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«k4^^V

YOUR HERITAGE ;

NEW ENGLAND THREATENED

REV. CALVIN E.AMARON, A.M.

PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH PROTESTANT COLLEGE, SPRLNGFIELD, MASS.

SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

FRENCH PROTESTANT COLLEGE

1891

f('!'57I

TO MY MOTHER

Whose noble life has been spent in scatterinff the light

of the Gospel among the French Canadians

of Canada,

whose strong and saintly character

has left its impress on so many lives, and whose memory

will ever be sacred to her

children, with profound gratitude and affection

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK.

■ I-

■ f

P U B L I S II E R S' NO T ICE.

o-o

At the h.,ginnirig ut tliu college year 1890-1)1, the Stu-
dents' Missionary Society of the French Protestant College,
made arrangements with the president of the institution,
for a course of lectures to be given monthly in different
churches of the city, on the French Canadian immigratioa
problem.

Several requests having come from the students and
otiiers, that these lectures be published in book form, the
society has sought and obtained the consent of the author,
to give them to tlie public.

President Amaron has consequently enlarged his plan ;
he has added many details and introduced various topics
whi(!h it was impossible for him to touch in Iiis lectures.

The Students' Missionary Society offers this book to
the public, assured that it will meet a felt want, in com-
municating much valuable information on a problem of
absorbing interest, bearing as it does on one of the most
vital questions now before the country.

'I !

Ill

INTRODUCTION.

BY REV. JOSHUA COIT, SECRETARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS
HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The importance of theFreiich-Canadian problem in
New England can hardly be overstated. The present num-
ber of French Canadians in New England (in Massa-
chusetts one twelfth of the whole population) ; their certain
increase, both by immigration and by propagation ; the
openly declared purposes of those who control the great
mass of this people as no other class in our land is con-
trolled i—'dW unite to make this problem a present and press-
ing one. The French already begin, not only to feel, but
also to boast of the strength of their numbers. The Boston
Herald of June 25 1891 in its very full report of the "Fete
Nationale " held by the French Canadians in Pawtucket
R. I. on St. Jean Baptiste's day, June 24, credits an ex-
mayor of Pawtucket with saying: " Mr. Thibault, in his
address in French, made a remark that I have heard in En-
glish many times to-day. " Here are the future rulers of
the country." That is because there is no other race more
prolific than the French Canadian unless it be the Irish."
These are significant words uttered by one, repeated by
many and endorsed by a mayor of no mean city.

It may seem foolish to pay any heed to what should be
looked upon simply as the idle boast of a Fete-day orator.
But the same hope or expectation crops out in manv ways

vili

INTRODUCTION.

and in many places. Formerly and until recently the order
from the bishops and priests to this people was " Do not
become citizens in the sta.tes, but return with your gains to
your old homes in Canada". And the order was obeyed
and the French were a shifting, restless class among us.
But now the word has gone forth : "Become chizens" and
this is obeyed. The French are buying farms and homes.
Many have become voters already and very many more
have taken out the first papers. This means that there is
gt-thering among us a large mass of voters more pliant and
obedient than ever the Irish were to be controlled by orders
from their superiors. Great care is taken by the Romish
priests, not only through the parochial schools but also
trom their pulpits, to keep these people well in hand. That
they succeed so well is to be accounted for not simply by
the ignorance of the people, though this is deplorable, but
also by their piety, which is admirable. The danger to
our land of this state of things among any considerable por-
tion of the people is plain and will become plainer as the
years go by. What risks are in store for our civil and re-
ligious liberties. Wiiat confusion between public and pa-
rochial schools. What conflicts at the ballot box.

This book assures us that the warfare has already begun
and brings before the public an array of facts that should
be considered by every lover of his country. Make what
abatement you please on account of the enthusiasm of the
author, there still remains uncontrovertible evidence of
peril.

If New England is to maintain its high standing in our
land as a home of intelligence, education and religion, she
must recognize thie changes that are taking place from year
to year and awake to the danger of an imperium in impsrio.

Let the French Canadians be truly Americanized and

INTRODUCTION.

freed from subjection to a foreign power and by their in-
dustry and frugality they will add strength to our strength.
But kept distinct in language and religion, told by those to
whom they listen to remain French, they add weakness-
There is no better way to Americanize them than by the
influence of Christian education. The seven French Pro-
testant churches under Congregational auspices in Massa-
chusetts, the missions under other denominations, the
French Protestant newspaper and the French Protestant
College are all in the way to do great service to the State
by moulding the characters of those who, if the prophecy
of the Pawtucket orator be true, are to be the future rulers
of the country.

Boston, Mass., June 25tb, 1891.

tuM

Philosophers tell us that the three great bonds which bind peoples
together are community of race, language and religion. The French
Cunadians are separated from us by difference of religion, language,
and race, and by far the most important of these differences is that of
religion. Remove that difference, and they will be speedily American-
ized.

Manifestly there is an irreconcilable difference between papal prin-
ciples and the fundamental principies of our free institutions. Popu-
lar government is self-government. A nation is capable of self-
government only so far as the individuals who compose it are capable
of self-government. — Rev. Josiah Strong, D. D.

The facts concerning the enormous immigration of French Catholics
from Canada, the attempts to control them here by Jesuit influences,
and the access of the gospel to some of them, are astonishing. —
Rev. Wolcott Calkins, D. D.

oples
:ench
Liage,
lat of
rican-

prin-

:*opu-

self-

3able

lolics

ices,

prp:face

The closing years of this century are to he a crucial
epoch for this great American nation. During this period
certain things must he clone. They cannot be deferred.

The growth ot the nation or its decadence, will depend
largely on what is done or left undone, hy way of solving
great and perplexing problems, the magnitude and impor-
tance of which, are realized by few.

The rapid growth and prosperity of the Amerii-an repub-
lic, has engendered an unhealthy optimism. It is thought
by thousands who are generally reckoned as cautious and
thoughtful, that the luition rests on foundations absolutely
immovable. It is imagined that the grand and noble in-
stitutions to whicdi the nation owes it.^ past greatness, are
proot against all adverse powers. They are so strongly es-
tablished that they will stand even when left unprotected.

This optimism constitutes a source of danger and weak-
ness. It leads men to underestimate the strength of oppo-
sing influences and principles. It makes them indilferent
to the great changes which are taking place in the nation.
They are unwilling to read and thus make themselves ac-
quainted with stubborn facts, which if known, would have
the tendency of opening the eyes. AVhen others raise tlio

Xll

PREFACE.

voice of warning, basing their fears on facts they know,
they are not believed.

It is a mistake to think, tliat foundations are all hiid at
once, and once for all. Foundations decay, or again they
become too weak for the superstructure and must be replac-
ed by others stronger and more {ule({uate.

Tin's decade is in a sense, a foundation epoch. Time
has impaired some of the pillars the Pilgrims and Puritans
rightly considered to be indispensable to the stability and
real growth of the nation. The public schools have been
so secularized, tliat they have the tendency of leaving the
children of foreigners, whose imperfect faith they are ins-
trumental in destroying, without any faith at all. Their
mission is not to teach religion.

Again, new wants have developed, unknown to the
founders of the country. To meet these, new methods of
work are imperatively demanded. Institutions with aims
similar to those founded by the fathers, but radically differ-
ent iu their methods of Avork, ai" rcfjuired by the new state
of things around us. The time to lay tl)e new foundations
is to-day. Five years hence, the wisdom of doing now
what God asks of us, will be very manifest.

It will be the aim of tiie author of this little and unpre-
tentious book, to call the attention of unselfish and Christ-
ian politicians, of reformers and educationalists, of lovers
of God, of humanity and of native land, to the important
question ofFrench Canadian immigration in New England
and the United States.

For reasons which we will endeavor to make clear, it
has become the conviction of a good many leading minds in
this country, that New England has a somewhat important
notto say, serious problem to face, councted as it is, with the

PREFACE, xiii

Irish and other Roman Cathob'c immigrant populations
that are tilling '-,) the land, and the views of which in mat-
ters religious, educational and political are in almost every
particular oj)posed to the fundamental principles which must
necessarily govern a Protestant republic.

It is our hope and prayer, that a new impetus may be
given to the work of evangelization so auspiciously begun
among the French speaking population of this country, the
results of which have gladdened many hearts.

We are satisfied that a vast field of usefulness is opening
before us, that it is already ripe for the harvest, and that
as soon as the Christian public has become acquainted with
the facts pertaining thereunto, and that wise and judicious
as well as practical methods are suggested for lae evangeli-
zation and Americanizing of these oppressed and down-
trodden multitudes, the help required will not be slow in

coming.

It is our purpose to furnish some information on this
important question, to the many who ask for it and whom
we have not been able to satisfy because we had not in a
tangible form what was desired. We have tried to gather
the most important facts, and we give them to the public in
the hope that God's work may be helped thereby. 9

Calvin E. Amaron.

French Protestant College, July, 1891.

nil

f».

CONTENTS.

PART I.

THE IXVADIXG FORCE.

CHAPTER I.

OUR PURPOSE.

A pica for the evangelization of the French Canadians
because they have not yet the Gos|)el. A patriotic
as well as religious movement. French Canadians not
becoming Americanized, but drifting into infidelity.
New England called to do for herstlf what she is doing
for the West and foreign field, ^ye must not forget the
great changes which have taken place. The ship of
state is in danger butyet safe if we do our duty

•CHAPTER n.

OUU ATTrri'UE.

We love the French Canadian Roman Catholics and des '.re
to give them the Gospel, educate them that they may
become prosperous American citizens. Impossibility
for them to attain unto this, whilst under ultramon-
tane rule. Americanism and Ultramontanism mutual-
ly destructive. The Gospel alone can solvethis problem.

XVI

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.

60ME OF TFIE ANTECP]I)KNT8 OK THE INVADING FORCE.

The descendantH of tho French Canadians are the best of
colonists, actuated by tho best of motives. Privileges
and advantages enjoyed by the Romish church. Pro-
testant England's sad neglect and its results. New
England's j)resent opportunity. Why the Americans
should warmly espouse this evangeliHti<.' cause. French
hell) in time of war. Huguenot influence in America.

InHuenco of French Protestant theology on New Eng-
land

CHAPTER IV.

SOME OF THE CHARACTEUISTK'S OF THE INVADINO FORCE.

The French Canadians a desirable i)ortion of our foreign
poj»ulation. How we should form our estimate of a
people. Many uneducated because Rome would not
educate them. She must be held reHjJonsible and must
not be allowed to do hero what she has done in Canada.
French Canadians intelligent, polite, religious. French
Canadian literature comjiaratively rich. This popula-
tion offers one of tlu; most promising fields for mission-
ary work. How the first misoionaries found the people
when they began their work. Instances of Romish su-
perstition. Gratifying results of missionary efforts.
Duty of the American church to car(> foi' the converts
driven from Canada to New England by persecution...

CHAI'TER V.

THE NUMERICAL 8TREN(}TH OF THE INVADING FORCE.

Sources of information. United States census and Roman
Cuu'uolic clergy. French speaking people 1,000,000 in
the United States, about 500,000 in New England and
New York. Strengtli in other states. Immigration is
destined to ircrease. Errors as to its causes. True
reason, the crushing burdens imposed by Rome upon
the people. Burdens enumerated. Practical establish-
ment of the church of Rome in Quebec, tithes, taxes.
People fairly crushed. Wealth of the church enormous.

CONTEXTS. xvii

StatiHticH given. IU'sultH:(l»'cliii(' of jjofitilation by ex-
odus to the United StateH. Canadian Htatesnien admit

tiiey are powerlesH in cheokinK it 2H

CIIAITKR VI.

TIIR PUOnABLE KUTUHK (}U(>WTM OF THE I.NVADIN'C FOHCr:.

There ean be no doubt as to the increase of the French
in New I*in;;iaiid. 1. I»ecniise tlie state of things which
has produced thi.s laru'e iiiuni^ration is more prononn-
ce(l tlian ever. 2. Because tlu' Froneh clerj^y no h)nf;'ei'
oppose but rathf'r favor the movement, because they
hope to realize their dream of national predominance
over New Enf;laiid. Tlie French jtarocliial scliools arc
crcatinj^ a French ritramontanc colony in New Fn-
gland, a forcigTi state within oisr state. .'{. Ilccause tlie
French race increases mucli more rajtidly tlian the
American Tlie pi'iests exj)h)re this mine. Fxtraordina-
ry fijjjures, one family numbej-s seven hundred desccnd-
.ants. Premier .Mercier's estimate of the strength of
this population in 1H*)1 and liity years hence. D.-oa.-
dance of the Yanke(> family. Serioiis consequences
unless the French are converted to the (ios|)el and to
American modes of thouf^ht. Tlwee alternatives, one
of whi(;h must be chosen : Romish rule, infidelity or
conversion to evarigelical ti-uth ,'J{)

CHAPTFR VII.

ITS AIMS AND PUI{P0SP:s FOK THE FFTUUE.

French Protestants in full sympathy with American ins-
titutions. Someof their persecutions. French Canadian
nationality no bar to unification. The obstacles lie in
KoTnanism. The pope rules the French KomaniHt. His
aim is to jjlease him first, then if he can, the republic.
Plan of cleixy : to i)revent the fusion of races, keep the
French as the.yare, and in time (;reate a New Franc<^ on
American soil. Racial troubles in Canada causcnl f)y
the Ronush clergy. They may end in a war. The
French settling here. M. Rameau's view. Real estate
in the hands of Canadians in New England over %\H,-
000,000. A word of warning 30

xviii CONTENTS.

PART II.

THE ALLIES AND ENGINES OF WAR OF
THIS FORCE.

!ii

CHAPTER I.

THE KOMAN CATHOLIC UIKIIAKCHY.

We are engaged in a real eonflict. The powers of niedi-
aivaliHin are arriiyedagainHt llie Aineriean civilization
of the ninetcM'uth century. The French clergy the lead-
ing force. Two cla.sseH of pricHtn, the sincere men and
those who are not. Both classes are striving to keep
tlie French under the power of ecdeHiasticisin. The
priests arc the sworn enemies of the assimilation of
the races. Their interference with the religious liberty
of the p(!ople. Their interest(;d motives (52

CHAPTER II.

THE LIHEUAL WING OF THE LAITY.

French liberals in losing faith in Romanism, lose all faith.
Self-interest becomes the governing i)rinciple of their
life. They btKiome Rome's allies because of the ])rofit it
brings them. Majority of educated French belong to
that class. They need the goodwill of the jnasses and
these are under the ])riestH. The liberalizing influences
of this country, without the Gosi)el, lead thousands of
French Canadians into infidelity. The Gospel alone
can save them 70

CHAPTER III.

WEAK AND UNINFORMED FIIOTESTANTS.

The weakness of our Protestantism constitutes Rome's
strength. Uninformed Protestants help Rome to hurt
this country. Tht^ character, aims and purposes of
French Ultramontaiiisnt are not known in New Eng-
land. Hard to convince the Americans of the danger.
Let them inform themselves. Rome is building on their
good faith. There is too great a fear of Rome on the
part of ministers, business and professional men and

C0^ TENTS,

xix

especially fxilitieinns. Tho.v refuse to In-lpto evuiin<?liz('
the Frt'iich but build up IloiniHli iuHti^ntionH. Syinpii-
thy and h('l[)r('l'uH»?d ourcoiivcrtH, UotniHliclerkM j:;etall
tho iH'Ht pliiccH. Source of wenkiieMH and dan^^er. A
word of tiinoly warning- 70

(.llAl'TER IV.

SKLF-8KKKIN(} I'OLITICIANS.

PoliticiuiiH the allieH of French ritrainontaniHni. Home
ruk'H Cana(hi. New Kngland beconiinj^' her wlave. The
Hecular preHS in gagged on these vital rpiestions. The
l)ublic are not jjiven the information needed. No re-
ports can be ol)tainedan<l Itome can work in the dark.
Words of commendation for Home have a prominent
plac(^ Mercenary considerations and political exigen-

cies.

CHAPTEH V.
ENGINES OF WAR FA HE.

I. — THK FHKNCn ROMAN CATHOLIC CHUUCH.

French Homanism works after a well-defined i)lan.

plantsits chui-(!hesevei-y where itcan and instils th<> old
ideas. From the pulpit the people are warned against
the dangers of assimilation. The priest gets much in-
formation about Protestants through the confessional.
Unwise Protestants build French Homish churches in-
stead of giving these people the (Jospel 90

II. — THE FUEN'CH PAHOCHIAL SCHOOL.

Duty of the state to make incpiiries about these. The
French hierarchy the sworn enemy of the public school
system. They hate these schools because they do not
make Romanists but Americans. Purpose of the paro-
chial school : to prevent the French from becoming
enlightened American citizens. They are a menace to
the state. They will bring this country to the san:'*
sad state as Canada. They will make rebels of the
French. More than time to face this most serious
problem 93

XX CONTENTS.

in. — THE FIIENCH UOMAN CATHOLIC PRESS.

A powerful ugeuey. Large number of French papers.
Edited by men who have no faith in Romanism biit yet
help it. Having lost all faith th(!y have no principles.
They do as Rome bids them do bfjcause iu pays. Many
could not live otherwiHo. All criticisniH of the church
suppreHsed. American institutious abused and misre-
presented. Masses deceived and ill-directed. Protestants
reviled especially French Protestants. Extracts.
Source of danger among the uneducated masses 98

IV. — THE NATIONAL CONVENTIONS,

Romish centralization. French societies formed and
gathered into state and general conventions. Sanc-
tioned by American officials because they are unaware
of the ])urposes of these conventions. Governor of New
Hampshire. What are these conventions? Anti-Pro-
testant, finti-American gatherings, from which French
Protestant Canadians an? excluded. The j)riests the
leading spirits. Purj)oses: Establishment of j)arochial
schools, i)res(-rvation of language, manners, customs,
traditions of (Quebec amongthe French of NewEngland
and the cr(^ation of a New France here. These conven-
tions are a soiu'ce of danger 103

V. — TMi; NATURALIZATION CLUBS.

Opposition of (clergy to naturalization. The French now
being hereto stay, the ])riests desire the help of their
vote. The naturalization movement now favored.
Policychanged. They become voters but not American
citizens. Important difference. French naturalization
dubs one ol Ronns's strongest engines of war against
our American civilization, b(»<!ause the French voters
are the blind tools of Rome. The priests will sell them
to either ])arty. Protestant education among the
French alone can solve the problem 112

CONTENTS.

XXI

PART III.

<)8

THE CONQUEST OF THIS FORCE.
CHAPTER I.

THE NATURE OF ()U!£ WAUFARE.

The inevitablene.ss of the conflict. It is forced upon the
people of thia nation. Its institutions must be i)rotec-
ted. Love for the French Canadians forces ns into it.
We wish to set tlii^in free. Tlie warfare is not a carnal
one. We iij^ht for moral and educational reforms. We
consider this warfare to be : 1. Necessary, because of
the insufficiency of Rouianism as a system of relig-ion.
Brief sketch of Romish teacliiuf^s. 2. .Tustifiable, be-
cause of Rome's utter failure to make of Freuch Cana-
da a prosperous nation. A parallel between New France
and New England. 3. God-imposed. It is our duty to
save this people. God will hold us responsible if we fail
to do it. The safety of the nation denmnds it 110

CHAPTER II.

OUR METHODS OF WARFARE. — .MISSIONARY WORK.

Our first work consists in removing j)rejudices and com-
municating knowledge. The Fn.'uch Canadians have a
misconcei)tion of Protestantism. Examples. Personal
house-to-house work needed. Distribution of the Bible.
Cotta!!;e-meetings. Meetings on the plan of Mr. M'All's
in France. Use of the stereopticon views. Tliestudents
of the colh>ge can do much valuable work. Our forces
should be economized by a proper division of the mis-
sionary field. The field awaits the worker 130

CHAPTER III.

OUR METHODS OF WARFARE. — CHURCH WORK.

The formation of churches for foreigners is for the time
being a necessity. Objections refuted. Brief history of
the French Protestant church movement in Massachu-
setts. Number of churches. Member.sliip. Sunday schools.
Character of these churches ; first French, then bi-ling-

■■W L "™ . «H M 1

xxu

CONTENTS.

W I! i

ual, finally wholly American. Rome's opposition to
this. Reason why we approve of this movement. The
best way to advance th(; welfare of our nationality.
'Tis wisdom for Americans to help us. Problem of hill-
town churches. Partial solution of it 140

CHAPTER IV.

OUU METHOnS OF WARFARE. — PTJULICATION" AVORK.

Power of the press. The wisdom of using it in this work.
Its long- felt need. Foundation of he Senwur Frnnco-
Awf'riciuu. Its history. The formation of the French
Evanj^elical Publishing Society. Its officers. By whom
it is ind()rs(Kj. The work it contemplates. 1. Publica-
tion of tracts, ]>amphlets and literature adapted to
present needs. 2. The ])ublication of aweekly i)aper, Le
Citoyen Frnnco-Ainericain. Its mission : (a) To repres-
ent the work of French evangelization, (b) To act as
a family i)aper among our converts. ((!) To act as a
missionary among those scattered all over the land,
(d) To rectify the wrong statements made by the
French Catholic press, (e) To reach thousands whom
no other agency can reach. Its influence for good can-
not be overestimated 156

CHAPTER V.

OUR MRTITOns OF WARFARE. — EDUCATIONAL WORK.
THE FRENCH PROTESTANT COLLEOE.

I. — ITS HISTORY.

The first steps taken. Th«> idea of a college not thought
of at first. TIh! first efforts meet with opposition b*"-
cause of a misconception of the purposes of the found-
ers. First year of labor one of trial and difficulties.
Obstacles removed. Brighter hopes and assurance of
ultimate success. Removal to Springfi(>ld,Mass 109

II. — ITS CHIEF AIMS.

To give a course of education that will fit the French
Canadian poj)ulation for citizenship. The character of
this education. 1. It must be Christian and especially

CONTEXTS.

XXUI

')9

so, for the population wo deal with. Early training de-
ficient. Konie haH left the younjj^nien without any faith.
The college must give them moral and religiouH cul-
ture. Much must be undone before the work of build-
ing can begin. 2. To supplement the vork done by the
mission churches. Pastors need help. Converts must
be taught before they can teacii. The home training is
inadequate. The College has new foundations to lay.
3. To prepare young men for Christian service, as lay-
workers, evangelists, missionaries and teachers. The
broad field the college has before it 180

III.

ITS PLAN OF WORK.

The domestic arrangements ; what work is recjuired of the
students. Benefits derived. Course of studies and Fa-
culty. Languages taught. Religious life and the pUice
the Bible occupies; how it is taught. Daily worship
and how conducted. Church attendance. Chapel service
and students' missionary society and work 190

ITS PUESK.VT STATUS.

Ah an institution of learning. Its board of management.
Its location. Its buihlings anil grounds. The i»ublic
consideration accorded it. Its sources of revenue 198

v. — ITS BUOADKR AIMS.

To offer young women the same advantages as young
men enjoy. A regular college course. Course of instruc-
tion in house-keeping, including sewing and cooking.
Pre{>aration of a body of edueated, cultured and refin-
ed French Canadian young women for the home and
for the church

VI. — ITS iM£i:ssiN(i nf:i:ds.

New buildings are required and an endowment fund. Ad- 201
ditions to the teaching staff in the preparatory and
college departments. A scholarship fund re([uired to
aid needy students. The i)rospects for a strong and
powerful institution are encouraging

ssBsasm

PART I.

THE IXVADIXG I'OECE.

K>SSil

CHAPTER I.

OUR rUUPOSE.

The American nation has the reputation of bein;; pre-
eminently practieal. Whilst ready to jrive fronerous hi'lp,
it is cautious and docs not commit itself blindly to tiew
schemes, the necessity and practicability of which are not
made clear.

This book is, from bcginnin;^ to g^id, a plea for the evan-
gelization of the French speaking populations of this coun-
try.

Believing as we do, that the relations between the French
of the United States and those of Canada will, from year
to year, become closer and closer, it is our conviction,
that this great religious movement on this side the lines,
will exert a very great reflex influence upon the Dominion
of Canada, and help mightily in freeing it from the weight
of ecclesiastical tyranny, unsurpassed in any part of the
world, and which is paralysing the whole nation, both Pro-
testant and Roman Catholic. We may therefore say, that
our plea is on behalf of the French speaking people of
America.

In order to convince those whom we hope to reach, of

;ii!i!ll

2 Your Jleritayc.

the righteousness of the cause we advocate, it may not be
amiss at the outset, to call attention to some of the claims
of the French to the sympathy, affection and gratitude
of the people of the United States. This we will do later
on.

We will have to urge very strong reasons for affirming
that the vast majority are not evangelized, since in so do-
ing, we ai'c impeaching the church of Komc, which for
some throe centuries, has had absolute control over this
people in matters leligious and educational. AVlien we
ask to-dav, tluit they be evan^'elized thronuh the efforts of
English (speaking Protestants, we do uidiesitatingly say,
that they know not the truth such as taught by the Gos{)el
of Jesjis Christ, and thai to their ignorance of tliis Gospel
of salvation and to no other cause, must be traced the ge-
neral state of ba( kwai'dness and ignorance of the i)eople,
taken as a whole.

We will have to make clear another important fact,
namely that tlie Amif ican nation cannot afford to afT'ect
indifierence toward this problem, neither the Christian nor
he who makes no profession of religion.

The French Koman Catholics of Canada ami New Eng-
land, and Caiuidians and American Protestants of these
two countries, are in one and tlie same ship. To say, we
do not care whether these French Canadians are sunk to
tiie bottom, under the burden of ecclesiastical tyranny or
not, is to say we are indifferent to our own fate.

As we shall show later on, the French are here in largo
numbers and are increasing at a fabulous I'ate and will soon
have outnumbered you. They are a foreign state within
your state. One vote of theirs is just as powerful as one
of yours, and when they have five votes to your one, they
will be five times as strong as you.

}

Our Purpose.

The question is : Are they becoming Americans ? This
meau.s, are they imbibing the spirit of your Protestant re-
publican institutions, or are they remaining monarchical
and priest-ridden ? Are they creating a New France in your
midst ?

It will be our purpose to show that as things are now de-
velo})ing, the French are not being, to any extent, affected
by American institutions. They keep aloof from them,
they are educated on other lines and are not being prepared
for American citizenship. Having, for long years, lived in
Canada, a Protestant country with a Protestant majority to
be sure, but a majority which Komanism has brought down
to an abject and humiliating subserviency, we can without
fear of going far astray, predict v/hat shall be the condition
of New England fifteen years hence, unless the French and
Irish are taken out of the old ruts, emancipated from the
yoke of clericalism and made free citizens.

It is a mistake to think that the public schools will do it
all, that the liberalizing inlluences which surround these
foreigners, will alone and unaided, effect the desired change.
These influences will certainly remove them in a very large
measure from the old do^^matism that has held them so long
but instead of making of them good, law-abiding citizens,
will rather convert them into rank infidels, into French Re-
volution men. The only power that will save them is the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, which they know not. We must
evangelize them. In this alone lies their happiness and
prosperity, and the safety of the nation.

We will then speak of the best means to be employed to
attain this most desirable object. These are of a practical
nature, do not call for very large sums of money, have
given in the past encouraging results, for the amount spent,

4 Your Heritage.

and if iMiule to a reasonable degree what they should be,
will help mightily this nation in its onward course.

It is right that the great West be well provided with edu-
cational institutions and Gospel privileges. The church
and country have already reaped a blessed harvest of good
from the policy of the past. No one possessing a mission-
ary spirit would think of criticising the policy adopted in
the i)ast, whereby emphasis has been laid on the needs of
the West and on the duty of the New England churches to-
Avard the work of Western evangelization.

But may it not be asked very seriously, whether the time
has not fully come for the East to consider carefully its
changed and chanj^ing condition, and both for its own sake
ahd i'or the sake of all those missionary enterprises so dear
to the hearts of God's people, to eiuiuire most earnestly,
what measures shall be taken to keep New England Pro-
testant and American, that she may be in days to come a
power fur self preservation, and that centre of Christian
and elevating influences she has been in days gone by ?

When dealing with these problems, a gi-eat many seem
to f(jrget, that the New England of to-day, unto which the
herculean task of the assimilation of these vast multitudes
of foreigners is committed, is not the New England of days
gone bv. It no longer exists save in the memory of the
few gray-haired men and women who remain. The popu-
lations which threaten the institutions Avhich iiave been the
life of the nation, were not here a few decades ago. Now
they are as numerous as the Protestant American popula-
tion, and join in pulling the ship of state towardthe rapids.

On the other hand the founders of these world-renowned
states are gone and it must be huml)ly admitted that many
of their virtues — integrity, manliness, devotedness to prin-
ciples — have been buried with their bones. Thousands of

Our Pnrposi'. 5

theii' children have died, leiiviiig no sons and danj,diters to
repUice them. Tliousands have deserted tlie oM liome.s to
go Soutli or West and their phices have been tilled by those
with ditlerent aims and purposes, holding religious views
which make them natural Iocs of Americanism, since the
latter and Komaiiism rest on principles mutually destruct-
ive.

It follows then that the Christian patiiots of to-day, can-
not command the strong force tlu'ir fathers had at their
disposal, have not the same sturdy s(jldiers, while they are
confronted by a vast, well organized, powerful and united
army, of which the New England of a few years ago, knew
comparatively nothing.

Can we overcome these opposing forces ? "Will the ship
of state ride thiough these surging waves without being
wrecked ? We think not, unless there be an awakening
on the part of both clergy and laity.

A child can slay a giant if the latter allow it. So this
strong nation will i'all if it continue to underestimate the
strength of the disintegrating forces that are at work.

If however, we are ready, as wise men, to readjust our
methods of work, and not carry conservatism to undue lim-
its, but adapt ourselves lo the needs of our age ; if above
all, we will remember what Protestantism means, allow
God to baptize us anew with his Spirit and that of the Re-
fornuition, which is his, and consecpiently wrought such
wonders ; if we will understand that there is such a thin"-
as truth, that it ditlers from error, and that the latter
must be eradicated from, and the former implanted in the
heart of "all the citizens of this nation, then and then only
will this nation prosper.

■'t :i

ill

CHAPTER II.

OUlt ATTITUDE.

It should be nlto;rether unnecessary tor a Protestant
writer, at the close of the nineteenth century, writing under
the shadow of the banner of a great Protestant nation, to
explain his attitude toward Ultramontane Romanism and
those who are held under its tyrannical sway.

To have to do so, disturbs in a measure my Walden-
sian blood, and must disturb the peaceful silence of the
ashes of the Puritans and Pilgrims, those noble fathers
who suffered so much in the defense of those principles
of evangelical truth, of Christian freedom and independence
which are to-day so utterly distorted, that they are in the
hands of an unscrupulous, politico-religious organization,
used as Aveapons, to bring this nation into bondage. How-
ever paradoxical the statement may seem to be, it is none
the less true, American liberties are turned into weapons
of slavery by Romardsm.

Our purpose is, in a luiinble way, to help a great and
good cause, and it is with that end in view that Ave make
ourselves " all things to all men."

fil

8 Your Hcritafjc.

"We wisli to free the three milhons of French Cana-
dians in the United States and Canada, from the burdens
of Ukramonianism, because we Ujvo their souls and desire
their salvation ; because we desire them to attain unto that
position among tlie nations of the world, which they would
have reached had they been under Protestant influences ;
and finally because sve are interested, as lovers of human-
ity, in the steady progress of both the British Empire of
Avhich we were once a citizen and the American Republic,
to the Constitution of Avhich we have now sworn allegiance.

We are once again in Ixefbrmation days. The necessity
of such a movemcTt was perhaps never more felt since the
days of Luther and Calvin than at the present hour. It is
all the more needed because of the fact that so many do
not recognize its necessity.

It it were necessary to convince men that the French ag-
gressive leaders in this reformatory movement arc actuated
by disinterested, unselfish, })atriotic and Christian motives,
it niiglit be said that they have undertaken a herculean
task, beset with great and manifold obstacles, offering iiuid-
equate financial suj)port.

They are com{)elled to bear the insults of their country-
men, their taunts and ridicule, not to speak of the scandal-
ous accusations constantly thrown into their faces. Their
motives arc aspersed, their patriotism is called into question
and in every shape and fashion they are trodden down by
their countrymen.

Is it not because the love of God and the flame of
sacred patriotism burn in their hearts, that they oppose a
bold front to Romanism both as a svstem of religion and
politics?

The cliarge of uncharitableness and illiberality made
against those who, on bended knee, have given themselves

Our Attitude.

to God, that lie may use them for the overthrow of that
gigantic system of error aud delusion, is short-sighted and
ill-advised.

We write, fully conscious of the responsibility of the
statements we make. AVe ask men and women who differ
from us, who opjtose, rather than help the movement to
which oiU" whole heart is committed, to inform themselves.

Have you lived all your life in a Roman Catholic coun-
try? Have you made yourselves acquainted both from
books and from the lips of adepts of that system, with
Romish theology and principles? Have you taken the
troulde to ascertain the ditference wliich exists between
Romish dognuis as expressed by wily theologians and the
practical application of these anti-scriptural dogmas?
Have vou seen the baneful results of such teachings amonjf
the masses? Have you seen the thirsty soul, dying for
the "water of life," and in vain going for it, to those
broken cisterns which contain no water? Have vcu seen
on the other hand, the utter indifference, irroligion and
godlessness to which Romanism leads three-fourths of its
adepts ?

If you liave, we charge you with uncharitableness, with
a misconception of your duty, either as Christian ministers
or as Christian laymen, we charge //oh with a want of love
for dying souls, because you do nothing to save them ami
put obstacles in the way of those who do.

If you are ujuictpuiinted \\ ith the facts we mention and
by which our hearts luive so often been saddened, study
them. Take care lest God should some day accuse you of
being part^ikers in other men's sins, because you did not
try to prevent them And especially do not oppose a
movement, every eidightened Christian is bound to help,
lest you be found fighting against God.

i '

10 Your Heritage.

If wc are asked farther, why we put ourselves in con-
flict with Romanism, we answer : Because we are Protest-
ant American Christian citizens ; because the nation has a
right to continue to exist and its citizens have a right to
perpetuate the great rcpuhlican and Christian principles
w^hich have in the past made the nation strong, and with-
out which she must fall ; because we have a right to ask
that the pure republican air which has filled the lungs of
the nation for a century, and which we find cxhilirating,
be left pure, uncontaminatcd by the foul air of Jesuitical
equivocation and dishonesty, of monarchism and absolut-
ism, which destroys all individuality and manhood and
kills a Christian republic. It does not at all matter whether
the air we breathe poison every one of the eight millions
of Romanists in this country or not. They need not come
here, they are perfectly free to return to Ireland, Italy,
Spain and Quebec. There, the atmosphere is saturated
with ultramontanism. If that be healthy to morality, re-
ligion, pure politics, true education and commercial prosper-
ity, why did they leave it? If it was debilitatihg there,
if it produced stagnation and death, it will do the same
here. You must not, and you shall not poison the life of
this nation.

Moreover, we know that if this nation puts a stop at once
to the secularizing process begun to please Rome, if it will
keep its atmosphere, not only republican, but Christian, —
by keeping its public scliools Christian, — the only safeguard
of a republic, without which it is sure to become subject to
the worst des[)otism, blind and godless anarchism, — not a
single Romanist Avill be poisoned, all will thrive and j)ros-
per and thank God for the overthrow of sacerdotalism, ec-
clesiasticism, and grinding absolutism.

It has often been a wonder to me, that luen of intelli-

Our Attitude.

gence, of thought, possessing logical acumen, should be so
slow in grasping the situation. The exercise of a little
ordinary coii.mon sense would convince every Pro:estant
American citizen that he cannot consistently with his duty
as a Christian man and citizen, be anything but an active
opponent of Romanism.

Here are two systems face to face. Each has a history,
with which all can become acquainted. Each is gov-
erned by principles which it cannot abandon without for-
feiting its own existence.

There is no occasion to state here what are the distinctive
principles of Protestantism. They are fully known. On
these, this great Protestant republic rests ; to tliem it oAves
its birth, its rise, its steady march, its wonderful growth
and prosperity. "Without these it cannot stand. As well
might Bunker Hill monument attempt to resist the winds
and storms, without its broad and solid foundation, as this
republic without the Protestant Christian liberties it has en*
joyed in the past.

Now here comes a groat, powerful, thoroughly organized
corporation, possessing a religious and political character.
It also rests on certain great principles, unfortunately for
the good of this nation, unknown by the American people.
The church of Rome cannot give up its principles without
committing suicide, any more than Protestantism can. It
has not been doing it even on American soil. It does
not intend to do so. It would stultify itself by so doing, it
would compromise the dogma of papal infallibility, now
the key-stone to the Avholc structure.

In matters of religion it preaches out and out intolerance.
There is but one religion, the Roman Catholic, none other
is recognized bv God. Tliore is no salvation in the
"sects." It is the duty of the "true churcii" to destroy all

12 Your Hentagc.

heresies, and all means are lawful, persecutions, imprison-
ment, the rack, the gibbet. To give but one quotation out
of the volumes that could be given. Archbishop Kendrick
says: "When t!ie Catholics shall here be in possession of
a considerable majority, which will certainly be the case
by and by — then religious liberty will have come to an end
in the United States. Our enemies say this, and "^ve be-
lieve with them."

In matters political and educational the church of Rome
and the republic are at opposite extremes. Rome does not
believe in republics, save inasmuch as it can use the lib-
erties they offer, for its own purposes. It is for that rea-
son that while Italy and France have become intolerable to
the hierarchy, the United States republic is the paradise
of the clergy to-day.

The whole tendency of Rome's teaching is monarchical.
The state is to be under the chirch. The head of the
church, the Pope, has power over all sovereigns. "If the
laws of the state are in oper contradiction with Divine law
(that means only what Rome calls divine law) if
they command anything prejudicial to the church .... it
is a duty to resist them and a sin to obey them." So says
the Pope in his last encyclical letter given in January, 18D0.
All Romanists are bound to obey this infallible decree.

Now the laws of the state and of Romanism are in al-
most everything oj)poscd to one another. What this Pro-
testant nation cherishes almost as much as life, is hated by
Rome with a bitter hatred, for the simple but necessary
reason that it-destroys her. Freedom of speech for all —
not the priests only but the laity, — liberty of the press,
freedom of worship, a free system of education for all the
children of the land, non-sectarian but truly Christian, a
clean separation between church and state, these we prize ;

Our Attitude.

they are strength, growth and life to us. Rome must op-
pose them, she cannot do otherwise, for to her they are
weakness, decay and death.

Tliere is no conciliation possible. It has been tried again
and again. The forerunners of the Reformation tried it,
Luther tried it, other reformers tried it. They failed and
our Avould-be, better-informed, more lil)oral, more enlight-
ened and refined thinkers, will e(iually fail.

