Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-04
TR.e Day We Celebrated.


Louis Rennepin, franciscan (Recolleot)
missionary. was born az Ath, Belgium, about
1910, and died in Holland subsequent to
1890. After his entrance TO the franciscan
order he travelled through Germany and Italy
and was then for year settled at Hal in Bel
gium. Then his Euperiors sent hilsl to Artois,
whence he visited Calais and DQnkirk and at
these places acquired taste for the sea by
intercourse With sailors. It was an age of
adventurous explorers By sea, and sailors
were to be met at almost every port who
knew more of the world than wes taught in
the schools where Henuepin was edG-
Gated, and whose narratives of the strange
lands and peoples they had seen were
stranger than the most romantic OF the mar
ratives of the fathers ne had read. From
Artois he went to Holland, and for eight
months had charge of a hospital at Macs
tricht. st the battle of Senef, between the
Prince of Conde and William of Orange, in
1874, he was present as reglmental chap
lain. The next year ne was ordered to Can
ada, and embarked at LaRochelle with Bish-
CD Laval and the Sieur dc LaSaile, with
whom he became a favorite. For some
time be preached at Quebec, and then in
1916 he was sent to take charge of
tae Indian mission at Fort Fontenac, (com-
manded by La Salle,) where the city of
Kingston, Canada, now stands. While there
he visited the Indians of the Five Nations
and the Dutch settlement at Albany. In
1878, having meantime returned to Quebec,
ne was attached to the expedition of La
Sale, designed to find the mouth of The
Mississippi and establish colonies; end on
August z, 1679 embarked on Lake Erie with
La Sale, and his command, on board YES
sci bailt for their lake voyage. They sailed
over Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan, and
by canoes land portages) followed the st.
Joseph's, Kankakee and Illinois rivers, and
built Fort Crevecoeur near the present
present site of Peoria. From here, while
La Sale returned to Fort Frontenac for sup
plies, Father Hennepin was charged with
voyage OF discovery to the sources of the
Mississippi, which had not then been ex-
clored above the mouth of the Wisconsin.
Accompanied by Picard d1 Gay aud Michael
Also, he set out in a canoe February %, 1880,
followed the Illinois to its mouth, and
ascended the Mississippi, was taken captive
by the Sioux, and while q captive with them,
saw the Falls of st. Anthony, and gave them
CU61r Udul0 Al hOLOI VI LID pSh1IOA onAab.
Subsequently, after his return to Europe
LIZ SalIe's first expedition, and
ais own explorations, with description
of the upper Mississippi country, on account
OF disobedience, he was forced to leave the
service of France and is said to have enter
ed the service of William Ill. of England.
About 1897 he abandoned the clerical dress
but to the end of his life subscribed to his
name "Recouect Missionary and Apostolic
Notary.
Hepnepin was one of the many who are
types of that age of discovery, q bold, light
hearted explorer, but an enthusiast, quaint
writer, but so far as his description of the
apper Mississippi country and its
Indians can be identified with our later
knowledge, a remarkably correct narrator.
But book, purporting to be second edi-
ton of his narration, which was published
in Utrecht after, or about the time he is said
to have gone into the service of the English
king, contains manifestly false interpella-
tion-an account of a voyage down the Mis-
sissippi to the Gulf of Mexico, which Hen
nepin could not have made. Because of this
Gather Hennepin has been bitterly de-
uounced by various historians. Bancroft,
for an extreme instance, says that
Hennepin " IS now remembered, not mere
~ as Light hearted, ambitious, daring
iiscoverer, but also as boastful liar
The historical society of Minnesota, who
have had occasion to verify Hennepin's orr
ginal narration, and found it substantially
correct, being also in possession of informa-
ton that the researches of a competent
American historian and antiquarian John
Gilmeray Shea)have cleared away the Utrecht
Interpolation and other matters, so that the
Hrst white man in Minnesota may without
doubt be regarded as worthy example Of
the missionary priests of his time, has had
no hesitation in giving to Minnesota as 8
day of festival and congratulation, the two
hundredth anniversary of Father Hennepin'e
most striking achievement, from which dates
the beginning of the history of our beloved
State.
In celebrating the day, fixed for convea
ience in absence OF knowledge as to the pre-
else day on which the Recollect missionary
IN 1880 first saw and named the great fall
of the Mississippi,) our Historical societ.
celebrated the birthday Of Minnesota anl