Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-05-07
LOUIS RrEL..
Bishop Brondei of Montana Gives Some
Interesting Facts About Rel. "

Bishop Brondei of Be'ena, Mont, preached
SUNDAY tho 26thin,st Matthew charch WASH
ington, D. @. his e...snd East is to secufe
assistant priests 20 60 and preach ansS,,g tho
1900 Indiana under his charge, He knew
Louis Riel, the leader Of the half breed re-
volt
sIu 1SSs.s sass Father Brondel, swhsn
went 10 Montana, Louis Riel was in the EN-.
pIoy OF our church teaching the Indians
found him at the St Peter mission teaching M
tho little school house there He had half
breed wife, q quiet woman who shared hrs au-
ventures, and who IL now with HIM IN me Dos
tile camp He has two or three small child
rem, but the little family lived quito happily
at the mission Riel was good teacher. edu-
Gated at Montreal under Archbishop Tache,
and speaks French correctly and fluently.
Ho is A handsome man, tall, well built,
with full. 1orid face, keen pair OF eyes. and
when saw him last, some time in August Of
last summer, howore q long silky black beard
The troubles in Manitoba are to-day what they
were in 1870, and Louis Riel is not the author
OF the revolt He was drawn into II by the re-
peated calls OF his people, the half-breeds
/ know that he was 10th 10 90 TO war,
and that he was oyerborne by the demands
and entreaties OF these people They look
TO him as their leader-the man who has the
education and courage aud skill 10 act as
their commander in the little war they have
brought on. Riel has no property OF any kind.
/ think he Travelled mp from Montana into the
British possessions ON other peoples horses,
those of half breeds who were with him in the
struggle In 1860 the Canadian, government
through the home government sent request
10 archbishop Tachc, who was in attendance
on the vatican council, 70 come home and so
out 70 these half breeds in tine hope of persuad-
ing them 10 lay down their arms and accept
the conditions OF peace the government author
lied the archbishop to make. These were that
the half-breeds should be spared their lives,
and homes and that their farms should not be
disturbed BY the government surveyors with
out Just compensation IN other laufls After
peace was restored this way, the archbishop
having great influence over Rel, Gen. Wolse-
ley came on the field. and it was noised
through the co lntry that he had put down the
rebellion Then the osnadiau government re-
fused to keep the promises IL had authorized
Archbishop Tache to make He was unable
to mako the half breeds and Indians UNDER
stand, aud to this day his influence among
them has been weakened by the bad faith OF
the Canadian government in 1870 He said
regretfully, this time when he was call
ed on to try and talk the Lalf-breeds out Of
the determination TO fight No, no, 1t is too
late. They would not believe me, II think,
added Bishop Brondel, ''that the American
Indians will not go 10 Riel. A year ago they
might have done 80. They were starving then.
Among the Blackfeet there was hardly dog
to be seen, for they had eaten them. Two
hundred and forty souls persisted Of hunger
In the winter of 1SS3-Si Since then good
deal has been done for these Indians.
Their children are being taken into the
white man's schools, fed and clothed and taught
This the adults Of the tribe like They are
bound BY this benevolenco TO keep the peace,
and they seem disposed TO follow the abundant
advice given them 10 till the ground and be-
come independent OF the white mems cruel and
thieving agents. The same thing is true OF
mort Of the Indians in Montana; rcne OF them,
think, will 60 into the revolt There In only
one end Of the matter for Riel. II may be de
en- and punished