They have God's Word against them which Rome dis-
regards. They have the history of centuries and the brief-
est history of tiie nation against them. Tliey have elemen-
tary logic opposing them at every ste}).

The warfare into which we are forced by the Voice of
God and of conscience is called for. We enter into it bc-
.'ausc souls that j;roai> under it should be set free. We
Aould not bear these fetters a single hour, and will we be
satisfied to have the:n remain about the hands and feet of
)ur brethren? Will we help to strengthen them and make
them heavier? God forbid. We enter into this moral
battle because Ave wish to be consistent Protestant citizens,
loval to truth, loyal to God and to country.

CHAPTER III.

,1 i

SOME OF ITS AXTIX'EDEXTS.

Th«! limiis of tliis book do not admit of even the briefest
sketci' ol the h:Uory of the French Canadian people, how-
ever interesting ii :\v.y be.

It will suffice to aay that there are several reasons which
might well lead the Christians of the United States to take a
very deep and lively interest in them and in their deliver-
ance from the intellectual and moral bondage in which the
majority has been held for three centuries.

The people we are now called upon to evangelize are the
descendants of natives of France who had nuule of Canada,
then known as "La Nouvelle France," their home, be-
tween its discovery by Jacques Cartier in 1535 and the
capture of Quebec by England in 1751).

In Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick are still to be
found, several settlements of French, preserving the lan-
guage, manners and religion of their forefathers.

When the first attempt was made to give to the Frencii
Canadians the simple teachings of Christ as taught in the
Bible, these colonists, located on the rich lands lying along

Some of its Antecedents. 1')

the banks of the St. Lawrence and its iiia<^iiilicent tribii-
laries, did not number much more than iialt' a million of
souls; now about a quarter of a century later, they have
increased to nearly three millions if you iuchide those who
have immigrated to the United States.

That part of Canada where they were chietly located,
was still under the old feudal tenure, at least coeval with
the 17th century in France and pretty nearly the same as
the old Norman system in P^ngland which was al)olislied
about the time of Charles II. — [Canada Com. Keport.

New France was particularly fortunate in the kind of
settlers who made of it their home, at the very beginning
of the colony. IJy no means were tiii-y all of the kind gen-
erally found in new countries. Among them were several
men of rank and learning who had made of New France
<heir honn', through motives oi' piety. They devoted them-
selves to the conversion of the Indians and occasionally
succeeded to induce the red num to bury his hatchet of war
for a time at least. Aided by a number of Jesuits, Kecol-
lets and otiier ecclesiastics, male and female, they dis-
played a wonderful and commendable zeal in propagating
their erroneous religious views, and might well have put to
shame the careless and indifferent Protestant churches of
Canada, as well as tliose of iMU'ope.

The report of the French Canadian Missionary Society,
the labors of which have been so signally owned of God,
sj)eaks of the favorable circumstances in which the Church
of Kome was for the development of the colony, in the fol-
lowing terms : "The grants tor tlie support of education
and religion were of the most princely character ; the Is-
land of ^Montreal, those extensive domains known as the
desuit Estates, and many of the most valuable portions of
the country were freely given. Nor was aid of other

iiiiii

16 Yo'/r Ihritatjfi.

kinds wjiiitiiiir, citlM'i' tVoin tlio Paroiit eountiy or from the
Colonists, to promote these ohjeets, wisely felt to he of sueh
vast iniportiUice iu the founding of a new community. In
addition to those grants, a provision wms created hy law,
in the shape of a twenty-sixth of the grain raised, payahle
by the farmer to the ])riest of tlie ])ai-ish, and which still
remains, although only recoverahle from those ot tlie Ko-
num Catliolic faith. As has been remarked there were
among the Colonists not a fi'w whose acquirements were of
a superior description ; indeeil, a writer remarks that great
attention was in general given to the choice of those who
went U) estahlish themselves in Canada, and that as res-
pects the rank of tlie settlers, it Avas said that Canada had
more of the ancient nobility than any other French colony,
and ])erha})S than all of them put together. Such was the
field which the Chui'eh of Korne had to occuj)y in Canada."

We may be pei-mitted to ask whether this church wiiich,
in God's inscrutable })urpose was to be the guardian of this
important charge, could have had a l>elter and grander op-
portunity, by the bestowal of intellectual and nu.ral care,
to build up a strong, thrifty, prosperous nation?

Some say : "Komanism is right enough, it is not the
best system for a ])eople but it has many great excellencies."
In the case befoi-e us, the Komish hierarchy had ample pro-
vision to establish her system, her priests were considered
demigods by the j)eople ; they had a clear field before the
English conquest and not oidy the fullest toleration since,
but also received many favors from the liritish and Canadian
govcrimients. Nothing then stood in the way to prevent
the church from doing her work. If she had been what
she claims tor herself, the only true and living chu"ch of
Christ, the mistress of nations, the source of intellectual
and moral power, the salt and light of the earth, she should

llic

lun
Lnt
liat
of
Imil
luld

Some of its An(tctdvnts. 17

li.'ivi' luiide of tills FiviK'li coloiiv one of the lirsl nalioiis in
North Aiuericu, in c(»niinerc'iiil, intellectual and moral

greatness.

But what (lid the Trotestant Christian ehurch of Europe
find out after three centuries of culpable neglect ? Was it
discovered that this much-vaunted system of religious and
secular education had eidightened the mind, had raised the
people above the prejudices and superstitions pticuliar to ig-
norance? Was it found that the heart had been made lib-
eral and generous, that this IJonuin Catholic colony was
foremost in relieving luunan sutfering and in benevolent en-
terprises ? Did the Christian Church iind a people resembling
the Protestant colony of New England, founded about one
hinidrcd years later, well educated, thrifty, prosperous?
The answer is too well known to be repeated.

Scarcely a trace of education could be Ibund among the
peasantry, out of every jury summoned oiu^-half could not
read, and when a parish had occasion to send a petition,
ninety jjcr cent of the names were accom{)anied by a mark.
This led an English olficer to state in his re})ortto the homo
government that "the French Canadians were good marks-
men !"

In commercial and industrial affairs the same sad state
of things prevailed. There was a total lack of enterprise
among the people. As for religion it was not at all what
Protestants imagined, the reverent worship of God ; it was
nothing but a round of empty and meaningless forms ac-
companied by the deepest and most degrading superstitions
and bigotry. Notwithstanding her great privileges and
her wonderful pretensions — which arc the same to-day —
Home had failed completely, to raise this colony and give
it a name among the nations of the world.

It was when Enj^lish Protestants realized to what state

Yuur IIfnh(<j(

I Sl-

ot' abject ignorance and l>ack\varilncss, one of the
most promising colonies of the liritish empire had
been brought, that they began to ask themselves seriously
the question ; "Have we done our duty toward these poor
victims of crn^r since they have become Knglish subjects?
They come from the same stock as the Huguenots, that
noble and strong race, that has em-iched all the luition*' of
tlie earth, that wisely opened their arms to them, when
driven from France by K(jmish fanaticism. Why have
they been at a stand-still, intellectually and morally, dur-
ing these three centuries?

There couhl be but one reason. The (iospel of Christ
has been kept from them ; they have known nothing of its
saving and elevating influences.

The French Cauiidians, who rojoice in tlie (rosj)i'l, and
who are prosperous under its bjnign rule, as they look back
over the pages of their country's unfortunate history, ex-
claim with a sad heart : "•' Wliy, O (Jod of nations, did not
Protestant England sec this sooner?"

And as we say tiiis, we ask most earnestly, tliat the
Christian people of New England, may not repeat the mis-
take made by Old England. You have in your midst a
colony of French Canadians almost as large as "Ireat
Britain had one hundred years ago. It stands in need of
the Gospel to-day, just as nuich as it then did. It will
gladly receive it if you will only offer it. Let not the op-
portunity slip by, both for the sake of this down-trodden,
priest-ridden people, and for your own.

It may not be amiss to recall the fact that on more than
one occasion the French have given signal help to the
United States in times of war. In three notable instances,
recorded by historians, French arms secured or greatly

it the

mi>-

litl^l a

h-eat

bed of

Lt Avill

\\ii op-

Dddeii,

Some of its Antcccdtiifs. 19

helped in securing,' tlio victory fur American troops over the
forces of the enemy.

Neither can Americans forgot what the Huguenot
refugees have done tor the nation. They f(jught nobly and
bravely for truth and conscience' sake in their own be-
loved land ; they reddened with their blood the streets of
many a town and city, especially unfortunate Paris. It
was only when Louis XIV by his foolish, impcjlitic, a.- well
as cruel and inifjuitous revocation of the Edict of Nantes in
108;"), drove away some 400, 000 of these his most devoted
subjects, that they became exiles, to those countries that
wisely received them and which they enriched with their
learning, skill and sterling integrity and piety.

Many thousands came to this country. Everywhere
French names are found, sometimes intact, but oftcner
Anglicized. Wherever the Huguenot is found a wholesome
influence prevails.

And finally, can Christian New England forget what it
owes to the theology of one of the greatest men who ever
lived, flohn Calvin ? His system no doubt has undergone
modilications, but who will deny that its great features
have been the backbone of the theology that has made New
England? Possibly a return to some of these cardinal
principles would do more good than harm.

Enougli has been said by way of showing that the an-
tecedents of the French Canadians are such as to warrant
us in saying that they have a claim upon the attention of
the Christians of this nation.

■e than
I to the
tances,
[greatly

r *

M >

CIIATTKR IV.

30mt: of its ciiauacteristics.

It is i^oncrally athuittod that the French Canadians form
a desirable portion dT tlie immigrant population of the
United States.

Notwithstanding the long night of Romish su' ition
which has brooded over the iiatioTi, many of the . is of
the noble ancestors from whom they come, still remains.

Seinuor Blair, in one of his speeches before the Senate,
spoke in a highly eulogistic manner of the immigrants who
came to us from across the lines.

In judging of a nation, both of its actual status and of its
possibilities, several things must be taken into considera-
tion. The general public forms its conclusions from a very
limited number of inductions, and these conclusions are
consequently worthless.

The actual status' of a given communitv can?iot be taken
as giving a fair estimate of the whole nation. The educa-
tional advantages of that locality may have been sadly de-
ficient, and other causes may have combined to keep this
portion of the nation behind the rest. It would be man-

US
n'ii-

jery
are

[ken
lica-
de-
Itliis
lian-

Souic of its Clianicterldics. SI

itl'stly unfair tu take the ''poor wliitos" of tlii.s country as
a lair sample of the American peoj)le.

If I am not ^'reatly mistaken tliis method of judging lias
prevailed here in the past, in reference to the Frencli
Canadians, and hecausi; of this, a wrong estimate has been
formed of the possihilities of this population.

The lirst immigrants who came IVom (^uel)cc, did not re-
flect very great credit upon the French Canadian nationality.
As nuich can be said of thousands who f(dli)\ved them.
They were ignorant, superstitious and behind the age in
every respect. But why it may be asked ? Because of want
of inttdlect ? By no means. Because the i)oliti<'o-religious
organization under the control of which they had been, has
refused them the opportunities to become educated. It has
systematically crushed their intelligence and conscience.
Where is the love where is the charity in those who desire
that state of things to ( uutinue in (^luibec, and who are
inditferent to the fact that it is being fast established among
the people here? "We do not think this is the love and lib-
erality which Jesus Christ taught.

If then we would answer iiUelliL'entlv and fairlv the fiues-
tion, concerning the true character of the French Canadians,
we must incjuire as t(j the results obtained by proper
methods of education, both secular and religious.

A prominent banker in Lowell more than once told me
as if in despair: ''It is absolutely inij)ossible to do any-
thing with a French Canadian." Tiie editor of one of the
leading Spriiigfield papers, also said to me : "I had rather
discuss and reason with a post than with a French Cana-
dian." In all likeliliood this gentleman had not spoken
twice with an educated, enlightened French Canadian.

1 have no sympathy, no patience in fact, with this nar-
row, circumscribed and inadequate view of the matter. I

ti -V

III
P

22 Your Heritage.

presume, 1 too, would rather reason with a post tlian with
an ignorant and uncultured Yankee, and I think a half
dozen or so of such could easily be found throughout the
length and breath of this educated land ! God has not given
to the Anglo-Saxon race the monopoly of intelligence.
What the English-speaking race has more to be thankful
for than boastful of is, that God has given it a greater
share of Gospel blessings and privileges than to the Latin
racee. Let it not be forgotten by this nation that it is
in this that the strength has resided. It will be readily
granted that Protestantism has developed mind as well as
heart to a much greater extent than Romanism. This, in
fact constitutes one of the strongest reasons why we should
check the growth of Romanism in this republic. It will
ruin the nation in every respect.

We have said all this in order to help to remove a pre-
judice which exists in the minds of many Americans, and
which leads them to imagine that this large foreign Held,
brought by God to their very doors, is unfit for intellectual,
moral and religious culture.

The French Canadian is naturally intelligent, bright and
what the French call spiritud or witty. He is of a most
genial disposition, he is polite and gcntlemaidy in his man-
ners. Take a ride through a farming district and you will
find that every man and boy you meet, will ])olitely touch
his hat to you as he passes. If you enter a house how-
ever humble or poor it may be, a ciiair is offered you, and
if you are polite enough to remove your hat, it will be
taken from you and safely laid by. The moment you rise to
go, you are told : ''Fumez, fumez." The literal transla-
tion is : "Smoke, smoke." The idea probably is : "Don't
be in a hurry to put your pipe out. Stay, we are glad of
your company."

3 ■•

Some of its Characteristics. 23

The social instinct is strongly <levelope(l, and many of
the traits of the old Gauiois arc still found. Long stories
arc told around the big stove in winter, by tl*o narrator
who often says as much by his animated gestures and at-
titudes as by his words,. It is here that the native wit,
crude though it may be, but genuine, shows itself.

jNIoreover, it may 1)e said that the French Canadians are
a religious peoj)le, the religious sentiment is deeply rooted
in their hearts. Would to Clod that it had been directed
by the Gospel and not by Romish priests.

French Canada has produced many a great man. In
the rebellion ot 18;')7 it liad sti-ong political leaders, men
who would have brought about great and desirable reforms
liad they not been handicapped by the same power, the
Romish Church.

Great educational reforms were attempted by a class of
thinkers worthy of the great cause they had at hear!.
They could do but little. They could not give i'we course
to their pen. The curse of the church was upon them and
weak-kneed Protestants wouUl n(jt give them the support
they asked.

Notwithstanding these unbearable restraints, whitdi are
more than fit to ])aralyze every literary, every intellectual
eiibrt, French Canada has 'developed a remarkably tine lit-
erature. It has its novelists, poets, historians, jiu'ists and
statesmen. The History of Canada by Garneau docs credit
to its author, and it no doubt would have been ten fold bet-
ter if he had been free.

The French Academy of Paris, declared Frechette poet-
laureate. The collection of poems which won Ibr him this
distinction, have been placed on a pav with Victor Hugo's
best efforts.

3Iontreal, (Quebec and other cities have each its circle of

Ill

• . v mv ' vi fTifirr'-tmmwmmpr

24 Your llei'iUuje.

educated men and women, and it is here that one can judge
of the intellectual capacity of a nation. It has been found
that a great many French Canadian young men, who have
liad the courage to break loose from Kome and face its op-
position in order to enter our high schools and IVjtestant
universities, have in many instances outstripped their En-
glish-speaking competitors, taking the highest honors,
prizes and medals.

All that precedes goes to show that this missictnary licld
is a vastly better one to cultivate than many others on
Avhicli the Church spends, and rightly too, large sums of
money.

Perhaps it will ])e objected hy some that there is no
special need of missionary effort here. The reverse has
already been made clear, yet more may be said.

If any Christian man will take the trou')le to visit, as I
havi! done, the '"Little Canadas," in cities like Lowell,
P'all River, ^Lmchester, Ilolyoke and other cities and towns
of New Kiigland, he will soon realize to what depths of
moral and intellectual degradation, the masses can be
brought, even among a people intelligent and well-endowed,
when left to the tender (;are of tlu; Roman Catholic clergy.

A careful obsei-ver would soon become convinced that
Rome has made sad havoc of this people, that whilst it has
failed to i)reveiit a gocxUy number of independent mintls,
from obtaining by stealth the (uilture they craved for, tt
has crushed the intelligence and conscience of the masses,
it has destroycMl in tlicm the very taste and ambition fur
education, commercial enterprise and thrift, ilow can it
be otherwise when a people has to bear burdens such as
those which we will speak of in the next chapter?

In 181") the Wesleyans of England sent out John de
Pudron as a missionary to the French of Canada, lie

' 1

do
He

Sornt iif its Characttrisiics. 25

tound tlie people ul)jeetly ijrnorant, biiroted and superstitions.
In 18."j4 Mr llt.'nri Olivier and his denoted wife eanie to
]Montreal tor the same purpose. The next year iSIrs. II.
Feller and 3Ir. I^. Koussy tollowed. It would take v(d-
uines to relate their experiences. The peojjle were kindly
disposed at lirst toward them, and received gladly the sim-
ple story of redemption through Christ alone, until the
priests incited them to commit shameful acts of persecu-
tion. Several times the missionaries were beaten, Mr.
Koussy's horse was cruelly mutilated, lie himself was shot
at, ]Mrs. Feller's house was at night sui-roundcd by a mob,
and with frightful and horrid imj)recations she was threat-
ened with death if she did not abandon what was called the
new reli<iion.

In I'SlO when ]ny own father came Irom Creneva, Swit-
zerland, as one of the lir,-«t missionaries of the Frencdi Can-
adian 3Iissionary Society, he and his fellow-workers found
this same sad and deploi-able state of things. Ninety j»er
cent of the ])eoj)le could not read. They were made to be-
lieve that tlu'se missionaries were emissaries of the Devil ;
they were ru\ eiiing wolves di'essed in sheep's clothing, they
were dangerous beings. Tlu-y would bring plagues in tlie
comnumity, in their wake would follow 'Me loup garou."
'•la bete a grande (pieue." the long-tailed beast. No de-
vout woman could even dri'am of receiving the absolution
at the conlessional, unless she piomised she would give
these false prophets a goctd broom-stick reception. My
fathei' had occasion to become convinced that they were
adepts at the art !

The following incident will .•^nUice to ;_rive an idea of the
si'per-Jtition which j)revailed. It is taken from the report
of (lie (»t the missionaries dated Kith I)».'cember. l>i-10:
'*T( -day I vi.-itcd a person to whom wi' had Kiit a liible.

it.

2(! Your Heritage.

Fil'ty persons assenible(u * * * | endeavored to ad-
dress tliem seriously on the danger in wliieli they were if
they died unconverted. It was ot' no avail ; but what as-
tonished me most was that they kept always lookinji at my
feet. Finally a woman said that their priest had told them
that in the latter days false prophets would come and that
we were such ; that wo were malignant s])irits escaped
from the bottom of hell and come to destroy their souls.
* But my dear hearers,' said he, 'would you know them,
then, when they visit you, ask them to uncover their left
foot, and they will be found to be cloven like those of a
cow or sheep. Those, however, who have not their feet
cloven, are good people and you can listen to them.' After
this reply, 1 took oil' my shoe and stocking, but oh I my
dear brethren, it is im{)ossi)jle to describe what passed in
my heart, on viewing these poor people crowding round
me to look at my foot. 1 immediately saw a great change
on their countenance. Their fear, their prejudices, disap-
peared, and I had the joy of announcing to them the (Jos-
pel. They listened with much attention, and I took ad-
vantage of the priest's falsehood respecting the cloven foot,
to show them that all t!ie (Hher things he said against us
were alike false."

It is admitted that the work ol' the Grande Ligne Mis-
sion, that of the French Canadian Missionary Society, of
the Sabrevois ^Mission, and these few last years that of the
the Board of I rench Evangelization of the Presbyterian
Church of Canada and of the Methodist Church, has made
a decided chanire in the country and coinpelled the liomish
clergy to give education to the people.

There cannot be less than loO French preaching
stations, with between OOUO and 7000 members and
double that number of adherents. At a rough guess

Some of its Cliaracteristlcs.

I should say there are over 200 missionaries at work.

A great many of tlie converts have been driven to the
United States by persecution and it is our duty to care for
them, give them the means of firace in the only tongue they
can understand, else they will fall into carelessness and ir-
religion. The prospects of success here are far greater
than in Canada because there is more liberty and the con-
verts find it easier to obtain a livelihood.

Remove the French Canadian from the blighting influ-
ences by which Rome has surrounded him for more than
three centuries, let him have the advantage of a good lib-
eral education, give him the Gospel of Christ in its sim-
plicity and purity, and ore long you will see the Huguenot
traits reappear in him, you will soon have an American
Christian citizen, ready to uphold your institutions, not
necessarily because they are American, but because they
rest on great principles which he approves. He will thus
become a prosperous man, and a source of strength to the
country of his adoption.

CHAPTER V.

ITS NLMKUICAL STHENGTII.

It is not very easy to obtain accurate statistics of the
French Canadian popuhition of the United States.

They are furnished from two sources : tlic United States
census and the census of the Roman clergy iheniselves.
The discrepancies between the two are very wide. While
the INIassachusetts census for 188") gives only 04,503, three
years later the total number reported by French agents was
120,000.

We do not hesitate to say that the latter source of inform-
ation is more reliable than the former. The French do not
understand the American census taker, and thus fails to
furnish him with accurate figures. Or again, many illite-
rate peo[)le are afraid of him ; they imagine the names are
being taken for some hidden purpose. It may be for the
army i'ov what they know. Thus they suppress facts and
the information obtained is anything but accurate and com-
plete.

When, however, French agents are sent by the priests or
when the priests themselves go in quest of the same inform-

Its Numerical Strength. 29

ation, tliey readily obtain it, because they are not suspect-
ed of occult and nefj.rious i)ur[)oses.

It may also be said tluit in almost all the states of the
Union, the French Canadians luive been iiimped in as Brit-
ish immigrants. It is oidy of late that the attention of the
country has been turned to this larj^e and rapidly increas-
ing immigration from Roman Catholic Canada.

We therefore give here the latest statistics furnished by
French Catholic authorities and are satisfied that they are
tolerably accurate.

The FVench speaking population of the United States is
jnit down at 1,500,000. Ab(,ut 500,000 of these are Eu-
ropean French, Swiss and Belgians, and the remaining
million, are from Canada.

In l^!8'■> " Lc Guide Fran^'ais de la Nouvelle Angleterre"
published in Lowell, JNIass., divided the French Caiuidians
as follows: INIassachusetts 145,078; jNIaine, 51,488; New-
Hampshire 38,414 ; KhoJo Island32,874 ; Vermont 31,814 ;
Connecticut 24, -J-'U. This would give a total of 323,002
for the New England states.

UEtciifhtrd, published a letter from Vermont, in which
the number 320,000 is given as being moi'e accurate. The
whole Koman Catholic population is said to number 1)56,000.
The French would thus constitute more than a third of the
Roman Catholics of New England. They have an abso-
lute majority in the dioceses of Burlington, Po'-tland and
IManchester. The year these figures were gathered, in the
New Hampshire legislature there were no less than six
French Canadian representatives.

In the state ot New York there are 87,940 of this nation-
ality. This brings the French Canadian population of New
England and New York to 413,942.

In the West they are found in large numbers. The state

: I

III

30 Your Heritafje.

of Illinois is said to have 100,000 ; Michigan 45,000 ; Minne-
sota 45,000 ; Dakota, California and ^Montana 25,000 each.
In Wisconsin, Indiana and other states r),000 could be
found.

These figures, which are not overestimated, will give an
idea of the problem we are dealing with.

But there are other most important facts to l)e weighed
at this point, because of their importance.

The idea has j)revaik'd in the past, that this tide of im-
migration had about reached its height and that many
thousands of Canadians were in fact returning to their na-
tive homes.

We will touch the latter point later on, while speaking
of the aims and purposes of the French.

Figures prove beyond the shadow of a doubt, that for the
last iifteen vears there has been a constant increase, both
by inunigration and by propagation. There is every reason
to think that the future will not be different. The same
causes will produce the same results.

What has been the great cause of this large influx of Ca-
nadians ?

A great many j)eoplc in this country attribute it to the
untavorable natural conditions of the country, to its res-
tricted territorial limits, to the barrenness of its soil, to the
rigor of its climate, and other causes ot the saiuc category.
They think of Canada in the same way as Voltaire once
did when he declared it was not worth while for France to
be fighting over a few acres of snow.

No greater mistake could be made. Canada is one of
the finest countries on this continent. Territorially it is
larger than the United States. It has a vast area of rich
and productive soil. Ontario and the North-West abound
in the finest of wheat farms and other productive lands.

Its Numerical Strength. 'M

The great rivers of Caiuulu are too well known lo be
mentioned, and their numberless tributaries are only a little
less magnilicont, oti'ering water-power&' unequalled any-
where.

The forests have no doubt been stripped of much mar-
ketable wood. Still they are yet rich in pine and other va-
luable timber. Ivicii and abundant mines are being dis-
covered everywhere.

The climate is by no means as objectionable as is suppo-
sed. In the West it is as mild as here, and the clear, sharp,
but dry cold air of (Quebec is fir more healthy than the
damp and catarrhal air ol New Kngland. Nothing is want-
ing to make Canada a great country, so far as natural re-

sources go.

It is not here that we must look for the cause of the won-
derful exodus of French Canadians to New England. Are
we asked wherein it lies? We answer unhesitatingly : In
the most extraordinary exactions of the Church of Rome.
If 1,000,000 of these peo{)le have left the country they love
very dearly, it is because they are simi)ly crushed by what
has been called ai)tly, the "ecclesiastical machine." To use
the words of Principal MacVicar of the Presbyterian Col-
lege, Montreal, it is because the Province of Quebec
is under the entire control of a "strong, enormously
wealthy, well-endowed, tithe-collecting, taxes-leying, Bible-
burning and confessedly intolerant corporation, to which
time-serving politicians bow the knee."

In Quebec the Church is distinctly established by law.
If the British goverimient had better understood the power
ot Jesuitism to enslave a Protestant colony, it would have
been a little more careful in the drafting of the Articles of
Capitulation at the time of the conquest of Canada in 175'J.
It must be said however, that the treaty did not effect any

'onr

lent

a<j>

•I '

legal estahli.shineut of tlie flmrcli. The article bearing osi
this point rearls thus : *' The Catholic itihabitaiits of Caii-
ada are granted the (vii^ exercise of the Uoniisii religion,
the ol)ligation of paying tithes to the priest to depend upon
the King's pleasure."

Neither did the Treaty of Peace of July 10, 17G.'> es-
tablish the church. It simply stipulated that ""His Brit-
tanic Majesty would give the uiostert'ectual orders that his new

Catholic sub

diip of their rel

jir religion

/atholic sui)jects might protess the worslnp o
according to the rights of the Romish church as far as tiie
laws (jf Great Eritain permit."

All this was but fair. But Rduie is cunning and far-
seeing. She is always sure ti) secure legislation of the kind
that will be useful to her when the public mind is tixed on
other matters. It was in this way that she obtained the
Imperial Act of 1774 which tixed unmistakably the legal
status of the church in (Quebec. The clergy were fully em-
powered to collect tithes and to levy taxes for church })ur-
poses as they may deem necessary, without the voice of the
people.

It is thought that the chiu'ch has exceeded her rights in
the directioji of tithes and taxes. That the Act ot 177-i
only contemplated the parishes and seignories that then ex-
isted. But she ha-! been forming new parishes. The
Protestant element has been driven away from many parts
of the country, by means we have not time to give here in
detail. Protestant farms have been bought by people who
had always been considered penniless — probably bought by
clerical money and mortgaged to the church — and these
Protestant districts have become Roman Catholic parishes.
New Glasgow has become Ste. Sophie La Come and so
forth. Then the new parish has become subject to the
tilheing and taxing system, contrary as it is thought, to the

' Its Numti'iad Strtmjth. 38

JmpL'riul A(;t. 11" it hi; aski'd why tlie Provincial jjjoverii-
muiit does not sU)[) these alnises, wliich burden the pecjple
iiud drive them uwjiy, the unssvL-r is vei-y simple. Tho
iiierurchy control iihsolutely tin- letrislature. To oj)j)ose in
the least way the cluwch would mean sure death.

The tithes are an annual source of inunensc revenue to
the priests. Kvery twenty-sixtli bushel of grain is his Ijy
law. For over a century peas were counted vegetables
and thus exemj)ted. l>ut win ii tin' priest found out that
the haJtifmif was cunning enough to sow more peas than
anything else, he had this vegi'ialde converted by the I'ope's
j)ower, into a grain. likewise in the disti-ict of Three
llivers, which is a good hay couiuy, the oppi-essed farmer
sought relief from taxation by cultivating hay. Hut the
priests obtained from Uishop Lafleche a lew years ago. the
imposition of a tax of ?52 a ton on that artii'le.

There 'vas a good deal of grumbling but as is generally
the case in all priest-ridden countries, the people submit led
as a general rule.

Caiuulian papers inform us lately, that tlie bishop
having found out that many farmers were still dodg-
ing their annual tithes, by devoting their attention very
largely to hay raising, has renewed the o-dcr for
a tax of 37.50 on each 1000 bundles of hay, which
is practically tlie same as that ot 18'S1. It would seem that
other bishops will follow his example. The farmers are
stirred up all over the proviiu'e, as the tax will make the
church more wealthy and powerful than ever. The result
will be increased immigration to the United States, where
people are not obliged to pay for their religion unless they
choose to.

If the farmers had only a little more backbone, they
would refuse to submit, and as hay does not come under

* <■'

84 Fo/o' ITeritat/e.

the re(iuiremeiits of the old hiw, the churcli eoultl not com-
pel them to i)tiy.

If tlie titlu'S covered everything, the farmers* would be
Hiitislied. I)Ut this is only a f»nuill i)()rti(»n of the cost of
their reli^'ion. The pew-rents are very hi;j:h and must be
paid or the people stand durinjj; service. Tiie taxes for the
erection of those palatial ecclesiastical buildings which fairly
cover the Province, standinj^ as they du, side by side with
the miserably poor huts of the people, are enormous. Peo-
ple have told me they were working hard 'n the factories
li'Tc to get money In redeem their I'arms wliich they had
mortgagi'd to pay the church taxes.

Then come the exi)enses for baj)tisms, the ringing of one,
two oi- three bells according to the money })aid ; the expense
at funerals, which varies from Si.') to $.')()(). A pauper can-
not be biu'ied for less than $1. The cotlhi is then j)laced
as near the ground as possible; a half dozen candles are
lit, a low mass sung and perhaps one bell rung or
none at all.

I asked a French Canadian last Binumer how nmch an
ordinary funeral cost among the poor. He said: ''You
camicjt get a decent service from the church for less than
SKi." Let it be well understood that this is exclusive of
all outside expense.

There are thousands of other ways by which money is
extorted from an ignorant, credulous people. The trallic
of masses for suuls detained in an imaginary purgatory,
the sale of indulgences, scapularies, holy water and other
innumerable papal inventions of which it is impos. to

form the remotest conception without 1 i a Roman

Catholic country, simply drain the peo] aake and ' ep

them poor. Pinched by poverty, discou. red an I disheart-
ened thov leave with tears their homes.

lis Nnnivrical Straiytli. 35

It is iin})<).".sil)le lo arrive at anything like accuracy,
when attoiu{)tiii<,' to make an estimate of the revenue and
weahh of the (-iiurch in the Prf)vince of Quebec. Several
attempts have been made and we give below one of the
hitest made by the Kev. A. B. Cruchet, ex-pastur of I'Eglisc
du Sauveur, Montreal, Que. Mr. Cruciiet, in an article
pul)li.shed in li^i'^W, in the Revue de Thculogiv ^'ratiijut of
Pari.s, gives the figures which follow. The ..nuimite is ne-
cessarily exclusive of many items concerning which the
writer could not obtain information, because the church re-
fuses to make reports.

It may also be said that Mr. Cruchet underestimates sev-
eral sources of income. Ii; a conversation we had together,
he stated that a distinguisl-.ed priest had written him, blam-
ing him for arraigning the chnrch as he had done, and
stating that its wealth was intinitely larger than stated by
him. Tile computation is as follows : —

''The number of farms under cultivation in the Province
of Quebec is estimated at 200,000. Many of those pro-
duce barely enough to give bread to the numerous familu's
who cultivate them. We may form an opinion by the fol-
lowing statement :

" 1. Tiie Province of Quebec produces a total of 31,280,-
000 bushels valued at 818,200,000, yielding a "dime,"
or tithe of $700,000.

"2. Taxes on families who do not possess land, amount-
ing to not less than §300,000.

"3. Fees for baptisms, marriages, funerals and masses,
payments for pew-rents and objects of piety, yielding not
less than 62,000,000.

"4. Voluntary gifts received from house to house,
legacies derived from property of unknown extent held in
mort main, all put together probably exceeding 83,000,000.

(I!!

30 Your Heritage.

" '). Taxes for construction and maintenance ot churches,
prt'shytei'ics and Fabrique schools amounting to at least
82, GOO, 000.

"TliL' Homisii church, therefore, receives on an average
annually, from 200,000 Catholic families in Quebec, the
enormous sum of §.S,000,000, for the exclusive ends of their
•vvorsiii)), that is to say, for the maintenance of ilOO parishes,
at Si'^-OOO i;ach. This seems incredible. The ligures, are
far fiom giving a (complete idea of the revenues of the
church in our happy province." ISIr. Blackburn llarte,
in nu article in the November number of the Forum,
states that the revenue of the church, inclusive of tithes,
f(ihri<iiii' taxes, and sacramental fees, amoimts to more than
Sl2,000,000 a year. Tiie property of the church is valued
at 8120.000,000.

So mucli for the amount which the Roman Catiiolics of
the Province ai'e oliliged to j)ay yearly to the clergy.

The ^Montreal ]r//;/'N.s gives the following inventory of
the property ot the church, wiiich it probably takes from
Mr. Cruchct's .irticle, tiince the figures are the same.

"In 17r>*J she received 2,117,000 acres of land, which
valuable possession has since been greatly added to by pro-
perty gained by di{)l(unacy ai.cl continual begging and by
the natural increase in the value of certain kinds of real
estate.

" She owns 000 chin-ches, valued at 8.'57,O0O,000 ; 900
parsoiuiges along with the palaces of the cardinal, the arch-
bishops and bishops, valued at 89,000,000; 12 seminaries
worth 8(500,000; 17 classical colleges, 88r)0,000 ; 250
boarding schools and academies, 8000,000 ; 800 convents,
84,000,000 : 08 hospitals atul asylums, 84,000,000; mak-
ing a total of 861,210,000.

"As to the lands, shops, houses and invested capital, it

I' ' !

Its Namti'ical Stnuyth.

is imj)ossiblc to reach absolute certainty. We know that
some ecclesiastical orders are enormously wealthy. Cath-
olics themselves declare that the Sulpicians for example,
are richer than the Bank of Montreal, the most powerful
institution of the kind in America."

Wlicn it is remembered that tiiese enormous sums of
money arc taken, so to speak, by furce, from the people,
we need not go further to ascertain the reason for this ex-
traordinary exodus of French Canadians to New England.

Neither should we be surprised to Jind such statements
as the following in the (Quebec Aiiuual Census Keport
of 1S87:—

"In tliirty-three counties there has been an actual de-
cline in the poj)uiaiion to the extent of 42,000 souls. In
twenty-nine counties there has been an increase in the pop-
ulation, amounting to r>2,000 souls; showing a balance of
10,000 increase."

Tlie report goes on to show, however, that this increase
is sinij)ly due to the overflow of people from Montreal, the
opening up to settlement of tlu; Gatineau valley, the growth
ofllidland the construction of the C^iu^bec Central rail-
road through the county of Megantic, the increase in the
municipalities of Ilocholaga, Ottawa and INIegantic being
over 20,000. A carel'iil comparison of tigiu-es shows that
between l^Hl and if^Hl the province of C^uebec lost the
whole of the natural increase of her riu'al ])opulation,
which is estimated at something like 175,000. The report
concludes by saying : —

"The conclusion to be drawn from these figures is, that
in spite of the (/pening up of new lauds the time has come
when the population of Queltoc has ceased to increase in
numbers, and that the great natural increase of the French

■■ i

■:. 1

1
1 '

; 1

;

1 i

88 Your Heritage.

Canadian race will of necessity be forced to find a home
beyond the borders of this Province."

I have dw^elt at length on these facts and figures, because
they give us most important data : First, the approximate
actual strength of the French Canadians in this country ;
secondly, the cause of their immigration ; thirdly, we are
enabled to form a tolerably accurate idea as to what New
England can expect for the future.

lit'

CHAPTER VI.

ITS I'KOBAIJLE FITUUK (iliOW'TII.

Ill wliiit lia.s nreeedeil, wc have (miIv liiiite<l at the nroba

pr(

])ilitics uf iiKTcase of the French jnMipK' in New Kiighind.
The facts wo have in liaiid are sutHclent to convince us, that
the j^rowtli will necessarily be, not only constant, but steady,
and in increasinf^ proportiitn from year to year.

To begin with, the condition of things in (Quebec, depict-
ed in the preceding chapter, not only remains to-day, but
is worse than it ever has been probably in the history of the
nation.

The Dominion as well as the provincial pai'liaments, are
the docile slaves of the Romish hierarchy. In (Quebec the
Protestants are laboring under disabilities in various res-
pects, for instance in the matter of taxation for scdiool pur-
poses. In Montreal no less than 810,000 of Protestant
money is given to Ronian Catholic schools, and no redress
can be obtained. If the Dominion Parliament be appealed
to, it is found convenient to hide behind the often shallow
pretense of provincial rights and autonomy. Rome controls

It'

Si"' ■

40 Your Ileritufje.

the politics of British Protestant Canada, just .is she will
rule New England ere long, it' the latter does not soon
awake out of her sluiTiix-r.

This being the case, the French Canadians, especially the
poorer classes, need expect no relief. The clergy, aided
by self-seeking andunj)rincipled politicians, will continue to
enrich themselves on the very life-blood of this down-trod-
den and oppressed populati(»n.

Ttie cause which has pi'oduced so large an immigration
in a comparatively short period of years, being intensitied
to-dav, the exodus will continue and will be all the liir<jrer.

Last September the papers of Canada announced that the
cr()})s in the region below (Quebec were almost a total fail-
ure. IJccause of this a large exodus was expected to the
!Ni:w England states. The government was urged to take
mcasui'cs to furnish \\n:'.i to the people, that they ini^ht be
retained in the country. ^

Those will) will take the trouble to step iiUo a Centi-al
Vermont (tr Connecticut River ti'uin coming from White
Kiver .Junction, almost anv dav, will hiid it crowded with
French Canadians on their way to New England cities.

In the second place, many of the juembers of the clergy,
seem of late to have changed their tactics. Instead of dis-
couraging the people fi'om crossing the lines, they rather
encourage them. It may not be accm'ate to say that they
foster this inunigration, but it is true that the o})position to
it is by no means what it used to be.

