Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-02-22
FENELON IN AMERICA.

York Historical Society last December. II -
from The pen OF Robert Grecnhow, Esq, an ac-
complisEed son Of Virginia, but now OF J" ASH
ing!on city, who has contributed much valuable
material for the early history Of America. !
has been kindly handed 10 US by friend, whose
good TASTE and information are equal 10 MS en-
thusiasm on such matters. With The simple re-
mark, that later developments tend 10 give new
Strength 10 MIR. Greenhow's views, We leave the
paper with our readers:
Fenelcn Among the Iroquois.
Read before the New York Historical Society, on the
evening OF Tuesday, December 9Th, ls4s
BY ROBERT oREENHow.
In The course oil my researches, with regard TO
the early discoveries OF The French, in Inc re-
gions OF the Great Lakes and The Mississippi,
met with some curious statements, involving
probability OF a nature so interesting, especially
10 The citizens OF this State that venture TO COM
muncate mem 10 the New York Historical So
ciely, which may perhaps consider them not IN
worthy o. its notice.
This probability is no ess-than that The IL
lustrious Archbishop Fenelon, one OF the best
and wisesl men whom France or any other coun-
try has produced, may have passed some oil Inc
years OF mis- youth as missionary, among The
lroquois or Five Nations, near Inc western end
Of Lake Onlaria. To those vino are acquainted
with The lie aud laboIs OF Fenelon, as exhibited
by his numerous biographers, such an announce
menl may appear too strange 10 merit mo-
menrs attention; and the evidence upon which II
rests is indeed rather slender. The evidence IS,
however, unconlradicled by any other as YET made
public; and il will now be laid before The Socie-
ty with all lis qualifications so as 10 anticipate
all objections, and to present the probability in
lis sinlries, expression, reduced 10 lis true value.
Ii will be convenient 10 begin by showing what
is certainly known, and what is not known, OF
The erea Feneon, during The period which he is
here supposed 10 have spent in America. Many
accounts Of his life have appeared, of which The
most full and authentic is iha, by Cardinal de
Beaussel, published al Paris, in 1903, under the
title oi "Hi>lofy Of Fenelon, Archbishop 81
Cambray, founded upon original manuscripts
This is the standard biography OF Fenelon, com
prisins all that could be discovered respecting
him, among his own manuscripts, as well as IN
the Archives Of the Government, in those oil the
Archbishopric OF Cambray and the Seminary OF
81. Sulpice, and In all other places from which
information could be derived. The work is mi
mule 10 fault. Nothing connected with ls sub
iect is deemed unworthy OF insertion, and the
Oates Of each event are given whenever lhey
could be procured, wi h an cxaciness which can
no! De toe highly commended.
In This work, particular as it is, no notice ap-
pears of any mission undertaken BY Fenelon, in
America or in any other country oar Of France;
nor does any oIher o. his biographies give the
sishles, hint OF his having been thus engaged a,
any period; nor does any hing appear in his
writings or his conduct in after life, 10 counie-
,,h SpppnSi,;pp Tho Cardinal
lheIess expressly states that he did contemplate
such mission, al period Immediately proceed
ing that al which lie is here supposed 10 have
been engaged in il.
According TO Cardinal de Beausset- Francois
de Salignac dc Ia Mothe FencIon, was born on
the 9Th Of August, 1861. Being destined from
early youth, and apparently by his own choice
for the ecclesiastical profession, nc was placed
al the College du Plessis, where al the are Of
fifteen, che preached Sermon says his biog-
rapher, (which bad extraordinary success" and
he was soon after transferred to the Theological
Seminary ofSt. Sulpice, 10 Paris, then under the
direction of NJ. Thomson, learned ecclesias
tic. Willis, al this institution, in 1867, he con.
ceived the desire to enter Immediately upon a
more active scene; and Tor the attainment OIL
this object, he paid visit to his uncle and guar
dian, The Bishop Of Sarlat, after several letters
had been written TO that parsonage, by himself
and by NJ Tronson. One Of these letters from
NJ. Tronson, dated February, 1867, is given al
length by Cardinal de Beausse'. The Director OF
The Seminary there assures the Bishop that he
has done all in his power to divert the youth
then only sixteen years old-from his design,
but "his inclination is still so strong, and his IN
tentions are so entirely dlsinterested, that have
been obliged 10 give up the attempt after cm
ploying without effect every means in my power;
considering that such being the character Of his
dispositions, was not authorized TO do vio-
lence TO his DESIRE" This letter, though long
and devoted 10 the same subject, gives no infor.
nation as TO the nature of the design, on which
the young man was SO strongly bent, as 10 rem
der his tutor evidently inclined to consider that
he should be allowed to prosecute it. "Nonc
of his biographers, writes Cardinal de Beaus-
set, shave thrown any light upon this circum-
stance in the life Of Feuelon. Some original
documents have, however. been communicated
to us, which seem to show that the zeal of Fsns-
lon 1ras then urging him, notwithstanding his
extreme youth, 10 conseerate himself TO Missions
in Canada, where the Congregation Of st. Sui
pice maintained considerable establishment in
The Isle Of Montreal, for the purpose Of contri-
buting 10 tie conversion Of the sayages, and of
procuring The succors Of religion for the inha,
bitants of the colony" The Cardinal then
proceeds to state "that the Bishop Of Sara,
alarmed with good reason BY determination
so absolutely incompatible with the very deli
cate health OF his nephew, refused his consent,
and ordered him to return to St Sulpice, aud
there TO remain until he should have rendered
himself, by retirement and study, more worthy
of exercising with advantage the ministry to
which he believed himself TO be especially call
ed"
Immediately following what is last extracted
from the History of Fenelon, his biographer
says: "The Able de Fenelon having received
the sacred orders at the Seminary of ST. Sui
picc, devoted himself TO the functions of the
Holy Ministry in the community of the priests
Of tho same parish After some general re
Elections on the importance of those functions
we n, 81 learn that-"He consecrated himself
for three entire years to the ecclesiastical minis.
try, md was then charged by the curate Of the
parish of ST. Sulpice, TO explain the Holy
Scriptures 10 the people on Sundays and Holy
days, : duty which began to make him known,
and from the performance of which he himself
derived the greatest advantages Fenelon was
summoned 10 Sarat in 674 by his uncle; we
have one of his letters, written from Sarlat TO
the Marquis de Fenelon, (another uncle,) with
out date, in which he, however, speaks of the
death of the Marquis de St. Abre, his maternal
uncle, killed at the battle of Sintzheim, on the
10th Of June, 1914, as very recent event."
&c
These are all the particulars which the most
minute of the biographies Of Fenelon presents
respecting his life, during the seven years inter-
vening between his first visit to his uncle,
the Bishop in February, 1867, when he was
so anxious TO go 10 Canada as missionary, and
1914, when be again went 10 sec that respected
parsonage. OF This whole long interval, CON-
prising au interesting portion Of his history no
details whatever are given. The context indeed
seems TO warrant The inference, that his ordina-
lion as a priest, and Inc three years subsequent
iy passed By him in those benevolent occupa-
lions in The Parish Of ST. ulpice, were embraced
within this interval; but such an inference can
moi be drawn with justice, and would be, in
fact, utterly contrary 10 the evidence. The dae
OF his urdination-an event OF great moment in
the life oil Churchman, and which would GER