Echo de l'ouest. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929, 1891-08-27
REPONSE DE MGR STANLEY

Nous avons requ, trop tard pour etre
publi6e dams notre dernier num6rO, la
lettre suivante de Mgr Stanley, eveque
de Jamestown:
To the Editor ECHO DE L'OUEsT.
Sir:
I overlook the ungentlemanly tone of your last
article about the Bishop of jamestown, but / can
not pass over in silence, the injustice you do to
me in putting into my mouth words never thought
of uttering and attributing to me thoughts which
never entered my mind. In correcting the erro'
neous statistics OF "l'Esperance' l did not think
it possible that any one could be offended. II
there are not $1,000 French-C Canadians in North
Dakota it is surely not my fault. The French
of Jamestown as any other Catholics and will re-
ceive as much care as my limited resources permit.
If they have not come here as yet in large numbers
to occupy our fertile lands the blame his with
themselves.
I have never forbidden the use of the French
language or of any other language in any of the
parishes of my diocese. The French speaking DO
ppulation Of this diocese have priests Of their own
tongue to care for their spiritual needs, and, Sir,
it is the sublimation of untruthfulness on your
Part to insinuate the contrary: The children I'll .S Of
Languages and in all the dialects and jargons of
the terraqueous globe; they must learn it, too, in
the language of the Countryside English. This is
in substance what 1 announced to the Catholics of
Pembina, an announcement l was compelled to
make because of certain wrong Impressions apt
TO result from words the people had heard from
the altar that same morning. The pastor of Penn
bina, q native of Quebec, is very careful to instruct
the little ones of his flock. This statement is not
intented to reflect on him. His administration of
parish affairs has been eminently satisfactory and
he was delighted width my visit to his parish.
A regards the letter of the mistaken statistician
who wrote from jamestown under date of July
22nd, I answer: The census of this diocese was
made not by one priest, but by all the priests
each pastor giving the report Of his own parish.
The French speaking congregations of the diocese
have French speaking pastors, who reported the
French speaking population. 1t is true, as your
statistician asserts, that I have not visited all the
points of my diocese. But he fails to Inform you
that l have visited and preached and confirmed in
nearly every h french settlement in North Dakota.
He might have gone farther and in all truth have
informed you that I have neglected or postponed
other most pressing business in order to visit some
French parishes. He might even have said, with
out untruth, that one day 1 rode one hundred and
twenty-five miles in a buggy, from five O'Clock
A. NJ. to II 80 P. M, to be with the F~rench-Cana-
dams of st. John on their national holiday. and
paid my own expenses, besides. But these trifles
would not help to bolster up your cause which
seems ts be to make me the enemy of the French
Canadians.
Now Sir, you may, if you choose, 60 on with
your abuse. will pay no more attention to you.
Bishop of Jamestown,
FARao, N. D., Aug. II, 1891.
TRADUCTION.
Au Redacteur de rEcHO DE L'OUEsT.
Je laisse de cote le ton "indigne dun