The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-23
GENERAL BLAIR And FITHER DE
SIET

: a writer in the Chicago Times of
recent date gives very interesting accoun
OF the friendship existing between thes
two great men. For many years previou
TO his death Father De Smet was fire
quent visitor at the hospitable freside o
1eneral BLAIR, and the mutual esteem anC
admiration OF the soldier and the Jesui
was deep, if not demonstrative. Father
De Smet in describing the beginning OF
his acquaintance with General Blair, sail
:" 1868, l think it was, our father pro-
Vlnclal, at my request, had granted me
PERMISSION to visit again, after a long ab-
sence, my poor children of the forest, the
Flathead and Blackfeet Indians. / had
fully prepared for the journey when dis
covered that the United States Govern
ment had, for military reasons, drawn it's
line along the entire Indian frontier, and
IL was, therefore, impossible to get through
"ltnout q pass. l was Informed that
cou'd not get pass without going to
washington. l accordingly journeyed to
tne capital but on my arrival found that
al OF my friends who had been mel bers of
congress at my last visit were either dead
or IN the rebellion. had no alternative,
therefore, but to call on Gen. Blair who
was then representing st. Louis In the
Lower House. Having never met him,
went to his residence, and introduced my
sell and the subject of my mission, and
asked his good Offices. He requested me
to call on him the following morning at 10
O'Clock, aud in the meanwhile he would see
what could be done. L did so, entered his
carriage, and was driven to the White
House. On the route he was kind enough
to say that he had heard of my labors
among the Indians, and finally asked me
II had any money with which to reach
my destination. l told him that could
get sufficient to bring me to the borders of
civilization, and after that laughngly re-
marked that I would walk the rest of the |
way. After leaving the carriage, and
When just about to enter the Presidential |
mansion, he stopped me and said: Father |
De Smet, l am about to introduce you to |
President Lincoln, and to ask him a favor !
Tor you. Please promise me that you will |
express no surprise at what either he or | |
may say, but that you will content your
self with thanking him if he grants my re-
quest. readily acceded. We found the
President in his room leaning upon his
hand with weary expression of counten-
ance as though he were entertaining sad
thoughts. His face however lighted np at
our coming, and after being formally IL
5Toduced We took chairs and he opened
me conversation with this remark to Gen.
Blair:
Frank, is Father De Smet trying to
make Catholic out of you, or are you
Try ing to make a Protestant out Of him.
which =
Neither, Mr.. President, bat have come
iel 70 ASK favor Tor him from you
What is itP'
Mr.: Stanton tells me- said the General,
that the 4th Cavalry, l think it is the Ash
javalry,ls stationed out on the North
western frontier, and that they have TO
!haplain. | want you to make Father De
'met the Chaplain of the regiment and
i've him twelve months furlough, at which
lme he expects to return from his mission
when he can resign, unless he wants to go
nto the war.
The President Immediately took mp his
zen, wrote few lines, and handed the
o Stanton a
Before had time to say a word, Lin I
DIN took me by the hand, and in bidding
10 adieu, remarked: You will do more ,
God out there than all my soldiers and t
There was pay attached =
the position flor l belieye l ranked as
sJo1), but l never drew it,"
Both Jesuit and General are now at l
ct under six feet of Missouri's hospitable
lrf, but their names and the memory of
eir deeds will descend as a precious leg
y to the .remotest generations-W Western F
'atchmRn. r