 still living1    #ahhf4    -----       
,after the above had been read and      
delivered to the people1 ,i showed them 
the evident falsehood and contradictions
 of the bishop when he said in  his     
second answer3 8,if ,mr4 ,chiniquy said 
mass since ,i interdicted him1  he is   
irregular1 and the pope alone can       
restore him in his  ecclesiastical      
functions10 and then in the seventh1    
8,tell ,mr4 ,chiniquy  to come and meet 
me to prepare for his new mission1 and  
,i will give him  the letters he wants  
to go and labor there40    ,the last    
sentence1 ,i said1 proves that he knew  
he had not interdicted me  as he said at
 first4 ,for1 had he done so1 he could  
not give me letters  to administer the  
sacraments and preach at ,kahokia before

 my going  before the pope1 who alone1  
as he said1 himself1 could give me such 
powers1 after he 7the bishop7 knew that 
,i had said mass since my return  from  
,chicago4 ,now1 my friends1 here is the 
laws of our holy church1 not  the saying
 or the law of a publicly degraded man1 
as the ,bishop of  ,chicago3 #8,if a man
 has been unjustly condemned1 let him   
pay no attention  to the unjust         
sentence2 let him even do nothing to    
have that unjust  sentence removed4'    
7,canon of the ,church1 by ,st4 ,gelase1
 ,pope47    8,if the bishop had         
interdicted me on the #aith1 his        
sentence would be  unjust1 for from his 
own lips we have the confession1 #8that 
no  accusation has ever been proved     
before him2 that ,i am one of his best  
priests2 that he does not want to be    
deprived of my services4' ,yes1 such  a 
sentence1 if passed1 would have been    
unjust1 and our business1 to-day1  would
 be to treat it with the contempt it    
would deserve4 ,but that unjust         

sentence has not even been pronounced1  
since1 after saying mass every  day     
since the #aith1 the bishop himself     
wants to give me letters to go to       
,kahokia and work as one of his best    
priests6 ,it strikes me1 to-day1 for    
the first time1 that it is more your    
destruction1 as a people1 than  mine1   
which the bishop wants to accomplish4   
,it is my desire to remain in  your     
midst to defend your rights as          
,catholics4 ,if you are true to me1 as  
,i will be to you1 in the impending     
struggle1 we have nothing to fear2  for 
our holy ,catholic church is for us2 all
 her laws and canons are in  our favor2 
the ,gospel of ,christ is for us2 the   
,god of the ,gospel is for  us2 even the
 pope1 to whom we will appeal1 will be  
for us--for ,i must  tell you a thing   
which1 till to-day1 ,i kept secret1     
viz43 ,the ,archbishop  of ,st4 ,louis1 
to whom ,i brought my complaint1 in     
,april last1 advised me  to write to the
 pope and tell him1 not all1 for it     

would make too large  a volume1 but     
something of the criminal deeds of the  
roaring lion who  wants to devour us4   
,he is1 to-day1 selling the bones of the
 dead which  are resting in the ,roman  
,catholic cemetery of ,chicago6 ,but if 
you are  true to yourselves as          
,catholics and ,americans1 that mitred  
tyrant will  not sell the bones of our  
friends and relatives which rest here in
 our  burying ground4 ,he has sold the  
parsonage and the church which our dear 
countrymen had built in ,chicago4 ,those
 properties are1 to-day1 in the  hands  
of the ,irish2 but if you promise to    
stand by your rights as  ,christian men 
and ,american citizens1 ,i will tell    
that avaricious bishop3  #8,come and    
sell our parsonage and our church here1 
if you dare6'    8,as ,i told you       
before1 we have a glorious battle to    
fight4 ,it is the  battle of freedom    
against the most cruel tyranny the world
 has ever  seen4 ,it is the battle of   
truth against falsehood2 it is the      

battle of  the old ,gospel of ,christ   
against the new gospel of ,bishop       
,o',regan4 ,let  us be true to ourselves
 to the end1 and our holy church1 which 
that  bishop dishonors1 will bless us4  
,our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 whose    
,gospel  is despised by that adventurer1
 will be for us1 and give us a glorious 
victory4 ,have you not read in your     
,bibles that ,jesus wanted his          
disciples to be free1 when ,he said3    
#8,if the son of man shall make you     
free1 you shall be free indeed4' ,does  
that mean that the ,son of ,god  wants  
us to be the slaves of ,bishop          
,o',regan8 #8,no6' cried out the whole  
people4    8,may ,god bless you for your
 understanding of your ,christian       
rights4 ,let  all those who want to be  
free1 with me1 raise their hands4       
8,oh6 blessed be the ,lord10 ,i said1   
8there are more than #c1jjj hands       
raised towards heaven to say that you   
want to be free6 ,now1 let those  who do
 not want to defend their rights as     

,christians and as ,american  citizens1 
raise their hands4 ,thanks be to ,god10 
,i again exclaimed1  8there is not a    
traitor among us6 ,you are all the true1
 brave and noble  soldiers of liberty1  
truth and righteousness6 ,may the ,lord 
bless you  all60    ,it is impossible to
 describe the enthusiasm of the people4 
,before  dismissing them1 ,i said3      
8,we will1 no doubt1 very soon witness  
one of the most ludicrous comedies  ever
 played on this continent4 ,that comedy 
is generally called  excommunication4   
,some drunkard priests1 sent by the     
drunkard ,bishop of  ,chicago1 will come
 to excommunicate us4 ,i expect their   
visit in a few  days4 ,that performance 
will be worth seeing1 and ,i hope that  
you will  see and hear the most amusing 
thing in your life40    ,i was not      
mistaken4 ,the very next day1 we heard  
that the #crd of  ,september had been   
chosen by the bishop to excommunicate   
us4    ,i said to the people3 8,when you
 see the flag of the free and the brave 

floating from the top of our steeple1   
come and rally around that emblem  of   
liberty40    ,there were more than      
#c1jjj people on our beautiful hill when
 the priests  made their appearance4 ,a 
few moments before1 ,i had said to that 
immense  gathering3    8,i bless ,god   
that you are so many to witness the last
 tyrannical act of  ,bishop ,o',regan4  
,but ,i have a favor to ask of you1 it  
is that no insult  or opposition        
whatever will be made to the priests who
 come to play that  comedy4 ,please do  
not say an angry word1 do not move a    
finger against  the performers4 ,they   
are not responsible for what they do1   
for two  reasons3    8#ast4 ,they will  
probably be drunk4 8 ,the priests       
arrived at about #b  o'clock ,p4 ,m41   
and never such shouting and clapping of 
hands had been  heard in our colony as  
on their appearance4 ,never had ,i seen 
my dear  people so cheerful and         
good-humored as when one of the priests1
  trembling from head to foot with      

terror and drunkenness1 tried to read   
the following sham act of               
excommunication1 which he nailed on the 
door  of the chapel3    ,the ,reverend  
,monsieur ,chiniquy1 heretofore curate  
of ,st4 ,anne1 ,colonie  of ,beaver1 in 
the ,diocese of ,chicago1 has formally  
been interdicted by  me for canonical   
causes4    ,the said ,mr4 ,chiniquy1    
notwithstanding that interdict1 has     
maliciously  performed the functions of 
the holy ministry1 in administering the 
holy  sacraments and saying mass4 ,this 
has caused him to be irregular and in   
direct opposition to the authority of   
the church1 consequently he is a        
schismatic4    ,the said ,mr4 ,chiniquy1
 thus named by my letters and verbal    
injunction1  has absolutely persisted in
 violating the laws of the church1 and  
disobeyed her authority1 is by this     
present letter excommunicated4    ,i    
forbid any ,catholic having any         
communication with him1 in spiritual    
matters1 under pain of excommunication4 

,every ,catholic who goes against  this 
defense1 is excommunicated4             
7,signed7       ,,anthony1              
,bishop of ,chicago1 and ,administrator 
of ,quincy4      ,sept4 #crd1 #ahef4    
,as soon as the priests1 who had nailed 
this document to the door of our        
chapel1 had gone away at full speed1 ,i 
went to see it1 and found1 what ,i  had 
expected1 that it was not signed by the 
bishop1 neither by his grand  vicar1 nor
 any known person1 and consequently1 it 
was a complete  nullity1 according to   
the laws of the church4 ,fearing ,i     
would prosecute  him1 as ,i threatened  
he shrank from the responsibility of his
 own act1  and had not signed it4 ,he   
was probably ignorant of the fact that  
he was  himself excommunicated1 ipso    
facto1 for not having signed the        
document  himself1 or by his known      
deputies4 ,i learned afterwards1 that he
 got a  boy #ab years old to write and  
sign it4 ,in this way1 it was impossible
  for me to bring that document before  

any court1 on account of its want  of   
legal and necessary forms4 ,that act was
 also a nullity1 for being  brought by  
three priests who were not mentis       
compos1 from their actual  state of     
drunkenness4 ,and again1 it was a       
nullity1 from the evident  falsehood    
which was its base4    ,it is alleged   
that the bishop had interdicted and     
suspended me on the  #aith of ,aug41 for
 canonical causes4 ,but he had declared 
to the four  deputies we had sent him3  
8,that ,mr4 ,chiniquy was one of my best
 priests1  that nothing had been proved 
against him10 consequently1 no canonical
  cause could exist for the allegation4 
,the people understood very well  that  
the whole affair was a miserable farce1 
designed to separate them  from their   
pastor4 ,it had just1 by the good       
providence of ,god1 the  contrary       
effect4 ,they had never shown me such   
sincere respect and  devotedness as     
since that never-to-be-forgotten day4   
,the three priests1 after leaving1      

entered the house of one of our         
farmers1 called ,bellanger1 a short     
distance from the chapel1 and asked     
permission to rest a while4 ,but after  
sitting and smoking a few minutes1  they
 all went out to the stables4 ,the      
farmer finding this very strange1  went 
out after them to see what they would do
 in his stables3 to his  great surprise 
and disgust1 he found them drinking the 
last of their  whiskey4 ,he exclaimed3  
8,is it not a shame to see three        
priests1 in a  stable1 drinking rum80   
,they made no answer1 but went          
immediately to their carriage and drove 
away as quickly as possible1 singing    
with all their might1 a  bacchanalian   
song6 ,such was the last act of that    
excommunication1 which  has done more   
than anything else to prepare my people 
and myself to  understand that the      
,church of ,rome is a den of thieves1 a 
school of  infidelity and the very      
antipodes of the ,church of ,christ4    
,,chapter ,,lviii4    ,,address ,,from  

,,my ,,people1 ,,asking ,,me ,,to       
,,remain--,,address ,,of ,,the ,,people 
,,to ,,the    ,,bishop--,i ,,am ,,again 
,,dragged ,,as ,a ,,prisoner ,,by ,,the 
,,sheriff ,,to    ,,urbana--,,perjury   
,,of ,,the ,,priest ,,lebelle--,,abraham
 ,,lincoln',s ,,anxiety ,,about    ,,the
 ,,issue ,,of ,,the ,,prosecution--,,my 
,,distress--,,night ,,of                
,,desolation--,,the    ,,rescue--,,miss 
,,philomene ,,moffat ,,sent ,,by ,,god  
,,to ,,save ,,me--,,lebelle',s          
,,confession ,,and ,,distress--,,spink  
,,withdraws ,,his ,,suit--,,my          
,,innocence    ,,acknowledged--,,noble  
,,words ,,and ,,conduct ,,of ,,abraham  
,,lincoln--,,the ,,oath ,,of    ,,miss  
,,philomene ,,moffat4      ,the ,sabbath
 afternoon after the three drunken      
priests nailed their  unsigned1         
unsealed1 untestified1 and consequently 
null sentence of  excommunication1 to   
the door of our chapel1 the people had  
gathered from  every part of our colony 
into the large hall of the court-house  

of  ,kankakee ,city to hear several     
addresses on their duties of the day1   
and  they unanimously passed the        
following resolution3    8,resolved4    
,that we1 ,french ,canadians of the     
,county of ,kankakee1 do  hereby decide 
to give our moral support to ,rev4 ,c4  
,chiniquy1 in the  persecution now      
exerted against him by the ,bishop of   
,chicago1 in  violation of the laws of  
the church1 expressed and sanctioned by 
the  ,councils40    ,after this         
resolution had been voted1 ,mr4         
,bechard1 who is now one of the         
principal members of the parliament of  
,canada1 and who was then a  merchant of
 ,kankakee ,city1 presented to me the   
following address1 which  had also been 
unanimously voted by the people3        
8,,dear ,,and ,,beloved ,,pastor3--,for 
several years we have been witnesses of 
the persecution of which you are the    
subject1 on the part of the bad         
priests1 your neighbors1 and on the part
 of the unworthy ,bishop of  ,chicago2  

but we also have been the witnesses of  
your sacerdotal  virtues--of your       
forbearance of their calumnies--and our 
respect and  affection for your person  
has but increased at the sight of those 
trials4    8,we know that you are       
persecuted1 not only because you are a  
,canadian  priest1 and that you like us1
 but also because you do us good in     
making  a sacrifice of your own private 
fortune to build school-houses and to   
feed our teachers at your own table4 ,we
 know that the ,bishop of ,chicago1  who
 resembles more an angry wolf than a    
pastor of the church1 having  destroyed 
the prosperous congregation of ,chicago 
by taking away from  them their splendid
 church1 which they had built at the    
cost of many  sacrifices1 and giving it 
to the ,irish population1 and having    
discouraged the worthy population of    
,bourbonnais ,grove in forcing on  them 
drunken and scandalous priests1 wants to
 take you away from among  us1 to please
 ,spink1 the greatest enemy of the      

,french population4 ,they  even say that
 the bishop1 carrying iniquity to its   
extreme bonds1 wanted  to interdict you4
 ,but as our church cannot1 and is not  
willing to  sanction evil and calumny1  
we know that all those interdicts1 based
 on  falsehood and spite1 are null and  
void4    8,we therefore solicit you not 
to give way in presence of the          
perfidious  plots of your enemies1 and  
not to leave us4 ,stay among us as our  
pastor  and our father1 and we solemnly 
promise to sustain you in all your      
hardships to the end1 and to defend you 
against our enemies4 ,stay among  us1 to
 instruct us in our duties by your      
eloquent speeches1 and to  enlighten us 
by your pious examples4 ,stay among us1 
to guard us against  the perfidious     
designs of the ,bishop of ,chicago1 who 
wants to discourage  and destroy our    
prosperous colony1 as he has already    
discouraged and  destroyed other        
congregations of the ,french ,canadians1
 by leaving them  without a pastor1 or  

by forcing on them unworthy priests40   
,the stern and unanimous determination  
of my countrymen to stand by me in  the 
impending struggle is one of the        
greatest blessings which ,god has  ever 
given me4 ,it filled me with a courage  
which nothing could hereafter  shake4   
,but the people of ,st4 ,anne did not   
think that it was enough to  show to the
 bishop that nothing could ever shake   
the resolution they had  taken to live  
and die free men4 ,they gathered in a   
public and immense  meeting on the      
,sabbath after the sham excommunication1
 to adopt the  following address to the 
,bishop of ,chicago1 a copy of which was
 sent to  every ,bishop of the ,united  
,states and ,canada1 and to ,pope ,pius 
,,ix3    8,,to ,,his ,,lordship1        
,,anthony ,o',,regan ,,of               
,,chicago3--,we1 the undersigned1       
inhabitants of the parish of ,st4 ,anne1
 ,beaver settlement1 seeing with  sorrow
 that you have discarded our humble     
request1 which we have sent  you by four

 delegates1 and have persisted in trying
 to drive away our  honest and worthy   
priest1 who has edified us in all       
circumstances by his  public and        
religious conduct1 and having1 contrary 
to the rules of our  holy church and    
common sense1 struck our worthy pastor1 
,mr4 ,chiniquy1  with excommunication1  
having caused him to be announced as a  
schismatic  priest1 and having forbidden
 us to communicate with him in religious
  matters1 are hereby protesting against
 the unjust and iniquitous manner  in   
which you have struck him1 refusing him 
the privilege of justifying  himself and
 proving his innocence4                 
8,consequently1 we declare that we are  
ready at all times as good  ,catholics1 
to obey all your orders and ordinances  
that are in accordance  with the laws of
 the ,gospel and the ,church1 but that  
we are not willing  to follow you in all
 your errors of judgments1 in your      
injustices and  covetous caprices4      
,telling you1 as ,st4 ,jerome wrote to  

his ,bishop1 that  as long as you will  
treat us as your children1 we will obey 
you as a  father2 but as soon as you    
will treat us as our master1 we shall   
cease  to consider you as our father4   
,considering ,mr4 ,chiniquy as a good   
and  virtuous priest1 worthy of the     
place he occupies1 and possessing as yet
  all his sacerdotal powers1 in spite of
 your null and ridiculous  sentence1 we 
have unanimously decided to keep him    
among us as our  pastor2 therefore      
praying your ,lordship not to put       
yourself to the  trouble of seeking     
another priest for us4 ,more yet3 we    
have unanimously  decided to sustain him
 and furnish him the means to go as far 
as ,rome1  if he cannot have justice in 
,america4    8,we further declare that  
it has been dishonorable and shameful   
for our  bishop and for our holy        
religion to have seen1 coming under the 
walls of  our chapel1 bringing the      
orders of the prince of the church of a 
representative of ,christ1 three men    

covered with their sacerdotal  garments1
 having their tongues half paralyzed by 
the effects of brandy1  and who1 turning
 their backs to the church1 went into   
the house and barn  of one of our       
settlers and there emptied their        
bottles4 ,and from there1  taking their 
seats in their buggies1 went towards the
 settlement of  ,l',erable1 singing     
drunken songs and hallooing like wild   
,indians4 ,will  your lordship be       
influenced by such a set of men1 who    
seem to have for  their mission to      
degrade the sacrados and ,catholicism8  
8,we conclude1 in hoping that your      
lordship will not persist in your       
decision1 given in a moment of madness  
and spite2 that you will  reconsider    
your acts1 and that you will retract    
your unjust1 null and  ridiculous       
excommunication1 and by these means     
avoid the scandal of  which your        
precipitation is the cause4 ,we then    
hope that1 changing your  determination1
 you will work for the welfare of our   

holy religion1 and  not to its          
degradation1 in which your intolerant   
conduct would lead us1  and that you    
will not persist in trying to drive our 
worthy pastor1 ,rev4  ,charles          
,chiniquy1 from the flourishing colony  
that he has founded at the  cost of the 
abandonment of his native land1 of the  
sacrifice of the high  position he had  
in ,canada3 that you will bring peace   
between you and us1  and that we shall  
have in the ,bishop of ,chicago not a   
tyrant1 but a  father1 and that you will
 have in us not rebels1 but faithful    
children1  by our virtues and our good  
example4 ,subscribing ourselves the     
obedient  children of the church4       
8,,theopile ,,dorien1       8,,det4     
,,vanier1       8,j4 ,b4 ,,belanger1    
8,,camile ,,betourney1                  
8,,stan',,las ,,gagne1       8,,antoine 
,,allain1         ,j4 ,b4 ,,lemoine1 ,n4
 ,p41       ,,oliver ,,senechall1       
,,basilique ,,allair1       ,,michel    
,,allair1       ,,joseph ,,grisi1       

,,joseph ,,allard1    8,and five hundred
 others40    ,this address1 signed by   
more than five hundred men1 all heads of
  families1 and reproduced by almost the
 whole press in the ,united ,states1    
fell as a thunderclap on the head of the
 heartless destroyer of our  people4    
,but it did not change his destructive  
plans4 ,it had just the  contrary       
effect4 ,as a tiger1 mortally wounded by
 the sure shots of the  hunters1 he     
filled the country with his roaring1    
hoping to frighten us  by his new       
denunciations4 ,he published the most   
lying stories to explain  his conduct1  
and to show the world that he had good  
reasons for  destroying the ,french     
congregation of ,chicago1 and trying the
 same  experiment on ,st4 ,anne4    ,in 
order to refute his false statements1   
and to show more clearly to the  whole  
world the reason ,i had1 as a ,catholic 
priest1 to resist him1 ,i  addressed the
 following letter to his lordship3      
,,st4 ,,anne1 ,,kankakee ,,county1      

,,ills41                                
,september #be1 #ahef4    8,,rt4        
,,rev',d ,o',,regan3--,you seem to be   
surprised that ,i have offered the  holy
 sacrifice of mass since our last       
interview4 ,here are some of my  reasons
 for so doing4    8#ast4 ,you have not  
suspended me2 far from it1 you have     
given me fifteen  days to consider what 
,i should do1 threatening only to       
interdict me  after that time1 if ,i    
would not obey your orders4    8#bnd4   
,if you have been so ill-advised as to  
suspend me1 for the crime of  telling   
you that my intention was to live the   
live of a retired priest  in my little  
colony1 sooner than be exiled at my age1
 your sentence is  ridiculous and null2 
and if you were as expert in the jure   
,canonico as  in the art of pocketing   
our money1 you would know that you are  
yourself  suspended ipso facto for a    
year1 and that ,i have nothing to fear  
or to  expect from you now4    8#crd4   
,when ,i bowed down before the altar of 

,jesus ,christ1 twenty-four  years ago1 
to receive the priesthood1 my intention 
was to be the  minister of the ,catholic
 ,church1 but not a slave of a lawless  
tyrant4    8#dth4 ,remember the famous  
words of ,tertullian1 #8,nimia potestas1
 nulla  potestas4' ,for the sake of     
peace1 ,i have1 with many others1       
tolerated  your despotism till now2 but 
my patience is at an end1 and for the   
sake  of our holy church1 which you are 
destroying1 ,i am determined with many  
to oppose an insurmountable wall to your
 tyranny4    8#eth4 ,i did not come     
here1 you know well1 as an ordinary     
missionary2 but  ,i got from your       
predecessor the permission to form a    
colony of my  emigrating countrymen4 ,i 
was not sent here in #ahea to take care 
of any  congregation4 ,it was a complete
 wilderness2 but ,i was sent to form a  
colony of ,catholics4 ,i planted my     
cross in a wilderness4 ,in a great      
part1 with my own money1 ,i have built a
 chapel1 a college and a female         

academy4 ,i have called from everywhere 
my countrymen--nine-tenths of them  came
 here only to live with me1 and because 
,i had the pledged word of my  bishop to
 do that work4 ,and as long as ,i live  
the life of a good priest  ,i deny you  
the right to forbid me to remain in my  
colony which wants my  help and my      
presence4    8#fth4 ,you have never     
shown me your authority 7but once7      
except in the  most tyrannical way4 ,but
 now1 seeing that the more humble ,i am 
before  you1 the more insolent you grow1
 ,i have taken the resolution to stand  
by  my rights as a ,catholic priest and 
as an ,american citizen4    8#gth4 ,you 
remember1 that in our second interview  
you forbade me to have  the good        
preceptors we have now for our children1
 and you turned into  ridicule the idea 
,i had to call them from ,canada4 ,was  
that the act of a  bishop or of a mean  
despot8    8#hth4 ,a few days after you 
ordered me to live on good terms with   
,r4 ,r4  ,le,belle and ,carthavel1      

though you were well acquainted with    
their  scandalous lives1 and twice you  
threatened me with suspension for       
refusing to become a friend of those two
 rogues6 ,and you have so much  made a  
fool of yourself before the four        
gentlemen ,i sent to you to be  the     
witnesses of your iniquity and my       
innocence1 that you have  acknowledged  
before them that one of your principal  
reasons for turning  me out of my colony
 was1 that ,i had not been able to keep 
peace with  three priests whom you      
acknowledged to be depraved and unworthy
 priests6  ,is not that surpassing      
wickedness and tyranny of anything      
recorded in  the blackest pages of the  
most daring tyrants8 ,you want to punish
 by  exile a gentleman and a good       
priest1 because he cannot agree to      
become  the friend of two public rogues6
 ,i thank you1 ,bishop ,o',regan1 to    
have  made that public confession in the
 presence of unimpeachable witnesses4   
,i do not want to advise you to be      

hereafter very prudent in what you      
intend to do against the reputation and 
character of the priest of ,st4  ,anne4 
,if you continue to denounce me as you  
have done since a few weeks1  and to    
tell the people what you think fit      
against me1 ,i have awful  things to    
publish of your injustice and tyranny4  
8,as ,judas sold our ,saviour to his    
enemies1 so you have sold me to my      
enemy of ,l',erable4 ,but be certain    
that you shall not deliver up your      
victim as you like4    8,for withdrawing
 a suit which you have incited against  
my honor and  which you shall certainly 
lose1 you drag me out from my home and  
order  me to the land of exile1 and you 
cover that iniquity with the appearance 
of zeal for the public peace1 just as   
,pilate delivered his victim into  the  
hands of their enemies to make peace    
with them4    8,shame on you1 ,bishop   
,o',regan6 ,for the sake of ,god1 do not
 oblige me to  reveal to the world what 
,i know against you4 ,do not oblige me1 

in  self-defence1 to strike1 in you1 my 
merciless persecutor4 ,if you have no   
pity for me1 have pity on yourself1 and 
on the church which that coming         
struggle will so much injure4    8,it is
 not enough for you to have so badly    
treated my poor countrymen of           
,chicago--your hatred against the       
,french ,canadians cannot be satisfied  
except when you have taken away from    
them the only consolation they have  in 
this land of exile--to possess in their 
midst a priest of their own  nation whom
 they love and respect as a father6 ,my 
poor countrymen of  ,chicago1 with many 
hard sacrifices1 had built a fine church
 for  themselves and a house for their  
priest4 ,you have taken their church    
from their hands and given it to the    
,irish2 you have sold the house of      
their priests1 after turning him out2   
and what have you done with the  #a1ejj 
you got as its price8 ,public rumor says
 that you are employing  that money to  
support the most unjust and infamous    

suit against one of  their priests4     
,continue a little longer1 and you may  
be sure that the  cursing of my poor    
countrymen against you will be heard in 
heaven and  that the ,god of ,justice   
will give them an avenger6    8,you     
have1 at three different times1         
threatened to interdict and             
excommunicate me if ,i would not give   
you my little personal properties6  and 
as many times you have said in my teeth1
 that ,i was a bad priest1  because ,i  
refused to act according to your        
rapacious tyranny6    8,the impious     
,ahab1 murdering ,naboth to get his     
fields1 is risen from the  dead in your 
person4 ,you cannot kill my body1 since 
,i am protected by  the glorious flag of
 the ,united ,states2 but you do worse1 
you try to  destroy my honor and my     
character1 which are dearer to me than  
my life4  ,in a moral way you give my   
blood to be licked by your dogs4 ,but   
remember  the words of the prophet to   
,ahab1 #8,in this place where the dogs  

have  licked the blood of ,naboth1 they 
shall lick thy blood also4' ,for every  
false witness you shall bring against   
me1 ,i shall have a hundred             
unimpeachable ones against you4         
,thousands and thousands of religious   
,irish1 and generous ,germans1 and      
liberty and fair-play-loving ,french    
,canadians1 will help me in that        
struggle4 ,i do not address you these   
words as a threat1 but as a friendly    
warning4    8,keep quiet1 my lord2 do   
not let yourself be guided by your quick
  temper2 do not be so free in the use  
of suspense and interdicts4 ,these      
terrible arms are two-edged swords1     
which very often hurt more the          
imprudent who make use of them than     
those whom they intend to strike4    8,i
 wish to live in peace with you4 ,i take
 my ,god to witness1 that to  this day  
,i have done everything to keep peace   
with you4 ,but the peace ,i  want is the
 peace which ,st4 ,jerome speaks of     
when1 writing to his  bishop1 he tells  

him3    8#8,it is no use to speak of    
peace with the lips1 if we destroy it   
with  our works4 ,it is a very different
 way to work for peace1 from trying to  
submit every one to an abject slavery4  
,we1 also1 want peace4 ,not only we     
desire it1 but we implore you instantly 
to give it4 ,however1 the peace  we want
 is the peace of ,christ--a true peace1 
a peace without hatred1 a  peace which  
is not a masked war1 a peace which is   
not to crush enemies1  but a peace which
 unites friends4    8#8,how can we call 
that peace which is nothing but tyranny8
 ,why should we  not call everything by 
its proper name8 ,let us call           
hatred--what is  hatred4 ,and let us say
 that peace reigns only when a true love
 exists4  ,we are not the authors of the
 troubles and divisions which exist in  
the  church4 ,a father must love his    
children4 ,a bishop1 as well as a       
father1  must wish to be loved1 but not 
feared4 ,the old proverb says1 ,one     
hates  whom he fears1 and we naturally  

wish for the death of the one we hate4  
,if you do not try to crush the         
religious men under your power they will
  submit themselves to your authority4  
,offer them the kiss of love and  peace 
and they will obey you4 ,but liberty    
refuses to yield as soon as  you try to 
crush it down4 ,the best way to be      
obeyed by a free man is not  to deal    
with him as with a slave4 ,we know the  
laws of the church1 and we  do not      
ignore the rights which belong to every 
man4 ,we have learned many  things1 not 
only from experience1 but also from the 
study of books4 ,the  king who strikes  
his subjects with an iron rod1 or who   
thinks that his  fingers must be heavier
 than his father's hand1 has soon       
destroyed the  kingdom even of the      
peaceful and mild ,david4 ,the people of
 ,rome refused  to bear the yoke of     
their proud king4    8#8,we have left   
our country in order to live in peace4  
,in this solitude  our intention was to 
respect the authority of the pontiffs of

 ,christ 7we  mean those who teach the  
true faith74 ,we want to respect them   
not as our  masters1 but as our fathers4
 ,our intention was to respect them as  
bishops1 not as usurpers and tyrants who
 want to reduce us to slavery by  the   
abuse of their power4 ,we are not so    
vain as to ignore what is due to  the   
priests of ,christ1 for to receive them 
is to receive the very one  whose       
bishops they are4 ,but let them be      
satisfied with the respect which  is due
 to them4 ,let them remember that they  
are fathers1 not masters of  those who  
have given up everything in order to    
enjoy the privileges of a  peaceful     
solitude4 ,may ,christ who is our mighty
 ,god grant that we should  be united   
not by a false peace1 but by a true and 
loyal love1 lest that  by biting each   
other we destroy each other4'    ,letter
 of ,st4 ,jerome to his bishop4    8,you
 have a great opinion of the episcopal  
power1 and so have ,i4 ,but ,st4  ,paul 
and all the ,holy ,fathers that ,i have 

read1 have also told us many  things of 
the dignity of the priest 7alter        
,christus ,sacerdos74 ,i am your        
brother and equal in many things2 do not
 forget it4 ,i know my dignity as  a man
 and a priest1 and ,i shall sooner lose 
my life than to surrender  them to any  
man1 even a bishop4 ,if you think you   
can deal with me as a  carter with his  
horse1 drawing him where he likes1 you  
will soon see  your error4    8,i       
neither drink strong wines nor smoke1   
and the many hours that others  spend in
 emptying their bottles and smoking     
their pipes1 ,i read my dear  books--,i 
study the admirable laws of the church  
and the ,gospel of ,christ4  ,i love my 
books and the holy laws of our church1  
because they teach me  my rights as well
 as my duties4 ,they tell me that many  
years ago a  general council1 which is  
something above you1 has annulled your  
unjust  sentence1 and brought upon your 
head the very penalty you intended to   
impose upon me4 ,they tell me that any  

sentence from you coming 7from  your own
 profession7 from bad and criminal      
motives1 is null1 and will  fall        
powerless at my feet4    8,but ,i tell  
you again1 that ,i desire to live in    
peace with you4 ,the  false reports of  
,le,belle and ,carthevel have disturbed 
that peace2 but it  is still in your    
power to have it for yourself and give  
it to me4 ,i am  sure that the sentence 
you say you have preferred against me   
comes from  a misunderstanding1 and your
 wisdom and charity1 if you can hear    
their  voice1 can very easily set       
everything as it was two months ago4 ,it
 is  still in your power to have a warm 
friend1 or an immovable adversary in    
,kankakee ,county4 ,it would be both    
equitable and honorable in you to       
extinguish the fires of discord which   
you have so unfortunately  enkindled1 by
 drawing back a sentence which you would
 never have  preferred if you had not   
been deceived4 ,you would be blessed by 
the  ,church of ,illinois1 and          

particularly by the #aj1jjj ,french     
,canadians who  surround me1 and are    
ready to support me at all hazards4     
8,do not be angry from the seeming harsh
 words which you find in this  letter4  
,nobody1 but ,i1 could tell you these   
sad truths1 though every one  of your   
priests1 and particularly those who     
flatter you the most1 repeat  them every
 day4    8,by kind and honest           
proceedings you can get everything from 
me1 even the  last drop of my blood2 but
 you will find me an immovable rock if  
you  approach me as you have already    
done 7but once7 with insult and         
tyrannical threats4    8,you have not   
been ordained a bishop to rule over us  
according to your  fancy1 but you have  
the eternal laws of justice and equity  
to guide you4  ,you have the laws of the
 church to obey as well as her humblest 
child1  and as soon as you do anything  
against these imperishable laws you are 
powerless to obtain your object4 ,it is 
not only lawful1 but a duty to  resist  

you4 ,when you strike without a         
legitimate or a canonical cause2  when  
you try to take away my character to    
please some of your friends2  when you  
order me to exile to stop a suit which  
you are exciting against  me2 when you  
punish me for the crime of refusing to  
obey the orders you  gave me to be the  
friend of three public rogues2 when you 
threaten me  with excommunication1      
because ,i do not give you my little    
personal  properties1 ,i have nothing to
 fear from your interdicts and          
excommunication4    8,what a sad lot for
 me1 and what a shame for you1 if by    
your continual  attacks at the door of  
our churches or in the public press1 you
 oblige  me to expose your injustice4   
,it is yet time for you to avoid that4  
,instead of striking me like an outcast1
 come and give me the paternal  hand of 
charity1 instead of continuing that     
fratricidal combat1 come and  heal the  
wounds you have made and already        
received4 ,instead of insulting  me by  

driving me away from my colony to the   
land of exile1 come and  bless the great
 work ,i have begun here for the glory  
of ,god and the good  of my people4     
,instead of destroying the college and  
the female academy1  for the erection of
 which ,i have expended my last cent1   
and whose  teachers are fed at my table1
 come and bless the three hundred little
  children who are daily attending our  
schools4    8,instead of sacrificing me 
to the hatred of my enemies1 come and   
strengthen my heart against their fury4 
8,i tell you again1 that no             
consideration whatever will induce me to
  surrender my right as a ,catholic     
priest and as an ,american citizen4 ,by 
the first title you cannot interdict me1
 as long as ,i am a good priest1  for   
the crime of wishing to live in my      
colony and among my people4 ,by  the    
second title1 you cannot turn me out    
from my home4                           
8,c4 ,,chiniquy40    ,it was the first  
time that a ,roman ,catholic priest1    

with his whole  people1 had dared to    
speak such language to a ,bishop of     
,rome on this  continent4 ,never yet had
 the unbearable tyranny of those haughty
 men  received such a public rebuke4    
,our fearless words fell as a bombshell 
in  the camp of the ,roman ,catholic    
hierarchy of ,america4    ,with very few
 exceptions1 the press of the ,state of 
,illinois1 whose  columns had so often  
echoed the cries of indignation raised  
everywhere  against the tyranny of      
,bishop ,o',regan1 took sides with me4  
,hundreds of  priests1 not only from    
,illinois1 but from every corner of the 
,united  ,states1 addressed their       
warmest thanks to me for the stand ,i   
had taken1  and asked me1 in the name of
 ,god and for the honor of the church1  
not to  yield an inch of my rights4     
,many promised to support us at the     
court of  ,rome1 by writing themselves  
to the ,pope1 to denounce not only the  
,bishop  of ,illinois1 but several      
others1 who1 though not so openly bad1  

were yet  trampling under their feet the
 most sacred rights of the priests and  
the  people4 ,unfortunately those       
priests gave me a saddening knowledge of
  their cowardice by putting in their   
letters 8absolutely confidential40      
,they all promised to help me when ,i   
was storming the strong fortress of  the
 enemy1 provided ,i would go alone in   
the gap1 and that they would  keep      
themselves behind thick walls1 far from 
shot and shell4    ,however1 this did   
not disturb me1 for my ,god knows it1 my
 trust was not  in my own strength1 but 
in his protection4 ,i was sure that ,i  
was in the  right1 that the ,gospel of  
,christ was on my side1 that all the    
canons and  laws of the councils were in
 my favor4    ,my library was filled    
with the best books on the canons and   
laws passed  in the great councils of my
 church4 ,it was written in big letters 
in the  celebrated work1 8,histoire du  
droit canonique40 ,there is no arbitrary
  power in the ,church of               

,christ1--,vol4 iii41 page #aci4    ,the
 ,council of ,augsburg1 held in #aedh   
7,can4 #bd71 had declared that1 8no     
sentence of excommunication will be     
passed1 except for great crimes40       
,the ,pope ,st4 ,gregory had said3      
8,that censures are null when not       
inflicted for great sins or for faults  
which have not been clearly  proved40   
8,an unjust excommunication does not    
bind before ,god those against whom  it 
has been hushed4 ,but it injures only   
the one who has proffered  it40--,eccl4 
,laws1 by ,hericourt1 c4 xxii41 ,no4    
#ej4    8,if an unjust sentence is      
pronounced against any one1 he must not 
pay  any attention to it2 for1 before   
,god and his ,church1 an unjust sentence
  cannot injure anybody4 ,let1 then1    
that person do nothing to get such an   
unjust sentence repealed1 for it cannot 
injure him40--,st4 ,gelace--,the        
,pope--7,canoni bin est47    ,the       
canonists conclude1 from all the laws of
 the church on that matter1  8,that if a

 priest is unjustly interdicted or      
excommunicated he may  continue to      
officiate without any fear of becoming  
irregular40--,eccl4  ,laws1 by          
,hericourt1 c4 xxii41 ,no4 #ea4         
,protected by these laws1 and hundreds  
of others too long to enumerate1  which 
my church had passed in every age1      
strengthened by the voice of my         
conscience1 which assured me that ,i had
 done nothing to deserve to be          
interdicted or excommunicated2 sure1    
besides1 of the testimony brought  by   
our four delegates that the bishop      
himself had declared that ,i was  one of
 his best priests1 that he wanted to    
give me my letters to go and  perform   
the functions of my ministry in         
,kahokia3 above all1 knowing the        
unanimous will of my people that ,i     
should remain with them and continue    
the great and good work so              
providentially trusted to me in my      
colony1  and regarding this as an       
indication of the divine will1 ,i       

determined to  remain1 in spite of the  
,bishop of ,chicago4 ,all the councils  
of my church  were telling me that he   
had no power to injure me1 and that all 
his  official acts were null4    ,but if
 he were spiritually powerless against  
me1 it was not so in  temporal matters4 
,his power and his desire to injure us  
had increased  with his hatred1 since he
 had read our letters and seen them in  
all the  papers of ,chicago4    ,the    
first thing he did was to reconcile     
himself to the priest ,le,belle1  whom  
he had turned out ignominiously from his
 diocese some time before4  ,that priest
 had since that obtained a fine         
situation in the diocese of  ,michigan4 
,he invited him to his palace1 and      
petted him several days4 ,i  felt that  
the reconciliation of those two men     
meant nothing good for me4  ,but my hope
 was1 more than ever1 that the merciful 
,god who had protected  me so many times
 against them1 would save me again from 
their  machinations4 ,the air was1      

however1 filled with the strangest      
rumors  against me4 ,it was said        
everywhere that ,mr4 ,le,belle was to   
bring such  charges against my character
 that ,i would be sent to the           
penitentiary4    ,what were the new     
iniquities to be laid to my charge8 ,no 
one could tell4  ,but the few partisans 
and friends of the bishop1 ,messrs4     
,le,belle and  ,spink1 were jubilant and
 sure that ,i was to be forever         
destroyed4    ,at last1 the time arrived
 when the ,sheriff of ,kankakee had to  
drag me  again as a criminal and a      
prisoner to ,urbana1 and deliver me into
 the  hands of the sheriff of that city4
 ,i arrived here on the #bjth of        
,october1 with my lawyers1 ,messrs4     
,osgood and ,paddock1 and a dozen       
witnesses4 ,mr4 ,abraham ,lincoln had   
preceded me only by a few minutes  from 
,springfield4 ,he was in the company of 
,judge ,david ,davis1 since             
,vice-,president of the ,united ,states1
 when ,i met him4    ,the jury having   

been selected and sworn1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 
,le,belle was the  first witness called 
to testify and say what he knew against 
my  character4    ,mr4 ,lincoln objected
 to that kind of testimony1 and tried to
 prove that  ,mr4 ,spink had no right to
 bring his new suit against me by       
attacking my  character4 ,but ,judge    
,davis ruled that the prosecution had   
that right in  the case that was before 
him4 ,mr4 ,le,belle had1 then1 full     
liberty to say  anything he wanted1 and 
he availed himself of his privilege4    
,his  testimony lasted nearly an hour1  
and was too long to be given here4 ,i   
will only say that he began by declaring
 that 8,chiniquy was one of the  vilest 
men of the day--that every kind of bad  
rumors were constantly  circulating     
against him40 ,he gave a good number of 
those rumors1 though  he could not      
positively swear if they were founded on
 truth or not1 for  he had not          
investigated them4 ,but he said there   
was one of which he was  sure1 for he   

had authenticated it thoroughly4 ,he    
expressed a great deal  of apparent     
regret that he was forced to reveal to  
the world such things  which were not   
only against the honor of ,chiniquy1    
but1 to some extent1  involved the good 
name of a dear sister1 ,madame ,bosse4  
,but as he was to  speak the truth      
before ,god1 he could not help it--the  
sad truth must be  told4 8,mr4          
,chiniquy10 he said1 8had attempted to  
do the most infamous  things with my own
 sister1 ,madame ,bosse4 ,she herself   
has told me the  whole story under oath1
 and she would be here to unmask the    
wicked man  to-day before the whole     
world1 if she were not forced to        
silence1 at  home1 from a severe        
illness40    ,though every word of that 
story was a perjury1 there was such a   
color of  truth and sincerity in my     
accuser1 that his testimony fell upon me
 and  my lawyers and all my friends as a
 thunderbolt4 ,a man who has never      
heard such a calumny brought against him

 before a jury in a court-house  packed 
with people1 composed of friends and    
foes1 will never understand  what ,i    
felt in this the darkest hour of my     
life4 ,my ,god only knows the  weight   
and the bitterness of the waves of      
desolation which then passed  over my   
soul4    ,after that testimony was      
given1 there was a lull1 and a most     
profound  silence in the court-room4    
,all the eyes were turned upon me1 and  
,i heard  many voices speaking of me1   
whispering1 8,the villain60 ,those      
voices  passed through my soul as       
poisoned arrows4 ,though innocent1 ,i   
wished  that the ground would open under
 my feet and bring me down to the       
darkest abysses1 to conceal me from the 
eyes of my friends and the whole  world4
    ,however1 ,mr4 ,lincoln soon        
interrupted the silence by addressing to
  ,le,belle such cross-questions that   
his testimony1 in the minds of many1    
soon lost much of its power4 ,and he did
 still more destroy the effect of  his  

7,le,belle's7 false oath1 when1 he      
brought my twelve witnesses1 who  were  
among the most respectable citizens of  
,bourbonnais1 formerly the  parishioners
 of ,mr4 ,le,belle4 ,those twelve       
gentlemen swore that ,mr4  ,le,belle was
 such a drunkard and vicious man1 that  
he was so publicly my  enemy on account 
of the many rebukes ,i had given to his 
private and  public vices1 that they    
would not believe a word of what he     
said1 even  upon his oath4    ,at ten   
,p4 ,m41 the court was adjourned1 to    
meet again the next morning1  and ,i    
went to the room of ,mr4 ,lincoln with  
my two other lawyers1 to  confer about  
the morning's work4 ,my mind was        
unspeakably sad4 ,life had  never been  
such a burden to me as in that hour4 ,i 
was tempted1 like ,job1  to curse the   
hour when ,i was born4 ,i could see in  
the faces of my  lawyers1 though they   
tried to conceal it1 that they were also
 full of  anxiety4    8,my dear ,mr4    
,chiniquy10 said ,mr4 ,lincoln1 8though 

,i hope1 to-morrow1 to  destroy the     
testimony of ,mr4 ,le,belle against you1
 ,i must concede that ,i  see great     
dangers ahead4 ,there is not the least  
doubt in my mind that  every word he has
 said is a sworn lie2 but my fear is    
that the jury  thinks differently4 ,i am
 a pretty good judge in these matters4  
,i feel  that our jurymen think that you
 are guilty4 ,there is only one way to  
perfectly destroy the power of a false  
witness--it is by another direct        
testimony against what he has said1 or  
by showing from his very lips  that he  
has perjured himself4 ,i failed to do   
that last night1 though ,i  have        
diminished1 to a great extent1 the force
 of his testimony4 ,can you  not prove  
an alibi1 or can you not bring witnesses
 who were there in the  same house that 
day1 who would flatly and directly      
contradict what your  remorseless enemy 
has said against you80    ,i answered   
him3 8,how can ,i try to do such a thing
 when they have been  shrewd enough not 

to fix the very date of the alleged     
crime against me80    8,you are correct1
 you are perfectly correct1 ,mr4        
,chiniquy10 answered ,mr4  ,lincoln1 8as
 they have refused to specify the date1 
we cannot try that4  ,i have never seen 
two such skillful rogues as those two   
priests6 ,there  is really a diabolical 
skill in the plan they have concocted   
for your  destruction4 ,it is evident   
that the bishop is at the bottom of the 
plot4  ,you remember how ,i have forced 
,le,belle to confess that he was now on 
the  most friendly terms with the       
,bishop of ,chicago1 since he has become
 the  chief of your accusers4 ,though ,i
 do not give up the hope of rescuing you
  from the hands of your enemies1 ,i do 
not like to conceal from you that ,i    
have several reasons to fear that you   
will be declared guilty and  condemned  
to a heavy penalty1 or to the           
penitentiary1 though ,i am sure  you are
 perfectly innocent4 ,it is very        
probable that we will have to  confront 

that sister of ,le,belle tomorrow4 ,her 
sickness is probably a  feint1 in order 
not to appear here except after the     
brother will have  prepared the public  
mind in her favor4 ,at all events1 if   
she does not  come1 they will send some 
justice of the peace to get her sworn   
testimony1 which will be more difficult 
to rebut than her own verbal            
declarations4 ,that woman is evidently  
in the hands of the bishop and her      
brother priest1 ready to swear anything 
they order her1 and ,i know  nothing so 
difficult as to refute such female      
testimonies1 particularly  when they are
 absent from the court4 ,the only way to
 be sure of a  favorable verdict        
to-morrow is1 that ,god ,almighty would 
take our part  and show your innocence6 
,go to ,him and pray1 for ,he alone can 
save you40    ,mr4 ,lincoln was         
exceedingly solemn when he addressed    
those words to me1  and they went very  
deep into my soul4    ,i have often been
 asked if ,abraham ,lincoln had any     

religion but ,i have  never had any     
doubt about his profound confidence in  
,god1 since ,i heard  those words       
falling from his lips in that hour of   
anxiety4 ,i had not  been able to       
conceal my deep distress4 ,burning tears
 were rolling on my  cheeks when he was 
speaking1 and there was on his face the 
expression of  friendly sympathy which  
,i shall never forget4 ,without being   
able to say  a word1 ,i left him to go  
to my little room4 ,it was nearly eleven
  o'clock4 ,i locked the door and fell  
on my knees to pray1 but ,i was  unable 
to say a single word4 ,the horrible     
sworn calumnies thrown at my  face by a 
priest of my own church were ringing in 
my ears6 my honor and  my good name so  
cruelly and forever destroyed6 all my   
friends and my  dear people covered with
 an eternal confusion6 and more than    
that1 the  sentence of condemnation     
which was probably to be hurled against 
me the  next day in the presence of the 
whole country1 whose eyes were upon me6 

,all those things were before me1 not   
only as horrible phantoms1 but as  heavy
 mountains1 under the burdens of which  
,i could not breathe4 ,at last  the     
fountains of tears were opened1 and it  
relieved me to weep2 ,i could  then     
speak and cry3 8,oh6 my ,god6 have mercy
 upon me6 thou knowest my  innocence6   
hast thou not promised that those who   
trust in thee cannot  perish6 ,oh6 do   
not let me perish1 when ,thou art the   
only ,one in whom ,i  trust6 ,come to my
 help6 ,save me60    ,from eleven ,p4   
,m41 to three in the morning ,i cried to
 ,god1 and raised my  supplicating hands
 to his throne of mercy4 ,but ,i confess
 to my  confusion1 it seemed to me in   
certain moments1 that it was useless to 
pray and to cry1 for though innocent1 ,i
 was doomed to perish4 ,i was in  the   
hands of my enemies4 ,my ,god had       
forsaken me6    ,what an awful night ,i 
spent6 ,i hope none of my readers will  
ever know by  their own experience the  
agony of spirit ,i endured4 ,i had no   

other  expectation than to be forever   
dishonored1 and sent to the penitentiary
  next morning6    ,but ,god had not    
forsaken me6 ,he had again heard my     
cries1 and was1 once  more1 to show me  
,his infinite mercy6    ,at three       
o'clock ,a4 ,m41 ,i heard three knocks  
at my door1 and ,i quickly  went to open
 it4 8,who was there8 ,abraham ,lincoln1
 with a face beaming  with joy60    ,i  
could hardly believe my eyes4 ,but ,i   
was not mistaken4 ,it was my            
noble-hearted friend1 the most honest   
lawyer of ,illinois6--one of the        
noblest men ,heaven has ever given to   
earth6 ,it was ,abraham ,lincoln1 who   
had been given me as my ,saviour6 ,on   
seeing me bathed with tears1 he         
exclaimed1 8,cheer up1 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1  
,i have the perjured priests in my      
hands4 ,their diabolical plot is all    
known1 and if they do not fly away      
before the dawn of day1 they will surely
 be lynched4 ,bless the ,lord1 you  are 
saved60    ,the sudden passage of       

extreme desolation to an extreme joy    
came near  killing me4 ,i felt as       
suffocated1 and unable to utter a single
 word4 ,i  took his hand1 pressed it to 
my lips1 and bathed it with tears of    
joy4 ,i  said3 8,may ,god forever bless 
you1 dear ,mr4 ,lincoln4 ,but please    
tell me  how you can bring me such      
glorious news60    ,here is the simple  
but marvellous story1 as told me by that
 great and  good man1 whom ,god had made
 the messenger of his mercies towards   
me3    8,as soon as ,le,belle had given 
his perjured testimony against you      
yesterday10 said ,mr4 ,lincoln1 8one of 
the agents of the ,chicago press        
telegraphed to some of the principal    
papers of ,chicago3 #8,it is probable   
that ,mr4 ,chiniquy will be condemned2  
for the testimony of the ,rev4 ,mr4     
,le,belle seems to leave no doubt that  
he is guilty4' ,and the little ,irish   
boys1 to sell their papers1 filled the  
streets with the cries3 #8,chiniquy     
will be hung6 ,chiniquy will be hung6'  

,the ,roman ,catholics were so glad  to 
hear that1 that ten thousand extra      
copies have been sold4 ,among those  who
 bought those papers was a friend of    
yours1 called ,terrien1 who went  to his
 wife and told her that you were to be  
condemned1 and when the  woman heard    
that1 she said1 #8,it is too bad1 for ,i
 know ,mr4 ,chiniquy is  not guilty4'   
8#8,how do you know that8' said her     
husband4 ,she answered3 #8,i was there  
when the priest ,le,belle made the plot1
 and promised to give his sister        
two-eighties of good land if she would  
swear a false oath--and accuse him  of a
 crime which that woman said he had not 
even thought of with her4'    8#8,if it 
be so1' said ,terrien1 #8we cannot allow
 ,mr4 ,chiniquy to be  condemned4 ,come 
with me to ,urbana4'    8,but that woman
 being quite unwell1 said to her        
husband1 #8,you know well  ,i cannot go2
 but ,miss ,philomene ,moffat was with  
me then4 ,she knows every  particular of
 that wicked plot as well as ,i do4 ,she

 is well2 go and take  her to ,urbana4  
,there is no doubt that her testimony   
will prevent the  condemnation of ,mr4  
,chiniquy4'    8,narcisse ,terrien      
started immediately3 and when you were  
praying ,god to  come to your help1 ,he 
was sending your deliverer at the full  
speed of  the railroad cars4 ,miss      
,moffat has just given me the details of
 that  diabolical plot4 ,i have advised 
her not to show herself before the      
,court  is opened4 ,i will1 then1 send  
for her1 and when she will have given1  
under oath1 before the ,court1 the      
details she has just given me1 ,i pity  
,spink with his perjured priests4 ,as ,i
 told you1 ,i would not be surprised  if
 they were lynched3 for there is a      
terrible excitement in town among  many 
people who from the beginning1 suspect  
that the priests have  perjured         
themselves to destroy you4    8,now your
 suit is gained1 and to-morrow1 you will
 have the greatest  triumph a man ever  
got over his confounded foes4 ,but you  

are in need of  a rest as well as       
myself4 ,good-bye40    ,after thanking  
,god for that marvellous deliverance1 ,i
 went to bed and  took the needed rest4 
,but what was the priest ,le,belle doing
 in that very moment8 ,unable to  sleep 
after the awful perjury he had just     
made1 he had watched the  arrival of the
 trains from ,chicago with an anxious   
mind1 for he was  aware through the     
confessions he had heard1 that there    
were two persons  in that city who knew 
his plot and his false oath2 and though 
he had the  promises from them that they
 would never reveal it to anybody1 he   
was  not without some fearful           
apprehensions that ,i might1 by some way
 or  other1 become acquainted with his  
abominable conspiracy4 ,not long after  
the arrival of the trains from ,chicago1
 he came down from his room to  see in  
the book where travelers register their 
names1 if there was any  newcomers from 
,chicago1 and what was his dismay when  
he saw the first  name entered was      

8,philomene ,moffat60 ,that very name1  
,philomene ,moffat1  who some time      
before1 had gone to confess to him that 
she had heard the  whole plot from his  
own lips1 when he had promised #afj     
acres of land to  persuade his sister to
 perjure herself in order to destroy me4
 ,a deadly  presentiment chilled the    
blood in his veins6 8,would it be       
possible that  this girl is here to     
reveal and prove my perjury before the  
world80    ,he immediately sent for her1
 when she was just coming from meeting  
,mr4  ,lincoln4    8,miss ,philomene    
,moffat here60 he exclaimed1 when he saw
 her4 8,what are  you coming here for1  
this night80 he said4    8,you will know
 it1 sir1 to-morrow morning10 she       
answered    8,ah6 wretched girl6 you    
come to destroy me80 he exclaimed4      
,she replied3 8,i do not come to destroy
 you1 for you are already  destroyed4   
,mr4 ,lincoln knows everything40        
8,oh6 my ,god6 my ,god60 he exclaimed1  
striking his forehead with his  hands4  

,then taking a big bundle of bank notes1
 from his pocket-book1 he  said3 8,here 
are one hundred dollars for you1 if you 
take the morning  train and go back to  
,chicago40    8,if you would offer me as
 much gold as this house could contain1 
,i would  not go10 she replied4    ,he  
then left her abruptly1 ran to the      
sleeping-room of ,spink1 and told  him3 
8,withdraw your suit against ,chiniquy2 
we are lost2 he knows all40    ,without 
losing a moment1 he went to the         
sleeping-room of his co-priest1  and    
told him3 8,make haste--dress yourself  
and let us take the morning  train2 we  
have no business here1 ,chiniquy knows  
all our secrets40    ,when the hour of  
opening the court came1 there was an    
immense crowd1 not  only inside1 but    
outside its walls4 ,mr4 ,spink1 pale as 
a man condemned  to death1 rose before  
the ,judge1 and said3 8,please the      
court1 allow me  to withdraw my         
prosecution against ,mr4 ,chiniquy4 ,i  
am now persuaded that  he is not guilty 

of the faults brought against him before
 this  tribunal40    ,abraham ,lincoln1 
having accepted that reparation in my   
name1 made a  short1 but one of the most
 admirable speeches ,i had ever heard1  
on the  cruel injustices ,i had suffered
 from my merciless persecutors1 and     
denounced the rascality of the priests  
who had perjured themselves1 with  such 
terrible colors1 that it had been very  
wise on their part to fly  away and     
disappear before the opening of the     
court4 ,for the whole city  was         
ransacked for them by hundreds1 who     
blamed me for forgiving them and        
refusing to have my revenge for the     
wrong they had done me4 ,but ,i  thought
 that my enemies were sufficiently      
punished by the awful public            
disclosures of their infernal plot4 ,it 
seemed that the dear ,saviour who  had  
so visibly protected me1 was to be      
obeyed1 when he was whispering in  my   
soul1 8,forgive them and love them as   
thyself40    ,was not ,spink            

sufficiently punished by the complete   
ruin which was  brought upon him by the 
loss of the suit8 ,for having gone to   
,bishop  ,o',regan to be indemnified for
 the enormous expenses of such a long   
prosecution1 at such a distance1 the    
bishop coldly answered him3 8,i had     
promised to indemnify you if you would  
put ,chiniquy down1 as you  promised me4
 ,but as it is ,chiniquy who has put you
 down1 ,i have not a  cent to give you40
    ,abraham ,lincoln had not only      
defended me with the zeal and talent of 
the  ablest lawyer ,i have ever known1  
but as the most devoted and noblest     
friend ,i ever had4 ,after giving more  
than a year of his precious time to  my 
defense1 when he had pleaded during two 
long sessions of the ,court of  ,urbana1
 without receiving a cent from me1 ,i   
considered that ,i was owing  him a     
great sum of money4 ,my other two       
lawyers1 who had not done the  half of  
his work1 asked me a thousand dollars   
each1 and ,i had not  thought that too  

much4 ,after thanking him for the       
inappreciable services  he had rendered 
me1 ,i requested him to show me his     
bill1 assuring him  that1 though ,i     
would not be able to pay the whole cash1
 ,i would pay him  to the last cent1 if 
he had the kindness to wait a little for
 the  balance4    ,he answered me with a
 smile and an air of inimitable         
kindness1 which was  peculiar to him3   
8,my dear ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 ,i feel proud 
and honored to have been called to      
defend you4 ,but ,i have done it less as
 a lawyer than as a friend4 ,the  money 
,i should receive from you would take   
away the pleasure ,i feel at  having    
fought your battle4 ,your case is unique
 in my whole practice4 ,i  have never   
met a man so cruelly persecuted as you  
have been1 and who  deserves it so      
little4 ,your enemies are devils        
incarnate4 ,the plot they  had concocted
 against you is the most hellish one ,i 
ever knew4 ,but the  way you have been  
saved from their hand1 the appearance of

 that young  and intelligent ,miss      
,moffat1 who was really sent by ,god in 
the very hour  of need1 when1 ,i confess
 it again1 ,i thought everything was    
nearly lost1  is one of the most        
extraordinary occurrences ,i ever saw4  
,it makes me  remember what ,i have too 
often forgotten1 and what my mother     
often told  me when young--that our ,god
 is a prayer-hearing ,god4 ,this good   
thought1  sown into my young heart by   
that dear mother's hand1 was just in my 
mind  when ,i told you1 #8,go and pray1 
,god alone can save you4' ,but ,i       
confess to  you that ,i had not faith   
enough to believe that your prayer would
 be so  quickly and so marvellously     
answered by the sudden appearance of    
that  interesting young lady1 last      
night4 ,now let us speak of what you owe
 me4  ,well6--,well6--how much do you   
owe me8 ,you owe me nothing6 for ,i     
suppose  you are quite ruined4 ,the     
expenses of such a suit1 ,i know1 must  
be  enormous4 ,your enemies want to ruin

 you4 ,will ,i help them to finish your 
ruin1 when ,i hope ,i have the right to 
be put among the most sincere and       
devoted of your friends80    8,you are  
right10 ,i answered him2 8you are the   
most devoted and noblest  friend ,god   
ever gave me1 and ,i am nearly ruined by
 my enemies4 ,but you  are the father of
 a pretty large family2 you must support
 them4 ,your  traveling expenses in     
coming1 twice1 here for me from         
,springfield2 your  hotel bills during  
the two terms you have defended me1 must
 be very  considerable4 ,it is not just 
that you should receive nothing in      
return  for such work and expenses40    
8,well6 well60 he answered1 8,i will    
give you a promissory note which you    
will sign40 ,taking then a small piece  
of paper1 he wrote3    ,he handed me the
 note1 saying1 8,can you sign that80    
,illustration3 ,,iou    ,after reading  
it1 ,i said1 8,dear ,mr4 ,lincoln1 this 
is a joke4 ,it is not  possible that you
 ask only fifty dollars for services    

which are worth at  least two thousand  
dollars40    ,he then tapped me with the
 right hand on the shoulders and said3  
8,sign  that2 it is enough4 ,i will     
pinch some rich man for that and make   
them  pay the rest of the bill10 and he 
laughed outright4    ,when ,abraham     
,lincoln was writing the due-bill1 the  
relaxation of the  great strain upon my 
mind1 and the great kindness of my      
benefactor and  defender in charging me 
so little for such a service1 and the   
terrible  presentiment that he would pay
 with his life what he had done for me1 
caused me to break into sobs and tears4 
,as ,mr4 ,lincoln had finished writing  
the due bill1 he turned round to me1    
and said1 8,father ,chiniquy1 what are  
you crying for8 ought you not to be  the
 most happy man alive8 you have beaten  
your enemies and gained the  most       
glorious victory1 and you will come out 
of all your troubles in  triumph40      
8,dear ,mr4 ,lincoln10 ,i answered1     
8allow me to tell you that the joy ,i   

should naturally feel for such a victory
 is destroyed in my mind by the  fear of
 what it may cost you4 ,there were1     
then1 in the crowd1 not less  than ten  
or twelve ,jesuits from ,chicago and    
,st4 ,louis1 who came to hear  my       
sentence of condemnation to the         
penitentiary4 ,but it was on their      
heads that you have brought the thunders
 of heaven and earth6 nothing  can be   
compared to the expression of their rage
 against you1 when you  not only        
wrenched me from their cruel hands1 but 
you were making the  walls of the       
court-house tremble under the awful and 
superhumanly  eloquent denunciation of  
their infamy1 diabolical malice1 and    
total want  of ,christian and human     
principle1 in the plot they had formed  
for my  destruction4 ,what troubles my  
soul1 just now1 and draws my tears1 is  
that it seems to me that ,i have read   
your sentence of death in their  bloody 
eyes4 ,how many other noble victims have
 already fallen at their  feet60    ,he 

tried to divert my mind1 at first1 with 
a joke1 8,sign this10 said he1  8,it    
will be my warrant of death40    ,but   
after ,i had signed1 he became more     
solemn1 and said1 8,i know that         
,jesuits never forget nor forsake4 ,but 
man must not care how and where he      
dies1 provided he dies at the post of   
honor and duty10 and he left me4        
,here is the sworn declaration of ,miss 
,philomene ,moffat1 now ,mrs4           
,philomene ,schwartz3    ,state of      
,illinois1 s4s4  ,cook ,county          
8,philomene ,schwartz being first duly  
sworn1 deposes and says3 ,that she  is  
of the age of forty-three years1 and    
resides at #dhd ,milwaukee ,avenue1     
,chicago2 that her maiden name was      
,philomene ,moffat1 that she knew       
,father  ,le,belle1 the ,roman ,catholic
 priest of the ,french ,catholics of    
,chicago  during his lifetime1 and knows
 ,rev4 ,father ,chiniquy2 that about the
  month of ,may1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahed1 in      
company with ,miss ,eugenia ,bossey1 the

  housekeeper of her uncle1 the ,rev'd  
,mr4 ,le,belle1 who was then living at  
the parsonage on ,clark street1         
,chicago1 while we were sitting in the  
room of ,miss ,bossey1 the ,rev4 ,mr4   
,le,belle was talking with his sister1  
,mrs4 ,bossey1 in the adjoining room1   
not suspecting that we were there       
hearing his conversation1 through the   
door1 which was partly opened2  though  
we could neither see him nor his sister1
 we heard every word of  what they said 
together1 the substance of which is as  
follows--,rev4 ,mr4  ,le,belle said in  
substance1 to ,mrs4 ,bossey1 his sister3
    8#8,you know that ,mr4 ,chiniquy is 
a dangerous man1 and he is my enemy1    
having already persuaded several of my  
congregation to settle in his  colony4  
,you must help me to put him down1 by   
accusing him of having  tried to do a   
criminal action with you4'    8,madame  
,bossey answered3 #8,i cannot say such a
 thing against ,mr4  ,chiniquy1 when ,i 
know it is absolutely false4'    8,rev4 

