The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-05-07

Bishep Brondel of Montana Gives some
i1tefesttng Racts About Riel.

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Bishop Bronuel of Helena; Aent, preached
Sunday the 18th in St Matthew's church WASH
ington, D. C. His errand East is to secure
assistant priests to go and preach among the
49, 600 Indians under his charge. He knew
Louis Riel, the leader Of the half. breed re-
volt.
:. an 1888" says Father Brondel, when I
went t5 Mdnfaisa, totiis ,Riel was in the en-
ploy of our church tsSchitig The hlaians l
ronY,, :.,, at the St Peter mission teaching III
the little school house there. He had hAif-
breed wife. quiet woman who shared his ad-
ventures, and who il now with him in the hos
tile cafaf. He has two or three small child
rem, but the little fafiils lived quite happily
at the mission Riel was good sefcher. edit
Gated at Montreal under Archbishop iache,
and speaks French correctly and fiuently.
He is q handsome man, tall, well built,
with full, fiorid face, keen pair OF Dyes, and
when saw him last some time In August OF
last stmmer he wore 9 long silky black beard
The tibttbles in Manitoba are to-day what they
were in 1870, at.d Louis Riel is not the author
of the revolt He was drawn into it by the re-
Peated calls Of his people TIE h as p, sas
and that he Was 3terbdrne by the demands
and entreafies of these people: They look
to him as their lesder-the map WHO mas the
education ana chnrags and skill to act as.
their commander in the little war they have
II.
I think he travelled up 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 q request
to Archbishop Tache, who was in attendance
on the vatican council, to come home and go
out to these half breeds in the hope of persuad
ing them to 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 lands 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 country that he had put down the
rebellion. Then the Canadian government re,
fused to keep the promises it had authorized
Archbishop Tache TO make. He was unable
to make the half breeds and 1ndians UNDER
stand, and 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 half-breeds out Of
the determination to fight, NO, no, it is too
late They would not believe me, 81 think"
added Bishop Brondel; s'that the American
Indians will not go to Rel A year ago they
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 1854 Since then good
deal has been done for these Indians.
Their children are being taken into the
white mans schools, fed and clothed and taught
This the adults of the tribe like. They are
bound by this benevolence to keep the peace,
and they seem disposed to follow the abundant
advice given them to till the ground and be-
come independent of the white mems cruel and
thleving agents. The same thing is true OF
most of the Indians in Montana; none of them,
I think, will go into the revolt There is only
one end of the matter for RieL 1t may be de-
layed, but it will surely come. He will be beat
en- and punished"