The New York herald., 1875-12-15
EARLY AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.
LECTURE By THE REV. FATHER DEALY, s. J.,
BEFORE THE LONG ISLAND HISTORICAL So

BEFORE THE LONG ISLAND HISTORICAL So
GETTY
An exceedingly interesting paper read last even
ing before the Long Island Historical Society," by the
rev T. " Dealy s. j., and II is exaggeration say
tha' the broad and comprehensive view taken by the
reverend gentleman most heartily appreciated by
the assembagc that crowded the Packer Institute.
from beginning to end Father Dealy had attention
oil his hearers and judging from the frequent OF
applause which greeted his liberal and weILdehned
remarks II was pretty clear that his effort created
deciueaiy favorable Impression. The Rev. DR. Storrs
introduced the lecturer in well directed remarks
aludng especially to the good feeling which prevailed
among foreign missionaries
Father Dealy then forward amid great apnlause
and said:-
In the foreground OF American history stond ,hrao
fgures-a lady, who is Isabella Of Spain: sailor who
is Columbus, and a monk who is John Perez Bnt for
the last Columbus could not have sailed from Spain,
and TO the last America is indebted for having first
planted in her soil the sacred sign Of redemption
In our own history the period is not so far remote
when II would have been unsafe for where
do this evening since price OF fl00 was nut upon
the head OF every jesuit who dared to this Stae
STILL do most certainly assure you have fear of los
ing mine night With the declaration fAmerican free
dom universal freedom OF worship and though
the missionary has but little hope from the approha
on Of men, stil with the progress which the world
has made, he has less to fear from their intolerance
and therefore It is that have hesitation to lay be-
fore you now the abors OF those men who $50 years
ago. consecraed with their blood the soil OF America
The establishment Of missions among the native tribes
led 10 the exploration Of the country, and In this way
the pioneers OF the Cross became the first discoverers
and historians of the whole interior of North America
The from whence the facts now related arc
taken are the old jesuit relations, which they annually
sent TO Europe
wAyASporrR NATION
lived "in thirty villages Lake Huron and num-
bered some 35 600 soulih The unambtous LeCaron,
as he is called by Bancroft went staff in hand on a
mission to these people early 1915 long before
the Pilgrims anchored within Cape Cod In 1926
Canada for the first time, received three members OF
the Society of Jesus-John de Brebeuf Charles de
Lalement and Edmund Cosse. Their reception by some
interested merchants in Quebec most nauspcious
Brebeuf set out on his arduous mission the
hurons, put was Tor short time prevented
from reaching the barbarous scene of his labor and
future death Dr. 0Callaghan that in years the
Jcsuits had completed the examination OF the country
from Lake Superior to the Gulf and had founded
several societies Of neophytes before the Dutch had
penetrated into the interior, or Elliott OF New England
had addressed single word the Indians within six
| miles of Boston Harbor On the 31st day of JULY
| 1884, the mission accepted by the Hurons and
Fathers Antony, Daniel and John dc Brebuf prepared
| to depart TO the Huron country. The way thither
was desoate and long and the road
dreary that led to their cruel martyrdom The dis
tance from Quebec 900 miles, but this was not re-
garded obstacle in the path of the of Loyoa
who retreated from danger death. Thirty
days after leaving Three Rivers their destination was
reached Here in the heart of the Huron Wilderness
chapel TO the glory OF God. The wonders Of clock
prism and magnyng glass, with other little philo-
and astonishment of the unsophistcated Indians The
study OF the Huron language occupied the intelligent
i elders
people sometimes assembled the houses OF the mis-
sonaries TO have explained to them
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
Still they would not accept Christianity saying that IL
Is ''good for the French but we another nation
with different customsn The arduous works OF the
good fathers were here detailed mt length-how they
worked and prayed for the Indians who at that time
were fearfully afflicted with the smallpox and how
Brebnuf counselled them to follow the Lord Jesus and
build church to God The superstitions of the Indian
tribes dwelt upon by the learned lecturer and an
anecdote related OF the chief who declined tho boon of
Wag caid
he 1T is not good to be idle anywhere" The mission
aries abored with unfagging zeal amid difficulties and
dangers that would have appalled, most men, but in
turn they had the satisfaction of laying the
| foundation of the new mission of the Immacu-
Amid such pomp and church ceremonias as under the
circumstances were at hand the missionaries baptized
their first converts after which the number OF
sons to Chrisps Church was large and daily in
crCasing The reverend lecturer had visited the
where this first mission in North America was founded,
and In 1854 was able TO trace the walls and lay bare
the bitches of this old French fortress He able by
the aid OF old map to locate this interesting spot
The mission was the scene OF open handed hos
pitalty, and one single year witnessed 5000
red men who shared the hospitalities OF the
priests at this station Fer fifteen years
the Huron mission continued to flourish and to bear
good fruits Through religious animosities and COM
mercia rvalries the Dutch Fort Orange now Albany
supplied tho savage Iroquois with firearms This tribe
was the irreconcilable enemy OF the Hurons. The
graphically described also the horrid massacre of
| Father Daniel, who suffered heroicaly the death of
martyr He was first pierced by arrows, then wounded
!