The ri'ason is simple enough. The French clergy con-
trol Canada through the province of Quebec. The Cana-
dian race is so proliiic that even if they do lose, as has been
shown, thousands each year, they still can command a suili-
cient majtu'ity to hold the reins of power.

Now they 'nave designs on New England. Bishop La-

Its Future Probable Growth.

(leflie of Three Rivera, visited New Knglaiul some time ago,
uikI was amazed at the growth of the French Kumaii Ca-
tholic church in these Puritan states. This visit has led
him to take a look into the dim distant future of North
America.

He does not believe that Canada will ever bi; annexed to
the United States, but rather that a portion of the United
States will be aui.exed to Canada. In the more or less dis-
tant future, for causes already apparent, the American Ke-
jiublic will be divided into several independent states, and
New England annexed to (.Quebec to form a great French
Catholic inde{)end<;nt state. For this reason he l)elieves
that Providence has some wise purpixsc in view in allowing
the emigration of so many French Canadians from (.Quebec
to New Kngland to continue, despite the efforts in the past
of statesmen and clergy to prevent it. He is satislied that
the French Canadian element has taken root in the land of
the Puritans, and is making great headway, both in num-
l)ers and influence. He no longer feels at libertv to discou-
rage the immigration juovement.

Moreover, caveful observation has convinced these men,
that French Ultramontanism runs no particular danger in
Protestant New England as matters are now developing.
The chances are in manv respects fa\oral)le to that system.
So long as the thousands of French children thr.t now till
our cities, can be kepi out of the Amei'ican pultlii' schools,
and placed in French Uomasi Catholic parochial schools,
which are a fac-simile ot the institutions of (Quebec, taught
by French imns, largely in French, and in the old ruts, they
will develop into a French Canadian Ultramontane colony.

We hope, for New England's sake, that the day is not far
distant when the people of this land will understand, that
our foreign populations will not bo converted to true Prot-

•A-^ Your Herita'jii.

testant, American principles, througli the lungs, but
thr(jii<j;h the brains and heart.

Wlicn warning optimistic Americans of coming dangers,
I have been told scores of times : "There is something in
our air which Komanism cannot resist. The French Cana-
dians will iall in with our way of thinking."

The educative power of New Enghmd, we ansv/cr, is not
in its damp air, which has had the eU'ect of giving the
French Canadians ''la grippe", without making Ultramcjn-
tanism lose its grip on their intelligence and conscience.

It is in your instituticnis that education of th ^ right kind
is to be found; but these educate those only who enter them.
We will discuss these points later on. Siitlice it to say
that the priests who know the state of things among the
Fren(,'h of this country, are pretty well satisticd with the
steady growth of their power and influence over these
masses.

lint there is a third reason why the French population
will soon have doulilcd itself in this country, nanu'Iy its
marvelous power (d reproduction. The race is certainly
one of the most j)rolific on this continent.

The clergy have nnudi to do with the natural grf)wth of
the race. There was a rich mine to explore here, and it
has been worked for all it is worth. Early marriages ai'C
encouraged ; boys and girls of fifteen and sixteen are made
man and wife. As a residt, large families of children are
raised. In fact necessity is laid uj)on them to raise a largo
family for the glory of God and the church. Special dis-
coiu'ses are given on these subjects by priests a{)pointed for
that pur})osc, to men alone, then to women, and to boys
and girls. We learn from reliable persons who were pre-
sent on some ot th<.se special occasions, that the most inde-
licate things are said by the bachelor priest.

7^4! Future Probahle Growth. 48

Of late most extraordinary figures have been found, which
must impress Now Enj^hmders in a peculiar way, accus-
tomed as they are to tiieir small families of one or two
children, and lead them to reflect.

The family of ten or twelve children, instead of being
uncommon among the French Ciinadians, is of very fre-
quent occurrence. We might say it was the rule instead
of the exception.

I have known of families of fifteen, eijrhteen and twenty
children. In the village of lierthier, where I lived many
years, there were born in a family of one union, twenty-
six children. The good mother could not very well sec
why there should not be a tithe on the children as well as
on the grain. She thought the twenty-sixth child might
as well be given to the priest as the twenty-sixth bushel of
grain. She therefore gave her last child to the parish {)riest
and thought there would be a suflicient number left in the
home to give her occupation.

The Hon. INIr. INIcrcier, Premier of the Province of Que-
bec, offered through his govcrnu ent, a bonus of 100 sicres
of land to every thirteenth child in a family. This has
brought out some wonderful statistics.

In the county of Kamuuraska, there was found a family
with twenty-three children around the table. In anotiier
family thirty-five were born to one father, this by two mar-

riages.

There liave been so many applications for the land offered,
that the Premier is afraid he may have to call for a halt,
lest tlie crown lands of the Province become too soon ex-
hausted !

The French papers gave some time ago a remarkable in-
stance which illustrates the fecundity of the Canadian race.

There resides at Middleton, Mass., — unless he has «lied

w
1ft

44 Your IJcrifaijc.

recently, — u French Canadian, named Charles Roy, wlui
reached his 107th year on the 1.5th of January last. He
is rej)()rted as being still hale and fresh. Ho spent 102
years of his life in Canada, losing his wife lifteen yeais
ago, when she was ei;j;hty-four.

From this union were born fourteen children, nine of
which are still alive. The second of these, under whose
r(jof dwells the old patriarch, is seventy-eight years of age.
He is the father of sixteen children. The families of the
other children arc as follows : Charles has had twelve chil-
dren ; Michel, fourteen ; Auguste, fotirteen ; Francois,
thirteen ; Pierre, fifteen ; Rose, nine ; Joseph, live. Sev-
eral of the grand-children have married and even some of
the great-M'and-children. In all, it is said that the Roy
ianiily numbers no less than 700 souls. If this is not phe-
nomenal fecundity, what is?

In 17(53, the French numbered about 70,000 in Canada.
During the last 152 years the increase has been 1.434 per
cent or fourteen to one. At this same rate of increase the
French population will immber 9,000,000 in (Quebec in
fifty years.

I^remier INIercier's estimate of the French population in
Canada and the United States for 18'J1, is as follows: In
Quebec the census will give 1,240,154. In the other pro-
vinces 281), 4.'U, making a total of 1 ,.')28,r)85 for Canada.
If we put down the French Canadians of this country at
1,000,000 this will give us 2,r)28,r)85 for the two countries.

If the increase goes on in the same proportion, in fifty
years there will be, in the two countries, between fifteen
and eighteen millions French-speaking people.

The question becomes all the more serious when we con-
sider the state of things among New Englanders in relation
to the growth of the population.

Its Future Probable Growth

Careful observation shows, that the nmnl)er of bach-
elor;*, among the Yankees, is beconiii)^ luri^er and hirger
each year. This means that the New EnirhuHl homes of
the type you need to maintain your national life are not in-
creasing in anything like the ratio of the homes of Honian
Catholic foreigners.

Add to this, another most significant fact. The race of
native New Englanders is fast dying out, because even ni
these few new homes reared, there is a conspicuous absence
of children. The decadence of the Yankee family is a very
sorry fact that cannot be denied.

The last census of Vermont shows a small increase of
200 over 18<S0. The suj)ervisor of the census adds that the
increase in the number of taxal)le jjoUs, would have given
tlie state a gain of 10,000 to I."), 000, if other things had
lieen equal. liut the vital statistics show that the births
luive diminished enough to oH'set the gains in population
iri.ni other sources.

Tlie liurlington Free Press exj)resses itself in the follow-
ing terms : ''The Yankees of earlier days ol)eyed the di-
vine command to increase and nudtiply. Then the hills
and valleys of Vermont were jx'opled with those ot the
same race. Now the native-born familv of half a dozen
chiMren in Vermont is considered a noteworthy affair, and
families numbering ten or a dozen children, once no un-
conunon thing, are now so rare as to be altogether unknown
in many sections. In the light of these facts brought out
by the census of 181)0 must we conclude that the race of
native Veriuonters is dying out? It certainly looks that
way."

The Springfield Union ^ commenting on the same important
question says : " This falling off in the birth rate of the
Yankee stock is a sorry fact and Vermont is not the only

46 your lIc.riUKjc.

sufferer. Thirty years ago the average size of Yankee fam-
ilies was much hirger than it is to-day and tlie figure has
been gra(huilly dropjjing till now a family of four or five
children is regarded as about iill a father and mother want
to take care of. Lack of physical stamina cannot fully ac-
count for the change. Nor is it entirely chargeable to
moral decadence except so iar as the primeval connnand of
God to tiie huma!) race is h-ss ipgarded. Those who arc
most able to suj)port ;ind train large families are content
with one or two children, and plead their social burdens in
mitigation of their default. The question of pcrpctiuiting
the Yankee stock is becoming a serious one in view of the
fact that those of foreign birth who conic to u> in increasing
numbers, have not adopted our fashi(.n, and in a generation
or two will greatly (.utinnuber us by purely natural increase."
The Hartfort /*o,s7, in a reci'nt article cntitK-d "An Im-
portant Factor," calls attention to the same (juesiion in the
following terms : "The statement is made on good author-
ity that the French Canadians living near the \'erniont line
are forming (u-ganizati(.ns with a view of obtaining many
of the abandoned farms of this State and also of New
Hampshire. It is believed there will be a considerable em-
igration from tlu! lower ])art of Canada into the State
and New Hampshire with the coming of the spring. Just
what the authority is on which this ytatenn'iit is made we
have no means of knowing, but there is nothing at all un-
likely in the story. French Canadians already own many
farms in Northern New Kngland. They are a thrifty peo-
ple, and contrive to live where a modern Yankee would
starve. But of more importance than anything else in this
connection is the fact that the French Canadians have chil-
dren and that these children are brought up to work hard.
It is a well-known fact that the roofs of the New England

//.s' Future Vrohnhh- Grotcth. 47

farm houses which shchcr Yankee fanners Hhclter a very
.-mall niunl)er of Yankee babies, and that as the years go
by the babies thus sheltered are decreasing and not increas-
ing in nundjers. In the less pretentious houses of the
French Canadians near by, are to be found swarms of
children, who are made to work and who generally stand
liy the farm much longer than the boys and girls of Yan-
kee parentage. \Vhatever may be the final outcome of
New England's problem so far as the farms iiiid tarmers
are concerned, one thing must In- kept constantly in mind,
and that isjthat if the New Kngland farmers want to see
the New England farms re-peopkd by Yankee stock, they
nuist raise the stock. The baby, a very important factor
in the family, is an f([ually important factor in the Ni-w
England proldem."

It is imp»)ssible to avoid tiie conclusion that .\i\v l-".n-
gland will soon be in the hands of those who an- conciuer-
ing by occupying. The French and Irish populaiion will
soon outnund)er the Yankees. What [he inlhieiice w ill l)e,
will depend very much upon the education they receive, on
the political and religious principles by which they are con-
trolled. Jfthe plans and aims of the clergy concerning
them succeed, the outlook for the country, and especially
for New England, is not very pi'omi.-ing. From this time
onward the French Roman Catholic hierarchy will become
year by year stronger. The immigration does not dimin-
ish, but rather ini.'reases and the increase by birth is of
course larger and larger every year.

It must not be forgotten that New England is constantly
losing her own sons and daughters by emigration to other
parts. The farms, which once were occupied by the sturdy
old Puritan farmer, with his large family of God-fearing
children, have be n abandoiicd by these and have passed

^'^ Ynur Hi-ritiif/f.

into the hands ol' French and Irish Romanists, ii> lia> heen
shown.

It is one of the most marked features of the policy of the
Koniish hierarchy to become the possessor of the hoil. It
is a well-known fact that in many places Protestant churches
have died out, wliiLst Roman Catludic churches are being
built everywhere.

We cannot very well affi rd to fold our arms, iii the inde-
finite hope that the problem will nolve itself. This popula-
tion will not be evanj^rdized, christianized and Americanized,
without special eflbrt. A <;reat many are losiug faith in
Romanism, but that means nothing. The old absolutism is
better than no religion at all. Rut in the nature of things,
iumdreds become indifferent to Romanism as to its religious
a.-pe(t,and still renuiin connected with the church, because
they fear to lose its patronage.

The problem has long jiresented itself to my mind in the
shape of three alternatives, oue of which, it seems to uie,
nmst be accepted, with the residts it leads to :

1. Either continue to remain indifferent to the fact that
we, through om- grand and nobk: iustitutiuns, are undermin-
ing the Ronuin Catholic faith and causing thousands to fall
into infidelity, because we do but little to replace by some-
thing better the imperfect and insullicient faith we are ins-
trumental in destroying, and make up our minds to reap
the disastrous results which are sure to follow, and of
which France has given the world a sad enough example ;

2. Or again, in order to preserve the Romish religion for
these masses, grant the hierarchy all she asks, help to es-
tablish her firmly on American soil, and to that end — this
is elementary logic — build up her parochial schools, sub-
sidize them, overthrow the free institutions which have been
and are ihe glory of the nation and have made it what it is,

ItH Future Prohnhir Growth. 49

hut vvliich Kf)nic ciinnot ajiprove ht'ctiuso they dostroy hor ;

.'?. Or liually, siivc the Ivoiniui Ciitholic popuhition tVoin
(Irit'ii!);^ into iiili(U'lity and troin joi ..ig tlio hipsed inas.si'S,
not hy overtliro\viii;^()iir Aiiu'ricaii iustitiitioiis, hut hy kiu'p-
iu;^ tliem Cliristiaii, and hy {^ivini; the pure Gospel ol'.Ie.sus
the Savior ol" humanity, and the j,'roat principles ot thelVd-
testant Keforniation to all the Konianidts whom God iiends
within our horders.

Christian patriots must face this question. AVe ;j;avc ex-
pression to these selfsame views six years ago, in the daily
press of Lowell, and we can re|)eat tluMu with i-mphasis 'o-
day. We cannot help oiu'selves. The good or evil day
may he put off a little, out come it nmst. One of the three
alternatives above-nuiitioned is sure to prevail.

Home is either destined to become supremo in this n-jiub-
lic — this is her dream — and then would all our liberties
cease, or she must fall. We do not believe she can ever
succeed to maiutaiti her own so far as her religious teneta
are concerned. 'I'here is not miu-h fear of theii" conquer-
ing this nation, liut we do fear the atheistical tendencies of
that system of religion among the Romanists of this land,
as well as the moral cowardice which the political man-
oeuvres of the hierarchy engender among Americans.

It is forgotten by thousands that the collaj)se of Rome
does not mean the strengthening of Christianity, unless
greater efforts be made to convert to Christ those who are
falling away from the old faith.

Father Clarke of Albany, in an article in the Month
said: ''The public schools have taken away from the Cath-
olics, in the space of twelve years, 1,1)90,000 members.
Large masses of Catholics have succumbed under the influ-
ence of these American institutions."

if.

CriAPTER VII.

"■S AIMS AND l.Lni.n«i.-» .,

Franco is ;„,e,.,, J„°' !" "^^ ""-J development of Ne„.
enr,o.,;,y. P^«« "f kmory, as a matter „f

• '«.I->ond, Canadians : t rfVf '^''^'^ ^"''""'' -^
'-■■• past history, bec„„° n '™""' '''»^'=™e1 i"

-™l'Ho very unwise ancU, I ,^'''"''''' «"" ^-^-'o it
>>'«'" ignomnt about tl,e nl" ' ^"'' ^'"S^'""> to re-

--3 of this ,a.,.e popui'J; : ' Tlf """ P-Po-s of t„e
them among us. ^ """' "'o-'" are worked out by

Let it be sal/l ^i. j.

fro... tbo P;.e„ ',;' : JX'-'"'' ":'"""'^ — be e..pecte„

-■^dom, i„ t,,„ ,„,,^, of L f„' . '"''°'™"^ f- -"K'-oua
"«"- ,1,0 batre,! a,„, s..or' of X ; V"'"'','- ''""^ '"'™

'ottbeirRouHsb compatriots;

Its Aims and Purposes for tht Future. 61

fathers and mothers have bceu disowned by their children,
children by their parents because of the Gospel of Christ.

Hundreds of our converts have been insulted, misrepre-
sented, beaten, imprisoned. Their property has been
destroyed by fire, and ii.i many instances their blood has
been shed.

One of the first converts of the Baptist mission told me,
that for over a year he did not retire peaceably to his bed
at niglit. He was compelled to keep his clothing on and
gun in hand to protect his buildings against incendiarism.

My father and his companion in labor were surrounded
by a mob in the village then known as I'lndustrie, and the
resolve was to drive them to the river and drown them.
Through God's providence. Seigneur Joliette interposed
and (heir lives were saved.

Whilst the mob was howling, a woman passed the mission-
house and cried out to the wife of one of the missionaries :
" Ah, your husbands wont preach their false doctrine any
more. They are dead."

"Well," replied this woman of faith, ''if they are dead,
they will rise."

Our missionaries and pastors have been and are to-day
treated by the clergy and their blind adepts, with scorn
and contempt. The Komish press has poured out its tor-
rents of abuse on them, without realizing that it was insiiliing
the whole Protestant community in so doing. Through
all these trials the French Protestants have had to
endure, the God of their fathers has sustained them, so
much so that they now number some 50,000 in America.

If they thus suHered it was because they believed in the
great princij)les of freedom, truth and progress on which
tlic Constitution of the American nation is based and
which Rome has always trampled under foot.

'ij

1^'

VoNr Ileritarje,

■» " ". 1« ,,a„.i,„i,. ? u i „','"""' '"■"""•'="• ^^-l-t
-■" 'l"l.-ve,. a „ati„„ f, , ,;,„„, ^ '" '"'"I" ">-».n.c.., ,„a.

■"■;;■:,'■'■• -^ "■•■'.-.■>•• ™. ;::„,. :•:;; "-'^ "'"'--"0

I li" ivliole trouble ,vi,|, ,i,p p , '

""■'■'■"■-"•■M.s,„aci,i„g»,i, .;.''"':'' ^■"""*'-' '■•- .■"

';■'■"■ "■"■"•'•■^ "-"'«i'7o£ :;:;,:"";!', '--'-"■'•'. ..-ko

-''-•'■•■''^""l, tl.at in ll,e very „. 7, '''" """"'' "c un-

K-""uiM„ „,„, f„, „ ;;:;^^^''^"-- l'".l, ,o.. u,e ^lavc. of

;-"!' «u:i;;:i::;;"::r ;■;: ;-- - .^uo a,,.,,,.,, ,n.

'""'• '"•■ '!•"■. not lose l,i,s ,„,„ ,;, . , ^ ''"•"■""■S «.- A„a.,-

7"' >•'>"■• «-v.-ii.a„o„ j, r: „.^ ,.;;'■ "" """ ''^ «•"» -
■:f-.'r,.^:;:aS:':rrr-"''''^--'

''fl"n.^s to the ,„(,,,„„ ,„„„ '""" f ''r-?""o .lays. „„
h'^t-ry wl,c.„ etuperor, «:,:; J" ",' f""' "'■"'« ^ori,!',
•-'- ".0 fbet of the pope I,:" :;^";" "'"™ "■«'•■■ -ks

1^ ■■•< »n I ItramoMtane, he be-

JfK ^\ims (did I'ltrposis /of tilt Futui-e. 58

lievcs in tlu; int'allil»ility of the jH)i)e, in the 'e.storation of
tlic tcnij)<)i'iil powiT, ill the t'oiinectioii of church and state.
lie beh'evcs th Honiish church is tlie only true diurch and
shouhl be the mistress (tt'all thi' nalii)nsuf tlie earth. IT he
is honest it is his <hity to cause liis views to j)r»'V!iil.

Alter what we have said of the strength of the French
Honian Catholic popuhitioii, and of the gi-owth we may sure
ly count upon, it were idle toask whetlier we N\'W Knghind-
ors shoidd he much concerned in this matter. 'I'o l>e sure
the French Canadians have a right to throw themselves
iihjectly unde!' the pope's feet if tliey choose, providi^d how-
ever, in so doing, they do not interfere with our rights, pro-
vided they do not feel ohh'ged by their religious and political
creed, to «k'stroy what we most prize, what we deem essen-
tial to the permanency of this Christian nation. And who
does not know that the infallildi' jMipe has cursed as damn-
able heresies, liberty (»f speech and of c()nscience, lil»erty of
the press, the free school system and why not say at once
Protestantism as u whole? Things nuiy as well lie said just
as they are.

We have already stated Hi.-hop Lalleclie's view concern-
ing the future ol'Norih Amt'rica. As it is shared by the
French Roman Catliolic hierarchy, it is of importance that
we examine it a little more carel'ully.

The Americans of New Kngla':;! nuist, sooner or later,
give up their fixed notion, tha; the whole French Canadian
race is ignorant and <lestitutf moretiver of brain power.
This mistake will prove fatal to the nati<tn.

It the French nuisses have been kept iLMiorant very largely,
it is a nnstake to suppose that the leaders, both among the
clergy and laity, are destitute (»f intelligeiUH! and culture.
There are a great many strong men among them, who know
just what they are aiming at, and who understand what

54 Your Heritage.

forces are working iu their favor and how they arc to be
used.

Tlicy have a well defined policy, from which they have
never departed in Canada and which has given them there
the residts they are aiming at here.

They believe that it is God's purpose to establish in North
America, a great French Koman Catholic, independent
nation.

Since the British conquest, it lias been the unconcealed
policy of Home to prevent the fusion of races in liritish
Canada. The French have b(!on educated alone, very
largely, in parochial schools created by the priests, and ab-
solutely controlled by them.

KHorts were made to create a system of common schools
in (.Quebec, where the children of ;ill nationalities would be
educated, I»ut the priests were always dead against any
such movement, because they wished to keep the French
a distinct, French Roman Catholic, and withal, mediaeval
nation.

It has been impossible to create anything like a true
Canadian spii-it in Canada, and the events which have
transpired of late have made matters ten-fold worse.

When Louis Hid, after fomenting two rebellions among
the half-breeds of the North- West, was defeated, captured
and sentenced to be iianged, tlie whole of French Canada
})rotested and demanded that he be lil)erated. Tiiere was
but one Frendi nu'mber in the Dominion |)arliament, who
Uj)held the government when it refused to C(jmnnite the
death sentence.

Mr. ]Mercier, who was then in the siiades of opposition,
took up the cry, and as it has been said, by means of Kiel's
rope, succeeded in effecting a fusion between a wing of the

irm

y 'ii'e to be

^^ley have
lem tliere

in North
qit'udeiit

oiicealed
liritish
►e, very
'iud ab-

•"^'-'liooJs
>ul(l be
i.st any

!'liiL'Vul

> true
iia\e

til red
tJuda

Was
n-ho

the

ion,
ieJ's

//s ^l/z/is antZ Purposes for the Future. 55

Liberal party and the ultra-clericals in the Conservative
party, and triumphantly rode to power.

The race cry ran hi<'h, and Mr. Mercier himself did not
hesitate to declare that sometime or other the tri-color flag
mi^dit float over Canada.

It h very much feared by thon^'htful nu'U, that ere the
close (jf this century, ihe Confederation of provinces may
be broken ii|». However that may be, theie is very little
sympathy between the I'rench and l^njjli>h, and if tin-
Church ot Rome <M)ntinue to encroach upon the liberties (»f
the Protestants, refuse to redress the wrongs of which they
rightly complain, there will be bloodshed rre long.

In (Quebec there are two oiUcial languages. Tiie (;hurch
obtained this for the province of ]\Ianitoba also. But at
the last meetiii": of the iej^islaturc the dual lanjrua're was
abolished in the last named province, nuich to the tuinoyance
of the French, who threaten vengeance.

In Ontai'io, the separate school .system was granted at
Rome's denuind. The I'rotestants now see all the evils of
it and talk of abolishing it.

Thi'V will be big battles on this and kindred question.'*,
and no one can tell how they will be settled.

Whether the clergy in New England succei'd or not in
doing here what they have done in Canaila, is a ([uestion
whi( h the future alone will reveal.

Of one thing we are j)ertV'ctly siu'e. For years they
have been working with the same ends in view. Their
aim is to keep the French as a si'parate race here ; to per-
petuate among them the customs, n)anners, method.s of ed-
ucation, traditions and religious beliefs of C^neliec.

If thcv can resist American influene«'s in New England
as thev have succeeded to resist En";lisli iiilluences in Can
ada, they will soon be a strong French Ronum Catholic

I Ml

lli^

^fi Your Heritage.

colony here, and their vote will be felt in a decided wav,
in the wroiiji^ direction.

With the education the Frenrli are now receiving;, it is
very hard so see how they can become Americans, in the
true .senye of the word.

First they are told that they must preserve their toniruc
and nationality. 'I'o preserve their ton^rue they nuist avoid
American scho(ds. Moreover, if they wish to be French
Canadians they must remain Romanists. When ;lifv lo.se
their reli^qon they lose their nationality.

For me, that is enon.i!;h to lUAmv them from true Amer-
ican citi/i-nship. A loyal, consistent Komanist cannot be a
loyal American citi/en.

The priest goes on to say : "If you will remain faithful
to Kome and to the teachin;rs it has always ;fiven you in
Canada, your reli;,non will preserve your nationality and in
time it will be so strong, in view of the large innnigration
and by our great natural growth, that we will be al)le to
contnd New Fngland, if not alom-, by making iin alliance
with Irish Romanists, esi)ecially when we want favors for
our chm-ch. .lust as the Province of Quebec rules Canada,
so will we New Fngland."

As will be shown mon' at length in another connection,
the French parochial school is made one of the most pow-
erful agencies to i>revent the French Canadians from im-
bibing American ideas.

Lv Citot/cn Franco- Americaiu of the .sth .Tamiary, 1801,
in referring to a sensible article l)y Mr. G. de Tonnancour,
on the advantages to be derived by the French in studying
the Fnglish language, calls the atten+ion to the fact that
the article in (piestion caused a wonderful <'(»mmotion iu
the French Catholic press of the countrv.

Le Co»j/>o/ of Chicago, referring to the estublibhrnent of

'^■'";?, it is
"">S in this

'*'"• tongue

""•^f avouJ

'*-' i'Veiic/.

''"T io.su

'« Ainor-

LVtion,

pow-

11 iiij-

I«f)I,
L'uur,
Ivfn-
(iiat
' in

I of

Itn Aims (tud Purposes for flit Future,

.')<

a French parochial school in Calumet, Michigan, publi.^hes
the t'oliowinfr from a correppondiiit :

"Tiiat school will help our chiidron to retain tlieir lan-
guage. According to your vigorous expression, this school
will he all invincihli- rampart that will prt-vi-nt the invading
waves of the Kngii.-h l.".iiguage from carrying our national-
ity down in the abysses of a natiotial and religions apos-

tiisv aiid in .die (

lark

ness ot a socialistic niLMit.

V \vi

never he inlluenced hv the lot.lisli stiill" <pf those scribblers
or false young prophets, like that M. dc Tonnancour, Avho
mf.kes bold, in thi- Fall Ivivi-r IndcjniKlmit, to j)raise the
Knglish language as our soK- means of advancement and
our real plank of salvation."

Another expresses himself in the following terms:
'*<)in' laii'Miajre, it is the cement to the editice of our na-

tioiialitv I Our lanuuaire it is

our

centre of rallv ! Our

language, it is the disliiictive mark of our nationality in
this world. Without the French lan:;iia''e, the French

n'-i

anadians w

illb

d,t

)e condemned, to remain zeros in America.

A third eurrespondent from Lake Linden, writes to the

dit

editor

((

hi nee you

>• last visit, we have often discussed the ridic

ulcus article published in the Fall River Indent ndunt and
bearing the name of a certain 'I'onnancour. If, by his an-
ti-national doctrine, this Ciuiadian could make proselytes,
he might l)e considered dangerous . . . We have here fam-
ilies who receive f,r \((ti<ittal iA' Lowell. It was pleasant
to see how il intimates to AL de 'roiiiiancoiir that it would
be better for an ignorant writer or a traitor to our nation-
ality like himself, to study before handlinir the jx-n. We
hope that, in the Cotidrnt, you are going to direct against
that individual and those like him, all the ni'cvssarij ( (forts
80 OS to make him disappear from our ranks."

o8 Your Jleritaye.

Mnny such extracts could be given to show that the de-
sire is to keep the French Caimdiaus in the oM ruts, by
preventing them from learning tlie English language.

It sliould be observed here, that the statement made by
the New York I'Jiwtiing Post of October 22, 1887, repro-
duce<l by IVof, Smith of Columbia Colh'ge, in his book,
"Emigration and Immigration," and whic'li was once true,
is by no means accurate miw.

It is stated that the French Canadians come here for a
short time, gather a little money and go back to Canada.
No doul)t some go back, but of late a great change has
taken place. Now that they have their churches, their
sch(»ols and numerous societies ; now that tlay exist in good
sized colonies in so many places, they settle (h)wn. They
buy a house or a farm and make of this country their home.

The Canadian govt-rnment has come to the conclusion
that appropriations made to repatriate the Frencji, are so
much wasted money.

Hon. Mr. McShane of Montreal, opposed the gi-anting
of a sum of money by the (^ueliec government, on the ground
that so long as mon could be hired m (Quebec and Montreal
for sevcnty-Hve cents a day, it was folly to speak of bring-
ing back the Canadians.

M. Kamcau, a noted Frenchman who wrote La Francr
aux Colonics and Cue Colonic Feodalr visited America last
winter, with the sj)ecial purpose of gaining iuller informa-
tion as to tiie distribution of the Canadian race in North
America.

He did all he coidd by interviews witli leading men in
cities and towns of New England to elicit the truth as to
the strength of the French Canadian element in the United
States. He learned enough tocontirm him in the conviction

Its Aims and Purposes for the Fufitre. 59

that tlie expansion acponiplishcd during the hist twenty
years has been extraordinary.

The Montreal ilazrtto. states that it so happens that, con-
temporaneously with J\I. Ranieau's eiujuiries, M. L. A. W.
Proulx had gone to New England to conduct a carcfid canvass
of the industrial centers with a view to the repatriation of
his countrymen, lie visited many places but it does not
aj)pear that the general response was favorable.

On the contrary, it was found that an entiridy differert
movement was in full operation, a movement in the direction
of naturalization, and c()nse<jueiitly totally opposed to the
object M. Proulx had in view.

Some years ago a mighty multitude of French Canadums
from the United States, met m (.Quebec. Tlu'y were de-
lighted with the recej)tion given them. Hut these well-to-
do, Americanized Canadians returned home, glad to have
seen their great St. Lawrence and the old home, but with-
out the least desire to exchange the new home for the old.

It may be interesting to know what is the valuation (>f
French jjroprietors in New England. The following ligures

are given

In Maine $2,i:54,4r)n ; New Ilamjishire $2,00'), 031 ;
Vermont S2,'2;VJ, 07') ; Khode Island gil,<;:)(),():J(') ; Massa-
chusetts SH, '.).">(), S4() ; Connecticut SI ,310,31;'). This makes
a total of SlW,3">(),3 1<». These ligures would indicate that
they are buying property. In Woonsocket K. I. a large
part of tiie real estate is in their hands.

In view of all that has been said, the dream of the French
clergy does not seem so empty. What they have succeeded
in doing in Canada should lead us to relied. The Eastern
Townships were once i)retty nuich what New Englan<l now
is. The English have been gradually driven away, their
farms bought up and the French have taken possession of

1:ii

ij'a

60 )'iiiir III ritiiiji-.

the lantl. It is sjiiil that tho church buys thoso farms and
takes a iii(»rtj:ajr»' <»ii thciu.

We raise the voice ol' \variiiji«' and we ask cahnlv, as
matters now stand, with a nation unaciniainted with these
facts, unawari' of the ])resence ol' these disinteirratin^rlorccsi
why shonhl it he titopian to think Koine may attain her aim?
Instead ol' hein;: so sanuMiine, is it not hett«'r to h)ok cahnly
into the iinestion ?

Is it true or is ii not tliat New Kn>:hind himies, of the
type you need to preserve your national h'fe, are not muUi-
plyin^' in anything like the ratio of French Catholic homes?
Is it true that it recjuires four or live American families to
make one French Canadian family ? Such are the facts,
and unless educationalists. Christian j)olitici!>ns and reform-
ers take hoUl of this (juestion fearli'ssly, unless they adopt
strong measures to Americanize the Fr-'iich and Irish Cath-
olics, Homanism will rule New Kngland in the near future
just as surely as it rules Canada to-day.

Optimists who read these lines will no doubt shru" their
shoulders and ridicule the idea. This is precisely what
English Protestants have been doing in Caiuula for years.
The efforts (»f the brave missionaries who worked .so hero-
ically, who bled and died to give the (Jospel to the French
of Canada, were little appreciated l)y English Protestantism.
There was no need of such a work. Con(iucred Canada
it was thought, would always have to submit to Protestant
England. lint what has been enacted of late?

The 70, ()()(> French of the conquest luive become 1,240,-
000. The church which controls them has become so pow-
erful that it controls the Province of Quebec, and through
it the Dominion parliament, that does not dare to veto a
bill, the unrighteousness of which is admitted on all sides,
and the opposition is so afraid that it does not dare say a

Its Aims ami Piirposen for flw Future. 81

\vor<l ng*iii)st it. The Proviiici" «tf (^lu-hoc openly decliircs
its iiitetition, through its Premier, to hocouK' ji French Cuth-
olic nation, breiiking loose from the oonfedenitioii to submit
in nil things to the pope uiul no longer to theC^ueen of En-
irland. The puhlie-school system of Ontario is shattererl at
lv<»nu''s demand. Knglish is banished from many schools
(dthat English Protestant province, and the Roman Cath-
olic catechism is taught even to Protestant childn-n in
schools sul)sidized by the state. These historical facts need
to be weighed by New Englanders. They are of such a
character as to lead men to think, and should help to save
this country from that dangerous /(//sst'/-y'a//r policy follow-
ed by Protestant England, the sad results of which are seen
so clearly to-day in the Dominion.

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY 14580

(716) 872-4503

Cp.

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•<biWiB> a[i^HlH

CHAPTER I.

lit

m I

I ;

TJIi: 1KEN< II HIKHAUCIIY.

"We trust wc have succeeded in showing, in (he cimptcrs
which precede, that there is sonic reason to tear the invad-
ing force we have endeavored to describe, and whose
phms of battle we liave in a measure set fortii.

However strong an army may be its connnanders ought
never to be ignorant of the real position of the enemy, of
its actual strength and of the possible help it may receive
from surrounding powers.

]t may be said that a want of proper preparation, will
almost invariably prove fatal to an army, however strong
ii may be. If the North had had the preparation of the
South, the rebellion would have been quelled in a compar-
atively short time and thousands of lives would have been
spared.

A great conflict of principles has begun in the United
States of America, and each day it is increasing in mag-
nitude. The powers of media'valism, represented by the
Roman Catholic hierarchy, and the civilization of the nine-
teenth century are face to face.

yV/c Frciir/i I/i> rdir/ii/. 65

All enlightened J'rotesttints Ijeliovc that tho Protestant
civilization oi" his great nation will win the day. In all
likelihood it will l»e so.

Hiif li-t us not forget, that the church or Rome, that
strong, (;onsolidatr(l, th(»roughly organized body, believes
otherwise. She believes and teaches tliat the conception
this Protestant nation has Conned of religion and govern-
ment, is totiilly wi-(,ng, that it is opposed to (lod's laws and
must necessarily be c()nil)atied. Consequently tiie church
has cursed and continu('S t(j curse the liberties wliicli this
nation deems essential to its widfare. It calls these liber-
ties good and desiraltli! only inasmuch as they make it pos-
sible for her to establish her system, which when estab-
lished, will put an end to them all.

Will any thinking man imagine for a moment, that
Kome will vield comnlacentlv ; that she will throw down
her jirms and accept a civilization she considers as opposed
to (lod and to the highest good of man in time and eternity ?

It cannot lie. Sliehasnever})een kiiuwn todoit inthe|)ast.
'V\n'. struggle will be long, steady and lieree. It may end
in a contlict of ai'ms.

It is Avith the Fremdi wing of the miglitv force opposing
our Christian civilization, that we are dealing, and having
studied its characteristics, its strength, its probable increase,
its plans, it is wise for us to en(iuire whether there are
not allies that it may call to its help, and what are the en-
'Mues ol' war A Idch they uniti-dly will use, to sid)due, if
they can, these New Kngland States.

The French elegy is the leadiiig force in this battle.
The priests can be divided into two ■•lasses: First those
who are honest and Itelieve that all I'rotestants are going
to perdition. They I'onsidt-r it their Itoundeii duty to jiro-
teet the French Canadians from those pernicious Anu'ricau

i!l[!

li'l

.a.

i; >

fi' ■'

C>C} Yuiir III rltdijt.

iiiHuences, IVom tluitgodles-s civilization, whicli would surely
damn \\\v.\y s(iu]>.

In tliii .<(('()ii(l |)la('c, theri; arc scores of priests who arc
not reliL''ious nu'ii. tlitv liave cniuraced the i)riesthood us a
]ii'()t'('ssi(in, l)i-cause of the power, honor and wealth wliich
ac('oni])any it. The *'cure" is almost a demi-god among
the Fi'onch Canadians, his word is law, he secuj'cs all the
money he wants and by it ohtains inlluence.

^^^• ai-e comiJcUed to say, that by I'ai- the largest number
ol' French j)rii'sts l)elong to the latter class. One does not
live thirty years in a l\oman Catholic province, when; the
powei- of I he cleiL''}' is absolute, without having ample oi)-
jioi'tuniiy to become ac({uainted with facts.

It doe- not luattei' to which of these two classes the
French Canadian pidest (»f New England may belong, he is
out of sympathy with our Protestant civilization. The
h(»nest man will light against it from conviction. lie will
do all in hi> powei' to jirevent the French children from at-
tending the public sclutols. He will teach them that their
tirst duty is to tlie Pope, (iod's ix'presentative. lie will
ui'ge them to keep away trom Protestant inlluence, to re-
main French and preserve tlu' old ways of thinking of
C^uebec. He will tell them Iliat ( iod needs them to build Uj)
a great Konuin Catholic nation, of which New England is to
form part. He dues all in his power to instil these ideas
in the minds of both young and old.

The priests ol the other class do the same thing, though
actiuited by other motives. They arc interested in main-
taining liie i^tata qao. They, and a few others of whom
we shall speak, are the oidy one;< who reap benctits ii'oiii
this state of things. It would never do to let the French
children attend the American public schools, they would
learn to use tla.'ir own reason, they would learn to do much

Tin: French Uicrarc/uj.

of their own tliiiikiiij:^. They would want to read the IJiblc
and soon tlioy would cease to be Romanists. Then they
would not pay to obtain the remission of their sins, to re-
ceive the sacraments of the church, to obtain the deliverance
of their fiiends from the llames of purgatory. In other
words they would no longer submit to the church and it
wcndd l)e a great llnancial loss to the priests.