,m4 ,le,belle replied3 #8,if you refuse 
to comply with my request1 ,i  will not 
give you the one hundred and sixty acres
 of land ,i intended to  give you2 you  
will live and die poor4'    8,madame    
,bossey answered3 #8,i prefer never to  
have that land1 and ,i like  better to  
live and die poor1 than to perjure      
myself to please you4'    8,the ,rev4   
,mr4 ,le,belle1 several times1 urged his
 sister1 ,mrs4 ,bossey1 to  comply with 
his desires1 but she refused4 ,at last1 
weeping and crying1  she said3 #8,i     
prefer never to have an inch of land    
than to damn my soul  for swearing to a 
falsehood4'    8,the ,rev4 ,mr4         
,le,belle then said3    8#8,mr4         
,chiniquy will destroy our holy religion
 and our people if we do  not destroy   
him4 ,if you think that the swearing ,i 
ask you to do is a  sin1 you will come  
to confess to me1 and ,i will pardon it 
in the  absolution ,i will give you4'   
8#8,have you the power to forgive a     
false oath8' replied ,mrs4 ,bossey to   

her brother1 the priest4    8#8,yes1' he
 answered1 #8,i have that power2 for    
,christ has said to all his  priests1   
8,what you shall bind on earth shall be 
bound in heaven1 and  what you shall    
loose on earth shall be loosed in       
heaven40'    8,mrs4 ,bossey then said3  
#8,if you promise that you will forgive 
that false  oath1 and if you give me the
 one hundred and sixty acres of land you
  promised1 ,i will do what you want4'  
8,the ,rev'd ,mr4 ,le,belle then said3  
#8,all right6' ,i could not hear any    
more  of that conversation1 for in that 
instant ,miss ,eugenia ,bossey1 who had 
kept still and silent with us1 made some
 noise and shut the door4    8,affiant  
further states3 ,that some time later ,i
 went to confess to ,rev4  ,mr4         
,le,belle1 and ,i told him that ,i had  
lost confidence in him1 ,he asked  me   
why8 ,i answered3 #8,i lost my          
confidence in you since ,i heard your   
conversation with your sister1 when you 
tried to persuade her to perjure        

herself in order to destroy ,father     
,chiniquy4'    8,affiant further says3  
8,that in the month of ,october1 ,a4 ,d4
 #ahef1 the  ,rev'd ,mr4 ,chiniquy had  
to defend himself1 before the civil and 
criminal  court of ,urbana1 ,illinois1  
in an action brought against him by     
,peter  ,spink2 some one wrote from     
,urbana to a paper of ,chicago1 that    
,father  ,chiniquy was probably to be   
condemned4 ,the paper which published   
that  letter was much read by the ,roman
 ,catholics1 who were glad to hear that 
that priest was to be punished4 ,among  
those who read that paper was  ,narcisse
 ,terrien4 ,he had lately been married  
to ,miss ,sara ,chaussey1 who  told him 
that ,father ,chiniquy was innocent2    
that she was present with me  when      
,rev'd ,le,belle prepared the plot with 
his sister1 ,mrs4 ,bossey1 and  had     
promised her a large piece of land if   
she would swear falsely  against ,father
 ,chiniquy4 ,mr4 ,narcisse ,terrien     
wanted to go with his wife  to the help 

of ,father ,chiniquy1 but she was unwell
 and could not go4 ,he  came to ask me  
if ,i remembered well the conversation  
of ,rev'd ,mr4  ,le,belle1 and if ,i    
would consent to go to ,urbana to expose
 the whole plot  before the court1 and  
,i consented4    8,we started that same 
evening for ,urbana1 where we arrived   
late at  night4 ,i immediately met ,mr4 
,abraham ,lincoln1 one of the lawyers of
  ,father ,chiniquy1 and told him all   
that ,i knew about the plot4    8,that  
very same night the ,rev'd ,mr4         
,le,belle1 having seen my name on the   
hotel register1 came to me much excited 
and troubled1 and said1  #8,philomene1  
what are you here for8'    8,i answered 
him1 #8,i cannot exactly tell you that2 
but you will probably  know it tomorrow 
at the court-house6'    8#8,oh1 wretched
 girl6' he exclaimed1 #8you have come to
 destroy me4'    8#8,i do not come to   
destroy you1' ,i replied1 #8for you are 
already  destroyed6'    8,then drawing  
from his portmonnaie-book a big bundle  

of bank-notes1  which he said was worth 
one hundred dollars1 he said3 #8,i will 
give you  all this money if you will    
leave by the morning train and go back  
to  ,chicago4'    8,i answered him3     
#8,though you would offer me as much    
gold as this room  can contain1 ,i      
cannot do what you ask4'    8,he then   
seemed exceedingly distressed1 and he   
disappeared4 ,the next  morning ,peter  
,spink requested the court to allow him 
to withdraw his  accusations against    
,father ,chiniquy1 and to stop his      
prosecutions1  having1 he said1 found   
out that he1 ,father ,chiniquy1 was     
innocent of the  things brought against 
him1 and his request was granted4 ,then 
the  innocence and honesty of ,father   
,chiniquy was acknowledged by the court 
after it had been proclaimed by ,abraham
 ,lincoln1 who was afterwards  elected  
,president of the ,united ,states4      
87,signed7        ,,philomene           
,,schwartz4,f    8,i1 ,stephen ,r4      
,moore1 a ,notary ,public in the ,county

 of ,kankakee1 in the  ,state of        
,illinois1 and duly authorized by law to
 administer oaths1 do  hereby certify   
that1 on this #bast day of ,october1 ,a4
 ,d4 #ahha1 ,philomene  ,schwartz       
personally appeared before me1 and made 
oath that the above  affidavit by her   
subscribed is true1 as therein stated4  
,in witness  whereto1 ,i have hereunto  
set my hand and notarial seal4          
8,,stephen ,r4 ,,moore1                 
8,notary ,public40    -----    ,footnote
 ,f3      ,that lady is still living1   
#ahhf1 and at the head of one of the    
most    respectable families of         
,chicago1 residing at #dhb ,milwaukee   
,avenue4    -----                       
,,chapter ,,lix4    ,,moment ,,of       
,,interruption ,,in ,,the ,,thread ,,of 
,,my 8,,fifty ,,years ,,in ,,the        
,,church ,,of    ,,rome10 ,,to ,,see    
,,how ,,my ,,sad ,,previsions ,,about   
,,my ,,defender1 ,,abraham    ,,lincoln1
 ,,were ,,to ,,be ,,realized--,,rome    
,,the ,,implacable ,,enemy ,,of ,,the   

,,united    ,,states--,,she ,,wants ,,to
 ,,conquer ,,and ,,rule ,,them1 ,,in    
,,order ,,to ,,destroy ,,all    ,,their 
,,rights1 ,,privileges ,,and            
,,liberties4      ,when it became       
evident1 in #ahea1 that my plan of      
forming a grand colony  of ,roman       
,catholic ,french-speaking people on the
 prairies of ,illinois was  to be a     
success1 ,d',arcy ,mc,gee1 then editor  
of ,the ,freeman's ,journal1  official  
journal of the ,bishop of ,new ,york1   
wrote me to know my views1  and         
immediately determined to put himself at
 the head of a similar  enterprise in   
behalf of the ,irish ,roman ,catholics4 
,he published several  able articles to 
show that the ,irish people1 with very  
few exceptions1  were demoralized1      
degraded and kept poor1 around their    
groggeries1 and  showed how they would  
thrive1 become respectable and rich1 if 
they could  be induced to exchange their
 grog shops for the fertile lands of the
  west4 ,through his influence1 a large 

assembly1 principally composed of       
priests1 to which ,i was invited1 met at
 ,buffalo1 in the spring of #aheb4  ,but
 what was his disappointment1 when he   
saw that the greatest part of  those    
priests were sent by the ,bishops of the
 ,united ,states to oppose  and defeat  
his plans6    ,he vainly spoke with a   
burning eloquence for his pet scheme4   
,the  majority coldly answered him3 8,we
 are determined1 like you1 to take      
possession of the ,united ,states and   
rule them2 but we cannot do that        
without acting secretly and with the    
utmost wisdom4 ,if our plans are  known1
 they will surely be defeated4 ,what    
does a skillful general do  when he     
wants to conquer a country8 ,does he    
scatter his soldiers over  the farm     
lands1 and spend their time and energy  
in ploughing the fields  and sowing     
grain8 ,no6 ,he keeps them well united  
around his banners1 and  marches at     
their head1 to the conquest of the      
strongholds1 the rich and  powerful     

cities4 ,the farming countries then     
submit and become the price  of his     
victory1 without moving a finger to     
subdue them4 ,so it is with  us4        
,silently and patiently1 we must mass   
our ,roman ,catholics in the  great     
cities of the ,united ,states1          
remembering that the vote of a poor     
journeyman1 though he be covered with   
rags1 has as much weight in the  scale  
of power as the millionaire ,astor1 and 
that if we have two votes  against his  
one1 he will become as powerless as an  
oyster4 ,let us1 then1  multiply our    
votes2 let us call our poor but faithful
 ,irish ,catholics  from every corner of
 the world1 and gather them into the    
very hearts of  those proud citadels    
which the ,yankees are so rapidly       
building under the  names of            
,washington1 ,new ,york1 ,boston1       
,chicago1 ,buffalo1 ,albany1 ,troy1     
,cincinnati1 etc4 ,under the shadows of 
those great cities1 the ,americans      
consider themselves as a giant and      

unconquerable race4 ,they look upon  the
 poor ,irish ,catholic people with      
supreme contempt1 as only fit to dig    
their canals1 sweep their streets and   
work in their kitchens4 ,let no one     
awake those sleeping lions1 to-day4 ,let
 us pray ,god that they may sleep  and  
dream their sweet dreams1 a few years   
more4 ,how sad will their  awakening be1
 when with our outnumbering votes1 we   
will turn them1  forever1 from every    
position of honor1 power and profit6    
,what will those  hypocritical and      
godless sons and daughters of the       
fanatical ,pilgrim  ,fathers say1 when  
not a single judge1 not a single        
teacher1 not a single  policeman1 will  
be elected if he be not a devoted ,irish
 ,roman ,catholic8  ,what will those    
so-called giants think of their         
matchless shrewdness and  ability1 when 
not a single ,senator or member of      
,congress will be chosen1  if he be not 
submitted to our holy father1 the ,pope8
 ,what a sad figure  those ,protestant  

,yankees will cut when we will not only 
elect the  ,president1 but fill and     
command the armies1 man the navies1 and 
hold the  keys of the public treasury8  
,it will then be time for our faithful  
,irish  people to give up their         
grog-shops1 in order to become the      
judges and  governors of the land4 ,then
 our poor and humble mechanics will     
leave  their damp ditches and muddy     
streets1 to rule the cities in all their
  departments1 from the stately mansion 
of ,mayor of ,new ,york1 to the  humble1
 though not less noble position of      
teacher4    8,then1 yes6 then1 we will  
rule the ,united ,states1 and lay them  
at the  feet of the ,vicar of ,jesus    
,christ1 that he may put an end to their
  godless system of education1 and sweep
 away those impious laws of  liberty of 
conscience1 which are an insult to ,god 
and man60    ,d',arcy ,mc,gee was left  
almost alone when the votes were taken4 
,from that  time1 the ,catholic priests1
 with the most admirable ability and    

success1  have gathered their ,irish    
legions into the great cities of the    
,united  ,states1 and the ,american     
people must be very blind indeed1 if    
they do  not see that if they do nothing
 to prevent it1 the day is very near    
when  the ,jesuits will rule their      
country1 from the magnificent ,white    
,house at  ,washington1 to the humblest 
civil and military department of this   
vast  ,republic4 ,they are already the  
masters of ,new ,york1 ,baltimore1      
,chicago1  ,st4 ,paul1 ,new ,orleans1   
,mobile1 ,savannah1 ,cincinnati1        
,albany1 ,troy1  ,milwaukee1 ,st4       
,louis1 ,san ,francisco1 etc4 ,yes6 ,san
 ,francisco1 the rich1  the great queen 
of the ,pacific1 is in the hands of the 
,jesuits6    ,from the very first days  
of the discovery of the gold mines of   
,california1 the ,jesuits had the hopes 
of becoming masters of these            
inexhaustible treasures1 and they       
secretly laid their plans1 with the     
most profound ability and success4 ,they

 saw1 at once1 that the great  majority 
of the lucky miners1 of every creed and 
nation1 were going back  home1 as soon  
as they had enough to secure an         
honorable competence to  their families4
 ,it became then evident1 that of those 
multitudes which  the thirst of gold had
 brought from every corner of the world1
 not one  out of fifty would fix their  
homes in ,san ,francisco4 ,the ,jesuits 
saw at  a glance1 that if they could    
persuade the ,irish ,catholics to settle
 and  remain there1 they would soon be  
the masters and rulers of that golden   
city1 whose future is so bright and so  
great6 ,and that scheme1 worked  day and
 night with the utmost perseverance1 has
 been crowned with  perfect success4    
,the consequence is1 that while you find
 only a few ,americans1 ,germans1       
,scotch and ,english millionaires in    
,san ,francisco1 you find more than     
fifty ,catholic ,irish millionaires in  
that city4 ,its richest bank 7,nevada   
,bank7 is in their hands1 and so are all

 the street railways4 ,the  principal   
offices of the city are filled with     
,irish ,roman ,catholics4  ,almost all  
the police are composed of the same     
class1 as well as the  volunteer        
military associations4 ,their compact   
unity1 in the hands of  the ,jesuits1   
with their enormous wealth1 make them   
almost supreme  masters of the mines of 
,california and ,nevada4    ,when one   
knows the absolute1 abject submission of
 the ,irish ,roman  ,catholics1 rich or 
poor1 to their priests2 how the mind1   
the soul1 the  will1 the conscience are 
firmly and irrevocably tied to the feet 
of the  priests1 he can easily          
understand that the ,jesuits of the     
,united ,states  form one of the richest
 and most powerful corporations the     
world ever  saw4    ,it is well known   
that those fifty ,catholic millionaires1
 with their  myriads of employees1 are1 
through their wives1 and by themselves1 
continually at the feet of the ,jesuits1
 who swim in a golden sea4    ,no one1  

if he be not a ,roman ,catholic1 or one 
of those so-called  ,protestants who    
give their daughters to the nuns1 and   
their sons to the  ,jesuits to be       
educated1 has much hopes1 where the     
,jesuits rule1 of  having a lucrative   
office in the ,san ,francisco to-day4   
,the ,americans1 with few exceptions1 do
 not pay any attention to the dark      
cloud which is rising at their horizon1 
from ,rome4 ,though that cloud is       
filled with rivers of tears and blood1  
they let it grow and rise without  even 
caring how they will escape from the    
impending hurricane4    ,it is to ,san  
,francisco that you must go to have an  
idea of the number of  secret and       
powerful organizations with which the   
,church of ,rome prepares  herself for  
the impending conflict1 through which   
she hopes to destroy  the schools and   
every vestige of human rights and       
liberties in the  ,united ,states4      
,in order to more easily drill the      
,roman ,catholics and prepare them for  

the irrepressible struggle1 the ,jesuits
 have organized them into a great       
number of secret societies1 the         
principal of which are3 ,ancient ,order 
of  ,hibernians1 ,irish ,american       
,society1 ,knights of ,st4 ,patrick1    
,st4  ,patrick's ,cadets1 ,st4 ,patrick 
,mutual ,alliance1 ,apostles of         
,liberty1  ,benevolent ,sons of the     
,emerald ,isle1 ,knights of ,st4 ,peter1
 ,knights of  the ,red ,branch1 ,knights
 of the ,columskill1 ,the ,sacred       
,heart1 etc41 etc4    ,almost all these 
secret associations are military ones4  
,they have their  headquarters at ,san  
,francisco2 but their rank and file are 
scattered all  over the ,united ,states4
 ,they number #gjj1jjj soldiers1 who1   
under the  name of ,united ,states      
,volunteer ,militia1 are officered by   
some of the  most skillful generals and 
officers of this ,republic4    ,another 
fact1 to which the ,american            
,protestants do not sufficiently pay    
attention1 is that the ,jesuits have    

been shrewd enough to have a vast       
majority of ,roman ,catholic generals   
and officers1 to command the army  and  
man the navy of the ,united ,states4    
,rome is in constant conspiracy against 
the rights and liberties of man  all    
over the world2 but she is particularly 
so in the ,united ,states4    ,long     
before ,i was ordained a priest1 ,i knew
 that my church was the most  implacable
 enemy of this ,republic4 ,my professors
 of philosophy1 history  and theology   
had been unanimous in telling me that   
the principles and  laws of the ,church 
of ,rome were absolutely antagonistic to
 the laws and  principles which are the 
foundation-stones of the ,constitution  
of the  ,united ,states4    #ast4 ,the  
most sacred principle of the ,united    
,states ,constitution is the  equality  
of every citizen before the law4 ,but   
the fundamental principle  of the       
,church of ,rome1 is the denial of that 
equality4    #bnd4 ,liberty of          
conscience is proclaimed by the ,united 

,states1 a most  sacred principle which 
every citizen must uphold1 even at the  
price of  his blood4 ,but liberty of    
conscience is declared by all the ,popes
 and  ,councils of ,rome1 a most        
godless1 unholy and diabolical thing1   
which  every good ,catholic must abhor  
and destroy1 at any cost4    #crd4 ,the 
,american ,constitution assures the     
absolute independence of the  civil from
 the ecclesiastical or church power2 but
 the ,church of ,rome  declares1 through
 all her ,pontiffs and ,councils1 that  
such independence  is an impiety and a  
revolt against ,god4    #dth4 ,the      
,american ,constitution leaves every man
 free to serve ,god  according to the   
dictates of his conscience2 but the     
,church of ,rome  declares that no man  
has ever had such a right1 and that the 
,pope alone  can know and say what man  
must believe and do4    #eth4 ,the      
,constitution of the ,united ,states    
denies the right in any body  to punish 
any other for differing from him in     

religion4 ,but the ,church  of ,rome    
says that she has a right to punish with
 the confiscation of  their goods1 or   
the penalty of death1 those who differ  
in faith from the  ,pope4    #fth4 ,the 
,united ,states have established schools
 all over their immense  territories1   
where they invite the people to send    
their children1 that  they may cultivate
 their intelligence and become good and 
useful  citizens4 ,but the ,church of   
,rome has publicly cursed all these     
schools1  and forbidden their children  
to attend them1 under pain of           
excommunication in this world and       
damnation in the next4    #gth4 ,the    
,constitution of the ,united ,states is 
based on the principle  that the people 
are the primary source of all civil     
power4 ,but hundreds  of times1 the     
,church of ,rome has proclaimed that    
this principle is  impious and          
heretical4 ,she says that 8all          
government must rest upon the           
foundation of the ,catholic faith2 with 

the ,pope alone as the legitimate  and  
infallible source and interpreter of the
 law40    ,i could cite many other      
things1 proving that the ,church of     
,rome is an  absolute and irreconcilable
 enemy of the ,united ,states2 but it   
would be  too long4 ,these are          
sufficient to show to the ,american     
people that ,rome  is a viper1 which    
they feed and press upon their bosom4   
,sooner or later1  that viper will bite 
to death and kill this ,republic4       
,this was foretold by ,lafayette1 and is
 now promulgated by the greatest        
thinkers of our time4    ,the greatest  
inventor1 or rather the immortal father 
of electric  telegraphy1 ,samuel ,morse1
 found it out when in ,rome1 and        
published it in  #ahcd1 in his          
remarkable work1 8,conspiracies ,against
 the ,liberties of the  ,united         
,states40 ,the learned ,dr4 ,s4 ,irenus 
,prime1 in his life of ,prof4  ,morse1  
says3 8,when ,mr4 ,morse was in ,italy1 
he became acquainted with  several      

ecclesiastics of the ,church of ,rome1  
and he was led to believe1  from what he
 learned from them1 that a political    
conspiracy1 under the  cloak of a       
religious mission1 was formed against   
the ,united ,states4 ,when  he came to  
,paris and enjoyed the confidence and   
friendship of ,lafayette1  he stated his
 convictions to the ,general1 who fully 
concurred with him  in the reality of   
such a conspiracy40    ,that great      
statesman and patriot1 the late ,richard
 ,w4 ,thompson1  ,secretary of the      
,navy1 in his admirable work1 8,the     
,papacy and the ,civil  ,power10 says3  
8,nothing is plainer than that1 if the  
principles of the  ,church of ,rome     
prevail here1 our constitution would    
necessarily fall4  ,the two cannot exist
 together4 ,they are in open and direct 
antagonism  with the fundamental theory 
of our government and of all popular    
government everywhere40    ,the eloquent
 ,spanish orator1 ,castelar1 speaking of
 his own ,church of  ,rome1 said1 in    

#ahfi1 8,there is not a single          
progressive principle that  has not been
 cursed by the ,catholic ,church4 ,this 
is true of ,england and  ,germany1 as   
well as all ,catholic countries4 ,the   
,church cursed the ,french  ,revolution1
 the ,belgian ,constitution and the     
,italian ,independence4 ,not a          
,constitution has been born1 not a step 
of progress made1 not a solitary  reform
 effected1 which has not been under the 
terrific anathemas of the  ,church40    
,but why ask the testimony of           
,protestants or ,liberals to warn the   
,american people against that           
conspiracy1 when we have the public     
testimony of all the bishops and priests
 to prove it8 ,with the most  daring    
impudence1 the ,church of ,rome1 through
 her leading men1 is  boasting of her   
stern determination to destroy all the  
rights and  privileges which have cost  
so much blood to the ,american people4  
,let the  ,americans1 who have eyes to  
see and intelligence to understand1 read

 the  following unimpeachable documents1
 and judge for themselves of what will  
become of this country1 if ,rome is     
allowed to grow strong enough to        
execute her threats4    8,the church is 
of necessity intolerant4 ,heresy1 she   
endures when and  where she must1 but   
she hates it1 and directs all her       
energies to  destroy it4    8,if        
,catholics ever gain a sufficient       
numerical majority in this country1     
religious freedom is at an end4 ,so our 
enemies say1 so we believe40--,the      
,shepherd of the ,valley1 official      
journal of the ,bishop of ,st4 ,louis1  
,nov4 #bc1 #ahea4    8,no man has a     
right to chose his religion4            
,catholicism is the most  intolerant of 
creeds4 ,it is intolerance itself4 ,we  
might as rationally  maintain that two  
and two does not make four1 as the      
theory of ,religious  ,liberty4 ,its    
impiety is only equalled by its         
absurdity40--,new ,york  ,freeman1      
official journal of ,bishop ,hughes1    

,jan4 #bf1 #aheb4    8,the ,church is   
instituted1 as every ,catholic who      
understands his  religion believes1 to  
guard and defend the right of ,god1     
against any and  every enemy1 at all    
times1 in all places4 ,she1 therefore1  
does not1 and  cannot accept1 or in any 
degree favor liberty1 in the ,protestant
 sense  of liberty40--,catholic ,world1 
,april1 #ahgj4    8,the ,catholic       
,church is the medium and channel       
through which the will of  ,god is      
expressed4 ,while the state has rights1 
she has them only in  virtue and by     
permission of the ,superior ,authority1 
and that authority  can be expressed    
only through the church40--,catholic    
,world1 ,july1 #ahgj4    8,protestantism
 has not1 and never can have1 any right1
 where ,catholicity  has triumphed4     
,therefore1 we lose the breath we expend
 in declaiming  against bigotry and     
intolerance and in favor of ,religious  
,liberty1 or  the right of man to be of 
any religion as best pleases            

him40--,catholic  ,review1 ,june1 #ahfe4
    8,religious ,liberty is merely      
endured until the opposite can be       
carried  into effect without peril to   
the ,catholic ,church40--,rt4 ,rev4     
,o',connor1  ,bishop of ,pittsburgh4    
8,the ,catholic ,church numbers         
one-third the ,american population2 and 
if  its membership shall increase1 for  
the next thirty years1 as it has the    
thirty years past1 in #aijj1 ,rome will 
have a majority1 and be bound to  take  
this country and keep it4 ,there is1 ere
 long1 to be a state  religion in this  
country1 and that state religion is to  
be the ,roman  ,catholic4    8#ast4 ,the
 ,roman ,catholic is to wield his vote  
for the purpose of  securing ,catholic  
ascendancy in this country4    8#bnd4   
,all legislation must be governed by the
 will of ,god1 unerringly  indicated by 
the ,pope4    8#crd4 ,education must be 
controlled by ,catholic authorities1 and
 under  education1 the opinions of the  
individual1 and the utterances of the   

press are included1 and many opinions   
are to be forbidden by the secular  arm1
 under the authority of the church1 even
 to war and  bloodshed40--,father       
,hecker1 ,catholic ,world1 ,july1 #ahgj4
    8,it was proposed that all religious
 persuasions should be free and their   
worship publicly exercised4 ,but we have
 rejected this article as  contrary to  
the canons and councils of the ,catholic
 church40--,pope ,pius  ,,vii41         
,encyclical1 #ahjh4    ,every one knows 
that one of the first and most solemn   
acts of the  present ,pope ,leo ,,xiii41
 was to order that the theology of ,st4 
,thomas  ,aquinas should be taught in   
all the colleges1 seminaries and        
universities of the ,church of ,rome    
throughout the whole world1 as the  most
 accurate teachings of the doctrines of 
his church4 ,well1 on the  #cjth of     
,dec41 #ahgj1 ,i forced the ,rt4 ,rev4  
,foley1 ,bishop of ,chicago1 to         
translate from ,latin into ,english1    
before the court of ,kankakee1 and to   

swear that the following law was among  
those promulgated by ,st4 ,thomas  as   
one of the present and unchangeable laws
 of the ,church of ,rome3    8,though   
heretics must not be tolerated because  
they deserve it1 we must  bear with     
them1 till1 by a second admonition1 they
 may be brought back  to the faith of   
the church4 ,but those who after a      
second admonition1  remain obstinate in 
their errors1 must not only be          
excommunicated1 but  they must be       
delivered to the secular power to be    
exterminated40--,st4  ,thomas ,acquinas 
,summa ,theologia1 vol4 #d1 p4 #ij4     
,illustration3 ,,leo ,,xiii4    ,after  
the ,bishop had sworn that this was the 
true doctrine of the ,church  of ,rome1 
expressed by ,st4 ,thomas1 and taught in
 all the colleges1  seminaries and      
universities of the ,church of ,rome1 ,i
 forced him to  declare1 under oath1    
that he1 and every priest of ,rome1 once
 a year1  under pain of eternal         
damnation1 is obliged to say1 in the    

presence of  ,god1 in his ,breviarum    
7his official prayer-book7 that that    
doctrine was  so good and holy1 that    
every word of it has been inspired by   
the ,holy  ,ghost to ,st4 ,thomas4      
,the same ,bishop ,foley was again      
forced by me1 before the same court of  
,kankakee1 to translate from ,latin into
 ,english1 the following decree of  the 
council of ,lateran1 and to acknowledge1
 under oath1 that it was as  much the   
law of the ,church of ,rome to-day1 as  
on the day it was passed1  in the year  
#abae3    8,we excommunicate and        
anathematize every heresy that exalts   
itself  against the holy orthodox and   
,catholic faith1 condemning all         
heretics1  by whatever name they may be 
known1 for though their faces differ1   
they  are tied together by their tails4 
,such as are condemned are to be        
delivered over to the existing secular  
powers to receive due punishment4  ,if  
laymen1 their goods must be confiscated4
 ,if priests1 they shall be  degraded   

from their respective orders1 and their 
property applied to the  church in which
 they officiated4 ,secular powers of all
 ranks and degrees  are to be warned1   
induced1 and1 if necessary1 compelled by
  ecclesiastical censure1 to swear that 
they will exert themselves to the       
utmost in the defence of the faith1 and 
extirpate all heretics denounced  by the
 church1 who shall be found in their    
territories4 ,and whenever any  person  
shall assume government1 whether it be  
spiritual or temporal1 he  shall be     
bound to abide by this decree4    8,if  
any temporal lord1 after having been    
admonished and required by the  church1 
shall neglect to clear his territory of 
heretical depravity1 the  ,metropolitan 
and ,bishop of the ,province shall unite
 in excommunicating  him4 ,should he    
remain contumacious a whole year1 the   
fact shall be  signified to the ,supreme
 ,pontiff1 who will declare his vassals 
released  from their allegiance from    
that time1 and will bestow his territory

 on  ,catholics1 to be occupied by them1
 on condition of exterminating the      
heretics and preserving the said        
territory in the faith40    8,catholics 
who shall assume the cross for the      
extermination of heretics1  shall enjoy 
the same indulgence1 and be protected by
 the same privileges  as are granted to 
those who go to the help of the ,holy   
,land4 ,we decree  further that all     
those who have dealings with heretics1  
and especially  such as receive1 defend 
and encourage them1 shall be            
excommunicated4 ,he  shall not be       
eligible to any public office4 ,he shall
 not be admitted as  a witness4 ,he     
shall neither have the power to bequeath
 his property by  will1 nor to succeed  
to any inheritance4 ,he shall not bring 
any action  against any person1 but any 
one can bring action against him4       
,should he  be a judge1 his decision    
shall have no force1 nor shall any cause
 be  brought before him4 ,should he be a
 lawyer1 no instruments made by him     

shall be held valid1 but shall be       
condemned with their authors40          
,cardinal ,manning1 speaking in the name
 of the ,pope1 said3 8,i acknowledge  no
 civil power2 ,i am the subject of no   
prince2 and ,i claim more than  this4 ,i
 claim to be the supreme judge and      
director of the consciences of  men4 ,of
 the peasants that till the fields1 and 
of the prince that sits  upon the       
throne2 of the household that lives in  
the shade of privacy1  and the          
legislator that makes laws for kingdoms4
 ,i am sole1 last1  supreme judge of    
what is right and wrong4 ,moreover1 we  
declare1 affirm1  define and pronounce  
it to be necessary to salvation to every
 human  creature to be subject to the   
,roman ,pontiff660--,tablet1 ,oct4 #i1  
#ahfd4    8,undoubtedly it is the       
intention of the ,pope to possess this  
country4 ,in  this intention he is aided
 by the ,jesuits1 and all the ,catholic 
prelates  and priests40--,brownson's    
,review1 ,may1 #ahfd4    8,for our own  

part1 we take this opportunity to       
express our hearty  delight at the      
suppression of the ,protestant ,chapel  
in ,rome4 ,this may be  thought         
intolerant2 but when1 we ask1 did we    
profess to be tolerant of               
,protestantism1 or to favor the question
 that ,protestantism ought to be        
tolerated4 ,on the contrary1 we hate    
,protestantism4 ,we detest it with our  
whole heart and soul1 and we pray our   
aversion for it may never               
decrease40--,pittsburgh ,catholic       
,visitor1 ,july1 #ahdh1 official journal
  of the ,bishop4    8,no good          
government can exist without religion1  
and there can be no  religion without an
 inquisition1 which is wisely designed  
for the  protection and promotion of the
 true faith40--,boston ,pilot1 official 
journal of the ,bishop4    8,the ,pope  
has the right to pronounce sentence of  
deposition against  any sovereign1 when 
required by the good of the ,spiritual  
,order40--,brownson's ,review1 #ahdi4   

8,the power of the church exercised over
 sovereigns in the middle ages  was not 
a usurpation1 was not derived from the  
concessions of princes or  the consent  
of the people1 but was and is held by   
divine right1 and  whoso resists it1    
rebels against the ,king of ,kings and  
,lord of  ,lords40--,brownson's ,review1
 ,june #ahea4    ,the council of        
,constance1 held in #adad1 declared3    
8,that any person who  has promised     
security to heretics shall not be       
obliged to keep his  promise1 by        
whatever he may be engaged4    8,it is  
in consequence of that principle that no
 faith must be kept with  heretics1 that
 ,john ,huss was publicly burned on the 
scaffold1 the #fth  of ,july1 #adae1 in 
the city of ,constance1 though he had a 
safe passport  from the ,emperor40      
8,negroes have no rights which the white
 man is bound to respect40--,roman      
,catholic ,chief-justice ,tany1 in his  
,dred-,scot ,decision4    8,if the      
liberties of the ,american people are   

ever destroyed1 they will  fall by the  
hands of the ,catholic                  
clergy40--,lafayette4    8,if your son  
or daughter is attending a ,state       
,school1 you are violating  your duty as
 a ,catholic parent1 and conducing to   
the everlasting anguish  and despair of 
your child4 ,take him away4 ,take him   
away1 if you do not  wish your deathbed 
to be tormented with the spectre of a   
soul which ,god  has given you as a     
sacred trust1 surrendered to the great  
enemy of  mankind4 ,take him away1      
rather than incur the wrath of his ,god1
 and the  loss of his soul40--,western  
,tablet1 official paper of the ,bishop  
of  ,chicago4    ,all the echoes of the 
,united ,states1 are still repeating the
 same  denunciations against our public 
schools made by ,mgr4 ,capel1 a prelate 
attached to the household of the ,pope4 
,that ,roman ,catholic dignitary has    
not only passed again the sentence of   
death against the schools of the        
,united ,states2 but he has warned the  

,americans that the time is not far     
away when the ,roman ,catholics1 at the 
order of the ,pope1 will refuse to  pay 
their school tax1 and will send bullets 
to the breasts of the  government       
agents1 rather than pay it4 8,the order 
can come any day from  ,rome10 said the 
prelate4 8,it will come as quickly as   
the click of the  trigger1 and it will  
be obeyed1 of course1 as coming from    
,god ,almighty1  himself60    ,the      
,catholic ,columbian1 edited under the  
immediate supervision of the  ,rt4 ,rev4
 ,bishop of ,columbus1 ,ohio1 says3     
8,secular 7government7 schools  are     
unfit for ,catholic children4 ,catholic 
parents cannot be allowed the           
sacraments1 who choose to send their    
children to them1 when they could  make 
use of the ,catholic schools40    8,the 
absurd and erroneous doctrines1 or      
ravings1 in defense of liberty  of      
conscience1 are a most pestilential     
error1 a pest of all others1 to  be     
dreaded in the ,state40--,encyclical    

,letters of ,pope ,pius ,,ix41 ,aug4    
#ae1 #ahed4    8,you should do all in   
your power to carry out the intentions  
of his  holiness1 the ,pope4 ,where you 
have the electoral franchise1 give your 
votes to none but those who assist you  
in so holy a struggle40--,daniel        
,o',connell4    8,catholic votes should 
be cast solidly for the democracy at the
 next  election4 ,it is the only        
possible hope to break down the school  
system40--,toledo ,catholic ,review4    
8,it is of faith that the ,pope has the 
right of deposing heretical and  rebel  
kings4 ,monarchs1 so deposed by the     
,pope1 are converted into  notorious    
tyrants1 and may be killed by the first 
who can reach them4    8,if the public  
cause cannot meet with its defence in   
the death of a  tyrant1 it is lawful for
 the first who arrives1 to assassinate  
him40--,suarez1 ,defensio ,fidei2 ,book 
,,vi41 chap4 #d1 ,nos4 #ac-ad4    8,see1
 sir1 from this chamber1 ,i govern1 not 
only to ,paris1 but to ,china2  not only

 to ,china1 but to all the world1       
without any one knowing how ,i  do      
it40--,tambriorini1 ,general of the     
,jesuits4    8,a man who has been       
excommunicated by the ,pope1 may be     
killed anywhere1  as ,escobar and ,deaux
 teach1 because the ,pope has an        
indirect  jurisdiction over the whole   
world1 even in temporal things1 as all  
the  ,catholics maintain1 and as ,suarez
 proves against the ,king of            
,england40--,bussambaum--,lacroi1       
,theologica ,moralis1 #ageg4    ,the    
,roman ,catholic historian of the       
,jesuits1 ,cratineau ,joly1 in his ,vol4
  ,,ii41 page #dce1 approvingly says3   
8,father ,guivard1 writing about ,henry 
,,iv41 ,king of ,france1 says3 #8,if he 
cannot be deposed1 let us make war2  and
 if we cannot make war1 let him be      
killed4'0    ,the great ,roman ,catholic
 theologian1 ,dens1 puts to himself1 the
  question3 8,are heretics justly       
punished with death8 ,he answers3 #8,st4
  ,thomas says3 ,yes6 #bb1 question #aa1

 ,art4 #c4 ,because forgers of money1 or
  other disturbers of the state1 are    
justly punished with death2  therefore1 
all heretics who are forgers of faith1  
and1 as experience  testifies1          
grievously disturb the ,state4'         
8,this is confirmed1 because ,god1 in   
the ,old ,testament1 ordered the false  
prophets to be slain1 and in            
,deuteronomy it is decreed that if any  
one  will act proudly1 and will not obey
 the commands of the priests1 let him   
be put to death4    8,the same is proved
 from the condemnation of the #adth     
article of ,john  ,huss1 in the ,council
 of ,constance40--,dens1 p4 #hh1 ,tome  
,,ii41 ,dublin1 #ahcd4    8,that we may1
 in all things1 attain the truth4 ,that 
we may not err in  anything1 we ought   
ever to hold1 as a fixed principle1 that
 what ,i see  white1 ,i believe to be   
black1 if the superior authorities of   
the church  define it to be             
so40--,spiritual ,exercise1 by ,ignatius
 ,loyola1 founder  of the ,jesuits4     

8,as for holy obedience1 this virtue    
must be perfect in every point1 in      
execution1 in will1 in intellect1 doing 
which is enjoined with all  celerity1   
spiritual joy1 and perseverance2        
persuading ourselves that  everything is
 just1 suppressing every repugnant      
thought and judgment of  one's own1 in a
 certain obedience1 should be moved and 
directed under  ,divine ,providence1 by 
his superior1 just as if he were a      
corpse  7,perindi acsi cadaver esset7   
which allows itself to be moved and led 
in every direction40--,ignatius ,loyola1
 ,spiritual ,exercise4    8,if the ,holy
 ,church so requires1 let us sacrifice  
our own opinions1 our  knowledge1 our   
intelligence1 the splendid dreams of our
 imagination and  the sublime           
attainments of human                    
understanding40--,pope ,gregory ,,xvi41 
,encyclical1 ,aug4 #aeth1 #ahcb4    8,no
 more cunning plot was ever devised     
against the intelligence1 the  freedom1 
the happiness and virtue of mankind1    

than ,romanism40--,gladstone1  ,letter  
to ,aberdeen4    8,the principal and    
most efficacious means of practicing    
obedience due to  superiors1 and of     
rendering it meritorious before ,god1 is
 to consider  that1 in obeying them1 we 
obey ,god ,himself1 and that by         
despising their  commands1 we despise   
the authority of the ,divine ,master4   
8,when1 thus1 a ,religious receives a   
precept from her prelate1 superior  or  
confessor1 she should immediately       
execute it1 not only to please  them1   
but principally to please ,god1 whose   
will is known by their  command4        
8,if1 then1 you receive a command from  
one who holds the place of ,god1  you   
should observe it as if it came from    
,god ,himself4 ,it may be added  that   
there is more certainty of doing the    
will of ,god by obedience to  our       
superiors than by obedience to ,jesus   
,christ1 should ,he appear in  person   
and give ,his command4    8,st4 ,philip 
used to say that the ,religious shall be

 most certain of not  having to render  
an account of the actions performed     
through obedience1  for these1 the      
superiors only1 who command them shall  
be  accountable40--,saint ,ligouri1 ,the
 ,nun ,sanctified4    8,in the name and 
by the authority of ,jesus ,christ1 the 
plenitude of  which resides in ,his     
,vicar1 the ,pope1 we declare that the  
teaching that  the earth is not the     
centre of the world1 and that it moves  
with a  diurnal motion1 is absurd1      
philosophically false1 and erroneous in 
faith40--,decree of ,pope ,urbain       
,,xiii4 7signed7 by ,cardinals ,felia1  
,guido1  ,desiderio1 ,antonio1          
,belligero1 and ,fabricius4    ,in      
consequence of that infallible decree of
 the infallible ,pope1  ,galileo1 in    
order to escape death1 was obliged to   
fall on his knees and  perjure himself1 
by signing the following declaration on 
the #bbnd of  ,june1 #affc3    8,i      
abjure1 curse and detest the error and  
heresy of the motion of the  earth      

around the sun40    ,in obedience to    
that decree1 the two learned ,jesuit    
astronomers1 ,lesueur  and ,jacquier1 in
 ,rome1 only a few years ago1 made the  
following  declaration3 8,newton        
assumes1 in his third book1 the         
hypothesis of the  earth moving around  
the sun4 ,the proposition of that author
 could not be  explained1 except through
 the same hypothesis2 we have1          
therefore1 been  forced to act a        
character not our own4 ,but we declare  
our entire  submission to the decrees of
 the supreme ,pontiff of ,rome against  
the  motion of the earth40--,newton's   
,principia1 by ,fathers ,lesueur and    
,jacquier1 vol4 iii41 page #dej4    8,a 
,catholic should never attach himself to
 any political party composed  of       
heretics4 ,no one who is truly1 at      
heart1 a thorough and complete          
,catholic1 can give his entire adhesion 
to a ,protestant leader2 for in so      
doing1 he divides his allegiance1 which 
he owes entirely to the                 

church40--,univers1 the official        
,catholic paper of the ,bishops of      
,france1 ,mar4 #bhth1 #ahfh4    8,would 
he 7the priest7 be warranted in         
withholding any sacrament of the  church
 from a man by reason of his preferring 
one candidate to the  other6 ,absolutely
 speaking1 he would2 because a priest is
 not only  warranted1 but bound to      
withhold1 the sacraments from a man who 
is  disposed to commit a mortal         
sin660--,bishop ,vaughan's address to   
the  ,catholic ,club at ,salford1       
,england1 ,jan4 #bnd1 #ahgc4    8,our   
business is to contrive3    8#ast4 ,that
 the ,catholics be imbued with hatred   
for the heretics1 whoever  they may be1 
and that this hatred shall constantly   
increase1 and bind  them closely to each
 other4    8#bnd4 ,that it be1          
nevertheless1 dissembled1 so as not to  
transpire  until the day when it shall  
be appointed to break forth4    8#crd4  
,that this secret hate be combined with 
great activity in  endeavoring to detach

 the faithful from every government     
inimical to us1  and employ them1 when  
they shall form a detached body1 to     
strike deadly  blows at                 
heresy40--,secret ,plans of the         
,jesuits1 revealed by ,albate  ,leon1 p4
 #abg4    ,henry ,,iv41 ,king of        
,france1 after being wounded by an      
assassin sent by  the ,jesuits1 said3   
8,i am compelled to do one of these two 
things3 ,either  recall the ,jesuits1   
free them from the infamy and disgrace  
with which  they are covered1 or to     
expel them in a more absolute manner1   
and  prevent them from approaching      
either my person or my kingdom4         
8,but1 then1 we will drive them to      
despair and to the resolution of        
attempting my life again1 which would   
render it so miserable to me1  being    
always under the apprehension of being  
murdered1 or poisoned4 ,for  these      
people have correspondence everywhere1  
and are so very skillful in  disposing  
the minds of men to whatever they wish1 

that ,i think it would  be better that  
,i should be already dead40--,sully's   
,memoirs1 tome ii41  chap4 iii4    8,let
 us bring all our skill to bear upon    
this part of our plan4 ,our  chief      
concern must be to mould the people to  
our purposes4 ,doubtless1  the first    
generation will not be wholly ours2 but 
the second will nearly  belong to us3   
and the third entirely40--,the ,secret  
,plan1 page #abg-abh4    8,the state is1
 therefore1 only an inferior court1     
bound to receive the  law from the      
superior court 7the church7 and liable  
to have its decrees  reversed on        
appeal40--,brownson's ,essays1 pages    
#bhb-bhd4    8,the ,jesuits are a       
military organization1 not a religious  
order4 ,their  chief is a general of an 
army1 not the mere father abbot of a    
monastery4  ,and the aim of this        
organization is3 ,,power4 ,power in the 
most despotic  exercise4 ,absolute      
power1 universal power1 power to control
 the world by  the volition of a single 

man4 ,jesuitism is the most absolute of 
despotisms2 and at the same time the    
greatest and the most enormous of       
abuses40--,memorial of the ,captivity of
 ,napoleon at ,st4 ,helena1 by  ,general
 ,montholon1 vol4 ii41 p4 #fb4    8,the 
general of the ,jesuits insists on being
 master1 sovereign1 over the  sovereign4
 ,wherever the ,jesuits are admitted    
they will be masters1 cost  what it may4
 ,their society is by nature            
dictatorial1 and therefore it is  the   
irreconcilable enemy of all constituted 
authority4 ,every act1 every  crime1    
however atrocious1 is a meritorious     
work1 if committed for the  interest of 
the ,society of the ,jesuits1 or by the 
order of its  general40--,memorial of   
the ,captivity of ,napoleon at ,st4     
,helena1 vol4  ii41 p4 #agd4    ,in the 
allocution of ,sept4 #ahea1 ,pope ,pius 
,,ix4 said3    8,that he had taken that 
principle for basis3 ,that the ,catholic
 religion1  with all its votes1 ought to
 be exclusively dominant in such sort   

that  every other worship shall be      
banished and interdicted6    8,you ask  
if the ,pope were lord of this land and 
you were in a minority1  what he would  
do to you8 ,that1 we say1 would entirely
 depend on  circumstances4 ,if it would 
benefit the cause of ,catholicism1 he   
would  tolerate you2 if expedient1 he   
would imprison1 banish you1 probably he 
might even hang you4 ,but be assured of 
one thing1 he would never  tolerate you 
for the sake of your glorious principles
 of civil and  religious                
liberty40--,rambler1 one of the most    
prominent ,catholic papers  of ,england1
 ,sept4 #ahea4    ,lord ,acton1 one of  
the ,roman ,catholic peers of ,england1 
reproaching her  bloody and anti-social 
laws to his own church1 wrote3 8,pope   
,gregory ,,vii4  decided it was no      
murder to kill excommunicated persons4  
,this rule was  incorporated in the     
canon law4 ,during the revision of the  
code1 which  took place in the #afth    
century1 and which produced a whole     

volume of  corrections1 the passage was 
allowed to stand4 ,it appears in every  
reprint of the ,corpus ,juris4 ,it has  
been for #gjj years1 and continues  to  
be1 part of the ecclesiastical law4 ,far
 from being a dead letter1 it  obtained 
a new application in the days of the    
,inquisition2 and one of  the later     
,popes has declared that the murder of a
 ,protestant is so good  a deed that it 
atones1 and more than atones1 for the   
murder of a  ,catholic40--,the ,london  
,times1 ,july #bjth1 #ahgb4    ,in the  
last council of the ,vatican1 has the   
,church of ,rome expressed any  regret  
for having promulgated and executed such
 bloody laws8 ,no6 ,on the  contrary1   
she has anathematized all those who     
think or say that she was  wrong when   
she deluged the world with the blood of 
the millions she  ordered to be         
slaughtered to quench her thirst for    
blood2 she positively  said that she had
 a right to punish those heretics by    
tortures and  death4    ,those bloody   

and anti-social laws1 were written on   
the banners of the  ,roman ,catholics1  
when slaughtering #ajj1jjj ,waldenses in
 the mountains of  ,piedmont1 and more  
than #ej1jjj defenceless men1 women and 
children in  the city of ,bezieres4 ,it 
is under the inspiration of those       
diabolical  laws of ,rome1 that #ge1jjj 
,protestants were massacred1 the night  
and  following week of ,st4             
,bartholomew4    ,it was to obey those  
bloody laws that ,louis ,,xiv4 revoked  
the ,edict of  ,nantes1 caused the death
 of half a million of men1 women and    
children1  who perished in all the      
highways of ,france1 and caused twice   
that number  to die in the land of      
exile1 where they had found a refuge4   
,those anti-social laws1 to-day1 are    
written on her banners with the  blood  
of ten millions of martyrs4 ,it is under
 those bloody banners that  #f1jjj      
,roman ,catholic priests1 ,jesuits and  
bishops1 in the ,united ,states1  are   
marching to the conquest of this        

,republic1 backed by their seven        
millions of blind and obedient slaves4  
,those laws1 which are still the ruling 
laws of ,rome1 were the main cause  of  
the last rebellion of the ,southern     
,states4    ,yes6 without ,romanism1 the
 last awful civil war would have been   
impossible4 ,jeff ,davis would never    
have dared to attack the ,north1 had  he
 not had assurance from the ,pope1 that 
the ,jesuits1 the bishops1 the  priests 
and the whole people of the ,church of  
,rome1 under the name and  mask of      
,democracy1 would help him4    ,these   
diabolical and anti-social laws of ,rome
 caused a ,roman ,catholic              
7,beauregard7 to be the man chosen to   
fire the first gun at ,fort ,sumter1    
against the flag of ,liberty1 on the    
#abth of ,april1 #ahfa4 ,those          
antichristian and anti-social laws      
caused the ,pope of ,rome to be the     
only crowned prince in the whole world1 
so depraved as to publicly shake  hands 
with ,jeff ,davis1 and proclaim him     

,president of a legitimate  government4 
,these are the laws which led the       
assassins of ,abraham ,lincoln to the   
house of a rabid ,roman ,catholic woman1
 ,mary ,surratt1 which was not only  the
 rendezvous of the priests of           
,washington1 but the very dwelling-house
  of some of them4    ,that woman1      
gifted by ,god to be an angel of peace  
and mercy on earth1  was changed by     
those laws into a bloodthirsty tigress2 
for she had smelt  the blood which1     
everywhere1 comes from the robe1 the    
hands and the lips  of the priest of    
,rome4    ,those bloody and infernal    
laws of ,rome nerved the arm of the     
,roman  ,catholic1 ,booth1 when he      
slaughtered one of the noblest men ,god 
has ever  given to the world4    ,those 
bloody and anti-social laws of ,rome1   
after having covered ,europe  with      
ruins1 tears and blood1 for ten         
centuries1 have crossed the oceans  to  
continue their work of slavery and      
desolation1 blood and tears1  ignorance 

and demoralization1 on this continent4  
,under the mask and name  of ,democracy1
 they have raised the standard of       
rebellion of the ,south  against the    
,north1 and caused more than a half     
million of the most  heroic sons of     
,america to fall on the fields of       
carnage4    ,in a very near future1 if  
,god does not miraculously prevent it1  
those  laws of dark deeds and blood will
 cause the prosperity1 the rights1 the  
education1 and the liberties of this too
 confident nation1 to be buried  under a
 mountain of smoking and bloody ruins4  
,on the top of that  mountain1 ,rome    
will raise her throne and plant her     
victorious banners4    ,then she will   
sing her ,te ,deums and shout her shouts
 of joy1 as she did1  when she heard the
 lamentations and cries of desolation of
 the millions  of martyrs burning in the
 five thousand auto-da-fes she had      
raised in  all the capitals and great   
cities of ,europe4                      
,,chapter ,,lx4    ,,fundamental        

,,principles ,,of ,,the ,,constitution  
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,drawn   
,,from ,,the ,,gospel ,,of              
,,christ--,,rome ,,cannot ,,thrive ,,and
 ,,stand ,,in ,,the ,,united    ,,states
 ,,without ,,destroying ,,their         
,,principles ,,of ,,fraternity1         
,,equality ,,and    ,,liberty1 ,,which  
,,are ,,the ,,foundation ,,of ,,the     
,,republic--,,my ,,first ,,visit ,,to   
,,abraham ,,lincoln ,,to ,,warn ,,him   
,,of ,,plots ,i ,,knew ,,against        
,,him--,,romish ,,priests    ,,circulate
 ,,the ,,news ,,that ,,he ,,was ,,born  
,,in ,,the ,,church ,,of                
,,rome--,,letter ,,of    ,,the ,,pope   
,,to ,,jeff ,,davis--,,my ,,last ,,visit
 ,,to ,,the ,,president--,,his          
,,admirable    ,,reference ,,to         
,,moses--,,willing ,,to ,,die ,,for     
,,his ,,nation',s ,,sake4               
,,equality ,,and ,,fraternity ,,of ,,men
 ,,proclaimed                           
,,by ,,christ4    8,be ye not called    
,rabbi4 ,for one is your ,master1 even  

,christ4 ,and all ye  are brethren40    
7,math4 #bc3h47    8,god is no respecter
 of persons4 ,but in every nation1 he   
that feareth  ,him and worketh          
righteousness is accepted with ,him40   
7,acts #aj3cd-ce47    8,jesus called    
them unto him and said3 ,ye know that   
the princes of the  ,gentiles exercise  
dominion over them1 and they that are   
great exercise  authority upon them3    
8,but it shall not be so among you4 ,but
 whosoever will be great among  you1 let
 him be your minister3 ,and whosoever   
will be chief among you1  let him be    
your servant4    8,even as the ,son of  
,man came not to be ministered unto1 but
 to minister1  and give his life a      
ransom for many40 7,math4 #bj3be-bh47   
,,principles ,,of ,,liberty ,,proclaimed
 ,,by                                   
,,christ4    8,if ye continue in my     
word1 then are ye my disciples indeed1  
and ye  shall know the truth1 and the   
truth shall make you free4 ,if the ,son 
shall make you free1 you shall be free  

indeed40 7,john #h3cb47    8,the spirit 
of the ,lord is upon me1 because he hath
 anointed me to  preach the ,gospel to  
the poor2 he hath sent me to heal the   
broken-hearted1 to preach deliverance to
 the captives1 and recovering of  sight 
to the blind1 to set at liberty them    
that are bruised40 7,luke  #d3ah47      
8,where the ,spirit of ,god is1 there is
 liberty40 7#b ,cor4 #c3ag47            
,,tolerance ,,and ,,liberty ,,of        
,,conscience                            
,,proclaimed ,,by ,,christ4    8,and    
they did not receive him 7,christ7      
because his face was as though he  would
 go to ,jerusalem4 ,and when his        
disciples ,james1 and ,john1 saw this1  
they said3 ,wilt thou that we command   
fire to come down from heaven and       
consume them1 even as ,elias did8       
8,but he turned and rebuked them1 and   
said3 ,ye know not what spirit ye  are  
of4    8,for the ,son of ,man is not    
come to destroy man's life1 but to save 
them40 7,luke #i3ec-ef47    8,then      