cast into the flames of the burning church The
women and children to the number of 700
1 souls we're made prisoners by the Iroquos and
| AWAY TO TORTURED.
This happened in l64S In tho following spring on the
10th of March, the IroQuois returned 70 the Huron
territory aud attacked and completely demolished the
4 village Of ST. Ignatus OF 400 persons only three
escaped to give the alarm to St Louis but three
leagues distant Here there less than 700 souls
and of these all who had strength to fly did So ex
ccptng about seventy warriors, who remained do
/ fend the place. BrebGufs entreated him to
l.ale
ment would not abandon his post. The two priests
were captured and bound to q stake. The Iroquois
scorched Brebeuf from head to foot and reviled him.
4 but the suffering martyr treated them IL he
were still their master, whereupon they
hot iron down his throat They led out
Lalement in order that BrcbGuf might him tortured
They tied strips OF tarred bark to him and fire
the bark in which he was enveoped, and as the flames
he throw up his arms and offered duplication
God saying in the words OF St. Paul. 1--WE made
spectacle to the world to angels and TO men," Both
OF the missionaries gave up their lives for their ocks
became good shepherds to do, While torturing
Brebnuf the Indians derison OF the form baptism
remembering that they had poured plenty of cold
the heads of converts, now poured plentiful
streams boiling hot water the heads the mar
tyrs. saying We baptzc you that you may be happy
in heaven, for nobody can be saved without good
day Of March, 1649 Brebeuf lived TO see over 1000
men, women and children
AMONG THE FOREST
converted to Christianity manly by his personal
efforts. His death the knel OF the Huron tribe.
Two weeks after 1t they abandoned their old domain;
scattered by adverse circumstances and the per-
scouting Iroquois until they lost their identity as a ma
ton. In 1850 the lroquois war, which was ncted by
the Dutch, drove the missionaries from the depths OF
the forest and proved disastrous to the allies of tho
French.
As early 1888 the missionaries established them
selves In the present territory composing the United
States particularly at Sault Ste Marie Mich among
the Abnaks of Maine and the Mohawks Of Albany; $50
that says Mr. Bancroft, sthe solemn services OF the
Roman Catholic Church were chanted as securely in
any part OF Chrstendom." Here the lecturer rected
list of numerous martyrs who in all parts of the
northern colonies Of Great Britain had death cour
ageousy In the discharge of their pious duties.
PROSECUTIONS OF ENGLISH
penal laws bore harshly for time the Catholic mis-
sionaries The dictionaries grammars and compilations
OF the Indian traditions the most valuable works Of
their kind extant. Tho missionary fathers
acute observers, and made several remarkable dis
coveries; they described the boreas and fur
nshed minute descriptions of solar and lunar ecpscs
as well the comets and earthquakes which occurred
In their time Not only do they describe the great lakes
but they the first call attention to the Falls Of
Narara l841 They discovered the oil springs Of Olean