New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-08-05
RIEL IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.

RIEL IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.
The Leader of the Rebellion Addresses
the Jury, Calling the Government In
sane and irresponsible.
At the trial OF Louis Riel at Regina, N. w.
T., on the 31st, the Judge gave Riel an op-
portunity Of addressing the jury, and he
spoke nearly two hours. The court was
crowded to the utmost. Breathless still
ness prevailed. Riel prefaced his speech with
the following prayer delivered with eyes
turned heavenward:
ooh, my God, help me through the grace
ana divine influence Of Jesus Christ. Oh
my God, bless me; bless this honorable
court; bless this honorable jury; bless my
good lawyers, who have come 700 leagues
to try to save my life; bless the lawyers Of
4 the crown, because they have done, 1 am
sure, what they thought their duty, and
hey have shown fairness which did not
III xpect. Oh my God, bless all these
Tho are around me through the
s grace OF Jesus Christ, our Savior
Il Turn their curiosity into calm inter
~ est. Amen" Riel said he had two moth
Hi ars-his earthly one, who had nursed him.
E and the Northwest. The first would not
Kill him, neither would the second. Poster
/ ity would justify him yet for what he had
done. His mission was to bring about
= practical results, and if he failed tempo
arily, his spirit would yet accomplish the
IL, Mission. He had
~ WRITINGS WHICH WOULD LIVE AFTER HIM.
Ct Archbishop Bourget and other dignitar-
N u told him he had q mission and for the
past ten years had been working at it and
n was performing it in the Grim
u inal dock. God preserved him from
z all danger. While bullets were flying about
lahis head thick as mosquitoes, at Batoche, he
q knew he was safe because God protected
4 him. God acknowledged him when Middle
! ton gave evidence that he was not insane
I He called on God to bless the crown lawyer
for breaking down the evidence OF DR.. ROY,
= hemedical expert. yenifhanged, he would
ave the satisfaction OF knowing that the
y world believed him not insane. He said
d the agitation would have been constitu-
d ional had not government forces at
,acked the Metis. BY the grace Of God the
n prisoner said he was the founder OF Mani
y toba. He denounced Archbishop Tache for
( some wrong doing, and said he was benefac-
tore humanity He proclaimed himself a
prophet OF the new world told how Gods
spirit had spoken to him in his cell last night
and assured him ofcomfort. Comfort had
come in being allowed to speak. Therefore
he had confidence that God would speak
through him. He could prophesy by feel
ing OF the flesh on his hands and legs. He
would yet bring Sir John Macdonald to his
feet. He had stopped Populations three
times from going to the States to induce
Americans to come over to take possession
OF the country.
FINAL APPEALTO THE JURY.
In conclusion Riel read from a paper writ
ten in pencil, as follows:
Your Honors and the Jury: Myreputa-
ton, my liberty, my life, are at your dis
posal. So confident am OF your sense Of
duty I have not the slightest doubt as to
your verdict. The calmness Of my mind
concerning the favorable decision l ex-
pect from you does not come from any pre-
sumption on my part. | simply hope for a
conscientious verdict, and that after having
heard whatI have to say, you will acquit me-
do respect YOU although you are only half
n jury, but your number Of six does not
prevent you from being just and conscen-
fiOus, and does not prevent you from hav-
Ing my confidence. | am taking the circuna-
stances OF nay trial as they are, and wish
to call your attention to, before you retire,
that the house OF commons and senate and
the ministry Of the dominion, which make
laws for this land, are not representative
whatever OF the people OF the Northwest.
Second, that the Northwest council, gener-
ated by the federal government, has great
defect. The present number of persons Sc
lected for that council make 1T only a show,
and they are not q representative govern
ment which rules Canada and the North
west But from signs shown in court YOU
are compelled to admit that if they are not
responsible they are not insane. Good
sense alone leads to sane conclusions. By
testimony laid before you during the trial,
witnesses on both sides have made it GER
tain to you that.
PETITION AFTER PETITION
has been sent to the federal government, but
so irresponsible is that government to the
Northwest that in the course OF several
years, besides doing nothing to satisfy the
people OF the Northwest, it has not an
swered once or given q sign oY response
The fact would indicate absolute lack OF re-
sponsibillty and Insanity compiled ted with
paralysis. [Laughter.] That monster of ir-
responsible, insane go ve1ulment, ancits little
ome the Northwest council have made up
there mind to answer my petitions by sur
rounding me slyly, and by attempting to
jump at me and my peoplei in Saskatchewan.
Happily when they showedtheir teeth to de-
YOUR was ready. Ihaye fired and wounded
them. Bear it in mind that is what is
called my crime OF high treason. They led
merto it, but my act was III the name OF
Jesus Christ the only one who canhelpme
ii they are trying to tear me to pieces,
If you believe the plea OF insanity of
1 thesdefense that am not responsible for
lmy acts, acquit .mes since have been quar-
yreing with the insane acts Njf the govern
4 ment. Ii you believe in the crown, which
Acontends that am responsible, acquit me-
You are perfectly justiiable to declare that
having my reason and sound mind I have
acted responsiby and in sound mind, while
the government my aggressor, has acted
madly. and if there be high treason it must
been their side, not on mine
-
The Grandeur of the Funeral Pageant.
Anew York dispatch says: Preparations
for the great military pageant, which is to
be the principal feature OF the Grant funer-
al ON the sth, continue with great zeal.
With the exception OF the vast number of
ai.al, 81.