,simon ,peter1 having a sword1 drew it1 
and smote the high priest's  servant1   
and cut off his right ear4 ,the         
servant's name was ,malchus4    8,then  
said ,jesus unto ,peter1 put up thy     
sword into the sheath3 the cup  which my
 ,father hath given me1 shall ,i not    
drink it8 ,for all they that  take the  
sword1 shall perish with the sword40    
7,matt4 #bf3eb4 ,john #ah3aj47    ,it is
 no wonder that the people of ,judea1   
filled with admiration at  these sublime
 doctrines of equality1 fraternity1     
liberty and tolerance1  should exclaim4 
8,never man spake like this man60    ,is
 it on those admirable principles that  
the ,church of ,rome is founded8  ,no6  
for she has1 thousands of times1        
proclaimed that her mission was to      
destroy them all1 even if she had to    
wade in the blood of those who  support 
them4    ,but just as the ,catholic     
,church is not only the very antipodes  
and the  most implacable enemy of those 
admirable doctrines and principles1 so  

the constitution of the ,united ,states1
 is the ripe fruit of this divine  seed1
 sown by the ,son of ,god himself in the
 bosom of humanity1 eighteen  hundred   
years ago1 to save the world4    ,yes1  
in reference to those principles of     
fraternity1 equality1 liberty  and      
tolerance1 the constitution of the      
,united ,states is to the ,gospel of    
,christ what the fruit is to the tree   
which has given it4 ,and this is the    
verdict given by the whole world1 the   
,church of ,rome excepted4    ,why is it
 that the poor1 the bruised1 the wounded
 and the oppressed from  every land1    
turn their eyes1 their hearts and their 
steps1 towards this  country8 ,it is    
because all the echoes of heaven and    
earth have told them  that the ,united  
,states ,republic is1 par excellence1   
the land of  fraternity1 fair-play1     
equality and liberty1 as the ,saviour of
 the world  has revealed them4    ,the  
,pope of ,rome and his ,jesuits know    
this better than any one4 ,hence1  their

 constant and supreme efforts to destroy
 this ,republic4 ,believing  and        
preaching that it is their duty to      
exterminate the individuals who  differ 
from them in religion1 they assume that 
it is their duty to  destroy the        
governments and the nations who refuse  
to submit to their  yoke1 when they can 
do it safely4    ,the mission of ,rome  
being1 to teach that the inferior1 the  
people1 must  obey his superior1 just as
 the corpse obeys the hand which moves  
it1 or  as the stick obeys the arm which
 directs it1 she knows well that she    
cannot fulfill her mission1 and attain  
her object so long as this  government  
of a free1 sovereign people1 stands2 she
 is1 then1 bound to  oppose1 paralyze   
and destroy that government when she    
finds her  opportunity4    ,with lynx's 
eye1 she watched that opportunity3 and  
with anxiety and rage  she spied from   
her cradle the onward march of this     
young giant ,republic4  ,she knew that  
it was in the bosom of every true       

citizen of the ,united  ,states to      
propagate those accursed1 7by her7      
principles of equality1  fraternity and 
liberty1 all over the world4 ,she saw   
that the  irresistible influence of     
those principles were felt on the most  
distant  nations1 as well as on the     
poor1 miserable1 ,irish people1 she was 
keeping under her heavy and ignominious 
yoke2 she understood that there  was a  
real danger for her very existence1 if  
those principles would  continue to     
spread2 that her slavery star would go  
down as the liberty  star would rise on 
the horizon4 ,in a word1 ,rome saw at   
once that the  very existence of the    
,united ,states was a formal menace to  
her own life4  ,already she had seen the
 chains of two millions of her ,irish   
slaves  melted at the simple touch of   
the warm rays of liberty which had      
fallen  from the stars and stripes      
banners4 ,from the very beginning1 she  
perfidiously sowed the germs of division
 and hatred between the two  great      

sections of this country1 and she felt  
an unspeakable joy when she  saw that   
she had succeeded in dividing its ,south
 from the ,north1 on the  burning       
question of slavery4 ,she looked upon   
that division as her golden             
opportunity4 ,to crush one party by the 
other1 and reign over the bloody  ruins 
of both1 has invariably been her policy4
 ,she hoped that the hour  of her       
supreme triumph over this continent was 
come4 ,she ordered her  elder son1 the  
,emperor of ,france1 to keep himself    
ready to help her  crush the ,north1 by 
having an army in ,mexico ready to      
support the ,south1  and she bade all   
the ,roman ,catholic bishops1 priests   
and people to  enroll themselves under  
the banners of slavery1 by joining      
themselves to  the party of ,democracy4 
,and everybody knows how the ,roman     
,catholic  bishops and priests1 almost  
to a man1 obeyed that order4 ,only one  
bishop  dared to disobey4 ,above        
everything1 it was ordered to oppose the

  election of ,lincoln at any cost4     
,for1 from the very first day his       
eloquent voice had been heard1 a thrill 
of terror had gone through the  hearts  
of the partisans of slavery4 ,the       
,democratic press1 which was  then1 and 
is still now1 almost entirely under the 
control of the ,roman  ,catholics1 and  
the devoted tool of the ,jesuits1       
deluged the country with  the most      
fearful denunciations against him4 ,they
 called him an ape2 a  stupid brute1 a  
most dangerous lunatic1 a bloody        
monster1 a merciless  tyrant1 etc41 etc4
 ,in a word1 ,rome exhausted all her    
resources of  language1 she ransacked   
the ,english dictionary to find the most
 suitable  expressions to fill the      
people with contempt1 hatred and horror 
against  him4 ,but it was written in the
 decrees of ,god that the honest        
,abraham  ,lincoln should be proclaimed 
,president of the ,united ,states1 the  
#dth of  ,march1 #ahfa4    ,at the end  
of ,august1 having known from a ,roman  

,catholic priest1 whom1  by the mercy of
 ,god1 ,i had persuaded to leave the    
errors of ,popery1 that  there was a    
plot among them to assassinate the      
,president1 ,i thought it  was my duty  
to go and tell him what ,i knew1 at the 
same time giving him  a new assurance of
 gratitude for what he had done for me4 
,knowing that ,i was among those who    
were waiting in the ante-chamber1 he    
sent immediately for me1 and received me
 with greater cordiality and  marks of  
kindness than ,i could expect4    8,i am
 so glad to meet you again10 he said3   
8you see that your friends1  the        
,jesuits1 have not yet killed me4 ,but  
they would have surely done it1  when ,i
 passed through their most devoted city1
 ,baltimore1 had ,i not  defeated their 
plans1 by passing incognito1 a few hours
 before they  expected me4 ,we have the 
proof that the company which had been   
selected  and organized to murder me1   
was lead by a rabid ,roman ,catholic1   
called  ,byrne2 it was almost entirely  

composed of ,roman ,catholics2 more than
  that1 there were two disguised priests
 among them1 to lead and encourage      
them4 ,i am sorry to have so little time
 to see you2 but ,i will not let  you go
 before telling you that1 a few days    
ago1 ,i saw ,mr4 ,morse1 the  learned   
inventor of electric telegraphy2 he told
 me that1 when he was in  ,rome1 not    
long ago1 he found out the proofs of a  
most formidable  conspiracy against this
 country and all its institutions4 ,it  
is evident  that it is to the intrigues 
and emissaries of the pope1 that we owe1
 in  great part1 the horrible civil war 
which is threatening to cover the       
country with blood and ruins4    8,i am 
sorry that ,prof4 ,morse had to leave   
,rome before he could know more  about  
the secret plans of the ,jesuits against
 the liberties and the very  existence  
of this country4 ,but do you know that  
,i want you to take his  place and      
continue that investigation8 ,my plan is
 to attach you to my  ambassador of     

,france1 as one of the secretaries4 ,in 
that honorable  position1 you would go  
from ,paris to ,rome1 where you might   
find1 through  the directions of ,mr4   
,morse1 an opportunity of reuniting the 
broken  threads of his researches4 #8,it
 takes a ,greek to fight a ,greek4' ,as 
you  have been twenty-five years a      
priest of ,rome1 ,i do not know any man 
in  the ,united ,states so well         
acquainted as you are with the tricks of
 the  ,jesuits1 and on the devotedness  
of whom ,i could better rely4 ,and1 when
  once on the staff of my ambassador1   
even as one of the secretaries1  might  
you not soon yourself become the        
ambassador8 ,i am in need of  ,christian
 men in every department of the public  
service1 but more in  those high        
positions4 ,what do you think of that80 
,illustration    8,my dear ,president10 
,i answered1 8,i feel overwhelmed by    
your kindness4  ,surely nothing could be
 more pleasant to me than to grant your 
request4  ,the honor you want to confer 

upon me is much above my merit2 but my  
conscience tells me that ,i cannot give 
up the preaching of the ,gospel to  my  
poor ,french-,canadian countrymen1 who  
are still in the errors of  ,popery4    
,for ,i am about the only one who1 by   
the ,providence of ,god1 has  any real  
influence over them4 ,i am1 surely1 the 
only one the bishops and  priests seem  
to fear in that work4 ,the many attempts
 they have made to  take away my life   
are a proof of it4 ,besides that1 though
 ,i consider the  present ,president of 
the ,united ,states much above the      
,emperors of  ,france1 ,russia1 and     
,austria1 much above the greatest kings 
of the world1  ,i feel that ,i am the   
servant1 the ambassador of ,one who is  
as much above  even the good and great  
,president of the ,united ,states1 as   
the heavens  are above the earth4 ,i    
appeal to your own ,christian and       
honorable  feelings to know if ,i can   
forsake the one for the other40    ,the 
,president became very solemn1 and      

replied3    8,you are right6 you are    
right6 ,there is nothing so great under 
heaven1  as to be the ambassador of     
,christ40    ,but1 then1 coming back to 
himself1 with one of his fine jokes1    
which he  had always ready1 he added3   
8,yes6 yes6 ,you are the ambassador of a
 greater ,prince than ,i am2 but he     
does not pay you with as good cash as ,i
 would do40    ,he then added3 8,i am   
exceedingly pleased to see you4         
,however1 ,i am so  pressed1 just now1  
by most important affairs1 that you must
 excuse me if  ,i ask you to give your  
place to one of my generals who is1     
there1  waiting for me4 ,please come    
again1 to-morrow1 at ten o'clock1 ,i    
have a  very important question to ask  
you1 on a matter which has been         
constantly before my mind1 these last   
few weeks40    ,the next day1 ,i was    
there1 at the appointed hour1 with my   
noble friend1  who said3    8,i could   
not give you more than ten minutes1     
yesterday1 but ,i will give  you twenty1

 to-day2 ,i want your views about a     
thing which is exceedingly  puzzling to 
me1 and you are the only one to whom ,i 
like to speak on that  subject4 ,a great
 number of ,democratic papers have been 
sent to me1  lately1 evidently written  
by ,roman ,catholics1 publishing that ,i
 was born  a ,roman ,catholic1 and      
baptized by a priest4 ,they call me a   
renegade1 an  apostate1 on account of   
that2 and they heap upon my head        
mountains of  abuse4 ,at first1 ,i      
laughed at that1 for it is a lie4       
,thanks be to ,god1 ,i  have never been 
a ,roman ,catholic4 ,no priest of ,rome 
has ever laid his  hand on my head4 ,but
 the persistency of the ,romish press to
 present this  falsehood to their       
readers as a gospel truth1 must have a  
meaning4  ,please tell me1 as briefly as
 possible1 what you think about that40  
8,my dear ,president10 ,i answered1 8it 
was just this strange story  published  
about you1 which brought me here1       
yesterday4 ,i wanted to say a  word     

about it2 but you were too busy4        
8,let me tell you that ,i wept as a     
child when ,i read that story for the   
first time4 ,for1 not only my impression
 is1 that it is your sentence of  death2
 but ,i have from the lips of a         
converted priest1 that it is in  order  
to excite the fanaticism of the ,roman  
,catholic murderers1 whom  they hope to 
find1 sooner or later1 to strike you    
down1 they have  invented that false    
story of your being born in the ,church 
of ,rome1 and  of your being baptized by
 a priest4 ,they want by that to brand  
your face  with the ignominious mark of 
apostacy4 ,do not forget that1 in the   
,church  of ,rome1 an apostate is an    
outcast1 who has no place in society1   
and who  has no right to live4    8,the 
,jesuits want the ,roman ,catholics to  
believe that you are a monster1  an open
 enemy of ,god and of his ,church1 that 
you are an excommunicated  man4 ,for1   
every apostate is1 ipso facto 7by that  
very fact7  excommunicated4 ,i have     

brought to you the theology of one of   
the most  learned and approved of the   
,jesuits of his time1 ,bussambaum1 who1 
with  many others1 say that the man who 
will kill you will do a good and holy   
work4 ,more than that1 here is a copy of
 a decree of ,gregory ,,vii41           
proclaiming that the killing of an      
apostate1 or an heretic and an          
excommunicated man1 as you are declared 
to be1 is not murder2 nay1 that  it is a
 good1 a ,christian action4 ,that decree
 is incorporated in the  canon law1     
which every priest must study1 and which
 every good ,catholic  must follow4     
8,my dear ,president1 ,i must repeat to 
you here what ,i said when in  ,urbana1 
in #ahef4 ,my fear is that you will fall
 under the blows of a  ,jesuit assassin1
 if you do not pay more attention than  
you have done1  till now1 to protect    
yourself4 ,remember that because        
,coligny was an  heretic1 as you are1 he
 was brutally murdered in the ,st4      
,bartholomew  night2 that ,henry ,,iv4  

was stabbed by the ,jesuit assassin1    
,revaillac1 the  #adth of ,may1 #afaj1  
for having given liberty of conscience  
to his people1  and that ,william the   
,taciturn was shot dead by another      
,jesuit murderer1  called ,girard1 for  
having broken the yoke of the ,pope4    
,the ,church of  ,rome is absolutely the
 same to-day1 as she was then2 she does 
believe  and teach1 to-day1 as then1    
that she has the right and that it is   
her  duty to punish by death any heretic
 who is in her way as an obstacle to    
her designs4 ,the unanimity with which  
the ,catholic hierarchy of the  ,united 
,states is on the side of the rebels1 is
 an incontrovertible  evidence that     
,rome wants to destroy this republic1   
and as you are1 by  your personal       
virtues1 your popularity1 your love for 
liberty1 your  position1 the greatest   
obstacle to their diabolical scheme1    
their hatred  is concentrated upon you2 
you are the daily object of their       
maledictions2 it is at your breast they 

will direct their blows4 ,my  blood     
chills in my veins1 when ,i contemplate 
the day which may come1  sooner1 or     
later1 when ,rome will add to all her   
other iniquities1 the  murder of        
,abraham ,lincoln40    ,when saying     
these things to the ,president1 ,i was  
exceedingly moved1 my  voice was as     
choked1 and ,i could hardly retain my   
tears4 ,but the  ,president was         
perfectly calm4 ,when ,i had finished   
speaking1 he took the  volume of        
,bussambaum from my hands1 read the     
lines which ,i had marked  with red ink1
 and ,i helped him to translate them    
into ,english4 ,he1 then1  gave me back 
the book1 and said3    8,i will repeat  
to you what ,i said at ,urbana1 when for
 the first time you  told me your fears 
lest ,i would be assassinated by the    
,jesuits4 #8,man  must not care where   
and when he will die1 provided he dies  
at the post  of honor and duty4' ,but ,i
 may add1 to-day1 that ,i have a        
presentiment  that ,god will call me to 

him through the hand of an assassin4    
,let ,his  will1 and not mine1 be done60
 ,he then looked at his watch1 and said3
 8,i  am sorry that the twenty minutes  
,i had consecrated to our interview have
  almost passed away2 ,i will be forever
 grateful for the warning words you     
have addressed to me about the dangers  
ahead to my life1 from ,rome4 ,i  know  
that they are not imaginary dangers4 ,if
 ,i were fighting against a  ,protestant
 ,south1 as a nation1 there would be no 
danger of  assassination4 ,the nations  
who read the ,bible1 fight bravely on   
the  battle-fields1 but they do not     
assassinate their enemies4 ,the ,pope   
and  the ,jesuits1 with their infernal  
,inquisition1 are the only organized    
power in the world which have recourse  
to the dagger of the assassin to  murder
 those whom they cannot convince with   
their arguments1 or conquer  with the   
sword4    8,unfortunately1 ,i feel more 
and more1 every day1 that it is not     
against  the ,americans of the ,south1  

alone1 ,i am fighting1 it is more       
against the  ,pope of ,rome1 his        
perfidious ,jesuits and their blind and 
blood-thirsty  slaves1 than against the 
real ,american ,protestants1 that we    
have to  defend ourselves4 ,here is the 
real danger of our position4 ,so long as
  they will hope to conquer the ,north1 
they will spare me2 but the day we  will
 rout their armies 7and the day will    
surely come1 with the help of  ,god71   
take their cities1 and force them to    
submit2 then1 it is my  impression that 
the ,jesuits1 who are the principal     
rulers of the ,south1  will do what they
 have almost invariably done in the     
past4 ,the dagger or  the pistol of one 
of their adepts1 will do what the strong
 hands of the  warriors could not       
achieve4 ,this civil war seems to be    
nothing but a  political affair to those
 who do not see1 as ,i do1 the secret   
springs of  that terrible drama4 ,but it
 is more a religious than a civil war4  
,it is  ,rome who wants to rule and     

degrade the ,north1 as she has ruled and
  degraded the ,south1 from the very day
 of its discovery4 ,there are only  very
 few of the ,southern leaders who are   
not more or less under the  influence of
 the ,jesuits1 through their wives1     
family relations and  their friends4    
,several members of the family of ,jeff 
,davis belong to the  ,church of ,rome4 
,even the ,protestant ministers are     
under the influence of  the ,jesuits    
without suspecting it4 ,to keep her     
ascendency in the ,north1  as she does  
in the ,south1 ,rome is doing here what 
she has done in  ,mexico1 and in all the
 ,south ,american ,republics2 she is    
paralyzing1 by a  civil war1 the arms of
 the soldiers of ,liberty4 ,she divides 
our nation1  in order to weaken1 subdue 
and rule it4    8,surely we have some   
brave and reliable ,roman ,catholic     
officers and  soldiers in our armies1   
but they form an insignificant minority 
when  compared with the ,roman ,catholic
 traitors against whom we have to guard 

ourselves1 day and night4 ,the fact is1 
that the immense majority of the  ,roman
 ,catholic bishops1 priests and laymen1 
are rebels in heart1 when  they cannot  
be in fact2 with very few exceptions1   
they are publicly in  favor of slavery4 
,i understand1 now1 why the patriots of 
,france1 who  determined to see the     
colors of ,liberty floating over their  
great and  beautiful country1 were      
forced to hang or shoot almost all the  
priests  and the monks as the           
irreconcilable enemies of ,liberty4 ,for
 it is a  fact1 which is now evident to 
me1 that1 with very few exceptions1     
every  priest and every true ,roman     
,catholic is a determined enemy of      
,liberty4  ,their extermination1 in     
,france1 was one of those terrible      
necessities  which no human wisdom could
 avoid2 it looks to me now as an order  
from  heaven to save ,france4 ,may ,god 
grant that the same terrible necessity  
be  never felt in the ,united ,states6  
,but there is a thing which is very     

certain2 it is1 that if the ,american   
people could learn what ,i know of  the 
fierce hatred of the generality of the  
priests of ,rome against our            
institutions1 our schools1 our most     
sacred rights1 and our so dearly  bought
 liberties1 they would drive them away1 
to-morrow1 from among us1  or they would
 shoot them as traitors4 ,but ,i keep   
those sad secrets in my  heart2 you are 
the only one to whom ,i reveal them1 for
 ,i know that you  learned them before  
me4 ,the history of these last thousand 
years tells  us that wherever the       
,church of ,rome is not a dagger to     
pierce the bosom  of a free nation1 she 
is a stone to her neck1 and a ball to   
her feet1 to  paralyze her and prevent  
her advance in the ways of civilization1
  science1 intelligence1 happiness and  
liberty4 ,but ,i forget that my  twenty 
minutes are gone long ago4    8,please  
accept my sincere thanks for the new    
lights you have given me on  the dangers
 of my position1 and come again1 ,i will

 always see you with a  new pleasure40  
,my second visit to ,abraham ,lincoln   
was at the beginning of ,june1 #ahfb4   
,the grand victory of the ,monitor over 
the ,merrimac1 and the conquest of  ,new
 ,orleans1 by the brave and ,christian  
,farragut1 had filled every heart  with 
joy2 ,i wanted to unite my feeble voice 
to that of the whole  country1 to tell  
him how ,i blessed ,god for that        
glorious success4 ,but ,i  found him so 
busy that ,i could only shake hands with
 him4    ,the third and last time ,i    
went to pay my respects to the doomed   
,president1 and to warn him against the 
impending dangers which ,i knew  were   
threatening him1 was on the morning of  
,june #hth1 #ahfd1 when he was          
absolutely besieged by people who wanted
 to see him4 ,after a kind and  warm    
shaking of hands1 he said3    8,i am    
much pleased to see you again4 ,but it  
is impossible1 to-day1 to  say anything 
more than this4 ,to-morrow afternoon1 ,i
 will receive the  delegation of the    

deputies of all the loyal states1 sent  
to officially  announce the desire of   
the country that ,i should remain the   
,president  four years more4 ,i invite  
you to be present with them at that     
interesting meeting4 ,you will see some 
of the most prominent men of our        
,republic1 and ,i will be glad to       
introduce you to them4 ,you will not    
present yourself as a delegate of the   
people1 but only as the guest of  the   
,president2 and that there may be no    
trouble1 ,i will give you this  card1   
with a permit to enter with the         
delegation4 ,but do not leave           
,washington before ,i see you again2 ,i 
have some important matters on  which ,i
 want to know your mind40    ,the next  
day1 it was my privilege to have the    
greatest honor ever  received by me4    
,the good ,president wanted me to stand 
at his right hand1  when he received the
 delegation1 and hear the address       
presented by  ,governor ,dennison1 the  
,president of the convention1 to which  

he replied  in his own admirable        
simplicity and eloquence2 finishing by  
one of his  most witty anecdotes4 8,i am
 reminded in this convention of a story 
of an  old ,dutch farmer1 who remarked  
to a companion1 wisely1 #8that it was   
not  best to swap horses when crossing a
 stream4'0    ,the next day1 he kindly  
took me with him in his carriage1 when  
visiting  the #cj1jjj wounded soldiers  
picked up on the battle-fields of the   
seven  days battle of the ,wilderness1  
and the thirty days battle around       
,richmond1 where ,grant was just        
breaking the backbone of the rebellion4 
,on the way to and from the hospitals1  
,i could not talk much4 ,the noise  of  
the carriage rapidly drawn on the       
pavement was too great4 ,besides  that1 
my soul was so much distressed1 and my  
heart so much broken by the  sight of   
the horrors of that fracticidal war1    
that my voice was as  stifled4 ,the only
 thought which seemed to occupy the mind
 of the  ,president was the part which  

,rome had in that horrible struggle4    
,many  times he repeated3    8,this war 
would never have been possible without  
the sinister influence  of the ,jesuits4
 ,we owe it to ,popery that we now see  
our land reddened  with the blood of her
 noblest sons4 ,though there were great 
differences  of opinion between the     
,south and the ,north1 on the question  
of slavery2  neither ,jeff ,davis nor   
any one of the leading men of the       
,confederacy  would have dared to attack
 the ,north1 had they not relied on the 
promises of the ,jesuits1 that1 under   
the mask of ,democracy1 the money  and  
the arms of the ,roman ,catholics1 even 
the arms of ,france1 were at  their     
disposal1 if they would attack us4 ,i   
pity the priests1 the bishops  and the  
monks of ,rome in the ,united ,states1  
when the people realize that  they are1 
in great part1 responsible for the tears
 and the blood shed in  this war2 the   
later the more terrible will the        
retribution be4 ,i conceal  what ,i     

know1 on that subject1 from the         
knowledge of the nation2 for if  the    
people knew the whole truth1 this war   
would turn into a religious  war1 and it
 would1 at once1 take a tenfold more    
savage and bloody  character4 ,it would 
become merciless as all religious wars  
are4 ,it would  become a war of         
extermination on both sides4 ,the       
,protestants of both the  ,north and the
 ,south would surely unite to           
exterminate the priests and  the        
,jesuits1 if they could hear what       
,professor ,morse has said to me of  the
 plots made in the very city of ,rome to
 destroy this ,republic1 and if  they   
could learn how the priests1 the nuns1  
and the monks1 who daily  land on our   
shores1 under the pretext of preaching  
their religion1  instructing the people 
in their schools1 taking care of the    
sick in the  hospitals1 are nothing else
 but the emissaries of the ,pope1 of    
,napoleon1  and the other despots of    
,europe1 to undermine our institutions1 

alienate  the hearts of our people from 
our constitution1 and our laws1 destroy 
our schools1 and prepare a reign of     
anarchy here as they have done in       
,ireland1 in ,mexico1 in ,spain1 and    
wherever there are any people who want  
to be free1 etc40    ,when the          
,president was speaking thus1 we arrived
 at the door of his  mansion4 ,he       
invited me to go with him to his study1 
and said3    8,though ,i am very busy1  
,i must rest an hour with you4 ,i am in 
need of  that rest4 ,my head is aching1 
,i feel as crushed under the burden of  
affairs which are on my shoulders4      
,there are many important things about  
the plots of the ,jesuits that ,i can   
learn only from you4 ,please wait  just 
a moment1 ,i have just received some    
dispatches from ,general ,grant1  to    
which ,i must give an answer4 ,my       
secretary is waiting for me4 ,i go to   
him4 ,please amuse yourself with those  
books1 during my short absence40        
,twenty-five minutes later1 the         

,president had returned1 with his face  
flushed with joy4    8,glorious news6   
,general ,grant has again beaten ,lee1  
and forced him to  retreat towards      
,richmond1 where he will have to        
surrender before long4  ,grant is a real
 hero4 ,but let us come to the question 
,i want to put to  you4 ,have you read  
the letter of the ,pope to ,jeff ,davis1
 and what do you  think of it80    8,my 
dear ,president10 ,i answered1 8it is   
just that letter which brought  me to   
your presence again1 day before         
yesterday4 ,i wanted to come and  see   
you1 from the very day ,i read it4 ,but 
,i knew you were so overwhelmed  with   
the affairs of your government1 that ,i 
would not be able to see  you4 ,however1
 the anxieties of my mind were so1 that 
,i determined to go  over every barrier 
to warn you again against the new       
dangers and plots  which ,i knew would  
come out from that perfidious letter1   
against your  life4    8,that letter is 
a poisoned arrow thrown by the ,pope1 at

 you personally2  and it will be more   
than a miracle if it be not your        
irrevocable warrant  of death4 ,before  
reading it1 it is true that every       
,catholic could see by  the unanimity of
 the bishops siding with rebel cause1   
that their church1  as a whole1 was     
against this free ,republican           
government4 ,however1 a good  number of 
liberty-loving ,irish1 ,german and      
,french ,catholics1 following  more the 
instincts of their noble nature1 than   
the degrading principles  of their      
church1 enrolled themselves under the   
banners of ,liberty1 and  they have     
fought like heroes4 ,to detach these men
 from the rank and file  of the         
,northern armies1 and force them to help
 the cause of the  rebellion1 became the
 object of the intrigues of the         
,jesuits4 ,secret and  pressing letters 
were addressed from ,rome to the        
bishops1 ordering them  to weaken your  
armies by detaching those men from you4 
,the bishops  answered1 that they could 

not do that without exposing themselves 
to be  shot4 ,but they advised the ,pope
 to acknowledge1 at once1 the legitimacy
  of the ,southern ,republic1 and to    
take ,jeff ,davis under his supreme     
protection1 by a letter1 which would be 
read everywhere4    8,that letter1 then1
 tells logically the ,roman ,catholics  
that you are a  bloody tyrant6 a most   
execrable being when fighting against a 
government  which the infallible and    
holy ,pope of ,rome recognizes as       
legitimate4 ,the  ,pope1 by this letter1
 tells his blind slaves that you are an 
infamous  usurper1 when considering     
yourself the ,president of the ,southern
 ,states2  that you are outraging the   
,god of heaven and earth1 by continuing 
such a  bloody war to subdue a nation   
over whom ,god ,almighty has declared1  
through his infallible pontiff1 the     
,pope1 that you have not the least      
right2 that letter means that you will  
give an account to ,god and man  for the
 blood and tears you cause to flow in   

order to satisfy your  ambition4    8,by
 this letter of the ,pope to ,jeff      
,davis you are not only an apostate1  as
 you were thought before1 whom every man
 had the right to kill1  according to   
the canonical laws of ,rome2 but you are
 more vile1 criminal  and cruel than the
 horse thief1 the public bandit1 and the
 lawless  brigand1 robber and murderer1 
whom it is a duty to stop and kill1 when
  we take them in their acts of blood1  
and that there is no other way to  put  
an end to their plunders and murders4   
8,and1 my dear ,president1 the meaning  
,i give you of this perfidious  letter  
of the ,pope to ,jeff ,davis1 is not a  
fancy imagination on my part1  it is the
 unanimous explanation given me by a    
great number of the  priests of ,rome1  
with whom ,i have had occasion to speak 
on that subject4  ,in the name of ,god1 
and in the name of our dear country1    
which is so  much in need of your       
services1 ,i conjure you to pay more    
attention to  protect your precious     

life1 and not continue to expose it as  
you have  done till now40    ,the       
,president listened to my words with    
breathless attention4 ,he  replied3     
8,you confirm me in the views ,i had    
taken of the letter of the ,pope4       
,professor ,morse is of the same mind   
with you4 ,it is1 indeed1 the most      
perfidious act which could occur under  
present circumstances4 ,you are         
perfectly correct when you say that it  
was to detach the ,roman ,catholics  who
 had enrolled themselves in our armies4 
,since the publication of that  letter1 
a great number of them have deserted    
their banners and turned  traitors2 very
 few1 comparatively1 have remained true 
to their oath of  fidelity4 ,it is1     
however1 very lucky that one of those   
few1 ,sheridan1 is  worth a whole army  
by his ability1 his patriotism and his  
heroic  courage4 ,it is true1 also1 that
 ,meade has remained with us1 and gained
  the bloody battle of ,gettysburgh4    
,but how could he lose it1 when he was  

surrounded by such heroes as ,howard1   
,reynolds1 ,buford1 ,wadsworth1         
,cutler1 ,slocum1 ,sickles1 ,hancock1   
,barnes1 etc4 ,but it is evident that   
his ,romanism superseded his patriotism 
after the battle4 ,he let the army  of  
,lee escape1 when it was so easy to cut 
his retreat and force him to  surrender1
 after having lost nearly the half of   
his soldiers in the last  three days'   
carnage4    8,when ,meade was to order  
the pursuit1 after the battle1 a        
stranger came1  in haste1 to the        
headquarters1 and that stranger was a   
disguised ,jesuit4  ,after a ten        
minutes' conversation with him1 ,meade  
made such arrangements  for the pursuit 
of the enemy1 that he escaped almost    
untouched1 with the  loss of only two   
guns6    8,you are right10 continued the
 ,president1 8when you say that this    
letter  of the ,pope has entirely       
changed the nature and the ground of the
 war4  ,before they read it1 the ,roman 
,catholics could see that ,i was        

fighting  against ,jeff ,davis and his  
,southern ,confederacy4 ,but now1 they  
must  believe that it is against ,christ
 and his holy vicar1 the ,pope1 that ,i 
am raising my sacrilegious hands2 we    
have the daily proofs that their        
indignation1 their hatred1 their malice1
 against me1 are an hundredfold         
intensified4 ,new projects of           
assassination are detected almost every 
day1 accompanied with such savage       
circumstances that they bring to my     
memory the massacres of the ,st4        
,bartholomew and the gunpowder plot4 ,we
  feel1 at their investigation1 that    
they come from the same masters in  the 
art of murder1 the ,jesuits4    8,the   
,new ,york riots were evidently a       
,romish plot from beginning to end4  ,we
 have the proofs in hand1 that they were
 the work of ,bishop ,hughes and  his   
emissaries4 ,no doubt can remain in the 
minds of the most incredulous  about    
that bloody attempt of ,rome to destroy 
,new ,york1 when he knows the  easy way 

it was stopped4 ,i wrote to ,bishop     
,hughes1 telling him that the  whole    
country would hold him responsible for  
it1 if he would not stop it  at once4   
,he1 then1 gathered the rioters around  
his palace1 called them  his #8dear     
friends1' invited them to go back home  
peacefully1 and all was  finished6 so   
,jupiter of old used to raise a storm1  
and stop it with a  nod of his head6    
8,from the beginning of our civil war1  
there has been1 not a secret1 but  a    
public alliance1 between the ,pope of   
,rome and ,jeff ,davis2 and that        
alliance has followed the common laws of
 this world's affairs4 ,the  greater has
 led the smaller1 the stronger has      
guided the weaker4 ,the  ,pope and his  
,jesuits1 have advised1 supported1 and  
directed ,jeff ,davis  on the land1 from
 the first gun shot1 at ,fort ,sumter1  
by the rabid ,roman  ,catholic1         
,beauregard4 ,they are helping him on   
the sea1 by guiding and  supporting the 
other rabid ,roman ,catholic pirate1    

,semmes1 on the ocean4  ,and they will  
help the rebellion when firing their    
last gun to shed the  blood of the last 
soldier of ,liberty1 who will fall in   
this fratricidal  war4 ,in my interview 
with ,bishop ,hughes1 ,i told him1      
#8that every  stranger who had sworn    
allegiance to our government by becoming
 a ,united  ,states citizen1 as himself1
 was liable to be shot or hung as a     
perjured  traitor1 and an armed spy1 as 
the sentence of the court martial may   
direct4 ,and he will be so shot and     
hanged accordingly1 as there will be  no
 exchange of such prisoners4' ,after ,i 
had put this flea in the ears of  the   
,romish bishop1 ,i requested him to go  
and report my words to the  ,pope4      
,seeing the dangerous position of his   
bishops and priests when  siding with   
the rebels1 my hope was that he would   
advise them1 for their  own interests1  
to become loyal and true to their       
allegiance and help us  through the     
remaining part of the war4 ,but the     

result has been the very  contrary4 ,the
 ,pope has thrown away the mask1 and    
shown himself the  public partisan and  
the protector of the rebellion1 by      
taking ,jeff ,davis  by the hand1 and   
impudently recognizing the ,southern    
,states as a  legitimate government4    
,now1 ,i have the proof in hand that    
that very  ,bishop ,hughes1 whom ,i had 
sent to ,rome that he might induce the  
,pope to  urge the ,roman ,catholics of 
the ,north at least1 to be true to their
 oath  of allegiance1 and whom ,i       
thanked publicly1 when1 under the       
impression  that he had acted honestly1 
according to the promise he had given   
me1 is  the very man who advised the    
,pope to recognize the legitimacy of the
  ,southern ,republic1 and put the whole
 weight of his tiara in the balance     
against us1 in favor of our enemies6    
,such is the perfidy of those  ,jesuits4
 ,two cankers are biting the very       
entrails of the ,united ,states1        
to-day3 the ,romish and the ,mormon     

priests4 ,both are quietly at work to   
form a people of the most abject1       
ignorant and fanatical slaves1 who  will
 recognize no other authority but their 
supreme pontiffs4 ,both are  aiming at  
the destruction of our schools1 to raise
 themselves upon our  ruins4 ,both      
shelter themselves under our grand and  
holy principles of  liberty of          
conscience1 to destroy that very liberty
 of conscience1 and  bind the world     
before their heavy and ignominious yoke4
 ,the ,mormon and  the ,jesuit priests  
are equally the uncompromising enemies  
of our  constitution and our laws2 but  
the more dangerous of the two is the    
,jesuit--the ,romish priest1 for he     
knows better how to conceal his hatred  
under the mask of friendship and public 
good2 he is better trained to  commit   
the most cruel and diabolical deeds for 
the glory of ,god4    8,till lately1 ,i 
was in favor of the unlimited liberty of
 conscience1 as  our constitution gives 
it to the ,roman ,catholics4 ,but now1  

it seems to  me that1 sooner or later1  
the people will be forced to put a      
restriction  to that clause towards the 
,papists4 ,is it not an act of folly to 
give  absolute liberty of conscience to 
a set of men who are publicly sworn to  
cut our throats the very day they have  
their opportunity for doing it8  ,is it 
right to give the privilege of          
citizenship to men who are the  sworn   
and public enemies of our constitution1 
our laws1 our liberties1  and our lives8
    8,the very moment that ,popery      
assumed the right of life and death on a
  citizen of ,france1 ,spain1 ,germany1 
,england1 or the ,united ,states1 it    
assumed to be the power1 in the         
government of ,france1 ,spain1 ,england1
  ,germany1 and the ,united ,states4    
,those states then committed a suicidal 
act by allowing ,popery to put a foot on
 their territory with the  privilege of 
citizenship4 ,the power of life and     
death is the supreme  power1 and two    
supreme powers cannot exist on the same 

territory  without anarchy1 riots1      
bloodshed and civil wars without end4   
,when  ,popery will give up the power of
 life and death which it proclaims as   
its own divine power1 in all its        
theological books and canon laws1 then1 
alone1 it can be tolerated and can      
receive the privileges of  citizenship1 
in a free country4    8,is it not an    
absurdity to give to a man a thing which
 he is sworn to  hate1 curse and        
destroy8 ,and does not the ,church of   
,rome hate1 curse and  destroy liberty  
of conscience1 whenever she can do it   
safely8    8,i am for liberty of        
conscience in its noblest1 broadest1    
highest sense4  ,but ,i cannot give     
liberty of conscience to the ,pope and  
to his  followers1 the papists1 so long 
as they tell me1 through all their      
councils1 theologians and canon laws1   
that their conscience orders them  to   
burn my wife1 strangle my children1 and 
cut my throat when they find  the       
opportunity6    8,this does not seem to 

be understood by the people1 to-day4    
,but sooner  or later1 the light of     
common sense will make it clear to every
 one1  that no liberty of conscience can
 be granted to men who are sworn to     
obey a ,pope1 who pretends to have the  
right to put to death those who  differ 
from him in religion4    ,you are not   
the first to warn me against the dangers
 of assassination4  ,my ambassadors in  
,italy1 ,france and ,england1 as well as
 ,professor ,morse1  have1 many times1  
warned me against the plots of the      
murderers whom they  have detected in   
those different countries4 ,but ,i see  
no other safeguard  against those       
murderers1 but to be always ready to    
die1 as ,christ  advises it4 ,as we must
 all die sooner or later1 it makes very 
little  difference to me whether ,i die 
from a dagger plunged through the heart 
or from an inflammation of the lungs4   
,let me tell you that ,i have1  lately1 
read a passage in the ,old ,testament   
which has made a profound1  and1 ,i     

hope1 a salutary impression on me4 ,here
 is that passage40    ,the ,president   
took his ,bible1 opened it at the third 
chapter of  ,deuteronomy1 and read from 
the #bbnd to the #bhth verse4    8#bb4  
,ye shall not fear them2 for the ,lord  
your ,god shall fight for you4    8#bc4 
,and ,i besought the ,lord at that time1
 saying3    8#bd4 ,o ,lord ,god1 thou   
hast begun to show thy servant thy      
greatness1 and  thy mighty hand2 for    
what ,god is there1 in heaven or in     
earth1 that can  do according to thy    
words1 and according to thy might6      
8#be4 ,i pray thee1 let me go over and  
see the good land that is beyond        
,jordan1 that goodly mountain1 and      
,lebanon4    8#bf4 ,but ,god was wroth  
with me for your sakes1 and would not   
hear me3  and the ,lord said unto me1   
let it suffice thee3 speak no more unto 
me of  this matter3    8#bg4 ,get thee  
up unto the top of ,pisgah1 and lift up 
thine eyes westward  and northward1 and 
southward and eastward1 and behold it   

with thine  eyes3 for thou shalt not go 
over this ,jordan40    ,after the       
,president had read these words with    
great solemnity1 he added3    8,my ,dear
 ,father ,chiniquy1 let me tell you that
 ,i have read these strange  and        
beautiful words several times1 these    
last five or six weeks4 ,the  more ,i   
read them1 the more1 it seems to me that
 ,god has written them for  me as well  
as for ,moses4    8,has he not taken me 
from my poor log cabin by the hand1 as  
he did of  ,moses in the reeds of the   
,nile1 to put me at the head of the     
greatest  and the most blessed of modern
 nations1 just as he put that prophet at
  the head of the most blessed nation of
 ancient times8 ,has not ,god  granted  
me a privilege1 which was not granted to
 any living man1 when ,i  broke the     
fetters of #d1jjj1jjj of men1 and made  
them free8 ,has not our  ,god given me  
the most glorious victories over our    
enemies8 ,are not the  armies of the    
,confederacy so reduced to a handful of 

men1 when compared  to what they were   
two years ago2 that the day is fast     
approaching when  they will have to     
surrender4    8,now1 ,i see the end of  
this terrible conflict1 with the same   
joy of  ,moses1 when at the end of his  
trying forty years in the wilderness2   
and  ,i pray my ,god to grant me to see 
the days of peace and untold            
prosperity1 which will follow this cruel
 war1 as ,moses asked ,god to see  the  
other side of ,jordan and enter the     
,promised ,land4 ,but1 do you know  that
 ,i hear in my soul1 as the voice of    
,god1 giving me the rebuke which  was   
given to ,moses8    8,yes6 every time   
that my soul goes to ,god to ask the    
favor of seeing the  other side of      
,jordan1 and eating the fruits of that  
peace1 after which ,i  am longing with  
such an unspeakable desire1 do you know 
that there is a  still but solemn voice1
 which tells me that ,i will see those  
things only  from a long distance1 and  
that ,i will be among the dead1 when the

  nation1 which ,god granted me to lead 
through those awful trials1 will  cross 
the ,jordan1 and dwell in that ,land of 
,promise1 where peace1  industry1       
happiness and liberty will make everyone
 happy1 and why so8  ,because he has    
already given me favors which he never  
gave1 ,i dare say1  to any man in these 
latter days4    8,why did ,god ,almighty
 refuse to ,moses the favor of crossing 
the ,jordan1  and 'entering the         
,promised ,land8 ,it was on account of  
his own nation's  sins6 ,that law of    
divine retribution and justice1 by which
 one must  suffer for another1 is surely
 a terrible mystery4 ,but it is a fact  
which  no man who has any intelligence  
and knowledge can deny4 ,moses1 who knew
  that law1 though he probably did not  
understand it better than we do1  calmly
 says to his people3 #8,god was wroth   
with me for your sakes4'    8,but1      
though we do not understand that        
mysterious and terrible law1 we  find it
 written in letters of tears and blood  

wherever we go4 ,we do not  read a      
single page of history1 without finding 
undeniable traces of its  existence4    
8,where is the mother who has not shed  
tears and suffered real tortures1  for  
her children's sake8    8,who is the    
good king1 the worthy emperor1 the      
gifted chieftain1 who  have not suffered
 unspeakable mental agonies1 or even    
death1 for their  people's sake8    8,is
 not our ,christian religion the highest
 expression of the wisdom1  mercy and   
love of ,god6 ,but what is ,christianity
 if not the very  incarnation of that   
eternal law of divine justice in our    
humanity8    8,when ,i look on ,moses1  
alone1 silently dying on the ,mount     
,pisgah1 ,i see  that law1 in one of its
 most sublime human manifestations1 and 
,i am  filled with admiration and awe4  
8,but when ,i consider that law of      
justice1 and expiation in the death of  
the ,just1 the divine ,son of ,mary1 on 
the mountain of ,calvary1 ,i remain     
mute in my adoration4 ,the spectacle of 

the crucified one which is before  my   
eyes1 is more than sublime1 it is       
divine6 ,moses died for his people's    
sake1 but ,christ died for the whole    
world's sake6 ,both died to fulfill  the
 same eternal law of the divine justice1
 though in a different  measure4        
8,now1 would it not be the greatest of  
honors and privileges bestowed  upon me1
 if ,god1 in his infinite love1 mercy   
and wisdom1 would put me  between his   
faithful servant1 ,moses1 and his       
eternal ,son1 ,jesus1 that ,i  might die
 as they did1 for my nation's sake6     
8,my ,god alone knows what ,i have      
already suffered for my dear country's  
sake4 ,but my fear is that the justice  
of ,god is not yet paid3 ,when ,i  look 
upon the rivers of tears and blood drawn
 by the lashes of the  merciless masters
 from the veins of the very heart of    
those millions of  defenceless slaves1  
these two hundred years3 ,when ,i       
remember the  agonies1 the cries1 the   
unspeakable tortures of those           

unfortunate people  to which ,i have1 to
 some extent1 connived with so many     
others1 a part of  my life1 ,i fear that
 we are still far from the complete     
expiation4 ,for  the judgments of ,god  
are true and righteous4    8,it seems to
 me that the ,lord wants1 to-day1 as he 
wanted in the days of  ,moses1 another  
victim--a victim which he has himself   
chosen1 anointed and  prepared for the  
sacrifice1 by raising it above the rest 
of his people4  ,i cannot conceal from  
you that my impression is that ,i am the
 victim4 ,so  many plots have already   
been made against my life1 that it is a 
real  miracle that they have all failed1
 when we consider that the great        
majority of them were in the hands of   
skillful ,roman ,catholic murderers1    
evidently trained by ,jesuits4 ,but can 
we expect that ,god will make a         
perpetual miracle to save my life8 ,i   
believe not4 ,the ,jesuits are so       
expert in those deeds of blood1 that    
,henry ,,iv4 said that it was           

impossible to escape them1 and he became
 their victim1 though he did all  that  
could be done to protect himself4 ,my   
escape from their hands1 since  the     
letter of the ,pope to ,jeff ,davis has 
sharpened a million of daggers  to      
pierce my breast1 would be more than a  
miracle4    8,but just as the ,lord     
heard no murmur from the lips of ,moses1
 when he  told him that he had to die1  
before crossing the ,jordan1 for the    
sins of  his people1 so ,i hope and pray
 that he will hear no murmur from me    
when  ,i fall for my nation's sake4     
8,the only two favors ,i ask of the     
,lord1 are1 first1 that ,i may die for  
the sacred cause in which ,i am engaged1
 and when ,i am the  standard-bearer of 
the rights and liberties of my country4 
8,the second favor ,i ask from ,god1 is 
that my dear son1 ,robert1 when ,i am   
gone1 will be one of those who lift up  
that flag of ,liberty which will  cover 
my tomb1 and carry it with honor and    
fidelity1 to the end of his  life1 as   

his father did1 surrounded by the       
millions who will be called  with him to
 fight and die for the defence and honor
 of our country40    ,never had ,i heard
 such sublime words4 ,never had ,i seen 
a human face so  solemn and so          
prophet-like as the face of the         
,president1 when uttering  these things4
 ,every sentence had come to me as a    
hymn from heaven1  reverberated by the  
echoes of the mountains of ,pisgah and  
,calvary4 ,i was  beside myself4 ,bathed
 in tears1 ,i tried to say something1   
but ,i could  not utter a word4    ,i   
knew the hour to leave had come1 ,i     
asked from the ,president permission  to
 fall on my knees1 and pray with him    
that his life might be spared2  and he  
knelt with me4 ,but ,i prayed more with 
my tears and sobs than with  my words4  
,then ,i pressed his hand on my lips and
 bathed it with my tears1 and with  a   
heart filled with an unspeakable        
desolation1 ,i bade him ,adieu6 ,it was 
for the last time6    ,for the hour was 

fast approaching when he was to fall by 
the hand of a  ,jesuit assassin1 for his
 nation's sake4                         
,,chapter ,,lxi4    ,,abraham ,,lincoln 
,a ,,true ,,man ,,of ,,god1 ,,and ,a    
,,true ,,disciple ,,of ,,the            
,,gospel--,,his    ,,assassination ,,by 
,,booth--,,the ,,tool ,,of ,,the        
,,priests--,,mary ,,surratt',s          
,,house--,,the ,,rendezvous ,,and       
,,dwelling ,,place ,,of ,,the           
,,priests--,,john ,,surratt             
,,secreted ,,by ,,the ,,priests ,,after 
,,the ,,murder ,,of ,,lincoln--,,the    
,,assassination    ,,of ,,lincoln       
,,known ,,and ,,published ,,in ,,the    
,,town ,,three ,,hours ,,before ,,its   
,,occurrence4      ,every time ,i met   
,president ,lincoln1 ,i wondered how    
such elevation of  thought and such     
childish simplicity could be found in   
the same man4  ,after my interviews with
 him1 many times1 ,i said to myself3    
8,how can  this rail-splitter have so   
easily raised himself to the highest    

range of  human thought and philosophy80
    ,the secret of this was1 that       
,lincoln had spent a great part of his  
life  at the school of ,christ1 and that
 he had meditated his sublime teachings 
to an extent unsuspected by the world4  
,i found in him1 the most perfect  type 
of ,christianity ,i ever met4           
,professedly1 he was neither a strict   
,presbyterian1 nor a ,baptist1 or a     
,methodist2 but he was the embodiment of
 all which is more perfect and          
,christian in them4 ,his religion was   
the very essence of what ,god wants  in 
man4 ,it was from ,christ himself1 he   
had learned to love his ,god and  his   
neighbor1 as it was from ,christ he had 
learned the dignity and the  value of   
man4 8,ye are all brethren1 the children
 of ,god10 was his great  motto4    ,it 
was from the ,gospel that he had learned
 his principles of equality1  fraternity
 and liberty1 as it was from the ,gospel
 he had learned that  sublime1 childish 
simplicity1 which1 alone1 and forever1  

won the  admiration and affection of all
 those who approached him4 ,i could cite
  many facts to illustrate this1 but ,i 
will give only one1 not to be too  long3
 ,it is taken from the memoirs of ,mr4  
,bateman1 ,superintendent of  ,public   
,instruction for the ,state of          
,illinois4    8,mr4 ,lincoln paused2 for
 long minutes1 his features surcharged  
with  emotion4 ,then1 he rose and walked
 up and down the reception-room1 in the 
effort to retain1 or regain his         
self-possession4 ,stopping1 at last1 he 
said1 with a trembling voice1 and his   
cheeks wet with tears3    8#8,i know    
there is a ,god1 and that ,he hates     
injustice and slavery4 ,i see  the storm
 coming1 and ,i know that ,his hand is  
in it4 ,if ,he has a place  and work for
 me1 and ,i think ,he has1 ,i believe ,i
 am ready6 ,i am nothing1  but truth is 
everything6 ,i know ,i am right1 because
 ,i know that liberty  is right2 for    
,christ teaches it1 and ,christ is ,god4
 ,i have told them  that a house divided

 against itself cannot stand1 and that  
,christ and  reason say the same thing1 
and they will find it so4    8#8,douglas
 does not care whether slavery is voted 
up or down4 ,but ,god  cares1 and       
humanity cares1 and ,i care4 ,and with  
,god's help1 ,i will not  fail4 ,i may  
not see the end1 but it will come1 and  
,i shall be  vindicated2 and those men  
will see that they have not read their  
,bible  right6    8#8,does it not appear
 strange that men can ignore the moral  
aspect of  this contest4 ,a revelation  
could not make it plainer to me that    
slavery1  or the ,government1 must be   
destroyed4 ,the future would be         
something  awful1 as ,i look at it1 but 
for this ,,rock on which ,i stand       
7alluding to  the ,gospel book he still 
held in his hand74 ,it seems as if ,god 
had borne  with slavery until the very  
teachers of religion had come to defend 
it  from the ,bible1 and to claim for it
 a divine character and sanction4 ,and  
now the cup of iniquity is full1 and the

 vials of wrath will be poured  out4'0  
,mr4 ,bateman adds3 8,after this1 the   
conversation was continued for a long   
time4 ,everything he said was of a very 
deep1 tender and religious tone1  and   
all was tinged with a touching          
melancholy4 ,he repeatedly referred to  
his conviction #8that the day of wrath  
was at hand1' and that he was to  be an 
actor in the struggle which would end in
 the overthrow of slavery1  though he   
might not live to see the end4          
8,after further reference to a belief in
 ,divine ,providence1 and the fact  of  
,god1 in history1 the conversation      
turned upon prayer4 ,he freely  stated  
his belief in the duty1 privilege and   
efficacy of prayer2 and he  intimated1  
in no unmistakable terms1 that he had   
sought1 in that way1  the divine        
guidance and favor40    ,the effect of  
this conversation upon the mind of ,mr4 
,bateman1 a  ,christian gentleman1 whom 
,mr4 ,lincoln profoundly respected1 was 
to  convince him that ,mr4 ,lincoln had1

 in his quiet way1 found a path to the  
,christian stand-point2 that he had     
found ,god1 and rested on the eternal   
truth of ,god4 ,as the two men were     
about to separate1 ,mr4 ,bateman        
remarked3    8,i had not supposed that  
you were accustomed to think so much    
upon this  class of subjects2 certainly 
your friends1 generally1 are ignorant of
  the sentiments you have expressed to  
me40    ,he quickly replied3 8,i know   
they are1 but ,i think more on these    
subjects  than upon all others1 and ,i  
have done so for years2 and ,i am       
willing you  should know it40--,the     
,inner ,life of ,lincoln1 by ,carpenter1
 pages  #aic-aie4    ,more than once1 ,i
 felt as if ,i were in the presence of  
on old prophet1  when listening to his  
views about the future destinies of the 
,united  ,states4 ,in one of my last    
interviews with him1 ,i was filled with 
an  admiration which it would be        
difficult to express1 when ,i heard the 
following views and predictions3    8,it

 is with the southern leaders of this   
civil war1 as with the big and  small   
wheels of our railroad cars4 ,those who 
ignore the laws of  mechanics are apt to
 think that the large1 strong and noisy 
wheels that  they see1 are the motive   
power1 but they are mistaken4 ,the real 
motive  power is not seen2 it is        
noiseless and well concealed in the     
dark1  behind its iron walls4 ,the      
motive power are the few well concealed 
pails  of water heated into steam1 which
 is itself directed by the noiseless1   
small1 but unerring engineer's finger4  
8,the common people see and hear the    
big1 noisy wheels of the ,southern      
,confederacy's cars1 they call them     
,jeff ,davis1 ,lee1 ,toombs1            
,beauregard1  ,semmes1 etc41 and they   
honestly think that they are the motive 
power1  the first cause of our troubles4
 ,but it is a mistake4 ,the true motive 
power is secreted behind the thick walls
 of the ,vatican1 the colleges  and     
schools of the ,jesuits1 the convents of

 the nuns and the  confessional boxes of
 ,rome4    8,there is a fact which is   
too much ignored by the ,american       
people1 and  with which ,i am acquainted
 only since ,i became ,president2 it is 
that the  best1 the leading families of 
the ,south1 have received their         
education  in great part1 if not in     
whole1 from the ,jesuits and the nuns4  
,hence  those degrading principles of   
slavery1 pride1 cruelty1 which are as a 
second nature among so many of those    
people4 ,hence that strange want of     
fair play1 humanity2 that implacable    
hatred against the ideas of  equality   
and liberty1 as we find them in the     
,gospel of ,christ4 ,you do  not ignore 
that the first settlers of ,louisiana1  
,florida1 ,new ,mexico1  ,texas1 ,south 
,california and ,missouri1 were ,roman  
,catholics1 and that  their first       
teachers were ,jesuits4 ,it is true that
 those states have  been conquered or   
bought by us since4 ,but ,rome had put  
the deadly virus  of her anti-social and

 anti-christian maxims into the veins of
 the  people before they became         
,american citizens4 ,unfortunately the  
,jesuits  and the nuns have in great    
part remained the teachers of those     
people  since4 ,they have continued1 in 
a silent1 but most efficacious way1 to  
spread their hatred against our         
institutions1 our laws1 our schools1 our
  rights and our liberties1 in such a   
way1 that this terrible conflict  became
 unavoidable1 between the ,north and the
 ,south4 ,as ,i told you  before1 it is 
to ,popery that we owe this terrible    
civil war4    8,i would have laughed at 
the man who would have told me that1    
before ,i  became the ,president4 ,but  
,professor ,morse has opened my eyes on 
that  subject4 ,and1 now1 ,i see that   
mystery2 ,i understand that engineering 
of  hell which1 though not seen1 nor    
even suspected by the country1 is       
putting in motion the large1 heavy and  
noisy wheels of the state cars of  the  
,southern ,confederacy4    8,our people 

is not yet ready to learn and believe   
those things1 and  perhaps it is not the
 proper time to initiate them to those  
dark  mysteries of hell2 it would throw 
oil on a fire which is already          
sufficiently destructive4    8,you are  
almost the only one with whom ,i speak  
freely on that subject4  ,but sooner or 
later1 the nation will know the real    
origin of those  rivers of blood and    
tears1 which are spreading desolation   
and death  everywhere4 ,and1 then1 those
 who have caused those desolations and  
disasters will be called to give an     
account of them4    8,i do not pretend  
to be a prophet4 ,but though not a      
prophet1 ,i see a  very dark cloud on   
our horizon4 ,and that dark cloud is    
coming from ,rome4  ,it is filled with  
tears of blood4 ,it will rise and       
increase1 till its  flanks will be torn 
by a flash of lightning1 followed by a  
fearful peal  of thunder4 ,then a       
cyclone such as the world has never     
seen1 will pass  over this country1     

spreading ruin and desolation from north
 to south4  ,after it is over1 there    
will be long days of peace and          
prosperity3 for  ,popery1 with its      
,jesuits and merciless ,inquisition1    
will have been  forever swept away from 
our country4 ,neither ,i nor you1 but   
our  children1 will see those things40  
,many of those who approached ,abraham  
,lincoln felt that there was a          
prophetic spirit in him1 and that he was
 continually walking and acting  with   
the thought of ,god in his mind1 and had
 only in view to do his will  and work  
for his glory4 ,speaking of the slaves1 
he said1 one day1 before  the members of
 his cabinet3    8,i have not decided   
against a proclamation of liberty to the
 slaves1 but  ,i hold the matter under  
advisement4 ,and ,i can assure you that 
the  subject is on my mind1 by day and  
by night1 more than any other4          
,whatever shall appear to be ,god's     
will1 ,i will do40--,six ,months in the 
,white ,house1 by ,carpenter1 page #hf4 