The French priests then are, first and last, the sworn en-
emies of the assimilation of the ditl'erent races in the United
States. On all occasions they warn the French against
what they call its dangers. They insist on being re-
j»resentedby one or more (d* their number, in all the societies
and organizations formed by the laity. They nuist be con-
sulted and if anything be proj)ose(l which is not in keeping
witii their views, it cannot be carried through.

The (juestion may with a good deal ol pertinence be
asked : To what extent should the state allow the priests to
introduce into this country the boycott, and thai reign of
terrorism which prevails in Homan Catholic counti'ies?
Parents are not fret; to do what they please with their chil-
dren. They would preli^r to educate them on the same
lines as the children of this country. It would be a great
benefit to them. If they try. the priest interferes in various
ways. First he tries ecceleciastical threats. He withdraws
the sacraments of the church. Then he makes use *>i the
confessiomd aiul through it, liurrs the business of the offend-
ing j)arent or compels his friends to ostracise him. When
he dares he denounces him from the pulpit.

liy sucli methods, the pecjple who might otherwise be-
come independent citizens, are kept within the ranks.

The masses, who know no better are kept down, a large
part of their earnings taken away from them to build paro-
chial schools, churches, and to enrich the clergy.

tt^ji

♦ '

F t:
up

I IH

li II

68 }'"///• IIcrifiKje.

Whoii Fr. Duf'ro.«sne mI' llolyoke died, he left a fortune

of 82.'>(),<)<)0.

Soiiu' ludiiths ago, a woman was at the point of deatli
in Adiinis, Ma.«s. The Auicriean |ihysi('ian tnld t!ie lius-
hainl that if he desired to send for the priest he liad lietter
(In XI. hceaiise his wifr wonhl not live long. The priest
wa- -riit fur. lit- canu', <'(»nfe."«sed the dying woman, and
"put hrr ill a stale ot' gi'ace." Then turning to thi' hus-
I'aud he said to him: "IJet'ort; I ean administer the saera-
lui'iit you nuist .-uhmit to the conditions laid down hy the
ehurch and pay nie ten dollars."

Tilt' po(U' nnm in-ged the i)riesi to he merciful and pertorm
the cei'cnioiiv liir nothinji'. He uriii'd him not to allow his
\\ ill' to ilii' l)eeaiise of their i)overtv. Thev had no hread
lor their children and could not jiossihly pay the sum asked.

lli« aj)[ieals to the generosity of this "representative ol
(iod" wei'e ot none t'll'ect. Taking his hat he rose and said
ln' would not "•adminisier the woman" unless paid for it.

'I'he tViends who were in the house, believing :hat the
salvation (d'ihi> woman depended on the administration of
the Eucharist and lOxtreme L'netion, exerted themselves to
collect the ten dollars demanded to iinroduce this poor dying
woman into heaven.

Instance upon instance coidd he given, to prove that the
lioman ( atholic hii'rarchy is more conL'erned about her own
nggrandi/.ement than aliout the prosi>erity of the peo[)le
she controls and tlu; nation in which they live. It is her
interest to kei|i the masses ignorant of the benefits of our
nineteenth century life and civilization, and we need expect
nothing but strong, concentrated and persistent opposition
to all mo\ements that have in view the evangelization and
Ajiiericanization of the French Koman Catholics of New
England.

77/r /

/'(•/((

// 11

n I'unh

III our humble (tpinioii, it is a mistaki' ti) think that the
liierarcliy can adapt itself to the comlitie)!! of things which
has prevailed for years in this i-ej)ul>lic.

The Koinish chTjjy resembles in very many respects, the
clergy of the M<.'rm(»n church. They ari' \vi.>i' enough to
give expressiiiii, trom tinn' to time, to certain views which
seem to accord with those entertained by the people of this
nation.

The ^lormon hieraj'chv, thou<rh it "^till clainifi to believe
that polygamy is of divine institution, j)!-etends to abolish it.
Thinking tiien are not so unwise as to imagine that this
ciuii'ch is sincere. They see through this villanous ti-ick.
the object of which is to throw dust in the eyes of a good
many over-credulous people. The men who look somewhat
into the future, know very well that what Utah aspires to
is statedimi. When, by apparent concessions, the hierar-
chy has obtained wliat she want> from unscrupulous politic-
ians, then it will be the easiest thing in the worldto institute
polygamy anew.

The Homi>h hierarchv acts )u>t hi the same wav. The
end justifies the means for lioth ciiurelies. In order to
aj)pease the fears of this nation, it assumes an air of lilieral-
ity from time to time, it holds a '^•ongress of laymen or it
instructs a priest here and there t(» say he favors the public
schools of the land, knowing tliat thousands of short-sighted
Protestants will be taken in the iraj).

We have seen too imudi of this to allow our>elves to be
deceived. As long as the church retains the dogma of papal

infallibility, she cannot allow her clergy to instruct the
people on other lines than those tliat have Ijeen tbllowed in
the past. Both of these hierarchies need to be watched
very closely. The French |)riests have always been and
lire to-day, the uucompromising foe ot our Protestant, Ame-
rican civilization.

CIIAPTKU II,

TIIK l.ir.KKAI, \\"lN<i <»1- TIIK l.AITV.

Knijjliasis is oftuii laid, ami not witlioiit reason, on tlie
distinction wiiicli exists, t'sj)CM'iallv in iliis country, iK'twoi'ii
tlie Clturcli ol' Uonio, that is to say llic hierarchy, ami the
laity.

It is claimed ihat in a country where freedom reigns, if
is impossihle for intelli^'^ent men to escape the liherali/.iui;
influences brought to bear on them, il' not directly, at any
rate in an indin-ct way.

He<'ause oi" this, it is hopeil and expected, that a large
mniiber will soon ])e found among the laity, who will iH't'use
to submit to the exactions of the clergy, and who will join
in with the AiuRrican people in bringing about the assim-
ilation of races, so as to form oni' great American nation.

We are ready to admit that a lai'ge mimber of Fruncii
Canadians are drifting away from the Roman Catlu»lic
church, so far as its religious life ,s concevned. It is not
very easy for a thinking num who has an oj)poi'tunity to
read a little, to remain submissivi> to the anti-scriptural and
irratit)nal donnuis of Rouuinism.

The Lilti rul 117//// of tin Lulfi/.

We know, tViiin jjcrsonal iiitorcourpo with ii larirt' num-
Ijcr <){' odiiciiti-il Roman Catliolics in Canada, that ihi-y
havi! no more faith in the sy>t('m than I have. In tiu-t
they have lost all faith. Their rmson coiiM not aeerpt such
dogmas as traiisstihstantiation. iln' infalliliih'ty of the Pojie,
the supernatural power ot' tin- pi'ie.-t, and thev havi' ht-i-ii
driven from Koniisli ahsohitism into bhink inliiielity. 'i'he
amount otrehirious inditrrrence and of irreliLrion which ex-
ists is simply !i])]i!illin<r. There are some pious sonls. Wiio
would deiiv it? l>nt the whide svstem is nothinir hut deiul
externalism, wiiieh appeals to the senses, without reaching
the heart or conscienee.

TIic result of this stalenf things is very serious, especially
iimong the better educated class. Tlu.v ht'conie unbelievers,
they remain unconvei-tcd, tiicv lo>c the religious teclio'T
and the moral sense becomes blunted, 'i'hen it necessarily
follows that all tlieir actions will lie i,'osei-ned by sidf-in-
tcrest. If it jiays them lo brciik loo^e irom liume, they
will not iicsitatc to do su. They will attend some Pi-otest-
ant church. li'they lind that it is more pr<.litable Ibi- them
to retain their connection with Ivomanism, they do so.
They know that the church is accommodating, that it will
not trouble them so long as they keep up appearances, go
to confession once a yeni' and iitti'tid mass oiici' in awhile.
Provided they send thi'ii" wive- nnd danghtt'rs to conte>.-.ion
freqiunulv and pay liberally foi- the' suppoi't of the church.
they will be considerc(l .is loyal members of the h()ly Cath-
olic church.

The majority of the educated I'^rench Canadians bclonL""
to tliis class and there is nothing >trange in the fact that
they join with the French (deigy, whom they in thtdr heart
detest, to keep the masses blind and ignorant, to j)erpetuate
race prejudices and siH)erstitions among them, so that they

^'l|

TTi

Foar Ihrilatje.

may cniitimu.' to t(t be in New Knjrlaiid wliat they ui-ie in
Caiiadii.

There iji do help to be expected from the liberal \vin;r <>f
the French Canadian popnlaticni, in takinir these niaf*.se.s out
of the old rntrt and leadinj; them to adapt them,''elve.s to our
American civilization. I'hey know well eiioM;_di that the
people would have all to ^'ain by breaking loose from the
old regime ; but true patriotism has (K-parted from them,
because KcMuanism has destroye<l their conscience and
made of them nioi-al wrecks, ready tosacrilice the happine.-s
of theii" countrvnicn on the altar of seli-interest.

Need we make this a little clearer? Our educated French
Canadians are for the most part in various lines of business,
hiwyci's, physicians, journalists, and are very fond of po-
litical honors. Tiiey depend on the French Canadian
masses for their success in business, ior their clicuts, pa-
tients, subscribers and advertisers.

These nutsses u'-'o under the power of the hierarchy.
They buy wheiv ii pleases the church that they shall buy,
they call on the j)hysician the jjriest ajjproves. They sub-
scribe to the |)aper which advocates the plans of the French
hierarchy and give their advertisements to the same. They
vote for the candidate that will favor Rome's purposes.

The conclusion is clear. It were suicidal for these lead-
ers in French Canadian society t(t incur the displeasure of
the clergy. They would be ruined linancially and socially
in a very short time. Not only uuist they refrain from .id-
vocating the assimilation of the French race, by means of
the pul)lic schools and in other ways, but necessity is laid
on them to take the lead in the other direction. They can-
not win the favor ol the all-powerfid clergy, if they do not
favor their plans and sclienu's, in the direction we have in-
dicated.

Till Lilnru! Willi/ i>/ III- Lnitij,

We li(»l(l it t'rnin the !ij)S of tliosu wiio in imhlic arc the
opponents of the relonns the Fn-iich I'rntestuut.s are trying
to bring about, that tht-v hati; the |)riest>, do not approxe of
their sclienies, but dai'e not oppose thrni, brcaiiM' they
have I'aniilies who dept-nd on llicni, chiNh'tMi whu lii-td
breatl. It' they tlisplea.-ed tht> piiest.s starvation would t^tare
them in the face.

About three years airo a yomiv' man of Soutlibrid;je,
Mass., tohl me with a Lfood (h'al ol' bitterness ol lieart. that
lie had been persecuted most crihlly iti-cause at the Kn-nch
C'aiKulian convention held at llolyoke, lu- ha<l jiad the har-
dihood ol' speaking in lavor ol' the public .•>chool sy>tem ol
this country, as against the parochinl x-hools. ''To-day,
I am obligefl to keep my mouth dosed. I am married and
have young children. Should 1 dare to say »jne word
against the cruel actions of the j)riests, well-known to me
and to the other>, I would be turned out of my situation
the next day. In this land of liberty, the church of Home
makes slaves of the "liberals," who itelieve neither in her
religious nor in her political creed. I believe fidly in the
work of emancipation you have iiiidertiiken."

Some are rich and intluential enough to be independent,
but they are too cowardly to act ; and eager as they are to
obtain higher honors thr(jugli the inllueiice ••! the church,
they make obeisance to it.

We do blame ami stignuitize this class of our countrymen.
We do condenm them for their want ot trn*- palri(jii.-m.
They should be go\erned by i)rinciple* and not by sell'-
interest. If they would join hand and lioldly oppose the
hierarchy, thousands of the i)eople wouhl follow them.

However, when there is so nmch ot the ,-ame thing jiniong
American Protestants, how can we wonder*'

Wo have forme<l the accpiaintatice of a goodly numbt-r of

■♦itfli

i/'!

:^.

M ■

; •

71 Your Ileritatje.

Frcnc'li Cunadian.s who arc I'^juliu's amnii<,' tlio masses.
AVe liavc discussed these vital matters, with journalists and
have heeii tohl hy thrm that thiiy knew very well that the
clerjry were ()j)i)ressin<ir the people i'or selfish ends and not
from relijLfious eonvictions. They declared that it would be
better for the people to join in witli our American civiliza-
tion. And wiieii asked why they lielped the ])riests in keep-
ing their countrymen down in ihis way, the answer was
that they themschcs had no relijrion, they had thrown over-
board h»n;^ a,L'o the superstitions o(" Komanism and believed
in nothing: else, and in view of that, their lirst and hist
consideration was their own purse. How would they best
succeed in making money, in gaining intluence was their
sole concern.

We were present at the ''National" Convention olTrench
Canadians held in Nashua, N. II., in the summer of ISSH.
We met there a wealthy Canadian of one of our Massachu-
setts cities. He was a delegate. On hearing a doctor
fnjni Putnam, Ct., upholding the '"iKtly mother," the
Romish Church, this gentleman said to us : "The hypocrite
does not believe a word of what he says. Moreover, he
continued, I can assure you that a hirge j)ro[)ortion of
this convention are not in symj)athy with tlu' plans of the
clergy. Of tlu; eleven delegates from my city, not two ol
us are in sympathy with these anti-American measures."

We asked this man why lie and his friends did not speak
out tlieir convictions ? He said it was impossiljle. The
church would crusli them. For instatice he would lose his
tena;:ts ; Dr. Larue would lose his patients ; another would
lose his customers and the publishers of |)apers would have
to give up their business. Moreover, socially they would be
ruined.

We have not time to follow out into its details this phase

The Lilitral W'lii'j (<;' (lit: Ltiitif. 76

of the quei=tit)ti. Kiioii^h 1iji> ot't'ii said to k'lul iiu'ii to w-
rtect. Doiiij^ this tliey cuiiMot tail to sc.-o how serious it is.
The lilti'i'aliziiig iiifliieiices of ^Vinericaii institutions, with-
out positive, ai:<m'ssive niissi(jiiary w(jrk unionjr the French
in view of their conversion to Christ, far from helpinir the
country hurt it. Heli^fious cohn ictions, which tlmujih
harmful, are in some measure useful und better thuniiillde-
lety, are being destroyed. The men in wohm they are des-
troyed, do not cease tor all that to be the allies of Rome in
her warfare against American institutions. 'I'licy help her
to carry out her jxditical schemes, because ^he will rewa-d
them. Through the great inrtuenee she wields in jiolitics,
she will give them government berths and political honors.

Every one knows tliat government otliccs are tilled all
over the countrv, l^v Romanists.

There is but one power on which to depend, and tliat is
the Gospel of .lesus Christ connnuiiicated through Chi'istian
education such as gives the French Protestan* College at
Springtield, Mass., the i)rea(diing of the (rospel such as is
heard in our various French Protestant churches and nii<s-
ions, the distribution of God's Word in Fren.)h amont: the
people, the circulation of a paper like Lr Ciloijiu Frn,iv<,-
Americain these are the agencies that will save New Kn-
"•land from the dani;ers of French Romanism and Fniceh
infidelity to which the former is rapidly leading this popu-
lation. Hence our plea for the evangelization of these
musseSc

TT;

if,

i' I

F*f

m \

CIIAPTKK in.

WKAK AN1> INll'DUMKl) I'HOTKSTANTS.

The sirenyth of Romaiii.-in in any Protestant c-cnuUry, will
always be commensurate with the weakness ot" that country's
Protestantisu^ Given a well-inlnrmctl, wide-awake, vigi-
lent, aggressive christian evangelical church, there is but
little danger to be f'eaied from that terrible foe of christian
liberty, Ultramontanism.

How '"i it in New England? How is it in this country?

We do not iiesitate to say that French I'ltramontanism
finds one of its strongest allies, in that large army of unin-
formed and weak Protestants, which the last (juarter of our
centUTV has created.

It is not easy to speak theti'uth on so vital a matter with-
out giving otr^nce. The mission (,f men wortliy the name,
is uo{ however to please, but to speak the truih, kindly and
in love, but vet without fear.

It is only within recent years that the Protestant clergy
and laity of New England have had this Roman Catholic
question pressed upon their attention. The ministers of
course knew something of the system, but had no spi'ci;'.!

I ♦

Wilt/,: and Ciinif'onind Prtifrsfio,/)-

occiifiioii, save 111 exceprioiiiil cases, ',0 i^ivi', oIdsc attention
to the doctrines, religi(nis and political, of Lltraninntanisni.

)0 tar a,-

the V

rencli clergy and tlieir plans are concei-iUM

it may l)e salely said that notiiing vas known ot them initil
t!!e tew la.-t yi'ars.

It has heel) the privilege of the writer to speak on this
topic, in many ot'tlie leading churches of New Kngland,
and at the close ot the addresses he has liei-n met iiuaria-
My with this statenu'nt : "We had no idi-a of tlie static of
thuigs aronnd us. We never kni'W l\(Mnanisni taught such
(hmgerous doctrines". Not only laymen speak thus, hut a
great many ministers.

Tlie pa.-tors o|' our churcht's think they have somefhing
el.-e to do tliaii to attack the Koman Catholic chui'ch. Their
duty is to instruct aiid edity their own people. This is true
and yet it is equally true that a pastor owes it to his people

d to his countrv to inform himself and thus he aide to u

form his flock on the dangers which threaten the peace and
})rosperity ot' the luition.

Without discus<iiig the question id' the duty of nniiisters
and peoj)le on this j)articidar point, wi; are fully justified hy
facts when weaflirm that Romanism, asa system of religion,
of morals and politics, is not generally known l)y the pcojjle
of New Kngland. This (dnnvh h.is heen considered as one
of the christian denominations of the land, W(jrking in har-
mony with the others for the nphudding cd' the nation.

In view ot'this, when men who have been compelled hy
circumstances t(i study closely the system, ex[)osii its prin-
ciples, point out their anti-scriptural character, they are

lied f;

mafic

ind tl

leir statements are no

t bel

ieve(

It is a Very risky thing to attempt to lift the veil which
covers the immoralities of the clergy, largely due to the
institution of the celibacy of the priests and the confessional.

'\\ '

-f ,;..|

'■^

78 Yotir Heritage.

The lact that there is an ahirmiiig amount of moral cor-
ruption is attested by hundreds of'christian men and women,
whom God has delivered. Yet the pul)lic will not believe it.

7\y:ain wiien it is stated that the Komisli hierarchy has
sworn ;iii eternal hatred to oin' Protestant American life,
to (inr institutions, iiiid are plotting to overthrow them,
those who make sneli .-tateinents are called alarmists, or
tire-i)rands. it is so easy tor uni.'il'ormed men to think they
know l)etit'r than others, are mort' liberal and eidijihteneti.

On the other liainl it >eenis so hard (or these nu'n to ad
mil that it is po.-sible that they do not know everythin;j:,
and thus take the troubU' ol' ascertaining tor themseh'es
how much truth tliei'i' is, in those xcry serious charges
nijide ajiainst tiie luuuan Cittliolic svslem.

We know of scoit's of men w lio were disposed to be vei'v
lenient with Ivomani.-ni, who di<l not at all ludieve the
statements nuidi! concerin"u!i it. Hut al'ter u'ivinu' careful
consideration to the' whole iptestion, they became con\in
ceil that it is the dtuy of eveiy enlightened christian believer
t(/ oppose, by christian methods ami in the spirit of Christ,
with all the power (.I'his heai't, so anti-scriptural a systeui,
and uproot it frtun tiie hearts of men.

For a number of years the Koniish hierarchy has been
l>uiMing its ibi'tress on the good faith of uninfoi-med Pro-
testants. The priests knew they Avere blindfolding the
people of this nation. Especially has this been true of the
Freiu'h speaking portion of the Romish clergy.

Nobody knew what they were altout and they have been
nble to lay a very firm and broad foimdation on which Ame-
rican influences make no perceptible impression.

However, a great change has taken place within the last
three years. The pulpits of New England and of the wdiole
country are now directing the attention of the people to this

Weak and Uninfornitd Frofi stttnfs. 79

vital (luestiou. A great deal of valuahle ititoi'inatioii has
been given through some of our religious papers. We wish
we could say as much of the secular press hut the vast
majority of the managers helong to the class of men we
purpose now alluding to, aiul which constitute a source <»t
danger to this land.

This great country, which has fouglit and n'on so many
illustrious battles, now has within itself and as j)art of itself,
a large and increasing army ofweak-kneed Protestants, who
are playinj^ into the hands of Ivomanism, and increasing its
strength a hundredfold.

This ally of the French invading force, recruits its army
from all the ranks and classes of socieiy. To begin with,
the Protestant clergy furnish a goodly number. Ksj)ecially
is this true of the ministers of some of our large, wealthy,
aristocratic churches, of which our leading politicians, law-
yers, merchants, j(jurnalists and others are members.

It is our desire to be fair and use common sense in tlu's<^
matters. A minister cannot alwavs do just as he would
wish. There is a time for everything under the sun. IJy
doinj; a certain thiiiii; at tlu'- wroni; timeairood purpose mav
be defeated. To bring up the Romish ([notion, the French
r\angelistic movement too soon in some of the churches
mentioned, might not be wise.

This said, may we not ask whether the time has not
fidlv come, for the church of (Jod t" unhud its banner and
liravelv meet this foe of (rod and man? Is there anvthiny
to gain in this weak and over-prudent policy whi(di has pre-
vailed in many of those centres, capable of giving the very
assistance needed, in this great moral('onllict ? Do we ima-
gine that Rome does not detect the weakness and cowardice
which prevails? She sees it otdy too clearly, nuikes full use
of it, and despises us as she ought.

'iti
t

;^>:

t .'•

f r—

I
!!•

!!i|i

80 Yonr IJrrit

wcaltliy mail iii niir citv

't<ji-.

aid to us the Dtlicr ilav : " I

ss and cowardice or so

am perfectly sick ui tlie weakrie

many I'mtestant leaders. They are disarmed by Home.

Their very conscirDce <eenis imt to be their own."

^^'(• litid the same .>tate orihinirs in the professional ranks.
J. a vyei's not only kci'p alonf but rather show favor to Roni-
ani-m. I rememlu'i- t\'"o 'jemlemen in a INIassachuseits
city wJKj would not remain connected with t!ie French
l*roU>taiit cvan<relistic movement, because one had Koman
C"ai III )lic clients and the other claimed he had lost his elec-
tion as a member of the leifislature because ot' his connec-
tion with this moN'ement. yVn airent of a la/'<fe mamifac-
turiii'j cor|)oration j)i'omi>ed to Lrive 8100 to the same work.

lint refused to siizn his name

lese men were a

nronu-

nent memiiers of Protestant churche

This I'ear of Kome. on the part of l*rotestant Americans,
iikes slaves of them, places fetters around their hand.-

and feet, which must make the nation blush.

A\'e are riiiht in savin;;' that the Freiu'h anti-Protestant

an(

1 A

merican movement receives stron^i

help I

rom this

MUirce

In the lii'st jilace these nun are unwillinir to aid u> in
our elfoi'ts to i'\anii\di/ce the French. They are afraid that
it should be known that tiiey have ludped. Then thev
must have an e.\cu>e Ibr their refusal, and in formulatinir
it, thev become the defenders of the Homan Catholic

)owi'r

Not only do many Protestants refuse to help us in this
Avork of assimilation, but for the same reason <riven above
they feel comptdli'd to subscribe to Koman Catholic; works.
They build pai'ochial scdiools, those foes of our republic,
Homan Catholic churches and institutions. This moral
weakness has retarded, perhaps more than anything else, this

IVtak and Cninfunncd Frotistaufs.

cvfUiifelistit' work in c anudii. A man required the heroi-Jin
of a martyr to break l(jose trom the errors of Homanism, a

tew years airo, an

a t

Ills IS s

till t

rue in a LM'eat measure.

Persecuted bv his church, ("ursed by its clerL'y, cast away
l)y his laniily and friends, turned out of iiis situati(»n by
his Roman (.'atholic employer, the convert may naturally
look for sympathy ami help from members of Protestant
Christian churches.

Does he find it ? Instance ui)on instance could be ^Mven,
J!! which I'rotestant enii)loyers positively refused to "jfive
>ituations to these worthy men and women, whom the (Jos-
]iel ol' Christ had made better Christians, more iniellijrent
and reliable worknu'ii.

The reason for this stranrije treatment has already been
triveii. Ivome wouhl hear of it and the business ol these
employers wouM sutier.

These coMNcrts have sought refuge against fcucli persecu-
tion in the land of the free, or it might be more accurate to
say, the country which once was the land of the free, for
of late, it is with some ditliculty that French Protestants
tniil situations, especially as clerks in stores and offices.
The American merchant wants to catch the French Komaii
Catholic custom, and gives the preference to the Freiudi
Catholic. Thus it is that a premium is jjlaced on a French
Canadian young man's connection Avith the old media-vul
system of (Quebec. As a Protestant we cannot write those
things witlujut blushing.

A few weeks ago I received a letter from a Christian
Avoman, who has left the Church of Home, to embrace the
teachings of God's Word. Thrown helpless and penniless
out m th(! cold world, hated by Rome, suspected by I'ro-
testants, in a moment of discouragement she writes :

" My life is sad and lonely beyond all you could imagine.

ill

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<S2 Your Ilerifagij.

If'l liad knnwii half of the diiru'iUties I would have tc» meet,
1 would never have left the convent, Avhcre at least 1 had
a home."

Such words should ring through Protestant America,
and create a burning desire to helj) these poor slaves of error.
AVhen fiod o])i'ns their eyes, shall they not lind warm
hearts to receive them?

One who has been governor of one of our States, gave
81 <><•<> to help to build a IJomish college, lie refused to
givi! a cent to build the French Protestant Americau Col-
lege ot Springlield, Mass.

In a town of Massachusetts, three members of a Congre-
gational clnnch gave lately 6I0UO to build a French Roman
Catholic church.

In Detroit, a priest came to a merchant and asked 850.
The merchaiu refused. The priest said : ''AH right, liut
you need not expect another cent from us." The money
Avas given.

The question ■we ask with an anxious heart is this one :
Is there any occasion to fear for the future of New En-
gland in view of this state of things, which is ten-fold
worse than has been depicted?

We ask again, what is to prevent Rome from realizing
her plans? She has a strong, well-organized clergy, Avork-
ing like a mighty army. She has the masses under her.
She has those whom your schools liberalize. They have
lost faith in her but it suits their purpose to keep on good
terms with her. She is lieli)cd by a veiy large number of
uninlbrmed Protestants, and iinally there comes that army
of Protestants, unworthy the name, who care more for
wealth, honor and position, than for the safety of the na-
tion. All these combine to aid her and they belong to

Weak and Uninformtd Proti-st'Difs. Ho

what iiro callo'l the liiglier class of society, where wcahli
and influence lie.

We can but ask the God of nations to arise in his miglit
and awaken an interest in the good men and woini-n whose
attention has not been drawn to this matter, that tliey may
help us Christian "foreigners" in this great evangelistic
work.

Does it not seem strange that it should devolve on those
called here "foreigners," to plead with the descendants ot
the Puritans and Pilgrims, that ilu>y may jirotect their dear
old New England from the moral nuu intellectual bonda'a'
of Komauism, which Avere worse than Southern slavery.

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CIIAI'IKR IV.

m I

SF.LF-SKi:KIN(i IM )l.ITI([AN.S,

The politics of this hind are in aiiythinir Ijiit a (lesirablc
condition. The Democratic party has been tor years the
choice of the Church of Rome. The Irish have become
naturah">;ed in hirL^e numbers and have so tilled in tlie ranks
of this party as to control all its movements.

Tiie Republican l)arty, whicli once deserved the name of
*' Cirand old party," because of the signal services it has
rendered the country, has singularly degenerated in latter
years. In fact it lias alinost hillen frcjm grace.

Its wavering and inconsistent poli{;y on the temperance
question has fairly disgusted a very hirge number of staunch
Kej)ublicans. So true is this, that thousands who do not
fully agree with Prohibitionists, abstained from giving their
vote fur Republican candidates at the last elections.

What is true of the temperance question is ecpudly true
of the Roman Catholic issue, closely connected as it is with
the li(pior trafHc, which is very largely in the hands of
Romanists. There is too much truth in the now famous
statement : "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion." That the

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Iter

Silf-Sivkintj J'c'.iticians. 85

three liave gone and still gu t(jgether, history conchisively
proves.

The rt'sults of the elections of the fall of 181K), the defeat
of so many Repuhlican candidates, should not be considered
as a democratic victory. It is i-atht-r a solemn protest made
by the true and lionest Rcpul>licans of this land of the Puri-
tans, against the political corru{)tion by which tlu! party is
now over-run.

Let the Ivepublicans face bravely and s(|uarely the great
moral issues of the day, let them cease making of rum and
Komanism their allies, and they will get back tlu- large pro-
hibition vote atid the lai'ger number of conscientious men,
who now abstain from Noting, because they cannot and will
not make an alliance with two of the greatest foes of Protest-
ant republican institutions, rum and Komanism.

This republic is fast hastening to the position which the
Dominion of Canada has reached. This J>riti>h colony
receives its politics from Home. This is no I'hetorical
phrase. It expresses a truth. In the Pi-ovince of (Quebec
no government can stand Avhich would rel'use to obey the
cardinal, his bishops and priests. In Ontario, the so-call-
ed liberal party owes its tenure ot ollice to the Koman
Catholic vote. In the other provinces the Komish vote is
not so important.

AV'hen it comes to Dominion politics the Province of Que-
bec holds the key of the situation. She can dictate to the
Prime Minister of the Dominion, lie does not dare op-
pose the wishes of this K(jman Catholic i)rovince, because
its fifty or more votes, would throw him out of power.

We repeat then, that Home dictates to the Dominion of
Canada, what its politics shall be.

We are fast hasteninj» to this humiliating position in this
land of freedom.

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86 yo?</' Ilcritaiji'.

One of the stronp;est powers in the i)oHtical world is the
secuhir press. It were idle to attempt to deny the state-
ment that the press of the country is very largely the slave
of Honianism, and is to a good degree gagged by that tre-
mendous power.

It feels constrained t(j handle the Romish church with
great care and tenderness for palpable reasons.

In the first place, it relies on the independence of Protest-
ant readers for protection against the boycott which might
come from them. They will not refuse a daily nor with-
draw their advertisements, because this j)aper is partial to
Rome and does not give entire satisfaction to Protestants.

Romanists, however, ai'e slaves. If the press does not
flatter the church, if on the contrary it l>rings to light its
dangerous principles, reports clearly and fully the damag-
ing discourses which some of tlie leading minds of this
country have been giving of late, the Romish boycott will
be ai)plied and the long list of Roman Catholic subscribers
and advertisers, will dwindle to nothing.

For this reason the secular press of to-day does not deal
fairly with some of the most serious problems of the age :
The duty of the state in the education of its future citizens ;
tl'e dangers arising from tlie parochial school system ; and
the union of church and state : the assimilation of the va-
rious nationalities in this rej)ublic. These and kindred
questions are not dealt with in all their bearings, and in
suggesting solutions and remedies, the religiou^ asjject is
too often ignored, although it is well known, that every-
thing hangs on that. The Roman Catholic religion is the
irreconcilable foe of the Constitution of this nation, and a
press worthy of the name American, should not be either
so intellectually or morally Aveak as to ignore so vital a
question in its discussions.

Stlf-StckiiHj Politicians. 87

Some of the leadiii;^ thinkers, men whose iu(I;^'moiit,
wisdom and piitriulism are l)eyi>Md (luestion, have (hiring
tiie thi'ee past years, been discussing these living issues, he-

tore vast audiences, in maiiv ot' our hir<'e cities

'1'

press has been giving the meagerest rejjorts of these timely
and masterly address(.'s, selecting those parts which it was
not very important to iTjxn-t, hut ignoring the very points
on which the people need information. N cry often a re-
port of this kind is gi\en : '* .Mi'. X made a harangue
a-'ainst the Church oi liome, deiiouncin!.'- it in the severest

terms.

le I'acts, arLrumeiits and weig

ditv c

onsM

lerat

ions

urged by thest; taithful and patriotic speakers, did not re-
ceive as much as a passing notice, because the C'hurcdi of
Rome would not like it.

At a great and i-epresentative gathering, an address was
made on the dangers whicii threaten New Kngland. One
of the leading })aj)ers of Canada stated the next day, that
by reason of the facts given, it was unequalled in dramatic
force and power. A leading B(»ston j)aper reporteil this
address and anorhei' (,t' similai' ini])ort, which had occupied
over an hour, in the sj)ace of ten lines, but gave to a mild

U'ee-miiHites cruu.-ism o

f t

ie>e

-peeches, ta\draole

Rome, a c(jlumn and a half, with headiiiLi's in lar"e bold

tyi)e.

"NV'e know what answer is gi\en by the secular press,
when such criticisms as these are ventured. We are told

that these Daners are business enteri)rises and

mus

e con-

ducted on "business princijjles." It would Ije unbusiness-
like to sav too umch a<jainst Roman Catholic airgression.
It would be bad i)olicv.

It is not in our pi'ovinre to discuss this questi(jn.

only point we wish to make is that the secular press is not
disposed to take up this ijuportant issue and discuss it on

iP ■

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88 Vniir Iltrltaijr.

it^ own iiMiit.-". It lK'C(inir> oin- ol'tlio allie> d' Koniaiii.sni
iiistt'iKl of bciii^ ill) opjioiiciit (pftliMt (laiigeioiis jinwer.

This is prc'-iiiiiiiciitly tiMif of party pajnTs. Tliry mit in
mortal 1fi'r()r Ic.-l tlay sliDiiId (lil'cinl llir Kdiiii-h pi-wci' ami
thus cause thi! hi>s of the solid Knuiaii Catholic \(iti;, to the
pai'ty they uithold and slavisjdy serve.

AN'Iiat is true of the pri'ss is thtuhly true of our politicians,
from tile jn'c-ident , down. In v'lvw of the I'act that the
two LM'eat polilical j)arties o( tiiis country ai-e pi'etty evoidy
<livided, It Incomes a political necessity to keep on good
terms with the Ivonian Catholic hierar<'hy. In lact it is not
.suHiei"nt to remain m'Utral. The j)arty that is to have the
Koman (Jalhtdic vote must exercise som»! linoritism to-
warils this church Large sums ot' money have Iteen paid
out of the ])nl)lic treasury for sectarian purposes in Xew
York and other pUices.

It is exceedingly diHicult to obtain legislation against the
encroachments of the papal church, because it Avoidd wf)rk
mischief lor the party gi'anting it, at the next elections.

For similar I'easons, it is next to impossible to obtain
the presence of gov»'rnment ollicials at gatherings which
have in view the evangelization and Americanization of
the Fr»'nch of this conntiT. Whilst these men can iind it
convenient to attend larjri' IJoman Catholic gatherings, the
opening of a new college, or coiuent or parochial school
or the graduating exercises of the same, they cannot attend
a gathering that is anti-Koman Catholic. We do not here re-
fer to unwariantable attacks which are made on Romanists,
but liave in mind movements wisely directed, by judicious
men who know how to keep within proper l)ounds.

Every year the French Canadian Koman Catholics have
conventions in various parts of the coinUry. Wc shall
speak more fully of these in the nexrt chapter. Suffice it to

SiJj-Svi:kinfj J't'Iiflrifiiis. 89

.-!iy tliiit tlii'st' coiivcMtioiis juc j)itlitic;il iiml ri'ligious. Tliey
liiivo uiins iiiid jdirpdsi's Avhicli niuy l»t; cliaracU'rizud us
aiiti-l'rotystaiit and auti-Aiiuricaii.

Still tlit'V Jii'i' <'()Uiitciiaii<'t'd l»v tlif L:i>\i'niui- oi'tlu' state
and till' mayor dl" tin- ciiy in wliicji tlifv nuTt. 'I'lir IfadtTs,
v.lio tluniMJs cs ar*.' as a rule sflf-scckin^' {)()litirians, lind
no dillicnlty in obtaining' I'avoi-s tVnni Imili jioliiical jiartit-s.
The Fi'i'iicli |iaj)i.'i's tlicy juihlisli, !_'ft aiUei'ii.-cnu'iits lr<in»
Anu'rican nK'rrIianl> w itliont aii\' \(iv LMfat tlHirt. It |)avs
tlii'iu. Tla'Sf inci-cliaiits will '/i\v iionian Catholic cK'rks
]ila(TS in tluii' .-tore- I'atlicr than to French I'rotestaiits. It
jiays licltci'.

It is unni'ccs.-ai'V to say more, in tlii< dii'cction. Our
contention is lliat New I-Jiiiland i> thri'atciu'd. French
I'llramontanisnt i> the toe that has resolved on comjuering
thi\-e Puritan >tates.

It is ustron^ijiowerhy itself. Were it unaided wo mijrlit
jierhaps all'ord to lanyh at its jiretensions. Hut facts go to
,<-lio\v that the very forces upon which Protestant New En-
gland relii'.> ior defiMise, ari; either abjectly inditlerent or
worse still ai'e, l)y reason of fear and through selt-interest,
in league with the enemy.

Our j)ur{)ose is to arouse j)i;l)iic attention, to lead intUien-
tial ministers in I'M-ry religi(uis body to examine this ques-
tion and act in accordance with the light they are sure to
obtain ; to lead Christian ))(ditician> to assist those who with
the best of niotiw.-, are struggling to bi-ing about thi; unifi-
cation ot the races in thisiepuldic. by the ditru-iion of Cliriat-
i;.n education and the inculcation of right principles of
iroverument.

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CHAPTER V

111 :| I

ENfilXES OF WAKFAIJE

SECTION I. THE KOMAN CATHOLIC

CHURCH.

The strength of Roiiifinism lie.-* largely in its perfect or-
ganization. Like a mighty army, this chureh marshalled
by generals and sul)-oHicers, all subject to one supreme

head,

marcnes ni unison.

It does not carry on its woi'k in a

hap-1

lazard w

'ly

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well-detined j)lans, and cxocutes them with great wisdom.
A perfect system pi'evails in its i'eligi(jus and educational
work and as a result ol'this wise course of action success
attends her elVoi-ts.

"What is true of the Roman Catholic church as a whole,
is eqiuilly true, ot'tlie Freiudi wing of the hierarchy.

The very lirst thing the clergy dues is to plant the French
Roman Catholic church wherever it linds a group of French

sue a

kin

U" peop

peo|

lie h

ii'";e enouizli to warrant them m ilomg so

There have been dilhcidties in nuui

y parishes in New
i^ngland by reason of the fact that the various dioceses
^vere under the control of Ii'ish Ijishops, who insisted on

. ?

tK'

placing Irish priests over French Canadian parishes. It
has been felt that it was in the interests of the papal church
to accede to the demands of the French in so far as ecclesi-
astical authority was not jeopardized.

