France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 1: A Half-Century of ConflictParkman, Francis
History
France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 1: A Half-Century of Conflict
Parkman, Francis
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
"It is essential," says the memorial, "that in this matter of teaching
the Indians our language the missionaries should act in good faith, and
that his Majesty should have the goodness to impose his strictest orders
upon them; for which there are several good reasons. The first and most
stringent is that when members of religious orders or other
ecclesiastics undertake anything, they never let it go. The second is
that by not teaching French to the Indians they make themselves
necessary [as interpreters] to the King and the governor. The third is
that if all Indians spoke French, all kinds of ecclesiastics would be
able to instruct them. This might cause them [the Jesuits] to lose some
of the presents they get; for though these Reverend Fathers come here
only for the glory of God, yet the one thing does not prevent the
other,"--meaning that God and Mammon may be served at once. "Nobody can
deny that the priests own three quarters of Canada. From St. Paul's Bay
to Quebec, there is nothing but the seigniory of Beauport that belongs
to a private person. All the rest, which is the best part, belongs to
the Jesuits or other ecclesiastics. The Upper Town of Quebec is composed
of six or seven superb palaces belonging to Hospital Nuns, Ursulines,
Jesuits, Recollets, Seminary priests, and the bishop. There may be some
forty private houses, and even these pay rent to the ecclesiastics,
which shows that _the one thing does not prevent the other_." From this
it will be seen that, in the words of one of his enemies, Cadillac "was
not quite in the odor of sanctity."
"One may as well knock one's head against a wall," concludes the
memorial, "as hope to convert the Indians in any other way [than that of
civilizing them]; for thus far all the fruits of the missions consist in
the baptism of infants who die before reaching the age of reason."[25]
This was not literally true, though the results of the Jesuit missions
in the west had been meagre and transient to a surprising degree.
Cadillac's plan of a settlement at Detroit was not at first received
with favor by Callieres, the governor; while the intendant Champigny, a
fast friend of the Jesuits, strongly opposed it. By their order the
chief inhabitants of Quebec met at the Chateau St. Louis,--Callieres,
Champigny, and Cadillac himself being present. There was a heated debate
on the beaver-trade, after which the intendant commanded silence,
explained the projects of Cadillac, and proceeded to oppose them. His
first point was that the natives should not be taught French, because
the Indian girls brought up at the Ursuline Convent led looser lives
than the young squaws who had received no instruction, while it was much
the same with the boys brought up at the Seminary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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