,a few days before that proclamation1 he
 said1 before several of his            
counsellors3    8,i made a solemn vow   
before ,god1 that if ,general ,lee was  
driven back  from ,pennsylvania1 ,i     
would crown the result by the           
declaration of  freedom to the          
slaves40--,six ,months in the ,white    
,house4    ,but ,i would have volumes to
 write1 instead of a short chapter1 were
 ,i to  give all the facts ,i have      
collected of the sincere and profound   
piety of  ,abraham ,lincoln4    ,i      
cannot1 however1 omit his admirable and 
solemn act of faith in the  eternal     
justice of ,god1 as expressed in the    
closing words of his last  inaugural    
address of the #dth of ,march1 #ahfe4   
8,fondly do we hope1 fervently do we    
pray1 that this mighty scourge of  war  
may speedily pass away4 ,yet1 if ,god   
wills that it continue until all  the   
wealth piled by the bondman's #bej years
 of unrequited toil shall be  sunk1 and 
until every drop of blood drawn by the  

lash shall be paid by  another drawn by 
the sword1 as was said #c1jjj years ago1
 so1 still1 it  must be said3 #8,the    
judgments of the ,lord are true and     
righteous  altogether4'0    ,these      
sublime words1 falling from the lips of 
the greatest ,christian  whom ,god ever 
put at the head of a nation1 only a few 
days before his  martyrdom1 sent a      
thrill of wonder through the whole      
world4 ,the  ,god-fearing people and the
 upright of every nation listened to    
them as  if they had just come from the 
golden harp of ,david4 ,even the        
infidels  remained mute with admiration 
and awe4 ,it seemed to all that the     
echoes  of heaven and earth were        
repeating that last hymn1 falling from  
the  heart of the noblest and truest    
,gospel man of our days3 8,the judgments
  of the ,lord are true and righteous   
altogether40    ,the #fth of ,april1    
#ahfe1 ,president ,lincoln was invited  
by ,general ,grant  to enter ,richmond1 
the capital of the rebel states1 which  

he had just  captured4 ,the ninth1 the  
beaten army of ,lee1 surrounded by the  
victorious legions of the soldiers of   
,liberty1 were forced to lay down  their
 arms and their banners at the feet of  
the generals of ,lincoln4 ,the  tenth1  
the victorious ,president addressed an  
immense multitude of the  citizens of   
,washington1 to invite them to thank    
,god and the armies for  the glorious   
victories of the last few days1 and for 
the blessed peace  which was to follow  
these five years of slaughter4    ,but  
he was on the top of the mountain       
,pisgah1 and though he had  fervently   
prayed that he might cross the ,jordan1 
and enter with his  people into the     
,land of ,promise1 after which he had so
 often sighed1 he  was not to see his   
request granted4 ,the answer had come   
from heaven3  8,you will not cross the  
,jordan1 and you will not enter that    
,promised  ,land1 which is there1 so    
near4 ,you must die for your nation's   
sake60 the  lips1 the heart and soul of 

the ,new ,moses were still repeating the
  sublime words3 8,the judgments of the 
,lord are true and righteous            
altogether10 when the ,jesuit assassin1 
,booth1 murdered him1 the #adth of      
,april1 #ahfe1 at #aj o'clock ,p4 ,m4   
,let us hear the eloquent historian1    
,abbott1 on that sad event3    8,in the 
midst of unparalleled success1 and while
 all the bells of the  land were ringing
 with joy1 a calamity fell upon us which
 overwhelmed  the country in            
consternation and awe4 ,on ,friday      
evening1 ,april #adth1  ,president      
,lincoln attended ,ford's ,theatre1 in  
,washington4 ,he was sitting  quietly in
 his box1 listening to the drama1 when a
 man entered the door  of the lobby     
leading to the box1 closing the door    
behind him4 ,drawing  near to the       
,president1 he drew from his pocket a   
small pistol1 and shot  him in the back 
of the head4 ,as the ,president fell1   
senseless and  mortally wounded1 and the
 shriek of his wife1 who was seated at  

his  side1 pierced every ear1 the       
assassin leaped from the box1 a         
perpendicular height of nine feet1 and1 
as he rushed across the stage1          
bare-headed1 brandished a dagger1       
exclaiming1 #8sic semper tyrannis6'  and
 disappeared behind the side scenes4    
,there was a moment of silent           
consternation4 ,then ensued a scene of  
confusion which it is in vain to        
attempt to describe4    8,the dying     
,president was taken into a house near  
by1 and placed upon a  bed4 ,what a     
scene did that room present6 ,the chief 
of a mighty nation  lay1 there1         
senseless1 drenched in blood1 his brains
 oozing from his  wounds6 ,sumner1      
,farwell and ,colfax and ,stanton1 and  
many others were  there1 filled with    
grief and consternation4    8,the       
surgeon1 ,general ,barnes1 solemnly     
examined the wound4 ,there was  silence 
as of the grave1 the life and death of  
the nation seemed  dependent on the     
result4 ,general ,barnes looked up sadly

 and said3 #8,the  wound is mortal6'    
'8#8,oh6 ,no6 ,general1 no6 no6' cried  
out ,secretary ,stanton1 and sinking    
into a chair1 he covered his face1 and  
wept like a child4 ,senator ,sumner     
tenderly held the head of the           
unconscious martyr4    8,though all     
unused to weep1 he sobs as though his   
great heart would  break4 ,in his       
anguish1 his head falls upon the        
bloodstained pillow1 and  his black     
locks blend with those of the dying     
victim1 which care and  toil has        
rendered gray1 and which blood has      
crimsoned4 ,what a scene6  ,sumner1 who 
had lingered through months of agony1   
having himself been  stricken down by   
the bludgeon of slavery1 now sobbing and
 fainting in  anguish over the prostrate
 form of his friend1 whom slavery had   
slain6  ,this vile rebellion1 after     
deluging the land with blood1 has       
culminated  in a crime which appalls all
 nations4    8,noble ,abraham1 true     
descendant of the father of the         

faithful2 honest in  every trust1 humble
 as a child1 tender-hearted as a woman1 
who could not  bear to injure even his  
most envenomed foes2 who in the hour of 
triumph1  was saddened lest the feelings
 of his adversaries should be wounded by
  their defeat1 with #8charity for all1 
malice towards none1' endowed with      
#8common sense1' intelligence never     
surpassed1 and with power of  intellect 
which enabled him to grapple with the   
most gigantic opponents  in debates1    
developing abilities as a statesman1    
which won the gratitude  of his country 
and the admiration of the world1 and    
with graces and  amiabilities which drew
 to him all generous hearts2 dies by the
 bullet  of the assassin60--,history of 
the ,civil ,war1 by ,abbott1 vol4 ii41  
page  #eid4    ,but who was that        
assassin8 ,booth was nothing but the    
tool of the  ,jesuits4 ,it was ,rome who
 directed his arm1 after corrupting his 
heart  and damning his soul4    ,after  
,i had mixed my tears with those of the 

grand country of my  adoption1 ,i fell  
on my knees and asked my ,god to grant  
me to show to the  world what ,i knew to
 be the truth1 viz43 that that horrible 
crime was  the work of ,popery4 ,and1   
after twenty years of constant and most 
difficult researches1 ,i come           
fearlessly1 to-day1 before the ,american
  people1 to say and prove that the     
,president1 ,abraham ,lincoln1 was      
assassinated by the priests and the     
,jesuits of ,rome4    ,in the book of   
the testimonies given in the prosecution
 of the assassin  of ,lincoln1 published
 by ,ben4 ,pitman1 and in the two       
volumes of the  trial of ,john ,surratt 
in #ahfg1 we have the legal and         
irrefutable proof  that the plot of the 
assassins of ,lincoln was matured1 if   
not started1  in the house of ,mary     
,surratt1 ,no4 #efa ,h ,street1         
,washington ,city1 ,d4 ,c4  ,but who    
were living in that house1 and who were 
visiting that family8  ,the legal answer
 says3 8,the most devoted ,catholics in 

the city60 ,the  sworn testimonies show 
more than that4 ,they show that it was  
the common  rendezvous of the priests of
 ,washington4 ,several priests swear    
that they  were going there 8some       
times10 and when pressed to answer what 
they  meant by 8some times10 they were  
not sure if it was not once a week1 or  
once a month4 ,one of them1 less on his 
guard1 swore that he seldom  passed     
before that house without entering2 and 
he said he never passed  less than once 
a week4 ,the devoted ,roman ,catholic   
7an apostate from  ,protestantism7      
called ,l4 ,j4 ,weichman1 who was       
himself living in that  house1 swears   
that ,father ,wiget was very often in   
that house1 and  ,father ,lahiman swears
 that he was living with ,mrs4 ,surratt1
 in the same  house6 99 99 99 99        
,what does the presence of so many      
priests1 in that house1 reveal to the   
world8 ,no man of common sense1 who     
knows anything about the priests of     
,rome1 can entertain any doubt that1 not

 only they knew all that was  going on  
inside those walls1 but that they were  
the advisers1 the  counselors1 the very 
soul of that infernal plot4 ,why did    
,rome keep one  of her priests under    
that roof1 from morning till night1 and 
from night  till morning8 ,why did she  
send many others1 almost every day of   
the  week1 into that dark nest of       
plotters against the very existence of  
the  great republic1 and against the    
life of her ,president1 her principal   
generals and leading men1 if it were not
 to be the advisers1 the rulers1  the   
secret motive power of the infernal     
plot4    ,no one1 if he is not an idiot1
 will think and say that those priests1 
who were the personal friends and the   
father confessors of ,booth1 ,john      
,surratt1 ,mrs4 and ,misses ,surratt1   
could be constantly there without       
knowing what was going on1 particularly 
when we know that every one of  those   
priests1 was a rabid rebel in heart4    
,every one of those priests1  knowing   

that his infallible ,pope had called    
,jeff ,davis his dear son1 and  had     
taken the ,southern ,confederacy under  
his protection1 was bound to  believe   
that the most holy thing a man could do1
 was to fight for the  ,southern cause1 
by destroying those who were its        
enemies4    ,read the history of the    
assassination of ,admiral ,coligny1     
,henry ,,iii4 and  ,henry ,,iv41 and    
,william the ,taciturn1 by the hired    
assassins of the  ,jesuits2 compare them
 with the assassination of ,abraham     
,lincoln1 and you  will find that one   
resembles the other as one drop of water
 resembles  another4 ,you will          
understand that they all come from the  
same source1  ,rome6    ,in all those   
murders1 you will find that the         
murderers1 selected and  trained by the 
,jesuits1 were of the most exalted      
,roman ,catholic piety1  living in the  
company of priests1 going to confess    
very often1 receiving  the communion the
 day before1 if not the very day of the 

murder4 ,you  will see in all those     
horrible deeds of hell1 prepared behind 
the dark  walls of the holy inquisition1
 that the assassins were considering    
themselves as the chosen instruments of 
,god1 to save the nation by  striking   
its tyrant2 that they firmly believed   
that there was no sin in  killing the   
enemy of the people1 of the holy church1
 and of the  infallible ,pope6          
,compare the last hours of the ,jesuit  
,ravaillac1 the assassin of ,henry      
,,vi41 who absolutely refuses to repent1
 though suffering the most  horrible    
tortures on the rack1 with ,booth1 who1 
suffering also the most  horrible       
tortures from his broken leg1 writes in 
his daily memorandum1  the very day     
before his death3 8,i can never repent1 
though we hated to  kill4 ,our country  
owed all our troubles to him 7,lincoln71
 and ,god simply  made me the instrument
 of his punishment40--,trial of         
,surratt1 vol4 i41  page #caj4    ,yes6 
,compare the bloody deeds of those two  

assassins1 and you will see  that they  
had been trained in the same school2    
they had been taught by  the same       
teachers4 ,evidently the ,jesuit        
,ravaillac1 calling all the  saints of  
heaven to his help1 at his last hour2   
and ,booth pressing the  medal of the   
,virgin ,mary on his breast1 when       
falling mortally wounded  7,trial of    
,surratt1 page #caj71 both came from the
 same ,jesuit mould4    ,who has lost   
his common sense enough to suppose that 
it was ,jeff ,davis  who had filled the 
mind and the heart of ,booth with that  
religious and  so exalted fanaticism6   
,surely ,jeff ,davis could have promised
 the money  to reward the assassins and 
nerve their arms by the hope of becoming
  rich4 ,the testimonies on that account
 says that one million dollars had  been
 asked from him4 7,assassination of     
,abraham ,lincoln1 p4 #ea-eb47    ,the  
arch-rebel could give the money2 but the
 ,jesuits alone could select  the       
assassins1 train them1 and show them a  

crown of glory in heaven1 if  they would
 kill the author of the bloodshed1 the  
famous renegade and  apostate--the enemy
 of the ,pope and of the                
,church--,lincoln4    ,who does not see 
the lessons given by the ,jesuits to    
,booth1 in their  daily intercourse in  
,mary ,surratt's house1 when he reads   
those lines  written by ,booth a few    
hours before his death3 8,i can never   
repent1 ,god  made me the instrument of 
his punishment60 ,compare these words   
with the  doctrines and principles      
taught by the councils1 the decrees of  
the  ,pope1 and the laws of holy        
inquisition1 as you find them in chapter
 #ee  of this volume1 and you will find 
that the sentiments and belief of       
,booth flow from those principles1 as   
the river flows from its source4    ,and
 that pious ,miss ,surratt who1 the very
 next day after the murder of  ,lincoln1
 said1 without being rebuked1 in the    
presence of several other  witnesses3   
8,the death of ,abraham ,lincoln is no  

more than the death of  any nigger in   
the army10 where did she get that maxim1
 if not from her  church6 ,had not that 
church recently proclaimed1 through her 
highest  legal and civil authority1 the 
devoted ,roman ,catholic1 ,judge ,taney1
 in  his ,dred-,scott decision1 that    
negroes have no right1 which the white  
is  bound to respect6 ,by bringing the  
,president on a level with the lowest   
nigger1 ,rome was saying that he had no 
right1 even to his life2 for this  was  
the maxim of the rebel priests1 who1    
everywhere1 had made themselves  the    
echoes of the sentence of their         
distinguished co-religionist--,taney4   
,it was from the very lips of the       
priests1 who were constantly coming in  
and going out of their house1 that those
 young ladies had learned those         
anti-social and anti-christian          
doctrines4 ,read in the testimony       
concerning ,mrs4 ,mary ,e4 ,surratt1 7p4
 #abb-abc7 how the ,jesuits had         
perfectly drilled her in the art of     

perjuring herself4 ,in the very  moment 
when the government officer orders her  
to prepare herself1 with  her daughter1 
to follow him as prisoners1 at about #aj
 ,p4 ,m41 ,payne1 the  would-be murderer
 of ,seward1 knocks at the door and     
wants to see ,mrs4  ,surratt4 ,but      
instead of having ,mrs4 ,surratt to open
 the door1 he finds  himself confronted1
 face to face1 with the government      
detective1 ,major  ,smith1 who swears3  
8,i questioned him in regard to his     
occupation1 and what business he had  at
 the house1 at this late hour of the    
night4 ,he stated that he was a         
laborer1 and had come to dig a gutter1  
at the request of ,mrs4 ,surratt4    8,i
 went to the parlor door1 and said3     
#8,mrs4 ,surratt1 will you step here  a 
minute8' ,she came out1 and ,i asked    
her3 #8,do you know this man1 and did   
you hire him to come and dig a gutter   
for you8' ,she answered1raising her     
right hand2 #8,before ,god1 sir1 ,i do  
not know this man1 ,i have never seen   

him1 and ,i did not hire him to dig a   
gutter for me4'--,assassination of      
,lincoln1 p4 #abb4    ,but it was proved
 after1 by several unimpeachable        
witnesses1 that she  knew very well that
 ,payne was a personal friend of her    
son1 who1 many  times1 had come to her  
house1 in company of his friend and pet1
 ,booth4  ,she had received the         
communion just two or three days before 
that public  perjury4 ,just a moment    
after making it1 the officer ordered her
 to step  out into the carriage4 ,before
 doing it1 she asked permission to kneel
  down and pray2 which was granted 7page
 #abc47    ,i ask it from any man of    
common sense1 could ,jeff ,davis have   
imparted  such a religious calm1 and    
self-possession to that woman1 when her 
hands  were just reddened with the blood
 of the ,president1 and she was on her  
way to trial6    ,no6 such sang froid1  
such calm in that soul1 in such a       
terrible  and solemn hour1 could only   
come from the teachings of those        

,jesuits  who1 for more than six months1
 were in her house1 showing her a  crown
 of eternal glory1 if she would help to 
kill the monster                        
apostate--,lincoln--the only cause of   
that horrible civil war6 ,there is  not 
the least doubt that the priests had    
perfectly succeeded in  persuading ,mary
 ,surratt and ,booth that the killing of
 ,lincoln was a  most holy and deserving
 work1 for which ,god had an eternal    
reward in  store4    ,there is a fact to
 which the ,american people have not yet
 given a  sufficient attention4 ,it is1 
that1 without a single exception1 the   
conspirators were ,roman ,catholics4    
,the learned and great patriot1         
,general ,baker1 in his admirable       
report1 struck and bewildered by that   
strange1 mysterious and portentous fact1
 said3    8,i mention1 as an exceptional
 and remarkable fact1 that every        
conspirator in custody1 is1 by          
education1 a ,catholic40    ,but those  
words which1 if well understood by the  

,united ,states1 would  have thrown so  
much light on the true causes of their  
untold and  unspeakable disasters1 fell 
as if on the ears of deaf men4 ,very    
few1 if  any1 paid attention to them4   
,as ,general ,baker says1 all the       
conspirators  were attending ,catholic  
,church services1 and were educated     
,roman  ,catholics4 ,it is true that    
some of them1 as ,atzeroth1 ,payne and  
,harold1  asked for ,protestant         
ministers1 when they were to be hung4   
,but they had  been considered1 till    
then1 as converts to ,romanism4 ,at page
 #dcf1 of  ,the ,trial of ,john         
,surratt1 ,louis ,weichman tells us that
 he was going  to ,st4 ,aloysin's       
,church with ,atzeroth1 and that it was 
there that he  introduced him to ,mr4   
,brothy 7another ,roman ,catholic74     
,it is a well authenticated fact1 that  
,booth and ,weichman1 who were          
themselves ,protestant perverts to      
,romanism1 had proselytized a good      
number of semi-,protestants and infidels

 who1 either from conviction1 or  from  
hope of the fortunes promised to the    
successful murderers1 were  themselves  
very zealous for the ,church of ,rome4  
,payne1 ,atzeroth and  ,harold were     
among those proselytes4 ,but when those 
murderers were to  appear before the    
country1 and receive the just punishment
 of their  crime1 the ,jesuits were too 
shrewd to ignore that if they were all  
coming on the scaffold as ,roman        
,catholics1 and accompanied by their    
father confessors1 it would1 at once1   
open the eyes of the ,american  people1 
and clearly show that this was a ,roman 
,catholic plot4 ,they  persuaded three  
of their proselytes to avail themselves 
of the  theological principles of the   
,church of ,rome1 that a man is allowed 
to  conceal his religion1 nay1 that he  
may say that he is an heretic1 a        
,protestant1 though he is a ,roman      
,catholic1 when it is for his own       
interest or the best interests of his   
church to conceal the truth and  deceive

 the people4 ,here is the doctrine of   
,rome on that subject3    8,soepe melius
 est ad dei honorem1 et utiliatatem     
proximi1 tegere fidem  quam frateri1 ut 
si latens inter herticos1 plus boni     
facis2 vel si ex  confessione fidei1    
plus mali sequeretur1 verbi gratia      
turbatio1 neces1  exacerbotio           
tyrannis40--,ligouri ,theologia1 b4 ii41
 chap4 iii41 p4 #f4    8,it is often    
more to the glory of ,god and the good  
of our neighbor to  conceal our         
religious faith1 as when we live among  
heretics1 we can more  easily do them   
good in that way2 or if by declaring our
 religion1 we  cause some disturbances1 
or deaths1 or even the wrath of the     
tyrant40    ,it is evident that the     
,jesuits had never had better reasons to
 suspect  that the declaration of their 
religion would damage them and excite   
the  wrath of their tyrant1 viz3 the    
,american people4    ,lloyd's1 in whose 
house ,mrs4 ,surratt concealed the      
carbine which ,booth  wanted for        

protection1 when just after the murder  
he was to flee towards  the ,southern   
,states1 was a firm ,roman ,catholic4   
,dr4 ,nudd1 at whose place ,booth       
stopped1 to have his broken leg dressed1
  was a ,roman ,catholic1 and so was    
,garrett1 in whose barn ,booth was      
caught  and killed4 ,why so8 ,because1  
as ,jeff ,davis was the only man to pay 
one  million dollars to those who would 
kill ,abraham ,lincoln1 the ,jesuits    
were the only men to select the         
murderers and prepare everything to     
protect them after their diabolical     
deed1 and such murderers could not  be  
found except among their blind and      
fanatical slaves4    ,the great1 the    
fatal mistake of the ,american          
,government in the  prosecution of the  
assassins of ,abraham ,lincoln was to   
constantly keep  out of sight the       
religious element of that terrible      
drama4 ,nothing would  have been more   
easy1 then1 than to find out the        
complicity of the  priests1 who were not

 only coming every week and every day1  
but who were  even living in that den of
 murderers4 ,but this was carefully     
avoided  from the beginning to the end  
of the trial4 ,when1 not long after the 
execution of the murderers1 ,i went1    
incognito1 to ,washington to begin my   
investigation about its real and true   
authors1 ,i was not a little  surprised 
to see that not a single one of the     
government men1 to whom ,i  addressed   
myself1 would consent to have any talk  
with me on that matter1  except after ,i
 had given my word of honor that ,i     
would never mention  their names in     
connection with the result of my        
investigation4 ,i saw1  with a profound 
distress1 that the influence of ,rome   
was almost supreme  in ,washington4 ,i  
could not find a single statesman who   
would dare to  face that nefarious      
influence and fight it down1 except     
,general ,baker4    ,several of the     
government men1 in whom ,i had more     
confidence1 told me3    8,we had not the

 least doubt that the ,jesuits were at  
the bottom of that  great iniquity2 we  
even feared1 sometimes1 that this would 
come out so  clearly before the military
 tribunal1 that there would be no       
possibility  of keeping it out of the   
public sight4 ,this was not through     
cowardice1  as you think1 but through a 
wisdom which you ought to approve1 if   
you  can not admire it4 ,had we been in 
days of peace1 we know that with a      
little more pressure on the witnesses1  
many priests would have been            
compromised2 for ,mrs4 ,surratt's house 
was their common rendezvous2 it is  more
 than probable that several of them     
might have been hung4 ,but the  civil   
war was hardly over4 ,the ,confederacy1 
though broken down1 was  still living in
 millions of hearts2 murderers and      
formidable elements of  discord were    
still seen everywhere1 to which the     
hanging or exiling of  those priests    
would have given a new life4 ,riots     
after riots would have  accompanied and 

followed their execution4 ,we thought we
 had had enough  of blood1 fires1       
devastations and bad feelings4 ,we were 
all longing  after days of peace2 the   
country was in need of them4 ,we        
concluded that  the best interests of   
humanity was to punish only those who   
were  publicly and visibly guilty2 that 
the verdict might receive the           
approbation of all1 without creating any
 new bad feelings4 ,allow us also  to   
tell you that this policy was that of   
our late ,president4 ,for you  know it  
well1 there was nothing which that great
 and good man feared so  much as to arm 
the ,protestants against the ,catholics 
and the ,catholics  against the         
,protestants40    ,but if any one has   
still any doubts of the complicity of   
the ,jesuits1 in  the murder of ,abraham
 ,lincoln1 let them give a moment of    
attention to  the following facts1 and  
their doubts will be forever removed4   
,it is  only from the very ,jesuit      
accomplice's lips that ,i take my sworn 

testimonies4    ,it is evident that a   
very elaborate plan of escape had been  
prepared by  the priests of ,rome1 to   
save the lives of the assassins and the 
conspirators4 ,it would be too long to  
follow all the murderers when1          
,cain-like1 they were fleeing in every  
direction to escape the vengeance  of   
,god and man4 ,let us fix our eyes on   
,john ,surratt1 who was in  ,washington 
on the #adth of ,april1 helping ,booth  
in the perpetration of  the             
assassination4 ,who will take care of   
him8 ,who will protect and  conceal him8
 ,who will press him on their bosoms1   
put their mantles on  his shoulders to  
conceal him from the just vengeance of  
the human and  divine laws8 ,the priest1
 ,charles ,boucher 7,trial of ,john     
,surratt1 vol4  ii41 page #ijd-iab71    
swears that only a few days after the   
murder1 ,john  ,surratt was sent to him 
by ,father ,lapierre1 of ,montreal2 that
 he kept  him concealed in his parsonage
 of ,st4 ,liboire1 from the end of      

,april to  the end of ,july1 then he    
took him back1 secretly1 to ,father     
,lapierre1  who kept him secreted in his
 own father's house1 under the very     
shadow  of the ,montreal bishop's       
palace4 ,he swears 7p4 #ije-iad7 that   
,father  ,lapierre visited him          
7,surratt7 often1 when secreted at ,st4 
,liboire1 and  that he 7,father         
,boucher7 visited him1 at least twice a 
week1 from the  end of ,july to         
,september1 when concealed in ,father   
,lapierre's house in  ,montreal4        
,that same ,father ,charles ,boucher    
swears that he accompanied ,john        
,surratt  in a carriage1 in the company 
of ,father ,lapierre1 to the steamer    
8,montreal10 when starting for ,quebec4 
,that ,father ,lapierre kept him  7,john
 ,surratt7 under lock1 during the voyage
 from ,montreal to ,quebec1  and that he
 accompanied him1 disguised1 from the   
,montreal steamer to the  ocean steamer1
 8,peruvian40--,trial of ,john ,surratt1
 p4 #iaj4    ,the doctor of the steamer 

8,peruvian10 ,l4 ,i4 ,a4 ,mc,millan1    
swears 7vol4  i41 p4 #dfj7 that ,father 
,lapierre introduced him to ,john       
,surratt1 under  the false name of      
,mc,carthy1 whom he was keeping locked  
in his state  room1 and whom he         
conducted disguised to the ocean steamer
 8,peruvian10  and with whom he remained
 till he left ,quebec for ,europe1 the  
#aeth of  ,september1 #ahfe4    ,but who
 is that ,father ,lapierre who takes    
such a tender1 ,i dare say a  paternal  
care of ,surratt8 ,it is not less a     
personage than the canon of  ,bishop    
,bourget1 of ,montreal4 ,he is the      
confidential man of the bishop4  ,he    
lives with the bishop1 eats at his      
table1 assists him with his  counsel1   
and has to receive his advice in every  
step of life4 ,according  to the laws of
 ,rome1 the canons are to the bishop    
what the arms are to  the body4    ,now1
 ,i ask3 ,is it not evident that the    
bishops and the priests of  ,washington 
have trusted this murderer to the tender

 care of the bishops  and priests of    
,montreal1 that they might conceal1 feed
 and protect him  for nearly six months1
 under the very shadow of the bishop's  
palace8  ,would they have done that if  
they were not his accomplices8 ,why did 
they  so continually remain with him1   
day and night1 if they were not in fear 
that he might compromise them by an     
indiscreet word8 ,why do we see those   
priests 7,i ought to say1 those two     
ambassadors and appointed               
representatives of the ,pope7 alone in  
the carriage1 which takes that  great   
culprit from his house of concealment to
 the steamer8 ,why do they  keep him    
there1 under lock1 till they transfer   
him1 under a disguised  name1 to the    
oceanic steamer1 the 8,peruvian10 the   
#aeth of ,july1 #ahfe8  ,why such tender
 sympathies for that stranger8 ,why go  
through such  trouble and expense for   
that young ,american1 among the bishops 
and  priests of ,canada8 ,there is only 
one answer4 ,he was one of their tools1 

one of their selected men to strike the 
great ,republic of ,equality and        
,liberty to the heart4 ,for more than   
six months before the murder1 the       
priests had lodged1 eaten1 conversed1   
slept with him under the same roof  in  
,washington4 ,they had trained him to   
his deed of blood1 by promising  him    
protection on earth1 and a crown of     
glory in heaven1 if he would  only be   
true to their designs to the end4 ,and  
he had been true to the  end4    ,now   
the great crime is accomplished6        
,lincoln is murdered6 ,jeff ,davis1  the
 dear son of the ,pope1 is avenged6 ,the
 great republic has been struck  to the 
heart6 ,the soldiers of ,liberty all    
over the world are weeping  over the    
dead form of the one who had led them to
 victory2 a cry of  desolation goes from
 earth to heaven4    ,it seems as if we 
heard the death-knell of the cause of   
freedom1  equality and fraternity among 
men4 ,it was many centuries since the   
implacable enemies of the rights and    

liberties of men had struck such a      
giant foe3 their joy was as great as    
their victory complete4    ,but do you  
see that man fleeing from ,washington   
toward the north8 ,he has  the mark of  
,cain on his forehead1 his hands are    
reddened with blood1 he  is pale and    
trembling1 for he knows it2 a whole     
outraged nation is after  him for her   
just vengeance2 he hears the thundering 
voice of ,god3 8,where  is thy brother80
 ,where will he find a refuge8 ,where1  
outside of hell1  will he meet friends  
to shelter and save him from the just   
vengeance of  ,god and men8    ,oh6 ,he 
has sure refuge in the arms of that     
church which1 for more than a  thousand 
years1 is crying3 8,death to all        
heretics6 death to all the  soldiers of 
,liberty60 ,he has devoted friends among
 the very men who1  after having        
prepared the massacre of ,admiral       
,coligny and his #ge1jjj  ,protestant   
countrymen1 rang the bells of ,rome to  
express their joy when  they heard that1

 at last1 the ,king of ,france had      
slaughtered them all4    ,but where will
 those bishops and priests of ,canada   
send ,john ,surratt1  when they find it 
impossible to conceal him any longer    
from the  thousands of detectives of the
 ,united ,states1 who are ransacking    
,canada  to find out his retreat8 ,who  
will conceal1 feed1 lodge and protect   
him  after the priests of ,canada       
pressed his hand for the last time1 on  
board  of the 8,peruvian10 the #aeth of 
,september1 #ahfe4    ,who can have any 
doubt about that8 ,who can suppose that 
any one but the  ,pope himself and his  
,jesuits will protect the murderer of   
,abraham  ,lincoln in ,europe8    ,if   
you want to see him1 after he has       
crossed the ocean1 go to ,vitry1 at  the
 door of ,rome1 and there1 you will find
 him enrolled under the  banners of the 
,pope1 in the #ith company of his       
,zouaves1 under the false  name of      
,watson 7,trial of ,john ,surratt1 vol4 
i41 p4 #dib74 ,of course1  the ,pope was

 forced to withdraw his protection over 
him1 after the  government of the       
,united ,states had found him there1 and
 he was brought  back to ,washington to 
be tried4    ,but on his arrival as a   
prisoner in the ,united ,states1 his    
,jesuit father  confessor whispered in  
his ear3 8,fear not1 you will not be    
condemned6  ,through the influence of a 
high ,roman ,catholic lady1 two or three
 of the  jurymen will be ,roman         
,catholics1 and you will be safe40      
,those who have read the two volumes of 
the trial of ,john ,surratt1 know1  that
 never more evident proofs of guilt were
 brought against a murderer  than in    
that case4 ,but the ,roman ,catholic    
jurymen had read the ,theology  of ,st4 
,thomas1 a book which the ,pope had     
ordered to be taught in every  college1 
academy and university of ,rome1 they   
had learned that it is the  duty of the 
,roman ,catholics to exterminate all the
 heretics4--,st4  ,thomas' ,theology1   
vol4 iv41 p4 #ij4    ,they had read the 

decree of the councils of ,constance1   
that no faith was  to be kept with      
heretics4 ,they had read in the council 
of ,lateran1 that  the ,catholics who   
arm themselves for the extermination of 
heretics have  all their sins forgiven1 
and receive the same blessings as those 
who go  and fight for the rescue of the 
,holy ,land4    ,those jurymen were told
 by their father confessors that the    
most holy  ,father1 the ,pope ,gregory  
,,vii41 had solemnly and infallibly     
declared that  8the killing of an       
heretic was no murder40--,jure          
,canonico4    ,after such teachings1 how
 could the ,roman ,catholic jurymen find
 ,john  ,surratt guilty of murder1 for  
killing the heretic ,lincoln8 ,the jury 
having disagreed1 no verdict could be   
given4 ,the government was forced  to   
let the murderer go unpunished4    ,but 
when the irreconcilable enemies of all  
the rights and liberties of  men were   
congratulating themselves on their      
successful efforts to save  the life of 

,john ,surratt1 the ,god of heaven was  
stamping again on their  faces1 the mark
 of murder1 in such a way that all eyes 
will see it4    8,murder will out10 is a
 truth repeated by all nations from the 
beginning  of the world4 ,it is the     
knowledge of that truth which has       
sustained me  in my long and difficult  
researches of the true authors of the   
assassination of ,lincoln1 and which    
enables me to-day1 to present to the    
world a fact1 which seems almost        
miraculous1 to show the complicity of   
the priests of ,rome in the murder of   
the martyred ,president4    ,some time  
ago1 ,i providentially met the ,rev4    
,mr4 ,f4 ,a4 ,conwell1 at  ,chicago4    
,having known that ,i was in search of  
facts about the  assassination of       
,abraham ,lincoln1 he told me he knew   
one of those facts1  which might perhaps
 throw some light on the subject of my  
researches4    8,the very day of the    
murder10 he said1 8he was in the ,roman 
,catholic  village of ,st4 ,joseph1     

,minnesota ,state1 when1 at about six   
o'clock1 in  the afternoon1 he was told 
by a ,roman ,catholic of the place1 who 
was a  purveyor of a great number of    
priests who lived in that town1 where   
they  have a monastery1 that the ,state 
,secretary ,seward and the ,president   
,lincoln had just been killed4 ,this was
 told me10 he said1 8in the  presence of
 a most respectable gentleman1 called   
,bennett1 who was not  less puzzled than
 me4 ,as there were no railroad lines   
nearer than #dj  miles1 nor telegraph   
offices nearer than #hj miles1 from that
 place1 we  could not see how such news 
was spread in that town4 ,the next day1 
the  #aeth of ,april1 ,i was at ,st4    
,cloud1 a town about twelve miles       
distant1  where there are neither       
railroad nor telegraph1 ,i said to      
several people  that ,i had been told in
 the priestly village of ,st4 ,joseph1  
by a ,roman  ,catholic1 that ,abraham   
,lincoln and the ,secretary ,seward had 
been  assassinated4 ,they answered me   

that they had heard nothing about it4   
,but  the next ,sabbath1 the #afth of   
,april1 when going to the church of ,st4
  ,cloud1 to preach1 a friend gave me a 
copy of a telegram sent to him on  the  
,saturday1 reporting that ,abraham      
,lincoln and ,secretary ,seward had     
been assassinated1 the very day before1 
which was ,friday1 the #adth1 at  #aj   
,p4 ,m4 ,but how could the ,roman       
,catholic purveyor of the priests of    
,st4  ,joseph1 have told me the same    
thing1 before several witnesses1 just   
four  hours before its occurrence8 ,i   
spoke of that strange thing to many1 the
  same day1 and the very next day1 ,i   
wrote to the #8,st4 ,paul ,press1' under
  the heading of #8,a ,strange          
,coincidence4' ,sometime later1 the     
editor of  #8,the ,st4 ,paul ,pioneer1' 
having denied what ,i had written on    
that  subject1 ,i addressed him the     
following note1 which he had printed1   
and  which ,i have kept4 ,here it is1   
you may keep it as an infallible proof  

of  my veracity30                       
8,,to ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,st4   
,,paul ,,pioneer4    8,you assume the   
non-truth of a short paragraph addressed
 by me to the  ,st4 ,paul #8,press1'    
viz3                            8,a     
,,strange ,,coincidence6    8,at #f3cj  
,p4 ,m41 ,friday last1 ,april #adth1 ,i 
was told as an item of news1  #h miles  
west of this place1 that ,lincoln and   
,seward had been  assassinated4 ,this   
was three hours after ,i had heard the  
news40                                  
8,,st4 ,,cloud1 #agth of ,april1 #ahfe4 
8,the integrity of history requires that
 the above coincidence be  established4 
,and if anyone calls it in question1    
then proofs more ample  than reared     
their sanguinary shadows to comfort a   
traitor can now be  given4              
8,respectfully1                         
8,f4 ,a4 ,,conwell40    ,i asked that   
gentleman if he would be kind enough to 
give me the fact  under oath1 that ,i   
might make use of it in the report ,i   

intended to  publish about the          
assassination of ,lincoln4 ,and he      
kindly granted my  request in the       
following form3    ,state of ,illinois1 
s4s4  ,cook ,county           ,rev4 ,f4 
,a4 ,conwell1 being sworn1 deposes and  
says that he is seventy-one  years old1 
that he is a resident of ,north         
,evanston1 in ,cook ,county1  ,state of 
,illinois1 that he has been in the      
ministry for fifty-six years1  and is   
now one of the chaplains of the         
8,seamen's ,bethel ,home10 in  ,chicago2
 that he was chaplain of the ,first     
,minnesota ,regiment1 in the  war of the
 rebellion4 ,that1 on the #adth day of  
,april1 ,a4 ,d41 #ahfe1 he  was in ,st4 
,joseph1 ,minnesota1 and reached there  
as early as six o'clock  in the evening 
in company with ,mr4 ,bennett1 who1 then
 and now1 is a  resident of ,st ,cloud1 
,minnesota4 ,that on that date1 there   
was no  telegraph nearer than           
,minneapolis4 about #hj miles from ,st4 
,joseph2 and  there was no railroad     

communication nearer than ,avoka1       
,minnesota1 about  #dj miles distant4   
,that when he reached ,st4 ,joseph1 on  
the #adth day of  ,april1 #ahfe1 one    
,mr4 ,linneman1 who1 then1 kept the     
hotel of ,st4 ,joseph1  told affiant    
that ,president ,lincoln and ,secretary 
,seward were  assassinated1 that it was 
not later than half-past six o'clock1 on
  ,friday1 ,april #adth1 #ahfe1 when    
,mr4 ,linneman told me this4 ,shortly   
thereafter1 ,mr4 ,bennett came in the   
hotel1 and ,i told him that ,mr4        
,linneman said the ,president ,lincoln  
and ,secretary ,seward were             
assassinated2 and then the same ,mr4    
,linneman reported the same             
conversation to ,mr4 ,bennett in my     
presence4 ,that during that time1 ,mr4  
,linneman told me that he had the charge
 of the friary or college for  young    
men1 under the priests1 who were        
studying for the priesthood at  ,st4    
,joseph4 ,that there was a large        
multitude of this kind at ,st4 ,joseph1 

at this time4 ,affiant says that1 on    
,saturday morning1 ,april #aeth1 #ahfe1 
he went to ,st4 ,cloud1 a distance of   
about #aj miles1 and reached there      
about eight o'clock in the morning4     
,that there was no railroad nor         
telegraph communication to ,st4 ,cloud4 
,when he arrived at ,st4 ,cloud he  told
 ,mr4 ,haworth1 the hotel-keeper1 that  
he had been told that ,president        
,lincoln and ,secretary ,seward had been
 assassinated1 and asked if it was      
true4 ,he further told ,henry ,clay1    
,wait1 ,charles ,gilman1 who was        
afterwards ,lieutenant ,governor of     
,minnesota1 and ,rev4 ,mr4 ,tice1 the   
same  thing1 and inquired of them if    
they had any such views2 and they       
replied  that they had not heard        
anything of the kind4    ,affiant says  
that1 on ,sunday morning1 ,april #afth1 
#ahfe1 he preached in  ,st4 ,cloud1 and 
on the way to the church1 a copy of a   
telegram was handed  him1 stating that  
the ,president and ,secretary were      

assassinated ,friday  evening1 at about 
#i o'clock4 ,this telegram had been     
brought to ,st4 ,cloud  by ,mr4 ,gorton1
 who had reached ,st4 ,cloud by stage2  
and this was the  first intelligence    
that had reached ,st4 ,cloud of the     
event4    ,affiant says further that1 on
 ,monday morning1 ,april #agth1 #ahfe1  
he  furnished the 8,press10 a paper of  
,st4 ,paul1 a statement that three hours
  before the event took place1 he had   
been informed at ,st4 ,joseph1          
,minnesota1 that the ,president had been
 assassinated1 and this was  published  
in the 8,press40                        
,,francis ,,asbury ,,conwell4           
,subscribed and sworn to by ,francis ,a4
 ,conwell1 before me1 a ,notary  ,public
 of ,kankakee ,county1 ,illinois1 at    
,chicago1 ,cook ,county1 the #fth  day  
of ,september1 #ahhc4                   
,,stephen ,r4 ,,moore1 ,notary ,public4 
,though this document was very important
 and precious to me1 ,i felt that  it   
would be much more valuable if it could 

be corroborated by the  testimonies of  
,messrs4 ,bennett and ,linneman1        
themselves1 and ,i  immediately sent a  
magistrate to find out if they were     
still living1 and  if they remembered   
the facts of the sworn declaration of   
,rev4 ,mr4  ,conwell4 ,by the good      
providence of ,god1 both of these       
gentlemen were  found living1 and both  
gave the following testimonies3         
,state of ,minnesota1  ,sterns ,county1 
,city  of ,st4 ,cloud4     ,horace ,b4  
,bennett1 being sworn1 deposes and says 
that he is aged  sixty-four years2 that 
he is a resident of ,st4 ,cloud1        
,minnesota1 and has  resided in this    
county since #ahef2 that he is          
acquainted with the ,rev4  ,f4 ,a4      
,conwell1 who was chaplain of the ,first
 ,minnesota ,regiment in the  war of the
 rebellion2 that on the #adth of ,april1
 #ahfe1 he was in ,st4  ,joseph1        
,minnesota1 in company with ,mr4        
,francis ,a4 ,conwell2 that they        
reached ,st4 ,joseph about sundown of   

said ,april #adth2 that there was no    
railroad or telegraph communication with
 ,st4 ,joseph at that time1 nor  nearer 
than ,avoka1 about #dj miles distant4   
,that affiant1 on reaching the  hotel   
kept by ,mr4 ,linneman1 went to the     
barn1 while ,rev4 ,f4 ,conwell  entered 
the hotel2 and shortly afterward1       
affiant had returned to the  hotel1 ,mr4
 ,conwell told him that ,mr4 ,linneman  
had reported to him the  assassination  
of ,president ,lincoln2 that ,linneman  
was present and  substantiated the      
statement4    ,that on ,saturday        
morning1 ,april #aeth1 affiant and ,rev4
 ,conwell came to  ,st4 ,cloud1 and     
reported that they had been told at ,st4
 ,joseph1 about the  assassination of   
,president ,lincoln1 that no one at ,st4
 ,cloud had heard  of the event at this 
time1 that the first news of the event  
which  reached ,st4 ,cloud was on       
,sunday morning1 ,april #afth1 when the 
news was  brought by ,leander ,gorton1  
who had just come up from ,avoka1       

,minnesota2  that they spoke to several 
persons of ,st4 ,cloud concerning the   
matter1  when they reached there1 on    
,sunday morning1 but affiant does not   
now  remember who those different       
persons were1 and further affiant says  
not4                                    
,,horace ,p4 ,,bennett4    ,sworn before
 me1 and subscribed in my presence1 this
 #ahth of ,october ,a4  ,d41 #ahhc4     
,,andrew ,c4 ,,robertson1 ,notary       
,public4    ,mr4 ,linneman having       
refused to swear on his written         
declaration1 which ,i  have in my       
possession1 ,i take only from it what   
refers to the principal  fact1 viz3 that
 three or four hours before ,lincoln was
 assassinated at  ,washington1 the #adth
 of ,april1 #ahfe1 the fact was told as 
already  accomplished1 in the priestly  
village of ,st4 ,joseph1 ,minnesota4    
8,he 7,linneman7 remembers the time that
 ,messrs4 ,conwell and ,bennett came  to
 this place 7,st4 ,joseph1 ,minnesota7  
on ,friday evening1 before the          

,president was killed1 and he asked them
 if they had heard he was dead1  and    
they replied they had not4 ,he heard    
this rumor in his store from  people who
 came in and out4 ,but he cannot        
remember from whom4        ,october     
#bjth1 #ahhc4                           
,j4 ,h4 ,,linneman4    ,i present here  
to the world a fact of the greatest     
gravity1 and that  fact is so well      
authenticated that it cannot allow even 
the possibility  of a doubt4    ,three  
or four hours before ,lincoln was       
murdered in ,washington1 the #adth  of  
,april1 #ahfe1 that murder was not only 
known by some one1 but it was           
circulated and talked of in the streets1
 and in the houses of the  priestly and 
,romish town of ,st4 ,joseph1           
,minnesota4 ,the fact is  undeniable2   
the testimonies are unchallengeable1 and
 there were no  railroad nor any        
telegraph communication nearer than #dj 
or #hj miles from  the nearest station  
to ,st4 ,joseph4    ,naturally every one

 asked3 8,how could such news spread8   
,where is the  source of such a rumor80 
,mr4 ,linneman1 who is a ,roman         
,catholic1 tells us  that though he     
heard this from many in his store1 and  
in the streets1 he  does not remember   
the name of a single one who told him   
that4 ,and when  we hear this from him1 
we understand why he did not dare to    
swear upon  it1 and shrunk from the idea
 of perjuring himself4    ,for everyone 
feels that his memory cannot be so poor 
as that1 when he  remembers so well the 
name of the two strangers1 ,messrs4     
,conwell and  ,bennett1 to whom he had  
announced the assassination of ,lincoln1
 just  seventeen years before4 ,but if  
the memory of ,mr4 ,linneman is so      
deficient on that subject1 we can help  
him1 and tell him with  mathematical    
accuracy3    8,you got the news from    
your priests of ,st4 ,joseph6 ,the      
conspiracy which  cost the life of the  
martyred ,president was prepared by the 
priests of  ,washington in the house of 

,mary ,surratt1 ,no4 #eda ,h4 ,street4  
,the priests  of ,st4 ,joseph were often
 visiting ,washington1 and boarding1    
probably1 at  ,mrs4 ,surratt's as the   
priests of ,washington were often       
visiting their  brother priests at ,st4 
,joseph4    8,those priests of          
,washington were in daily communication 
with their  co-rebel priests of ,st4    
,joseph2 they were their intimate       
friends4 ,there  were no secrets among  
them1 as there are no secrets among     
priests4 ,they  are the members of the  
same body1 the branches of the same     
tree4 ,the  details of the murder1 as   
the day selected for its commission were
 as  well known among the priests of    
,st4 ,joseph1 as they were among those  
of  ,washington4 ,the death of ,lincoln 
was such a glorious event for those     
priests6 ,that infamous apostate1       
,lincoln1 who1 baptized in the ,holy    
,church1 had rebelled against her1      
broken his oath of allegiance to the    
,pope1 taken the very day of his        

baptism1 and lived the life of an       
apostate6 ,that infamous ,lincoln1 who  
had dared to fight against the          
,confederacy of the ,south after the    
,vicar of ,christ had solemnly declared 
that their cause was just1 legitimate   
and holy6 ,that bloody tyrant1 that     
godless and infamous man was to receive1
 at last1 the just chastisement  of his 
crimes1 the #adth of ,april6 ,what      
glorious news6 ,how could the  priests  
conceal such a joyful event from their  
bosom friend1 ,mr4  ,linneman8 ,he was  
their confidential man3 he was their    
purveyor3 he was  their right hand man  
among the faithful of ,st4 ,joseph4     
,they thought that  they would be guilty
 of a want of confidence in their bosom 
friend1 if  they did not tell him all   
about the glorious event of that great  
day4  ,but1 of course1 they requested   
him not to mention their names1 if he   
would spread the joyful news among the  
devoted ,roman ,catholics who1  almost  
exclusively1 formed the people of ,st4  

,joseph4 ,mr4 ,linneman has  honorably  
and faithfully kept his promise never to
 reveal their names1  and to-day1 we    
have1 in our hand1 the authentic        
testimonies signed by  him that1 though 
somebody1 the #adth of ,april1 told him 
that ,president  ,lincoln was           
assassinated1 he does not know who told 
him that6    ,but there is not a man of 
sound judgment who will have any doubt  
about  that fact4 ,the #dth of ,april1  
#ahfe1 the priests of ,rome knew and    
circulated the death of ,lincoln four   
hours before its occurrence in  their   
,roman ,catholic town of ,st4 ,joseph1  
,minnesota4 ,but they could not         
circulate it without knowing it1 and    
they could not know it1 without         
belonging to the band of conspirators   
who assassinated ,president  ,lincoln4  
,,chapter ,,lxii4    ,,deputation ,,of  
,,two ,,priests ,,sent ,,by ,,the       
,,people ,,and ,,the ,,bishops ,,of     
,,canada    ,,to ,,persuade ,,us ,,to   
,,submit ,,to ,,the ,,will ,,of ,,the   

,,bishop--,,the ,,deputies              
,,acknowledge ,,publicly ,,that ,,the   
,,bishop ,,is ,,wrong ,,and ,,that ,,we 
,,are    ,,right--,,for ,,peace ,,sake1 
,i ,,consent ,,to ,,withdraw ,,from     
,,the ,,contest ,,on    ,,certain       
,,conditions ,,accepted ,,by ,,the      
,,deputies--,,one ,,of ,,those          
,,deputies    ,,turns ,,false ,,to ,,his
 ,,promises ,,and ,,betrays ,,us1 ,,to  
,,be ,,put ,,at ,,the ,,head ,,of       
,,my ,,colony--,,my ,,last ,,interview  
,,with ,,him ,,and ,,mr4 ,,brassard4    
,when alone1 on my knees1 in the        
presence of ,god1 on the #ast of        
,january1  #ahee1 ,i took the resolution
 of opposing the acts of simony and     
tyranny  of ,bishop ,o',regan1 ,i was   
far from understanding the logical      
consequences  of my struggle with that  
high dignitary4 ,my only object was to  
force him  to be honest1 just and       
,christian towards my people4 ,that     
people1 with  me1 had left their country
 and had bid an eternal adieu to all    

that was  dear to them in ,canada1 in   
order to live in peace in ,illinois1    
under  what we1 then1 considered the    
holy authority of the ,church of        
,christ4  ,but we were absolutely       
unwilling to be slaves of any man1 in   
the land of  ,liberty4    ,if any one1  
at that hour1 could have shown me that  
this struggle would  lead me to a       
complete separation from the ,church of 
,rome1 ,i would have  shrank from the   
task4 ,my only ambition was to purify my
 church from the  abuses which1 one     
after the other1 had crept everywhere   
about her1 as  noxious weeds4 ,i felt   
that those abuses were destroying the   
precious  truths which ,jesus ,christ   
and his apostles have revealed to us4   
,it  seemed to me that was a duty       
imposed upon every priest to do all in  
his  power to blot from the face of our 
church the scandals which were the      
fruits of the iniquities and tyranny of 
the bishops4 ,i had most  sincerely     
offered myself to ,god for this work4   

,from the beginning1 however1 ,i had a  
presentiment that the power of the      
bishops would be too much for me1 and   
that1 sooner or later1 they would  crush
 me4 ,but my hope was that when ,i      
should have fallen1 others would  take  
my place and fight the battles of the   
,lord1 till a final victory  would bring
 the church back to the blessed days    
when she was the  spotless spouse of the
 ,lamb4    ,the great and providential  
victory ,i had gained at ,urbana1 had   
strengthened my conviction that ,god was
 on my side1 and that he would  protect 
me1 so long as my only motives were in  
the interest of truth and               
righteousness4 ,it seemed1 in a word1   
that ,i could not fail so long as ,i    
should fight against the official lies1 
tyrannies1 superstitions and  deceits   
which the bishops had everywhere in the 
,united ,states and  ,canada1           
substituted in the place of the ,gospel1
 the primitive laws of  the church1 and 
the teachings of the holy fathers4      

,in the autumn of #ahef1 our struggle   
against the ,bishop of ,chicago had     
taken proportions which could not have  
been anticipated either by me or  by the
 ,roman ,catholic hierarchy of ,america4
 ,the whole press of the  ,united       
,states and ,canada1 both political and 
religious1 were discussing  the causes  
and the probable results of the contest4
    ,at first1 the bishops were         
indignant at the conduct of my lord     
,o',regan4  ,they had seen with         
pleasure1 that a priest from his own    
diocese would  probably force him to be 
more cautious and less scandalous in his
 public  and private dealings with the  
clergy and the people4 ,but1 they also  
hoped that ,i should be paralyzed by the
 sentence of excommunication1 and  that 
the people1 frightened by these         
fulminations1 would withdraw the        
support they had1 at first1 given me4   
,they were assured by ,spink1 that ,i   
would lose my suit1 at ,urbana1 and     
should1 when lodged in the              

penitentiary1 become powerless to do any
 mischief in the church4    ,but their  
confidence was soon changed into dismay 
when they saw that the  people laughed  
at the excommunication2 that ,i had     
gained my suit1 and  that ,i was        
triumphing on that very battle-field    
from which no priest1  since ,luther and
 ,knox1 had come out unscathed4         
,everywhere1 the sound of  alarm was    
heard1 and ,i was denounced as a rebel  
and schismatic4 ,the  whole body of the 
bishops prepared to hurl their most     
terrible  fulminations at my devoted    
head4 ,but before taking their last     
measure to  crush me1 a supreme effort  
was made to show us what they considered
 our  errors4 ,the ,rev4 ,messrs4       
,brassard1 curate of ,longueuil1 and    
,rev4 ,isaac  ,desaulnier1 ,president of
 ,st4 ,hyacinthe college1 were sent by  
the people  and bishops of ,canada to   
show me what they called the scandal of 
my  proceedings1 and press me to submit 
to the will of the bishop1 by           

respecting the so-called sentence of    
excommunication4    ,the choice of those
 two priests was very wise4 ,they were  
certainly the  most influential that    
could be sent4 ,mr4 ,brassard had not   
only been my  teacher at the college of 
,nicolet1 but my benefactor1 as ,i have 
already  said4 ,when the want of means1 
in #ahbe1 had forced me to leave the    
college and bid adieu to my mother and  
my young brothers1 in order to go  to a 
very distant land1 in search of a       
position2 he stopped me on the  road of 
exile and brought me back to the        
college3 and along with the  ,rev4 ,mr4 
,leprohon1 he paid all my expenses to   
the end of my studies4 ,he  had loved me
 since1 as his own child1 and ,i        
cherished and respected him  as my own  
father4 ,the other1 ,mons4 ,i4          
,desaulnier1 had been my class-mate  in 
the college1 from #ahbb to #ahbi1 and we
 had been united during the  whole of   
that period1 as well as since1 by the   
bonds of the sincerest  esteem and      

friendship6 ,they arrived at ,st4 ,anne 
on ,november #bdth1 #ahef4    ,i heard  
of their coming only a few minutes      
before their arrival2 and  nothing can  
express the joy ,i felt at the news4    
,the confidence ,i had in  their honesty
 and friendship1 gave me1 at once1 the  
hope that they would  soon see the      
justice and holiness of our cause1 and  
they would bravely  take our side       
against our aggressor4 ,but they had    
very different  sentiments4 ,sincerely  
believing that ,i was an unmanageable   
schismatic1  who was creating an awful  
scandal in the church1 they had not only
 been  forbidden by the bishops to sleep
 in my house1 but also have any         
friendly and ,christian communication   
with me4 ,with no hatred against me1    
they were yet filled with horror at the 
thought that ,i should be so  scandalous
 a priest1 and so daring1 as to trouble 
the peace and destroy  the unity of the 
church4    ,on their way from ,canada to
 ,st4 ,anne1 they had often been told   

that ,i  was not the same man as they   
knew me formerly to be1 and that ,i had 
become sour and gloomy1 abusive1        
insolent and haughty2 that also1 ,i     
would insult them1 and perhaps advise   
the people to turn them away from  my   
premises1 as men who had no business to 
meddle in our affairs4 ,they  were      
pleasantly disappointed1 however1 when  
they saw me running to meet  them1 as   
far as ,i could see them1 to press them 
to my heart1 with the  most sincere     
marks of affection and joy4 ,i told them
 that all the  treasures of ,california 
brought to my house1 would not make me  
half so  happy as ,i was made by their  
presence4    ,i1 at once1 expressed my  
hope that they were the messengers1 sent
 by  ,god1 to bring us peace and put an 
end to the deplorable state of things   
which was the cause of their long       
journey4 ,remarking that they were      
covered with mud1 ,i invited them to go 
to their sleeping rooms1 to wash  and   
refresh themselves4    8,sleeping rooms6

 sleeping rooms660 said ,mr4            
,desaulnier1 8but our written           
instructions from the bishops who sent  
us1 forbid us to sleep here1 on  account
 of your excommunication40    ,mr4      
,brassard answered3 8,i must tell you1  
my dear ,mr4 ,desaulnier1 a thing  which
 ,i have kept secret till now4 ,after   
reading that prohibition of  sleeping   
here1 ,i said to the bishop that if he  
would put such a  restraint upon me1 he 
might choose another one to come here4  
,i requested  him to let us both act    
according to our conscience and common  
sense1  when we should be with          
,chiniquy4    8,and1 to-day1 my         
conscience and common sense tells me    
that we cannot  begin our mission of    
peace by insulting a man who gives us   
such a  friendly and ,christian         
reception4 ,the people of ,canada have  
chosen us as  their deputies1 because we
 are the most sincere friends of        
,chiniquy4 ,it  is by keeping that      
character that we will best fulfill our 

sacred and  solemn duties4 ,i accept    
with pleasure1 the sleeping room offered
 me40    ,mr4 ,desaulnier rejoined3 8,i 
accept it also1 for ,i did not come here
 to  insult my best friend1 but to save 
him40    ,these kind words of my guests 
added to the joy ,i experienced at their
  coming4 ,i told them3    8,if you are 
here to obey the voice of your          
conscience and the dictates  of your    
common sense1 there is a glorious task  
before you4 ,you will soon  find that   
the people and priest of ,st4 ,anne1    
have also done nothing1 but  listened to
 the voice of their honest conscience1  
and followed the laws  of common sense  
in their conduct towards the bishop4    
,but10 ,i added1  8this is not the time 
to explain my position1 but the time to 
wash your  dusty faces and refresh      
yourselves4 ,here are your rooms1 make  
yourselves  at home40    ,after supper1 
which had been spent in the most        
pleasant way1 and without  any allusion 
to our troubles1 they handed me the     

letters addressed to me  by the bishops 
of ,montreal1 ,london and ,toronto1 to  
induce me to submit  to my superior1 and
 offer me the assurance of their most   
sincere  friendship and devotedness1 if 
,i would obey4    ,mr4 ,desaulnier then 
said3 8,now1 my dear ,chiniquy1 we have 
been sent here  by the people and       
bishops of ,canada to take you away from
 the bottomless  abyss into which you   
have fallen with your people4 ,we have  
only one day  and two nights to spend   
here1 we must lose no time1 but begin at
 once1  to fulfill our solemn mission40 
,i answered3 8,if ,i have fallen into a 
bottomless abyss as you say1 and  that  
you will draw me out of it1 not only    
,god and men will bless you2  but ,i    
will also forever bless you for your    
charity4 ,the first thing1  however1 you
 have to do here1 is to see if ,i am    
really fallen1 with my  people1 into    
that bottomless abyss of which you      
speak40    8,but are you not            
excommunicated10 quickly rejoined ,mr4  

,desaulnier1 8and1  notwithstanding that
 excommunication1 have you not continued
 to say your  mass1 preach and hear the 
confessions of your people8 ,are you not
 then  fallen into that state of        
irregularity and schism which separate  
you  entirely from the church1 and to   
which the ,pope alone can restore you80 
8,no1 my dear ,desaulnier10 ,i answered1
 8,i am no more excommunicated than  you
 are4 ,for the simple reason that an act
 of excommunication which is  not signed
 and certified1 is a public nullity1    
unworthy of any  attention4 ,here is the
 act of the so-called excommunication1  
which makes  so much noise in the world6
 ,examine it yourself2 look if it is    
signed by  the bishop1 or any one else  
you know2 consider with attention if it 
is  certified by anybody40 ,and ,i      
handed him the document4    ,after he   
had examined it1 and turned it every    
way1 for more than half an  hour1 with  
,mr4 ,brassard1 without saying a word1  
he at last broke the  silence1 and said3