During the last few years a hnrge number of French
churches have been built and priests from Canada, France
and Belgium have been placed over them. Very often these
priests are of questionable character ; they are sent here
after liaving disgraced their calling in Furope or Canada.
The French priest of Ilolyoke who died a fen- months ago,
was time and again found in a state of intoxicaticjn on the
street and even at pul)lle iratherinus.

The Frencli Caiholic church is one of the strongest
forces to keep the Frencli Caiuidians of New England away
from our American life. There the children are taught
the good old doctrine "out of the Churcli of Home no sal-
vation." There the people are warned against Protestant
influences. They are urged to remain true to t!,t-ir old
faith and to all the traditions of K(jnuin Catholic Quebec.

They are warned against what is callc<l the dangers of
assimihition and j)areiits are threatened with everlasting
damnation if they send their children to the public schools.

Very often their [)uli)its are used for pcditical [)urj)oscs
and the party that resolves upon helping Rome is licM nu
as the one worthy of support. Sonu'times also the recal-
citrant members are denounced and the flock is warned
against them.

There also is found that most dangerous institution
knoAvn as the confessional, through which so nuiny yoimg
women have lost and an- losing their lujnor, and by means
of which priests who otherwise might have been honest,
have fallen.

It is through the confessional th it the priests become ac-

ill

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92 Yo)(r ILritarje.

quaintcd with much of what transpire?^ in your American
homes. The taithf'ul and submisi^ive Bridget, feels com-
pelled to answer every (juestion the " holy lather" se(!s Ih to
put, and thus everything which the Roman Catlndic ser-
vant knows the priests obtains knowledge of.

It will be said by some that in this free country it is
Rome's j)rivilej;e to build her ehurches and teach her peo-
ple according to her tenets.

We are not aware of having said a sin trie word contrary
to this. It docs not however change the fact that the per-
petuating of the old median-al principles of Roman Catholic
Quebec on New England soil, is dc".-'imental to the best
interests of the Fi-ench Canadian population, and must cer-
tainly be most injurious to the commercial, intellectual and
moi'al life of these States.

^^'e. have reason to be surprised when American Prot-
testants contrilnite large sums of money to build up Romish
churches. They are helping to perpetuate a system that
has been detrimental to the moral and intcllectal growth
of the i)eoj)le for whom they build them; they are helping
to perpetuate a system which cannot encourage the French
to fall in wiih (jur American civilization, because it is the
natural enemy of Romish principles.

If it be said : " It is better to give them a church of their
faith than to see them absolutely churchless," we answer:
There is another alternative. Give them the truth as
taught by Jesus Christ. Instead of enabling the priest to
keep them in servitude by furnishing them with money to
build churches, give the money to the Home JNIinsionary So-
cieties of the various Protestant churches, that they maybe
able to j)rosecute a vigorous missionary work among the
French Canadians. They will be the first to thank you for
it and your own country will owe you a debt of gratituch.'.

Enyines of War/an'

SECTION II. TIIK FUKNCII PAROCHIAL SCHOOL.

The next a<,'ency used by the French Caniidiiin liierarchy
to keep the French Canadians in the same condition in
■which we find them when they lirst come to New Knghind,
is the parochial school.

It' the State has nothing to say in relation with the religi-
oijs education of its citizens, it most eertaiidy is its privi-
lege and duty to enipiire what kind of education the children
wiso to-morrow shall be voters and citizens, are receiving.

It must not be fortrotten that this country is a rei)ul)lic.
It is the people who make laws and rule. What the French
speaking citizens will be, for what measures their votes
Avill be cast, is largely settled (hiring the years of twelve
and twenty.

This country has jirovided an admirable system of public
schools, which should in no wise have been tampered with
in the hope of satisfying the church of liome. The great
jirinciples of morality as taught by Jesus Christ should be
taught in schools, because none but pagans have a right to
object to them.

It is [o this system ol' education that the United States owe
in a large measure their wonderful growth. The French
hierarchy cannot but be out of sympathy with our conunon
schoiils. They fear them not so nuu-h because of what
tlu'y are as because of what they are not. It is iu)t inten-
ded that they shall turn o\it young people who have sur-
rendered their right to think ami judge for themselves.

It is not intended that the graduates of our scIkjoIs shall
believe that liberty is a pestilential heresy ; that as it atfects
religion, it is not to be tolerated.

Nor is it intended that they shall teach that there is but
one true church, and that it has received power from God
to dictate in all things to the state, and tiiat in case the

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94 lou/' Heritage.

State should order anytliing in oppositiont othis church, the
latter must be oltcyed and the former disobeyed.

It is not intended finally that these schools shall teach
more French than English, more French than American
history, and inculcate the idea that God designs that the
French Roman Catholic race shall remain distinct on Ame-
rican soil, Avith an education wholly Romish, Avith a civdi-
zatioii co-equal with that of (Quebec two hundred years ago.

In order to cause such ideas to prevail, it is necessary to
have schools whose special mission it is to teach them.
The parochial schools exist very largely for that purpose.
Children and young people breathing American air could
not have such notions were they not inculcated with great
persistency and care.

We claim that the majority of the principles instilled in
the minds of the children in these schools, are revolutionary
jn their tendency ; tli^j' cannot but lead to disloyalty, and
the State should have something to say in the matter.

The French parochial school becomes a menace to repub-
lican institutions and it is the most effective barrier to pre-
vent the unification of the two races in New England.

It is manifest that the Americans are wholly unaware of
the state of things already existing in our state, and of the
plans in the same direction for the future. If matters are
allowed to go on, a state of society will be created which
Avill cause endless troubles in Massachusetts and other
states.

To be, sure thousands of French Canadian citizens in
our commonwealth are wholly dissatisfied with the educa-
tion which their countrymen are receiving, and yet they
are next to helpless in bringing about a different state of
things. They know all about the parochial school system
of the Province of Quebec, for they have suffered and are

EiKjincs of Warfare. 95

still sutf'ering from it. They luive watched the results ut it
in Massachusetts, among the French Canadians, and are
one in saying that it is detrimental to their best interests.

Some Americans -will say, luive said: "So much the
worse for tliem. Let them go to public schools." Why do
they not attend these, is it asked?

Because of the hydra-headed monster, which you have
allowed too long in this free laTsd of yours, the boycott ;
because their religious liberty is not respected.

But others will say : "We have no particular interest
in the Frencii. What does it matter to us what education
they receive,"

Then we say, very well. We set aside this feeling or
mere sentiment and we place ourselves on the broader
ground of citizenship and we demand, as citizens, that in-
quiry be made into the kind of education the majority of
the French children of New England are receiving. Is it
of such a character as to put them tn rapimrt and in fidl
sympathy with your American life and civilization?

This is the vital question and we say that not only has
the state the right to ask it, but it fails in its duty when it
does not in(piire into it. Is this nation going to jeopardize
its permanency, is it going to stultify itself, in order not to
disj)lease those who have sworn an eternal enmity to those
institutions, which are the only guarantee for her future
prosperity, we might say for her very existence?

It is idle to think that in a free republic a man, or a set
of men, can live unto themselves. The vote of an unedu-
cated or of an ill-educated citizen, has as much weigl^t as
that of loyal Americans.

It IS quite clear that the French population of these
states, which already is very large, which is increasing ra-
pidly, both by immigration and by birth, is being educated

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Your Heritarje.

in wrong and (liingerous lines. I feci satisfied, alter a very
careful examination of the whole question, that if this state
cannot succeed in some constitutional way, in making
known to tlic French youth the principles which lie at the
foundation of re{)ublican institutions ; if the state cannot
make the French Canadians understand that wdiat is demanded
by this nation is, America for Americans, one nation, one oih-
cial language, one undivided republic composed of citizens
who honestly pledge their allegiance to the chief magistrate
of this nation, we will have battles such as those which
are being waged in the j)arliament, in the provincial legisla-
tures of the Dominion of Canada.

Twenty or thirty years ago, a large number of liberal,
broad-minded and enlightened Canadian statesmen, fought
for a common school system for (Quebec and for the whole
country. They foresaw the troubles that would arise, if
the French children were educated by themselves and in
special ruts, instead of receiving a broad, non-sectarian
education with English-speaking children. These true pa-
triots were not sup])orted, uie Protestants were too optim-
istic to imagine that evils such as those predicted would
come upon Canada, by reason of sectarian and separate
school systems. Now that the predicted troubles have
come to Canada, they admit that they blundered. If En-
glish and French, Protestant and Roman Catholic children
had been educated in common schools, the grave troubles
over the dual language, the racial antipathies which now
run so high and which will end in bloodshed, would never
have been heard of in British Canada.

A Roman Catholic politician of Montreal said in my
hearing a few weeks ago, to a Protestant : "If Canada is
in a turmoil to-day, if it is on the eve of bloody scenes, if
French and English are at daggers drawn ; if the former

Enrjxui'H of Warfare. 97

threaten to bre.ik loose from the confederation to establish
a separate French nation in (Quebec, attribute all
this to the weak policy of Protestants. Thirty years ago
we tried to show yon the paramount importance of a com-
mon, jjublic; school system, where our citizens would learn
mutual respect and conlidence, and become ac(iuainted
with British institntions. You would not help us, when
we were trying to solve this great educational problem,
you were too cowardly to face the opposition of the clergy,
you sacrificed the interest of our connnon coinitry, and now
everything sutlers and we are helj)lessly going to wreck
and ruin."

New England is gravitating in the same direction. Soon
our foreign population, with its large families, will have out-
numbered the Americans, and it is elementary logic to say,
that if the children of these foreigners remain French and
Irish in their ideas, preferences, racial prejudices and tra-
ditions, they cannot helj) this nation very mucli.

The time then has fully come for the state to do its duty
in these educational matters. Liberty of conscience we all
believe in, and only wish a little more of it were granted in
certain quarters ; then our public schools would not be
emptied. But liberty of conscience does not mean liberty
to destroy what others deem essential to the permanency of
the nation. Surely this American nation has a right to
exist. If others who come here, cannot breathe the air
without dying, they had better select some other clime
where they can live. It must surely seenx strange to un
American public, that those of foreign birth should be
called upon to revive the patriotic flame iu the hearts of
New Englauders.

t !

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Foit>' HeriUuje.

SECTION III. Tin: I'KKNCII ROMAN CATHOLIC TIIESS.

A third and very powerful uj^ency used by the French
Roman Catholic party to keep this portion of our immigrant
population under the old regime, is the French ])res8.

Nearly every city and town of importance and in which
the French people iiave gathered in sullicient numbers, has
its French weekly paper. Cities like Lowell, Fall River,
llolyoke and Worcester, have had as numy as three
such ])ublications at once. The editors of these publications
are with few exceptions, personally known to several of our
F"'rench Protestant leaders.

We are perfectly well informed as to their religious
views, their personal preferences, their secret attitude to-
ward the clergy. The information has come eitlier
from their own lips, or from persons who were once
associated with them, but who having learned better things,
have left them to follow a more manly, honest and honor-
able policy.

Most of these men belong to that class of French Cana-
dians whom the teachings of Rome luive cither made or
left indifferent to true, personal religion, in the tirst j)lace,
and from that state of mind and heart have easily drifted
into irreligion and infidelity.

In this respect the history of Romanism has repeated it-
self in various countries, is now repeating itself in Italy,
South America, Canada and New England, and will go
on repeating itself. The Romish system either crushes the
intellect and conscience and makes bigots and slaves, un-
able to exercise independent thought, or it leads to a revolt
of the conscience and intellect against its grinding absolut-
ism. If in the transition period the simple truths of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ can be presented to the dissatisfied
mind and heart, an acceptance of them may be reasonably

E)i(jint's of ]Va)'/ari-.

taly,
11 go
the
uu-
evolt
iolut-
t" the
isfied
lably

expected. If not, this internal revolt leads iirst to religious
inditlerent'c to he followed \ery soon by sneering inlidelity.

Nearly all our so-called IJonian Catholic journalists are
Romanists in name only. They have k)st all taith in the
old system. When a better faith might have saved them
from spiritual shipwreck, it was not ofl'ered them in Roman
Catholic Quebec, and now they are abjectly inditlei-ent to
all religion. Self-interest is the ruling power in them, and
the all-absorbing question is: "How shall we gain influ-
ence? How shall we make money?" The answer is soon
found : By joining issue with those who have power over
the French masses. By helping them to retain their power
over them.

It is well known tliat the priests for the j)resent, control
these masses. There are to be sure, signs of dissatisfaction
and the power of the hierarchy will go down sooner or
later. But for the time being he who would have influence
with the French masses must be in sympathy outwardly
with the hierarchy.

The conclusion is easily drawn. The French paper must
in all things be the mouthpiece of the clergy. It is only
necessary to glance over one or two issues to become more
than satisfied that such is the case.

The editors and proprietors are under the necessity of
submitting to the dictates of the priests. They do not dare
to give expression to an opinion or conviction, not in har-
mony with the views and tastes of the Romish hierarchy.
Tlie expression of an independent thouglit, the mildest crit-
icism of the church in matters political and social, leave
alone religious questions, would mean the speedy death of
the rash journalist. He must ever keep in mind that his
readers are the slaves of the priests. One word from him

•IJ
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IWO Y'lur ILritaije.

wuiild 1(1' ciiouLih to retluco tlie subscription list to the low-
est t'\piTs>ioii, ill a very short time.

When we consider what an inlhujiice the [)ross exerts,
we can readilv iinderstaud the harm that is (h)iie umoii'; the
French peoph' by papers eondueted on these principles.

AV(! have more than once been astonished at the boldness
displayed. I'lider the stars and stripes, I'or years, unprin-
('ij)le(l men have be(!ii insultinir, deridin^s misrepresenting
all those Institutions which this nation loves as much as
life. As lor the sacred truth.- u\' tlie religion which the
American nation pr(;tesscs, they are dragged in tlu' nmd
constantly. The masses arc made to believe that Protest-
ants lielievi' ill neither Go<l nor devil and that they have
no religion at all.

It need iKjt be said that French Protestants come in for
their full share of misrepresentation and abuse. The peo-
])le are told that our religion and that of the Americans
are totally ditfei-ent. Nothvvithstanding the fact that our
pastoi's have gone through a regular course oi' literary and
theological studies, have been duly licensed and ordained to
preach the (iosjiel, they arc ranked among impostors,
thieves and va'^ibonds. It does not seem to enter into the
minds ot these writers, that Ijywheninsulting our leaders,
who are api)ointed to their work by the great missionary
societies of this counfy, settled over churches by councils
comjiosed of the leading laymen and clergymen of our
American churches, that they are insulting the country to
which they have been driven by the very church they now
seem to uj)hold.

We should not sav their mind is too obtuse to see this.
They know it quite well. But the masses do not, and it is
theirs to keep them ignorant and deluded. It may not be
out of place to give one or two extracts from Le Courrier

for
peo-
caiis

our

ami

ers,
the

erri,

uiry

ncils
our

y to
now

this,
it is
ot be
irrier

Enyiiics (if W'ai'fafc. 101

de Wovcest(i\, I'ditcd by Mi-, IlulaniriT. Tbcy will illus-
trate wliat we say. In the issue of 22u(l December, 1(S8H,
I\Ir. H('lan<,^er had distinjruished himself by urging the
P'rench Canadians to lay in a irood stoek of wiiitrkey for
tlie holidays, recomnunding two or tlii'ee r(|U(ir stores kept
by Canadians who had " distinguishcii themselves in move-
ments that liad a intble and Christian aim in vitiw."

Not satislied with tlie ctfoi'ts ot the Christian ladies of
Worcester, wlio as members of the Women's Christian
Tcmj)erance Union, are Avorking so heroically to stay the
ravagi's of intemperance, he addi'essed them in this choice
language :

"Old bedbugs, who have lieen twenty times divorced, go
to your homes."

It maybe added that not a priest of Worcester thouglit of
protesting against such coarse and abusive language and
that the Courrier gives itself as the staunch upholder of the
Roman Catholic church.

On a later occasion the same ])aper was nuich displeased
because the Rev. 1. J. Lansing expressed his views on the
Roman Catholic cjuestion.

Speaking of the audience, the polite editor said :

"The audience was large enough, lint it was composed
of individuals of like character in all points to that of the
lecturer, namely, having an upjter st(jry to let."

Then after commenting on the speaker's address the
enraged editor cries out :

"Can it be that insane asylums are so full, that society
shoidd be condemned to live with such lunatics ! Wheri
will the people bring back to their senses these tirebrands?
. . . Ah I if these scoundrels, who seek to bring about a
revolution between Protestants and Catholics in the United
States . . . were not children of the great God which charity

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102 Your Hcritafjc.

bid.';) uri "tolerate," we would soon have cured them of this
pretensions, that (jutside of their Society there is nothing
good, honest and Christian. Since nature has thus made
them, bt us close our ears to their foolish pretensions and
let us allow them to grovel in tiie mire in which they are
destined to live for ever, aping those old carcasses that have
apostatized .uid denied their Creator."

This is a fair sample of French Roman Cathr)lic journa-
lism in New England. Some articles are so far beneath
the dignity (.fa respectable publication, that they could not
be reproduced.

This then is the kind of reading the French Canadians
are offered, abuse of American instittuions, misrepresenta-
tion, falseliood. What can we expect from thesi> nuiltitu-
des, when public opinion is guided by so disreputable and
raislciuling a journalism ?

They cannot l)ut liave feelings of hatred and rebellion
toward the land of their ado])tion, Avhich will break out
sooner or later. Unless they are enlightened Ijy the Gospel
and by a French press imbued with evangelical principles
and with true American ideas, these multitudes nuist re-
main, not only foreign, but must develop into dangerous
enemies of the countrv thev are taught to hate.

We think we have reason to be concerned for the future.
The momentum of these various forces, now at work in
New England, is far greater than is imagined.

The French hierarchy are in especially favorable circum-
stances to carry out their ])lans. They hold all the wires
and can pull them at will. They are supposed to be an
insigniticant power ; they can do their work very largely
unnoticed because they use a foreign tongue.

We fear this country will have in New England, some of
the troublesome experiences old England has had and is

E)iiji)i(jfi of War/arc. 103

now hiiviug, in Canada. Nothing hut the uvangolization
uf tlie Fronch Caiwidians can prevent thi-ni. A.s this is now
the great ini.ssionary problem ol" Canada, so will it .soon be

lor 2^'ew England.

SECTION IV. — TIIK FRliNClI NATIONAL CONVKNTIONS.

The church of Konie, as has already been stated, has Cor
centurieti, believed in the principle of cenirali/.ation. It
has been powerful both as a religious and political organi-
zation, because it has acted on the princi{)le that strt-ngth
lies in concerted action.

The French clergy have not been behind the rest of the
hierarchy m this particular direction. They very soon saw
that the million of French Canadians scattered over this
country, would be a very insignilicant factor in moulding
the de.'?tinies ot this nation, if there were no \n>\\d (»f uni<jn
between them, no unity of aim and purpose.

True to the instincts of their church, the French priests
bejTau to form societies and other or^^anizations in evei'v
locality where the French were Ibuud insullicient luuubers.

These organizations, for the most jtai't, go under the name
of '* Societo 8t. Jean liaptiste, " J(jhn the I)a[)tist being the
patron saint of Canada. None but French Koman Caiiuj-
lics can belong to them, and a chaplain, the pari.-^h priest,
is lie riijarur.

A few mouths ago the St. Jean Baptiste Society of Lo-
well numbered GOO membci's ; IT nion St. Joseph 48^ ; the
Corporation St. Andr6 200 members and the Younji; Me

n s

Society 1-10 members. In the same city there are other
French Canadian societies having a good membership. The
paper from which these ligui'cs are quoted adds :" There
are prob'ibly 2000 men connected with the civic organiza-
tions of French Canadians in the citv."

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104 i'o(f/* Heritage.

Those local societies and all associations ol' F'rencli Ca-
nadians, of whatever character they may l)c, are united to
elect delegates to the state convention, wliich meets annu-
ally. lOvery other year, there is a general convention form-
ed of delegates IVoni all the organizations (jt French Cana-
dians in the United States. As a rule, some distinguisiied
priests or intltiential statesmen from Canada are present
with a view of reviving or stimulating tiie national senti-
ment and ceni'NUiug the ties which bind the Canadians of
the United States with those of Canada.

Lf Guide Fr((ii.ciiis^ published in 1881) puts the num-
ber of these various societies at 217 and the membership
at 31,i)o().

The conventions formed out of these societies, have not
attracted very much attention, save in tlie towns and cities
in which they have from time to time taken place. The
large procession, Avith its al:vg.)i i-al 'v\rs, its banners, its
bands of music, could not but pr- .uce the impression that
the French Canadians are numericallv strong here. Be-
yond that, little or nothing is known of the purposes and
])liins of such gatherings. Governois ot states, mayors of
cities have not failed to sanction their })roceedings by attend-
ing them and the daily press has lavisiied compliments of
the following character:

"The French Canadian conventi<»n held jtt Nashua X. II.
has ju'oved a magnificent success, highly creditable to the
enterprise, management and public spirit of tliis enterprising
and progressive community. The object of the demonstra-
tion is one which demands the appreciative recognition of
our citizens of every class. It was no less important an
object tlian the promotion of the movement i'or natui'aliza-
tion which has been making such immense strides ol' iate
years, and it may be conlidently hoped that the delegates

«^*

Engines of Warfare. 105

will return to theii- homes more than over convinced of the
Avi.sdom of the jjolicy to which they are now fully com-
m.itted".

Statements of this kind, show very clearly, that the pur-
poses of these gatherings are not at all understood.

Lc Dif'jiHcnr of Holyoke, Mass., does not hesitate to
declare in uinuistakalde terms, what the aims of these socie-
ties and conventions are :

''Our societies have as tiieir object, the preservation of
our tongue, of onr faith, of oui- manners and customs.'*

The same paper goe.■^ on i-idiculing those who favor assi-
milation. It .nays tiiat only superficial minds I'ver dream of
uniting into one homciieneous bodv, the various elements
wdiich now make up the American nation. It goes on say-
ing : ''Is it reasonable to believe, or even to suj)pose that
the various races tiiat are now represented in the United
States, are prepared to abdicate their past, their religious
principles, their national aspirations, to throw tiiemselves
into the abvss of assimilation ? We esteem the Americans,
we admire their prodigious activity, but we cannot, any
more than the othei* elements in the countiy, assimilate
with them."

It is verv clear that 'vhen I'X-irovernor Sawvcr of New
Ilampshii'c sanctioned by hi'^ presence the pi'ociH'dings of
the NashiKi convention in l.SS.S, he was not in (he least
acquainted with tlie measure^ which \vere to l)i' adopted by
that body. The followiuu' icttiT, mmU to us a tew days af-
ter the ctjuvention, show

verv clear) V that he was in the

dark.

The object of the convention in Nashua.

nateil 1)

'}'

the committee who waited upon me wiili the imitation to
be present, appeared unobjectioinUtie, and in \icw of the
magnitude and aj)parent high characte'r o!" the deinonsira-

K I

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I 'Ml Yoitr Heritage.

lion, I had no hesitation in consenting to represent the State
on the occasion.

The information contained in your letter is entirely new
to me. I should be pained to learn that there was any
hidden pur[)ose which was inimical to tlie Republic and its
institutions. If any such purpose exists, I should be reluc-
tant to believe that the gentlemen whom it was my privil-
ege to meet in Nashua, wore knowing of it."

The question which concerns this country is : "What are
these conventions? Do they demand "the appreciative re-
cognition ot our citizens of every class?" Are they purely
and sim))ly "national" gatherings, a sort of j)ic-nic where
hundreds of people of the same nationality meet, forgetting
differences of creeds and of political parties, to spend a
pleasant time? Is it true, as some papers have said, that
"the ])roceedings are laudably free from a religious bias
and contain no element whicdi can possibly give otlense to
Protestant members or visitors?"

Let us endeavor to ascertain to what extent statements
of tliis kind can be depended upon.

About two and a half years ago we made the cha"ge
against these so-calk'd national conventions, that they had
no right to the name they assumed, because tlu'v did not
include all the French Canadians of the United States, but
only those who called themselves Ixoman Catholic. The
name was misleading and deceived tlu' American people.

Before fmdinL:' fault with tlu' name assumed, we asked to
be admitted as members of the Nashua Convention of 1888
on the gi'ound that "-all French Canadian jotu'nalists were
members, (X-nf/'icio/'' IJeing at that time. \\\{\\ two other
French pastors, tliC })ublishers and proprietors of Zrc Scvicur
Frni)r<)'A)iu riran we had tlie I'iu-ht to be present as full

luul
not

, ])Ut

The
e.

il to

.S88
wore
itlier

lull

EiKjhits of War/an'. 107

members, it' the invitations issued to the French Canadian
national convention, were not misleading.

The following letter was received, dated June 18th 1888,
signed P2mile II. Tardivel, General Secretary.

"I have the honor of informing you that French Protes-
tant Canadians cannot be represented at our General Con-
ventions, these conventions being in their essence(I trans-
late literally) Catholic.

"Likewise only members of the Frencli Canadian Catho-
lic press, can take part in the deliberations, as delegates
L'X-tiiJicio.'"

In view of such a reply, we had the right, since the .']')-
000 French Protestant Canadians wei-e excluded, to object
to the name ""national" })ure and simple.

AVe went further than this. Wv made the chargo tliat
these conventions are anti-Protestant, anti-American and
revolutionary in tlieir tendencies. This we did in the pid)-
lic press and threw out this challenge : '"'■ II' we lur. e mis-
represented the aims and purposes of the Nashua conven-
tion, we make bold to eliallenge its i)tlicers and other lead-
ing men, to meet the representatives of French Protestant-
ism in the United States, in some i)ublic hall, when the
former nuiy disprove our statements and satisfactorily an-
swer our questions." The eludlenge has not yet been
taken up. It is wiser to leave it alone. It woidd give too
good an opportunity to place before the public facts, wliich
the French clergy and their suj)porters <lo not wish the
American public to know.

The French ]*rotestants have no lonirer reason to com-
plain of the name given these gatherings. AVhen ihey
were simply called ''national," the pnl)lic had every reason
to suppose that all the French Canadians were welcome to
them. It was certainly the oj)iiii()ii of a leading paper

^•r ~

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108 Foin* Jleritarje.

of New England when it said, tliat the Nashua convention
"contained no element that could possildy give olfense to
Protestant memhcrs or visitors."

As French Protestants, we had reason to object to the
appellation, because \\p did not wish to be held responsible
for the acts oi' these conventions. We do not believe in
the measures there discussed and adopted, because they
are anti-Protestant and anti-American, and opposed to the
best interests oi" our luitionality. Our views on this
question are well known. We do not believe that wc can
have on American soil a dozen diiferent nations, with their
modes of government, their peculiar institutions, their
love, tongue, and especially if allegiance to the President
comes second to allegiance to a monarch across the sea.
We believe in one great American people, loyal to Amer-
ican institutions, pledged to sustain the })ublic school
system.

The reason why the Fi-ench Rt)man Catholic clerijfv dis-
agree with us and call the French Protestants traitors to
their nationality, may once more be stated, so that it may
impress itselfupon the minds of the protectors of this nation ;
The genius of the politico-religious system known as Rom-
anism and tluit of American itistitutions are nuitually des-
tructive. Seeing that such are our views, we did not wish
it to be thought, that all Canadians shared in the ideas of
the so-called French national conventions.

AVo are glad to see that these gatherings are now called
" French Boman Catholic conventions." By adding the
words " Konuui Catholic," the I'act has been acknowledged,
that French Protestantism exists, can have and actually
has its amuuil gatherings, such as the picnic held last Sep-
tember, in W^orcester, INIass.

We have said that these conventions are anti-Protestant

! ii

EtKjineso/ Warfare. lOi)

and anti-Amcricaii. They exclude 3'j,000 Protestant
Canadians of the United States, i'oi- the simple reason that
they have accepted the teactiinj^s of the Crospel as their rule
ot" faith and conduct. They ai'e turned away, hecause they
profess the same religious views as the bulU of the Amer-
ican people ; because they love, favf)r, encourage and sus-
tain the public schocds (jf the land and other free institu-
tions, and j)lace the Constitution of the United .States be-
fore the Syllabus of the Po[)e.

It follows that the French priests are the leading spiritfc
in these conventions. All the delegates are, willingly av
otherwise, the docile slaves of the priests. Thci-eare among
the laity, men of intelligence and education, who desire a
better state of thintrs for their countrymen. Hut thev are
either merchants, or physicians or clerks. They depcn<l
upon the French population for their livelihood, and this
population the priest controls. In order to keep cast with
the people, they feel compelled to abdicate all right to think
and especially to give expression to their convictions.

It mav be asked whether there has been no change since
18H8? The following extracts from two French Roman
Catholic papers of October 1800, show that the aims are
the same.

La Feuillc d'Erahle^ the oflicial organ of the St. Jean
Baptiste society of New York says: "Our population is
Catholic and French Canadian without reasoning."

Le National of Lowell replies to this : " No our popula-
tion is not French "without reasoning." On the contrary,
it reasons very well, and it says to itself that it is, Ijefore
everything else, Koman Catholic, and that in its national
festivals, it desires the co-operation of the clergy, because
no people can prosper and become great that does not walk
hand in hand with the priest."

•I
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110 Fot(r HeritfKje.

We may state tlie great aim of tliese conventions in two
sentences. To establish lirmly on American soil, and espe-
cially ill New England, the French race, preserving its
identity, its tongne, its modes of thought, and especially its
religion. Everything is made to centre round this last fea-
ture.

When Le Defmscvr asks whether " it is reasonable to
suppose that the various races are prepared to abdicate their
i'' ' . ns principles in order to assimilate with Americans,"
ft; II vp /ers negatively, it says virtually, that it is impos-
t'ible lor a Canadian to become a genuine citizen of tliis
3"ioto«tan; ronublic.

Whilst do \^ i'v that this theory is true in so far as it
applies to Protestant Canadians we believe it to be quite
true in the case of Romanists.

The two great questions which arc always sure to come
up are : "What are the best means to adopt for the esta-
blishment of French Roman Catholic schools for the preser-
vation of the French tongue?"

This first question, when sifted down, resolves itself into
this : — What are the best means to adopt to fight American
institutions, to destroy them and replace them by others
controlled by the pope? What are the best means to adopt,
in order to prevent the assimilation of the French element
into the body of mutually sympathetic American citizens?

The second question is : "What are the best means to
adopt for the naturalization of our countrymen?" This
question resolves itself into this : How can we best succeed
in leading the French Canadians to say they are Ameri-
cans, by becoming voters, when all the time they have in
view not the building up of the American nation, but the
growth of a politico-religious system, anti-American to
the back-bone.

JjiKjiiir.soj ]] i(r/'((r(. Ill

No good for oui" luitioiiality can \>v hoped tor. tVoin tlu'st;
conventions. They are controlled by men who have sellish
ends in view. The few who ini!j:ht feel disjiosed to take
broader views of things, are compelled to keej) silent. The
priests would crush them.

A layman who had been a leading spirit at the Ilolyoke
gathering said to ns :

"You can't conceive of the state of things among the
Canadians of the United States. The pries tr; are tyrants.
Their aim is to make money. Iiv reasttn of ignorance and
superstition, the masses submit. By reason of (ear and
because they wish to curry favor wiih the priests, the more
intelligent and educated among the )>eoj)le, also submit. It
is a system of tyraiuiy that will end in a bloody revolution.
New England lias dark days in store."

"I do not claim to Ije a Protestant, continued this man,
but I wish you every manner of success in your woik. If
Americans would only open their eyes, they would, for the
good of their country, })laee your work on a solid tbunda-
tion. I can say nothing. I would lose my position. Both
Romanists and Protestants compel us to l)e silent. " These
words need to be weighed. It is perfectly true, that it is
becoming more and more dillicult tor a Boman Catholic to
leave the Church of Borne. The business-public seem to
be afraid to give em})loyment to men and women who have
enough of courage to break loose from the power of the
priests. Instead ol finding friends to receive them and
lielp them to take their rank in society as free men and wo-
men, they are thrown upon a cold and unsympathetic worUl,
and they are driven to the wrong conclusion that there is
no more religion among Protestants than among Boman-
ists. Many of them conclude that it American Protestants
make of their purse their god, they themselves may as well

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1 12 Your Ilcritd'j''.

do tlu! siuuf. If it is ii LH-avo ofR'nse toward l^)l^e to
employ a ooiivm't they say, it inust be a fjjravcr one to l)e-
comi! a convert. Let us remain with Kuint', tliou^di not
believing in her ; and since we cannot j)i'os{)er iVom a
temporal standpoint without her goodwill, let us help her
and get her I'avors.

The strength of Rome is iiK'i'easing every day, because
the back-bone of Protestantism is getting weaker and

weaker.

AV^e repeat it again, the Gospel of Christ alone and Chris-
tian education, will save these vast multitudes from the
oppression of l\omanism on the one hand, and the lawless-
ness of the religious indill'erence and intidelity into which
they are falling.

si;(;tio\ v. — the i-ui:n(1i na i'ilvlizatton CLUiiS.

The naturalization movement among the T^^rench Cana-
dians, is oi' comparatively recent date.

For a number of years this population was more or less
transient. The French element was taken little notice of
by American politicians. These artisans and laborers
were looked upon as birds of passage, here to-day and
back to Canada to-morrow, and it was considered a wasti? of
time to solicit their synii)athies with one or other candidate
iu federal or state electioiiS.

The outcry caused by an offensive report issued some
years ago in Massachusetts, says the Montnal Gazette
was the starting point of the new departure. The dignity
with which the insidting tone of that document was rebuked
by naturalized French Canadians, directed attention to the
latter as a hitherto almost ignored feature in American
political life.

The priests, afraid of the influences under which the Ca-
nadians came while here, did all in their power to keep

less

c of

Kjrcrs

and

i^. of

ulate

■it*

some
lazette
ignity
bilked
o the
ericaii

le Ca-
keep

E nijDii H (if Wurfdi'i', 113

them away trom the American people. They, consequently,
opposed the movement towaiMl naturalization, the ti^ndency
of which would necessarily be, to remove the French from
their old connections, and make ot them permanent resi-
dents of this countrv.

It became manifest to the clergv however that there was

but little use in trying to prevent the Canadians from

immigrating to tlie United States. They also saw that

they were I)iiying farms and homes in manufacturing centres

and settling down with the fixed })urpose of remaining in

this country.

Another fact the French clergy could not fail to notice,

with a somewhat jealous eye. The Irish were omni-pre-

sent in p(tlitical matters. They elected their man and

exerted great intluence over the politi(!s of the land and

controlletl evei-vthin": in ecclesiastical matters.

The French leaders in the national conventions, were

not slow in seeiu"; that a great mistake had been ma-le l)v

the priests, in not taking a leading part in the naturalization

movement, instead of o{)posing it. We are mimerically

strong, but politically, we exei't little or no intluence, for

the very obvious reason.that there are uut tew voters among

us. Would we gain in inlhienee and power, then let us

become voters.

The clergy did not at once fall in with the idea. They

feared the results would be, the loss of the French language

among their people, and the assimilation of the French race.

Of late there has been a change of policy. AVith few

exceptions, the priests now favor naturalization. It wcnild

be a great blunder to suppose that it is because they are

now more favorable to the Americanization of the French

than they were some years ago. It is rather with the

view of retarding that which Americans desire, that they

have changed their tactics.

ii«

111 } '////• III rilitiji .

A (listiiK'tif)ii, iiiid a wvy liroad one s1k)u1i1 he madf l»o-
twi'oii ail Amoricaii v'w'v/xn and a voter. The Innncr he-
conu's a niL'inber nfilic Anifric/in republic, l>eeau.~e lull's
in sympathy with its coiistitution. apjiroves oC its education-
al system and of the Li'enei-al spirit which jirevails in the
nation. Tiie latter may be out oi's\mpatliy with republican
institutions. His purpose in ol)taii)in^ voting ])()wers may
be to use his influence in ojipo^iniz- and overtln'owiiiLT the
institutions of the cf)untry ol' his adnpti.ui.

We do not say that all Komanists w!io become citizens
of this country, do so with such iiitentions. We do say

however, that they cannot be cinisisteiit meiul)ers of the
Komish ehurcii, and loyal citizens of a Protestant republic.
It is an absolute impossibility.

It is not necessary t(j repeat here what we have said, con-
cerning the aims and desii,nis of the French Komish clergy
in New England. The reader may refer to the facts given.
In view of these we may say that the naturalization clul)S
among the French Canadians, are becoming one of the
strongest engines of war against American institurons.
l^oliticians do not trouble themselves very nmch about
1,000,000 French Canadians. Their state of op{)ression
and ignorance does not i)revent the IJepublican or Demo-
cratic candidate from sleej)ing. But the politician becomes
deeply interested in the teiitii or twentieth portion of that
number, so soon as they become voters. In cities like

Lowell, Fall River, Manchester, llolyoke, [he French
Canadians can easily turn the tables.

Tiie majority will vote as the priests tell them. The
politiccil parties wall feel it n(!cessary to keep on good terms
with the clergy in order to have the vote. They will not
dare say much on the burning school question. They wil
not sanction bills which favor the inspection of parochial

En'jlnes of War/are. 11/3

schools. Tlioy will not in ono word interfere with the
plans of the French hierarchy, which have in view the
estabiislnnent of a New France in New EiiLdand. Party
papers will not pnbli.>;h a line of the patriotic discourses
which are given here and there.

The more voters there are among the French Canadians
the stronger the Roman Catholic church becomes.

If then the question be asked :

How will this naturalization movement affect the French
Canadians and through them, the United States? We
answer: All will dei)end on the religious and educatioiial
influences under which this population is placed. If they
remain under the power of Komanism, if the children are
taught in French parochial schools, it is as clear as day-
light, that the strength of Rome will increase in proportion
as French Canadians .are naturalized and both this popula-
tion and this republic will suffer loss.

If on the other hand the French Canadians can be remo-
ved from Romish influences, if they can be evangelized,
educated in the public schools of this country, and kept
Christian by the power of the Gospel of Christ, they them-
selves will have all to gain by becoming citizens, for then
they will be loyal, and the nation will also be the gainer.

* I

>: ' ''t

'11

PART III.

THE COxXQUliST OF THIS FORCE.

i«

11
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I

THE NATURE OF OUIt WARFARE.

In the chapters -vvhieh precede, we have endeavored to
show the character, strength and ])robable growtli of tl)e
French Koman Catholic popuUition of New EngUindand the
United States.

We have called attention to the aims and purposes of the
clergy and of those who have assumed the roll of leaders
among those unprivileged and misguided classes.

Enough has been said to convince tlie impartial reader,
that if the French hierarchv and tliose who second the el-
forts of the priests, succeed in bringing about the results
they are aiming at, Protestant New England will soon have
within itself, a Roman Catholic New France, as large as,
if not larger than itself, made up of voters, possessing all
the privileges and jioui-rs of Protestant republican citizens,
and yet altogether out of sympathy with the free institutions
of this nation, out of sympathy with the civilization of this
nineteenth century.

