The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-05-08
Louis REL.
Bishop Bronde Of Montana Gives Some
Interesting Facts About Riel.

Bishop Brondel Of Montana Gives Some
Interesting Facts About Riel.
Bishop Brondel of Helena, Mont, preached
Sunday the 26thin St Matthew's church Wash
ington, D.. c. His errand East is to secure
assistant priests to so and preach among the
1900 Indians under his charge. He knew
Louis Riel, the leader of the half. breed re-
volt.
sIn 1885," says Father Brondel. when
went to Montana, Louis Riel was in the en-
ploy of our church teaching the Indians. l
found him at the st. Peter mission teaching IN
the little school house there. He had a half
breed wife, a quiet woman who shared his ad-
ventures, and who is now with him in the hos
tile camp. He has two or three small child
rem, but the little family lived quite happily
at the mission. Riel was a good teacher. edu-
Gated at Montreal under Archbishop Tache,
He is a handsome man, tall, well built,
with a full, ford face, a keen pair of eyes, and
when lsaw him last, some time i'll August of
last summer, he wore a long silky black beard.
The troubles in Manitoba are to day what they
were in 1870, and Louis RieI is not the author
of the revolt. BE was drawn into it by the re-
peated calls of his people, the half breeds.
| know that he was 10th TO go to war,
and that he was overborne by the demands
and entreaties of these people. They look
to him as their leader-the man who has the
education and courage and skill to act as
their commander in the little war they have
brought on. Riel has no property of any kind.
l 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 n request
10 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
lZed the archbishop to make. These were that
1ha IA 1,TanIG. hr11ll hn ,.n,,al lt.-s. H..
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 Iache to make. He was unable
to make the half breeds and Indians 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
re,gretiully, this time when he was call
ed on to try and talk the ha!f-breeds out Of
late. They would not believe me, 81 Think
added Bishop Brondel, "that the American
Indians Will not go to Riel. A year ago they
might have done So They werestarvillg then.
Among the Blackfeet there was hardly q dog
to be seen, for they had eaten them. Two
hundred and forty souls persisted of hunger
in the winter of lSS5-ei. Since then a good
de&i 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 henevolenco to keep the peace.
and they seem disposed to follow the abundant
ADVICE gwen them to TIL the ground and be
come independent of the white mems cruel and
tllleying agents, The same thing is true OF
most Of the Indians IN Montana: none of them.
L Think, viii 90 into the revolt. There is only
one end OF the matter for Hiel. II may be de
layed, but it will surely come. He will be In.t-
en- and punished