    8,if ,i had not seen it with my own 
eyes1 ,i could never have believed that 
a bishop can play such a sacrilegious   
comedy in the face of the world4  ,you  
have1 several times1 published it in the
 press1 but ,i confess that  your best  
friends1 and ,i among the rest1 did not 
believe you4 ,it could  not enter our   
minds that a bishop should be so devoid1
 ,i do not say of  every principle of   
religion1 but of the most common        
honesty1 as to have  proclaimed before  
the whole world that you were           
excommunicated1 when he  had to offer us
 only that ridiculous piece of rag1 to  
support his  assertion4 ,but1 in the    
name of common sense1 why is it that he 
has not  signed his sentence of         
excommunication1 or got it signed and   
countersigned by some authorized people1
 when it is so evident that he  wanted  
to excommunicate you80    8,his reason  
for not putting his name1 nor the name  
of any known person  at the bottom of   
that so-called excommunication is very  

clear10 ,i  answered3 8though our bishop
 is one of the most accomplished rogues 
of  ,illinois1 he is still more a coward
 than a rogue4 ,i had threatened to     
bring him before the civil court of the 
country1 if he dared to destroy  my     
character by a sentence of interdict or 
excommunication2 and he found  that the 
only way to save himself1 in the same   
time that he was  outraging me1 was not 
to sign that paper2 he thereby took away
 from me  the power of prosecuting him4 
,for1 the first thing ,i would have to  
do in  a prosecution1 in that case1     
would be to prove the signature of the  
bishop4 ,where could ,i find a witness  
who would swear that this is his        
signature8 ,would you swear it yourself1
 my dear ,desaulnier80    8,oh6 no1 for 
surely1 it is not his signature1 nor    
that of his grand  vicar or secretary4  
,but without going any further10 added  
he1 8we must  confess to you that we    
have talked to the bishop when passing  
through  ,chicago1 asking him if he had 

made any public or private inquest      
against  you1 and if he had found you   
guilty of any crime4 ,as he felt        
embarrassed  by our questions1 we told  
him that it was in our public character 
as  deputies of the bishops and people  
of ,canada towards you1 that we were    
putting to him those questions4 ,that it
 was necessary for us to know all  about
 your public and private character1 when
 we were coming to press  you to        
reconcile yourself to your bishop4      
8,he answered that he had never made any
 inquest about you1 though you  had     
requested him1 several times1 to do it1 
for the simple reason that  he was      
persuaded that you were one of his best 
priests4 ,your only  defect1 he said1   
was a spirit of stubbornness1 and want  
of respect and  obedience to your       
superior1 and your meddling with the    
dealings of his  diocesans1 with which  
you had no business4 ,he told us also   
that you  refused to go to ,kahokia4    
,but his face became so red and his     

tongue was  so strangely lisping when he
 said that1 that ,i suspected that it   
was a  falsehood2 and we have now1      
before our eyes1 that document1 signed  
by  four unimpeachable witnesses1 that  
it was more than a falsehood--it was a  
lie4 ,he proffered another lie1 also1 we
 see it now1 when he said that he  had  
signed himself1 the act of              
excommunication4    8,for1 surely1 this 
is not his handwriting4 ,such conduct   
from a bishop is  very strange4 ,if you 
would appeal to the ,pope1 and go to    
,rome with such  documents in hand      
against that bishop1 you would have an  
easy victory  over him4 ,for the canons 
of the church are clear and unanimous on
 that  subject4 ,a bishop who pronounces
 such a grave sentence against a priest1
  and makes use of false signatures to  
certify his sentences1 is himself       
suspended and excommunicated1 ipso      
facto1 for a whole year40    ,mr4       
,brassard added3 8,cannot we confess to 
,chiniquy that the opinion of  the      

bishops of ,canada is1 that ,bishop     
,o',regan is a perfect rogue1 and  that 
if he 7,chiniquy7 would submit1 at once1
 under protest1 to those  unjust        
sentences1 and appeal to the ,pope1 he  
would gain his cause1 and  soon be      
reinstated by a public decree of his    
holiness40    ,our discussion about the 
troubles ,i had had2 and the best way to
 put an  end to them1 having kept us up 
till three o'clock in the morning       
without  being able to come to any      
satisfactory issue1 we adjourned to the 
next  day1 and went to take some rest1  
after a short prayer4    ,the #beth of  
,november1 at #aj ,a4 ,m41 after        
breakfast and a short walk in  our      
public square1 to breathe the pure air  
and enjoy the fine scenery of  our      
beautiful hill of ,st4 ,anne1 we shut   
ourselves up in my study1 and  resumed  
the discussion of the best plans of     
putting an end to the  existing         
difficulties4    ,to show them my       
sincere desire of stopping those noisy  

and scandalous  struggles without       
compromising the sacred principles which
 had guided me  from the beginning of   
our troubles1 ,i consented to sacrifice 
my position  as pastor of ,st4 ,anne1   
provided ,mr4 ,brassard would be        
installed in my  place4 ,it was decided1
 however1 that ,i should remain with    
him1 as his  vicar1 and help in the     
management of the spiritual and temporal
 affairs  of the colony4 ,the promise   
was given me that on that condition1 the
  bishop would withdraw his so-called   
sentence1 give back to the              
,french-,canadians of ,chicago the      
church he had taken away from them1 put 
a ,french-speaking priest at the head of
 the congregation1 and forget and       
forgive what he might consider our      
irregular conduct towards him1 after  we
 should have signed the following       
document3    ,,to ,,his ,,lordship      
,o',,regan1 ,,bishop ,,of ,,chicago4    
,,my ,,lord3--,as my writings and       
actions in opposition to your orders    

have1  since a few months1 given some   
scandals1 and caused some people to     
think  that ,i would rather prefer to be
 separated from our holy church1 than to
  submit to your authority1 ,i hasten to
 express the regret ,i feel for such    
acts and writings4 ,and to show to the  
world1 and to you1 my bishop1 my  firm  
desire to live and die a ,catholic1 ,i  
hasten to write to your  lordship that  
,i submit to your sentence1 and that ,i 
promise1 hereafter1  to exercise the    
holy ministry only with your permission4
 ,in consequence1  ,i respectfully      
request your lordship to withdraw the   
censures and  interdicts you have       
pronounced against me and those who have
 had any  spiritual communication with  
me4 ,i am1 my lord1 your devoted son in 
,christ4                                
,c4 ,,chiniquy    ,it was eleven o'clock
 at night1 when ,i consented to sign    
this document1  which was to be handed  
to the bishop and have any value1 only  
on the  above conditions4 ,the two      

deputies were besides themselves with   
joy1 at  the success of their mission1  
and at my readiness to sacrifice myself 
for the sake of peace4 ,mons4           
,desaulnier said3    8,now we see1      
evidently1 that ,chiniquy has been right
 with his people  from the beginning1   
that he never meant to create a schism  
and to put  himself at the head of a    
rebellious party1 to defy the authority 
of the  church4 ,if the bishop does not 
want to live in peace with the people   
and  pastor of ,st4 ,anne1 after such a 
sacrifice1 we will tell him that it is  
not ,chiniquy1 but ,bishop ,o',regan1   
who wants a schism--we will appeal to   
the ,pope--,i will go with ,chiniquy1   
and we will easily get1 there1 the      
removal of that ,bishop from the diocese
 of ,chicago40    ,mr4 ,brassard        
confirmed that sentence1 and added that 
he1 also1 would  accompany me to ,rome  
to be the witness of my innocence and   
the bad  conduct of the bishop4 ,he     
added that it would not take him a week 

to  raise twice the amount of money in  
,montreal1 we would require to go to    
,rome4    ,after thanking them for what 
they had done and said1 ,i asked ,mr4   
,desaulnier if he would be brave enough 
to repeat before my whole people  what  
he had just said before me and ,mr4     
,brassard1 in the presence of  ,god4    
8,surely1 ,i would be most happy to     
repeat before your whole people1 that   
it is impossible to find fault with you 
in what you have done till now4  ,but   
you know very well1 ,i will never have  
such an opportunity1 for it is  now #aa 
o'clock at night1 your people are       
soundly sleeping1 and ,i must  start    
to-morrow morning1 at six o'clock1 to   
take the ,chicago train at  ,kankakee at
 #h ,a4 ,m4    ,i answered3 8,all       
right60    ,we knelt together to make a 
short prayer1 and ,i led them to their  
rooms1  wishing them refreshing sleep1  
after the hard work of the day4    ,ten 
minutes later ,i was in the village1    
knocking at the doors of six of  my most

 respectable parishioners1 and telling  
them3    8,please do not lose a moment1 
go with your fastest horse to such and  
such a part of the colony2 knock at     
every door and tell the people to be  at
 the church at #e o'clock in the morning
 to hear with their own ears  what the  
deputies from ,canada have to say about 
past struggles with the  ,bishop of     
,chicago4 ,tell them to be punctual at  
#e o'clock in their pews1  where the    
deputies will address them words which  
they must hear at any  cost40    ,a     
little before five1 the next morning1   
,mr4 ,desaulnier1 full of surprise  and 
anxiety1 knocked at my door1 and said3  
8,chiniquy1 do you not hear the strange 
noise of buggies and carriages1  which  
seem to be coming from every quarter of 
the globe8 ,what does it  mean8 ,has    
your people become crazy1 to come to    
church at this dark hour1  so long      
before the dawn of day80    8,what6     
what60 ,i answered1 8,i was sleeping so 
soundly that ,i have heard  nothing yet4

 ,what do you mean by this noise of     
carriages and buggies  around the       
chapel8 ,are you dreaming80    8,no1 ,i 
am not dreaming10 he answered1 8not only
 do ,i hear the noise of a  great many  
carriages1 wagons and buggies2 but      
though it is pretty dark1  ,i see       
several hundred of them around the      
chapel4 ,i hear the voices of a  great  
multitude of men1 women1 and even       
children1 putting questions to  each    
other1 and giving answers which ,i      
cannot understand4 ,they make such  a   
noise by their laughing and jokes6 ,can 
you tell me what this means8 ,i  have   
never been so puzzled in my life40    ,i
 answered him3 8,do you not see that you
 are dreaming4 ,let me dress  myself    
that ,i may go and see something of that
 strange and awful dream60    ,mr4      
,brassard1 though a little more calm    
than ,desaulnier1 was not1  himself1    
without some anxiety at the strange     
noise of that multitude of  carriages1  
horses and people around my house and   

chapel1 at such an  hour4 ,knocking at  
my door1 he said1 8,please1 ,chiniquy1  
explain that  strange mystery4 ,do that 
people come to play us some bad trick1  
and  punish us for intruding in their   
affairs80    8,be quiet10 ,i answered1  
8my dear friends4 ,you have nothing to  
fear from  that good and intelligent    
people4 ,do you not remember that1 last 
night1  a few minutes before #aa        
o'clock1 ,desaulnier said that he would 
be honest  and brave enough to repeat   
before my whole people what he had said 
before you and me1 and in the presence  
of ,god4 ,i suppose that some of  the   
angels of heaven have heard those words1
 and have carried them1 this  night1 to 
every family1 inviting them to be here  
at the chapel1 that  they might hear    
from your own lips1 what you think of   
the grand and  glorious battle they are 
fighting in this distant land1 for the  
principles of truth and justice1 as the 
gospel secures them to every  disciple  
of ,christ40    8,well6 well60 said     

,desaulnier1 8there is only one         
,chiniquy in the world  to take me in   
such a trap1 and there is only one      
people under heaven to  do what this    
people is doing here4 ,i would never    
have given you that  answer1 had ,i not 
been morally sure that ,i would never   
have had an  opportunity to fulfill it4 
,who would think you would play me such 
a  trick8 ,but10 he added1 8though ,i   
know that this will terribly compromise 
me before certain parties1 it is too    
late to retract1 and ,i will fulfill  my
 promise40    ,it is impossible to      
express my own joy and the joy of that  
noble people  when they heard1 from the 
very lips of those deputies that1 after 
spending a whole day and two nights in  
examining all that had been done  by    
their pastor and by them in that solemn 
and fearful contest1 they  declared that
 they had not broken any law of ,god1   
nor of his holy  church2 and that they  
had kept themselves in the very way     
prescribed by  the canons4    ,tears of 

joy were rolling down every cheek when  
they heard ,mr4  ,desaulnier telling    
them1 which ,mr4 ,brassard confirmed    
after1 that the  bishop had no possible 
right to interdict their pastor1 since  
he had  told them that he was one of his
 best priests2 and that they had done   
well not to pay any attention to an act 
of excommunication which was a  sham and
 a sacrilegious comedy1 not having been 
signed nor certified by  any known      
person4 ,both deputies said3    8,mr4   
,brassard will be your pastor1 and ,mr4 
,chiniquy1 as his vicar1 will  remain in
 your midst4 ,he has signed an act of   
submission1 which we have  found        
sufficient1 on the condition that the   
bishop will let you live in  peace1 and 
withdraw the sentence he says he has    
fulminated against you4  ,if he does not
 accept those conditions1 we will tell  
him1 it is not ,mr4  ,chiniquy1 but you1
 who wants a schism1 and we will go with
 ,mr4 ,chiniquy  to ,rome1 to plead his 
cause and prove his innocence before his

  holiness40    ,after this1 we all     
knelt to thank and bless ,god2 and never
 people went  back to their homes with  
more cheerful hearts than the people of 
,st4  ,anne1 on that morning of the     
#beth of ,november1 #ahef4    ,at six   
o'clock ,a4 ,m41 ,mr4 ,desaulnier was on
 his way back to ,chicago1 to  present  
my conditional act of submission to the 
bishop1 and press him1  in the name of  
the ,bishop of ,canada1 and in the name 
of all the most  sacred interests of the
 church1 to accept the sacrifice and the
  submission of the people of ,st4      
,anne1 and to give them the peace they  
wanted and were purchasing at such a    
price4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,brassard had    
remained with me1 waiting for a letter  
from the bishop to accompany me  and put
 the last seal to our reconciliation4   
,the next day he received the following 
note from ,mr4 ,desaulnier3             
,,bishopric ,,of ,,chicago1 ,nov4 #bfth1
 #ahef4    ,,the ,,rev4 ,,mr4           
,,brassard1 ,,monsieur3--    ,it is     

advisable and indispensable that you    
should come here1 with ,mr4  ,chiniquy1 
as soon as possible4 ,in consequence1 ,i
 expect you both day  after to-morrow1  
in order to settle that matter          
definitely4                             
,respectfully yours4       ,,isaac      
,,desaulnier4    ,after reading that    
letter with ,mr4 ,brassard1 ,i said3    
8,do you not feel that these cold words 
mean nothing good8 ,i regret that  you  
have not gone with ,desaulnier to the   
bishop4 ,you know the levity and        
weakness of his character1 always bold  
with his words1 but soft as wax  at the 
least pressure which he feels4 ,my fear 
is that the bulldog  tenacity of my lord
 ,o',regan has frightened him1 and all  
his courage and  bravados have melted   
away before the fierce temper of the    
,bishop of  ,chicago4 ,but let us go4   
,be sure1 however1 my dear ,mr4         
,brassard1 that if  the ,bishop does not
 accept you to remain at the head of    
this colony1 to  protect and guide it1  

no consideration whatever will induce me
 to betray  my people and let them      
become the prey of the wolves which want
 to  devour them40    ,we arrived at the
 ,illinois ,central depot of ,chicago1  
the #bhth1 at about  #aj ,a4 ,m4 ,mr4   
,desaulnier was there waiting for us4   
,he was as pale as a  dead man4 ,the    
marks of ,cain and ,judas were on his   
face4 ,having taken him  at a short     
distance from the crowd1 ,i asked him3  
8,what news80    ,he answered3 8,the    
news is1 that you and ,mr4 ,brassard    
have nothing to do  but to take your    
bags and go away from ,st4 ,anne1 to    
,canada4 ,the bishop  is unwilling to   
make any arrangements with you4 ,he     
wants me to be the  pastor of ,st4      
,anne1 pro tempore1 and he wants you    
with ,mr4 ,brassard1  to go quietly back
 to ,canada1 and tell the bishops to    
mind their own  business40    8,and what
 has become of the promise you have     
given me and to my people1  to go with  
me and ,mr4 ,brassard to ,rome1 if the  

bishop refused the  proposed            
arrangements you had fixed yourselves80 
8,tat6 tat6 tat60 answered he1 8the     
bishop does not care a straw about  your
 going or not going to ,rome4 ,he has   
put me as his grand vicar at the  head  
of the colony of ,st4 ,anne1 from which 
you must go in the shortest  time       
possible40    8,now1 ,desaulnier10 ,i   
answered1 8you are a traitor1 and a     
,judas1 and if  you want to have the pay
 of ,judas1 ,i advise you to go to ,st4 
,anne4 ,there  you will receive what you
 deserve4 ,the beauty and importance of 
that  great colony has tempted you1 and 
you have sold me to the bishop1 in      
order to become a grand vicar and eat   
the fruits of the vine ,i have  planted 
there4 ,but you will soon see your      
mistake4 ,if you have any pity  for     
yourself1 ,i advise you never to put    
your feet into that place any  more40   
,desaulnier answered3 8,the bishop will 
not make any arrangements with you      
unless you retract publicly what you    

have written against him on account  of 
his taking possession of the church of  
the ,french-,canadians of  ,chicago1 and
 you must publish1 in the press1 that he
 was right and  honest in what he did in
 that circumstance40    8,my dear ,mr4  
,brassard10 ,i said1 8can ,i make such a
 declaration  conscientiously and       
honorably80 ,that venerable man answered
 me3    8,you cannot consent to such a  
thing40    8,desaulnier10 ,i said1 8do  
you hear8 ,mr4 ,brassard and your       
conscience1 if  you have any1 tell you  
the same thing4 ,if you take sides      
against me with  a man whom you have    
yourself declared1 yesterday1 to be a   
sacrilegious  thief1 you are not better 
than he is4 ,go and work with him4      
8,as for me1 ,i go back into the midst  
of my dear and noble people of ,st4     
,anne40    8,what will you do there10   
answered ,mr4 ,desaulnier1 8when the    
bishop has  forbidden you to remain80   
8,what will ,i do80 ,i answered1 8,i    
will teach those true disciples of      

,jesus ,christ to shun and despise the  
tyrants and the traitors1 even  though  
wearing a mitre or a square bonnet 7un  
bonnet quarre74 ,go1  traitor6 and      
finish your ,judas work6 ,adieu60    ,i 
then threw myself into the arms of ,mr4 
,brassard1 who was almost  speechless1  
suffocated in his sobs and tears4 ,i    
pressed him to my heart1  and said3     
8,adieu6 my dear ,mr4 ,brassard4 ,go    
back to ,canada and tell my friends how 
the cowardice and ambition of that      
traitor has ruined the hopes we had  of 
putting an end to this deplorable state 
of affairs4 ,i go back among  my        
brethren of ,st4 ,anne1 with more       
determination than ever to protect  them
 against the tyranny and impiety of our 
despotic rulers4 ,it will be  more easy 
than ever to show them that the ,son of 
,god has not redeemed us  on the cross1 
that we might be the slaves of those    
heartless traders in  souls4    8,i will
 more earnestly than ever1 teach my     
people to shun the modern  gospel of the

 bishops1 in order to follow the old    
,gospel of ,jesus  ,christ1 as the only 
hope and life of our poor fallen        
humanity40    ,mr4 ,brassard wanted to  
say something2 but his voice was        
suffocated by  his sobs4 ,the only words
 he could utter1 when pressing me to his
 heart1  were3 8,adieu1 dear friend1    
,adieu60                                
,,chapter ,,lxiii4    ,,mr4 ,,desaulnier
 ,,is ,,named ,,vicar ,,general ,,of    
,,chicago ,,to ,,crush ,,us--,,our      
,,people    ,,more ,,united ,,than      
,,ever ,,to ,,defend ,,their            
,,rights--,,letters ,,of ,,the ,,people 
,,of    ,,chicago ,,to ,,the ,,bishops  
,,and ,,to ,,the ,,pope--,,letters ,,of 
,,the ,,bishop ,,of    ,,montreal       
,,against ,,me1 ,,and ,,my              
,,answer--,,mr4 ,,brassard ,,forced1    
,,against ,,his    ,,conscience1 ,,to   
,,condemn ,,us--,,my ,,answer ,,to ,,mr4
 ,,brassard--,,he ,,writes ,,to ,,beg   
,,my ,,pardon4      ,it was evident that
 the betrayal of ,mr4 ,desaulnier would 

be followed by  new efforts on the part 
of the bishop to crush us4 ,two new     
priests were  sent from ,canada1 ,mr4   
,mailloux1 vicar general1 and ,mr4      
,campo1 to  strengthen his hands1 and   
press the people to submit4 ,mr4        
,brassard wrote  me from ,canada in     
,december3    8,all the bishops are     
preparing to hurl their thunders against
 you1 and  your people1 on account of   
your heroic resistance to the tyranny of
 the  bishop of ,chicago4    8,i have   
told them the truth1 but they don't want
 to know it4 ,my lord  ,bourget told me 
positively1 that you must be forced1 at 
any cost1 to  yield to the authority of 
your bishop2 and he has threatened to   
excommunicate me1 if ,i tell the people 
what ,i know of the shameful  conduct of
 ,desaulnier4 ,if ,i were alone ,i would
 not mind his  excommunication1 and     
would speak the truth1 but such a       
sentence against  me would kill my poor 
old mother4 ,i hope you will not find   
fault with  me1 if ,i remain absolutely 

mute4 ,i pray you to consider this      
letter  confidential4 ,you know very    
well the trouble you would put me into1 
by  its publication40    ,the ,french   
,canadians of ,chicago saw1 at once1    
that their bishop1  strengthened by the 
support of ,desaulnier1 would be more   
than ever1  obstinate in his            
determination to crush them4 ,they      
thought that the best  way to force him 
to do them justice1 was to publish a    
manifesto of their  grievances against  
him1 and make a public appeal to all the
 ,bishops of  the ,united ,states and   
even to the ,pope4    ,on the #bbnd of  
,january1 #aheg1 ,the ,chicago ,tribune 
was requested by  them to publish the   
following document3    ,at a public     
meeting of the ,french and ,canadian    
,catholics of ,chicago held  in the hall
 of ,mr4 ,bodicar1 on the #bbnd of      
,january1 #aheg1 ,mr4 ,rofinot  being   
called to preside1 and ,mr4             
,franchere1,g acting as a ,secretary1   
the following addresses and resolutions1

 being read1 have been  unanimously     
approved3    -----    ,footnote ,g3     
,these two gentlemen are still living in
 ,chicago1 #ahhf4    -----    8,,editors
 ,,of ,,the ,,tribune3--,will you allow 
a thousand voices from the dead  to     
speak to the public1 through your       
valuable paper4    8,everybody in       
,chicago knows1 that a few years ago1   
there was a  flourishing congregation of
 ,french people coming from ,france and 
,canada  in this city4 ,they had their  
priest1 their church1 their religious   
meeting4 ,all that is now dispersed and 
destroyed4 ,the present ,bishop of      
,chicago has breathed his deadly breath 
upon us4 ,instead of coming to us  as a 
father1 he came as a savage enemy3      
instead of helping us as a  friend1 he  
has put us down as a revengeful foe4 ,he
 has done the very  contrary to which   
was commanded him by the gospel4 #8,the 
bruised reed he  shall not break1 and   
the smoking flash he shall not          
extinguish4' ,instead  of guiding us    

with the cross of the meek ,jesus1 he   
has ruled over us  with an iron rod4    
8,every ,sunday1 the warm-hearted and   
generous ,irish go to their church to   
hear the voice of their priest1 in their
 ,english language4 ,the  intelligent   
,germans have their pastors to address  
them in their mother  tongue4    8,the  
,french people are the only ones now who
 have no priest and no  church4 ,they   
are the only ones whose beautiful       
language is prohibited1  and which is   
not heard from any pulpit in ,chicago4  
,and is it from lack  of zeal and       
liberality8 ,ah6 no1 we take the whole  
city of ,chicago as a  witness of what  
we have done4 ,there was not in ,chicago
 a better-looking  little church than   
the ,french ,canadian ,church called    
,st4 ,louis4 ,but1  alas6 we have been  
turned out of it by our very bishop4 ,as
 he is now  publishing many stories to  
contradict that fact1 we owe to         
ourselves and  to our children to raise 
from the tomb1 where ,bishop ,o',regan  

has buried  us1 a voice to tell the     
truth4    8,as soon as ,bishop ,o',regan
 came to ,chicago1 he was told that the 
,french  priest was too popular1 that   
his church was attended not only by his 
,french ,canadian people1 but that many 
,irish and ,germans were going daily  to
 him1 for their religious duties4 ,it   
was whispered in the ears of his  ,rt4  
,reverence1 that on account of this1    
many dollars and cents were  going to   
the ,french priest1 which would be      
better stored in his ,rt4  ,reverence's 
purse4    8,till that time1 the bishop  
was not1 in appearance1 taking much     
trouble  about us4 ,but as soon as he   
saw that there were dollars and cents at
  stake1 we had the honor to occupy his 
thoughts day and night4 ,here are  the  
facts1 the undeniable public facts4 ,he 
7the bishop7 began by sending  for our  
priest1 and telling him that he had to  
prepare himself to be  removed from     
,chicago to some other place4 ,as soon  
as we knew that  determination1 a       

deputation was sent to his ,rt4         
,reverence1 to get the  promise that we 
would get another ,french priest1 and we
 received from  him the assurance that  
our just request would be granted4 ,but 
the next  ,sunday1 an ,irish priest1    
having been sent to officiate1 instead  
of a  ,french one1 we sent a deputation 
to ask him where the ,french priest was 
that he had promised us8 ,he answered3  
#8,that we ought to take any priest  we 
could get1 and be satisfied4' ,this     
short and sharp answer raised our       
,french blood1 and we began speaking    
more boldly to his ,reverence1 who  got 
up and walked through the room1 in a    
rage1 saying some half dozen  times3    
#8,you insult me6' ,but seeing that we  
were a fearless people1 and  determined 
to have no other priest but one whom we 
could understand1 he1  at last promised 
us again1 a ,french priest1 if we were  
ready to pay the  debt of our church and
 priest-house4 ,we said we would pay    
them1 but1 our  verbal promise was      

nothing to his ,reverence4 ,he          
immediately wrote an  agreement1 though 
it was ,sunday1 and we signed it4 ,but  
to attain1 sooner  or later1 his object1
 he imposed upon that unfortunate       
priest1 a  condition that he knew no    
,christian could obey4    8,this        
condition was that he should not        
receive1 in his church1 any one  but the
 ,french4 ,this was utterly impossible1 
as many ,irish1 ,germans and  ,american 
,catholics had been in the habit1 for   
years past1 of coming to  our church2 it
 was impossible to turn them out at     
once4    8,we did everything in our     
power to help our priest in the matter1 
by  taking all the seats in the church  
against the will of the respectable     
people of the different nations who had 
occupied them for years4 ,finding       
themselves turned out of the church1 and
 unable to conceive the reason  of so   
gross an insult from a fellow-,christian
 people1 they said to us3  #8,have we   
not paid for our seats in your church   

till this day8 ,double the  rent if you 
like2 we are ready to pay for it2 but1  
for ,god's sake permit  us to come and  
pray with you at the foot of the same   
altars4'    8,we explained to them the  
tyrannical orders of the bishop1 and    
they1  too1 commenced cursing the bishop
 and the ship that brought him over4    
8,they continued1 however1 to come to   
our church1 though they had no  seat4   
,they attended divine service in the    
aisles of the church1 and we  did not   
like to disturb them2 but our feelings  
were too ,christian for  the bishop4 ,he
 kept a watch over our priest1 and1 of  
course found out  that he was receiving 
many who were forbidden1 by him1 to     
attend our  religious meetings4    8,the
 bishop1 then1 thought once more of his 
dear ,french priest2 so he  came in     
person to his house1 and asked him if he
 had kept his orders4  ,the priest      
answered1 that it was quite impossible  
to obey such orders1  and remain a      
,christian4 ,he acknowledged that1 in   

many instances1 he had  been obliged1 by
 the laws of charity1 to give religious 
help to some who  were not ,french      
people4    8#8,well then1' answered the 
bishop1 #8from this very moment2 ,i     
silence  you1 and ,i forbid you the     
functions of priest in my diocese4'     
8,the poor trembling priest1            
thunderstruck1 could not say a word4    
8,he went to some friends to relate what
 had just happened him2 and he  was     
advised by them to go back to the bishop
 immediately to beg the  privilege of   
remaining at the head of his            
congregation till ,lent was  over4 ,the 
bishop said3    8#8,i will consent to   
your request1 if you pay me one hundred 
dollars4'    8#8,i will give you the sum
 as soon as ,i can collect it1 and will 
give you  my note for thirty days1'     
answered the priest4    8#8,i want the  
money cash down1' said the bishop2 #8go 
to some of your  friends2 you can easily
 collect that amount4'    8,the poor    
priest went away in search of the       

almighty dollars2 but he  could not find
 them as soon as he wished1 and did not 
return to his  lordship1 that day4 ,the 
bishop started that night for ,st4      
,louis1 but he  did not forget his dear 
,french people in his long journey4 ,as 
soon as he  arrived in ,st4 ,louis1 he  
wrote to his grand vicar1 ,rev4 ,mr4    
,dunn1 that  the ,french priest pay him 
#ajj or remain suspended4    8,this     
goodwill of the bishop for our spiritual
 welfare1 and his paternal  love for our
 purses1 did not fail to strike us4 ,our
 priest made a new  effort that very    
day2 he went to see an old friend who   
had been absent  from town for some     
time1 and related to him his sad        
position4 ,this old  friend 7,p4 ,f4    
,rofinot7 seeing that he could redeem a 
priest for so  little a sum1 7for the   
priest had collected part of it himself7
  immediately proceeded with the priest 
to the house of very ,reverend  ,dunn1  
with the money in hand to satisfy the   
bishop4    8,but alas6 that bargain did 

not last very long2 for as soon as the  
bishop returned1 the watch that he had  
left behind him performed his  duty well
 and told him that the ,french priest   
was going on as before4 ,so  the poor   
priest had to go again to the bishop to 
explain his conduct4  ,but this time he 
could not bear the idea of officiating  
any longer under  such a tyrant4 ,he    
left us to fight the hardest battles    
ourselves1  against the bishop4    8,as 
the church and the house of our priest  
were on leased grounds1 the  lease had  
to be renewed or the buildings removed4 
,we went to the bishop1  who advised us 
to buy a lot and remove the church on   
it1 and sell the  house to help pay for 
the lot4 ,suspecting nothing wrong in   
that advice1  we followed it4 ,we       
bargained for a lot1 agreed to sell the 
house and  went to report our progress4 
8,but we were going too fast4 ,the      
bishop must stop us1 or he would be     
frustrated in his calculations1 for he  
had a lot himself1 to put the  church   

on1 he opposed our removing our church1 
by telling us that there  was another   
lot adjoining the one we had bargained  
for2 and that we must  buy it also4 ,we 
went immediately and bought the lot on  
ninety days time4  ,but he objected to  
this again1 saying that he would not    
allow us to  touch the church1 unless we
 had the whole lot paid for1 and put the
 deed  in his hands1 and that the deed  
should be made to himself personally4   
8,this had the effect desired by the    
bishop4 ,we had collected all the  money
 that could be collected then1 in our   
small congregation2 it was  impossible  
for us to do any more1 so we concluded  
to give up the battle4  ,the bishop     
then1 went on1 took the money we had    
sold the house for  7#a1bjj74 ,a        
,catholic lady1 whose husband had bought
 the house1 had  subscribed one hundred 
dollars for removing the church1        
providing the  bishop would promise that
 it would remain in the hands of the    
,french1  and attended by a ,french     

priest4 ,the bishop proffered again to  
that lady  the lie1 which he had so     
often uttered to us1 everywhere1 even   
from the  altar1 that upon his word of  
bishop1 it should remain a ,french      
,church1  and that they should have a   
,french priest4 7,this we should call   
lie  number one74 ,he then moved the    
church to another lot of his own1 sent  
an  ,irish priest to officiate in it1   
put the money in his pocket1 and made   
the congregation which is now ,irish1   
pay for the lot1 the moving and         
repairing of the church1 and he takes   
quarterly the revenues which are  no    
less than #b1jjj a year4    88,this is  
the way we have been swindled out of our
 church1 of the house  of our priest1   
and of our all1 by the tyrant1 ,bishop  
,o',regan3 and when a  ,french priest   
visits our city1 he forbids him to      
address us in our  mother tongue4 ,this 
is the way we1 ,french ,catholics1 as a 
society1 have  been blotted out of the  
book of the living6    8,and when ,rev4 

,father ,chiniquy has publicly accused  
,bishop ,o',regan of  having deprived us
 most unjustly of our church1 he has    
proffered a truth  which has as many    
witnesses as there are ,catholics and   
,protestants in  ,chicago4    8,we know 
well that ,bishop ,o',regan is          
proclaiming that he has not  deprived us
 of our church1 that if it is in the    
hands of the ,irish1 it  is because the 
,irish and not the ,french built it4    
#8,this is lie number  two1 which can be
 proven by more than a thousand         
witnesses4'    8,we would like to know  
if he has forgotten the agreement       
7mentioned  above7 which he made us sign
 in bargaining for a ,french priest4 ,he
 has  the receipts for every cent that  
was due up to the time he took          
possession of our church4 ,he then      
proffered these words to the ,french    
gentlemen who brought him the receipts3 
#8,it takes the ,french to collect      
money quick these hard times1' 7being in
 the winter74    8,we must also add that

 we1 ,french people1 have paid for the  
very  vestments that the bishop uses in 
his ,cathedral1 which he has taken from 
our church4 ,but he uses them only on   
some high feasts1 thinking too much  of 
stolen property1 to use them on a common
 day4    8,will it be out of place1     
here1 to say that the cathedral of      
,chicago was  built by the ,french1 and 
that the lot which it is built on was   
given by  a ,frenchman8 ,it is very     
reluctantly that we expose all these    
facts  before the eyes of the public2   
but having waited patiently1 during two 
long years1 and having used all the     
influence we could command in ,france   
and ,canada1 to no purpose1 we must     
resort to the sympathy of the public    
for justice1 through the free press of  
the ,united ,states4                    
8,,resolutions4    8,resolved1 #ast4    
,that the ,right ,rev4 ,o',regan1       
,bishop of ,chicago1 has  entirely lost 
the confidence of the ,french and       
,canadian population of  ,chicago since 

he has taken away from us our church4   
8,resolved1 #bnd4 ,that the ,right ,rev4
 ,o',regan has published a base  slander
 against the ,french and ,canadian      
population of ,chicago1 when he  said he
 took our church from our hands on the  
pretence that we could not  pay for it4 
8,resolved1 #crd4 ,that the ,right ,rev4
 ,o',regan1 having said to our          
deputies1 who went to inquire from him  
by what right he was taking our  church 
from us to give it to another           
congregation3 #8,i have the right to  do
 what ,i like with your church1 and your
 church properties2 ,i can sell  them   
and put the money in my pocket1 and go  
where ,i please with it1' has  assumed a
 power too tyrannical to be obeyed by a 
,christian and a free  people4          
8,resolved1 #dth4 ,that the nature of   
the different suits which the ,right    
,rev4 ,o',regan has had before the civil
 courts of this state1 and which he  has
 almost invariably lost1 have proved to 
the whole people of ,illinois  that he  

is quite unworthy of the position he    
holds in the ,catholic  ,church4        
8,resolved1 #eth4 ,that the ,right ,rev4
 ,o',regan is here publicly accused  of 
being guilty of simony for having       
extorted #ajj from a priest to give  him
 permission to officiate and administer 
the sacraments among us4    8,resolved1 
#fth4 ,that the ,right ,rev4 ,o',regan1 
in forbidding the ,irish  and ,german   
,catholics to communicate with the      
,french ,catholic ,church1 and  allowing
 the ,french and ,canadians to          
communicate with the ,irish and  ,german
 ,churches1 has acted with a view to    
deprive the ,french ,church of          
religious fees and other donations1     
which acts we consider unjust and       
against the spirit of the church1 and   
more resembling a mercantile            
transaction than a ,christian work4     
8,resolved1 #gth4 ,that the ,french and 
,canadian people of ,illinois have  seen
 with feelings of grief and surprise    
that the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,desaulnier  has    

made himself the humble valet of the    
merciless and shameless  persecutor of  
his countrymen4    8,resolved1 #hth4    
,that the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 pastor  
of ,st4 ,anne1  deserves the gratitude  
of every ,catholic of ,illinois1 for    
having the  first1 put a stop to the    
rapacious tyranny of the bishop of      
,chicago4    8,resolved1 #ith4 ,that the
 ,french ,catholics of ,chicago are     
determined to  give all support in their
 power to the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 in  
his  struggle against the bishop of     
,chicago4    8,resolved1 #ajth4 ,that a 
printed copy of these resolutions be    
sent to  every bishop and archbishop of 
the ,united ,states and ,canada1 that   
they  may see the necessity of giving to
 the church of ,illinois a bishop more  
worthy of that high position4           
8,resolved1 #aath4 ,that a copy of these
 resolutions be sent to ,his  ,holiness 
,pius ,,ix41 that he may be incited to  
make inquiries about the  humiliated    
position of the church in ,illinois1    

since the present bishop  is among us4  
8,resolved1 #abth4 ,that the            
independence and liberty loving press of
 the  ,united ,states be requested to   
publish the above address and           
resolutions  all over the country4      
8,p4 ,f4 ,,rofinot1 ,president4         
8,,david ,,franchere1                   
,secretary40    ,that cry of more than  
two thousand ,roman ,catholics of       
,chicago1 which was  reproduced by      
almost the whole press of ,illinois1 and
 the ,united ,states1  fell as a        
thunderbolt upon the head of my lord    
,o',regan and ,desaulnier4  ,they wrote 
to all bishops of ,america1 to hasten to
 their rescue1 and for  several months  
the pulpits of the ,roman ,catholic     
,churches had no other  mission than to 
repeat the echoes of the ,episcopal     
fulminations hurled  against my devoted 
head4 ,many bishop's letters and        
mandements were  published1 denouncing  
me and my people as infamous            
schismatics1 whose  pride and obstinancy

 were troubling the peace of the church4
 ,but the  most bitter of all these1 was
 a letter from my lord ,bourget1 bishop 
of  ,montreal1 who thought the best1 if 
not the only way1 to force the people   
to desert me1 was by forever destroying 
my honor4 ,but he had the  misfortune to
 fall into the pit he had dug for me1 in
 #ahea4    ,the miserable girl he had   
associated with himself1 to satisfy his 
implacable hatred1 was dead4 ,but1 he   
had still in hand the lying  accusations
 obtained from her1 against me4 ,having 
probably destroyed her  sworn           
recantation1 written by the ,jesuit     
,father ,schneider1 and not  having the 
least idea that ,i had kept three other 
sworn copies of the  recantations--he   
thought he could safely publish that ,i 
was a degraded  man1 who had been driven
 from ,canada1 by him1 after being      
convicted of  some enormous crime1 and  
interdicted4    ,this declaration was   
brought before the public1 for the first
 time1 by  him1 with an hypocritical air

 of compassion and mercy for me1 which  
added much to the deadly effect he      
expected to produce by it4 ,here are    
his own words1 addressed to the people  
of ,bourbonnais1 and through them1  to  
the whole world3    8,i must tell you   
that on the #bgth of ,september1 #ahea1 
,i withdrew all his  powers1 and        
interdicted him1 for reasons which ,i   
gave him in my letter  addressed to him2
 a letter which he has probably kept4   
,let him publish  that letter if he     
finds that ,i have persecuted him       
unjustly40    ,i could hardly believe my
 eyes when ,i read this ignominious act 
of  perfidy on the part of that high    
dignitary3 it seemed incredible1 and    
surpassed anything ,i had ever seen1    
even in ,bishop ,o',regan4 ,i can not   
say1 however1 that it took me entirely  
by surprise1 for ,i had  anticipated it4
 ,when ,father ,schneider asked me why  
,i had taken four  sworn copies of the  
recantation of the unfortunate girl     
whose tears of  regret were flowing     

before us1 ,i told him that ,i knew so  
much of the  meanness and perfidy of    
,bishop ,bourget1 that ,i thought he    
might destroy  the copy we were sending 
him1 in order to pierce me again with   
his  poisonous arrows1 whilst1 if ,i    
kept three other copies1 one for him1   
one  for ,mr4 ,brassard and one for     
myself1 ,i would have nothing to fear4  
,i am  convinced that my merciful ,god  
knew the malice of that bishop against  
me1 and gave me that wisdom to save me4 
,i immediately sent him1 through the    
press1 the following answer3    ,,to    
,,monsignor ,,bourget3                  
,,st4 ,,anne1 ,april #ah1 #aheg4    ,,my
 ,,lord3--,in your letter of the #aith  
of ,march1 you assure the public that   
you have interdicted me1 a few days     
before my leaving ,canada for the       
,united ,states1 and you invite me to   
give the reasons of that sentence4 ,i   
will satisfy you4 ,on the #bhth of      
,september1 #ahea1 ,i found a letter on 
my  table from you1 telling me that you 

had suspended me from my  ecclesiastical
 offices1 on account of a great crime   
that ,i had  committed1 and of which ,i 
was accused4 ,but the name of the       
accuser was  not given1 nor the nature  
of the crime4 ,i immediately went to see
 you1  and protesting my innocence1 ,i  
requested you to give me the name of my 
accusers1 and allow me to be confronted 
by them1 promising that ,i would  prove 
my innocence4 ,you refused to grant my  
request4    ,then ,i fell on my knees1  
and with tears1 in the name of ,god1 ,i 
requested  you again to allow me to meet
 my accusers and prove my innocence4    
,you  remained deaf to my prayer and    
unmoved by my tears2 you repulsed me    
with  a malice and air of tyranny which 
,i thought impossible in you4    ,during
 the twenty-four hours after this1      
sentiments of an inexpressible  wrath   
crossed my mind4 ,i tell it to you      
frankly1 in that terrible hour1  ,i     
would have preferred to be at the feet  
of a heathen priest1 whose  knife would 

have slaughtered me on his altars1 to   
appease his infernal  gods1 rather than 
be at the feet of a man who1 in the name
 of ,jesus  ,christ1 and under the mask 
of the gospel1 should dare to commit    
such a  cruel act4 ,you had taken away  
my honor--you had destroyed me with the 
most infamous calumny--and you had      
refused me every means of               
justification6 ,you had taken under your
 protection the cowards who were        
stabbing me in the dark6    ,though it  
is hard to repeat1 ,i must tell it here 
publicly1 ,i cursed you  on that        
horrible day4    ,with a broken heart1  
,i went to the ,jesuit college1 and ,i  
showed the  wounds of my bleeding soul  
to the noble friend who was generally my
  confessor1 the ,rev4 ,father          
,schneider1 the director of the college4
    ,after three days1 having           
providentially got some reasons to      
suspect who  was the author of my       
destruction1 ,i sent some one to ask her
 to come to  the college1 without       

mentioning my name4    ,when she was in 
the parlor1 ,i said to ,father          
,schneider3    8,you knew the horrible  
iniquity of the bishop against me2 with 
the lying  words of a prostitute1 he has
 tried to destroy me2 but please come   
and  be the witness of my innocence40   
,when in the presence of that           
unfortunate female1 ,i told her3        
8,you are in the presence of ,god       
,almighty1 and two of his priests4 ,they
  will be the witnesses of what you say6
 ,speak the truth4 ,say in the  presence
 of ,god and this venerable priest1 if  
,i have ever been guilty of  what you   
have accused me to the bishop40    ,at  
these words1 the unfortunate female     
burst into tears2 she concealed  her    
face in her hands1 and with a voice half
 suffocated with her sobs1  she         
answered3    8,no1 sir1 you are not     
guilty of that sin60    8,confess here  
another truth10 ,i said to her2 8,is it 
not true you have  come to confess to me
 more with the desire to tempt me than  

to reconcile  yourself to ,god80    ,she
 said1 8,yes1 sir1 that is the truth40  
,then ,i said again1 8,continue to  say 
the truth1 and ,i will forgive you1 and 
,god also will forgive your  iniquity4  
,is it not through revenge for having   
failed in your criminal  designs1 that  
you have tried to destroy me by false   
accusation to the  bishop80    8,yes1   
sir1 it was the only reason which has   
induced me to accuse you  falsely4      
8,and all ,i say here1 at least in      
substance1 has been heard1 written and  
signed by the ,right ,rev4 ,schneider1  
one of your priests1 and the present    
director of the ,jesuit college4 ,that  
venerable priest is still living in     
,montreal2 let the people of ,canada go 
and interrogate him4 ,let the  people of
 ,canada also go to the ,rev4 ,mr4      
,brassard1 who has in his hands  an     
authenticated copy of that declaration4 
8,your lordship gives the public to     
understand that ,i was disgraced by     
that sentence some days before ,i left  

,canada for ,illinois4 ,allow me to     
give you my reasons for differing from  
you in this matter4    ,there is a canon
 law of the church which says3    8,if a
 censure is unjust and unfounded1 let   
the man against whom the  sentence has  
been passed pay no attention to it4     
,for1 before ,god and his  church1 no   
unjust sentence can bring any injury    
against anyone4 ,let the  one against   
whom such unfounded and unjust judgment 
has been pronounced  even take no step  
to annul it1 for it is a nullity by     
itself40    ,you know very well that the
 sentence you had passed against me was 
null  and void1 for many good reasons2  
that it was founded on a false          
testimony4 ,father ,schneider is there1 
ready to prove it to you1 if you  have  
any doubt4    ,the second reason ,i have
 to believe that you had yourself       
considered  your sentence a nullity1 and
 that ,i was not suspended by it from my
  ecclesiastical dignity and honor1 is  
founded on a good testimony1 ,i         

hope--the testimony of your lordship    
himself4    ,a few hours before my      
leaving ,canada for the ,united ,states1
 ,i went to  ask your benediction1 which
 you gave me with every mark of         
kindness4 ,i  then asked your lordship  
to tell me frankly if ,i had to leave   
with the  impression that ,i was        
disgraced in his mind8 ,you gave me the 
assurance  of the contrary4    ,then ,i 
told you that ,i wanted to have a public
 and irrefutable testimony  of your     
esteem1 written with your own hand1 and 
you gave me the  following letter3      
,,montreal1 ,,canada1 ,october #ac1     
#ahea4    ,,sir3--,you ask me permission
 to leave my diocese to go and offer    
your  services to the bishop of         
,chicago4 ,as you belong to the diocese 
of  ,quebec1 ,i think it belongs to my  
lord the archbishop to give you the     
exeat you wish4 ,as for me1 ,i can not  
but thank you for your labours  among   
us1 and ,i wish you in return1 the most 
abundant blessings from  heaven4 ,you   

shall ever be in my remembrance and in  
my heart1 and ,i hope  that divine      
providence will permit me1 at a future  
time1 to testify all  the gratitude ,i  
owe you4              ,meanwhile1 ,i    
remain your very humble and obedient    
servant1                                
,,ignatius1 ,bishop of ,montreal4       
,,mr4 ,,chiniquy1 ,priest4    ,i then   
asked you to give me some other tangible
 token of your esteem1  which ,i might  
show everywhere ,i should go4    ,you   
answered that you would be happy to give
 me one1 and you said3 8,what  do you   
wish80 8,i wish10 ,i said1 8to have a   
chalice from your hands to  offer the   
holy sacrifice of the mass the rest of  
my life40    ,you answered3 8,i will do 
that with pleasure10 and you gave an    
order to  one of your priests to bring  
you a chalice1 that you might give it to
  me4 ,but that priest had not the key  
of the box containing the sacred  vases2
 that key was in the hands of another   
priest1 who was absent for a  few hours4

    ,i had not the time to wait2 the    
hour of the departure of the trains had 
come2 ,i told you3 8,please1 my lord1   
send that chalice to ,rev4 ,mr4         
,brassard1 of ,longueuil1 who will      
forward it to me in a few days1 to      
,chicago40 ,and the next day1 one of    
your secretaries went to ,rev4 ,mr4     
,brassard1 and gave him the chalice you 
had promised me1 which is still  in my  
hands4 ,and the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,brassard is 
there still living1 to be the  witness  
of what ,i say1 and to bring that fact  
to your memory1 if you  have forgotten  
it4    ,well1 my lord1 ,i do believe    
that a bishop will never give a chalice 
to a  priest to say mass1 when he knows 
that that priest is interdicted4 ,and   
the best proof that you know very well  
that ,i was not interdicted by  your    
rash and unjust sentence1 is that you   
gave me that chalice as a  token of your
 esteem and of my honesty1 etc4         
,respectfully1                          
,c4 ,,chiniquy4      ,ten thousand      

copies of this exposure of the depravity
 of the bishop were  published in       
,montreal4 ,i asked the whole people of 
,canada to go to the  ,rev4 ,mr4        
,schneider and to the ,rev4 ,mr4        
,brassard1 to know the truth1 and  many 
went4 ,the bishop remained confounded4  
,it was proved that he had  committed   
against me a most outrageous act of     
tyranny and perfidy2 and  that ,i was   
perfectly innocent and honest1 and that 
he knew it1 in the  very hour that he   
tried to destroy my character4 ,probably
 the bishop of  ,montreal had destroyed 
the copy of the declaration of the poor 
girl he  had employed1 and thinking that
 this was the only copy of her          
declaration of my innocence and honesty1
 he thought he could speak of  the      
so-called interdict1 after ,i was a     
,protestant4 ,but in that he was        
cruelly mistaken1 for1 as ,i have       
already said1 by the great mercy of     
,god1 three other authenticated copies  
had been kept2 one by the ,rev4 ,mr4    

,schneider himself1 another by the ,rev4
 ,mr4 ,brassard1 another by one whom  it
 is not necessary to mention1 and then  
he had no suspicion that the  revelation
 of his unchristian conduct and of his  
determination to  destroy me with the   
false oath of a prostitute1 were in the 
hands of too  many people to be denied4 
,the bishop of ,chicago1 whom ,i met a  
few days after1 told me what ,i was     
well aware of before3    8,that such a  
sentence was a perfect nullity in every 
way1 and it was a  disgrace only for    
those who were blind enough to trample  
under their  feet the laws of ,god and  
men to satisfy their bad passions40     
,a few days after the publication of    
that letter in ,canada1 ,mr4 ,brassard  
wrote me3    8,your last letter has     
completely unmasked our poor bishop1 and
 revealed  to the world his malice1     
injustice and hypocrisy4 ,he felt so    
confounded  by it1 that he has been     
three days without being able to eat or 
drink  anything1 and three nights       

without sleeping4 ,every one says that  
the  chastisement you have given him is 
a terrible one1 when it is in the  face 
of the whole world2 but he deserved it40
    ,when ,i received that last friendly
 letter from ,mr4 ,brassard1 on the #ast
  of ,april1 #aheg1 ,i was far from     
suspecting that on the #aeth of the same
  month1 ,i should read in the press of 
,canada1 the following lines from  him3 
,,st4 ,,roch ,,de ,l',,achigan1 ,,le #i 
,,auvril1 #aheg4    ,,messieurs3--,i    
request you to insert the following     
lines in your journal3  ,as some people 
suspect that ,i am favoring the schism  
of ,mr4 ,chiniquy1 ,i  think it is my   
duty to say that ,i have never          
encouraged him by my words  or writings 
in that schism4 ,i must say that1 last  
,november1 when ,i went  to ,st4 ,anne1 
accompanied by ,mr4 ,desaulnier1        
,superior of ,st4 ,hyacinthe  ,college1 
my only object was to persuade that old 
friend to leave the bad  ways in which  
he was walking4 ,and in ,chicago ,i     

pressed him to put  himself in a        
canonical way4    ,i1 more than any one 
else1 deplore the fall of a man whom1 ,i
 confess1 ,i  loved much1 but for the   
sake of whom ,i will not sacrifice the  
sacred  ties of ,catholic unity4 ,i hope
 that all the ,canadians who were       
attached  to ,mr4 ,chiniquy when he was 
united to the church1 will withdraw from
 him  in horror of his schism4 ,for     
before anything else1 we must be truly  
and  faithfully ,catholic4    ,however1 
we have a duty to perform towards the   
man who has fulfilled  such a holy      
mission in our midst1 by establishing   
the society of  temperance4 ,it is to   
call back1 with our prayers1 that stray 
sheep who  has left the true ,pastor's  
fold4    ,i request all journals to     
reproduce this declaration4             
,truly yours1                           
,,moses ,,brassard1 ,pastor4    ,m4 ,m41
 the ,editors of the ,courrier du       
,canada4    ,i felt that there was not a
 line1 not a sentiment of ,mr4 ,brassard

 in  that letter4 ,it smelt ,bishop     
,bourget's hand1 from the beginning to  
the  end4 ,i thought1 however1 it was my
 duty to address him the following      
answer3                    ,,st4 ,,anne1
 ,,kankakee ,,county1 ,,illinois1 ,april
 #ac1 #aheg4    ,,my ,,dear ,,mr4       
,,brassard3--,i have just received your 
letter of the #ith inst41  but no6 ,i   
will not call it a letter1 it will be   
better named a bitter  tear1 and a sad  
wail of a heart as good as it is noble  
and generous4    ,you have been a       
witness how the people and missionary of
 ,st4 ,anne have  been betrayed by ,mr4 
,desaulnier4 ,you were at my side1 as my
 friend and  father1 when this traitor  
said to me1 as well as to my brethren3  
8,sign  this act of submission to the   
bishop of ,chicago2 this act alone is   
enough to make him withdraw the sentence
 which fills your ,canadian  friends    
with anxiety4 ,if the bishop does not   
give you the place you  want1 and if he 
does not withdraw the excommunication   

after having been  presented with this  
act1 ,i will tell him3    8,it is       
neither the pastor1 nor the people of   
,st4 ,anne who wish a schism1  they have
 done that which religion and honor     
commanded1 to prove it2 it  is you who  
wish it40    ,your tears were mingled   
with mine1 and the incense of your      
prayer  ascended with those of my       
brethren1 when on the #bfth of          
,november1 ,mr4  ,desaulnier said to the
 people of ,st4 ,anne3    8,you cannot  
be blamed for what you have done since  
the beginning of your  difficulties with
 your bishop40    ,you were a witness   
that our first condition to the signing 
of the act  which you and ,mr4          
,desaulnier presented to us1 was that   
you should be the  pastor of ,st4 ,anne1
 and that ,i should remain with you as  
long as you  would find it to the       
interest of my colony4 ,you know that he
 gave me his  word of honor1 in the     
presence of all the people1 that if the 
bishop  would not give us peace after   

the signing of the act1 he 7,mr4        
,desaulnier7 would go with us to ,st4   
,louis1 and even to ,rome1 to plead my  
cause1 and show the iniquity and        
unbearable tyranny of the bishop of     
,chicago4 ,did he not assure us that1 in
 case the bishop should refuse to       
accept the act of submission1 we had    
signed1 your mission to ,st4 ,anne  was 
finished1 and that you both would return
 to ,canada1 after your  voyage to ,st4 
,louis8 ,is it not true that when in    
,chicago1 in reply to  our question3    
8,what news80 ,mr4 ,desaulnier said3    
8,you have only to take your bags and   
both return to ,canada at once40    ,mr4
 ,desaulnier denies all those facts1    
with an impudence of which he  alone is 
capable4 ,you are my only witness before
 our ,canada1 which  wishes and has a   
right to know the truth in this matter4 
,i took you as my witness1 and you      
replied in many of your letters1 that   
you could not say the truth without     
compromising yourself4    ,is not this  

an acknowledgment that we1 priests of   
,jesus ,christ1 are  groaning under the 
weight of the most frightful tyranny8   
and that we are  in the power of men who
 threaten our honor and life1 if we dare
 speak  the truth in favor of an        
oppressed brother8 ,and this is the     
system that  proclaims itself as the    
divine and ineffable news which the     
,messiah  brought to the world6 ,and    
this abominable oppression1 this system 
of  deceit1 is the religion which the   
,son of the ,god of truth1 justice and  
mercy1 has established to save the      
world8 ,this is the foundation-stone  of
 the church of ,christ666 ,no6 ,you do  
not believe that1 my dear ,mr4          
,brassard4 ,neither do ,i4 ,i never did1
 and never will believe it4    ,they    
tell us it is for the greater good of   
the church that they act  thus2 that it 
is to preserve the respect which is due 
to the ,holy  ,catholic ,hierarchy1 that
 they take those extreme measures       
against the  people of ,st4 ,anne6      