■X4. '

l.-i

[(lev,

el-

;ults

IlilVO

as,

all

lens,

[ions

this

21h' Xaturc of our War/nrv. 117

It would 1)0 folly to imagine that this foroii^n state within
our state will be able to exist, work out its educational ideas,
its nu'dia'val notions of frovcrnment, its ecclesiastical
schemes, without j)Utting itselt in conflict with the Amer-
ican nation. Is it not precisely because there is conflict
between French Ultramontanism and our American life,
that till' priests are so anxious to prevent as mu(di as in
their powvr lies, the contact between the two nationalities?
Let it be repeated once more, for tle.ir is need of it. The
Komish church cannot but be the uncompromisin<i^ foe of
all that truly constitutes the American repidtlic. Free
sctiools, a free press, a rhurcli that livrs without state lielf),
because it has life; freedom of di.>cus,-iiin, in one word,
true, enliLrhteiied, Clu'istian freedom, nn'an siu'e death to
that chui'ch. She cannot then, if ,'^he has any regard for
herself, be anything else than the enemy of the civilization
■which desti'oys her.

We have also tried to show that the ditliculty of the sit-
uation is intensified by reason of the. tact that the force we
have to contend against,, ecei^■^•s help t'rom allit's, which
instead of joining is.->ue with it directly and indirectly, should
stand out for I'roti'stant liberties and all that goes to make
a nation pro.-^peroiis.

New England has reached tliat point wlieri^ it must face
this foe of religious truth and freedom, of' true republicaiii.-in,
of intellectual develojnneiit ol' naiional hapi)iue.>-s and
l)rosperity.

It were weakness ami tolly to cry ]ieaee, where there is
no peace possible. Fire and watt'r have never lived at
peace. Powder and fire cannot cxi.^t together, 'rruth and
error are niutuallv destructive. Freedom and slaverv will
never embrace one another.

As much can be said of Romanism and what I mav call,

f ' !

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■I
I

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IIH Four Ileritarje.

Christian republicanism, be it American, French, Italian or

English, it matters little. We speak now of certain great

principles.

The point we wish to make and impress upon those who

may read this book is, that there is conflict between the

Cliristian civilization of this country and Romanism. It is

a mistake to imairine that the latter is gravitating toward

the former. We will believe this, when wc sec the pope

abandoning his claim to tem])oral power over all the nations

of the earth, Avhen we see him abandoning his pretension

to infallibility.

We say a conflict is upon us and we deem it a duty to

protect ourselves against the attacks of Ultramontanism.

Not only this however, but we believe that God calls us to

go to the rescue of those thousands who for generations

have groaned and suffered under the weight of the chains

in which this talse system has held these multitudes so long.

We have already stated the reasons which lead us to enter
into conflict with P^rench Ultramontanism. We have seen
the sufferings of our people, we have heard their cry
of distress, wc have looked upon their state of backward-
ness of poverty and of general ignorance, and our heart
has been moved. It has been made sorry.

We have for our people, the same feelings as the friends
of emancipation had for the Negro race. The bondage of
the South was bad enough, but the moral and intellectual
slavery of Romanism is still worse, as is proved every-
where by its sad results.

We believe God calls on those of us who have the

Gospc!, to go forth in his strength, with his holy arm, to
the comiuest of this mighty army, now invading your heri-
tage, New England. And as God's people wiped out the
curse of slaveiy from this land of freedom, so should
they do with Romanism.

V: >

The Nature of our Warfare.

119

The warfare is not a carnal one. We plead for no direct
antagonism, for no bitter opposition to the Church of
Rome. Above all we do not ask lor restrictions on the
liberties of Roman Catholics.

But we do ask that the institutions of this country
remain unimpaired. That the children who are to be
our free citizens to-morrow, learn iv, become enlitj^htened
and loyal. We do ask that Rome be not allowed special
privileges, even though that may be deemed necessary to
her i^wn maintenance and existence in a free republic.

What we do ask above all tilings is, that the million of
French Canadians of this country be looked upon as one of
the most promising missionary fields ever opened by God,
for moral and intellectual culture, to the American Christian
church. What we do ask is, tiuit we use common sense
and discretion, and be ready to admit, that if it is good and
profitable ior us to give money to the American Uoard to
send the Gosi)el to the Roman Catholics of S})ain and
Mexico., to those who once were under the power of that
church in France, it must be proper, wise and patriotic to
preach the glad tidings of the Gos{>el to the multitudes at
our doors, who are under the same system of darkness as
the Spaniards, Mexicans and Frenclj of Kuro[)c. It is
right for Americans to seek the conversion of distant mul-
titudes, but it is not right to neglect those wiio are just as
needy, and who sutler at our very door.

Let us state again, that the warfare to which we call the
men and women of this land, is a moral and spiritual one.
We do not war, nor d(j we ask anybody lo war after the
flesh. " For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
hut mighty through God to the pulling down of strong-
ii<dds ; casting down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and

III:

•1)

fv,;

.1' i :

;; 'I

120 You r He r itage.

bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ."

N(j one can object to such a warfare. II' Komanism is
the truth, if its teachings are based on God's word, it has
nothing to fear from those wlio desire to go to the French
Canadians, God's Word in liand, and in tlie Spirit of
Christ, to speak to llieni the simple truths of the Gospel.
Jf Ivomanism is not (Mjnformed in its religious, political and
social principk^s to the Bible, then it is the duty of all
Christians to convict that system of error, and to give to its
adepts the only truth that can save them and make them
prosperous and happy. To take objection to this position,
were to ojipose all missionary enterprises.

We deem this warfare with the i)owers of French
Ultramontanism to be necessary, justiliable anil God-
imposed.

(1) IT IS A XECKSSAKY WAIIFAKE.

We wish to give tlie (rosjxd to tlic French Canadians of
New England for the very simple reason tiiat they have it
not. To us this statement is trite. AVe have been com-
pelled to m.'ike ourselves familiar with the system, both
from its books and from personal contact with hundreds
who profess its dogmas.

The church of Rome may claim to teach the Gospel, to
present Chi'ist to men. It is none the less true, that
Christ's teachings have been so buried under the rubbish of
human inventions, that the plan of Christ's salvation is
completely subvei-trd.

The Uomanism in uliicji the vast majority of the Freiudi
Canadians believe, is nothing short of baptized legalism.
It brings back the soul to those " beggaidy elements" of
which Paul speaks in his epistles to the (Jalatians.

Why did I'aul pray so earnestly for Israel ? It was that

T'lif Nature iif (1)1 r Wdrfarr. 121

they might lie saved. Thfv had a zeal ot" Goil hut not
accordinjj to kno\vledL'"e. IJeiiiur iirnoraut of (iod's riixliteous-
ness thev went ahotit to estahlisli their own riijhteousness
and did not suhiuit ihcniselves U) the riglitcousness of God.
Tiiey knew oidy the righteousness of tlie hiw which teaches
that the man who doeth shall live by what he doeth.

Practicallv, this is Komanisni. AVc know verv well
that the theologians of that church will di'iiy that such is
their system of theology. Wwi we an; dealing with men,
with the lives and actions of men.

For the vast majority of our French Canadian Roman
Catholics, religion has come down t(j a dead extcrnalism.
Ifsuificeth to attend to a certain round of meaningless
forms, to be religious. There nuiy ])e no lite, no soul in
the performance of these religious ceremonies. As long as
they are performed, all is well, and the church is apparent-
ly satisfied. Sj)eak with the Romanist, ask him whether it
is well witli his soul. Tn nintv-nine cases out of a hundred
you will be told, that having paid so much to the churcdi,
having fasted so manv davs, having gone to church so
many times and taken the communion and received all the
sacraments of the church, tlie hope is that God is pr(jpitiated,
and that after some years of suffering in purgatory, heaven
will be reached.

Is this the Gospel, is tins Paul's doctrine of justification
by faith without the deeds of the law? Is it true that the
sinner can, by any deed of his, satisfy the law of God, and
lind peace? The Gos[)el emphatically says, no. When
the Galatians are drawn Ijack to their old legalism by false
teachers, who, by their teaching that righteousness comes
by the law, frustrate the grace of (iod, the apostle cries
out to these deceived men: "'O foolish Galatians, who
hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?

«{

'f — •

■I

122 Your H(:rit(((j(.

Are ye so foolish? liaviii!^ heguii in tlio S})irit, arc ye now
iiiade perfect l)y the llesh ? "

It was necessary tliat tliese Oalatiaiis should be reminded,
that " tlie just shall live by faith. Tluit God so loved the
woi'id that he irave his (july beijotten son. That bv Grrace
ye ai'c saved through faith, not by works of righteousness
which ye have done, but by the renewal of the Holy
Ghost. "

Nine-tenths of the French Canadians of the New Knirland
states, arc as ignorant of these elementary Gospel truths, as
the heathen of tin South sea islands, because the Bible is
kept away (Vom tlu'.m.

Should it bi' still objected by some, that the Protestant
American church has no mission to this great and ever
increasing population, on the gi'ound that they have enough
of Gospel to save them, then we v.'ould say : we must be
all wrong in our views of truth social, political and religious ;
the great refoiMuation was what the llomish church tries to
make it to have been, a deformation. Gin* fathers in the
faith were all astray, they fought, bled and died for naught.

Can that be? What, we ask a church which substitutes
for Paul's great doctrine of Justilication by Faith that of
Justification by Works ; which virtually puts the Virgin
JNIary above the Son of God ; which replaces the essential
doctrines of Regeneration and Conversion by the mechanic-
al doctrine of the Sacraments ; which so destroys the nature
of the Lord's supper as to lead men to bow down before a
piece of paste and actually worship it because they believe
it to be very God ; which in the decrees of the Coimcil of
Trent, still in force, forbiiN the reading of the Word of
God by the people ; a church which teaches such and
kindred errors is to be ranked among the Christian denomi-
nations and is to be thought good enough for the French of

tutes
at of

ential
ituiic-
ature
ore a
)eUcve
cil of
)r(l of
and
nomi-
ne h of

'The Xaturi' of our War/are. 123

New Enj^land I No. Its teachings are soul-destroying,
its duetrines pcjlitieal and religious are the banc of apciople,
and should be eonibatted by every child of God. 'Vlu'y
have produced ignorance, ])ovi'rty, degradation, infidelity,
and immortality everywhere they have prevailed. They
are doing the same among the '1:">{),00(J French Canadians
of New England and New York. Unless the Christian
churches are foresworn and their members traitors to their
God and Savior they are in iluty bound to go to these
slaves of error, teach them what the lilterty of Christ is,
and they will accept it witii tears of gratitude, in the same
Avay as some 40,00') already have done in America.

(2) IT IS A JUSTIlTAI'.l.i: AVARI ARE.

Not only is it necessary for us to go with the Gospel
message to the French Roman Catholics, but we are per-
fectly justifuible in so doing. We must not allow ourselves
to be blinded ])y our notions of liberty. In our desire to
give the French Komanists ol this land, not (July toleration
but full liberty, we sliould not overlocjk our obligation, to
make known to them a better way than that in which they
have walked for some three centuries. We owe it to them
and let us not forget that we owe it to this comitry. If
Protestant England had only understood this sooner, the
Province! of (Quebec would not be so backward as it now is,
and the social antipathies would not run so high as they
now do.

The facts of history should warn ami instruct us. "We
cannot very well close our eyes to them.

The French Protestant is olten asked by a class of men
who consider it a virtue to be lenient toward all sv^tems,
why he puts himself in conflict with Pome, why he does
not display more tolerance, I>readth aiul charity?

AV^e answer by putting the (juestion : Have we not ample

i.'l

ifl

li^i

I! }

124

Your Heritage.

reasons to put ourselves in conflict with that mediaeval sys-
tt'in of religion and <^overnnient, which has stunted the
growth of a colony founded uiider circumstances so favo-
rahlc to its rapid dcvelopnu'iit and prosperity?

Let history speak. In wliose hands were the destinies
of New France sliajjcn ? Who has had for the last three
centuries, the moulding and fasliioning of tiie French Cana-
dian nation? What was the character of the first colonists?
AVhat were the advantages of the j)rouu)ters of the enter-
prise ?

It is well known tliat the church of Rome has had the
entire control in matters educational and religious. AVe
may go farther and add that she also controled, in a very
large measure, tlie connnerce and politics of the new colony.
It has alrejidy been stated that many of the first colonists
were men of rank and learning, that the church had at its
disj)Osai, boundless territories of fei'tile soil, large sums of
money, the protection and goodwill of the French court.
She had a clear lield before the new colony passed into the
hands of England, she has had tlie fullest toleration since.
Should she not have made of New France the greatest
country on the American continent? Has she done it?
The answer has been given.

A cursory glance at the history of New France and at
that of New England, Avill more ihan sullice to convince
any impartial and enlightened reader, that the French
Canadiari who knows anything concerning the history of
his country from its foundation up to the present day, and
who is in the least acqiuiinted with the history of the
Puritan colony next-door to it, cannot but be justified,
when he i)uts forth wise. Christian and well-directed efforts
to overthrow Romanism, and replace it by iliose ])rinciples

)ry of
, and
lot" the
stifled,
1 efforts
^iciples

Tlic Nature of our Warfare. 125

of Gospel truth ^v]lic•ll have made New EngUind great
among the nations of the world.

A vohimc could be written, and it would be a most in-
teresting one, on the formative forces and inlluences in
New France and New England.

In the English colony, it is the Puritan Spirit which
prevailed. (Jod and bis tnuh fu'st. No priest, no king
save Christ. Education, commercial enterprise, agricul-
tural j)ursuits, all that could make man jjrosperoiis, inde[)en-
dent and free was sure to accompany such i)ritu'iples. The
Pilgrims and Puritans left their homes, because tliey cf)idd
not worship (Jod according to ihe dictates of their

conscience.

In tlie French colony, a very different spirit prevailed.

It was the monarchical, the ecclesiastical, sacerdotal idea.
The priest was the leading personage. Tlie individual num
was nothing, the hierarchy was the embodiment of every-
thing; religion, education, commerce and politics.

There was, at this period, in Europe a large and properous
class of men, who like the Puritans, placed God and his
Word above ecclesiasticeim. Ileni'i jNlartin, the celebrated
French historian says that the Protestants were far superior
to the Catiiolics, and when Kome so cruelly persecuted the
former and com{)elled so many to leave the country they
loved, it was found that the best and most prosperous citi-
zens had gone to other lands, leaving behind them great
gaps, which could not be lilled.

These Huguenots in (jucst of freedom, began to emigrate
to New France, and it w^as not long before their influence
was felt in commercial and agricultural enterprises. But
the Romish hierarchy, fearing the influence of these en-
lightened Protestant colom'sts, brought the whole power
ot the ecclesiastical machine to bear upon the French

fl'

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\ • ■

12G Your Heritage.

court, to prevent the colonization of New France by Pro-
testant Christians.

Garneaii, the French Canadian historian, was brave
enough to say, tliat if for peace' sake, it was absohitcly ne-
cessary to have but one religion in Canada, it would iiave
been better to have given up this colony to the Huguenots,
who for conscience' sake, felt obliged to leave their native
land, as the Puritans did. God alone knows, what the
results of such a })olicy would have been for France and for
the world !

The great CoLjny, that far-seeing statesman, that noble
martyr, had formed the great plan of colonization, which if
carried out, would have given a refuge to the persecuted
Huguenots and have created on American soil a great
French Protestant republic, w^orking side by side and
harmoniously Avith the colony which has become the great
Protestant republic of the United States.

But in the inscrutable decrees of God it was ordered
otherwise. Cardinal Richelieu, because he had more at
heart the glory of the Romish church than the prosperity
and glory of his nation, would not sanction so patriotic a
policy.

Under M. de Mons, a mixed Protestant and Roman
Catholic colony was established at I'Acadie and took the
name of Port Royal.

Under the skillful management of the Huguenot leader,
the forest was soon converted into farms, out of the trees
houses were constructed, a grist-mill was built, and thrift
and general prosperity appeared everywhere. Very soon
would the skill and enterprise of these Huguenots have
made of this colony a centre of influence and power.

But Jesuit intrigue upset everything. The Romish
church had ihe upper hand. Later on Port Royal was

[cr,
'ces
irift
oon
lave

21ic Ndturr of i>itr Warfare. 127

attacked, and it was diiriiii,' these troubles that M. tie
Latuur sou;j;ht and obtained the help of ^Iv. Winthrop
governor of iMassaoluisetts, who with eighty Americans and
one hundred and forty Huguenots from Ni'W Kngland,
succeeded in re[)elling Charnisey the besieger of Fort St.
Jean.

A treaty was afterwards signed whereby governor
"Winthrop was prevented from helping tiie Huguenots in
days to come, and the latter were conquered.

It would be impossible to follow out this interesting his-
tory. It will sutlice to say that about the time of the
revocation of the Edict (d Nantes in l(j<sr», the French
court stop[)ed altogether the emigration of the Huguenots
to Canada. Those wh(j still remained were persecuted so
bitterly that they sought refuge in New England, among
those Puritans who were in a position to understand them
and offer them sympathy.

We have lingered over this page of histf)ry to make
clear thisone fact namely, that the Church of Rome would
notallow, Protestants to have the least share in the lavin;;
of the foundations of tht^ French colony, nor in its develop-
ment. She nmst therefore be held resi)onsible tor the state
of backwardness in which the French portion of the c<jun-
try has remained. Since New England, foun<lod on Pro-
testant principles has grown, since she has become one of
the leading nations of the world, Avhilst New France, con-
troled by Romish influences has remained practically at a
Standstill, we French Protestants, who cannot but weep
over the sad pages of our country's history, alhrm that Ave
are more than justified when we enter into conflict with a
system of religion, politics, and education, which has caus-
ed and is now causing such miseries and sorrows among
our people. It is our right and duty to ask that it be over-

11'

r i.

lii

il !

Il'8 Yuur Ihi'itdiji .

thrown, by the only jjowit that can copf 'vitli it, the Gos-
jjel of otir Lord anti Savior Jesus Chrif^t.

IJ — IT IS A (i()I>-IMr<)Si;i) WAUFAUE.

It seems siiperfhious to say tliat thi? contlict \\c onpraf^c
in is Go<l-ini|)os('(l. The Christian portion of tin's nation
cainiot reinani trne to CJod and to the connnission of Jesus
Christ, without goin;^' to this people with the Gospel of lib-
erty. We have tried to show that they arc kept in ignor-
iinceofthe teachings of Jesus Christ. We havt' briefly
pointed out some of the results of the system of religion
and education which has moulded the French Caiuulian
nation. If we are willing to keep these facts before us,
and judge Romanism by them and by nudtitudes of similar
ones, we will n(/t fail to see and admit that God has sent
these thousands of French Canadian into this land, that
they might receive at our hands the (iospel of Christ.

There has been too much indiiference on the part of the
Church in this direction. Scores of ministers do not hes-
itate to ailirm, that we as Protestant Christians, have no
mission tt) IJonumists. Those who reason thus either have
faileil to uiake themselves acquainted with the teachings of
Honianism, or else they must take the ground that there is
iio essential dilference bi'tween truth and error.

AV^e take a totally ditferent position. AVe believe that
God's Word is the truth and that it is in this trntl ' >t
the strength of nations resides. This conv! 'ti' we base
first, on the AVord of God itself, ani , on the his-

tory of individuals and nations. Trutii I keth ;t nation,
error drags it down. AVe instance again IS'ew F 'ance and
New F^ngland. AVe have the truth Avhich is able to save
and to make us prosperous. The bulk of the F>ench Can-
adians wdio come to us are ignorant of this truth and they
suifer by reason of their ignorance. AVe claim that God

i ,:.|

no
lavc
;s of
•c is

that
It

1 ;..

liuii,

and

save

Cau-

tliey

God

The Xdhd'v of our W'ttr/art. \'2'J

will iiold us rospoiisihlc! for the loss of tlic.^o sonls if wr put
forth 11(1 tffort to save them.

l>iit there is more than this missionary motive ' impel
us to action. The safety of this nation demands me con-
version to C'in-ist of these increasing nniltitudes. New Kn-j^laiid
must hecome in the near future either a Komi.-h or a <,'t«l-
Icss democracy, uidess we make it Christian. To speak of
a Ivoman Catholic democracy is to speak nonsense. How
can a church that holds to the doctrine of an infallihle pope
believe in a govermnent by the people and for the people?

lint we may speak with anxiety of a godless democracy.
We may look forward with some amount of ti'emhling to
the enactment of scenes similar to those oi' revolutionary
days in France. Ivomish absolutism in that couiitiy was
followed by blind and unthinking atheism. So will it be
here, unless we give those masses, which arc slipping out
of Komc's hand, the oidy ])ower which could have saved
France, the Gospel of the Son of God.

Will Ave do it? It will be surpassingly strange if we
fail to do it. Would it be true that we could discern the
needs of the French republic, that we could see that noth-
ing but the simple Gospel can fill the great religious want
which Romanism could not meet, and yet close our eyes to
the fact that this American republic is face to face with pre-
cisely the same problem? It cannot be. When the na-
tion stops to think, so soon as we have succeeded in arrest-
ing the attention of the thinking public on this most vital
problem, energetic measures will be taken for its speedy
solution.

9{- rj |l

.:<

' i

. 1

•'1

CHAPTER II.

OUR METHODS OF WARFARE.

That a great ami diHicult work lies before us, has been
shown. In the strength which Christ supplies, Ave go forth
to the conquest of a strong and thoroughly organized force.
Our su(;cess will necessarily depend on our methods of
warfare.

None l)ut those who have liiul some experience in the
kind of missionary work we are now discussing, can fully
understand its inherent dllUculties.

The missionaries of the American Board in Spain and
other papal lands, will indorse us when we say, that the
teachings of Koinanism are hurtful to the intelligence and
especially to the conscience. This fact cannot very Avell be
overlooked, in the arrangement of our ujethods of work.
"We must be convinced that radical changes are needed,
changes which atfect the educationtii, political, social and
religious ideas of a people, liefore any good work can be
done, much nuist be undone.. The jii'ound must

)are(

AVe must not make the mistake of thinkinT that because

and
It the

iind
lell be
ivork.
leded,
|l and

n be
prc-

:ausc

Our Methods of War/are. 131

the people we are called to evans^elize are largely in New
England, no very special elFort is requii-ud to make of them
enlightened, Christian citizens. The very fact that they
are surrounded by Protestant influences, puts them on the
defensive and makes it necessary for us to use special
methods of work in order to reach them.

They are suspicious of everything that is American or
English. They have been told so often that their tongue,
nationality and religion go together, that they do not take
kindly to the agencies now at work in this country and by
V, iiich the people of this repul)lic are prepared for true and
enlightened citizenship. They are afraid of the public
schools, they are afraid of the English language and of the
American press. 80 far as Enirlish speaking churches are
concerned, it were a mortal sin to pass their threshold.

It Avould not be accurate to say that all the Erench
Canadians escape the influence of these enlightening agen-
cies. Some have been reacluMl by them and as time goes
on the number will increase. Yet the truth remains that
the masses are untouched ; they are under the power of
other influences spoken of in previous chapters and it is by
these that tliey are being formed.

What then must be done to take possession of this field?

MVc must first make oiu'seKes acquainted witli the field,
with the character of the peopK-, with their state of mind,
their peculiarities, tlu'ir modes of tliought. ^\'e nuist be
familiar with the system of reliGfion undi'r which thcv
have been, know its strong nud wi-iik jioiiUs, that we nuiy
not blunder in our maniu'r of apj)roach to the Homanist.

A careful study will ^ery soon revial to us the sad truth
that Komanism after {11, gives but vi'i-y little genuine re-
ligious a!id moral culture to the mind and soul. It will be
found the work thatthe Clnu'ch of Christ is called up(m to do,

, !

132 Your Iltritarjc.

miL-it begin at the very foimdjitioii. To ignore this were
to build upon the sand and later on have the sorrow of see-
ing the edilice crumble to the ground.

It is our conviction that four distinct kinds of work are
re(|uired for. the evangelization of these multitudes. 1.
Special house-to-house missionary work. 2. Church work.
3. Publication work. 4. Special educational work.

MISSIONARY WORK.

It is a great mistake to iniagino that all we have to do to
reach unconverted men is to build a church, go into the
pulpit and say : "Come." The Church is finding out that
by this method comparatively few people arc reached. If
this is true generally, it is especially true of the French
Roman Catholics of New England. They will not be
brought into our American churches by this method, nor
will very many find their Avay into our French Protestant
houses of worship in this way. We need our churches and
pastors as we purpose showing in the next chapter, but we
do not hesitate to say that we need especially at this stage
of the work, another class of workers.

Before the French ("Canadians will take the first step to-
ward union or assimilation with the people of this nation,
many deep-seated prejudices must be removed. It is the
force of these prejudices wliich keeps them away from the
public schools and leads them to shun all Protestant influ-
ences.

Americans have no conception of the ignorance in which
thousands of Koinanists are kept. When we say ignorance
wc mean, in so fur as Protestantism is concerned. Thous-
ands imagine that Protestants are out and out atheists, be-
lieving in neither God nor devil, men who never pray.

Kev. J. Provost, now pastor of the French Protestant
church of Springfield, Mass., told us that when as a boy,

Our Mfthodn of Warfare.

1 O.I

lo-
tion,
tlie
the
itidu-

,'hirh
i'liuce

lOUS-

S be-

jstant
boy,

he went to onr niissioniiry institiuion at Pointc-aux-Trcnibles,
he was lirnily coiivniced that at some time or other in the
day, he wonhl see tlie (U'vil. Cireat was his snrj)i'ise when
instead of the (h-vil, he saw a man ot' ( lod, liibK' in hand,
readinji^ the .story ot" Christ's love, and otK^ring a simple
prayer, the Catholic l)()y eould understand.

The brotlu'r ot' one of onr stndi'iits later on went to tiic
same sehof)l. The tlr.st night he was in mortal terror. He
had ])een told that the evil one dwelt in that school. His
mind soon became divcsti-d of those jirejadices and he, as
well as Mr. Provost, have become heralds of the Gospel.

A short time anit, I asked one of onr stndents \\ho has
become a Pi-otestant, what he btdieved concerning; Pr(jtest-
ants before lu' came to the French Protestant College. He
said: "'1 thon^lit you did not believe in God, that you
never praved but >pent vou)' time in al)usin'; the \'ir<riii
Mary."

I remi'mherone instance of unpardonable ignorance which
occni'red when I was at tlu^ Pninte-aux-Trembh's schools.

Pomanists are made lo believe that Protestimt missionaries
buy the religion of their converts and obtain a certain per-
centage on each pui'chase made !

C)ne (lav a man who claime(l to be a Roman Catlutlie
came to the institution, asked to see the principal, and stated
that h J had c(un»! to sell his religion. Mr. \'ernon, desirous
of giving a good ol)ject h'sson to the students, aske<l the man
to walk into the recitation room, and made him explain the
object of his visit.

jNIr. W'l'iion asked him wliy lie wanteil to S(dl his religion ?
Was it good or bad? If good, why did lu; not keep it.'' H'
bad, we had no need of it. Moreover when he bought
anything he of course re(pured that it shouhl be measured
out, so that he might know how many pounds, bushels or

134 Your JFIeritage.

yards wore dtilivered. I-'iiiully to bring this somewhat em-
barrassing iiuerview to a close, the man was asked wliat price
he set upon such an article. lie blandly replied : '-Twenty
five dollars."

That such and kindred superstitions and prejudices still
exist, no one need attempt to deny. Where these have dis-
appeared, they have been rei)laced l)y al)ject indiiference to
the things of God. In either case there stands a barrier bc-
twiicn the masses and the (Jospel of truth and freedom.

There lies a ch.ism between tlie christian chui<di aud
other saving inflnences aiid these unevaiigelized multitudes.
Ht)W is this cliMsm to 1»>' bridged?

We think that ju--i here is needed a large body of Chris-
tian, consecrated and well-trained men and women, willing
to do house-to-house woi'k an<l satisfied with such woi'k. It
is no easy undertaking.

It recpiires tirst, deej) i)iety, a ))rofound conviction that
souls out of Christ are lost, a ])assion for the salvation of
these souls, and a great amount of self-denial and consecra-
tion.

That there is a great dearth of siu'h uien and women in
our French I'rotestant I'hurches in America, will be hum-
bly admitted, by all who understaiul what true piety and
consecration are, and \\lio are ac(piainted with the state of
thiijgs in our clnirches. There is nothing to be gained in
concealing the truth. Our churciies n»'ed tin; baptism of
the Holy (ihost and a gemiine revival ot I'eligion. It is
ours to recogni/.e it and adopt proper methods to bring
about the changes we need.

In another chapter we will endeavor to show how such

workers a';e

to be

prepi

ire(

'':|

AVe cannot here enter into details. It will sullice to say
that a bodv of W( U-trained missionaries, both men and wo-

n i'^i

Our Jfethods of Warfare.

135

men, visiting from liouse to house, would ellect grejit chan-
ges among the masses.

The ]Massac'liusetts Society empk)ys Kev. T. (J. A. C'c>te
as general inissionary. It' he had ten, twenty or more
workers of this kind under his ciare, whom lie could place
in various llelds which seem to be particularly ready t'oi-
culture, we cannot (lo(il)t that huiulreds of souls would be
gathered into the Ivingdom.

This house-to-hous(^ work will necessarily differ according
to the circumstances of the peo{)le. JNIuch common sense
and judgment s'lould be exercised in the doing of it.

The first thing to be done is to gain the contidence of the
French and convini-e them tliat Protestants an; not such
wicked {)eople as has been imagined. Then, when practic-
able, the Bible sliould be })laced in the homes. It is a
power before whi(di Romanism nm.-t fall. If the Church
of Rome will allow us to place a l)ii)le in every French
Canadian home of Ni'w England, and not iiUerfere "with
the reading of it by the people, we make bold to allirm that
before twenty years the maj(U'ity of the French will think
as we do.

This missionary work will soon otfer abundant opportu-
nity for cottage-meetings, with the sinirimrofGospid hymns
and free conterences. Such meetings are held with good
results by some of our Frcncdi pastors. We will be told that
we arc not suggesting anything M-ry new. NV^e are quite
aware of it. AVhat we are pleading for is an eidargeinent
ot this work. Instead of a small haiidlul of missionaries
we ■want scores. We want them in New Hampshire, Ver-
mont, Connecticut, IMaine, Rhodi; Islaiul, New York and
the West. The time has passe<l for tlie New England
Home Missionary Societies to say they haV' no occasion to
undertake such a work. The occasion is there and the

If;

'I '^ f

l."i6 I^our Heritage.

duty of seizing it i.s made by God as clear as it can possi-
bly be.

We also insist upon this phase of work, because the
tendency is to disregard it and merge everything into the
more strictly speaking pastoral Nvork, Avhicii of itself is
insuillcient to solve itie problem. We repeat that the
present condition of tlie iield demands a corps of lay-
workers, to go in and out among the people, interest them-
selves in their every-day life, see that their children arc
sent to school, and that their young men and women are
made acquainted witii the opportunities otl'ered them for
obtaining a higher education at the French Protestant
College,

Tliere is another phase of missionary work which has
succeeded in France, and in which Anu'i'i(;an Christians
have taken a very deep interest, that could be introduced
among the Frencdi of New England with similar success.
We refer to tlu> ^McAll Mission work.

AVe JKive already stated that a large number among the
French have drifted away from the Church of Rome and
fallen into religious indill'ercnce. That number is increas-
ing rapidly. We fail to see why hundreds of these could
not be reached just as well as the French of Europe. The
French Canadians and the European French have been
under the same system of religion. It has proved inade-
quate to meet their religious wants. It has left them with-
out any religion.

In France the AIcAll mission has offered the simple
Story (jf re(lemption to these disappointed, dissatisfied and
deceived nudtitudes. Hundreds have received the truth
and have been savt'd. We cannot very well see why a
similar work cannot be done in this country. In cities like
Lowell, Lawrence, Fall River, ]Manchester, Ilolyoke and

Our MUu.'h n/ War/are. 137

many otluTs, there are liiiinlreds, yea thousaiuls who never
go to church, who know nothh),i:f of Christ, who are per-
ishing^ tor hick of knowledge, many of wlioiu would be
saved were tlio Gospel ollered tliem.

I must frankly confess that it has been a wonder to mc,
not that such a deep interest has been manifested in the
evan^^^elization of France, but that the same interest should
not be taken in the salvation of a people of the same race,
at our door, held under the same false svstem of relinfion
and brought, in a very large measure, to the same state of
religious indiflcrence, by the insulliciency of that system.

There is a reason to oifer, and a satisfactory one, which
explains this apparent in(;otisistcncy. Tlie (Christians of
this land have ncjt had the information needed. It has been
my privilege to speak before a great many conferences of
churches, and before many of the lea<ling churches of
Massachusetts both in the cities and in the country, and I
have uniformly found that the people were intensely inter-
ested in the i'acts j)ertaining to this prol)lem as they wei'c
presented to them. It would be a great mistake and in
fact it were unjust to say, that the Christians of this land
are indillerent to so vital a problem. Give them tlie
information they need and ask for, and the fimds necessary
for the vigorous prosecution of the various departments of
this work will be forthcoming.

It seems to me that xrvy much good missionary woi'k
could be done, as our college develops and the number of
our students increases, by tlie young men, both during the
college session and diu'ing the summer vacation.

During the vacation, the young men couM be sent to
dift'erent parts of the country, not in Nen' York and Ncav
England only, but in the AVest where there are thousands
of French. Chicago alone has some .'30,(JOO. During the

I*]

t.'l

• t

; I

138 Your ILritarje

session siicli cities and towns as Tlolyoke, Hartford,
Northain[)t()n, Three Kivers, Spencer, Warren, Worcester
could he visited, "Salles" as they are called, opened and
Gospel services held.

The small sum of SloO would be sufficient to employ a
young man during the summer vacation. AVitli a com-
paratively small outlay very much elficient work could be
done.

Likewise during the winter months, the students would
willingly ,"•() out and hold religious meetings, if they could
have suitable rooms, a small organ and if possible, the use
of stereopticon views. The field awaits us, some workers
ai-e ready to enter it. It belongs to the Christians who
have means, to furnish that whi(;h is lacking.

It is our firm conviction that the stereopticon coidd be
used with wonderful results, in such meetings.

Scenes in the life of Christ, parables such as that of the
Prodigal Son could be (ixhibited, while the earnest miss-
ionary would apply tii.; spii'itual lessons to the heart with
telling effect. Many conversions would follow such efforts.
Souls are perishing, that we know, and surely it belongs to
us to put forth ordinary and extraordinary efforts to save
them. The gospel has not lost its power. The people are
not saved, tlnnigh in a land of Gospel privileges, because
the sound of the Gospel trumjiet does not reach their ears.

Ill order that evangelistie i'fforts of this character and all
missionary eflbrts or eiuK'a\()rs among the French may be
made successful, it is essential that there should be a divi-
sion of the missionary field between the different societies.
AVith such a vast territory to occupy, it were sinful for
missionaries of various denominations to crowd into the
same towns and cities. This irrational and unchristian
method has prevailed to too gveat an extent in the past.

0(1)' Jhtlirtds of Warfitrt'

i;39

BociiusG u denomination hiis a few cotiverts in u city, ii
considers ii a saci-cd duty to in'ovont tlirm from joining an-
otlier branch of the Christian church, wliich may heat work
there. The all important thinj; seems U) be to make Meth-
odists, Baptists or Congregationalists of the converts from
Romanism. As a result of tliis, too often their attachment
to a {)articular denomination seems much stronger than their
union with Christ. Su(di should not be the case.

Ourgreat aim should be to make Christians of those among
whom we labor. It belongs to the missionary societies to
j)revent a sinful waste of money, time and elfort in these de-
nominational (luarrels, bv ai^recinu' anionic themselves to
make, as far as practicable, a j)roper division of the fiehl.

The various evangelical churches can look to the French
Protestant College for missionaries. The institution is un-
denominational and aims at giving a broad. Christian edu-
cation which will fit young men for service in the church
of their choice. It is (juite natural tliat a denomination
should seek to l)uild up a church holding its ])articular
views. This is not what we oljject to. AVe ask that the
varit)us churches exercise enough of christian love to cease
sending two and thi'ee missionaries in the same field, when
one would do tlu; work, not only as successfully, but with
better results, liy adopting this pauline and Christian me-
thod, a wasteful expenditure of missionary funds will be
avoided and the spiritual results will be tenfold greater.

IPI

111

ll ^

■ t

CHAPTER III

OUR METHODS OF WAUrAKK. riTrRCII WORK.

AVe believe the clmrcli to Ix; a divine institution, and
that whatever otlier agencies may be employed to bring
souls to a knowledge of Christ, they should be looked upon
only fts stepping stones leading to Christ's Church.

It has been the histoiy of all missionary efibrts, that
permanent results have ne\ er bei-n secured, independently
ofthe regularly organised church. In times of revivals, or
when such missionary etlbrts as those of the McAll Mission
had succeeded in arousing the spii'itual interest of the
multitudes, it has been found that unless the converts were
gathered into some ofthe branches ofthe Church of Christ,
what seemed to j)romise great residts proved to be ephe-
mei-al ; the permanent fruits were but few.

In all likelihood there will be general agreement on this
point among the various societies which are prosecuting

missionary labors among t .c foreign populations of this
Christian country.

There is however a diversity of opinion on the question
of the gathering of the converts from the ranks of our

Our Methods of Warfare,

foreign ])opulatioii, into churches. Should they unite with
the American churches, or should they form themselves
into French, (ierman, Swedish churches in connection with
the various evangelical denominations?

Up to recently, the iormation of separate churches lor
foreigners, luis not been looked upon with favor by the
niissioiuu'y societies and by Americans generally. The
(.Itjection has been made and urged, that the establishment
i>f such churches woulil have the tendency of developing a
clannishspirit, which would naturally i)i'cvcnt that fusion of
races desirable for the peace, good-will and general pros-
perity of this republic.

