New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-16
III.
THE SYCAMORE MEMBERToU.


The name of this sycamore was Membertou.
and he was baptized as a namesake OF Henry
of Navarro. If the Jesuit Relations had done
nothing more than to give the character Of this
one savage. they would still have justified the
Acadian mission. Membertou was already an
aged man when the Jesuits made his acQuaint-
ance. In fact. he supposed to be at least
a hundred years old. He had passed the time
when he cared to be treacherous and cruel and
eager for like his contemporary Powhatan
in Virginia. STILL the memory Of the years when
he had been as bloody minded as any still lin
gered among his adherents. Champlain de-
scrbed him as a friendly savage, although he
had the name of being the worst and most
tratorous man of his tribe His fellow tribes
men doubtless looked back to those days Of his
prowess. They spoke Of him az a great warrior
and gave him the name of Great Chief, which
certainly sounds big in the Magnus Imperator
Of Jesuit Latin. But he had now reached the
philosophic stage OF life and his garnered Wis
dom sometimes startled the good fathers as al
most miraculous insight into the mysteries of
the religion which they were trying to teach
His morality even a heather, astonished
them for while other men Of means and con-
sideration in the tribes had many wives. he
would have only one. and he defended his con-
had also the renown Of being expert in the Sc
cret lore Of his race so that he met the Catholic
priests on ground with which he familiar
as savage could be.
His duplicity must have been very profound,
indeed. to have fooled men trained in the study
Of human nature. But he was In fact simple
minded His thoughtfuness and his sagacty
were the results Of long experience In mind
naturally vigorous. Without the aid Of a COM
mon language he could divine from facial ex-
preston and gesture the ideas Of these black
robed men ,gho had come so far to instruct him
II is to their credit honest men that he trusted
them. and that he saw the benign meaning Of
ceremonies which other Indians naturally took
for something like their own magic. only more
dangerous and more powerful. Perhaps he
thought the Catholic service magical too. but
he had the courage to wish for the power 1t
gave He had the natural oratory of an Indian,
and he would have been glad to add to II the
gifts OF Christian preacher. He urged the
missionaries TO learn his language as speedily as
possible so that they might teach him all the
mysteries of their faith. while they confess that
he seemed already to know more than they
could teach him. For they had learned before
this time the defects OF savage language.
namely that It has words enough for all the
doings Of common life. but almost none Tor
those things that elude the senses. Words
| could do little unless there was common I'M
Outstanding beforehand. AS rule. the Indian
converts attached no meaning to their new re-
ligion. But they thought that baptism made
them like the French. 1t was sort Of naturali'
cation. They welcomed the cross as benefcent
amulet In various ways they displayed Keen
interest and keen intelligence, which the Jesuts
cou,d appreciate after the experience OF their
order with other wild races. 81 confess" wrote
| one of them, I'VE often see in these savages
natural and graceful qualities which will make
any but a shameless person blush when they
compare them to the greater part Of the French
who come over here" A little knowledge Of the
new religion led them to compare themselves
with the Christians from beyond the sea. They
congratulated themselves that they fought only
with their enemies. never among themselves
that they were more intelligent than the French
as. indeed they were in all the affairs OF savage
life. Thus they were willing to have all the
benefits of the new religion without its obga
tons. They would keep their own customs
their own vices, to which they added, In spite Of
the dismayed fathers. an Unsuitable appetite FOL
brandy, but they Wouid sun sport the cross as
! charm.
siderable group of Indian statesmen who, If they
had had behind them a people capable OF united
action might have made France and the Jesuits
supreme in North America. Catholicism ap
pealed to his senses. and 1t also met thoughts
which he. In common with all his race had
vaguely cherished. The beings of his super
natural world lent themselves easily to varied
meanings. The idsa Of one God did not STRIKE