,but ,i have carefully studied the laws 
of the church upon these great          
questions1 and ,i see they say precisely
 the contrary4 ,i see that the          
,catholic ,church said to us3    #ast4  
8,in the church there is no arbitrary   
power40    #bnd4 8,the censures are null
 when they have been pronounced against 
sins  which have not been committed40   
#crd4 8,never receive any accusation    
against a priest1 which has not been    
proven by two or three witnesses40      
#dth4 8,if a sentence is visibly unjust1
 the condemned must not pay any         
attention to it2 for before ,god and    
,his church1 no unjust sentence can     
injure any one40    #eth4 8,the unjust  
excommunication is not binding1 neither 
before ,god nor  the people1 when that  
people know its injustice1 because the  
,holy ,ghost  can not abandon those who 
have not deserved it40    ,you wish me  
to act according to the canons of the   
church4 ,i have already  told you that  
if ,i had been interdicted on the #aith 

of ,august1 ,i would  have been able to 
appeal from that sentence1 but ,i had   
not4 ,i had  fifteen days to consider4  
,how could ,i have appealed from a      
sentence  which had not been pronounced8
 ,what witness could ,i bring against a 
fact  which1 ,i knew1 had never taken   
place8    ,but you will say3    8,the   
excommunication8 ,should it not give you
 some anxiety80    8,not the least40    
,st4 ,thomas said positively that no    
excommunication of which the  injustice 
is known by the people1 ought not to    
prevent a priest from  exercising his   
ministry among them4    ,they will      
perhaps say3    8,but where did the     
people get the right to judge in such   
things80 ,st4  ,thomas must have        
believed that the people had that right1
 since he said  it4 ,st4 ,thomas was    
neither a heretic nor a schismatic for  
believing  these things8    ,why1 then1 
should ,i be one1 for having a thought1 
spoken and acted  according to the      
doctrine of him whom the church has     

named the angel  of the school4 ,besides
 that1 you know that the excommunication
 was a  nullity from want of being      
signed4    ,the reason of this surprise 
about the right which the people had to 
exercise its judgment upon this         
question1 is that1 lately1 the bishops  
have not only stripped the priests1 but 
also the people1 of the holy and  just  
rights which ,jesus ,christ had given   
them4 ,those who have carefully  studied
 the history of the church in the first 
centuries know this1 as  well as ,i do4 
,but be it known1 there are rights      
against which time does not prescribe4  
,there are rights which the priests and 
people have never renounced1 and  which 
the church of ,christ will always like  
to see them enjoy4    ,i do not say that
 the bishops are not ordained to govern 
the ,christian  people1 but ,i say that 
the bishops are not appointed by the    
church to  govern the flock according to
 their caprices1 but according to the   
unchangeable rules of justice1 equity   

and truth of the gospel4 ,in the        
primitive church1 every time that a     
bishop forgot this1 other bishops       
reminded him of it4    ,do we not see in
 the gospel1 that the first ,christians 
complained  bitterly to the apostles    
themselves of the manner in which they  
had  administered the goods entrusted to
 them8 ,were they excommunicated for    
that8 ,did they receive in answer the   
insolent reply that the people  receive 
to-day8 viz3 8,you are but the laity1   
that does not concern you80  ,no6 ,the  
apostles listened to the complaints of  
the people2 they found  them just1 and  
the people were allowed to choose the   
administrators of  their goods4    ,the 
people1 then1 were looked upon as       
something worthy of attention and       
respect1 and were not tied1 as to-day1  
to the feet of a dignitary1 and  obliged
 to go right and left at the good       
pleasure of their pretended  master4    
,the people were not1 then1 bridled2    
were not mere machines to  pay tithes1  

build palaces1 raise proud cathedrals2  
nor were they  degraded1 demoralized1 as
 to-day2 obliged to believe they had    
minds1 but  had no right to make use of 
them2 they were not1 then1 as now1 poor 
beasts of burthen1 whose only duty is to
 obey their master4 ,but their  wants   
and wishes were consulted2 their voice  
was heard4 ,they had not yet  the idea  
that the ,holy ,ghost was to enlighten  
only a certain class of  men1 and that  
the rest of humanity were1 given up to  
ignorance1 only to  walk in the light of
 a few privileged luminaries4    ,but   
the spirit of wisdom1 charity and       
tolerance2 this respect for the  will   
and wishes of the people1 where do you  
find them to-day8    ,on the contrary1  
we find tyranny on the one side1 and    
stern and  necessary resistance on the  
other2 resistances which are but the    
expression of the law of ,god4 ,let the 
tolerant conduct of the apostles1  who  
listened with so much humility to the   
complaints of the first  ,christians1 be

 compared to that of ,bishop ,o#8,regan 
when questioned by the  ,french people  
of ,chicago upon the right he had to    
deprive them of their  church1 to give  
it to another congregation1 put them out
 of doors1  saying3 8,you do not know   
your religion2 ,i have the right to sell
 your  churches1 and the grounds        
attached to them1 put the money in my   
pocket1  and eat and drink where ,i     
like40    ,this is what ,bishop         
,o#8,regan has said and done2 and this  
is what the  bishop of ,canada approves 
and sanctions in the name of the gospel6
 ,they  try to make you believe that it 
is the doctrine of ,jesus ,christ which 
these high dignitaries preach and       
practice4    ,let the poor people of    
,canada believe this1 if they wish2 as  
for us1 in  ,st4 ,anne1 we do not1 and  
never will believe it4 ,are not these   
men who  cry the loudest to make us     
respect the canons of the church1 the   
very  men who publicly trample the most 
holy laws of the people and of the      

church under their feet8 ,how easy it   
would be to put to those powerful       
personages1 questions which they would  
call impertinent1 but which would  shed 
great light in the midst of the profound
 darkness in which a  certain corner of 
the world is kept to-day8    ,you who   
overwhelm us with curses1 and send us to
 hell if we are not  ready to say amen  
to all you say1 what have you done with 
the canon of  the holy council of ,nice1
 which forbids you to change a priest's 
charge  without his permission8         
,where is the canon of a general council
 which allows the bishops to add  the   
words3 8usque ad revocationem10 in the  
powers given to the  priests6 ,while one
 of the canons of the church says3 8,it 
is the  authority of the canons1 and the
 examination of the conduct of the      
priests1 which ought to give or take    
away the ecclesiastical dignities1  and 
not the will of the prelates4           
,history has preserved the names of     
certain tyrants who forced the          

trembling hand of a father to set fire  
to the pile which consumed his  own     
child4 ,ah6 why do these bishops of     
,canada remind us of that  lamentable   
page of past centuries1 in commanding   
you to throw burning  coals on the pile 
to which they have led me4    ,you are  
more than a friend to me4 ,i have the   
right to call you #8,father4'  ,when    
still very young1 domestic misfortunes  
forced me to leave for a  strange       
country1 in search of a living2 you     
stretched out to me a  helping hand4    
,although poor yourself1 you shared your
 bread with the  poor orphan4 ,you      
opened to me the doors of the college   
where ,i studied4  ,and ever since1 when
 a tempest threatened my fragile bark   
with  shipwreck1 in your arms ,i found  
sure port4 ,every time ,i received a    
wound1 in the struggles of life1 in your
 affection ,i found a remedy4    ,when  
heaven chose your poor friend to change 
the face of our dear  country1 it was   
beneath your hospitable roof that ,i    

found rest4 ,your  hand was the last one
 which pressed mine1 when in #ahea ,i   
left ,canada to  consecrate myself to   
the service of the emigrants3 and       
lastly1 when the  thunders of three     
deluded prelates fell upon my head1 ,i  
said to myself3  #8,i have1 in ,canada1 
a friend1 a father4 ,i am so sure of his
 heart1 that  ,i do not even need to    
call him to aid2 there is a voice in his
 soul  which cries to him2 #8,go1 go to 
the aid of thy friend1 thy child6'      
8,i was not mistaken4 ,on the #bdth of  
,november1 you pressed me to your       
heart2 your words of peace and charity  
cheered my broken heart4 ,for the  love 
of ,god1 and for your sake also1 my dear
 ,mr4 ,brassard1 ,i have  consented to  
do all you have required of me4 ,ah6 why
 did you not come  alone8 ,how easily   
everything would have been settled4 ,but
 without  knowing it1 you had with you a
 traitor1 who came to give the people   
and  pastor of ,st4 ,anne the kiss of   
,judas1 before delivering them into the 

hands of their enemies4    8,to-day you 
are commanded to add your efforts to    
those of this traitor1  to strike me4   
,they want you to add a new thorn to    
that crown of shame  which the bishops  
have placed on my forehead4    8,but how
 can ,i be guilty for having called you 
as a witness of the  iniquities of my   
enemies8 ,have you forgotten with what  
sincerity and  promptitude ,i signed1 as
 well as my brethren of ,st4 ,anne1 the 
act of  submission to the ,bishop       
,o',regan8 ,have you forgotten the      
desolation of  your heart and mine1 when
 7on the conditions you well know7 ,i   
declared  to my people that ,i would no 
longer be their pastor8    8,since the  
bishops of ,canada command you to speak 
in the name of the ,god  of truth and   
justice1 ,i1 also1 ask you to speak4    
,yes1 state to the  people of ,canada1  
how shamefully ,mr4 ,desaulnier has     
deceived the  generous people who       
surround me here4 ,yes6 tell your       
surprise1 your just  indignation1 your  

bitter sorrow1 when ,mr4 ,desaulnier    
refused1 in  ,chicago1 to fulfill the   
sacred promise he had made6 ,tell the   
nature of  the new document which he    
wanted me to sign at ,chicago4 ,declare 
honestly  that you said to me3 8,my poor
 friend1 you can not sign that act      
without  lying and dishonoring yourself 
forever40    8,since the bishops of     
,canada command you to speak1 raise your
 voice to  say to the ,canadian people  
what you wrote to ,dr4 ,letourneaux and 
to  myself3    8,they do not wish to    
know the truth in ,canada1 more than at 
,chicago1  about the shameful conduct of
 ,mr4 ,desaulnier in this affair66      
8,yes1 speak6 ,give to my dear ,canada  
the reply which the bishop of  ,chicago 
made when you asked3 8,have you any     
accusation in hand against  the         
character of ,mr4 ,chiniquy8    8,i need
 your testimony upon this question1 for 
the bishop of ,chicago1  forgetting what
 he confessed to you1 is circulating1   
through my enemies1  a thousand         

calumnies against me1 which are         
reproduced to-day1 by the  bishop of    
,montreal4    8,say to ,canada that the 
bishop of ,chicago assured you that he  
had  interdicted me1 only because ,i    
disobeyed him in refusing to leave ,st4 
,anne1 whilst1 at the very time1 he held
 a letter brought by four  witnesses1   
saying that ,i was ready to obey1 and   
that ,i would prefer  going to the end  
of the world1 rather than be            
interdicted4    8,if1 having said all   
these things1 you are still commanded to
 strike me1  do so1 dear friend4 ,though
 your blows go more directly to my heart
 than  all the thunders of ,bishop      
,o',regan1 they will never shake my     
constancy1  nor make me betray my       
brethren2 they will neither make me     
change my  convictions nor force me any 
longer to bend the knee before men who  
wish  us to submit to their capricious  
and impious commands rather than to the 
laws of the ,god of justice1 truth and  
mercy1 whose priest ,i have the  honor  

to be4 ,i have sworn at the foot of the 
altar to preach truth and  justice2     
nothing will make me break my oath4     
8,do you remember with what dignity you 
refused1 one day1 to bow before  one of 
those modern divinities who believe that
 everything is allowed  them on earth8  
8,do you not recollect that the bishop  
of ,ottawa had the audacity to take  one
 of your letters out of the postoffice  
and read it1 hoping the  shameful act   
would never be known8 ,i shall never    
forget the noble  independence with     
which you protested against that abuse  
of power1 and  with what indignation you
 threatened to drag that haughty bishop 
before  the courts of ,justice1 if he   
did not ask pardon for that outrage6    
,were  you revolting against the church 
of ,christ then8 ,no6 for you knew that 
her principles of truth and justice     
could not sanction such brigandage4  ,so
 ,i did not revolt against the church of
 ,christ1 when ,i resisted the          
insolence and outrages of the bishop of 

,chicago4    8,like ,st4 ,jerome1 ,i    
know the rights of the bishops3 ,i      
respect their  authority4 ,the ,catholic
 ,hierarchy is to me a holy and         
venerable  institution4 ,but when men   
sheltering themselves behind those holy 
institutions1 trample under their feet  
the principles of justice1 truth  and   
holiness1 which the gospel of ,christ   
inculcates1 ,i will fight to the  end1  
with my poor emigrants1 for the         
preservation of their ,christian        
rights4    8,you say that before all1 we
 must be frankly and sincerely          
#8,catholics4'  ,i answer1 yes4 ,but    
when one is wrongfully deprived of this 
glorious name  before men1 because he   
opposes1 as ,i have done1 the brigandage
 of a  bishop who believes all is       
allowed him1 he can remain in peace1 and
 be  like ,st4 ,paul1 who did not care  
what men said or thought of him4 ,to be 
anathematized1 because ,i have devoted  
myself to the welfare of my  brethren1  
is not such a sad destiny as some people

 think4 ,st4 ,paul said3    8,i could   
wish that myself were accursed from     
,christ for my brethren1 my  kinsmen    
according to the flesh40    8,the favor 
after which the apostle of the ,gentiles
 sighed1 has been  accorded me4 ,i can  
not complain of it4 ,besides1 does not  
,christ himself  say to those who labor 
to scatter seeds of justice and truth   
upon the  earth1 that they ought not    
expect to be treated better than ,he8   
8,from every part of ,canada and the    
,united ,states men of distinction      
cease not to cry3 #8,courage6' ,it is   
true that several curse us1 but it is   
because they are forced to do it4 ,many 
keep silent for fear of their  masters1 
but their prayers and sympathies are for
 us4 ,the bishops will  see1 sooner or  
later1 that in order to retain their    
power on earth1 that  power must be     
founded1 as in heaven1 upon justice and 
truth4    8,when the priests of ,canada1
 to please the bishops1 contrary to     
their  convictions1 have degraded their 

own sacerdotal character in my person2  
when they have burned the effigy of the 
proscribed1 having no more the  glorious
 privilege of burning his body2 when the
 father whom1 by the  grace of ,god1 ,i 
have snatched from an abyss1 cursed me2 
when this dear  young man who has1 so   
many times1 blessed me1 because ,i have 
shown him  the gospel1 the way of honor 
and virtue1 by removing the stumbling   
block  of intemperance offered to his   
weakness1 has been forced to curse me2  
when that poor woman1 who1 by the grace 
of ,god1 owes me the bread she  eats1   
and the few days of holy felicity she   
has enjoyed upon earth1 has  cursed me2 
when this fine little child1 who has so 
many times blessed my  name1 because    
,god made use of me to give him back a  
father1 has cursed  me1 there will be a 
silence of sorrow in ,canada1 around my 
proscribed  name4    8,then a reaction  
will take place4 ,a great prestige will 
be destroyed4 ,a  great power1 holy and 
benevolent in its origin1 but fallen by 

its  excesses1 will be destroyed4 ,god  
grant that1 in the midst of those       
ruins1 there may be no tears1 no blood66
    8,this is not prophecy1 it is       
history4 ,yes1 let the ,canadian clergy 
open  the records of the past1 and they 
will find where their blind and         
demoralizing obedience to the bishops1  
leads them and their good and  generous 
people1 if not to infidelity and        
atheism4    8,you advise me1 dear ,mr4  
,brassard1 to put myself in the         
canonical ways2  but have ,i not already
 done so8 ,have not the bishops of      
,canada told you  that the letter signed
 by me1 has already placed me in that   
position8    8,has not ,mr4 ,desaulnier 
said1 in your presence1 to my people and
 myself  at ,st4 ,anne4    8,sign this  
act1 and if the bishop does not take    
away his sentence of  excommunication1  
,i will say to him3 #8,it is not ,mr4   
,chiniquy1 neither his  people1 who wish
 a schism2 they have done what religion 
and honor  commanded them2 it is the    

bishop of ,chicago who makes the        
schism4'    8,what have we gained by    
taking that public step8 ,nothing1 but  
to be  cruelly and shamefully betrayed4 
8,was not ,jesus ,christ betrayed only  
once by ,judas8 ,do not then expect     
that we will be stronger than the ,son  
of ,god4 ,the bishops of ,canada1 by    
their emissary1 have already betrayed   
us1 of which you have been  witness4    
,the people and missionary of ,st4 ,anne
 do not feel strong enough  to present  
their cheek again to the smiter4    8,in
 spite of the clamors which rise around 
us1 we are convinced that we  may be    
good ,catholics1 without submitting to  
that degradation twice4    8,the bishops
 of ,canada want you to speak4 ,very    
well6 ,my dear ,mr4  ,brassard1 ,i1     
also1 implore you to speak4 ,in the name
 of the friendship  which has united us 
for forty years1 ,i implore you to tell 
the truth4  ,did you not1 after reading 
the document which the bishop of        
,chicago  commanded me to sign1 as the  

only condition of peace1 say to me3     
8#8,my dear friend1 you can not sign    
such a writing without lying and        
dishonoring yourself forever8' ,and     
behold6 to-day you cry to my brethren   
to destroy and abandon me1 when you know
 that the position in which ,i  stand is
 but the result of my refusal to sign a 
most infamous1 lying and  degrading     
document4    8,these things1 and many   
others which you know1 would serve      
wonderfully  to open the eyes of the    
people upon the awful abuse of power of 
which  certain bishops are1 every day1  
guilty4 ,this would aid to unmask       
certain  modern divinities who pretend  
that we cannot go to heaven without     
their  permission2 who preach that it is
 not the blood of ,jesus ,christ1 but a 
certain passport1 of which they hold the
 patent1 which assures us a  place among
 the elect of ,god4 ,a sentence founded 
upon a public lie1 and  which was       
resisted1 can not constitute a schism4  
,christian men who1 like  the ,catholics

 of ,chicago1 ,kankakee and ,st4 ,anne1 
resist iniquity1 may be  condemned by   
men1 but not by ,god4    8,i was not    
suspended on the #aith of ,august1 and  
so1 ,i could exercise the  holy         
functions of my ministry the following  
morning and after4 ,it is the  church   
which assures us of this1 through her   
greatest theologians4 ,as it  is not    
enough to say3 #8,my ,god6 ,my ,god6' to
 be saved2 so it is not enough  to cry3 
#8,you are lost6 you are lost6' for one 
to be lost4 ,the ,son of  ,god1 who gave
 his life to save man1 gave us a        
thousand proofs1 that the  salvation of 
our soul has a foundation more certain  
than the capricious  will of a sinful   
being4 ,he has given to no one the power
 to save or  condemn1 according to his  
pleasure4 ,if some bishops and priests  
believe  this1 it is not the faith of   
the people of ,chicago1 ,kankakee and   
,st4  ,anne4    8,i will tell you again1
 my dear ,mr4 ,brassard1 that if1 in    
order to obey  the bishop of ,montreal1 

you should strip me of the little honor 
which  surrounds my name in ,canada1 ,i 
shall still never forget the good you   
have done me4 ,yes6 command my friends  
to betray me1 to trample me under  their
 feet1 to turn away from me in horror3  
,never will you be able to  weaken my   
sentiments of respect and gratitude for 
you6    8,i will still love and bless   
you2 for ,i know the hand which forced  
yours  to do so4 ,i will always know    
that your own heart was first struck and
  wounded by the blow they commanded you
 to give to your friend and son in      
,jesus ,christ4                         
8,c4 ,,chiniquy40    ,the effect of that
 letter upon ,mr4 ,brassard was still   
more powerful than  ,i had expected4 ,it
 forced him to blush at his own         
cowardice1 and to ask  me pardon for the
 unjust sentence he had passed upon me  
to obey the  bishop4 ,here are the parts
 of the letter bearing upon that        
subject3                                
,,st4 ,,roch1 #bi ,,mai1 #aheg4         

,,moncher ,,chiniquy3--8,je suis plus   
convainen que jamais que tu n'as jamais 
ete interdit legalement1 depuis que j'ai
 appris par ,monseigneur de  ,montreal1 
que l'eveque de ,chicago t'a interdit de
 vive voix1 dans sa  chambre2 ce que    
,ligoury dit etre nul te de nul effet40 
,i am more than ever convinced that you 
have never been legally  interdicted1   
since ,bishop ,bourget told me that     
,bishop ,o',regan had  interdicted you  
privately1 8viva voce0 in his private   
room4 ,ligoury  says that it is a       
nullity and that it can have no effect4 
,i beg your  pardon for what ,i wrote   
against you4 ,i have been forced to do  
it4  ,because ,i had not yet            
sufficiently condemned you1 and that my 
name1  which you were citing in your    
writings1 was giving you too much power1
  and a too clear condemnation of       
,bishop ,o',regan1 the ,bishop of       
,montreal1  abusing his authority over  
me1 forced me to sign that document     
against  you4 ,i would not do it to-day 

if it were to be done again4 ,keep      
silence  on what ,i tell you in this    
letter4 ,it is all confidential4 ,you   
understand it4                          
,your devoted friend1                   
,l4 ,m4 ,,brassard4    ,no priest in    
,canada had more deservedly enjoyed the 
reputation of a man  of honor1 than ,mr4
 ,brassard4 ,not one had ever stood so  
high in my esteem  and respect4 ,his    
sudden and unexpected fall1 filled my   
heart with an  unspeakable sadness4 ,i  
may say that it snapped the last thread 
which  held me to the church of ,rome4  
,till then1 it was not only my hope1 but
  my firm conviction1 that there were   
many honest1 upright priests in that    
church1 and ,mr4 ,brassard was1 to me1  
the very personification of  honesty4   
,how can ,i describe the shock ,i felt  
when ,i saw him1 there1 in the mud1 a   
monument of the unspeakable corruption  
of my church6    ,the perfidious        
,delilah had seduced and destroyed this 
modern ,sampson1  enchained1 as a       

trembling slave1 at the feet of the new 
implacable  ,moloch1 8the authority of  
the bishop60 ,he had not only lost the  
fear of  ,god1 and the respect he owed  
to himself1 by publicly declaring that  
,i  was guilty1 when he knew that ,i was
 innocent1 but he had so completely     
lost every sentiment of honesty1 that he
 wanted me to keep secret his           
declaration of my innocence1 at the very
 moment he was inviting my whole        
country1 through the press1 to abhor and
 condemn me as a criminal6    ,i read   
again and again the strange letter4     
,every word of it was  destroying the   
last illusions which had concealed from 
my mind1 the  absolute and incurable    
perversity of the church of ,rome4 ,i   
had no hard  feelings against this last 
friend whom she had poisoned with the   
wine of  her prostitutions4 ,i felt only
 a profound compassion for him4 ,i      
pitied  and forgave him from the bottom 
of my heart4 ,but every word of his     
letter sounded in my ears as the warning

 voice of the angel sent to save  ,lot  
from the doomed city of ,sodom4 8,escape
 for thy life4 ,look not behind  thee2  
neither stay thou in all the plain4     
,escape thou to the mountain1  lest thou
 be consumed60                          
,,chapter ,,lxiv4    ,i ,,write ,,to    
,,pope ,,pius ,,ix4 ,,and ,,to          
,,napoleon1 ,,emperor ,,of ,,france1    
,,and ,,send    ,,them ,,the ,,public   
,,documents ,,proving ,,the ,,bad       
,,conduct ,,of ,,bishop                 
,o',,regan--,,cardinal ,,bidini         
,,ordered ,,to ,,investigate--,,the     
,,bishop ,,called ,,to    ,,rome1 ,,is  
,,forced ,,to ,,resign1 ,,and ,,becomes 
,a ,,banker--,,bishop ,,smith1 ,,of     
,,dubuque1 ,,named ,,administrator ,,of 
,,the ,,diocese ,,of ,,chicago--,,grand 
,,vicar    ,,dunn ,,sent ,,to ,,tell    
,,me ,,of ,,my ,,victory ,,at ,,rome--,i
 ,,go ,,to ,,dubuque ,,to ,,offer ,,my  
,,submission ,,to ,,the ,,bishop4       
,i had not forgotten the advice given me
 by ,archbishop ,kenrick1 of ,st4       

,louis1 ,april #i1 #ahef1 to address my 
complaints to the ,pope himself4 ,but   
the terrible difficulties and trials    
which had constantly followed each      
other1 had made it impossible to follow 
that advice4 ,the betrayal of  ,mons4   
,desaulnier and the defection of ,mons4 
,brassard1 however1 had so  strangely   
complicated my position1 that ,i felt   
the only way to escape  the wreck which 
threatened myself and my colony1 and to 
save the holy  cause ,god had entrusted 
me1 was to strike such a blow to our    
haughty  persecutor that he could not   
survive it4 ,i determined to send to the
  ,pope all the public accusations which
 had been legally proved and  published 
against the bishop1 with the copy of the
 numerous and infamous  suits which he  
had sustained before the civil courts1  
and had almost  invariably lost1 with   
the sentences of the judges who had     
condemned him4  ,this took me nearly two
 months of the hardest labors of my     
life4 ,i had  gathered all those        

documents1 which covered more than #bjj 
pages of  foolscap4 ,i mailed them to   
,pope ,pius ,,ix41 accompanied by only  
the  following words3 8,holy ,father1   
for the sake of your precious lambs     
which  are slaughtered and devoured in  
this vast diocese by a ravening wolf1   
,bishop ,o',regan1 and in the name of   
our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 ,i implore 
your ,holiness to see if what is        
contained in these documents is correct 
or not4 ,if everything is found correct1
 for the sake of the blood shed  on     
,calvary1 to save our immortal souls1   
please take away from our midst1  the   
unworthy bishop whose daily scandals can
 no longer be tolerated by a  ,christian
 people40    ,in order to prevent the   
,pope's servants from throwing my letter
 with  those documents into their waste 
paper baskets1 ,i sent a copy of them   
all to ,napoleon ,,iii41 ,emperor of    
,france1 respectfully requesting him to 
see1 through his ambassador at          
,washington1 and his consul at ,chicago1

  whether these papers contained the    
truth or not4 ,i told him how his       
countrymen were trampled under the feet 
of ,bishop ,o',regan1 and how they  were
 ruined and spoiled to the benefit of   
the ,irish people2 how the  churches    
built by the money of the ,french were  
openly stolen1 and  transferred to the  
emigrants from ,ireland4 ,napoleon had  
just sent an  army to punish the        
,emperor of ,china on account of some   
injustice done to  a ,frenchman4 ,i told
 him 8the injustice done to that        
,frenchman in the  ,chinese ,empire is  
nothing to what is done here every day1 
not against  one1 but hundreds of your  
majesty's countrymen4 ,a word from the  
,emperor  of ,france to ,his ,holiness  
will do here what your armies have done 
in  ,china3 force the unjust and        
merciless oppressor of the ,french of   
,illinois to do them justice40    ,i    
ended my letter by saying3    8,my      
grandfather1 though born in ,spain1     
married a ,french lady1 and  became1 by 

choice and adoption1 a ,french citizen4 
,he became a captain in  the ,french    
navy1 and for gallant service1 was      
awarded lands in ,canada1  which by the 
fate of war fell into the hands of      
,great ,britain4 ,upon  retiring from   
the service of ,france he settled upon  
his estates in  ,canada1 where my father
 and myself were born4 ,i am thus1 with 
other  ,canadians who have come to this 
country1 a ,british subject by birth1 an
  ,american citizen by adoption1 but    
,french still in blood and ,roman       
,catholic in religion4 ,i1 therefore1 on
 the part of a noble ,french  people1   
humbly ask your majesty to aid us by    
interceding with his  holiness1 ,pope   
,pius ,,ix41 to have these outrages and 
wrongs righted40    ,the success of this
 bold step was more prompt and complete 
than ,i had  expected4 ,the ,emperor    
was1 then1 all powerful at ,rome4 ,he   
had not only  brought the ,pope from    
,civita ,vecchia to ,rome1 after taking 
that city  from the hands of the        

,italian ,republicans1 a few years      
before1 but he  was still the very      
guardian and protector of the ,pope4    
,a few months later1 when in ,chicago1  
the ,grand ,vicar ,dunn showed me a     
letter from ,bishop ,o',regan1 who had  
been ordered to go to ,rome and give  an
 account of his administration in which 
he had said3 8,one of the  strangest    
things which has occurred to me in      
,rome1 is that the influence  of the    
,emperor ,napoleon is against me here4  
,i can not understand what  right he he 
has to meddle in the affairs of my      
diocese40    ,i had learned since1 that 
it was really through the advice of     
,napoleon  that ,cardinal ,bidini1 who  
had been previously sent to the ,united 
,states  to inquire about the scandal   
given by ,bishop ,o',regan1 gave his    
opinion  in our favor4 ,the cardinal1   
having consulted the bishops of the     
,united  ,states1 who unanimously       
denounced ,o',regan as unfit and        
unworthy of such  a high position1      

immediately ordered him to go to ,rome1 
where the ,pope  unceremoniously        
transferred him from the bishopric of   
,chicago to a  diocese extinct more than
 #a1bjj years ago1 called 8,dora40 ,this
 was as  good as a bishopric in the     
moon4 ,he consoled himself in his       
misfortune  by drawing the hundreds of  
thousands of dollars of stolen money he 
had  sent at different times1 to be     
deposited in the banks of ,paris1 and   
went  to ,ireland1 where he established 
a bank1 and died in #ahfe4    ,on the   
#aath of ,march1 #aheh1 at about #aj    
o'clock p4 m41 ,i was not a  little     
pleased and surprised to hear the voice 
of my devoted friend1  ,rev4 ,mr4 ,dunn1
 grand vicar of ,chicago1 asking my     
hospitality for the  night4 ,his first  
words were3    8,my visit here must be  
absolutely incognito4 ,in ordering me to
 come and  see you1 the bishop of       
,dubuque1 who is just named             
administrator of  ,chicago1 advised me  
to come as secretly as possible4 ,he    

said3 ',your  triumph at ,rome is       
perfect4 ,you have gained the greatest  
victory a  priest ever won over his     
unjust bishop2 but you must thank the   
,emperor  ,napoleon for it4 ,it is to   
his advice which1 under the present     
circumstances1 is equal to an order1    
that you owe the protection of the      
,cardinal ,bidini4 ,his report to the   
,pope is1 that all the documents you    
sent to ,rome were correct4 ,the inquiry
 of the cardinal has brought facts  to  
the knowledge of the ,pope1 still more  
compromising than what you have  written
 against him4 ,several bishops of the   
,united ,states have  unanimously       
denounced ,bishop ,o',regan as a most   
depraved man1 entirely  unworthy of his 
position1 and have advised the pope to  
take him away and  choose another bishop
 for ,chicago4 ,it is acknowledged1 at  
,rome1 that all  the sentences          
pronounced by that bishop against you1  
are unjust and  null4 ,our good         
administrator has been advised to put an

 end1 at once1 to  all the troubles of  
your colony1 by treating you as a good  
and faithful  priest4'    8,i come here1
 not only to congratulate you on your   
victory1 but also to  thank you1 in my  
name1 and in the name of the church1 for
 having saved  our diocese from such a  
plague2 for ,bishop ,o',regan is a real 
plague4 ,a  few more years of such      
administration would have destroyed our 
holy  religion in ,illinois4 ,however1  
as you handled the poor bishop pretty   
roughly1 it is suspected1 at a distance1
 that you and your people are  more     
,protestants than ,catholics4 ,we know  
better here2 for1 from the  beginning1  
it was evident that the act of          
excommunication1 posted at the  door of 
your chapel by three priests too drunk  
to know what they were  about1 is a     
nullity1 having never been signed by the
 bishop4 ,it was a  shameful and        
sacrilegious comedy4 ,but1 in many      
distant places1 that  excommunication   
was accepted as valid1 and you are      

considered by many1  as a real          
schismatic4 ,bishop ,smith has thought  
it advisable to ask you  to give him a  
written and canonical act of submission1
 which he will  publish to show the     
world that you are still a good ,roman  
,catholic  priest40    ,i thanked the   
grand vicar for his kind words1 and the 
good news he was  giving me1 and ,i     
asked him to help me to thank ,god for  
having so visibly  protected and guided 
me through all these terrible           
difficulties4 ,we both  knelt and       
repeated the sublime words of gratitude 
and joy of the old  prophet3 8,bless the
 ,lord1 oh6 my soul1 and all that is    
within me1 bless  ,his holy name10 etc4 
7,ps4 ciii47 ,i then said that ,i had no
 objection to  give the renewed act of  
my faith and submission to the church1  
that it  might be published4 ,i took a  
piece of paper1 and with emotions of joy
  and gratitude to ,god1 which it would 
be impossible to express1 ,i slowly     
prepared to write4 ,but as ,i was       

considering what form ,i should give to 
that document1 a sudden1 strange thought
 struck my mind3 8,is this not  the     
golden opportunity to put an end to the 
terrible temptations which  have shaken 
my faith and distressed me for so many  
years1 ,i said to  myself3    8,is not  
this a providential opportunity to      
silence those mysterious  voices which  
are troubling me almost every hour8     
,that1 in the church of  ,rome1 we do   
not follow the ,word of ,god1 but the   
lying traditions of  men80    ,i        
determined then to frame my act of      
submission in such a way that ,i  would 
silence those voices1 and be1 more than 
ever1 sure that my faith1  the faith of 
my dear church1 which had just given me 
such a glorious  victory at ,rome1 was  
based upon the ,holy ,word of ,god1 on  
the divine  doctrines of the gospel4 ,i 
then wrote down1 in my own name and in  
the  name of my people3    8,my lord    
,bishop ,smith1 bishop of ,dubuque and  
administrator of the  diocese of        

,chicago3--,we want to live and die in  
the holy ,catholic1  apostolic and      
,roman church1 out of which there is no 
salvation1 and to  prove this to your   
lordship1 we promise to obey the        
authority of the  church according to   
the word and commandments of ,god as we 
find them  expressed in the gospel of   
,christ4                                
8,c4 ,,chiniquy40    ,i handed this     
writing to ,mr4 ,dunn1 and said3        
8,what do you think of this act of      
submission80 ,he quickly read it and    
answered3    8,it is just what we want  
from you40    8,all right10 ,i rejoined4
 8,but ,i fear the bishop will not      
accept it4 ,do  you not see that ,i have
 put a condition to our submission8 ,i  
say that we  will submit ourselves to   
the bishop's authority1 but only        
according to  the ,word of ,god and the 
gospel of ,christ40    8,is not that    
good80 quickly replied ,mr4 ,dunn4      
8,yes1 my dear1 ,mr4 ,dunn1 this is     
good1 very good indeed10 ,i answered1   

8,but my fear is that it is too good for
 the bishop and the ,pope60    8,what do
 you mean80 he replied4    8,i mean that
 though this act of submission is very  
good1 ,i fear lest the  ,pope and the   
bishop reject it40    8,please explain  
yourself more clearly10 answered the    
grand vicar4 8,i do  not understand the 
reason for such a fear40    8,my dear   
,mr4 ,dunn10 ,i continued1 8,i must     
confess to you here1 a thing  which is  
known only to ,god4 ,i must show you a  
bleeding wound which is in  my soul for 
many years3 ,a wound which has never    
been healed by any of  the remedies ,i  
have applied to it4 ,it is a wound which
 ,i never dared to  show to any man1    
except to my confessor1 though it has   
often made me  suffer almost the        
tortures of hell4 ,you know well that   
there is not a  living priest who has   
studied the ,holy ,scriptures and the   
,holy ,fathers1  with more attention and
 earnestness1 these last few years1 than
 ,i have4  ,it was not only to          

strengthen my own faith1 but also1 the  
faith of our  people1 and to be able to 
fight the battles of our church against 
her  enemies1 that ,i spent so many     
hours of my days and nights in those    
studies4    8,but1 though ,i am         
confounded and ashamed to confess it to 
you1 ,i must do  it4 ,the more ,i have  
studied and compared the ,holy          
,scriptures and the  ,holy ,fathers with
 the teachings of our church1 the more  
my faith has  been shaken1 and the more 
,i have been tempted to think1 in spite 
of  myself1 that our church has1 long   
ago1 given up the ,word of ,god and the 
,holy ,fathers1 in order to walk in the 
muddy and crooked ways of human  and    
false traditions4 ,yes6 the more ,i     
study1 the more ,i am troubled by  the  
strange and mysterious voices which     
haunt me day and night1 saying3    8,do 
you not see that in your ,church of     
,rome1 you do not follow the ,word  of  
,god1 but the lying traditions of men80 
8,what is more strange and painful is   

that1 the more ,i pray to ,god to       
silence these voices1 the louder they   
repeat the same distressing  things4 ,it
 is to put an end to those awful        
temptations that ,i have  written this  
conditional submission4 ,i want to prove
 to myself that ,i  will obey the ,word 
of ,god and the gospel of ,christ1 in   
our church1 and ,i  shall be happy all  
the rest of my life1 if the bishops     
accept this  submission4 ,but ,i fear it
 will be rejected40 ,mr4 ,dunn promptly 
replied3    8,you are mistaken1 my dear 
,mr4 ,chiniquy4 ,i am sure that our     
bishop will  accept this document as    
canonical1 and sufficient to show your  
orthodoxy  to the world40    8,if it be 
so10 ,i replied1 8,i will be a most     
happy man40 ,it was agreed  that on the 
#beth of ,march1 ,i would go with him to
 ,dubuque1 to present my  act of        
submission to the administrator of the  
diocese1 after the people  had signed   
it4 ,accordingly1 at #g p4 m4 on that   
day1 we both took the  train at ,chicago

 for ,dubuque1 where we arrived next    
morning4 ,at #aa a4  m41 ,i went to the 
palace of the bishop1 who received me   
with marks of  the utmost cordiality and
 affection4 ,i presented him our written
 act of  submission with a trembling    
hand1 fearing he would reject it4 ,he   
read it  twice1 and throwing his arms   
around me1 he pressed me to his heart4  
,i  felt his tears of joy mixed with    
mine1 rolling down my cheeks1 as he     
said3    8,how happy ,i am to see that  
submission6 ,how happy the ,pope and all
 the  bishops of the ,united ,states    
will be to hear of it1 for ,i will not  
conceal it from you2 we feared that both
 you and your people would  separate    
from the church by refusing to submit to
 her authority40    ,i answered that ,i 
was not less happy to see an end to     
those painful  difficulties1 and ,i     
promised him that1 with the help of     
,god1 our holy  church would not have a 
more faithful priest than myself4       
,while engaged in that pleasant         

conversation1 the dinner hour came4 ,he 
gave me the place of honor on his right1
 before the two grand vicars1  and      
nothing could be more pleasant than the 
time we spent around the  table1 which  
was served with a good and well         
prepared1 though frugal  meal4 ,i was   
happy to see that the bishop1 with his  
priests1 were  teetotalers4 ,no wine nor
 beer to tempt the weak4 ,before the    
dinner was  over1 the bishop said to    
,mr4 ,dunn3    8,you will accompany ,mr4
 ,chiniquy to ,st4 ,anne1 in order to   
announce1 in  my name1 to the people1   
the restoration of peace1 next ,sabbath4
 ,no doubt  it will be joyful news to   
the colony of ,father ,chiniquy4        
8,after so many years of hard fighting1 
the pastor and the people of ,st4  ,anne
 will enjoy the days of peace and rest  
which are now secured to  them40        
,then1 addressing himself to me1 the    
bishop said3    8,the only condition of 
that peace is that you will spend       
fifteen days in  retreat and meditation 

in one of the religious houses you will 
choose  yourself4 ,i think that1 after  
so much noise and exciting              
controversies1  it will do you good to  
pass those days in meditation and       
prayer1 in some  of our beautiful and   
peaceful solitudes4    ,i answered him3 
8,if your lordship had not offered me   
the favor of those  days of perfect and 
,christian rest1 ,i would have asked you
 to grant it4  ,i consider it as a      
crowning of all your acts of kindness to
 offer me  those few days of calm and   
meditation1 after the terrible storms of
  those last three years4 ,if your      
lordship has no objection to my choice1 
,i will go to the beautiful solitude    
where ,m4 ,saurin has built the         
celebrated ,monastery1 ,college and     
,university of ,st4 ,joseph1 ,indiana4  
,i  hope that nothing will prevent my   
being there next ,monday4 ,after going1 
next ,sabbath1 in the company of ,grand 
,vicar ,dunn1 to proclaim the           
restoration of the blessed peace to my  

people of ,st4 ,anne40    8,you cannot  
make a better choice10 answered the     
bishop4    8,but1 my lord10 ,i rejoined1
 8,i hope your lordship will have no    
objection  to give me a written         
assurance of the perfect restoration of 
that  long-sought peace4 ,there are     
people who1 ,i know1 will not believe   
me1  when ,i tell them how quickly and  
nobly your lordship has put an end to   
all those deplorable difficulties4 ,i   
want to show them that ,i stand1        
to-day1 in the same relation with my    
superiors and the church in which ,i    
stood previous to these unfortunate     
strifes40    8,certainly10 said the     
bishop1 8you are in need of such a      
document from  your bishop1 and you     
shall have it4 ,i will write it at      
once40    ,but1 he had not yet written  
two lines1 when ,mr4 ,dunn looked at his
 watch  and said3 8,we have not a minute
 to lose1 if we want to be in time for  
the ,chicago train40    ,i then said to 
the bishop3 8,please1 my lord1 address  

me that important  document to ,chicago1
 where ,i will get it at the postoffice1
 on my way to  the ,university of ,st4  
,joseph1 next ,monday2 your lordship    
will have  plenty of time to write it1  
this afternoon40    ,the bishop1 having 
consented1 ,i hastily took leave of him1
 with ,mr4  ,dunn1 after having received
 his benediction4    ,on our way back to
 ,st4 ,anne1 the next day1 we stopped at
 ,bourbonnaise to  see the grand vicar  
,mailloux1 one of the priests who had   
been sent by  the bishops of ,canada to 
help my lord ,o',regan to crush me4 ,we 
found him  as he was going to his dining
 room to take his dinner4 ,he was       
visibly  humiliated by the complete     
defeat of ,bishop ,o',regan1 at ,rome4  
,after ,mr1 ,dunn told him that he was  
sent to proclaim peace to the people  of
 ,st4 ,anne1 he coldly asked the written
 proof of such strange news4    ,mr4    
,dunn answered him3 8,do you think1 sir1
 that ,i would be mean enough  to tell  
you a lie80    8,i do not say that you  

are telling me a lie10 replied ,mr4     
,mailloux1 8,i  believe what you say4   
,but1 ,i want to know the condition of  
that  unexpected peace4 ,has ,mr4       
,chiniquy made his submission to the    
church80    8,yes1 sir10 ,i replied1    
8here is a copy of my act of            
submission40    ,he read it1 and coldly 
said3 8,this is not an act of submission
 to the  church1 but only to the        
authority of the ,gospel1 which is a    
very  different thing4 ,this document   
can be presented by a ,protestant2 but1 
it  cannot be offered by a ,catholic    
priest to his bishop4 ,i cannot         
understand how our bishop did not see   
that at once40    ,mr4 ,dunn answered   
him3 8,my dear grand vicar ,mailloux1 ,i
 have often been  told that it does not 
do to be more loyal than the king4 ,my  
hope was  that you would rejoice with us
 at the news of the peace4 ,i am sorry  
to  see that ,i was mistaken4 ,however1 
,i must tell you that if you want to    
fight1 you will have nobody to fight    

against2 for ,father ,chiniquy was1     
yesterday1 accepted as a regular priest 
of our holy church by the               
administrator4 ,this ought to satisfy   
you40    ,i listened to the unpleasant  
conversation of those two grand vicars1 
with painful feelings1 without saying a 
word4 ,for1 ,i was troubled by  those   
mysterious voices which were reiterating
 in my mind the cry3 8,do  you not see  
that in the ,church of ,rome1 you do not
 follow the ,word of  ,god1 but only the
 lying traditions of men80    ,i felt   
much relieved1 when ,i left the house of
 that so badly disposed  confrere1 to   
come to ,st4 ,anne1 where the people had
 gathered on the  public square1 to     
receive us1 and rend the air with their 
cries of joy  at the happy news of      
peace4    ,the next day1 #bgth of       
,march1 was ,palm ,sunday1 one of the   
grand  festivities of the ,church of    
,rome2 there was an immense concourse of
  people1 attracted not only by the     
religious solemnity of the feast2 but   

also by the desire to see and hear the  
deputy sent by their bishop to  proclaim
 peace4 ,he did it in a most elegant    
,english address1 which ,i  translated  
into ,french4 ,he presented me a blessed
 palm1 and ,i offered  him another      
loaded with beautiful flowers1 in the   
presence of the  people1 as a public    
sign of the concord which was restored  
between my  colony and the authorities  
of the church4    ,that my ,christian   
readers may understand my blindness1 and
 the mercies  of ,god towards me1 ,i    
must confess here1 to my shame1 that ,i 
was glad to  have made my peace with    
those sinful men1 which was not peace   
with my  ,god4 ,but1 that great ,god had
 looked down upon me in mercy4 ,he was  
soon  to break that peace with the great
 apostate church1 which is poisoning    
the world with the wine of her          
enchantments1 that ,i might walk in the 
light of the ,gospel and possess that   
peace and joy which passeth all         
understanding4                          

,,chapter ,,lxv4    ,,excellent         
,,testimonial ,,from ,,my ,,bishop--,,my
 ,,retreat--,,grand ,,vicar ,,saurin    
,,and    ,,his ,,assistant1 ,,rev4 ,m4  
,,granger--,,grand ,,vicar ,,dunn       
,,writes ,,me ,,about ,,the    ,,new    
,,storm ,,prepared ,,by ,,the           
,,jesuits--,,bishop ,,smith1 ,,orders   
,,me ,,back ,,to    ,,dubuque--,,he     
,,rejects ,,the ,,acts ,,of             
,,submission--,,the ,,voice ,,of        
,,god--,,the ,,bishop    ,,requires ,a  
,,new ,,act ,,of ,,submission--,i       
,,refuse ,,it--,,vision--,,christ       
,,offers    ,,himself ,,as ,a ,,gift--,i
 ,,am ,,forgiven1 ,,rich ,,happy ,,and  
,,saved--,,back ,,to ,,my    ,,people4  
,bishop ,smith had fulfilled his promise
 in addressing to me a testimonial      
letter1 which would show to both friends
 and foes that the most  honorable and  
lasting peace between us was to succeed 
the deplorable  years of strife through 
which we had just passed4 ,i read it    
with grand  vicar ,dunn1 who was not    

less pleased than ,i with the kind      
expressions of  esteem towards my people
 and myself with which it was filled4 ,i
 had  never had a document in which my  
private and public character were so    
kindly appreciated4 ,i put it in my     
portfolio as the most precious  treasure
 ,i had ever possessed1 and my gratitude
 to the bishop who had  written such    
friendly lines1 was boundless4 ,i1 at   
once1 addressed a  short letter to thank
 and bless him3 and ,i requested him to 
pray for me  during the happy days of   
retreat ,i was to spend at the monastery
 of ,st4  ,joseph4    ,the venerable    
grand vicar ,saurin1 and his assistant1 
,rev4 ,m4 ,granger1  received me as two 
,christian gentlemen receive a brother  
priest1 and ,i  may say that1 during my 
stay in the monastery1 they constantly  
overwhelmed me with the most sincere    
marks of kindness4 ,i found in them     
both the very best types of priests of  
,rome4 ,a volume1 and not a  chapter1   
would be required1 were ,i to tell what 

,i saw there of the zeal1  devotedness1 
ability and marvellous success of their 
labors4 ,suffice it  to say1 that grand 
vicar ,saurin is justly considered one  
of the largest  and highest intellects  
,rome has ever given to the ,united     
,states4 ,there  is not1 perhaps1 a man 
who has done so much for the advancement
 of that  church in this country as that
 highly gifted priest4 ,my esteem1      
respect1  ,i venture to say1 my         
veneration for him1 increased every time
 ,i had the  privilege of conversing    
with him4 ,the only things which pained 
me were3    #ast4 ,when some of his     
inferior monks came to speak to him1    
they had to  kneel and prostrate        
themselves as if he had been a god1 and 
they had to  remain in that humble and  
degrading posture1 till1 with a sign of 
his  hand or a word from his lips1 he   
told them to rise4    #bnd4 ,though he  
promised to the numerous ,protestant    
parents1 who  entrusted their boys and  
girls to his care for their education1  

never to  interfere with their religion1
 he was1 nevertheless1 incessantly      
proselytizing them4 ,several of his     
,protestant pupils were received in  the
 ,church of ,rome1 and renounced the    
religion of their fathers1 in my        
presence1 on the eve of ,easter of that 
year4    ,while1 as a priest1 ,i        
rejoiced in the numerous conquests of my
 church  over her enemies1 in all our   
colleges and nunneries1 ,i objected to  
the  breach of promise1 always connected
 with those conversions4 ,i1 however1   
then thought1 as ,i think to-day1 that a
 ,protestant who takes his  children to 
a ,roman ,catholic priest or nun for    
their education1 had no  religion4      
,it is simply an absurdity to promise   
that we will respect the religion  of a 
man who has none4 ,how can we respect   
that which does not exist8    ,as a     
general thing1 there are too few people 
who understand the profound  meaning of 
our ,saviour's words to his disciples3  
8,come ye yourselves  apart into a      

desert place and rest a while40 ,these  
words1 uttered after  the apostles had  
gathered themselves together unto       
,jesus1 and told him  all things both   
what they had done and taught1 ought to 
receive more  attention1 on the part of 
those whom the ,son of ,god has chosen  
to  continue the great work of preaching
 his ,gospel to the world4 ,i had  never
 before so well realized how good it was
 to be alone with ,christ1  and tell him
 all ,i had done1 said and thought4     
,those few days of rest  and communion  
with my ,saviour were one of the        
greatest favors my  merciful ,god had   
ever given me4    ,my principal         
occupation was to read and meditate on  
the ,gospel4 ,that  divine book had     
never been so precious to me as since   
,god had directed  me to put it as the  
fundamental stone of my faith in the act
 of  submission ,i had just given to my 
bishop3 and my church had never been  so
 dear to me as since she had accepted   
that conditional submission4 ,i  felt a 

holy pride and joy at having finally    
silenced the voice of the  enemy which1 
so often1 troubled my faith by crying to
 my soul3 8,do you  not see that in your
 ,church of ,rome1 you do not follow the
 ,word of ,god1  but only the lying     
traditions of men40 ,my church1 through 
her bishop1  had just given me what ,i  
considered an infallible assurance of   
the  contrary1 by accepting the document
 signed by me and my people1 where we   
had clearly said that we would never    
obey any authority or any superior1     
except when 8their orders or doctrines  
would be based upon the ,gospel of      
,christ40 ,my soul was rejoicing in     
those thoughts1 when1 on the #eth of    
,april 7,monday after ,easter7 grand    
vicar ,saurin handed me a letter from   
,mr4 ,dunn1 telling me that a new storm1
 brought by the ,jesuits1 and more      
formidable than the past ones1 was about
 to break on me2 that ,i had to  prepare
 for new and more serious conflicts than
 ,i had ever experienced4    ,the next  

morning1 ,mr4 ,saurin handed me another 
letter from the ,bishop of  ,dubuque1   
and with a sympathy which ,i will never 
forget1 he said3    8,i am sorry to see 
that you are not at the end of your     
troubles1 as you  expected4    8,bishop 
,smith orders you back to ,dubuque with 
words which are far from  being         
friendly40    ,but1 strange to say1 such
 bad news1 which would have saddened and
  discouraged me1 in other              
circumstances1 left me perfectly calm   
and  cheerful on that day4 ,in my dear  
,gospel1 which had been my daily bread1 
the last eight days1 ,i had found the   
helmet for my head1 the breastplate  and
 the shield to protect me1 and the      
unconquerable sword with which to       
fight4    ,from every page1 ,i heard my 
,saviour's voice3 8,fear not1 ,i am with
 thee40    ,when1 on my way back to     
,dubuque1 ,i stopped at ,chicago1 to    
know from my  faithful friend1 ,mr4     
,dunn1 the cause of the new storm4 ,he  
said3    8,you remember how grand vicar 

,mailloux was displeased with the       
conditional submission you had given to 
the bishop4 ,as soon as we had  left    
him1 he sent the young priest who is    
with him1 to the ,jesuits of  ,chicago1 
to tell them that the authority of the  
church and of the bishop  would be      
forever lost1 if ,chiniquy were allowed 
to submit on such a  condition4 ,he     
wanted them to notice that it was not to
 the authority of  the bishops and the  
church you had submitted2 but only to   
the authority  of the ,bible4 ,the      
,jesuits were of the same mind4 ,they   
immediately sent  to ,dubuque1 and said 
to the bishop3 #8,do you not see that   
,chiniquy is a  disguised ,protestant2  
that he has deceived you by presenting  
you such an  act of submission4 ,does   
not your lordship see that ,chiniquy has
 not  submitted himself to your         
authority1 but to the authority of his  
,bible  alone8 ,do you not fear that the
 whole body of the bishops and the ,pope
  himself will condemn you for having   

fallen into the trap prepared by  that  
disguised ,protestant8'    8,our        
administrator1 though a good man when   
left to himself1 is weak1 and  like soft
 wax1 can be manipulated in every way4  
8,the ,jesuits who want to rule the     
priests and the church with an iron     
rod1 and who are aiming to change the   
,pope and the bishops into the most     
heartless tyrants1 have advised the     
administrator to force you to give  an  
unconditional act of submission4 ,it is 
not the ,word of ,god which must  rule  
us now1 it is the old ,jupiter1 who is  
coming back to rule us under  the name  
of a modern divinity1 called #8the      
authority of the bishops4'  ,the        
administrator and the ,jesuits          
themselves1 have telegraphed your       
submission to several bishops1 who have 
unanimously answered that it  must be   
rejected1 and another given1 without    
condition1 requested from  you4 ,you    
were evidently too correct1 when you    
told me the other day1  that your act of

 submission was too good for the bishops
 and the ,pope4  ,what will you do80    
,i replied3 8,i do not know what ,i will
 do1 but be sure of this1 my dear  ,mr4 
,dunn1 ,i will do what our great and    
merciful ,god will tell me40    8,very  
well1 very well10 he answered1 8,may    
,god help you60,h4    -----    ,footnote
 ,h3      ,that same ,mr4 ,dunn was also
 excommunicated1 not long after1 by his 
bishop1 and died after publicly refusing
 to be relieved from that    sentence4  
-----    ,after warmly shaking hands    
with me1 ,i left to take the train for  
,dubuque1 where ,i arrived1 next        
morning4 ,i went immediately to the     
bishop's palace4 ,i found him in the    
company of a ,jesuit1 and ,i felt       
myself as a poor helpless ship between  
two threatening icebergs4    8,your     
lordship wants to see me again10 ,i     
said4    8,yes1 sir1 ,i want to see you 
again10 he answered4    8,what do you   
want from me my lord80 ,i replied4      
8,have you the testimonial letter ,i    

addressed to you1 at ,chicago1 last     
week80    8,yes1 my lord1 ,i have it    
with me40    8,will you please show it  
to me10 he replied4    8,with pleasure1 
here it is10 and ,i handed him the      
precious document4    ,as soon as he had
 assured himself that it was the very   
letter in  question1 he ran to the stove
 and threw it into the fire4 ,i felt so 
puzzled at the action of my bishop1 that
 ,i remained almost paralyzed2  but     
soon1 coming to myself1 ,i ran1 to save 
from the flames1 that  document which   
was more valuable and precious to me    
than all the gold of  ,california1 but  
it was too late4 ,it was in ashes4    ,i
 turned to the bishop and said3 8,how   
can you take from me a document  which  
is my property1 and destroy it without  
my permission80    ,he answered me with 
an impudence that cannot be expressed on
 paper3 8,i  am your superior1 and have 
no account to give you40    ,i replied3 
8,yes1 my lord1 you are my superior     
indeed4 ,you are a great  bishop in our 

church1 and ,i am nothing but a poor    
miserable priest4    8,but1 there is an 
,almighty ,god in heaven1 who is as much
 above you as he  is above me4 ,that    
great ,god has granted me    rights     
which ,i will never give up to please   
any man4 ,in the presence of  ,god1 ,i  
protest against your iniquity40         
8,have you come here to lecture me80    
replied the bishop4    8,no1 my lord1 ,i
 did not come to lecture you2 ,i come at
 your command1 but  ,i want to know if  
it was to insult me as you have just    
done that you  requested me to come here
 again40    8,i ordered you to come here
 again because you deceived me the last 
time  you were here10 he answered3 8you 
gave me an act of submission which you  
know very well is not an act of         
submission4 ,i accepted it then1 but ,i 
was mistaken2 ,i reject it to-day40     
,i answered3 8,how can you say that ,i  
deceived you8 ,the document ,i          
presented you1 is written in good1 plain
 ,english4 ,it is there1 on your  table1

 ,i see it3 you read it twice1 and      
understood it well4 ,if you were        
deceived by its contents1 you deceived  
yourself4 ,you are1 then1 a             
self-deceiver and you cannot accuse me  
of having deceived you40    ,he then    
took the document1 read it slowly3 and  
when at the words1 8we  submit ourselves
 to your authority1 according to the    
,word of ,god as we  find it in the     
,gospel of ,christ10 he stopped and     
said3 8,what do you mean  by this80     
,i answered1 8,i mean what you see      
there4 ,i mean that neither ,i nor my   
people will ever submit ourselves to    
anybody1 except according to the        
eternal laws of truth1 justice and      
holiness of ,god1 as we find them       
expressed in the ,bible40    ,he angrily
 answered1 8,such language on your part 
is sheer ,protestantism4  ,i cannot     
accept such a conditional submission    
from any priest40    ,then1 again1 ,i   
seemed to hear the mysterious voice1    
8,do you not see that  in your ,church  

of ,rome1 you do not follow the ,word of
 ,god1 but the lying  traditions of     
men80    ,thanks be to ,god1 ,i did not 
silence that voice in that solemn hour4 
,an ardent1 though silent prayer1 went  
from the bottom of my heart to the      
mercy seat4 ,with all the fervor of my  
soul ,i said3 8,oh my ,god6 speak1      
speak again to thy poor servant1 and    
grant me the grace to follow thy  ,holy 
,word60 ,i then said to the bishop3     
8,you distress me by rejecting this act 
of submission1 and asking  another4     
,please explain yourself more clearly1  
and tell me the nature of  the new one  
you require from me and my people40     
,taking then a more subdued and polite  
tone1 the bishop said3    8,i hope1 ,mr4
 ,chiniquy1 that1 as a good priest1 you 
do not want to rebel  against your      
bishop1 and that you will give me the   
act of submission ,i  ask from you4     
,take away these #8,words of ,god1'     
#8,gospel of ,christ1' and  #8,bible1'  
from your present document1 and ,i will 

be satisfied40    8,but1 my lord1 with  
my people1 ,i have put these words      
because we want to  obey only the       
bishops who follow the ,word of ,god4   
,we want to submit only  to the church  
which respects and follows the ,gospel  
of ,christ40    ,in an irritated manner1
 he quickly answered3 8,take away from  
your act of  submission1 those #8,words 
of ,god1' and #8,gospel of ,christ1' and
 #8,bible6'  or ,i will punish you as a 
rebel40    8,my lord10 ,i replied1      
8those expressions are there to show us 
and to the  whole world1 that the ,word 
of ,god1 the ,gospel of ,christ and the 
,bible1  are the fundamental stones of  
our holy church4 ,if we reject those    
precious stones1 on what foundations    
will our church and our faith  rest80   
,he answered angrily3 8,mr4 ,chiniquy1  
,i am your superior1 ,i do not want to  
argue with you3 ,you are my inferior1   
your business is to obey me4 ,give  me1 
at once1 an act of submission in which  
you will simply say that you  and your  

people will submit yourselves to my     
authority1 and promise to  do anything  
,i will bid you40    ,i calmly answered3
 8,what you ask me is not an act of     
submission1 it is  an act of adoration4 
,i do absolutely refuse to give it40    
8,if it be so1 sir10 he answered1 8you  
can no longer be a ,roman ,catholic     
priest40    ,i raised my hands to       
heaven1 and cried with a loud voice3    
8,may ,god  ,almighty be forever        
blessed40    ,i took my hat and left to 
go to my hotel4 ,when alone1 in my room1
 ,i  locked the door and fell on my     
knees1 to consider1 in the presence of  
,god1 what ,i had just done4 ,there1 the
 awful1 undeniable truth stared me  in  
the face4 ,my church could not be the   
,church of ,christ6 ,that sad truth  had
 not been revealed to me by any         
,protestant1 nor any other enemy of  the
 church4 ,it was from her own lips ,i   
had got it8 ,it had been told me  by one
 of her most learned and devoted        
bishops6 ,my church was the  deadly1 the

 irreconcilable enemy of the ,word of   
,god1 as ,i had so often  suspected6 ,i 
was not allowed to remain a single day  
longer in that  church without          
positively and publicly giving up the   
,gospel of ,christ6  ,it was evident to 
me that the ,gospel was only a blind1 a 
mockery to  conceal her iniquities1     
tyrannies1 superstitions and idolatries4
 ,the  only use of the ,gospel in my    
church1 was to throw dust in the eyes of
  the priests and people6 ,it had no    
authority4 ,the only rule and guide     
were the will1 the passions and the     
dictates of sinful men6    ,there1 on my
 knees1 and alone with ,god1 it was     
evident to me that the  voice which had 
so often troubled and shaken my faith1  
was the voice of  my merciful ,god who  
wanted to save me4 ,it was the voice of 
my dear  ,saviour1 who wanted to bring  
me out of the ways of perdition in which
 ,i  was walking4 ,and ,i had tried so  
often to silence that voice6    8,my    
,god6 my ,god60 ,i cried1 8,the ,church 

of ,rome is not thy church4 ,to  obey   
the voice of my conscience1 which is    
thine1 ,i gave it up4 ,when ,i  had the 
choice between giving up the ,church or 
the ,bible1 ,i did not  hesitate4 ,i    
could not give up thy ,holy ,word4 ,i   
have given up ,rome6 ,but1  ,o ,lord1   
where is thy church8 ,oh6 speak66 where 
must ,i go to be saved80    ,for more   
than one hour1 ,i cried to ,god in vain2
 no answer came4 ,in vain1  ,i cried for
 a ray of light to guide me4 ,the more  
,i prayed and wept1 the  greater was the
 darkness which surrounded me6 ,i then  
felt as if ,god had  forsaken me1 and an
 unspeakable distress was the result of 
that horrible  thought4 ,to add to my   
distress1 the thought flashed across my 
mind that  by giving up the ,church of  
,rome1 ,i had given up the church of my 
dear  father and mother1 of my brothers1
 my friends and my country4 ,in fact    
all that was near and dear to me6    ,i 
hope that none of my readers will ever  
experience what it is to give  up       

friends1 relatives1 parents1 honor1     
country--everything6 ,i did not  regret 
the sacrifice1 but ,i felt as if ,i     
could not survive it4 ,with  tears1 ,i  
cried to ,god for more strength and     
faith to bear the cross  which was laid 
on my too weak shoulders but all in     
vain4    ,then ,i felt that an          
implacable war was to be declared       
against me1 which  would end only with  
my life4 ,the ,pope1 the bishops and    
priests1 all over  the world1 would     
denounce and curse me4 ,they would      
attack and destroy my  character1 my    
name and my honor1 in their press1 from 
their pulpit and  in their              
confessionals1 where the man they strike
 can never know whence  the blow is     
coming6 ,almost in despair1 ,i tried to 
think of some one who  would come to my 
help in that formidable conflict1 but   
could find none4  ,every one of the     
millions of ,roman ,catholics were bound
 to curse me4 ,my  best friends--my own 
people--even my own brothers1 were bound

 to look upon  me with horror as an     
apostate1 a vile outcast6 ,could ,i hope
 for help or  protection from           
,protestants8 ,no6 for my priestly life 
had been spent in  writing and preaching
 against them4 ,in vain would ,i try to 
give an idea  of the desolation ,i felt1
 when that thought struck my mind4      
,forsaken by ,god and man1 what would   
become of me8 ,where would ,i go when   
out of that room8    ,expelled with     
contempt by my former ,roman ,catholic  
friends2 repulsed  with still more      
contempt by ,protestants2 where could ,i
 go to hide my  shame and drag my       
miserable existence8 ,how could ,i go   
again into that  world where there was  
no more room for me2 where there was no 
hand to  press mine2 none to smile upon 
me6 ,life suddenly became to me an      
unbearable burden4 ,my brain seemed to  
be filled with burning coals4 ,i  was   
losing my mind4 ,yea1 death1 an instant 
death seemed to me the  greatest        
blessing in that awful hour6 and1 will  