At first sight the objection appears to be a strongone and
if it l)e considered alone it strikes one a»i being insuj)erable.
AVe think however, that there is vi-ry much to be said on
the other side of tiie question. AVc arc fully satisfied in
our mind, that the formation of separate churches, is for
the time being, wise and productive of good results. In
fact, GUI' experience (jf seven years of missionary wo'"k in
New England has more than convinced us, that so far as
the Frencli are concerned, the process of unification has
been greatly advanced by the formation of separate French*
churches.

liefore the year 1877, when Rev. T. O. A. Cote now Gene-
I'al Missionary of the ^Massachusetts Home Missionary socie-
ty lirstcalled tlie attention of the Congregational churches to
the important duty of evangelizing the French, the liaptist
church had done a good deal of faithful work in this dii-ec-
tion. It will be adm'tted that notwithstanding the fidelity
of the missionaries, no very deep impression had been
made upon the French masses nor ui)on the American
population. This fact can be attributed partly to one class
of causes and partly to another. The field was a new

142

•[nur

Jii rll

ii'/e

one and a vrry ilillicult oiiu to cultivate^ The l<'r(>iinh
Romanists had not been as lonir, "rtMn Tally speaking, under
the liherali/iiiLT inlhuMices of American inslitiitiun.s us many
to whom we now picaeh tli! ( lospel. The eonverts were
fewer in innnhiT and intliience than at present. The Ame-
ricans did not I'ecoL'nixe the nee<iol'such missionary efforts,
many in fa''t decidedly ol)_iectcd to this •' nnwarrantable
proselytisml", as a good many still do. Tlicse and kindred
causes necessarily retarded the progress of this evangelistic
movement.

lint it is onr conviction, based on what we beli(!ve to be
sound reasom'ng us well as on exj)erience, that th»! |)olicy
of the lUiptist church has al>o had much to do with the
comparative slowness of the woi-k.

The l)aj)tist Home JNIissionary Society has been opposed
all along, to the formation of separate churches for French
converts. The missionaries have been instructed to incor-
porate all their convei'ts into the American churches, la
places where there ai'e but few Canadians, this is of course
the best, the wisest, in fact the oidy thing to do. IJut in
towns and cities where the Fi-cnch are found in large and
•ever-increasing numbers, we do ntjt think that this policy
is the most fruitful in good results.

AVe can give here but a few, among the many reasons,
which have led us to this conviction.

Let us first ask what are we aimiiig at? Is not our
great object the conversion and salvation of the people of
this land, regardless of nationality? Are we not agreed ou
this point, that if we can make Christians of the French,
German, Irish, Swedes or other foreigners who seek a
liome here, we will have no occasion wdiatcver to fear their
influence?

AVhen we speak of foreigners and of the bad influence

Our M tliixh iif W'tir/ii

I'l'

143

1(1 on

|ncli,
^k a
their

Icuce

they may exert in tlii.s ooiiiitry, what chiss ,»t' people have
we ill iniiid? Eii^Mish i'piscopaliaiis? No. Seotch Pres-

byter

laii."

Not ill the h'ast. Irish I'rotestaiits ? N

French I'rotiiStaiits, the spiritual (h'scemlaiit.s of the Iliiiriie-
iiots ? \\y no nii-aiis. It is not tlu; nationality that we

Tear

are

itVaiil of the reliirions oi- noii-reliLrious

attitude of the p(!ople who come to us fi-oni otlier lands.
When we speak of the FriMieh inllueiice in New Mni^dand,

we mean the Komish

inii

neiict!

is Ivonianisni we fear

ith its false conception of the relations which should exist

between church and st'itt', with its en-otieo

us vKMVs on

hu'at

lonal matters, witli Us sacer(l()tali.-«m, with its inoiiiii

chical ideas, with its wrong vii-ws on the I>il)le and on the
place it should oceui)y as a moral and ridi.Ldous educator.

If I am right in these positions and if you aeee])t tlu'iu
with me, you will also agree with me when I say tliat those
methods of work which will most speedily and t'trectively
ri'inovi! the old rtdigioiis sn[)erstions and prejiulices from the
minds and hearts (d' the people, rej)lacing them by (Josptd
truth, are tlie nu-thods to be emi)loyed by us. The Gospel
hiithfully preached will do its work, be it j)reached in (Jer-
man, Italian, French or English. The woman of Samaria,
the jailor of Phili[)pi, the three thonsaml converted undt.'r
I'oter's preaching, were converted l)y iht; power of the Crus-
pel, but it was not preached in Knglish.

We give the following reasons why French churcdies
should be established.

1. The French Canadians who know not the truth, are
prejudiced against that which is Protestant aiul American
or English. With very few exceptions, they will not enter
American houses of worship. If however, they are ap-
proached by Protestant Christians of their own nationality,
who speak to them ill their own tongue, and invited to a

HMI

5SP"

144 Vuvr Jlcritayc

church of" their own ntitiouality, they are more incliend to
listeii. Race alliuities are strong, and he were a blind man
who wouhl persist in ignoring them.

Having succeeded in hringiiig them into contact with tiie
French Protestant clnirch, they may be induced to attend a
.sociabl*^ where they hear a i)rayer which touches their heart
and all the more so, because it is in the tongue they love so
much. They hear a Fren(;h hymn which moves them.

Thcv bci^in to think that these Protestants are not such
bad [)eople at'te)' all. Tliey intpiire after the truth, they are
converted and saved, by means of the church home of their
own nationality.

2. ThiM-e are thousands and thousands of French Canadians
in this counti'v, who <lo not nnderstantl the English language
sulliciently to be instructed and (Mlil'uMll)y asernion in that
tongue. Every year moi'e are coming. They will not learn
the Knfjlisli laiiLruage vorv fast unless they be brouij:ht in
contact wiih I'rotestant iulluciices. If we wait untill they
kiit)\v JMiglish to cilucate and savi' them, tiiou^^ands will
never be saved. It is no use to try and mak*- a nuui pray in a
tongue he doe>< not understan<l.

t). We believe in the establishment of separate churches,
forming part of the existing deiu.minations, because wc
need these churches to act as evangelistic agencies among
the ])eople whom \v'c are trying to reach. ]>y introducing
the converts iiitc the .Vmerican churches, we lose practi-
<'ally their help and inlluence. The .VmericiMi church*
abs(n'l>s them, gets the help oftheir influence and their linan-
cial snjjport. It is so nuich more; pk'asant there, that tliey
do not feel \efv nuich disj)osed to turn their attention to the
more dilficult and uni)leasant work which the French field
calls for. If they are bi'ight and iiUelligent young men
and asjiire to the holy ministry, they ent(U' some .Vmerican

Iirclics,
use AVI

[il'iciiig
pi'ucti-
cliurch ■

|r ihuiu-

|it Ihey
1 to the
•11 iiold

lis men
kuM'icaii

Our Jldhoils of Warfare. 145

institution and devute their litb to work among English
speaking people.

Just at this point, we hear many say, "That's jusi what
we want, the unilication of the various raees of this coun-
try." Aiid we too want this, l)ut we are satislicd that this
is a slow way of reaching tlie end desired. Take the
trouble of incjuiring how many have fouiul their way into
your ^Vmerican churches in that manner, and you will
discover that the mimber is comparatively very small.

We have Ijroader aims. "We wish to tak(» [)ossession of
this whole lield and to do that we nuist have W(jrkers
ii.'terested in this special pliase of work, a:id working agen-
cies. The French church must be tlu> (,'entre of ojieration.
Tlie interest of the French Protestant nuist be kept uj> by
contact with his people. The older converts ki^ep the new
ones and also draw into the cluuvh home, a, great many
who could not be induced to enter an American chui'ch.

4. r>nt wc give a fourth reason which has nuich weight
for all who have had some experience in this direction.

Though tlie statement may seem solf-conrradict(jry, it is
none the less true. French Protestant churches instead of
preventing the unilication of the i-aces, helps it. I'hey
bring the Freiudi in much lai'gtu" niniil)in'>, for reasons given
above, into contact with Protestant inllnences, and this is
all that is necisssary, to make of them true. Christian citi-
zens, loyal to the constitution of this nation. As the
Protestaiuism of this land is American, the natural residt
is that the Froich become true to the Christian civilization
ol this republii', in that measure in whicii tliey iml)ibe
Protestant \iews. it does not matter through what tongue it
is. It is ecpuilly true that contact with ]*rotestantism
means contact with people speaking the English language on
the one hanil, and with others who are ncjt afraid to

i ;■

} :

r« ■

i :

i I

uc>

our

Ih'.rlf<

line.

cuni ii ;i'.i<l \vl;o very soon acqiiin! it and pprtak it fluently.

It niiiy also \w said that the young people of our French
Pi'dti'stant churchi's, forniiiig new associution.s largely be-
cause iln'V ha\'e l)ec'n brought within the n.'ach of a Pro-
testant chiw-h, h'ain the KnL''lish language very rapidly.
In fact Ave have to tea<'h our Saboath school> very largely
in that hin_i^urge. We lose a great many who, from our
Sun(hiy schools, go to .Vmerican schools. We do not i <iu-
])l;iiii \ciy nuich ot'that although, as has already been said,
our woi'king t'oi-ci.' is weaki'iu-d. We need Sunday school
teacht'i's. JicljjtM's ni oiii- prayer-nieeiings to strengthen the
newcomers, and Christian workes's to aid the pastor.

If it wen' neeessaiy to say more, we might adil, that it
iv to the church of (Jod tiiat the work of saving souls i3
conuniiiid autl not to to the minister of the church only.
Jl' \vc can ha\e a goilly 1' "rencli I'l'otestant church, compos-
of |iions members, it will be a nughty power fo the conver-
tion to ('hi-i.-t of these thousands whom God has sent here*

The (jiiestlon is often asked : What is the best system of
chufch go\H'rnMie!il for such churches?

Tliis is .nioi lu'r didicate (pu'siion to ai:swer. We are not
sure thai the Congri'gatioiud polity i.> the best. The trans-
ition from Uonii.-h prelacy to jiure iiulependencc has, in
maiiv ca-es, pro\'ed to be locj siulden ami radical. It is an
exceedinirlv <lil1icult thini;: lor a ))astor to do the work
vliich his -uperior education, his better knowledge of Gos-
ptd ti-uth and <dmrch methods entitle hiui to advise ai d and
accomplish. If he is a man of action, with a well-defmeJ
policy, to which he adheres, he will not have a very soft
bed to lie on. Ii would ])e very helpful for him at times to
have some churtdi court to look to for anvice and especially
for supj)ort. As Pi-otestant Chi-istian education is dispen-
sed, these dilllculties will diminish.

lly

LiU-

Our MdliOih of War/arc. 147

It is our conviction that these French churches which are
now being established in this country, will soon be bi- lin-
gual. It will be i'ound necessary I'or the pastors to preach
eipially well in the two languages. At one of the services
the FreiR'h language will be used, for the ohhn- people who
will never fully understand english, and foi- lu'w comers.
At the (jlher service the Knglish tongue will bi; Used for the
younger portion of the congregation.

I need not say that the French Catholic clergy and jour-
nalists will accuse us ofran>[ heresy for nudving such a stat-
nieut ; the writer will l^e called a traitcn- to his naticMiality
and accused of being wh(dly destitute of patriotism. All I
can answer is, tliat one of the elements o{' patriotism is
common sense and this common sense shows itself in the
advocacy of measures which have in view the betterment of
one's natitjuality.

For tlie sake of courting popularity with a class of men
on wlunu we cannot depend for loyal help, in the evangeliza-
tion of the French CV.nadians,we do ;:')t ))urpose to plead for
a state of things \vhich, insteml of aiding (;ur nationality
n'oidd impede its ])rugress' We can retain oui' love ((jr our
native country, we can continue to cultivate and speak (jur
bcautifid French tongue without atrem})ting to hedge our-
selves in by racial antipathies and clownish notions, which
wouhl throw us tnit of tlie religious, political and social life
of the n.'.tion, This were a \eiy strange kind of [)atriotism
;o attempt to create among oiu' jjeopli'.

If the FiHMurh ('anadians desire to prosper in the huid of
their adoption, tlu>y nuisi learn the langinige of this country
they nnist becoin(> acc(pianled with its civilizatiim and ac-
cept it. This they are sure to do ,s(j soon as they under-
stand it. We are tired of the empty cry : " tongue, our nat-
ionality, on.' institutions ".

^:]

148

Your Heritage.

>. (

"•I

I 'I

The time lias come for the enlightened French Canadians
of tliis country, to disphiy a genuine patriotism, by adopt-
ing measures that will make of their countrymen, free men.

We do not hesitate to say, also, that we have very little
sympathy with a certain class among our French converts
who are ever ready to take offence at our French pastors
and other leaders in this movement, ])ecaase they reveal unto
the American [jublic, the intellectual, moral and religious
condition, created among the masses, by the Roman Cath-
olic church.

It is one of the principle weaknesses of the Roman Cath-
olic jjress, to l)e praising up the Frencli Canadian race, taken
as a whole, as if it had reached the acme of perfection, en-
joying the blessings of liberty and of true education. The
immigration of 1,000,000 to this country belies sufficiently
such insincere and untrue assertions.

The French Protestant leaders should tiave cnouo:h of
back-bone, not to yield to this national childishness. At
the risk of being unjustly criticised, they should with fair-
ness, candor and love, bring to light the facts on both sides
of this dedicate (juestion.

It is by pointing out (dearly what Romanism has done,
what it has failed to do for our race, that Ave will succeed
to create an interest in this work of evangelisation, andlead
the Christians of this land to adopt proper methods for their
salvation.

It would be interesting to give statistics of the French
Protestants of New England and the country. We have
not succeeded in obtaining reliable enough information to
justify us in giving ligures to the public.

The Congregationalists, under the care of the Massachu-
setts Home Missionary Society, have been establishing

1 Canadians
I, by adopt-
1, free men.
', very little
ch converts
iich pastors
reveal unto
id religious
iuian Catli-

oman Catli-
race, taken
'fection, en-
ation. The
i suiHciently

enough of
shness. At
1 with fair-
n both sides

n has done,
will succeed
ijii, andlead
ods tor their

the French
We have

or mat ion to

Massachu-
establishing

Our M'fhrxh of Warfare. 140

missions and orgatiizing churclies in different cities and

towns of Massachusetts.

In l'S77 tlic first FriMich church was organized witli sovcu

membci-s, in Lowidl, Mass., thi-uugh the instrunu'iitnlity of

Kev. T. G. A. CAte.

Since that time over two hundred members liave been

received into full membership, tlm majoi'ity of these had

been, at some time or other of their life, comu'cteil with the

chiu'ch of Home. This chiu'ch has had four j>astoi's. ]ve\'.

T. G. A. Cote was succeeded by Kev. C \\. Amaroii, who

was followeil by liev. J. L. florin now of Montreal. The

present pastor is, lve\'. d. II. Paradis. The coiigi-egation

has a good stone edifice, which was lately renovated at the

cost of SIOOO. The property is estimated at Sl.'),()0()

The second churcih organized was that of Springfield.
Kev. J. Provost of Mowrystown, l)l)io, became its pastor
and still continues to b(>. Tin; uunnberslni) is about sixty.
The cluu'ch has a good brick i-difice e.-timated at S12,()()().

The llolvoke ehurch was oryjanized iii l.S.Sd, Kev. d. L.

Morin became its pastor. He was soon called to Lowell.

The frerpient changes iu the pastorate and the irregularity

necessitated by these changes, have intertert'd with the

jjrowth of the coni;reiration. The con^^reixation has now a

membership of 2.") and is growiug imder thi; ministrations

ot Kev. T. V. liruneaii, formerly of Gi'cen Bay, Wis. TIk;

congregation has no place of woi'ship, and this is a serious

drawback.

The same year a Fretich Protestant chui'ch wasorganized

in Fall Kiver and the missionary who had been laboring
in the field, Kev. d. Allanl, I'ormerly of (^hiebec, became its
pastor. Tiie last year-book givt-s the membersbij) at (!!>
but tiiere have been several additions sinct;. This congre-
gation has one of the best Sunday schools, and a good degree

!.";() Yuiir llvritaijc,

ofiuissioiiary spirit is sIkjwii by i\\\> people. A good church
ImlMiiiLr was (k'dicated a lew uuMiths ago ami Is I'ree from
debt.

ill I'SST the AVare chiii'cli was oi'gaiii/(.'<l. Kev. T. A,
Diirioii was ii,-> lirst pastor. Mr. Dcjriou resigned to engage
ill I he l''i'eiich woi'k in Manchester, X. II. under the aus-
jjiccs ol'tne MiMhodist I'^piscopal chiii'ch. lie was .succeed-
ed by Rev. .1. A. Derouie who remained a tew m(jnlhs only
resigning the pastorate to become editor ol' />',' Cifoijcn
.Franco-Aiiicrnud II . Rev. 1'. X. Cavt-r, a graduate ol the
Presbyterian Cullege, Mnnti'i'al, is ncv pastor and the
(•hnrch is gi'owing under his care. There is also a good
(.'hnrcli-e(b"lice.

A lew months ago a <'lnn'cii was organized in Spencer
]\[ass. JJev. .1. (ji. Motti', a ('(Uiverted priest is now j)astor.

'riiere is us vet no nuHiting house, but the Auiericuus
intend to erect one in t!u' near future.

^lassachusetts Socii'tv lias also mission st

Piltslield with .Mr Tripet

>tati

missionai-v ; at Haverhill

\\\

h 1

vev

N. (

.rcLTo

UH', a converted pi-u'st, as worker

Lawi'ence when Mrd. \\. Raradis, a young lawyer rei-ently
convei'ted, laboi-> while pursuing his theological course at
.AndoNci' seminary.

At Marlboro. Rev. E. 1). Relletier is meeting with en-
couraizmix success, a cimi'cli editice has just been dedicated
and the church organi/i'd.

All these churches and missions have been called into ex-
istence nracticallv ^vitllin the la^t ten vears. This move-
luent has lieen made successful because of the wise, liberal
ami far-seeing policy of the executive conunittee of the
Massachusetts Home ^Missionary Society and ot' its genial
.secretary Kev. dosiiua Coit.

The iiidefaiiiiable labors of Kev. T. G. A. COle have

Our JfdIioiJs o/' \\'<ii/'(iri. l.')l

been fruitful in tiic tnruiation of tlu'sc yoiiu;^ con^frogiitioiis
unci if the nR'uiljL'r.s tluLS gatlu'i'cil will lu-ove loyal to the
truth ai)(l do their leLritiniate .<hai\' in liriiiLiini: others to the
truth, we ina\ soon exiK'et to .-f(j a laiLic luxh" ol' l-'j-cucji
Pnjtestants, \v(jrshipiug ( io<l in siiiccrit\ ami in truth.

The ^letliodist Kj)isco|)al chui'di has al the pi'esent time
lour missionaries at work in New i-jiL^iainl. IJi'fore this is
in print otlu-r workers will no doulM he added to this foree.

liev. T. A. Dorion is statioiuMl at Manchester, N. .11.
with an oruani/.iMl cjuirch and Sahhath school. Kev. A
V. Ijlouin also lahoi's ni New Ilan!])shirc. \U\ . II. 1'^.
Benoit is at W()on>ockct IJ. I. and has there an or::'anizcd
church and Sabbath Schocl. lie is also at work m I'utnam
Ct. In \\'f)i'eestei-, .Mass., lu\ . L. N. iJeaudry has an
organized ehureli and Siniday schoid. All this work has
been orj^ani.ved within the iiast two vears and is in a vcrv
eucouriiging condition.

yiv. Dorion })ublishes monthly '" Le Flddo JfesAagcr."
lie also has undi-r his care a young man, Mr. Smith, who
is i)reparing for I'^rench evangelistic wcjrk at the Methodist
College at Tilton, N. II.

JNIr. Benoit also has two .■students preparing for the work,
at the ^Methodist Institute of Montreal.

Rev. ^Ir. Beatulry who kindly st'uds us these details
savs : "■ \Ve are contemplating new workers and new Ileitis.
We cuusidi'r the lield already w hite for the hai'vcst."

We are indel)ted to l»e\ . d. N. Williams of Trovidence,
li. J. for the foll(»wing details on the French Baptist work
in New EnghuHl.

Thirty-tive year^ ago, when .Mr. AVilliams was a student
at the (irande liigne ^Mission, thei'e was a llourishing
FreiK'li mission at Knosbui'v, \'t. C'hui-cdies of Canadian
converts had been established at Knosburv, Montiidmerv,

■ill

■'t...

i
t

I nil

:i ^ 1

lo2 Your Ifi ii(ai/e.

r.iid JJnrliiigfon. At Bniii(lf)ii there also t'xisied a small
French CuTiadiau (.'ou^n-e^atioTial clmrch. These churches
have been ahsor'ned into the Ainericaii cliiirches. They
Avotdd never have existid however, had it not l>een for the
sjieeial evangelistic etlorts of French Protestant missiona-
ries.

The French Iiai)ti>t woi-k w liieji is now hein^x carried on
in New Knirlaud In-i-aii in 1,S70 when Rev. X. Cvr was
appointed ,L'-eiici-al ini.>sionaiT hy the American Uajjtist
Home Missionary Societx . Duriii!.'; three years .Air. C"vr
labored visitiiiira Jar,u;-e nund)cr of Freiich Canadian ceitres
in \'ermont, iMassachusetts especially Fall IJiver Mass., and
Uahic, Conn. Tlii'ee colportenrs aided liim in his work
tor a short time.

Jii :March l-STo Rev. ,1. N. Williams succeeded ]Mr. Cvr.
For two years .Air. .1. L. l';iic:iaiide labored in Lowell,
]\lass, .AlarHxji'o, Mas>, and Nashua, N. 11.

Rev. F. X. Smith «if (Grande lA<^nv. came to Fall River,
Mass, and tlirou-h the Rev. Mr. Ruck, city missionarv,
■was appointed missionaiy, dninu- unidii woi-k. For de-
nominational reasons Mi-. Smith pive up thi- position and
was conuuissioned by the I)a|)list Society in 1874. lie
woi'ked in the same city until bS-sl.

In l<S/,> Mv. K. Li-n-er betran work in Maine under the
same society, and after some lalxir in Le'viston settled in
"Waterville, where a Hourishing church has been establislied.
Othei- woi-kers have been Rev. A. L. Then'eu in Bur-
lingfon Vt. Rev. d. I). Rossier in Montgomery Vt., and
Fnosburg, Vt. and Worcester, Mass.

The workers now in the Held are : Rev. J. N. Williams,
general missionary, Rev. G. Aubin, Worcester, where a

new cluni

h 1

la.-

Just been dedicated ; Rev. O. Led;

lire.

Waterville, jMe. ; Rev. F, L

eger llolyoke, Mass., llev. N.

On I- Mrtluiih of Wiirfnrc. 153

Aiibin, Lowill, Ma?». ; \\c\. V. X. Smith, "Woonsoeket,
K. I. Kl'v. Mr. Cutu ill Marlboro, ^Mu.ss.

Mr. lii'iioit is stationed at Webster, Mass., and Mr.
Eobert at Hudson, ]Mass.

Mr. Williams states that he has visited on an averasre
once a month some twenty ditl'erent missionary stations.

It may be added that there are several ])resbyterian
churches in the West doin;^ a good work, anionj; the thou-
sands of French speaking people there, hut very little i.s
done for the French, comparatively speaking, by that rich
and influential body.

These incomplete statistics will go to show tliat already
much faithful work has been done and the promises for fut-
ure growth are bright.

The number of French Protestants in New England has
been roughly estimated at 10,00U and in the whole country
at 40,0U0.

The problem of the hill-town churches, is causing a good
deal of anxiety to missionary boards just now. Some of these
churches have died out altogether and others have become
weak and could not maintain Gosjjel oi-dinances, were it not
for the help given by the Home Missionary societies.

The reason these cliurches have become so weak has
been given : the old Yankee farmers have died and their
children have gone to the cities or have purchased farms
in the West. The abandoned farms have been and are
being taken by French Canadians, especially in Vermont
and New Ham})shire.

It is our sure conviction that the American churches in

these localities should have pastors speaking both English

and French, able in fact to preach with equal facility in the

two languages.

There is no reason why well-educated men, could not

'il

I I

tlj

^'1

i] Mi

I' t

' Ml

i i ^

Jjlj'

l')[ Your Jlarifagc.

give full satisfaction to both nationalities. They could
prea(;h at one service in English and at the other in French.

Orje sabbath school would answer, and if need be one or
two Frencii classes could be organized.

By pastoral visiis an nu'stiniable amount of good coidd be
accomplished among those Fn-ndi farmers, who by reason
of the fact that tlu;y are away Irom the Konian Catholic
church, are growing u\) in indifference. This double work
is being done; in Canada in many tields with very good
results. The writer while a student, had the charge of such
a mission work in several lields, and found the work both
pleasant and profitable.

The French Protestant College of Springfield has every
facility to prepare just such workers, as we will endeavor to
fchow farther on.

"\Vc sincerely trust that there will l)e a change of policy
on tlie part of the Home Missionary Societies of Nev,' Eng-
land States. Of course we do not speak of tlie Massachu-
setts Society Avhose noble work is worthy of imitation.
The jNIaine Society has one man in the fitdd, Isaac Lafleur
of Saco, ]\Ic. a former student (d' the French Protestant
College, and of whose fidelity we are proud.

Apart from this, wt can say tlmt the existing agencies
are leaving this problem alone. It has been brought to the
attention of the Mission Boards repeatedly but invaj'iably
the answer has come in one or other of these forms :
"There is lu) call for such a work, or we have no money t©
do it."

We deem these excuses altogether insufficient, in view of
the seriousness of the problem, and of its bearing on the
future destinies of two great peoples the American and
the French.

In the first place we do d. t Wd'ii. until the heathen call

( hir Mithoila of Wiirlni

'''.

l.'yj

y coukl

Fix'iich.

one or

coiilcl be
' reason
Ciitliolic
»le work
ry g(K)(l
ofsueh
rk both

s every
eavor to

1' i)olioy
;\v Ell"-
vssachu-
lilation.
Lafleiir
■otestant

iigcncies
It to tlie
variably
forms :
loney to

upon US to savr thciM iVoin tlu; boinbiLie ol' lirallu-uisin, to
\in to tlu'iii with till' i:-o>])i'l ot' lil)erty. Ni'itlirr should wo
wiiit titiiil tin- slaves of L'ltranioutanisni eall to us fm de-
livcraiKH' to u'(» to them with thi' message: '"liv grace arc
ye savi'd through I'aiih." If they do not ask for the lil)erty
which ('hrist gives his jieople, it is because thi-y ilo not
know that sucli a blessing is it; store for them.

As for the luoiiry it will l)c giwu if only the needs of this
[)eo])le are made known t > the Christian^ of New Kngland.

'I'lie younger mitii-iei's in the church are fully awake to
the nrirent nece,>siiv oi nndertakiim' an ag'^rc^sive i;am|)ai";n,
in the nanu! of Christ and with the sword of (iod's word
and Spirit, against the powers of ritramoniauism. If the
existing agencies, the Trad Society, the liible Society, and
the Iliniie ^lissionary Societies cannot so modily their
nu'thods as to be able to (.-ope with the problem with which
the closing years of our (HMitury confront us, and which
CJod bids us helj) in solving, we will have to call into exis-
tence a new organization, that will do this ( Jod-imposed
Avork.

'I'liere should be, there is no need ofaiiy new organizivtion.
Those that exist are all-sutlicieiit, but let tnem take a
broader view ; let them realize what a missionary held New
England has become, and liow much depends on what is
done during the closing decade of this century.

view of

on the

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(716) 872-4503

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CHAPTER IV.

•' 1

OTTR MKTirODSOF WAIJFAUK. I'lllLKATION WORK.

The power of the press is so jfetierally aumitted, that it is
ahogether uiineeessary to pause, even but for aniciueut, to
giv6 fresh ilhistrations i)f it. In the eoiuinereial world
])riiiter's ink i)hiys a great roll. A poliiical j)arty would no
more think of undertaking a eanipaign without the pi\'ssi
than an army would think of engaging in a battle against
a powerful Ibree without arms. The enterprising business
firms do not hesitate to spend large sums of money in ad-
vertisements in the j)';ess, because it l)ays to do so.

The evil j)owers of the world, the low ;ind di'grading
theatri", the saloon, the licpior merchants, the dealei's in
corruj)t literature, have always shown more wisdom in this
direction than the children of the light. If this statement
be not true generally, it certainly is true as it ai)plies to the
missionary iiKnement among the French Konuin Catholics
of America.

It is nearly sixty years since this much needed mission-
ary campaign was inaugurated in Canada, and despite all

Our Mdlioih of Wui'f((re. 157

the efforts and tlie sacrifices made by tlii' leaders of French
Protestantism in tiuit country, tlicy have not been al)le to
make tiie English Protestant public understand that a
French daily, well edited, by a staff of ai)le christian men,
would be one of the most powerful instruments, for the ed-
ucation and enlightenment of the French Catholic popula-
tion that could be used.

Several efforts were made l)y French I'rotestants, with the
vi(!\v of creating at least one good French Protestant public-
ation. They failed for want of fiiuinciid support.

Mr. L. K. Ivivard, the founder of LWnnro^ the only
publication that has UvimI, subjected himself to sacrifices and
hardships of which the world will iii'ver have the faintest
idea, saci-itiees which miglit well put to shame the wealthy
Protestants of Montreal. It was witli great ''.illiculty that
his weekly papei' ke[)t alive to do its work of evangelization
and enlightenment.

Several times attempts were made to increase the u<et'nl-
ness of this publication, to place it at least on a i)ar with
the many daily papers published under Iioman Catholicuus-
pices. So tar these attempts havt' proxcd t'utile.

UAiirnrc goes on with its good work, ant' l^'reiich Protest-
ants are thankful for that. (Jnce a week it gives its ligJit
and to that it must limit itself. It has not seen yet, though
ii has existed twentv-fi\e vears the dawn ot' a bettei- dav.

It is sm'passingly strangt; that tht; Protestant public of
Canada should have ';"eii so slow in reco^ni/iug the jjower
of the [»ress. In .Montreal, among our French Protestants
there are many eminent writer: , fully canalde of •dvin"' to
the French reading public, a paper which could opi-ratc
mightily in changing publico])inion on ail t hi' great (luestions
of the day. If >o nun h has been done thi-ougl.' the agency
of a snuiU weekly paper, it is very easy to foresee what a

\ 'X

i<: vMm

l.^.S Your lf('ii((i</t'.

powerful influence would be exf^rted hy an organ worthy of
the ;j:reat cau.se which we champion.

The experiences of our predecess.sors should he of some
assistance t(j us. If we are wise we will he instructed by
them. We will make use of tliose methods of work which
have ])roduced the best residts and by perfecting these ob-
tain results still more satistactoi-v.

The leaders of French IVotestantism in New England
had not carried their operations very far beiore they felt the
need of a j)aper to represent their views. 'J'liis need made
itsell' felt not in one direction only but in very nuiny.

Ill the first place the American press di<l not feel called
upon to take the advanced position on liomanisni which the
Soncur Frain'o-Aiinficain did not hesitate to take from the
very first. 'I'he leaders in this movement had strong con-
victions, based ui)on l«»ng experience, and it was necessary
that they shoid»l have perfect freedom in expressing them.
This they could not do save in an organ of their own.

In the seccnid j)lace they found in New England a large
number of French Roman ('atholic papers, pouring out
week after week torrents of abuse against American institu-
tions aiul against everything Frotestant. These pid)lica-
tions, for the most jnirt, had not the slightest regard for the
most ordiiniry rides ol decency, especially when French
Protestaiits were concerned.

Our miidsters and missionaries were ranke<l among the
clat:-^ of thieves, liars, profligates and criminals. The pur-
poses of the Christian and j)atriotic movement in which we
are engaged, were wholly misrepresented, and there was no
M''ay of refuting these slanderous attacks.

It ^vas felt that a French paper capable of haiulling these
questions in a fair and Christian manner, had become a
necessity. The people were deceived and misguided on

Our Jlct/tuds ('/' W'di/'iiri'. 1 ')9

some of the most important (lucstioiis aireotiiii^ the French
and American peoples, and the residts of of .such a J(»iinia-
lism as that we lia\ c alhided to, woukl he exceedin<rly (hui-
gcrous. P^or these and other reasons to be s^iven hiter on,
the missionaries of the Con;.'regational church, workin;^
under the Massachusetts Home Missionary Society, made
boUl to found in 1S87 Lr S> iii'iir Fninco-^inirricttiu.

In the full of l.S.S(), Revs. .1. Provost, T. G. A. C6te, J.
Alhird, C. G. ^lousHcau, C. E. Amaron and ii may ])e one
or two others whose names escape our memory, met on th(^
steamer wliich pHcs hetween Providence and Fall Kiver,
and there took the lii'st steps for the establishment of a
French Protestant weekly paper.

Several meetings wiM-e subsequently held, and as may
well be imagined, the dilliculty of putting such a scheme on
foot, by a body of under-[)aid and over- worked missionaries,
was not a j;mall one.

Kev. T. A. Dorion, then of Sherbrooke, Que. was pub-
lishing at that time a small paper. He was invited to
asj-ume ihe charge of the French mission in Ware, bring
with him his press and printing material and become man-
ager of the new i)aper.

At a meeting held in Boston, Kevs. T. G. A. CAte. J.
Provost and T. A. Dorion formed themselves into a
Society called the French Publi<iiing Society.

Uev. J. Provost was appointed to be editor and Rev. '!'•
G. A. CAte treasurer.

A few weeks later Rev. C. K. Amaron, who had liad
charge of the F^nglish department practically from the
beginning joined the society and became English editor.

For eight months />'• Stnufur was published in Ware,
Mass. At the end of that time it was found that the un-
dertaking was financially embarrassed and could not con-

100

Your Jlf.ritar/'

W :

tinuc, Mr. Dorion \vitli(lr(;\v from tlic society. Rev. C.
E. Amiiron was iii)iM)iiitcil in{uia;j:er and tlic paper was
moved to the I'^reiieh Trotestant College, then of Lowell,
Muss.

We well remember the day wIkmi the old pn^ss made its
appearance at our door. Charles Dorion, son of the former
inana<rer, a student at the college, a hoy ol' fifteen, was the
only one who knew anything about printing. Teachers
nd students took their coats oil, rolled their sleeves, con-
verteil the dark cellar into a printing (»Hice and after much
toil sui'cei^ded in putting all the j)ieces logether.

How these young men were taught to set type, make up
the forms, run the pi'ess ; how the work was comjjleted
<'M(li day, each week, without foi'i-nian, when tlie students
wi're at their studies and recitations : how the paper Avas
sent out week after week lor aliout two years, constitutes
one of those j)ages (jf history which men cannot write. It
is sullicient thai it is written in (IimI's book.

Let it sullice te say tiiat lor about two years the Scnuur
was j)ubll.die(l in these circumstances, and taken out of
finaneial diHiculty, The help given by some devoted
Christian women, siiould here be acknowledged. INIy
heart aches us 1 look l»ack and see them, al'tcr a hard day's
work sit down to write week ufter week, these hundreds of
addresses, this tedious, monotonous work, and ull this for
love's suke. Days of heroic sacrifice und consecration to
God und the extension of his kingdom are not all of the
past.

In the fall of 1889 the three men who had borne the
responsibility of this enterprise, felt that it was impossible
for them to do justice to their regular missionary, church
and CoUege work, und at the same time edit manage and

Our Ml (hods of Warfare.

101

mcur
)Ut of

(lay's
(Is' of
is for
ion to
)f the

ic the

)ssible

hurch

e and

print a weekly paper, wurtliy of the jjreat cause we have
at heart.

It was afrreed to form a new society, on a broader basis,
of whidi any person eouhl become a member, on signing
tlie constitution. The French Kvanjiehcal Publishiii" so-
ciety was called into existence and duly incorporated
according to the laws of Massachusetts in the spring of
18.SD.

At a meeting held in the First Church of Springfield,
Mass. shortly after the organization of the Society, the
ofliccrs and members explained the aims and purposes they
had in view, and the results they had reason to expect, i*^
they cduld succeed in carrying their plans into operation.
A goodly mnnber of inlluential ministers and laymen were
present and endorsed in a strong resolution, the enterprise.

A little Inter on, a nu'eting of the same character was
held at Memorial Hall Hartford, when a similar endorse-

ment was given.

The o})inion was expressed by some, that it would be
desirable to conmiit the work contemplated, which we shall
speak of, to the Congregational Siujday-School and Pub-
lishing Society. Several objections suggested themselves
and among others this one,namelythat the enterprise would
be looked upon as denomiiuitional, and thus would not
be participated in by other churches as is desirable.

The Sunday School and Publishing Society, instead of
assuming the whole responsibility agreed to make a grant,
following in this the example of the INlassacluisetts Home
Mi^iiunary Society. These two organizations after look-
ing carefully into the merits of this French publishing
work, have concluded that its importance cannot be over-
stated, and that judiciously managed, it will help most

K'.-i

Yonr ITcritaijc

V: ; i

powfi'tully, ill solving one phase of the perplexinj^ probloni
of foreign immigration in New Enghmd and tlie whole
country.

The French Evangelical Publishing So(Mc;ty is, at the
moment we write, constituted as Ibllows. It is composed
of a number of French pastors and missionaries and a few
American business men. Its ollicers are: llcv. J. Provost
of Spriiiglield, Mass. president ; Uev. P. N. Cayer ofWare,
Mass. clerk ; Halph W. Ellis Es(i. treasiu'er. Tiie direc-
tors are, J. Prjvcjst, T. G. A. C6te, I. P. Bruneau, J. H.
Paradis, C. E. Amaron.

The society contemplates a two-fold work, a work much
needed and not done by any existing agency.

Thi' lii'st object it has in view an<l is accomplishing in the
midst nf gr<!at dilliculties and struggles for want ot funds,
is the pulilication of a Christian })aper, partly Frencli and
partly English.

Every week the society prints in Springfield, Mass., Le
Cili)i/i-u Fraiico-Ainvriniin, a neat sixteen page paper,
eontaining about lour pages of English. Tiie object of this
English department is to discuss fully the Roman Catholic
quesli(jn, in a calm, dispassionate and Christian spirit ; to
communicate inlonuation concerning all the French Mis-
sions of New England and the country, in order to create
an intelligent interest in this most important missionary en-
terprise.

Le Citoyot, is a continuation of Ze Scmcur of which we
have spoken. About 1800 copies are issued each week,
but had we the funds, 10,000 copies would be sent out
among the French of this country, and would be read by
them. We cannot begin to measure the good done by this
silent weekly visitor. It could be made to do the work of

Our Mv.thuds of Warfare

1G3

much

bs., Le

liioh wc
week,

lent out

[ead by
by this

kvork of

a tliou.sund missionaries and supplement the noble etlbrts of
those now at work.

The paper is now edited by Rev. .J. A. Deroiue ; its
manager T. G. A. C6ie and its financial a^^'iit Hev. Marc
Ami. It is snppi»rted by tlie grants alxne-uuMitioned, by a
certain number of j)aid subscriptions and advertisements.
These sources of income do not however nu'et the expenses
and contril»ntions are solicited to enable the enterprise to
sustain itself.

The mission of such a paj)or is manifold.

In the first place it is a representative of tlie Freneh
Evangtdistic movement in New Knghind and stands pretty
nuich alone, being the only weekly. As such it lias nuich
to do.

In the second place, it acts as a family paper among our
converts. It docs for these families, what the ri'ligions
weekly does ia American homes. In fact it accomplishes
more, becaus(! in the nuijority of cases it is the only pa{)er
received.

