North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-11-27


not the strength 10 look forward to des
tiny 50 horrible. The very thought OF a
ilIa my soul with despair; what WI b'
the reality! Oh, I shall never be able e
bear such a calamity, The blow which
will cat the thread Of hiss life, VIII be bul
one Tor us both. Happy would be Il
another existence I'D not depend upon
m,neil But my unhappy child wall never
see The light He viii perish with bis
mother under the sCsiold where his father.
who deserved better fate, had persisted.
20 God, is il thus that thou punlshests
No. mol pardon this hlssphemyf .hen
only hare recourse 10 such deep vengeance.
Men only cause the innocent tn perish with
The gully guilty :.
What do | say? and
my husband, what has be been guilty of?
The most that can be made o! IL, IS, that
il is a single moment Of excitement, or
rather q moment of weakness that lost
him. His sworn enemy who had resolved
upon his death that
same man, could not convict him Of a sin
gle act of violence Must his blood be
split; him who, far from spiling The blood
oi his fellow creatures, never injured any
one during the whole course of his life
For il is an atrocious calumny to say that
he brought other people 10 their ruin. OF
very timid disposition, and very little
given to society-enjoyin the pleasures
of lie but in the midst of his family, who
adored him--he had taken no part in the
agitation which preceded the last scenes of
woe. II was, then, 10 his peaceable home
that a sudden and unforeseen movement
surprised him. Weak, he allowed himself
to be led astray by torrent against which
the strongest man would have resisted in
vain. He made no victims-on the con-
trary, he is a victim himself This is all
his crime and this crime (if il is one) has
he not already expiaied' Has he not al
ready suffered too muchi And during the
time that he was lying in his lonely dun
geon, neglected by all, did we not, your
humble petitioner and her children, suffer
enough on his account Once happy with
him, although in the humble walks of lie,
have we not been banished from our homes
by the lighted torch Of the incendary'
Have we not been stript of every article
we had, even Of our clothes from our
backs' Have we not been reduced TO live
on the bread given unto Us by the muni6-
cence of the Almighty, through the hands
of those charitable people, who for the
sake of Heaven, take pleasure in dispensing
to the needy those treasures which are put
into their hands? And you, my Lady,
what treasure has not Heaven put into
your hands3 Has it not given you an
immense influence over the mind and on
the heart of the one who, afthis moment,
directs our destinies? Do as the charita
bic people to whom have Just now allu-
led, turn those treasures TO your eternal
advantage, and to that Of your husband
whom you cherish, and Of those children
who are your glory and happiness. Oh
certainly is not baniShed from
his land of vengeance-i! must have taken |
efuge undoubtedly in the hearts Of women. |
n the hearts Of mothers, as yours is. HUI
nanity shall speak through your lips-it
hall be persuasive, eloquent, and irressti-
,le--it shall stop the sword of death, now
eady to immediate so many victims-it |
hall bring Joy into the heart Of so manv
beings, who dread the rising |
# to-morrow's sun--it shall be heard even
n Heaven, and shall be registered in your
,ame in the BOOK OF LIFE!
have the honor to be,
My Lady,
Your most humble and afflicted servant,
EUGENE ST. GERMAN,
Vile of Joseph Narcisse Cardinal.
Montreal Dec. 2Olh, 1888.