,i say it8 ,yes6 ,i took my  knife to   
cut my throat and put an end to my      
miserable existence6 ,but my  merciful  
,god1 who wanted only to humble me1 by  
showing me my own  helplessness1 stopped
 my hand1 and the knife fell on the     
floor4    ,though ,i felt the pangs of  
that desolation for more than two hours1
 ,i  constantly cried to ,god for a ray 
of his saving light1 for a word  telling
 me what to do1 where to go to be saved4
 ,at last1 drops of cold  sweat began to
 cover again my face and my whole body4 
,the pulsations of  my heart began to be
 very slow and weak3 ,i felt so feeble  
that ,i  expected to faint at any       
moment1 or fall dead6 ,at first ,i      
thought that  death would be a great    
relief1 but then1 ,i said to myself3    
8,if ,i die1  where will ,i go1 when    
there is no faith1 nor a ray of light to
 illumine  my poor perishing soul6 ,oh1 
my dear ,saviour10 ,i cried1 8come to my
 help6  ,lift up the light of thy       
reconciled countenance upon me40    ,in 

that very instant1 ,i remembered that ,i
 had my dear ,new ,testament with  me1  
which ,i used then1 as now1 to carry    
everywhere4 ,the thought flashed  across
 my mind that ,i would find in that     
divine book the answer to my  prayer1   
and light to guide me through that dark 
night to that house of  refuge and      
salvation1 after which my soul was      
ardently longing4 ,with a  trembling    
hand and a praying heart1 ,i opened the 
book at random2 but1  no6 not ,i1 my    
,god himself opened it for me4 ,my eyes 
fell on these words3  8,,ye ,,are       
,,bought ,,with ,a ,,price4 ,,be ,,not  
,,ye ,,the ,,servants ,,of ,,men40 7#a  
,cor41  #g3bc47    ,strange to say6     
,those words came to my mind1 more as a 
light than an  articulated sound4 ,they1
 suddenly1 but most beautifully and     
powerfully1  gave me1 as much as a man  
can know it1 the knowledge of the great 
mystery of a perfect salvation through  
,christ alone4 ,they1 at once1  brought 
a great and delightful calm to my soul4 

,i said to myself3 8,jesus  has bought  
me1 then ,i am ,his2 for when ,i have   
bought a thing1 it is  mine1 absolutely 
mine6 ,jesus has bought me6 ,i1 then1   
belong to him6 ,he  alone has a right   
over me4 ,i do not belong to the        
bishops1 to the ,popes2  not even to the
 church1 as ,i have been told till now4 
,i belong to ,jesus1  and to him alone6 
,his ,word must be my guide1 and my     
light by day and by  night4 ,jesus has  
bought me1 ,i said again to myself2 then
 ,he has saved  me6 and if so1 ,i am    
saved1 perfectly saved1 for ever saved6 
for ,jesus  cannot save me by half4     
,jesus is my ,god2 the works of ,god are
 perfect4  ,my salvation must1 then1 be 
a perfect salvation6 ,but how has he    
saved  me8 ,what price has he paid for  
my poor guilty soul8 ,the answer came as
  quickly as lightning3 8,he bought you 
with his blood shed on the cross6  ,he  
saved you by dying on ,calvary60    ,i1 
then1 said to myself again3 8,if ,jesus 
has perfectly saved me by  shedding his 

blood on the cross1 ,i am not saved as  
,i have thought and  preached till now1 
by my penances1 my prayers to ,mary and 
the saints1 my  confessions and         
indulgences1 not even by the flames or  
purgatory4    ,in that instant1 all     
things which1 as a ,roman ,catholic1 ,i 
had to believe  to be saved--all the    
mummeries by which the poor ,roman      
,catholics are so  cruelly deceived1 the
 chaplets1 indulgences1 scapularies1    
auricular  confession1 invocation of the
 virgin1 holy water1 masses1 purgatory1 
etc41 given as means of salvation1      
vanished from my mind as a huge  tower1 
when struck at the foundation1 crumbles 
to the ground4 ,jesus  alone remained in
 my mind as the ,saviour of my soul6    
,oh6 what joy ,i felt at this simple1   
but sublime truth6 ,but it was the  will
 of ,god that this joy should be short4 
,it suddenly went away with  the        
beautiful light which had caused it2 and
 my poor soul was again  wrapped in the 
most awful darkness4 ,how ever profound 

that darkness was1  a still darker      
object presented itself before my mind4 
,it was as a very  high mountain2 but   
not composed of sand or stones1 it was  
the mountain  of my sins4 ,i saw them   
all standing before me4 ,and still more 
horrified  was ,i when ,i saw it moving 
towards me as if1 with a mighty hand1 to
  crush me4 ,i tried to escape1 but in  
vain4 ,i felt tied to the floor1 and    
the next moment1 it had rolled over me4 
,i felt as crushed under its  weight2   
for it was as heavy as granite4 ,i could
 scarcely breathe6 ,my  only hope was to
 cry to ,god for help4 ,with a loud     
voice1 heard by many  in the hotel1 ,i  
cried3 8,o my ,god6 have mercy upon me6 
,my sins are  destroying me6 ,i am lost1
 save me60 ,but it seemed ,god could not
 hear me4  ,the mountain was between1 to
 prevent my cries from reaching ,him1   
and to  hide my tears4 ,i suddenly      
thought that ,god would have nothing to 
do with  such a sinner1 but to open the 
gates of hell to throw me into that     

burning furnace prepared for his        
enemies1 and which ,i had so richly     
deserved6    ,i was mistaken1 after     
eight or ten minutes of unspeakable     
agony1 the  rays of a new and beautiful 
light began to pierce through the dark  
cloud  which hung over me4 ,in that     
light1 ,i clearly saw my ,saviour4      
,there he  was1 bent under the weight of
 his heavy cross4 ,his face was covered 
with  blood1 the crown of thorns was on 
his head and the nails in his hands4    
,he was looking at me with an expression
 of compassion1 of love1 which no       
tongue can describe4 ,coming to me1 he  
said3 8,i have heard thy cries1 ,i  have
 seen thy tears1 ,i come to offer myself
 to thee as a ,,gift4 ,i offer  thee my 
blood and my bruised body as a ,,gift to
 pay thy debts2 wilt thou  give me thy  
heart8 ,wilt thou take my ,word for the 
only lamp of thy feet  and the only     
light of thy path8 ,i bring thee eternal
 life1 as a gift60    ,i answered3      
8,dear ,jesus1 how sweet art thy words  

to my soul6 ,speak1 oh6  speak again6   
,yes1 beloved ,saviour1 ,i want to love 
thee2 but dost thou  not see that       
mountain which is crushing me8 ,oh6     
remove it6 ,take away my  sins60    ,i  
had not done speaking when ,i saw his   
mighty hand stretched out4 ,he  touched 
the mountain1 and it rolled into the    
deep1 and disappeared4 ,at  the same    
time1 ,i felt as if a shower of the     
blood of the ,lamb were  falling upon me
 to purify my soul4 ,and1 suddenly1 my  
humble room was  transformed into a real
 paradise4 ,the angels of ,god could not
 be more  happy than ,i was in that most
 mysterious and blessed hour of my life4
  ,with an unspeakable joy1 ,i said to  
my ,saviour3 8,dear ,jesus1 the ,,gift  
of  ,god1 ,i accept thee6 ,thou hast    
offered the pardon of my sins as a gift1
 ,i  accept the gift4 ,thou hast brought
 me eternal life as a gift6 ,i accept   
it6 ,thou hast redeemed and saved me1   
beloved ,saviour1 ,i know1 ,i feel it4  
,but this is not enough4 ,i do not want 

to be saved alone4 ,save my people      
also4 ,save my whole country6 ,i feel   
rich and happy in that gift2 grant  me  
to show its beauty and preciousness1 to 
my people1 that they may  accept it1 and
 rejoice in its possession40    ,this   
sudden revelation of that marvellous    
truth of salvation as a ,,gift1  had so 
completely transformed me1 that ,i felt 
quite a new man4 ,the  unutterable      
distress of my soul had been changed    
into an unspeakable  joy4 ,my fears had 
gone away1 to be replaced by a courage  
and strength1  such as ,i had never     
experienced4 ,the ,popes1 with their    
bishops and  priests1 and millions of   
abject slaves might1 now1 attack me1 ,i 
felt  that ,i was a match for them all4 
,my great ambition was to go back to my 
people and tell them what the ,lord had 
done to save my soul4 ,i washed my      
tears away1 paid my bill and took the   
train which brought me back into  the   
midst of my dear countrymen4 ,at that   
very same hour they were  anxious and   

excited1 for they had just received1 at 
,kankakee ,city1 a  telegram from the   
,bishop of ,dubuque1 telling them3      
8,turn away your  priest1 for he has    
refused to give me an unconditional act 
of  submission40    ,they had gathered  
in great numbers to hear the reading of 
that strange  message4 ,but they        
unanimously said3 8,if ,mr4 ,chiniquy   
has refused to give  an unconditional   
act of submission1 he has done right1 we
 will stand by  him to the end40        
,however1 ,i knew nothing of that       
admirable resolution4 ,i  arrived at    
,st4 ,anne1 on a ,sabbath day1 at the   
hour of the morning  service4 ,there was
 an immense crowd at the door of the    
chapel4 ,they  rushed to me and said3   
8,you are just coming from the bishop2  
what good  news have you to bring us80  
,i answered3 8,no news here1 my good    
friends1 come to the chapel and ,i  will
 tell you what the ,lord has done for my
 soul40    ,when they had filled the    
large building1 ,i told them4    8,our  

,saviour1 the day before his death1 said
 to his disciples3 #8,i will  be a      
scandal to you1 this night4' ,i must    
tell you the same thing4 ,i will  be1   
to-day1 ,i fear1 the cause of a great   
scandal to every one of you4  ,but1 as  
the scandal which ,christ gave to his   
disciples1 has saved the  world2 ,i hope
 that1 by the great mercy of ,god1 the  
scandal ,i will give  you will save you4
 ,i was your pastor till yesterday8 ,but
 ,i have no more  that honor to-day1 for
 ,i have broken the ties by which ,i was
 bound as a  slave at the feet of the   
bishops and of the ,pope40    ,this     
sentence was scarcely finished1 when a  
universal cry of surprise  and sadness  
filled the church4 8,oh6 what does that 
mean80 exclaimed the  congregation4     
8,my dear countrymen10 ,i added1 8,i    
have not come to tell you to follow  me6
 ,i did not die to save your immortal   
souls3 ,i have not shed my blood  to buy
 you a place in heaven2 but ,christ has 
done it4 ,then follow ,christ  and him  

alone8 ,now1 ,i must tell you why ,i    
have broken the ignominious  and        
unbearable yoke of men1 to follow       
,christ4 ,you remember that1 on the     
#bast of ,march last1 you signed1 with  
me1 an act of submission to the         
authority of the ,bishop of the ,church 
of ,rome1 with the conditional  clause  
that we would obey them only in matters 
which were according to  the teachings  
of the ,word of ,god as found in the    
,gospel of ,christ4 ,in  that act of    
submission we did not want to be slaves 
of any man1 but the  servants of ,god1  
the followers of the ,gospel4 ,it was   
our hope then that  our church would    
accept such a submission4 ,and your joy 
was great1 when  you heard that ,grand  
,vicar ,dunn was here on the #bhth of   
,march1 to tell  you that ,bishop ,smith
 had accepted the submission4 ,but that 
acceptation  was revoked4 ,yesterday1 ,i
 was told in the presence of ,god1 by   
the same  bishop1 that he ought not to  
have accepted an act of submission from 

any  priest or people based on the      
,gospel of ,christ6 ,yes6 yesterday1    
,bishop  ,smith rejected1 with the      
utmost contempt1 the act of submission  
we had  given him1 and which he had     
accepted only two weeks ago1 because the
  #8,word of ,god' was mentioned in it6 
,when ,i respectfully requested him to  
tell me the nature of the new act of    
submission he wanted from us1 he        
ordered me to take away from it #8the   
,word of ,god1 the ,gospel of ,christ1  
and the ,bible1' if we wanted to be     
accepted as good ,catholics6 ,we had    
thought1 till then1 that the sacred     
,word of ,god1 and the ,holy ,gospel of 
,christ were the fundamental and        
precious stones of the ,church of ,rome4
  ,we loved her on that account1 we     
wanted to remain in her bosom1 even     
when we were forced to fight1 as honest 
men1 against that tyrant1  ,o',regan4   
,believing that the ,church of ,rome was
 the child of the ,word of  ,god1 that  
it was the most precious fruit of the   

divine tree planted on  the earth1 under
 the name of the ,gospel1 we would have 
given the last  drop of our blood to    
defend her6    8,but1 yesterday1 ,i have
 learned1 from the very lips of the     
,bishops of  ,rome1 that we were a band 
of simpletons in believing those things4
 ,i  have learned that the ,church of   
,rome has nothing to do with the ,word  
of  ,god1 except to throw it overboard1 
to trample it under their feet1 and  to 
forbid us even to name it in the solemn 
act of submission we had  given4 ,i have
 been told that we could no longer be   
,roman ,catholics1 if  we persisted in  
putting the ,word of ,god and the       
,gospel of ,christ as the  foundation of
 our religion1 our faith and our        
submission4 ,when ,i was  told1 by the  
bishop1 that ,i had either to renounce  
the ,word of ,god as  the base of my    
submission1 or the title of priest of   
,rome1 ,i did not  hesitate4 ,nothing   
could induce me to give up the ,gospel  
of ,christ2 and  so ,i gave up the title

 and position of priest in the ,roman   
,catholic  ,church4 ,i would rather     
suffer a thousand deaths than renounce  
the ,gospel  of ,christ4 ,i am no longer
 a priest of ,rome2 but ,i am more than 
ever a  disciple of ,christ1 a follower 
of the ,gospel4 ,that ,gospel is for me1
  what it was for ,paul3 #8,the power of
 ,god unto salvation4' ,it is the bread 
of my soul4 ,in it we can satisfy our   
thirst with the waters of eternal  life6
 ,no6 no66 ,i could not buy the honor of
 being any longer a slave to  the       
bishops and popes of ,rome1 by giving up
 the ,gospel of ,christ6    8,when ,i   
requested the bishop to give me the     
precise form of submission  he wanted   
from us1 he answered3 #8,give me an act 
of submission without  any condition1   
and promise that you will do anything ,i
 bid you4' ,i  replied3    8#8,this is  
not an act of submission1 it is an act  
of adoration6 ,i will  never give it to 
you46'    8#8,if so1' he said1 #8you can
 no longer be a ,roman ,catholic        

priest4'    8,i raised my hands to      
heaven1 and with a loud and cheerful    
voice1 ,i  said3 #8,may ,god ,almighty  
be forever blessed4'0    ,i then told   
them something of my desolation1 when   
alone1 in my room2 of  the granite      
mountain which had been rolled over my  
shoulders1 of my  tears and of my       
despair4 ,i told them also how my       
bleeding1 dying  crucified ,saviour had 
brought me the forgiveness of my sins2  
how he had  offered me eternal salvation
 as a ,,gift1 and how rich1 strong and  
happy ,i  felt in that gift4 ,i then    
offered them the ,,gift and besought    
them to  accept it4    ,my address      
lasted more than two hours1 and ,god    
blessed it in a  marvellous way4 ,its   
effects were profound and lasting1 but  
it is too  long to describe here4 ,in   
substance1 ,i said3 8,i respect you too 
much to  impose myself upon your honest 
consciences1 or to dictate what you     
ought  to do on this most solemn        
occasion4 ,i feel that the hour has come

 for me  to make a great sacrifice2 ,i  
must leave you6 but no6 ,i will not go  
away  before you tell me to do so4 ,you 
will yourselves break the ties so dear  
which have united us4 ,please1 pay      
attention to these1 my parting words3   
8,if you think it is better for you to  
follow the ,pope than to follow         
,christ2 that it is better to trust in  
the works of your hands1 and in  your   
own merits1 than in the blood of the    
,lamb1 shed on the cross1 to be  saved2 
if you think it is better for you to    
follow the traditions of men  than the  
,gospel2 and if you believe that it is  
better for you to have a  priest of     
,rome1 who will keep you tied as slaves 
to the feet of the  bishops1 and who    
will preach to you the ordinances of    
men1 rather than  have me preach to you 
nothing but the pure ,word of ,god1 as  
we find it in  the ,gospel of ,christ1  
tell it to me by rising up1 and ,i will 
go60 ,but to  my great surprise nobody  
moved4 ,the chapel was filled with sobs2

 tears  were flowing from every eye2 but
 not one moved to tell me to leave them6
  ,i was puzzled4 ,for though ,i had    
hoped that many1 enlightened by the     
copies of the ,new ,testament ,i had    
given them1 tired of the tyranny of  the
 bishops1 and disgusted with the        
superstitions of ,rome1 would be glad   
to break the yoke with me1 to follow    
,christ2 ,i was afraid that the         
greatest number would not dare to break 
their allegiance to the church1  and    
publicly give up her authority4 ,after a
 few minutes of silence1  during which  
,i mixed my tears and my sobs with those
 of my people1 ,i  told them3 8,why do  
you not1 at once1 rise up and tell me to
 go8 ,you see  that ,i can no longer    
remain your pastor after renouncing the 
tyranny of  the bishops1 and the        
traditions of men1 to follow the ,gospel
 of ,christ  as my only rule4 ,why do   
you not bravely tell me to go away80    
,but this new appeal was still without  
any answer4 ,i was filled with          

astonishment4 ,however1 it was evident  
to me that a great and mysterious       
change was wrought in that multitude4   
,their countenances1 their manners  were
 completely changed4 ,they were speaking
 to me with their eyes filled  with     
tears1 and their manly faces beaming    
with joy4 ,their sobs1 in some  way1    
told me that they were filled with new  
light2 that they were full  of new      
strength1 and ready to make the most    
heroic sacrifices1 and break  their     
fetters to follow ,christ1 and ,him     
alone4 ,there was something in  those   
brave1 honest and happy faces which was 
telling me more  effectually than the   
most eloquent speech3 8,we have accepted
 the ,,gift1  we want to be rich1 happy1
 free1 and saved in the gift3 we do not 
want  anything else2 remain among us and
 help us to love both the gift and the  
giver60    ,a thought suddenly flashed  
across my mind1 and with an             
inexpressible  sentiment of hope and    
joy1 ,i told them3    8,my dear         

countrymen6 ,the ,mighty ,god1 who gave 
me his saving light1  yesterday1 can    
grant you the same favor1 to-day4 ,he   
can1 as well1 save a  thousand souls as 
one4 ,i see1 in your noble and          
,christian faces1 that  you do not want 
any more to be slaves of men4 ,you want 
to be the free  children of ,god1       
intelligent followers of the ,gospel6   
,the light is  shining1 and you like it4
 ,the gift of ,god has been offered to  
you1 and  you have accepted it6 ,with me
 you will break the fetters of a        
captivity1  worse than that of ,egypt1  
to follow the ,gospel of ,christ1 and   
take  possession of the ,promised ,land3
 let all those who think it is better to
  follow ,jesus ,christ than the ,pope1 
better to follow the ,word of ,god than 
the traditions of men3 let all those of 
you who want me to remain here  and     
preach to you nothing but the ,word of  
,god1 as we find it in the  ,gospel of  
,christ1 tell it to me1 by rising up4 ,i
 am your man6 ,rise up60    ,without a  

single exception1 that multitude arose6 
,more than a thousand  of my countrymen 
had1 forever1 broken their fetters4     
,they had crossed  the ,red ,sea and    
exchanged the servitude of ,egypt1 for  
the blessings of  the ,promised ,land6  
,,chapter ,,lxvi4    ,,the ,,solemn     
,,responsibilities ,,of ,,my ,,new      
,,position--,,we ,,give ,,up ,,the      
,,name ,,of    ,,roman ,,catholic ,,to  
,,call ,,ourselves ,,christian          
,,catholics--,,dismay ,,of ,,the        
,,roman ,,catholic ,,bishops--,,my      
,,lord ,,duggan1 ,,coadjutor ,,of ,,st4 
,,louis1 ,,hurried    ,,to              
,,chicago--,,he ,,comes ,,to ,,st4      
,,anne ,,to ,,persuade ,,the ,,people   
,,to ,,submit ,,to    ,,his             
,,authority--,,he ,,is ,,ignominiously  
,,turned ,,out ,,and ,,runs ,,away ,,in 
,,the    ,,midst ,,of ,,the ,,cries ,,of
 ,,the ,,people4      ,where shall ,i   
find words to express the sentiments of 
surprise1  admiration and joy ,i felt   
when1 after divine service1 alone in my 

humble  study1 ,i considered1 in the    
presence of ,god1 what ,his mighty hand 
had  just wrought under my eyes4 ,the   
people who surrounded the ,saviour when 
he cried to ,lazarus to come forth1 were
 not more amazed at seeing the  dead    
coming out of his grave than ,i was when
 ,i had seen not one1 but  more than a  
thousand1 of my countrymen so suddenly  
and unexpectedly  coming out from the   
grave of the degrading slavery in which 
they were  born and brought up4 ,no1 the
 heart of ,moses was not filled with    
more joy  than mine1 when on the shores 
of the ,red ,sea1 he sang his sublime   
hymns3    8,i will sing unto the ,lord3 
for ,he hath triumphed gloriously4 ,the 
horse  and his rider1 hath he thrown    
into the sea4 ,the ,lord is my strength 
and  song1 and he is become my          
salvation4 ,he is my ,god and ,i will   
prepare him  an habitation3 ,my fathers'
 ,god and ,i will exalt him40--,ex4     
#ae3a1 #b4    ,my joy was1 however1     
suddenly changed into confusion1 when ,i

 considered  the unworthiness of the    
instrument which ,god had chosen to do  
that work4  ,i felt this was only the   
beginning of the most remarkable        
religious  reform which had ever        
occurred on this continent of ,america1 
and ,i was  dismayed at the thought of  
such a task6 ,i saw1 at a glance1 that  
,i was  called to guide my people into  
regions entirely new and unexplored4    
,the  terrible difficulties which       
,luther1 ,calvin and ,knox had met1 at  
almost  every step1 were to meet me6    
,though giants1 they had1 at many times1
  been brought low and almost           
discouraged in their new positions4     
,what  would become of me1 seeing that  
,i was so deficient in knowledge1 wisdom
  and experience6    ,many times1 during
 the first night1 after the deliverance 
of my people  from the bondage of the   
,pope1 ,i said to my ,god in tears3     
8,why hast not thou chosen a more worthy
 instrument of thy mercies  towards my  
brethren80 ,i would have shrank before  

the task1 had not ,god  said to me in   
his ,word3 8,for ye see your calling1   
brethren1 how that not  many wise men   
after the flesh1 not many mighty1 not   
many noble are  called2 but ,god hath   
chosen the foolish things of the world  
to confound  the wise4 ,and ,god hath   
chosen the weak things of the world to  
confound  the things which are mighty1  
and base things of the world and things 
which are despised1 hath ,god chosen2   
yea1 the things which are not1 to  bring
 to naught the things which are1 that no
 flesh should glory in his              
presence40--#a ,cor4 #a3bf-cj4    ,these
 words calmed my fears and gave me new  
courage4 ,next morning1 ,i  said to     
myself3 8,is it not ,god alone1 who has 
done the great things of  yesterday8    
,why should ,i not rely upon him for the
 things which remain to  be done8    8,i
 am weak1 it is true1 but he is strong  
and mighty4 ,i am unwise1 but he  is the
 ,god of light and wisdom3 ,i am sinful1
 but he is the ,god of  holiness3 ,he   

wants the world to know that ,he is the 
worker40    ,it would make the most     
interesting book1 were ,i to tell all   
the  marvellous episodes of the new     
battle my dear countrymen and ,i had to 
fight against ,rome1 in those stormy but
 blessed days4 ,let me ask my  readers  
to come with me to that ,roman ,catholic
 family and see the  surprise and       
desolation of the wife and children when
 the father  returned from public       
service and said3 8,my dear wife and    
children1 ,i  have1 forever1 left the   
,church of ,rome1 and hope that you will
 do the  same4 ,the ignominious chains  
by which we were tied1 as the slaves of 
the  bishops and of the ,pope1 are      
broken4 ,christ ,jesus alone will reign 
over  us now4 ,his ,holy ,word alone    
will rule and guide us4 ,salvation is a 
gift4  ,i have accepted it and am happy 
in its possession40    ,in another      
house1 the husband had not been able to 
come to church1 but  the wife and       
children had4 ,it was now the wife who  

announced to her  husband that she had1 
forever1 renounced the usurped authority
 of the  bishops and the ,pope3 and that
 it was her firm resolution to obey no  
other master than ,christ1 and accept no
 other religion than the one  taught in 
the ,gospel4    ,at first1 this was     
considered only as a joke2 but as soon  
as it was  realized to be a fact1 there 
were1 in many places1 confusion1 tears1 
angry words and bitter discussions4 ,but
 the ,god of truth1 light and  salvation
 was there2 and as it was ,his work1 the
 storms were soon  calmed1 the tears    
dried1 and peace restored4    ,a week   
had scarcely passed1 when the ,gospel   
cause had achieved one of  the most     
glorious victories over its implacable  
enemy1 the ,pope4 ,in a  few days1 #dje 
out of #ejj families which were around  
me in ,st4 ,anne1 had  not only accepted
 the ,gospel of ,christ1 as their only  
authority in  religion2 but had publicly
 given up the name of ,roman ,catholics1
 to call  themselves ,christian         

,catholics4    ,a few months later1 a   
,romish priest1 legally questioned on   
the subject1  by the ,judge of          
,kankakee1 had to swear that only       
fifteen families had  remained ,roman   
,catholics in ,st4 ,anne4    ,a most    
admirable feature of this religious     
movement1 was the strong  determination 
of those who had never been taught to   
read1 to lose no  time in acquiring the 
privilege of reading for themselves the 
,divine  ,gospel which had made them    
free from the bondage of man4 ,half of  
the  people had never been taught to    
read while in ,canada2 but as their     
children were attending the schools we  
had established in different  parts of  
the colony1 every house1 as well as our 
chapel1 on ,sabbath  days1 was soon     
turned into a school house1 where our   
school boys and  girls were the         
teachers1 and the fathers and mothers1  
the pupils4 ,in a  short time1 there    
were but few1 except those who refused  
to leave ,rome1  who could not read for 

themselves the ,holy ,word of ,god4     
,but1 however great the victory we had  
gained over the ,pope1 it was not  yet  
complete4 ,it was true that the enemy   
had received a deadly wound4  ,the      
beast1 with the seven heads1 had its    
principal one severed4 ,the  usurped    
authority of the bishops had been       
destroyed1 and the people had           
determined to accept none1 but the      
authority of ,christ4 ,but many false   
notions1 drank with the milk of their   
mothers1 had been retained4 ,many       
errors and superstitions still remained 
in their minds1 as a mist after  the    
rising of the sun1 to prevent them from 
seeing clearly the saving  light of the 
,gospel4    ,it was my duty to destroy  
those superstitions1 and root out these 
noxious weeds4 ,but1 ,i knew the        
formidable difficulties the reformers of
  the #aeth century had met1 the        
deplorable divisions which had spread   
among them1 and the scandals which had  
so seriously retarded and  compromised  

the reformation4    ,i cried to ,god for
 wisdom and strength4 ,never had ,i     
understood so  clearly1 as ,i did at    
that most solemn and difficult epoch of 
my life1  the truth that prayer is to   
the troubled mind what oil is to the    
raging  waves of the sea4    ,my people 
and ,i1 as are all ,roman ,catholics1   
were much given to the  worship of      
images and statues4 ,there were fourteen
 beautiful pictures  hung on the walls  
of our chapel called3 8,the ,way of the 
,cross10 on which  the circumstances of 
the passion of ,jesus ,christ were      
represented1 each  surmounted with a    
cross4 ,one of our favorite devotional  
exercises1 was  to kneel1 three or four 
times a week1 before them1 prostrate    
ourselves  and say1 with a loud voice3  
8,oh6 holy cross we adore thee40    ,we 
used to address our most fervent prayers
 to them1 as if they could  hear us1    
asking them to change our hearts and    
purify our souls6 ,our  blind devotions 
were so sincere that we used to bow our 

heads to the  ground before them4 ,i may
 say the same of a beautiful statue1 or 
rather  idol1 of the ,virgin ,mary1     
represented as a child learning to read 
at the  feet of her mother1 ,st4 ,anne4 
,the group was a masterpiece of art1    
sent to me by some rich friends from    
,montreal1 not long after ,i had left   
that city to form the colony of ,st4    
,anne1 in #aheb4 ,we had frequently     
addressed our most fervent prayers to   
those statues1 but after the blessed    
pentecost on which we had broken  the   
yoke of the ,pope1 ,i never entered my  
church without blushing at the  sight of
 those idols on the altar4    ,i would  
have given much to have the pictures1   
crosses and images  removed1 but dare   
not lay hands suddenly on them4 ,i was  
afraid1 lest ,i  should do harm to some 
of my people who1 it seemed to me1 were 
yet too  weak in their religious views  
to bear it4 ,i was just then reading how
  ,knox and ,calvin had made bonfires of
 all those relics of old ,paganism1  and

 ,i wished ,i could do the same2 but ,i 
felt like ,jacob1 who could not  follow 
the rapid march of his brother1 ,esau1  
towards the land of ,seir4  8,the       
children were tender and the flocks and 
herds were young4 ,if men  had          
overdriven them one day1 all the flocks 
would have died40--,gen4  #cc3ac4       
,our merciful ,god saw the perplexity in
 which ,i was1 and taught me how to  get
 rid of those idols without harming the 
weak4    ,one ,sabbath1 on which ,i     
preached on the #bnd ,commandment3      
8,thou shalt not  make unto thyself any 
graven image10 etc41 ,i remained in the 
chapel to  pray after the people had    
left4 ,i looked up to the group of      
statues on  the altar1 and said to them3
 8,my good ladies1 you must come down   
from  that high position4 ,god ,almighty
 alone is worshipped here now2 if you   
could walk out of this place1 ,i would  
politely invite you to do it4 ,but  you 
are nothing but mute1 deaf1 blind and   
motionless idols4 ,you have  eyes1 but  

you cannot see2 ears1 but you cannot    
hear2 feet1 but you  cannot walk4 ,what 
will ,i do with you now8 ,your reign has
 come to an  end40    ,it suddenly came 
to my mind that when ,i had put these   
statues on their  high pedestal1 ,i had 
tied them with a very slender1 but      
strong silk  cord1 to prevent them from 
falling4 ,i said to myself3 8,if ,i were
 to cut  that string1 the idols would   
surely fall1 the first day the people   
would  shake the floor when entering or 
going out40 ,their fall and destruction 
would then scandalize no one4 ,i took my
 knife and scaled the altar1 cut  the   
string1 and said3 8,now1 my good ladies1
 take care of yourself1  especially when
 the chapel is shaken by the wind1 or   
the coming in of  the people40    ,i    
never witnessed a more hearty laugh     
than1 at the beginning of the  religious
 services1 on the next ,sabbath4 ,the   
chapel1 being shaken by the  action of  
the whole people who fell on their knees
 to pray1 the two  idols1 deprived of   

their silk support1 after a couple of   
jerks which1 in  former days1 we might  
have taken for a friendly greeting1 fell
 down with  a loud crash1 and broke into
 fragments4 ,old and young1 strong and  
weak1  and even babes in the faith1     
after laughing to their heart's content1
 at  the sad end of their idols1 said to
 each other3 8,how foolish and blind    
were we1 to put our trust in and pray to
 these idols1 that they might  protect  
us when they cannot take care of        
themselves60    ,the last vestige of    
idol worship among our dear converts1   
disappeared  for ever with the dust and 
broken fragments of these poor helpless 
statues4 ,the very next day1 the people 
themselves took away all the  images    
before which they had so often abjectly 
prostrated themselves1  and destroyed   
them4    ,from the beginning of this    
movement1 it had been my plan to let the
  people draw their own conclusions as  
much as possible from their own  study  
of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,i used to    

direct their steps1 in such a  way that 
they might understand that ,i was myself
 led with them by the  mighty and       
merciful arm of ,god1 in our new ways4  
,it was also evident to me that1 from   
the beginning1 the great majority1      
after searching the ,scriptures with    
prayerful attention1 had found out  that
 ,purgatory was a diabolical invention  
used by the priests of ,rome1  to enrich
 themselves1 at the expense of their    
poor blind slaves4 ,but ,i  was also    
convinced that quite a number were not  
yet altogether free from  that          
imposture4    ,i did not know how to    
attack and destroy that error without   
wounding and  injuring some of the weak 
children of the ,gospel4 ,after much    
praying1 ,i  thought that the best way  
to clear the clouds which were still    
hovering  around the feeblest           
intelligences1 was to have recourse to  
the following  device3    ,the          
,all-,souls ,day 7#ast ,nov47 had come1 
when it was the usage to take up        

collections for the sake of having      
prayers and masses said for the souls   
in purgatory4 ,i then said to the       
people1 from the pulpit3 8,you have been
  used from your infancy1 to collect    
money1 to-day1 in order to have  prayers
 said for the souls in purgatory4 ,since
 we have left the ,church  of ,rome1 for
 the ,church of ,christ1 we have spent  
many pleasant hours  together in reading
 and meditating upon the ,gospel4 ,you  
know that we  have not found in it a    
single word about purgatory4 ,from the  
beginning  to the end of that divine    
book1 we have learned that it was only  
through  the blood of the ,lamb1 shed on
 the cross1 that our guilty souls could 
be  purified from their sins4 ,i know1  
however1 that a few of you have         
retained something of the views taught  
to you1 when in the ,church of  ,rome1  
concerning purgatory4 ,i do not want to 
trouble them by useless  discussions on 
the subject1 or by refusing the money   
they want to give  for the souls of     

their dear departed parents and friends4
 ,the only thing  ,i want to do is this3
 ,you used to have a small box passed to
 you to  receive that money4 ,to-day1   
instead of one box1 two boxes will be   
passed1 one white1 the other black4     
,those who1 like myself1 do not  believe
 in purgatory1 will put their donations 
in the white box1 and the  money will be
 given to the poor widows and orphans of
 the parish1 to  help them to get food  
and clothing for next winter4 ,those of 
you who  still believe in purgatory1    
will put their money into the black box1
 for  the benefit of the dead4 ,the only
 favor ,i ask of them is1 that they     
should tell me how to convey their      
donations to their departed friends4  ,i
 tell you frankly that the money you    
give to the priests1 never goes to  the 
benefit of the souls of purgatory4 ,the 
priests1 everywhere1 keep  that money   
for their own bread and butter40    ,my 
remarks were followed by a general      
smile4 ,thirty-five dollars were  put in

 the white box for the orphans and      
widows1 and not a cent fell  into the   
box for the souls of purgatory4    ,from
 that day1 by the great mercy of ,god1  
our dear converts were  perfectly rid of
 the ridiculous and sacrilegious belief 
in purgatory4  ,that is the way ,i have 
dealt with all the errors and idolatries
 of ,rome4  ,we had two public meetings 
every week1 when our chapel was as well 
filled as on ,sabbath4 ,after the       
religious exercises1 every one had the  
liberty to question me and argue on the 
various subjects announced at  the last 
meeting4    ,the doctrines of auricular 
confession1 prayers in an unknown       
language1  the mass1 holy water and     
indulgences were calmly examined1       
discussed and  thrown overboard1 one    
after the other1 in a very short time4  
,the good  done in those public         
discussions was incalculable4 ,our dear 
converts not  only learned the great    
truths of ,christianity1 but they       
learned also how  to defend and preach  

them to their relations1 friends and    
neighbors4  ,many would come from long  
distances to see for themselves that    
strange  religious movement which was   
making so much noise all over the       
country4  ,it is needless to say that   
few of them went back without having    
received  some rays of the saving light 
which the ,sun of ,righteousness was so 
abundantly pouring upon me and my dear  
brethren of ,st4 ,anne4    ,three months
 after our exit from the land of        
bondage1 we were not less  than six     
thousand ,french ,canadians marching    
towards the promised land4    ,how can  
,i express the joy of my soul1 when1    
under cover of the darkness  of night1  
,i was silently pacing the streets of   
our town1 ,i heard1 from  almost every  
house1 sounds of reading the ,holy      
,scriptures1 or the  melodies of our    
delightful ,french hymns6 ,how many     
times did ,i then1  uniting my feeble   
voice with that old prophet1 say in the 
rapture of my  joy3 8,bless the ,lord1  

,o6 my soul3 and all that is within me1 
bless his  holy name40    ,but it was   
necessary that such a great and blessed 
work should be tried4  ,gold cannot be  
purified without going through the fire4
    ,on the #bgth of ,july1 a devoted   
priest1 through my friend1 ,mr4 ,dunn1  
of  ,chicago1 sent me the following copy
 of a letter1 written by the ,roman     
,catholic ,bishop of ,illinois1 my lord 
,duggan1 to several of his  co-bishops3 
8,the schism of the apostate1 ,chiniquy1
 is spreading with an incredible  and   
most irresistible velocity4 ,i am told  
that he has not less than ten  thousand 
followers from his countrymen4 ,though  
,i hope that this number  is an         
exaggeration1 it shows that the evil is 
great2 and that we must  not lose any   
time in trying to open the eyes of the  
deluded people he is  leading to        
perdition4 ,i intend 7,d4 ,v47 to visit 
the very citadel of that  deplorable    
schism1 next ,tuesday1 the #crd of      
,august4 ,as ,i speak ,french  almost as

 well as ,english1 ,i will address the  
deluded people of ,st4 ,anne  in their  
own language4 ,my intention is to unmask
 ,chiniquy1 and show what  kind of a man
 he is4 ,then ,i will show the people   
the folly of believing  that they can   
read and interpret the ,scriptures by   
their own private  judgment4 ,after     
which1 ,i will easily show them that out
 of the ,church of  ,rome1 there is no  
salvation4 ,pray to the blessed ,virgin 
,mary1 that she  may help me reclaim    
that poor deceived people40    ,having  
read that letter to the people on the   
first ,sabbath of ,august1 ,i  said3    
8,we know man only after he has been    
tried4 ,so we know the faith of a       
,christian only after it has been       
through the fire of tribulations4 ,i    
thank ,god that next ,tuesday will be   
the day chosen by ,him to show the      
world that you are worthy of being in   
the front rank of the great army  ,jesus
 ,christ is gathering to fight his      
implacable enemy1 the ,pope1 on  this   

continent4    8,let every one of you    
come and hear what the bishop has to    
say4 ,not only  those who are in good   
health1 must come2 but even the sick    
must be  brought and hear and judge for 
themselves4 ,if the bishop fulfills his 
promise to show you that ,i am a        
depraved and wicked man1 you must turn  
me out4 ,you must give up or burn your  
,bibles1 at his bidding1 if he  proves  
that you have neither the right to read1
 nor the intelligence to  understand    
them2 and if he shows you that1 out of  
the ,church of ,rome1  there is no      
salvation1 you must1 without an hour's  
delay1 return to that  church and submit
 yourselves to the ,pope's bishops4 ,but
 if he fails 7as  he surely will do71   
you know what you have to do4 ,next     
,tuesday will be a  most glorious day   
for us all4 ,a great and decisive battle
 will be fought  here1 such as this     
continent has never witnessed1 between  
the great  principles of ,christian     
truth and liberty1 and the principles of

 lies  and tyranny of the ,pope4 ,i have
 only one word more to say3 ,from this  
moment to the solemn hour of the        
conflict1 let us humbly1 but fervently  
ask our great ,god1 through ,his beloved
 and eternal ,son1 to look down  upon us
 in his mercy1 enlighten and strengthen 
us1 that we may be true  to ,him1 to    
ourselves and to ,his ,gospel2 and then 
the angels of heaven  will unite with   
all the elects of ,god on earth to bless
 you for the  great and glorious victory
 you will win40    ,never had the sun   
shone more brightly on our beautiful    
hill than on the  #crd of ,august1      
#aheh4 ,the hearts had never felt so    
happy1 and the faces  had never been so 
perfectly the mirrors of joyful minds1  
as on that day1  among the multitudes   
which began to gather from every corner 
of the  colony1 a little after #ab      
o'clock1 noon4    ,seeing that our      
chapel1 though very large1 would not be 
able to contain  half the audience1 we  
had raised a large and solid platform1  

ten feet  high1 in the middle of the    
public square1 in front of the chapel4  
,we  covered it with carpets and put a  
sofa1 with a good number of chairs1  for
 the bishop1 his long suite of priests1 
and one for myself1 and a  large table  
for the different books of references ,i
 wanted to have at  hand1 to answer the 
bishop4    ,at about #b o'clock ,p4 ,m41
 we perceived his carriage1 followed by 
several  others filled with priests4 ,he
 was dressed in his white surplices1 and
  his official 8bonnet quarre0 on his   
head1 evidently to more surely  command 
the respect and awe of the multitude4   
,i had requested the people to keep     
silence and show him all the respect    
and courtesy due a gentleman who was    
visiting them for the first time4    ,as
 soon as his carriage was near the      
chapel1 ,i gave a signal1 and up  went  
the ,american flag to the top of a mast 
put on the sacred edifice4  ,it was to  
warn the ambassador of the ,pope that he
 was not treading the  land of the holy 

inquisition and slavery1 but the land of
 ,freedom and  ,liberty4 ,the bishop    
understood it4 ,for1 raising his head to
 see that  splendid flag of stripes and 
stars1 waving to the breeze1 he became  
pale  as death4 ,and his uneasiness did 
not abate1 when the thousands around    
him rent the air with the cry3 8,hurrah6
 for the flag of the free and the       
brave60 ,the bishop and his priests     
thought this was the signal ,i had      
given to slaughter them2 for they had   
been told several times1 that ,i  and my
 people were so depraved and wicked that
 their lives were in great  danger among
 us4 ,several priests who had not much  
relish for the crown  of martyrdom1     
jumped from their carriages and ran     
away1 to the great  amusement of the    
crowd4 ,perceiving the marks of the most
 extreme terror  on the face of the     
bishop1 ,i ran to tell him that there   
was not the  least danger1 and assured  
him of the pleasure we had to see him in
 our  midst4    ,i offered my hand to   

help him down from his carriage1 but he 
refused it4  ,after some minutes of     
trembling and hesitation1 he whispered a
 few words  in the ear of his grand     
vicar1 ,mailloux1 who was well known by 
my  people1 and of whom ,i have already 
spoken4 ,i knew that it was by his      
advice that the bishop was among us1 and
 it was by his instigation that  ,bishop
 ,smith had refused the submission we   
had given him4    ,rising slowly1 he    
said with a loud voice3 8,my dear       
,french ,canadian  countrymen3 ,here is 
your holy bishop4 ,kneel down and he    
will give you  his benediction40    ,but
 to the great disgust of the poor grand 
vicar1 this so well laid plan  for      
beginning the battle1 failed entirely4  
,not a single one of that  immense      
multitude cared for the benediction4    
,nobody knelt4    ,thinking that he had 
not spoken loud enough1 he raised his   
voice to the  highest pitch1 and cried3 
8,my dear fellow countrymen3 ,this is   
your holy bishop4 ,he comes to visit    

you4 ,kneel down and he will give you   
his benediction40    ,but nobody knelt1 
and what was worse1 a voice from the    
crowd answered3    8,do you not know1   
sir1 that here1 we no longer bend the   
knee before any  man8 ,it is only before
 ,god we kneel40    ,the whole people   
cried3 8,amen60 to that noble answer4 ,i
 could not  restrain a tear of joy from 
falling down my cheeks1 when ,i saw how 
this  first effort of the ambassador of 
the ,pope to entrap my people1 had      
signally failed4 ,but1 though ,i thanked
 ,god from the bottom of my heart  for  
this first success ,he had given to his 
soldiers1 ,i knew the battle  was far   
from being over4    ,i implored him to  
abide with us1 to be our wisdom and our 
strength to  the end4 ,i looked at the  
bishop1 and seeing his countenance as   
distressed as before1 ,i offered him my 
hand again1 but he refused it the       
second time with supreme disdain3       
,however1 he accepted the invitation ,i 
gave him to come to the platform4       

,when half way up the stairs1 he turned1
 and seeing me following him1 he  put   
forth his hand to prevent me from       
ascending any further1 and said3    8,i 
do not want you on this platform4 ,go   
down and let my priests alone  accompany
 me40    ,i answered him3 8,it may be   
that you do not want me there4 ,but ,i  
want to  be at your side1 to answer you4
 ,remember that you are not on your own 
ground here2 but on mine60    ,he then1 
silently and slowly1 walked up4 ,when on
 the platform1 ,i offered  him a good   
arm chair1 which he refused1 and sat on 
one of his own  choice1 with his priests
 around him4 ,i then addressed him as   
follows3    8,my lord1 the people and   
pastor of ,st4 ,anne are exceedingly    
pleased to  see you in their midst4 ,we 
promise to listen attentively to what   
you  have to say1 on condition that we  
have the privilege of answering you40   
,he answered1 angrily3 8,i do not want  
you to say a word1 here40    ,then1     
stepping to the front1 he began his     

address in ,french1 with a  trembling   
voice4 ,but it was a miserable failure  
from beginning to end4  ,in vain did he 
try to prove that out of the ,church of 
,rome1 there is no  salvation4 ,he      
failed still more miserably to prove    
that the people have  neither the right 
to read the ,scriptures1 nor the        
intelligence to  understand them4 ,he   
said such ridiculous things on that     
point1 that the  people went into fits  
of laughter1 and some said3    8,that is
 not true4 ,you do not know what you are
 talking about4 ,the ,bible  says the   
very contrary40    ,but ,i stopped them 
by reminding them of the promise they   
had made of not  interrupting him4    ,a
 little before closing his address1 he  
turned to me and said3    8,you are a   
wicked1 rebel priest against your holy  
church4 ,go from here  into a monastery 
to do penance for your sins4 ,you say   
that you have  never been excommunicated
 in a legal way6 ,well1 you will not say
 that  any longer1 for ,i excommunicate 

you now before this whole people40    ,i
 interrupted him and said3 8,you forget 
that you have no right to  excommunicate
 a man who has publicly left your church
 long ago40    ,he seemed to realize    
that he had made a fool of himself in   
uttering such  a sentence1 and stopped  
speaking1 for a moment4 ,then1 recalling
 his lost  courage1 he took a new and   
impressive manner of speaking4 ,he told 
the  people how their friends1 their    
relatives1 their very dear mothers and  
fathers1 in ,canada1 were weeping over  
their apostacy4 ,he spoke for a  time1  
with great earnestness1 of the          
desolation of all those who loved  them1
 at the news of their defection from    
their holy mother church4    ,then1     
resuming1 he said3    8,my dear friends3
 ,please tell me what will be your guide
 in the ways of  ,god1 after you have   
left the holy church of your fathers1   
the church of  your country2 who will   
lead you in the ways of ,god80    ,those
 words1 which had been uttered with     

great emphasis and earnestness1  were   
followed by a most complete and solemn  
silence4 ,was that silence  the result  
of a profound impression made on the    
crowd1 or was it the  silence which     
always precedes the storm8 ,i could not 
say4    ,but ,i must confess that1      
though ,i had not lost confidence in    
,god1 ,i was  not without anxiety4      
,though silent and ardent prayers were  
going to the  mercy-seat1 from my heart1
 ,i felt that that poor heart was       
troubled and  anxious1 as it had never  
been before4 ,i could have easily       
answered the  bishop and confounded him1
 in a few words2 but ,i thought that it 
was  much better to let the answer and  
rebuke come from the people4    ,the    
bishop1 hoping that the long and strange
 silence was a proof that he  had       
successfully touched the sensitive      
chords of the hearts1 and that he  was  
to win the day1 exclaimed a second time 
with still more power and  earnestness3 
8,my dear ,french ,canadian friends3 ,i 

ask you1 in the name of ,jesus  ,christ1
 your ,saviour and mine1 in the name of 
your desolated mothers1  fathers and    
friends1 who are weeping along the banks
 of your beautiful  ,st4 ,lawrence      
,river4 ,i ask it in the name of your   
beloved ,canada6 ,answer  me6 now that  
you refuse to obey the holy ,church of  
,rome1 who will guide  you in the ways  
of salvation80    ,another solemn       
silence followed that impassionate and  
earnest appeal4  ,but this silence was  
not to be long4 ,when ,i had invited the
 people to  come and hear the bishop1 ,i
 requested them to bring their ,bibles4 
,suddenly1 we heard the voice of an old 
farmer1 who1 raising his ,bible  over   
his head1 with his two hands1 said3     
8,this ,bible is all we want to guide us
 in the ways of ,god4 ,we do not  want  
anything but the pure ,word of ,god to  
teach us what we must do to be  saved4  
,as for you1 sir1 you had better go away
 and never come here any  more40    ,and
 more than #e1jjj voices said3 8,amen60 

to that simple and yet sublime  answer4 
,the whole crowd filled the air with    
cries3 8,the ,bible6 the ,holy  ,bible1 
the ,holy ,word of ,god is our only     
guide in the ways of eternal  life6 ,go 
away1 sir1 and never come again60       
,these words1 time and again repeated by
 the thousands of people who  surrounded
 the platform1 fell upon the poor       
bishop's ears as formidable  claps of   
thunder4 ,they were ringing as his death
 knell in his ears4 ,the  battle was    
over1 and he had lost it4    ,bathed in 
his tears1 suffocated by his sobs1 he   
sat1 or to speak more  correctly1 he    
fell into the arm chair1 and ,i feared1 
at first1 lest he  should faint4 ,when  
,i saw that he was recovering1 and      
strong enough to  hear what ,i had to   
say1 ,i stepped to the front of the     
platform4 ,but ,i  had scarcely said two
 words1 when ,i felt as if the claws of 
a tiger were  on my shoulders4 ,i turned
 and found that it was the clenched     
fingers of  the bishop1 who was shaking 

me1 while he was saying with a furious  
voice3    8,no6 no6 not a word from     
you40    ,as ,i was about to show him   
that ,i had a right to refute what he   
had  said1 my eyes fell on a scene which
 baffles all description4 ,those only   
who have seen the raging waves of the   
sea1 suddenly raised by the  hurricane1 
can have an idea of it4 ,the people had 
seen the violent hand  of the bishop    
raised against me1 they had heard his   
insolent and furious  words forbidding  
me to say a single word in answer2 and a
 universal cry  of indignation was      
heard3    8,the infamous wretch6 ,down  
with him6 ,he wants to enslave us again6
 he  denies us the right of free speech6
 he refuses to hear what our pastor  has
 to reply6 ,down with him60    ,at the  
same time1 a rush was made by many      
toward the platform1 to scale  it1 and  
others were at work to tear it down4    
,that whole multitude1  absolutely      
blinded by their uncontrollable rage1   
were as a drunken man  who does not know

 what he does4 ,i had read that such    
things had  occurred before1 but ,i hope
 ,i shall never see it again4 ,i rushed 
to the  head of the stairs and1 with    
great difficulty1 repulsed those who    
were  trying to lay their hands on the  
bishop4 ,in vain1 ,i raised my voice to 
calm them1 and make them realize the    
crime they wanted to commit4 ,no  voice 
could be heard in the midst of such     
terrible confusion4 ,it was  very       
providential that we had built the      
scaffold with strong materials1  so that
 it could resist the first attempt to   
break it4    ,happily1 we had in our    
midst a very intelligent young man1     
called  ,bechard1 who was held in great 
esteem and respect4 ,his influence1 ,i  
venture to say1 was irresistible over   
the people4 ,i called him to the        
platform1 and requested him1 in the name
 of ,god1 to appease the blind  fury of 
that multitude4 ,strange to say1 his    
presence1 and a sign from  his hand1    
acted like magic4    8,let us hear what 

,bechard has to say10 whispered every   
one to his  neighbor1 and suddenly1 the 
most profound calm succeeded the most   
awful  noise and confusion ,i had ever  
witnessed4 ,in a few appropriate and    
eloquent words1 that young gentleman1   
showed the people that1 far from  being 
angry1 they ought to be glad at the     
exhibition of the tyranny and  cowardice
 of the bishop4 ,had he not confessed   
the wickedness of his  address when he  
refused to hear the answer8 ,had he not 
confessed that he  was the vilest and   
most impudent of tyrants1 when he had   
come into their  very midst to deny them
 the sacred right of speech and reply8  
,had he not  proved1 before ,god and    
man1 that they had done well to reject1 
forever1  the authority of the ,bishop  
of ,rome1 when he was giving them such  
an  unanswerable proof that that        
authority meant the most unbounded      
tyranny  on his part1 and the most      
degraded and ignominious moral          
degradation on  the part of his blind   

slaves40    ,seeing that they were      
anxious to hear me2 ,i then told them3  
8,instead of being angry1 you ought to  
bless ,god for what you have heard  and 
seen from the ,bishop of ,chicago4 ,you 
have heard3 and you are  witnesses that 
he has not given us a single argument to
 show that we  were wrong1 when we give 
up the words of the ,pope to follow the 
,words of  ,christ4 ,was he not right   
when he told you that there was no need1
 on my  part1 to answer him6 ,do you not
 agree that there was nothing to answer1
  nothing to refute in his long address6
 ,has not our merciful ,god brought     
that bishop into your midst1 to-day1 to 
show you the truthfulness of  what ,i   
have so often told you1 that there was  
nothing manly1 nothing  honest1 or true 
in him8 ,have you heard from his lips a 
single word which  could have come from 
the lips of ,christ8 ,a word which could
 have come  from that great ,god who so 
loved the world that he sent his eternal
 ,son  to save it1 on the simple        

condition that we should repent1 love   
and  trust in ,him4 ,was there a single 
sentence in all you have heard which    
would remind you that salvation through 
,christ was a gift8 that eternal  life  
was a free gift offered to all those who
 accepted him as their true  and only   
,saviour8 ,have you heard anything from 
him to make you regret  that you are no 
longer his obedient and abject slaves80 
8,no6 no60 they replied4    8,then1     
instead of being angry with that man1   
you ought to thank him and  let him go  
in peace10 ,i added4    8,yes6 yes60    
replied the people1 8but on condition   
that he shall never  come again40       
,then ,mons4 ,bechard stepped to the    
front1 raised his hat1 and cried with   
his powerful1 melodious voice3          
8,people of ,st4 ,anne6 you have just   
gained the most glorious victory  which 
has ever been won by a people against   
their tyrants4 ,hurrah for  ,st4 ,anne1 
the grave of the tyranny of the ,bishops
 of ,rome in ,america60    ,that whole  

multitude1 filled with joy1 rent the air
 with the cry3  8,hurrah for ,st4 ,anne1
 the grave of the tyranny of the        
,bishops of ,rome in  ,america60    ,i  
then turned towards the poor bishop and 
his priests1 whose distress  and fear   
were beyond description1 and told them3 
8,you see that the people forgive you   
the indignity of your conduct1 by  not  
allowing me to answer you2 but ,i       
counsel you not to repeat that  insult  
here4 ,please take the advice they gave 
you2 go away as quickly as  possible4 ,i
 will go with you to your carriage1     
through the crowd1 and ,i  pledge myself
 that you will be safe1 provided you do 
not insult them  again40    ,opening    
their ranks1 the crowd made a passage1  
through which ,i led the  bishop and his
 long suite of priests1 to their        
carriages4    ,this was done in a most  
profound silence4 ,only a few women     
whispering to  the prelate1 as he was   
hurrying by3    8,away with you1 and    
never come here again4 ,henceforward we 

follow  nothing but ,christ40           
,crushed by waves of humiliation1 such  
as no bishop had ever met with on  this 
continent1 the weight of the ignominy   
which he had reaped in our  midst       
completely overpowered his mind1 and    
ruined him4 ,he left us to  wander every
 day nearer the regions of lunacy4 ,that
 bishop1 whose  beginning had been so   
brilliant1 after his shameful defeat at 
,st4 ,anne1  on the #crd of ,august1    
#aheh1 was soon to end his broken career
 in the  lunatic asylum at ,st4 ,louis1 
where he is still confined to-day4      
,,chapter ,,lxvii4    ,,bird',s-,,eye   
,,view ,,of ,,the ,,principal ,,events  
,,from ,,my ,,conversion ,,to ,,this    
,,day--,,my ,,narrow ,,escapes--,,the   
,,end ,,of ,,the ,,voyage ,,through     
,,the ,,desert ,,to ,,the    ,,promised 
,,land4      ,the marvellous power of   
the ,gospel to raise a man above himself
 and give  him a supernatural strength  
and wisdom in the presence of the most  
formidable difficulties has seldom been 

more gloriously manifested than  on the 
#crd of ,august1 #aheh1 on the hill of  
,st4 ,anne1 ,illinois4    ,surely the   
continent of ,america has never seen a  
more admirable  transformation of a     
whole people than was1 then and there1  
accomplished4  ,with no other help than 
the reading of the ,gospel1 that people 
had1  suddenly1 exchanged the chains of 
the most abject slavery for the royal   
scepter of ,liberty which ,christ offers
 to those who believe in ,him6    ,by   
the strength of their faith they had    
pulverized the gigantic power of  ,rome1
 put to flight the haughty              
representatives of the ,pope1 and had   
raised the banners of ,christian        
,liberty on the very spot marked by the 
bishop as the future citadel of the     
empire of ,popery in the ,united        
,states4    ,such work was so much above
 my capacity1 so much above the         
calculation  of my intelligence1 that ,i
 felt that ,i was more its witness than 
its  instrument4 ,the merciful and      

mighty hand of ,god was too visible to  
let  any other idea creep into my mind2 
and the only sentiments which filled  my
 soul were those of an unspeakable joy1 
and of gratitude to ,god4    ,but ,i    
felt that the greater the favors        
bestowed upon us from heaven1 the       
greater were the responsibilities of my 
new position4    ,the news of that      
sudden religious reformation spread with
 lightning  speed all over the          
continents of ,america and ,europe1 and 
an incredible  number of inquiring      
letters reached me from every corner4   
,episcopalians1  ,methodists1           
,congregationalists1 ,baptists1 and     
,presbyterians1 of every  rank and      
color1 kindly pressed me to give them   
some details4 ,of course1  those letters
 were often accompanied by books        
considered the most apt to  induce me to
 join their particular denominations4   
,feeling too young and inexpert in the  
ways of ,god to give a correct          
appreciation of the ,lord's doings among

 us1 ,i generally answered those  kind  
enquirers by writing them3 8,please come
 and see with your own eyes  the        
marvellous things our merciful ,god is  
doing in the midst of us1 and  you will 
help us to bless him40    ,in less than 
six months1 more than one hundred       
venerable ministers of  ,christ1 and    
prominent ,christian laymen of different
 denominations1  visited us4 ,among     
those who first honored us with their   
presence was the  ,rt4 ,rev4 ,bishop    
,helmuth1 of ,london1 ,canada2 then1 the
 learned ,dean of  ,quebec1 so well     
known and venerated by all over ,great  
,britain and  ,canada4 ,he visited us   
twice1 and was one of the most blessed  
instruments  of the mercies of ,god     
towards us4    ,i am happy to say that  
those eminent ,christians1 without any  
exception1  after having spent from one 
to twenty days in studying for          
themselves  this new religious movement1
 declared that it was the most          
remarkable  and solid evangelical       

reformation among ,roman ,catholics1    
they had ever  seen4 ,the ,christians of
 the cities of ,chicago1 ,baltimore1    
,washington1  ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1
 ,boston1 etc41 having expressed the    
desire to  hear from me of the doings of
 the ,lord among us1 ,i addressed them  
in  their principal churches1 and was   
received with such marks of kindness    
and interest1 for which ,i shall never  
be able sufficiently to thank ,god4     
,i have previously said that we had1 at 
first1 adopted the beautiful name  of   
,christian ,catholics1 but we soon      
perceived that unless we joined one  of 
the ,christian denominations of the day1
 we were in danger of forming  a new    
sect4    ,after many serious and        
prayerful considerations1 it seemed that
 the  wisest thing we could do was to   
connect ourselves with that branch of   
the vine which was the nearest1 if not  
identical with that of the ,french      
,protestants1 which gave so many martyrs
 to the ,church of ,christ4             

