The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-24
quent letters were of very different kind,
however, as the following extracts from one Of

quent letters we're Of very different kind,
however, as the following extracts from one OF
them will show:
Industrious Sir-The evils by which we are
surrounded compel US to expose the wicked
actions which these monsters, rather than
against God and His holy things. It is not my
intention, most excellent sir, to trouble you
with trifes; and therefore, with regard to
what concerns ourselves, | shall merely say
that the very Spanish name Is an object OF
abomination to these friars, because they can
not even bear the sight Of the things which
are OF God and which appertatn to our divine
religion because these fIiars or monsters
think that we have come TO repress the abuses
ways. Therefore they hate us. When
they have bags full of dollars we are obliged
to have recourse to our friends to relieve our
necessities. What is most deplorable
friars, for such is the reputation she bears:
She has three sons, although who her husband
is God only knows. They eat at our table,
and off the plate Of Father Dagobert, who.
without shame, or fear Of the world at least,
II not of God, permits them to call him papa.
She Is one of the mattresses who are kept In
the house. She Is the absolute mistress OF
the establishment, and the friars have for
her so much attachment that they strive
| who shall send to the cherished para
mour the best dish on the table before any
one OF us is allowed to taste it.
There are, however, greatr evils which
affict our hearts, and which are the sins they
| clearly commit against God and His holy
| sacramento. Baptism is administered with
| out any OF the ceremonies prescribed by the
| Rolnish ritual and the consecrated oil itself
| is impure and stale. AS to
the. Eucharist, that mystery which,
that the sacramental elements were
SO full of insects which fed upon
| them, and presented SO disgusting an appear
| ance that we were obliged to fling them into
SO great is the detestable negligence Of these
friars that think they must be- the disciples
either Of Luther or Calvin. You must
also be made to know, most excellent sir, that
| the Viaticum is not administered to the
blacks, to the mulattoes, nor to the culprits
who are sentenced to death; and having asked
| Father Dagobert for the cause of it, he an
| swered that it was to establish O. distinction
between the whites and the blacks. Did you
ever hear o m ore cruel answer? These
priests also demean themselves in the choir
| where they are seen stuf1ing their noses with
tobacco crossing one leg over the other star
ing in all directions and moving the very
angels to wrath, The peryerslty OF
with being wicked themselves, but they also
| wish. us to follow their example, and to alb
stain from fasting and observing the holy days.
AS an excuse for their doings they say they
|
grace that they spare no pains to make me
| like one Of them, and to induce me TO wear q
| shirt and stockings and to become as lax in
my morals and habits as they are
| However great may have been the discern
! ing powers of the iIustrious dignitary to
| whom these poignant epistles were addressed !;
however plainly he may have been able to per
ceive, as we can easily do at this day, certain
| spirit of jealousy and malevolence in the let
ters of Father Civilo, yet he could hardly re-
ceive such information without experiencing
a feeling Of righteous anger against Abbot
| Dagobert and the French Capuchns. At the
| same time he felt puzzled as to what coul Sc
he should pursue. Civic, while stirring. up
all the discord, had not lost sight of the fact
| that it would prove q very dangerous UNDER
taking to remove Father Dagobert from his
| office at once and he had taken the precau-
| ton to inform the bishop OF this. Abbot
| Dagobert was so much loved by the coionists
thatit was actually feared his removal would
follow him whithersoever he mig ht be sent,
| or that, In the event of his remaining in the
city, his suspension would excite q riot among
the people. At this juncture Gov. Unzaga
chins, and wrote a respectful letter Of remon-
STRANGE to the bishop in which the Spanish
friars were severely handled. The bishop
took offense at the boldness of the Governors
ish court at Madrid. SO, likewise did the
Governor, who was determined that tbs
French Capuchins should not be per
secuted. The government, without
uttering any decisive opinion upon a. the la
issues of the quarrel, gravely advised
both prelate and Governor to compromise
their disagreement In such a fashion as would
best preserve harmony between the civil and
ecclesiastical authorities in Louisiana. This
austere advice had most beneficial and cool
ing effect, as of an application Of ice water tc
local inflammation. The quarrel ended, ant
Father Dagobert was not subjected to fur
ther molestation. Still his memory is kept
holy in Louisiana.
But there was also Spanish monk who il
after years made himself not less beloved b.
| the cOlonists than was Father Dagobert Tha
monk was Father Antonio de Sedella, whom
the French Creoles yet speak OF reverentiall.
as the
PERE ANTOINE,
the same Pere Antoine who figures 50 70
mantically in a certain legend concern
Ing the date-palm on Orleans street
Yet Father Antonio came TO New Orleans
under peculiarly, nauspicous and unpleasan
| circumstances. In fact he was sent to Louis
lana from Madrid as commissary of tn
Holy Inquisition; and with the advent Q
Father Antonio began and ended the only at
tempt ever made to introduce the Inquisitiol
into the colony 1t was in 1889, | think, tina
that attempt was made, and IT., the Just, h a..
was then Governor of Louisiana
The commissary of the Holy Inquisitio
fastened to pay respects to his excelency; t.
exhibit his papers, and to demand that tn
, troops be placed at his disposal wheneve
they should be needed in the matter Of arrest
ing or furnishing heretics. Don EstevaI
Miro received the Inquisitor graciously, and
with peculiar and sinister smile which de
lighted Father Antonio, informed him tina
troops should be promptly sent to his resi-
. denca Then the holy man retired and zeal
ously commenced his secret preparations TO
; the detection and extinction of heresy, in thu
city of New Orleans. One night shortly afte
he had gone to bed he heard the heavy trarnI
:, of armed men booming along the convent cor
ridor; then came the bang of the musket-but
! against the cell door, and opening it tbs
diers, headed by an officer in gorgeous uni
form Surprised, yet well pleased, the prizes
informed the officer that he did not Just thel
want them for active duty but that ne woul'
the time being they might retire with tn
blessing of God "fhat is all very fine" re