,accordingly1 it was our privilege to be
 admitted in the ,presbyterian  ,church 
of the ,united ,states4 ,the ,presbytery
 of ,chicago had the courtesy  to       
adjourn their meeting from that city to 
our humble town1 on the #aeth  of       
,april1 #ahfj1 when ,i presented them   
with the names of nearly #b1jjj         
converts1 who1 with myself1 were        
received into full communion with the   
,church of ,christ4    ,this solemn     
action was soon followed by the         
establishment of missions  and          
congregations in the cities and towns of
 ,chicago1 ,aurora1 ,kankakee1          
,middleport1 ,watseka1 ,momence1        
,sterling1 ,manteno1 etc41 where the    
light  of the ,gospel had been received 
by large numbers of our ,french         
,canadian  emigrants1 whom ,i had       
previously visited4    ,the census of   
the converts taken then gave us about   
#f1ejj precious souls  already wrenched 
from the iron grasp of ,popery4 ,it was 
a result much  beyond my most sanguine  

hopes1 and it would be difficult to     
express the  joy it gave me4 ,but my joy
 was not without a mixture of anxiety4  
,it was  impossible for me1 if left     
alone1 to distribute the bread of life  
to  such multitudes1 scattered over a   
territory of several hundred miles4 ,i  
determined1 with the help of ,god1 to   
raise a college1 where the children  of 
our converts would be prepared to preach
 the ,gospel4    ,thirty-two of our     
young men1 having offered themselves1 ,i
 added1 at  once1 to my other labors1   
the daily task of teaching them the     
preparatory course of study for their   
future evangelical work4    ,that year  
7#ahfj7 had been chosen by ,scotland to 
celebrate the  tercentenary anniversary 
of her ,reformation4 ,the committee of  
management1 composed of ,dr4 ,guthrie1  
,professor ,cunningham and ,dr4 ,begg1  
invited me to attend their general      
meetings in ,edinburgh4 ,on the #afth of
  ,august1 it was my privilege to be    
presented by those venerable men to  one

 of the grandest and noblest assemblies 
which the ,church of ,christ  has ever  
seen4 ,after the close of that great    
council1 which ,i addressed  twice1 ,i  
was invited1 during the next six months1
 to lecture in ,great  ,britain1 ,france
 and ,switzerland1 and to raise the     
funds necessary for  our college4 ,it is
 during that tour that ,i had the       
privilege of  addressing1 at ,st4       
,etienne1 the ,synod of the ,free       
,protestant ,church of  ,france1 lately 
established through the indomitable     
energy and ardent  piety of the ,rev4   
,felix ,monod4    ,those six months'    
efforts were crowned with the most      
complete success1  and more than #ae1jjj
 were handed me for our college1 by the 
disciples  of ,christ4    ,but it was   
the will of ,god that ,i should pass    
through the purifying  fires of the     
greatest tribulations4 ,on my return    
from ,europe into my  colony1 in the    
beginning of #ahfa1 ,i found everything 
in confusion4 ,the  ambition of the     

young men ,i had invited to preach in my
 place1 and in  whom ,i had so          
imprudently put too much confidence1    
encouraged by the  very man ,i had      
chosen for my representative and my     
attorney during my  absence1 came very  
near ruining that evangelical work1 by  
sowing the  seeds of division and hatred
 among our dear converts4 ,through the  
dishonest and false reports of those two
 men1 the money ,i had collected  and   
left in ,england1 7in the hands of a    
gentleman who was bound to send  it at  
my order7 was retained nearly two years1
 and lost in the failure  of the        
,gelpeck ,new ,york ,bank1 through which
 it was sent4 ,the only way we  found to
 save ourselves from ruin1 was to throw 
ourselves into the hands  of our        
,christian brothers of ,canada4    ,a   
committee of the ,presbyterian ,church1 
composed of ,rev's4 ,dr4 ,kemp1 ,dr4    
,cavan and ,mr4 ,scott1 was sent to     
investigate the cause of our trouble1   
and they soon found them4    ,dr4 ,kemp 

published a critical resume of their    
investigation1 which  clearly showed    
where the trouble lay4 ,our integrity   
and innocence were  publicly            
acknowledged1 and we were solemnly and  
officially received as  members of the  
,presbyterian ,church of ,canada1 on the
 #aath of ,june1 #ahfc4    ,we may      
properly acknowledge here that the      
,christian devotedness1 the  admirable  
ability and zeal of the late ,dr4 ,kemp 
in performance of that  work1 has       
secured to him our eternal gratitude4   
,in #ahgd1 ,i was again invited to      
,great ,britain by the committee        
appointed  to prepare the congratulatory
 address of the ,english people to the  
,emperor of ,germany and ,bismark1 for  
their noble resistance to the           
encroachments of ,popery4 ,i addressed  
the meetings held for that purpose  in  
,exter ,hall1 under the ,presidency of  
,lord ,john ,russell1 on the #bgth of   
,january1 #ahgd4 ,the next day1 several 
,gospel ministers pressed me to  publish

 my twenty-five years' experience of    
auricular confession1 as an  antidote to
 the criminal and too successful efforts
 of ,dr4 ,pusey1 who  wanted to restore 
that infamous practice among the        
,protestants of  ,england4    ,after    
much hesitation and many prayers1 ,i    
wrote the book entitled3 8,the  ,priest1
 the ,woman and the ,confessional10     
which ,god has so much blessed  to the  
conversion of many1 that twenty-nine    
editions have already been  published4  
,it has been translated into many       
languages4    ,i spent the next six     
months in lecturing on ,romanism in the 
principal  cities of ,england1 ,scotland
 and ,ireland4    ,on my return1 pressed
 by the ,canadian ,church to leave my   
colony of  ,illinois1 for a time at     
least1 to preach in ,canada1 ,i went to 
,montreal1  where1 in the short space of
 four years1 we had the unspeakable joy 
of  seeing seven thousand ,french       
,canadian ,roman ,catholics and         
emigrants from  ,france1 publicly       

renounce the errors of ,popery1 to      
follow the ,gospel of  ,christ4    ,in  
#ahgh1 exhausted by the previous years  
of incessant labors1 ,i was  advised1 by
 my physicians1 to breathe the bracing  
air of the ,pacific  ,ocean4 ,i crossed 
the ,rocky ,mountains and spent two     
months lecturing in  ,san ,francisco1   
,portland1 ,oregon1 and in ,washington  
,territory1 where ,i  found great       
numbers of my ,french countrymen1 many  
of whom received the  ,gospel with joy4 
,under the auspices and protection of my
 ,orange brethren1 ,i crossed the       
,pacific and went to the ,antipodes1    
lecturing two years in ,australia1      
,tasmania and ,new ,zealand4 ,it would  
require a large volume to tell the      
great mercies of ,god towards me during 
that long1 perilous1 but  interesting   
voyage4 ,during those two years1 ,i gave
 #faj public lectures1  and came back to
 my colony of ,st4 ,anne with such      
perfectly restored  health1 that ,i     
could say with the ,psalmist3 8,bless   

the ,lord1 ,o my soul1  thy youth is    
renewed like the eagle's40    ,but the  
reader has the right to know something  
of the dangers through  which it has    
pleased ,god to make me pass4    ,rome  
is the same to-day as she was when she  
burned ,john ,huss and  ,wishart1 and   
when she caused #gj1jjj ,protestants to 
be slaughtered in  ,france1 and #ajj1jjj
 to be exterminated in ,piedmont and    
,italy4    ,on the #cast of ,december1  
#ahfi1 ,i forced the ,rt4 ,rev4 ,bishop 
,foley1 of  ,chicago1 to swear before   
the civil court1 at ,kankakee1 that the 
following sentence was an exact         
translation of the doctrine of the      
,church of ,rome1 as taught to-day in   
all the ,roman ,catholic seminaries1    
colleges and universities1 through the  
8,summa ,theologica0 of ,thomas         
,aquinas 7vol4 #d1 p4 #ij71 8,though    
heretics must not be tolerated because  
they deserve it1 we must bear with them1
 till by a second admonition1  they may 
be brought back to the faith of the     

church4 ,but those who1  after a second 
admonition1 remain obstinate to their   
errors1 must not  only be               
excommunicated1 but they must be        
delivered to the secular power  to be   
exterminated40    ,it is on account of  
this law of the ,church of ,rome1 which 
is to-day1 in  full force1 as it was    
promulgated for the first time1 that not
 less than  thirty public attempts have 
been made to kill me since my           
conversion4    ,the first time ,i       
visited ,quebec1 in the spring of #ahei1
 fifty men were  sent by the ,bishop of 
,quebec 7,baillargeon7 to force me to   
swear that ,i  would never preach the   
,bible1 or to kill me in case of my     
refusal4    ,at #d o'clock1 a4 m41      
sticks were raised above my head1 a     
dagger stuck in  my breast1 and the     
cries of the furious mob were ringing in
 my ears3    8,infamous apostate6 ,now  
you are in our hands1 you are a dead    
man1 if you  do not swear that you will 
never preach your accursed ,bible40     

,never had ,i seen such furious men     
around me4 ,their eyes were more like   
the eyes of tigers than of men4 ,i      
expected1 every moment1 to receive the  
deadly blow1 and ,i asked my ,saviour to
 come and receive my soul4 ,but the     
would-be murderers1 with more horrible  
imprecations cried again3    8,infamous 
renegade6 ,swear that you will never    
preach any more your  accursed ,bible1  
or you are a dead man60    ,i raised my 
eyes and hands towards heaven1 and said3
 8,oh6 my ,god6 hear  and bless the last
 words of thy poor servant3 ,i solemnly 
swear1 that so  long as my tongue can   
speak1 ,i will preach thy ,word1 as ,i  
find it in the  ,holy ,bible60    ,then 
opening my vest and presenting my naked 
breast1 ,i said3    8,now6 ,strike60    
,but my ,god was there to protect me3   
they did not strike4 ,i went through    
their ranks into the streets1 where ,i  
found a carter1 who drove me to  ,mr4   
,hall1 the mayor of the city1 for that  
day ,i showed him my bleeding  breast1  

and said3    8,i just escaped1 almost   
miraculously1 from the hands of men     
sworn to  kill me1 if ,i preach again   
the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,i am1 however1 
determined to preach again to-day1 at   
noon1 even if ,i have to die in the     
attempt40 ,i put myself under the       
protection of the ,british flag4        
,soon after1 more than #a1jjj ,british  
soldiers were around me1 with fixed     
bayonets4 ,they formed themselves into  
two lines along the streets1  through   
which the mayor took me1 in his own     
sleigh1 to the lecture room4  ,i could  
then deliver my address on 8,the        
,bible10 to at least #aj1jjj  people1   
who were crowded inside and outside the 
walls of the large  building4 ,after    
this1 ,i had the joy of distributing    
between five and six  hundred ,bibles to
 that multitude1 who received them as   
thirsty and  hungry people receive fresh
 water and pure bread1 after many days  
of  starvation4    ,i have been stoned  
#bj times4 ,the principal places in     

,canada where ,i was  struck and        
wounded1 and almost miraculously        
escaped1 were3 ,quebec1  ,montreal1     
,ottawa1 ,charlotte ,town1 ,halifax1    
,antigonish1 etc4 ,in the last          
mentioned1 on the #ajth of ,july1 #ahgc1
 the pastor1 the ,rev4 ,p4  ,goodfellow1
 standing by me when going out of his   
church1 was also struck  several times  
by stones which missed me4 ,at last1 his
 head was so badly  cut1 that he fell on
 the ground bathed in blood4 ,i took him
 up in my  arms1 though wounded and     
bleeding myself4 ,we would surely have  
been  slaughtered there1 had not a noble
 ,scotchman1 named ,cameron1 opened the 
door of his house1 at the peril of his  
own life1 to give us shelter  against   
the assassins of the ,pope4 ,the mob1   
furious that we had escaped1  broke the 
windows and beseiged the house from #aj 
a4 m4 till #c next  morning4 ,many      
times1 they threatened to set fire to   
,mr4 ,cameron's house1  if he did not   
deliver me into their hands to be hung4 

,they were  prevented from doing so1    
only from fear of burning the whole     
town1  composed in part1 of their own   
dwellings4 ,several times1 they put long
  ladders against the walls1 with the   
hope of reaching the upper rooms1  where
 they could find and kill their victim4 
,all this was done under the very eyes  
of five or six priests1 who were  only  
at a distance of a few rods4    ,at     
,montreal1 in the winter of #ahgj1 one  
evening1 coming out of ,cote  ,street   
,church1 where ,i had preached1         
accompanied by ,principal ,mac,vicar1   
we fell into a kind of ambuscade1 and   
received a volley of stones which  would
 have seriously1 if not fatally1 injured
 the doctor1 had he not  been protected 
from head to foot by a thick fur cap and
 overcoat1 worn  in the cold days of    
winter in ,canada4    ,after a lecture  
given at ,paramenta1 near ,sydney1      
,australia1 ,i was again  attacked with 
stones by the ,roman ,catholics4 ,one   
struck my left leg with  such force that

 ,i thought it was broken1 and was lame 
for several days4    ,in ,new ,south    
,wales1 ,australia1 ,i was beaten with  
whips and sticks1 which  left marks upon
 my shoulders4    ,at ,horsham1 in the  
same ,province1 on the #ast of ,april1  
#ahgi1 the  ,romanists took possession  
of the church where ,i was speaking1    
rushed  toward me with daggers and      
pistols1 crying3    8,kill him6 ,kill   
him60    ,in the tumult1 ,i             
providentially escaped through a secret 
door4 ,but ,i had  to crawl on hands and
 knees a pretty long distance1 in a     
ditch filled  with mud1 not to be seen1 
and escape death4 ,when ,i reached the  
hospitable house of ,mr4 ,cameron1 the  
windows were broken with stones1  much  
of the furniture destroyed1 and it was a
 wonder ,i escaped with my  life4    ,at
 ,ballarat1 in the same province1 three 
times the houses where ,i  lodged1 were 
attacked and broken4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,inglis1
 one of the most  eloquent ministers of 
the city1 was one of the many who were  

wounded by  my side4 ,the wife of the   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,quick came also nearly being
 killed  while ,i was under their       
hospitable roof4    ,in the same city1  
as ,i was waiting for the train at the  
station1 a well  dressed lady came as   
near as possible and spat in my face4 ,i
 was  blinded1 and my face covered with 
filth4 ,she immediately fled1 but was   
soon brought back by my secretary and a 
policeman1 who said3    8,here is the   
miserable woman who has just insulted   
you1 what shall we do  with her80    ,i 
was then almost done cleaning my face   
with my handkerchief1 and some  water1  
brought by some sympathizing friends4 ,i
 answered3    8,let her go home in      
peace4 ,she has not done it of her own  
accord1 she  was sent by her confessor1 
she thinks she has done a good action4  
,when  they spat in our ,saviour's face1
 he did not punish those who insulted   
him4 ,we must follow his example40 ,and 
she was set at liberty1 to the  great   
regret of the crowd4    ,the very next  

day 7#bast of ,april71 at ,castlemain1  
,i was again fiercely  attacked and     
wounded on the head1 as ,i came from    
addressing the people4  ,one of the     
ministers1 who was standing by me1 was  
seriously wounded and  lost much blood4 
,at ,greelong1 ,i had again a very      
narrow escape from stones thrown at me  
in the streets4    ,in #ahgj1 while     
lecturing in ,melbourne1 the splendid   
capital of ,victoria1  ,australia1 ,i   
received a letter from ,tasmania1 signed
 by twelve ministers  of the ,gospel1   
saying3    8,we are much in need of you 
here1 for though the ,protestants are in
 the  majority1 they leave the          
administration of the country almost    
entirely  in the hands of ,roman        
,catholics1 who rule us with an iron    
rod4 ,the  ,governor is a ,roman        
,catholic1 etc4 ,we wish to have you    
among us1 though  we do not dare to     
invite you to come4 ,for we know that   
your life will be  in danger1 day and   
night1 while in ,tasmania4 ,the ,roman  

,catholics have  sworn to kill you1 and 
we have too many reasons to fear that   
they will  fulfill their promises4 ,but1
 though we do not dare ask you to come1 
we  assure you that there is a great    
work for you here1 and that we will     
stand by you with our people4 ,if you   
fall1 you will not fall alone40    ,i   
answered3 8,are we not soldiers of      
,christ1 and must we not be ready and   
willing to die for him1 as he died for  
us8 ,i will go40    ,on the #beth of    
,june1 as ,i was delivering my first    
lecture in ,hobart  ,town1 the ,roman   
,catholics1 with the approbation of     
their bishop1 broke  the door of the    
hall1 and rushed towards me1 crying3    
8,kill him6 kill  him60 ,the mob was    
only a few feet from me1 brandishing    
their daggers and  pistols1 when the    
,protestants threw themselves between   
them and me1 and  a furious hand-to-hand
 fight occurred1 during which many      
wounds were  received and given4 ,the   
soldiers of the ,pope were overpowered1 

but the  ,governor had to put the city  
under martial law for four days1 and    
call  the whole militia to save my life 
from the assassins drilled by the       
priests4    ,in a dark night1 as ,i was 
leaving the steamer to take the train1  
on the  ,ottawa ,river1 ,canada1 twice1 
the bullets of the murderers whistled at
 no  more than two or three inches from 
my ears4    ,several times1 in ,montreal
 and ,halifax1 the churches where ,i was
  preaching were attacked and the       
windows broken by the mobs sent by the  
priests1 and several of my friends were 
wounded 7two of whom1 ,i believe1  died 
from the effects of their wounds7 whilst
 defending me4    ,the #agth of ,june1  
#ahhd1 after ,i had preached1 in        
,quebec1 on the text3  8,what would ,i  
do to have ,eternal ,life10 a mob of    
more than #a1ejj ,roman  ,catholics1 led
 by two priests1 broke the windows of   
the church1 and  attacked me with       
stones1 with the evident object to kill 
me4 ,more than  one hundred stones      

struck me1 and ,i would surely have been
 killed there1  had ,i not had1         
providentially1 two heavy overcoats     
which ,i put1 one  around my head1 and  
the other around my shoulders4          
,notwithstanding that  protection1 ,i   
was so much bruised and wounded from    
head to feet1 that ,i  had to spend the 
three following weeks on a bed of       
suffering1 between  life and death4 ,a  
young friend1 ,zotique ,lefebre1 who had
 heroically put  himself between my     
would-be assassin and me1 escaped only  
after  receiving six bleeding wounds in 
the face4    ,the same year1 #ahhd1 in  
the month of ,november1 ,i was attacked 
with  stones and struck several times1  
when preaching and in coming out from   
the church in the city of ,montreal4    
,numbers of policemen and other  friends
 who came to my rescue were wounded1 my 
life was saved only by an  organization 
of a thousand young men1 who1 under the 
name of ,protestant  ,guard1 wrenched me
 from the hands of the would-be         

murderers4    ,when the bishops and     
priests saw that it was so difficult to 
put me out  of the way with stones1     
sticks and daggers1 they determined to  
destroy  my character by calumnies1     
spread every where1 and sworn before    
civil  tribunals as gospel truths4      
,during eighteen years1 they kept me in 
the hands of the sheriffs1 a  prisoner1 
under bail1 as a criminal4 ,thirty-two  
times1 my name has been  called before  
the civil and criminal courts of        
,kankakee1 ,joliet1  ,chicago1 ,urbana  
and ,montreal1 among the names of the   
vilest and most  criminal of men4    ,i 
have been accused by ,grand ,vicar      
,mailloux of having killed a man and    
thrown his body into a river to conceal 
my crime4 ,i have been accused of       
having set fire to the church of        
,bourbonnais and destroyed it4 ,not less
  than seventy-two false witnesses have 
been brought by the priests of  ,rome to
 support this last accusation4    ,but  
thanks be to ,god1 at every time1 from  

the very lips of the perjured           
witnesses1 we got the proof that they   
were swearing falsely1 at the           
instigation of their father confessors4 
,and my innocence was proved by  the    
very men who had been paid to destroy   
me4 ,in this last suit1 ,i  thought it  
was my duty as a ,christian and citizen1
 to have one of those  priests punished 
for having so cruelly and publicly      
trampled under his  feet the most sacred
 laws of society and religion4 ,without 
any vengeance  on my part1 ,god knows   
it1 ,i asked the protection of my       
country against  those incessant plots4 
,father ,brunet1 found guilty of having 
invented  those calumnies and supported 
them by false witnesses1 was condemned  
to  pay #b1ejj or go to gaol for        
fourteen years4 ,he preferred the last  
punishment1 having the promise from his 
,roman ,catholic friends that they      
would break the doors of the prison and 
let him go free to some remote  place4  
,he was incarcerated at ,kankakee2 but  

on a dark and stormy night1  six months 
later1 he was rescued1 and fled to      
,montreal 7#ijj miles74  ,there1 he made
 the ,roman ,catholics believe that the 
blessed ,virgin ,mary1  dressed in a    
beautiful white robe1 had come in person
 to open1 for him1  the gates of the    
prison4    ,i do not mention these facts
 here1 to create bad feelings against   
the  poor blind slaves of the ,pope4 ,it
 is only to show to the world that the  
,church of ,rome of to-day is absolutely
 the same as when she reddened  ,europe 
with the blood of millions of martyrs4  
,my motive in speaking of those         
murderous attacks is to induce the      
readers to help me to bless ,god who has
 so mercifully saved me from the  hands 
of the enemy4 ,more than any living man1
 ,i can say with the old  prophet3 8,the
 ,lord is my ,shepherd1 ,i shall not    
want40 ,with ,paul1 ,i could  often say3
 8,we are troubled on every side1 yet   
not distressed4 ,we are  perplexed1 but 
not in despair3 persecuted1 but not     

forsaken1 cast down1  but not destroyed3
 always bearing about in the body the   
dying of the  ,lord ,jesus1 that the    
life also of ,jesus1 might be manifest  
in our body40    ,those constant        
persecutions1 far from hindering the    
onward march of the  evangelical        
movement to which ,i have consecrated my
 life1 seem to have  given it a new     
impulse and a fresher life4 ,i have even
 remarked that the  very day after ,i   
had been bruised and wounded1 the number
 of converts  had invariably increased4 
,i will never forget the day1 after the 
terrible night when more than a thousand
 ,roman ,catholics had come to  stone   
me1 and on which ,i had received a      
severe wound1 more than one  hundred of 
my countrymen asked me to enroll their  
names under the banner  of the ,gospel  
and publicly sent their recantation of  
the errors of ,rome  to the bishop4     
,to-day1 the ,gospel of ,christ is      
advancing with an  irresistible power   
among the ,french ,canadians from the   

,atlantic to the  ,pacific ,oceans4 ,we 
find numbers of converts in almost every
 town and  city from ,new ,york to ,san 
,francisco4 ,rallied around the banners 
of  ,christ1 they form a large army of  
fearless soldiers of the ,cross4 ,among 
those converts1 we count now twenty-five
 priests1 and more than fifty  young    
zealous ministers born in the ,church of
 ,rome4    ,in hundreds of places1 the  
,church of ,rome has lost her past      
prestige1  and the priests are looked   
upon with indifference1 if not contempt1
 even  by those who have not yet        
accepted the light4    ,a very          
remarkable religious movement has also  
been lately inaugurated  among the      
,irish ,roman ,catholics1 under the     
leadership of ,rev'ds4  ,o',connor and  
,quinn1 which promises to keep pace     
with1 if not exceed the  progress of the
 ,gospel among the ,french4    ,to-day1 
more than ever1 we hear the ,good       
,master's voice3 8,lift up your  eyes   
and look on the fields1 for they are    

white already to harvest40    ,oh6 may  
the day soon come when all my countrymen
 will hear the voice of  the ,lamb and  
come to wash their robes in his blood6  
,will ,i see the  blessed hour when the 
dark night in which ,rome keeps my dear 
,canada will  be exchanged for the      
bright and saving light of the ,gospel8 
,at all events1 ,i cannot but bless ,god
 for what mine eyes have seen and  mine 
ears have heard of his mercy towards me 
and my countrymen4 ,from my  infancy he 
has taken me into his arms and led me   
most mercifully1  through ways ,i did   
not know1 from the darkest regions of   
superstition1  to the blessed regions of
 light1 truth and life6    ,from the day
 he granted me to read his divine word  
on my dear mother's  knees1 to the hour 
,he came to me as 8the ,gift of ,god10  
,he has not let a  single day pass      
without speaking to me some of ,his     
warning and saving  words4 ,i have not  
always paid sufficient attention to ,his
 sweet voice1 ,i  confess it to my      

shame4 ,my mind was so filled with the  
glittering  sophisms of ,rome1 that many
 times ,i refused to yield to the still 
voice  which was almost night and day   
heard in my soul4 ,but my ,god was not  
repelled by my infidelities1 as the     
reader will find in this book4 ,when    
driven away in the morning1 ,he came    
back in the silent hours of the  night4 
,for more than twenty-five years ,he    
forced me to see as a priest1  the      
abominations which exist inside the     
walls of the modern ,babylon4 ,i  may   
say1 ,he took me by the lock of mine    
head1 as ,he did with the prophet  of   
old and said3    8,son of man1 lift up  
thine eyes now the way towards the      
,north and  behold1 northward at the    
gate of the altar1 this image of        
,jealousy in  the entry4 ,he said       
furthermore unto me3 ,son of man1 seest 
thou what they  do1 even the great      
abominations that the house of ,israel  
committeth  here1 that ,i should go far 
off from my sanctuary8 ,but turn thee   

yet  again1 and thou shalt see greater  
abominations4 ,and he brought me to the 
door of the court2 and when ,i looked1  
behold a hole in the wall4 ,then  said  
he unto me1 son of man1 dig now in the  
wall2 and when ,i had digged  in the    
wall1 and behold the wicked abominations
 that they do here4 ,so ,i  went and    
saw2 and behold every form of creeping  
things1 and abominable  beasts and all  
the idols of the house of ,israel1      
portrayed upon the  walls round about4  
,and there stood before them seventy men
 of the  ancients of the house of       
,israel1 and in the midst of them stood 
,zaazaniah1 the son of ,shaphan1 with   
every man his censer in his hand2  and a
 thick cloud of incense went up4        
8,then said he unto me3 ,son of man1    
hast thou seen what the ancients of  the
 house of ,israel do in the dark1 every 
man in the chambers of his  imagery8 for
 they say the ,lord has forsaken the    
earth4 ,he said also unto  me3 turn thee
 yet again1 and thou shalt see greater  

abominations than  they do4 ,then he    
brought me to the door of the gate of   
the ,lord2 and1  behold1 there sat women
 weeping for ,tammuz4    8,then said he 
unto me3 ,hast thou seen this1 ,o son of
 man8 ,turn thee yet  again1 and thou   
shalt see greater abominations than     
these4 ,and he  brought me into the     
inner court of the ,lord's house1 and1  
behold1 at the  temple of the ,lord1    
between the porch and the altar1 were   
about five and  twenty men1 with their  
backs towards the temple of the ,lord1  
and their  faces toward the east2 and   
they worshipped the sun toward the east4
    8,then he said unto me3 ,hast thou  
seen this1 ,o son of man8 ,is it a light
  thing to the house of ,judah that they
 commit the abominations which they     
commit here8 for they have filled the   
land with violence and have  returned to
 provoke me into anger2 and lo6 they put
 the branch to their  nose4 ,therefore1 
will ,i also deal in fury2 mine eyes    
shall not spare1  neither will ,i have  

pity2 and they cry in mine ears1 with a 
loud voice1  yet will ,i not hear them40
 7,ezek4 #h47    ,i can say with ,john3 
8,one of the seven angels said unto me3 
,i will show unto thee the  judgment of 
the great whore that sitteth upon many  
waters2 with whom the  kings of the     
earth have committed fornication1 and   
the inhabitants of  the earth have been 
made drunk with the wine of her         
fornications4 ,so he  carried me away   
into the wilderness2 and ,i saw a woman 
sit upon a  scarlet colored beast full  
of names of blasphemy having seven heads
 and  ten horns4 ,and the woman was     
arrayed in purple and scarlet color1 and
  decked with gold and precious stones  
and pearls1 having a golden cup in  her 
hand full of abominations and filthiness
 of her fornication3 and  upon her      
forhead was a name written3 #8,mystery1 
,babylon1 the ,great1 the  mother of the
 harlots and abominations of the earth4'
 ,and ,i saw the  woman drunken with the
 blood of the saints1 and with the blood

 of the  martyrs of ,jesus2 and when ,i 
saw her ,i wondered with great          
admiration40  7,rev4 #ag47    ,and after
 the ,lord had shown me all these       
abominations1 he took me out  as the    
eagle takes his young ones on his wings4
 ,he brought me into his  beautiful and 
beloved ,zion and he set my feet on the 
rock of my  salvation4 ,there1 he       
quenched my thirst with the pure waters 
which flow  from the fountains of       
eternal life1 and he gave me to eat the 
true bread  which comes from heaven4    
,oh6 that ,i might go all over the      
world1 through this book1 and say with  
the psalmist3 8,come1 all ye that fear  
,god1 and ,i will declare what he  hath 
done for my soul40    ,let all the      
children of ,god who will read this book
 lend me their  tongues to praise the   
,lord4 ,let them lend me their hearts1  
to love him4  ,for1 alone1 ,i cannot    
praise him1 ,i cannot love him as he    
deserves4 ,when  ,i look upon the       
seventy-eight years which have passed   

over me1 my heart  leaps for joy1 for ,i
 find myself at the end of trials4 ,i   
have nearly  crossed the desert4        
,only the narrow stream of ,jordan is   
between me and the new ,jerusalem4 ,i   
already hear the great voice out of     
heaven1 saying3 8,behold1 the           
tabernacle of ,god is with men1 and he  
will dwell with them1 and they  shall be
 his people1 and he shall wipe away all 
tears from their eyes2  and there shall 
be no more death1 neither sorrow1 nor   
crying1 neither  shall there be any more
 pain2 for the former things have passed
 away4 ,he  that overcometh shall       
inherit all things40 7,rev4 #ba3cd47    
,rich with the unspeakable gift which   
has been given me1 and pressing my  dear
 ,bible to my heart1 as the richest     
treasure1 ,i hasten my steps with  an   
unspeakable joy toward the ,land of     
,promise4 ,i already hear the  angel's  
voice telling me3 8,come2 the ,master   
calls thee60    ,a few days more and the
 bridegroom will say to my soul3        

8,surely ,i come  quickly40 ,and ,i will
 answer3 8,even so1 come ,lord ,jesus40 
,,amen4                   ,printed in   
the ,united ,states of ,america         
,,evangelistic ,,sermons    ,s4 ,d4     
,,gordon                     ,quiet     
,talks about ,simple ,essentials    and 
the ,present ,world ,outlook            
#a4be    8,a refreshing volume on the   
simple though really important things in
 the  ,christian life4 ,the latest book 
by one of the most popular of all       
devotional writers--refreshing as a cool
 draft on a sultry day1  enheartening as
 a familiar voice in the dark1 and      
helpful as a lift in  carrying a heavy  
load40--,alabama ,baptist4    ,r4 ,a4   
,,torrey1 ,d4,d4                        
,soul-,winning ,sermons    ,sermons     
,used in ,saving ,myriads of ,sinners   
all ,around the ,globe4                 
#d4jj    ,twenty-five of ,dr4 ,torrey's 
best evangelistic addresses--addresses  
delivered by him in many lands and      
climes4 ,these sermons have been the    

means1 under ,god1 of leading many      
thousands into ,christian fellowship    
and service4    ,,louis ,,albert        
,,banks1 ,d4,d4                         
,bible ,soul-,winners                   
#a4ej    ,dr4 ,banks always strikes the 
true evangelistic note4 ,his addresses  
are  not figments of ethical philosophy1
 but burning messages of salvation4  ,in
 his latest book he invites attention to
 some of the outstanding  instances     
recorded in ,holy ,writ of how the      
proclamation of the ,good ,news  was    
accompanied by the winning of souls for 
the ,kingdom4    ,r4 ,a4 ,,torrey1      
,d4,d4                             ,the 
,power of ,prayer    and ,the ,prayer of
 ,power4                                
#a4ge    ,with characteristic           
forcefulness and reliance on ,holy      
,scripture for  proof and support of his
 postulates1 ,dr4 ,torrey reviews the   
whole  question of ,prevailing ,prayer4 
,among the aspects of the theme treated 
are3 ,the ,power of ,prayer1 ,the       

,proper ,method of ,praying1 ,hindrances
 to  ,prayer1 etc4                      
,,for ,,reaching ,,men    ,c4 ,f4       
,,wimberly1 ,d4,d4                      
,the ,mastery of ,manhood               
,introduction by ,henry ,c4 ,morrison1  
,d4,d4                                  
#a4be    ,a vigorous1 bracing discussion
 of the factors which make for          
victorious  manhood4 ,not by men who are
 a law unto themselves are life's       
highest  achievements attained1 ,dr4    
,wimberly contends1 but by men whose    
thoughts  and deeds are influenced by   
the indwelling ,spirit of the ,most     
,high4 ,it  is the ,god-governed1 not   
the self-governed life which counts for 
most1  which is best worth while4       
,,christian ,,movements    ,,fred ,b4   
,,smith 7,editor7                       
,law versus ,lawlessness    ,addresses  
delivered at ,citizenship ,conference4  
#a4jj    ,by ,bishop ,w4 ,f4 ,mc,dowell1
 ,d4,d41 ,hon4 ,roy ,a4 ,haynes1 ,dr4   
,e4 ,h4  ,cherrington1 ,mrs4 ,raymond   

,robins1 ,justice ,florence ,e4 ,allen1 
,rabbi ,wise1  ,hon4 ,carter ,glass1    
,hons4 ,mabel ,w4 ,willebrandt1 ,william
 ,jennings ,bryan1  ,gifford ,pinchot1  
,henry ,j4 ,allen1 ,louis ,marshall1    
,william ,e4 ,borah1 ,dr4  ,joseph ,fort
 ,newton1 etc4    ,,charles ,s4         
,,macfarland1 ,d4,d4                    
,general ,secretary1                ,the
 ,federal ,council of the ,churches of  
,christ in ,america                     
,international ,christian ,movements    
#a4ge    ,for a number of years past1   
the ,evangelical ,churches and          
,christian  organizations of various    
kinds throughout the world have been    
coming  together in a quiet yet         
effective way4 ,the record of these     
activities  form a notable addition to  
the annals of modern ,christian         
progress1 and  furnish a striking       
indication of how the ,kingdom of ,god  
is winning its  widening way throughout 
the world4    ,,frederick ,,lynch1      
,d4,d4 7,editor7                        

,educational ,secretary1                
,world ,alliance for ,international     
,friendship                             
,mobilising for ,peace                  
#b4jj    ,addresses ,delivered at the   
,congress on ,america and the ,permanent
 ,court  of ,international ,justice4    
,by ,william ,p4 ,merrill1 ,d4,d41      
,chas4 ,e4 ,jefferson1 ,d4,d41 ,prof4   
,william  ,adams ,brown1 ,d4,d41 ,hon4  
,oscar ,straus1 ,pres4 ,a4 ,lawrence    
,lovell1 ,pres4  ,mary ,e4 ,woolley and 
many others4      ,,webster ,e4         
,,browning1 ,ph4,d41 ,litt4 ,d4         
8,the ,world's ,living ,religions0      
series2                     ,edited by  
,frank ,knight ,sanders and ,harlan     
,page ,beach                     ,roman 
,christianity in ,latin ,america        
#a4jj    ,dr4 ,browning1 ,educational   
,secretary of the ,committee on         
,cooperation in  ,latin ,america1 has   
spent twenty-seven years as a missionary
 in ,south  ,america1 and he has seen   
,roman ,catholicism in operation at     

close  quarters4 ,a fair-minded and     
authentic study which can scarcely fail 
of  aiding very materially in this      
much-to-be-desired direction4           
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,expository                            
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------    ,g4 
,,campbell ,,morgan1 ,d4,d4             
,the ,acts of the ,apostles             
#eej pages1 #hvo4 #c4ge    8,a handbook 
of the spiritual forces and methods of  
the first years of  ,christianity at    
work in human history4 ,it reflects     
everywhere the keen  and analytical     
powers and marked ability of the        
distinguished author4  ,dr4 ,morgan's   
large reputation as a teacher will      
guarantee the broadest  circulation of  
this work40--,western ,recorder4        
,,harris ,,elliott ,,kirk1 ,d4,d4       
,minister1 ,franklin ,street            
,presbyterian ,church1 ,baltimore       
,one ,generation to ,another    ,lessons

 from ,old ,testament ,lives4           
#a4ej    ,dr4 ,kirk is one of the       
foremost of ,american expository        
preachers4  ,possessed of a keen insight
 into the foibles of human nature1 he   
visualizes ,old ,testament scenes1 and  
revitalizes the characters in a  fresh1 
unusual fashion4      ,,bernard ,c4     
,,clausen1 ,d4,d4  ,pastor ,first       
,baptist ,church1 ,syracuse1 ,n4 ,y4    
,pen-,portraits of ,the ,twelve         
,illustrated4 #a4ej    ,in ,dr4         
,clausen's pages the ,apostles live     
again4 ,as one reads he realizes  afresh
 how very like himself these men were2  
how prone to err1 to act on             
impulse--true types of humanity 8now as 
then1 and for all time40                
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,bible ,,study ,,books                 
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,leonidas ,,robinson                   
,gates and ,keys to ,bible ,books       

,introduction by ,bishop ,john ,m4      
,moore4                                 
#c4jj    ,an unusually well-planned and 
well-arranged aid to ,bible study4 ,dr4 
,robinson deals with each book in the   
,old and ,new ,testaments in a  fourfold
 fashion--8,the ,key of the ,book10     
8,the ,christ of the ,book10 8,the      
,progress of the ,book10 and 8,the      
,lessons of the ,book40      ,,philip   
,,vollmer1 ,ph4,d41 ,d4,d4              
,author of the 8,modern ,student's ,life
 of ,christ0                      ,the  
,writings of the ,new ,testament    in  
,their ,historical ,setting4 ,an        
,outline ,guide for the ,study of the   
,new  ,testament4                       
#a4ej    ,arranged for the use of       
advanced ,bible work1 of adult ,sunday  
school  classes1 ,teacher ,training     
,institutes and similar groups and for  
,elementary classes4                    
,,questions ,,in ,,dispute              
,,william ,,jennings ,,bryan            
,seven ,questions in ,dispute    ,shall 

,christianity ,remain ,christian8       
#a4be    8,mr4 ,bryan deals with        
vigorous use of all the resources at his
 command  with the inspiration of the   
,bible1 the deity of ,christ1 the virgin
  birth1 the bodily resurrection of     
,jesus1 the miraculous origin of man1   
etc4 ,mr4 ,bryan insists that the real  
issue is #8,shall ,christianity ,remain 
,christian8' and that modernism attacks 
all that is vital in the  ,christian    
religion4 ,a veritable arsenal for the  
controversy40--,boston  ,herald4        
,,william ,,jennings ,,bryan            
,orthodox ,christianity versus          
,modernism                              
,paper4 ,net1 #ce;c    8,a defense by   
the strong1 well-informed1              
spiritually-minded and  courageous      
believer of the truth4 ,we commend ,mr4 
,bryan and his earnest  efforts for the 
honor of ,christ1 the glory of ,god1 and
 the salvation of  souls40--,herald and 
,presbyter4      ,a4 ,z4 ,,conrad1      
,d4,d4  ,pastor1 ,park ,street          

,congregational ,church1 ,boston1 ,mass4
                        ,jesus ,christ  
at the ,crossroads                      
#a4be    8,dr4 ,conrad stands           
unflinchingly for #8the reliability of  
the ,scriptures  and the belief that    
,christianity rests on unshaken and     
unshakable  validities4' ,the book is   
written with the vigor and with the     
epigramatic  effectiveness familiar to  
the congregation of the ,park ,street   
,church1  where he has occupied the     
pulpit for the past eighteen            
years40--,boston  ,herald4    ,w4 ,b4   
,,riley1 ,d4,d4  ,pastor1 ,first        
,baptist ,church1 ,minneapolis1 ,minn4  
,christ1 the ,incomparable              
#a4ej    ,a series of strong1           
uncompromising arguments for the        
unchallengable  ,divinity and ,deity of 
,jesus4 ,dr4 ,riley stands foursquare   
and unflinching  for the fullest        
possible recognition of ,christ's       
claims1 and his book is  voicing of his 
deeply-rooted beliefs4    ,,mark ,a4    

,,matthews1 ,d4,d4  ,pastor1 ,first     
,presbyterian ,church1 ,seattle1 ,wash4 
,gospel ,sword ,thrusts                 
#a4be    8,if the liberalist is not     
convinced by the logic of these         
addresses  intellectually conceived1    
they ought to be convinced by the       
spiritual  force and the absolute       
conviction of truth pulsing through     
these lines4  ,here is truth on fire1   
warming the true believer1 burning the  
unbeliever40--,bible ,champion4         
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,devotional                            
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,,john ,,wanamaker                      
,prayers of ,john ,wanamaker    ,with an
 ,introduction by ,a4 ,g4 ,mac,lennan1  
,d4,d41 ,pastor1 ,bethany ,central      
,church1 ,philadelphia4                 
#a4be    ,a large number of the prayers 
7of which the notes were preserved7 are 
here brought together1--prayers that    

reveal a singularly childlike faith  and
 simplicity of thought--which indicate  
how humbly and devoutly ,john           
,wanamaker walked and talked with ,god4 
,,john ,,timothy ,,stone1 ,d4,d4        
,pastor1 ,fourth ,presbyterian ,church1 
,chicago1 ,ill4                         
,author of 8,recruiting for ,christ10   
etc4                               ,to  
,start the ,day    ,a ,thought1 ,a      
,verse1 ,a ,song4                       
#a4ej    8,a sentence thought1 followed 
by a suitable verse of ,scripture1 and  
then  by a stanza from a hymn or verse  
of a poem1 arranged for every day of    
the year for devotional reading and     
meditation40--,the ,christian           
,guardian4      ,,annie ,,richardson    
,,kennedy                           ,a  
,year in ,john's ,gospel    ,devotional 
,studies for ,every ,day4               
#b4jj4    ,a selection from the ,fourth 
,gospel1 a brief meditation thereon1 and
 a  short prayer--a separate page for   
each day in the year4 ,the ,scriptural  

passages cover the entire ,gospel and   
are so arranged as to form a  topical   
study4      ,,gaius ,,glenn ,,atkins1   
,d4,d4                            ,a    
,rendezvous with ,life                  
,paper1 ,decorated4 ,net #be;c4         
8,beautiful meditation4 ,life is        
represented as a journey1 with various  
#8,inns' along the way1 such as ,day's  
,end1 ,week's ,end1 ,month's ,end1      
,year's  ,end1 etc41 all of which are   
suggestive of certain experiences and   
duties40--,religious ,telescope4        
,,harmon ,,allen ,,baldwin              
,the ,fisherman of ,galilee    ,a       
,devotional ,study of the ,apostle      
,peter4                                 
#a4be4    ,a book wrought in fine1      
spiritual temper1 free of all           
controversial  element1 and devoted to a
 thoughtful exposition of the ,petrine  
conception of the ,gospel of ,jesus     
,christ4                                
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        

,,new ,,editions                        
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,modern ,religious ,cults and ,movements
                                        
,by ,gaius ,glenn ,atkins1 ,d4,d4       
,dr4 ,s4 ,parkes ,cadman says3 8,it is a
 needed and a thoroughly good           
piece of work4 ,one of the best         
psychologists ,i know has just read     
it1 and he also reports to me its       
excellence40 #b4ej4    ,twelve ,great   
,questions ,about ,christ               
,by ,clarence ,e4 ,macartney1 ,d4,d4    
8,simple and direct4 ,you cannot mistake
 its meaning4 ,courtesy1       courage  
and a passion for truth characterize the
 book4 ,we       hope that it will have 
a circulation of just #a1jjj1jjj        
copies40--,watchman-,examiner4 #a4ej4   
,what ,is ,success8                     
,by ,roger ,w4 ,babson         8,mr4    
,babson answers his question out of wide
 observation4 ,his book       is packed 
with suggestions that ought to turn the 

feet of many in       the right         
direction40--,c4 ,e4 ,world4 #a4be4     
,the ,golden ,rule in ,business         
,by ,arthur ,nash         8,while true  
in every detail1 ,mr4 ,nash's story     
constitutes one of       the great      
romances of modern industrial           
life40--,christian ,work4       #a4be4  
,pilgrims of the ,lonely ,road          
,by ,gaius ,glenn ,atkins1 ,d4,d4       
8,just such a book as might be read with
 profit in our own restless       and   
pleasure-loving age40--,n4 ,w4          
,christian ,advocate4 #b4jj4    ,culture
 and ,restraint                         
,by ,hugh ,black1 ,d4,d4                
8,interesting from every point4444 ,dr4 
,black supports his philosophy          
from a mind well stored44440--,n4 ,y4   
,times ,review4 #b4jj4    ,nerves and   
,personal ,power                        
,by ,d4 ,macdougall ,king1 ,m4,b4       
,some ,principles of ,psychology as     
,applied to ,conduct and ,health4       
,with ,introduction by ,hon4 ,w4 ,l4    

,mackenzie ,king4 #b4jj4    ,the ',round
 the ,world ,traveller                  
,by ,d4 ,e4 ,lorenz1 ,ph4,d4            
,similar in scope to 8,the ,new         
,mediterranean ,traveller0 it gives in  
systematic and serviceable form 8just   
what the ,traveller needs to       know0
 on a tour of the world4 ,with #h maps1 
#fj illustrations1 etc41       #e4jj4   
,the ,new ,mediterranean ,traveller     
,with ,maps1 ,plans1 ,pictures1 ,etc4   
#c4ej4                                  
----------------------------------------
--------------------------------        
,transcriber's ,note    ,the many errors
 in the text have been corrected where  
it is reasonably  attributable to the   
printer or editor1 or where the same    
word appears as  expected elsewhere4    
,where the issue can be attributed to   
the idiosyncrasies of the author  or the
 era1 the text as printed has been      
retained4 ,punctuation is  frequently   
missing at the end of sentences and     
especially paragraphs1  and has been    

supplied here4 ,the use of quotation    
marks is also erratic  at times1 and    
where the voices can be followed1 they  
have been  disambiguated4    ,the ,table
 of ,contents had several errors in     
pagination1 which have been  corrected  
for accuracy1 with no further notice    
here4    ,the details of each correction
 are noted below4      p4 xii           
,appara_/ition of ,st4 ,anne            
,corrected4      p4 xiv     on r_/the   
,virgin ,mary                           
,corrected4                             
,magnificient ,prairies of the ,west    
,removed4      p4 xvi     is named      
,vicar ,general                 ,added4 
p4 #e       the mof_/st interesting     
,corrected4      p4 #aa      beautiful  
,french hymns                           
,corrected4 ,line                       
break error4      p4 #ad      my parents
 sent me to an excellent       ,added4  
school      p4 #ag      manners         
,added4                 nothiu_/ng      
,inverted4                 the monks of 

the monastery             ,added4       
independant                             
sic4                 ,the infai_/llible 
pope assures          ,corrected4       
p4 #ah      8,propter                   
,added4      p4 #ai      tradeg_/gedy   
,transposed4                 the gentle 
pressure of a hand4         ,added4     
p4 #bj      di_/espair and anguish      
,corrected4      p4 #bc                 
,forgivi_/eness                         
,corrected4                 cou_/ndition
                            ,corrected4 
blesss                                  
,removed4      p4 #bd      implaci_/able
                           ,corrected4  
p4 #be      several things4             
,added4      p4 #bf      in whice_/h    
they came to my memory      ,corrected4 
p4 #bi      those polluting questions   
,added4      p4 #cj      ,the misfortune
 of ,mr4 ,beaubien         ,added4      
p4 #ca      preceeded                   
,removed4      p4 #ch      two or three 
minn_/utes                 ,inverted4   

p4 #ej      ,i am a _/ppointed to write 
an address   ,added4      p4 #fh        
degradaing                              
,removed4      p4 #fi      to make asses
 of every one of us60   ,added4      p4 
#gf      is fed with the phli_/liosophy 
of       ,transposed4                   
heaven      p4 #gg      ,the 8,memoirs  
du ,conte ,valmont10        ,sic4       
,comte4      p4 #gh      the religion of
 heathen ,rome           ,added4      p4
 #ha      had taken her form any_/d     
features      ,corrected4      p4 #hb   
,i have spurned the idea                
,added4                 ,he was at the  
sr_/ame time              ,corrected4   
,yon_/u are right                       
,inverted4      p4 #he      ,but the    
greater nn_/umber of students           
,inverted4      p4 #hh      a disguised 
ih_/nfidel or a hypocrite   ,corrected4 
our cot_/lleges and nunneries           
,corrected4      p4 #ij      ,while     
looking as_/t that spectacle            
,corrected4      p4 #ic      to be so   

easii_/ly deceived                      
,corrected4      p4 #ajc                
,prostestant                            
,removed4      p4 #aje     such a       
hu_/igh fabric                          
,corrected4      p4 #ajh                
obediene_/ce                            
,corrected4      p4 #aji     religious  
,added4      p4 #aba     prostitute80   
,croix denies it1 but                   
,added_/,removed4               ,ligouri
 affirms it40                 8,utrum   
liceat                          ,added4 
p4 #abc     gravits_/er                 
,corrected4      p4 #abe     recipiumtur
                              ,sic      
recipiuntur8      p4 #acb     priviledge
                             ,removed4  
p4 #acd     believe                     
,added4      p4 #acg     he_/abeat      
,corrected4      p4 #aci     knees      
,added4      p4 #ada                    
,,impurit,,it,,ies                      
,removed4                 bv_/ut        
,corrected4      p4 #adb     understood 

by them80                   ,removed4   
p4 #adf     ,delsaulnier                
,removed4      p4 #aed                  
presentni_/ing                          
,transposed4      p4 #aeg               
,christai_/ianity                       
,transposed4      p4 #afj     safte_/ety
                                        
,transposed4      p4 #afg     ,it_/n    
plain ,french                           
,corrected4                 fu_/ailure  
,corrected4      p4 #agb                
idolart_/try                            
,transposed4      p4 #age               
marguillier                             
,added4                 con_/u          
,corrected4      p4 #agf     marguillier
                            ,added4     
p4 #agi     ,i had not not traveled     
,removed4      p4 #ahg     as_/nswered  
,corrected4      p4 #bjd     universal  
,added4      p4 #bjg     beefstake      
,sic4      p4 #bac     exception        
,added4      p4 #bad     8and ,i do not 
know                     ,added4      p4

 #bai     remonstrated                  
,added4      p4 #bbe     demom_/nstrated
                         ,corrected4    
p4 #bbi     confesssion                 
,removed4      p4 #bcj     to to me than
                          ,removed4     
p4 #bcb     thie_/eir                   
,transposed4      p4 #bcd               
,ca_/onstantinople                      
,corrected4      p4 #bee     or a       
chalice to celebrate                    
,added4      p4 #beg     traffic        
,added4      p4 #bfa     ,,bon          
,d,,ei_/,,ie,u                          
,transposed4      p4 #bfc               
brether_/ren                            
,transposed4      p4 #bgb     and you   
will see                       ,added4  
p4 #bhh     counc_/sellor               
,added4      p4 #bif     the venerable  
priest ss_/aid            ,corrected4   
p4 #cjj     scarcely                    
,added4      p4 #cjf     militia        
,added4      p4 #cjg     haunting       
,added4      p4 #cji     men that that  

,i may tell               ,removed4     
p4 #caj     to visit my penitents in    
goa_/aol       ,transposed4      p4 #cad
     said3 8_/#8,your perfectly good    
behavior  ,corrected4      p4 #cbc      
intea_/rest                             
,corrected4      p4 #cbg                
convalescence                           
,added4      p4 #ccj     in her power6'0
                        ,added4      p4 
#cch     glassee_/s                     
,added4      p4 #cdj     ,jno _/ ,john  
,corrected4      p4 #cdf                
prohibl_/ition                          
,corrected4      p4 #cdi     disappear  
,added4      p4 #ceb     respectful     
,added4      p4 #cff     most most      
monstrous imposture            ,sic4    
p4 #cgf     benefits                    
,added4      p4 #cgg     sn_/chool      
,corrected4      p4 #chf     ,kamouraska
                             ,added4    
p4 #chg     your country and your ,god  
,added4      p4 #chi     sate_/chel     
,corrected4      p4 #cia     young      

,added4      p4 #cib     ,ko_/amouraska 
,corrected4      p4 #cid     ,s_/,the   
next ,sabbath                           
,corrected4      p4 #cih     ,he knew   
too well                       ,added4  
p4 #dbj     irrer_/sistible             
,corrected4      p4 #dcd     had given  
me im_/n in my country                  
,corrected4      p4 #dci     vivent     
sains s'aimer                           
,corrected4                             
espoi_/ionage                           
,transposed      p4 #dde     a new      
,sodom8_/6                              
,corrected4      p4 #dej     ,chapter   
,,xliii4                         ,added4
      p4 #dea     severe_/al            
,added4      p4 #dei     caused me to to
 choose                 ,removed        
,goliath                                
,added4      p4 #dfj     like an adder0 
,added4      p4 #dfc     brandy to to   
the public squares        ,removed4     
p4 #dha     ,i had once pushed pushed   
him           ,removed4                 

of any such s_/cases                    
,corrected4      p4 #dhe     is it      
possible thr_/at my church              
,corrected4      p4 #dhf     my mental  
agonies when reading1 the    ,removed4  
,holy ,fathers      p4 #dhi             
,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke                  
,added4                 over the rest of
 the church8'0         ,added4      p4  
#dij     fond of wine6'0                
,added4                 that a new arrow
                       ,added4      p4  
#ejj     ,my first thon_/ught was       
,inverted4      p4 #eaa     that can    
befall a mau_/n4                        
,inverted4                 in the world 
the_/an the waters         ,corrected4  
,i will sooner tell thee1 #8go my       
,added4               child1'      p4   
#eac     any treasonable plan to ruin   
our       ,added4               country4
                 my good bishop's       
opinion               ,added4      p4   
#eaf     much better1 ,i think40        
,added4                 let every woman 

have have her husband  ,removed4      p4
 #eba     #8_/8,my dear ,chiniquy       
,corrected4      p4 #ebg     tyrant to  
withdraw                     ,added4    
p4 #ecb     ,i can hope to posssess the 
confidence  ,removed4      p4 #ece      
,i was not a little surprised           
,added4                 ,your unforeseen
 exit                   ,added4      p4 
#ech     among those unforeseen         
obstacles       ,added4      p4 #eci    
our beautiful prairies4                 
,added4      p4 #edj     every one of   
the first emigrants       ,added4       
to dirrect your attention               
,removed4      p4 #eda     ,it soon     
became necessary               ,added4  
p4 #edc     ,your malice against ,mr4   
,chiniquy       ,added4      p4 #eeb    
8,i will do better10                    
,added4      p4 #efc     ,bishop        
,o',ra_/egan                            
,added4                 hanging ,bishop 
,vandeveld               ,added4      p4
 #efd     more agreeable to your views  

,added4      p4 #efe     ,bishop        
,o',ra_/egan                            
,corrected4      p4 #efg     see such   
men in your company           ,added4   
p4 #egb     in her co_/nception         
,corrected4      p4 #egc                
#8immaculate in her conception4'0       
,added4      p4 #ege     ,bishop        
,o',ra_/egan                            
,corrected4      p4 #egh     ,is that   
correct80                      ,added4  
p4 #fjc     ,chib_/cago                 
,corrected4      p4 #fji     ,i         
waa_/nted to consult                    
,corrected4      p4 #fah     to the     
cathred_/edr of ,st4 ,mary              
,transposed4      p4 #fbd     ,it seemed
 f_/that ,god had forsaken              
,corrected4      p4 #fbe     and soon   
disappeared as a vision       ,added4   
p4 #fcj     ,,excomm,r_/,u,,nication    
,corrected4                 axiom had   
its accomplishment           ,added4    
p4 #fcd     ,i had left the the most    
honorable      ,removed4                

position      p4 #fdb     a den of      
thei_/ieves                             
,transposed4      p4 #fdg     of your   
iniqn_/uity and my innocence            
,inverted4      p4 #fej     your unjust 
sentenca_/e                 ,corrected4 
p4 #fea     that fratricidal combat     
,added4                 erection of     
wh_/itch ,i have             ,corrected4
                 the ,roman ,catholic   
hierarchy           ,added4      p4 #fei
     8#8,if it be so1' said ,terrien1   
8_/#8we    ,corrected4                  
cannot                 the priest       
,le,bei_/lle                            
,corrected4      p4 #ffc     in charging
 me so little t_/for such a  ,corrected4
               service      p4 #ffd     
have already fallen at their feet60     
,added4      p4 #fff     and said1      
#8,philomene what are you here ,added4  
for8'                 8#8,oh1 wretched  
girl6'                  ,added4      p4 
#ffi     those ,protess_/tant ,yankees  
,corrected4      p4 #fga     liberties  

in the ,united ,si_/tates               
,corrected4      p4 #fhd     the second 
wii_/ll nearly               ,corrected4
      p4 #fhf     ,protestants were     
massacreed            ,removed4      p4 
#fhg     against the flag of ,liberty   
,added4      p4 #fic     ,surely        
nothiu_/ng could be more                
,inverted4               pleasant       
p4 #fie     ,the unamin_/nimity with    
which           ,transposed4      p4    
#fif     defend ourselves4              
,added4      p4 #gja     usurper        
,added4      p4 #gjc     orther         
,removed4      p4 #gjd     8,till lately
                           ,added4      
p4 #gjg     ,promised ,land8            
,added4      p4 #gjh     what is        
,christianity if not            ,added4 
l_/if ,god1 in his infinite love        
,added4      p4 #gab     8#8,does it not
                          ,added4       
p4 #gag     8#8,oh6 ,no6 ,general1 no6  
no6'            ,added4      p4 #gbb    
#8,mrs4 ,sura_/ratt1 will you           

,added4      p4 #gbc     going to ,st4  
,aloysin's ,churo_/ch        ,corrected4
      p4 #gbd     after their           
dio_/abolical deed           ,corrected4
      p4 #gce     ,the #dth of ,april1  
#ahfe1 the priests of   ,sic #adth      
,rome knew      p4 #gcf     ,but we were
 absolutely unwl_/illing to  ,corrected4
               be      p4 #gda     ,i am
 nor more excommunicated                
,removed4      p4 #gdc     of puttt_/ing
 an end                    ,corrected4  
p4 #gdi     such a thing40              
,added4      p4 #gec     the same       
altars4'                      ,added4   
p4 #gef     ,o',regan it_/s here        
publicly accused     ,corrected4      p4
 #geh     the recantation of tha_/e     
unfortunate   that_/the8                
girl      p4 #gfa     ,ocotober #ac1    
#ahea4                     ,removed4    
p4 #gfc     teh_/he following lines from
 him        ,transposed4      p4 #gfe   
two or three witnesses40                
,added4                 any one40       

,added4      p4 #gfg     the very men   
who publiclly trample     ,removed4     
p4 #gfh     the bishops have placed     
e_/on my        ,corrected4             
forehead                 ,i need yon_/ur
 testimony                ,inverted4    
p4 #gga     #8,my ,god6' ,my ,god6'     
,removed4      p4 #ggg     a good and   
faithful priest4'           ,added4     
,prottestants                           
,removed4      p4 #ghj     'said to ,mr4
 ,dunn4_/3                   ,corrected4
      p4 #gha     to giy_/ve me a       
written assurance       ,corrected4     
p4 #ghb     in time for the ,chicago    
train40        ,added4      p4 #ghd     
,,gi,e_/,f,t                            
,corrected4      p4 #ghg     by that    
disguised ,protestant8'         ,added4 
p4 #ghh     but a poor miserable        
priest40          ,removed4      p4 #gib
     what would become of me8           
,added4      p4 #gie     the pardon--of 
of my sins               ,removed4      
p4 #gif     ,christ gave to his         

disct_/iples         ,corrected4      p4
 #hjb     #8_/8,for ye see your calling 
,corrected4      p4 #hjc     refused to 
leave leave ,rome            ,removed4  
p4 #hjg     do not believe in purgatory 
,added4                 their own bread 
and butter4'_/0         ,corrected4     
p4 #haj     8,let every one             
,added4      p4 #hbj     the            
,presbyterian ,church of the ,uunited   
,removed4               ,states4      p4
 #hbb     my colony of ,illinois        
,added4      p4 #hbc     the following  
sentence was o_/an exact  ,corrected4   
p4 #hbh     sticks o_/and daggers       
,corrected4      p4 #hca     turn thee  
yet again                    ,added4    
p4 #hcb     for my soul40               
,added4                 ,jordo_/an      
,corrected4