Our French Protestant churches require instruction on a
great many questions ; they need edification as all Protes-
tants do. It need not be sjiid that a weekly of the proper
kind can accomplish very much in this direction.

In the third place, our pai)er goes as a weekly messenger,
in outlying districts in New England, in New York, but
chiefly in the West, to the scattered French Protestant
families, and the number of them is nuich larger than we
think, and acts as a missionary, the only one these lonely
settlers ever see in their homes. It helps to keep burning
in them the sacred fiame of relisiion, and it keeps them in-
forniGd on the great questions of the day.

In the fourth place this paper has become an imperative

101

Your IhriUtrje.

necessity, in view of tlie attitude ol'the French ultrumontune
pre?>s toward our converts and the niovL-iueut they cahmpioii
as well as tcnvard American institutions.

Before we liad a French Prcjtestant press, capable of an-
swering the unwarrantable attacks of the clerical papers,
the arrogance and insolence of the latter knew no bounds.
For years these sheets had been abusing and reviling all
that Protestant Americans hold sacred. The masses were
made to believe almost anything about Protestantism and
the institutions it has given rise to and upholds.

These papers felt free to pour out their abuse, assured
that they were not read by the American press and therefore
ran no risk of being checked.

Our paper has, from time to time, reproduced some of
their articles. We have given to the American public, the
leading features of their pi-ogramme. It may not be consi-
dered egotistical for us to say that the positions now taken
by almost all «)ur American weeklies, on the public school
question and others akin to it, were taken four years ago by
Le Semcnr.

The French Roman Catholic press is now conpelled to be
a iiitle more careful in its utterances. French readers have
an opi)ortunity ot seeing both sides of the question and we
have abundant proof that many have been led to cihange
their views and fall in line with what this nation deems to
be essential to right citizenship, by reading Lc Senicur^
Le Cituyt'n and Lc Fidclc Jlessaycr, a monthly published
by Rev. T. A. Dorion of Manchester, N. li.

We might dwell at great length on this point, but enough
has been said to show how great a mission is intrusted to
the French I'rotestant press of New England. It should
not be prevented from doing its work for lack of funds.

Onr Jldhods of \Vai'/\in'.

ir,.-)

all

Tlu* pntrioii.sni ot'tliese Puritan states is sun-ly jjfruat enough
to estal'lisli such an institutiitn on a lirni hasis.

Wi! niay a(hl that our pjiprr now reaches a j^'reat uuiuy
families that are not vet strotij; enou'^h to uuike hold to
enter our cluircheH. A papii- can bo read hehind ilu- »loor,
iiobodv need kno'v anvthin;; about it. Thus can a <'reat
work of eidighteninent be quietly done, in luuuberless cases
iiuiccessiblo to the missionary.

The; French l'ublishin;jsociety has another work in view.
We live at the close (jf the nineteenth centurv an<l moreover
in the United States of Anii'rica. Our times have create<l
a state of society very diti'erent from that of the France and
Switzerland ot to-(hiy and especially of fifty years a<;o. And
yet almost all the tracts and i)amphlets furnished us for dis-
trii>ution amonir the French, come from FurojX! and are
hoary with a^e.

The writers of these exci'lU'tit tracts knew nothiii"; of the
problems we an- called upon to face and solve. We need
a totally new liierMtni'e. adajited to the condition of tilings
in which the French masses live.

In the first place a series <jf tracts and pamphh^ts should
be writttMi, settinir forth the advantage's offered the I'l-ench
Canadians of New Knirland and the I'liited States, by the
new state of thin>''s in which thev find tlu-mselves as soon
as thev cross the lines. It is lu'cessarv to show them, in
clear but ejiivfnl terms. mU the harm which the old province-
of-(^uebec re;.''ime has done to the French portion of Cana-
da. Furthermore these tracts should point out clearly that
by followiuL' the lead of the clergy in their opjiosition to the
progress of our American Christian civilization, they are
preparing for the Canadian nationality an ignominious and
humiliatiiiir defeat. If 'the French race desires to make its

■??

ir.O Your ILritaf/e

infliRMico felt, it must siloiicc tliis so coiled patriotic cry:
*' Our tniii^ui', our luitionjility, our religion." This cry is
uiiii-|)aniotic to the core. This nation is tlestiiiu<l to be
I*i-(itesiiint Amtrieaii, witii MiiLrlish as tiie prevailing lan-
gujigf, and he is unwise who tries to prevent the unilication
of races.

No American possessing common sense asks an educated
French Canadian to forget his classical tongue and refrain
from speaking it when he has occasion to Jo so. A mat)
Avlio knows two languages has UK^re ideas than he who has
knowli'dge ot"one only.

What the AmeriL'jins desire is tliat all should learn Eng-
lish and that there should he no barriers between those who
come from oilier lands and ihe peoj)le of this country.

Tract> of a religious (duiracter are also needed. Tem-
peiMiici' literature, p-nnphlets discussing the (jucstion of
odu''iitio;i, ol" morality, (jf S(jcial purity and other subject^
upon which light is needed.

Am imnmnse work is before us, and there arc men ready
and willing to use their \)cn, for the good of their ■•ountry-
men, of the land of their adoption and of their God. But
they are simply wearing he best of their lives out to lay
loundations, a good work to be sure, but wiiy waste so
much tin\e, why let the diseases which are gnawing at the
vitals of society take such deep root, before attacking them
seriou>ly ?

We feel assni-eil that if the thinking j)ublic would take
the tinn' to reflect over these prol>lenis, and look into the
methods ])rop->st'(l for their solution, the funds needed would
be placed in the hands of responsible and reliable persons
foi- the speedy carrying out of the plans proposed.

It has JKHni a (jucstion with me for some time whether we
liave not too m uiy orga:iizations? Would it not be pos-

Our 3fil/i(>fh nf \\'(ti/<trc.

k;:

who

sil)lo to nccnmplisli tin; work coiiti'inplutiMl by the French
I'libli.shitij; Society without i^pemliii;^ s«» much money on
adniinistriition ? It may be that Ikcfore this in in print,
some phin may h<' suj^gcsted that will meet with ^fcneral ap-
proval and enable un to accomplish a work vhicli now
remains undone I'or want of I'unds.

Note. Since tiie ai)ove was written, the chan;j:es hinted
at have taken place. The French Kvan;.'elical I'ublishni'jr
Society has amal;^amated with the corjxjration ol'the French
Protestant CollcL'e. The coUej^e has assumed the whole
responsibility ot'this pnbh'ciition work and become the pro-
prietor of Li- Ciloijiii Fiditco'^liiicriniin.

The advantages to be derived from this impf)rtant <le-
cision on the part of the two corporations are many. Two
or three may be stated.

1. The cost of administration will be greatly reduced.
When the press, i'ur which about half the amount reqnircil
is paid in, has been purchased, the exj)enses will be «5till
further reduced.

2. In the constituency which has been a])i)ealed to for
funds, both for the College and the paper, for the last year,
there have been no less than four or five persons soliciting
aid. The giving [)nblic has become somewhat bewildeied.
With the new arrangements there is but one corporation
asking for funds througli one financial agent. Thus can
there be an intelligent presentation (jf the whole work in its
various departments, and a great deal of money spent
necessarily for travelling and in the administration of two
different concerns, is saved.

3. The typographical work is now almost wholly done
by the students. Many of them are leai'ning .m, good trade
and at the same time, helping to pay their own way. The
development of character is helped and better and stronger

.ill

108 Your Heritage.

inon arc formed who will be of help in years that are coming.
The French Protestant College lias assumed this addi-
tional branch of work in good faith, believing that the
Christian men and women of this country, would place at
their disj)osal the funds required to push forward, this two-
fold educational work.

CHAPTER V

OrU METHODS OF M'AHl. AKM:.— KDUCATIONAL WORK.

Tl.o mission ofthe Christian Coll.'ge i.s rrenerallv unaor-
stood by the- people of this country. The founders of tliis
nation recognized from the very first that Christian e.hica-
tion is one of tlie llrst recpiisites in the huildin- up of a new
nation. The history of the rise aiid growth of coUe-iate
education in this country is one of absorbing interest.

It was tlie most natural thing in the world, for the lead-
ers in the French Evangelistic movement, to devise plans to
furnish a good, a higher education to as many young men
and women as they could reach, and thus create a b.^ly of
loaders, not noly well educated but e.lucated on proper lines,
and thus capable of leading their countrymen in the right
direction.

That such a movement should at first have met with op-
position from Americans, wouhl be absolutely inexplicable,
were it not for the fact that our purposes were not imder-
stood by them. We may say more. .Alany thought that
our aim was to educate tiie French in such a way as to

1(1 K
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■■'■i.

rlW^c

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HhlJ

1 7" Your Heritage.

make it almost impo.ssiblo fuv them to fall in with our
Ainerieaii modes oi" tliouj^lit. As soon as we were able to
convince those we appealed to, that what we wanted was a
Protestant American College tor the French of this country,
not only did all opposition cease, but generous co-operution

was given.

THE FUKNCII l'U(JTESTANT COLLEGE.

SECTION I. — ITS iiisTOi;y. — It is not easy to write history,
especially it" one is conciTiied, i;i a perfectly fair and im-
pariial maimer, or in a way that shall aj)pear impartial to
all. Accurate information is not easily obtained, because
nnich of what men would otfer as history has no other
authority save their own memory, and we all know that
memory does not serve us as well as might be desired.

In the few lines which are to follow, if we fail to do jus-
tice to any one, it will iKjt be intentionally.

So far as we know, the idea of a French Protestant Col-
lege, for the French Canadians of the Tnited States, had
not been conceived bv iinv one before the year 188.J, the
writer not excluded.

Diu'ing the winter of 188;], I was invited by Rev. T. G.
A. Cote to come to Lowell, Mass. to take the pastorate of
the French Church there. Mr. C6te had been appointed
General missionary of the IMassachusctts Home Missionary
Society and a pastor was re(piired for the position lett va-
c.mt. It was also stated that tlie question of establishing a
school to prepare French missionaries had been sj)oken of
and that in all likelihood some such theological school would
be in time formed and that the writer would become the
head of it.

1 have endeavored, these few past months, to obtain in-
formation as to what was done prior to May 1884, in this

Our Mdhods of Warfare. 171

direction. I liavo written to Dr. Harrows ot'Saii Friinsisco,
al tiiat time j)astor in Lowell, hut have laiU'd to (.'licit any
facts from him. I sou;^ht intormation from tin- then scribe
ot the Andover Association, with similar results.

]Mr. Cute states that the matter was hrouiiht up hy him
at one of the meetin;,'s ot the Andover Associati-in hidd in
Lawrence, Mass. and that a vole favorable to the j)roject ot
trainini; young men lor Ciiristian service was passed.

So lar as I ha\e been able to ascertain, this is all that
was done before l.S.Sl, The <pu'stio!t of eslablisiiinj^ a
CoUeji'e had never been miMitinncd to mt', and althouuh 1
had a 'oroadcr idea than tiiat suii'ircsted at La\vren:'i,', Mass.
v>hen I came to Lmvcll. it had not vi.'t developed into the
much l)roader plan ol a thor(»u,L;hly eijuipijed college lor
young men and women.

It i> scarcely necessary to say that the Christian public of
Lowell and of the vicinity, was »till less prepared for the
[jroject than we were. \\'!iale\er may !:ave l)een done be-
t'ore l-S-Sl, it would i)e unhisiorical to say that any impres-
sion had been maile upon the public. When even the
smallei" conception ot the plan was >poken of, it met with no
response but with much ttpposiiion. The foundations were
yet to be laid.

Rev. d. 'Si. (Jreene, j). I), ])astor of I'^Uot Church Lo-
wt'll, writes as follows, l.HJi ditiniary, IS'.II.

"I ni'Xir heard ilie college mentioned by Dr. Bari'ows
or any one else till you came to Lowtdl and talked it uj). It
may have bi'en mentioned as a thing to be desired even be-
fore you came to Low(dl, l)ut it tocdi no form as a work to
be done until you took hold ot' it. So I under-taml it."

The foundation of a great enterprise can be claimed by
no individual man. Some one man generally takes the
lead and bends all his energies on the enterprise. He leads

;!!

'•MJ

172 Your ILrifarjc.

he ('iili.st5s others, lie does a thonsaud things of wlu'eh no-
body knows aiivthiiiir. Uut forallthat, lie does not achieve
anytliiiiL' ah)ne. If he lias any sense at all, he does not
claim to have been, in an exclusive sense, the founder, even
of a work whicli had no existence when in; entered up-
on it. when he undertook it as his lite work. It may be
true' that (jrod used him as th(^ jjriucipal instrument, it may
even l)e true that without him this special wurk woidd not
bi' in the condition in which it is, l)ul liis jud;,niient will lead
him to say that without the help, co-dpi-i'ation and support
oi'many others, he would have Ix-en unable (o do anyiliini^.

It' however, somebody feels ealle(l upon to assume the
name of founder (I am sure. I ne\ei' iiavi; thouirht of this
persoiiallv ) , it' the readinir and thiiiki:.i_'' i)ublic desire to
atti'iliute to one more than to another, the layiuL'' <»f fbunda-
tio!is, that public will not be pi'e\ente(l from selecting; the
|>erson, whoi'ver he or she may be, who has fmiLihr liy jien
and ton_irue the real battles, who has stood at the helm when
I'rierids and foes jn*edicted failui'e. who at the mouient ol the
^"■reatest sti'ain, when the warmest friends said : "■ I^et .iro,
yield," did not let lto. <lid not yield, who I'inally, with
(lod's hel{), was instrumental in making the undertaking
possible.

In connection with the foundation of the French Protes-
tant College, it becomes us to be silent. The public of
Lowell and oi' other cities of Massachusetts* h'.is formed its
impressions from direct observation.

One reason for saying even this much is, that we cannot
allow to pass mmoticed and unchallenged, certain uncalled
for, unjust and wholly misleading criticisms recently made,
from which otic would infer that certain claims to founda-
tionshii) have been made by us. There has been nothinjr
of the kind and such insinuations are only worthy of the

Our Mdho(h of War/drc. 17J3

anonymous writers, wlio i'l this unniiinly and cowurdly
manner throw thi-ni out.

Another roa>t)n ('ouii)i'ls us to write tliese lines, namely
p, >«cnse of justice. Tlu' articles to which we allude wiiuld
feijrn lead us to Ixdieve thai practically tlie Collei/e was
founded Ixdore ISS,') ipiil that the criMlit ot' it is due to two
or three men whose names are lm'viii.

We have been behind the scenes from bej^innin'^ to end
and we claim to knon- as luu-li as anyone. This much we
feel in duty bound to say. Had it imt been for the self-
sacrificin.*^ spirit, devotion, moral couraLre in face of])livsi-
cal weakness, womanly hi'roisui ol'otie younji^ Wiuuan at a
period in the history of this enti'i'pi'isi', when the balance
hud to go one way or the other, all hope.- of success would
have been dashed to the grcnind, we do not say tor evi-r,
but "vvo do say without fear of contradiction, for years to
come.

We have said ol' one woman, but we should have said
and iKjw say, of aiiothc: woman of faith and consecration,
whose patient, modest, constant ministry ol' love amonir the
French Canadians of Massacl"isetts, has l)een singularly
underrated.

The woi'k these Christian women have done, with their
own weaiied hands and aching limbs, month after month,
Avithout a cent of I'emuneralicn, ( iod alone has ever seen
and known. Without induenee, with public ojiinion
against us, with the Protestant clergy conscientiously set
against the movement, without the money to do the work
and show the results which alone could convince the public
of the advisability of such a missionary project, how could
it have succeeded had not these devoted wonuni, cooked and
washed, and ironed and mended, and taught ; and after
washing as best they could their soiled and bruised hands,

\| >:

r '^*i

'•t,

171 lo.<;' JL'riUi'je

hud ihoy not prosented tliein.selves bisforo mission boards to
plead out of consecrated hearts, for the boys and young men
they desired to save ?

If to anyone is .'o l)e given the honor of laying the found-
ation of this Christian educational enterprise, let the modest
workers wiio did tlie digging, who lifted the heavy stones
Avith tli'Mr lumds, who soiled their fingers with the mortar,
who mingled their tears with the water that slaked the lime
let them have the honor due them, and let them have it
with all the more readiness that they do not ask for it.

For my part, even hail 1 but a lumi»ish, leaden thing in
place of a heart, I could not but cheei'fully and unres(u*ved-
]y let the honor go there. It' I have written with some feel-
ing, it is because I have felt that an injustice had been
done.

The establishment of the French Protestant College is due
to the utitiring eth)rts ul' a few person who from the very
first understood its pm-poses, and to the co-operation of
the Lovvell Congregational ministers, ol a number of Christ-
ian women in that city and the generous sui)port of the
press.

The institution owes its beginnings to tin Massachusetts
Home Missionary Society, wlii'-h made a grant ofS''3,00(J
to eiuible the promoters of this educational enterprise to
make a start, aeet)iuplish some work which would serve
the same purpose as the miil-priius in the hands and feet
of the risen Christ, namely remove doubt and produce the

conviction ihat this venture was not a wild f

uicy.

In the fall of IS.SI alter my installation as pastor of the

French Protestant church of Lowell, Mas?

T.»

ev. T. G. A.

COte, my predecessor, who had worked for seven years in the
midst of great discom'agementsand had prepared the ground,
discussed with me on several occasions the question of the

Oil I' Jl'tiii'ds lit I' >i.fiii'

17.>

extonsion of this French i'vaii;:.i'li.stif woi-k. IJoth were fully
sutisiicd that no geniiiiit', I'adiciil aixl Listing work could ho
ticconiplishcil, utiles^ our youni; men and youn;;^ wi>nu'n
could he given an education otlu-r liian that receivt.'d hy
them in French Roman C'atiiolic parochial schools.

^^'c did not aim as high tiien as we now do. Our chief
aim, u.s far as my memory serves me, was to prepare future
missionaricis. Fartlier on we will state what the college
now contemplates in addition to this si)ecial work.

Mr. Cote and myself were then the only mis.>ionaries of
the Massachussetts Socii'ty. lioth began to plead for the
establishment of what we calle(l a I'nMn'h Protestant board-
ing school, with pastors and with the Mis.-«ionary society,
but without very mudi success at Iii'>t.

On the 0th of April iSSTj at a meeting of the Andover
Association, I was allowed to piH'sent my plan. It met
with a good deal of opposition on the ground that such a
step would lead to the establishment oi a system of sej)arate
schools for the P^rcnch Canadian nationality, which would
have the tendency of isolating tlie French, {)reventiug them
from learm'ng the English language and from uniting with
the people of tliis country to furm (»ne great nation.

We succeeded in conviiuMng the majority of the members
present, that such uei'e not our aims. It was one central
institution, having as one ot its i'eatures the systematic teach-
injT of the Bible, the teaching of the I-'iiL^dish language and
the inculcation of Protestant, republican ideas, that we
desired to create. 'I'he purpose was to take the young peo-
ple out of the old ruts and c<Mmteract the baneful influences
of the ultramontane princij)les inculcated 1)y the clergy of
New England.

The Association approved the scheme and recommended
it to the churches of the Andover Conference.

■.Ml

17»;

i uar Jit i'il(i'/c.

On the 7tl> of April, tlie writer presented liis plan before
tlie executive eommitteo of the Mussaehusetts Home Miss-
ionary Society. Some impression was made but no definite
action was taken.

On ilie 2''Sth of tlie same month the Andover Conference
met at Lawrence, and by what men call a mistake, but
fchould be (.'ailed a design of Providence, the scribe of the
Association referred the recommendation of the latter body
to the C<jnference. A storm of opposition arose on the
ground that it was not a legitimate subject for the Confer-
ence to consider.

One ol tlie delegates knowing I had in my ])ocket a paper
which wa.s to appear in the next issiu; of the Coniir<(jn((iiiia-
//.■>/, suggested that 1 might lu' invited to riuid it. I was
called to the platfoi'm. When I .-tood uj), objections were
raised. A iiKjtion to lay the whole mailer on the table was
made and sec()nded. When the vote was taken it was
tound to l)e a tie. Ivev. Smith IJaker was moderator, and
J can still hear his dee]) voice uttering with a decision
Asliieh ri'vived mv coui'aire : '"1 vote that the matter be
not hiid on l he table."

1 then read the })aper alluded to, and it was voted that
for want o( authoritv the wliole subject with the recommen-
dation of the Association be referred to the individual chur-
ches of the CVnifereiice.

On the IC.th .May I sent to the Massachusetts Home
^Missionary Society as strong an ajipeal as 1 could write,
asking for a grant of $;)000 to begin work in the fall. Ou
the -stli , I line I appeared again before the Committee and
explaine(l at more length our plans. JNIany prayers went up
to God liH I waited in the passage of the Congregational
House for the decision of the Committee. God directed

Our Ml thuds i>f Wiirfiiiv.

177

ISIOU

ome
•rite,
Ou
and
nt up
ioiial
ected

them to vote that a grant of S3000 be made, 82000 to be
paid the first year and SlOOO the following.

I went back to Lowell with a thankful heart, an<l the
work of or<ranization began. On .lulv dih a number of
gentlemen, chietly Congregational ministers, met in the
olHce of ^lessrs. Marshall and Ilamblett for the organiza-
tion of the College. Committees were appointed to prepare
by-laws. The aet of incorporation was obtained from the
Secretary of the Commonwealth on the 1. St h day of Sep-
tember I'SS"). The charter members are: Rev. Owen
Street, I). 1)., Kcv. J. M. Greene 1). I)., Kev. Charles A.
Dickinson, Kev. C. II. Wilicox, Rev. Sinitli Uakcr, Kcv.
Calvin ?i. Amaroii and Rev. Ili'iny T. Rose, then all
pastors of LowoU clnnThes. The name given to the cor-
poration was, Tiie French I'rotestant College, created '^tor
the purpose ot giving instruction to both young men and
young women in such branches of education as are usually
tauglit in our New Kngland schools and C(dleges, with
reference to training stui'ents to become ellicient teachers,
missionaries and preachers of the Protestant faith."

A board of trustees was appointed and various commit-
tees were given i)ower to make the necessary arrangements
U) begin tlie work. A house was rented, it was furnished
with the bare necessaries ; a miml)er of ladies under the di-
rection of the late Mrs. Battles of Kirk Street Church,
helped in providing bedding and other intlispensable articles
and on the 27th October the c(dlege was formally opened by
appropriate exercises held in the Freiich I'rotestant Church
and in which the different denominations of the city were
represented by their pastors.

The first year was one of struggle, hardship and discour-
agement. AVe were rowing against the adverse current of

1'i

1 T-S FrHO' Hiritnfjc.

})ul)lic si'iitinicnt. If we did not Hucceed in showing good
results we would not be sustaincMl. Tlie six teachers who
hiul 11 hand in the work oi'that tlrst year received in the
aggri'giite a sum ()f'S32(). This means that nearly all of them
worked for love's sake. We were able lu close that year
with a balance of SlOOO, but it was at the cost of too umch
health and strength on tlu; part of some.

The work continued in Lowell the following year, when
I was asked by the trustees to resign the pastorate of the
French Pr(jtestant Church, to devote my whole time to this
educational work.

In the summer of IH.ST, Uev. Owen Street, 1). I), who
had become a warm and enthusiastic supporter of the
College, and who had given instruction in Greek to the
sttidents, was called to his eternal rest. He had left the
sum of 81000 for some religious work, and in view of the
special interest he had manilested in this educational move-
ment, his son-in-law and daughter Rev. and Mrs. G. S.
Dickerman oU'cred to give the SIOOO toward the erectioTi of
a building, provided the sum of ^15,000 should be pledged
Avithin a certain time* The trustees at once agreed to name
this proposed building the Owen Street Hall. The greater
part of Dr. Street's library was also to be given to the college.

In vii V of the high esteem in which Dr. Street had been
held for thirty years in Lowell and in the Andover confe-
rence, it was fully expected that the Christian public would
cheerfully respond.

Kev. ,] . M. Greene D. D., the first president of the
college corporation and one who with voice and pen has
pleaded and still pleads on behalf of this work, urged the
matter strongly as did also Rev. Smith Baker, Rev. C. A.
Dickinson and others.

When it was found that the largest individual contribu-

fli ^^ HtI ' '■

•rood

edired

confe-
would

C. A.

ntribu-

Our Mvlhods of Wai'fnie. 179

tioii that could be securod f'roiu the miMnhcrs of ni;;li street
church and t'ntm Lo'vell waw SlOO, our courage tailed us.
We were thf metre discourau'ed that the colie^^e had now
proved its ntisnn (V<trr audi hat tlie Amlover conference
had passed by a unanimous vote the (oiiowing resolution :

''That to the churche.-t and Sabl)ath scjiools, to tiie friends
of education and relii,non, and to <ill who dcsirt; tluj preser-
vation of Protestantism in New Kn^fland, we comnieinl the
Frencli I'rotestant CoUe^ro, estal)lished in Lowell, as an in-
stitution widl deserving their prayers, benevolent contribu-
tiinis, benefactions and energies."

At tiiis juncture a proposal was made to remove the
college to Sj)ringlield Mass. Several considerations were
urged.

S|)ringlield was a better educational centre ; the college
would be in close proximity to the School for Christian
Workers and the School (»f Trades ; these institutions would
be nnitually helpful. The largest contributions came from
Springfield and nmch help coidd be expected from the whole
of the Connecticut Valley. Moreover a lot worth 81000
was offered the institutioi:.

The pro{)osal was carefully considered, arguments for
and against were weighed and it was finally decided to
select Springfield as the permanent location for the college.

In October 1)S88 we came to Springlield. It was our
intention to occupy the building whicii had been the City
Hospital, but as it could not be vacated till spring, we rent-
ed a house on Wilbraham Road, filled it to its uttermost
capacity and tin*ned away the rest of the applicants who
sought admission.

The remaining portion of the City Hospital property on
Boston Road was purchased as well as another large lot
now held for the college, a tract of land covering about four

-j i--

180 Your Hrritage.

acres, bordering on three streets, and the biiildin;;^ of Owen
Street Hall was at once l)egun.

On the IDth October 188!) the new building was opened
by arproj)riate exercises, in which several loading education-
alists of New England took part in person or by letter.

In the mouth of INIay 181)0, the legislature of this, state

amended the charter of tlie college, making Springfield the

location instead oi' Lowell, and giving the institution the

following powers :

The said College is hereby authorized to grant such
honorary testimonials and confi^r such honors, degrees and
diplomas as are granted or conferred by any university,
college or seminary of learning in this Commonwealth ; and
the dij)lomas so granted shall entitle the j)ossessors to the
immunitios and privileges allowed by usage or statute to the
possessors of like diplomas from any university, college nr
seminary of learning in this Commonwealth ; provided, that
no such honors, degrees or diplomas shall be conferred «':x-
cept by a vote of a majority of the trustees of said corpora-
tion.

This in brief, with many necessary and voluntary omis-
sions, is the history of our young institution.

SECTION II. ITS CHIEF AIMS AND PUUPOSES.

The brief historical sketch which precedes sets forth a
few of the ditficulties and obstacles we had to encounter
and remove before we (!ould begin to carry into efToct the
})lan we had in mind.

We all would have abandoned the undertaking had we
not been fully convinced that it was of God, and had we
not been satisfied that the indifference or opposition arose
from a want of information on the problem of J'rench Ro-
man Catholic immigration on the one hand, and from a
misconception on the other of the aims and purposes which
the promoters of this educational enterprise had set before
them.

Our Methods of War/are. 181

One of the most discouraging feature's has been, the un-
willingness ofProtestant ministers to open their churches to
French Proteslanr ministers speaking Knglisli, that they
might give the peopK", always glad to hear it, the message
which bunirf their heart. If we had in our possession the
collection of letters written, which have renuiined unanswer-
ed, they would form a good-sized volume. We are thank-
ful to say that a decided change has taken place in this
respect and that the leading pidjdts of the country are now
open to those who are able togivi; an intidligent presentation
of this evangelistic movemeiit as several are doini;.

1. Amcriean Cltiz'-nshtj). — The first great purpose of the
French Protestant College is to give to the French Canadi-
an population of New Fngland of the United States, an
education such as will lit thein for citizenship.

It is necessary to state this at the outset. The name
French Protestant College has been a block of stumbling
and u rock of olfense to numy. It is imagined that in an
institution bearing that name, the French language must
predominate, French modi-s of thought nuist prevail. It is
feared that the young men and young women who will be
jrraduated, nmst know little or notiiing of American life
and will ntH fall in with the civilization whicli this nation
believes in, as opposed to that of French Canada.

We have already stated that those who reason thus and
entertain such fears, do not understand our Avork, are not
acquainted with our methods of education and know nothing
of the results they produce.

The promoters of the French parochial school system
and the friends and supporters of our college, liave formed
a totally different conception of the educational problem
among the French of the United States.

The abetttors of the parochial school are the enemies of

132

Your Heritage.

"i(

the niiiriciitioii of races in tliis repuljlie. The Roman Ca-
t}iolics tear tlie public scliool because it does not mamifac-
ture Koman Catholics. A special machine is needed for
that purpose. In the case of the French Roman Catholics
it is still more necessary to isolate the children, to keep
them from all that is American and Protestant, else they
cannot be made j^^ood French ultramo.itanes.

We hold views wholly opposed to these. We are not
blinded to sutdi an exteiit by our national alliuities and pre-
ferences, as to support measures which history has proved
to !)(' most injurious to the people ol' the country from wdiich
we come and which we love. Our theory is that a French-
man who ('hoses to make of (iernumv his home, should
learn (iernian and adapt himself to ihe customs of the coun-
try ot his adoption, that an American who iiuikes of
France his home should adopt himselt to tiie mode of life of
liiat new home.

In like manner, the French Canadians who lind it neces-
sary or convenient to select this country as their permanent
abode, siiould not expect that the government of this coun-
try shall encoura^^e them to create here a little France or
Canada, governing itself according to the laws and customg
of French Canada.

French Protestants have no desire for any such thing.
They take pride, as well they might, in their beautiful
tongue and have no desire to forget it. They wish to study it and
become acquainted with its rich literature. What sane
man would think of objecting to this? But they are as
anxious to learn, as thoroughly as they can, the English
tongue anil its literature, and thus walk side by side with the
educated men and women of this republic. We understand
perfectly well that this is the wise and rational course to

Our Methods of Warfan

\A'^

pursue and tluit it \a prouiptcd by lui eulighteued uud com-
mon sense patriotism.

Tlie coui'sc of instruction given in our college is ol' such
a character as to make thorough-going, Christian American
citizens. Tiiis means tluitthe Protestant Christian idea, is
kept prominently in view.

Whatever we may think concerning tlie secularization of
education, in reference to Protestant children and young
jieople, we are satislied that the hundreds of French Cana-
dian young men of this country, wlio ha\"e lust faith in
llonuuiism, and who not knowing any other religion, have
fallen into a state of semi-skepticism, will never be lilted
oiU of that state of mind, and made I'eliable Christian citi-
zens, through a purely secular education.

The college that would ci-eate a class of reliable men and
women, to act as leaders among the French Canadians of
the United States and Canada, must l»e not only iriendly to
Christianity but nuist give a systenuitic course ot instruc-
tion in the leading truths of the llible.

It must not be forgotten that by far the largest lunnber
of studi'uts who come to us for instruction, have been in
peculiar circumstances, have received an education which
has IkkI the tendency of nutking them either superstitious
or indiil'erent, if not altogether ske|)tical.

Thev need an ecbu-ation that takes into consiileration,
not only their intelh'ctual but also their religious wants.
Some of tliese boys and young men who are supposed to
have been thoroughly instructed religiously bv the Komish
church, have not the I'aintest conception of\Nhat experimen-
tal religion is.

Others have but one article in their creed : ''1 hate Rome
— and Pome and religion are synonymous lor them, they

'^ i

I '

U f:

1<S4 yo?<r TTerttar/e.

knowviiothing else — that luif* trampled under foot my cons-

eieiiee and my intelligence."

What kind of education do these young men need? If
they are not tf) become total wrecks religiousiy and moral-
ly, they must he dealt with carefully and lovingly, and the
distinction between Romanism which they hate, and true
religion, must be cK'arly pointed out. This we do from a
Biblical and historical stand-point. As a rule, the results
arc gratifviii;:. Ib-iijlit and intelli<icnt young men arc
snatcluMl fi'om tlic brink of the precipice and saved for God
and country. ^\ c liave already some such, doing mission,
ary woi'k among their cf)untrymen.

We make our course of religious instruction sufficiently
broad, that young men of all evangelical churches can fol-
low it. We scarcely know to what denomination the young
men belong. At present, we purpose giving enough theo-
logy to ena])le a young man having missioiuiry work in
view, to enter the second year in a th(;ological seminary of
his choice, when he graduates in arts with us. Thus we
will be able to furnish French workers to the various chur-
ches.

Exj)erience has proved over and over again, tluit the
sooner these young peo])le can be removed from the perni-
cious inlluences of Romish teachings, the l)etter for them
and for the Frencli Protestant churcli. It is no easy mat-
tei" for one vlio has grown to years of maturity under the
infiuetice of the conscience-destroying instructions of Roma-
nism, to free oneself from tiieir baneful I'csults.

The i)riests of Rome deny that their church allows them
to inculcate wnnig views (»f truth. When we charge tlie
Jesuit order with holding the principle that " The end jus-
tifies the means," it is denied by them. Be that as it may,
we know by sad and repeated experience, that the boys

Our JIdhods of Warfare. 185

who come to us from tht-ir purocliijil schools, do not seem
to know what it is to tell the truth. When we upbraid
them for uttering a lie, they are astonished and amazed
that we should make so mueh of what to them seems so
little. "A little lie is nothin"."

Much tlu'ii nuist be undone before any good work can
be accomplished. There is a whole process of education
rerpiired, and nuich patience, forebearance and faith arc
demanded. Too often when you think you have reached
the bottom and laid your foundation-stone on solid 'n'ound
after building with the assurance of stability, you discover
that you have built upon the remains of the old false
system.

2. To sHjijih'inoit (J/uirr/i irork.

The college serves a second piu'j)ose partly indicated in
what precedes. Its mission is to supplenu'ut the work
done in our mission churdies. Our pastors might be as
faithful as the j)ropliet Klijah, thi-y might work Tiight and
day, that they would fail to do much of that necessary
educational work entrusted to us, and without which their
pulpit and pastoral work nuist br moj-e or fess ineffective.

In the spiritual work of the church our Frencdi pas-
tors received comparatively little help from the people to
whom thtjy nu'nistm'.

In thr church of Kome the laynuin is taught to open his
ears and close his mouth. The priests are the church prac-
tically, whatever may be the tlieoretical idea. The people
are not taught to judge of the truth for themselves ami com-
municate to their brethren the im[)ressions which come to
them.

When a man comes out of the darkness of Romanism,
even if he have received Christ fully into his heart, he finds
it very hard to speak on spiritual things, he finds it hard to

" -■ 1 I

.11, |1

rli

,'i

8 flu

■M,

!.*■" ■'■■It

1; ^' ill

186 lo^o- Jl'-ruarjc.

pray with liis lamily and much more so in the church.

Moreover he is a babe in the faith, he must be a learner
for years before he can instruct his chikh'en as lie ought
and desires. The resuk is that the chikh'en are deprived
of the Christian training found in tliose homes that have
always liad the liiblo. A further result is that these young
people grow up more or less careless and do not become
true Christians. Our clunches remain spiritiuilly weak.

It must also be remembered that the lartrest numljer of
our converts belong to the middle class. In nuiny cases
both father and mother are at work all day. There is very
little time for education of any kind in the home, and it is
natural enough that the religious training should be the
last to be attended to.

Again, very nuaiy of the young men and young women
we invite to our large cities, nre exposed to all the temp-
tations which great cities otl'ei* Romanism has made them,
or at any rate left them, indilferent to personal religion.
Left to themselves thev are sure to ^o to wreck and ruin.

IIow siuill these young peo})le be saved and educated to
become leaders in our French Protestant cluirches, infusing
a new Christian life in them, a spirit of liberality for all
good works, the spirit of missionary enterprise Avhich alone
can create a living church? IIow shall we get godly men to
act as deacons, leaders and helpers in the prayer meeting?
How shall we get consecrated young men and young women
to teach intelligeritly the children and and young people of
our converts ? Teachers w ho are to do effective work in so
hard a field, need to be especially qualified.

The French pastors and workers have all felt that with-
out the help which the French Protestant College purposes
to raise up for them, the results of their efforts must neces-
sarily be but meagre.

Our Methods of Warfare. 187

Our Collei^e thou has a Christian uducaUuinil work to do,
which neither the home nor tlie mission church is able to
do just now. AVe have to solve the same problem as that
which presents itself in the lields in which the American
Board and the American Missionary Association labor.

We have old Ibunduticjus to dig up, false ideas to uproot
on almost every important subject, and new foundations to
lay.

Take such questions as those of truthfulness, family
worsliip, temperance, the sanctitication of the sabl)ath day
and many others. It requires a very long time to correct
the wrong views the church of Rome has presented to the
people among Avhicii we labor. Neither one nor twenty
sermons will succeed in taknig men and women out of the
old ruts.

The Frencii Protestant College takes the boys and girls
in its preparatory department, young men and yuung women
in its collegiate department, and oilers them a course of
instruction that keeps in sight the pecidiar circumstances in
which these young people have been situated and the im-
portant roll which they will be called to play, in the mould-
ing of the French Canadian jiopulutiun ot the United States
and of Canada, either as professional men and women, or
as ordinary members of society.

It would seem superfluous to say more to convince the
reader that such an institution is imperatively demanded
and makes a very strong ap[)eal to the liberality and patrio-
tism of Americans, be they Christians or not.

3. Preparation of Missionaries.

The College has a third purpose in view, namely the pre-
paration of young men and young women for distinctively
missionary work. We do not claim to be a theological
seminary, and it is not designed that all our students nor

t'!l

k tl

188

Your Heritage

perhaps the majority of them, shall become pastors, evan-
gelists or missionaries. It is our hope and prayer that
all will become educated Christians ; but only tiiose who
have both intellectual and spiritual gifts and adaptability for
missionary work, will be encouraged in this direction.

There has been and there is now a dearth of properly
qualilied and thoroughly consecrated men for the many
missionary fields, ripe for the harvest. The Canadian
church has furnished us many excellent men, but it has a
large and dillieult Held to cultivate in Canada and tiie men
prepared by tlic Presbyterian College, Montreal, cannot
very well be spared.

There is no reason why the various denominations which
are doing French evangelistic work in this country, should
not look to this college lor the young men who are to be the
French speakmg pastors of the future. The course of stu-
dies is in the formative period and it is the interition to

make it evangelical before everything else.

We have stated elsewhere that there is just now a very
pressing call for a special class o( lay-workers, both men
and women, to do house-to-house work. It is the purpose
of our college to train such workers. The time is passing
away when the church thought it had done its duty by erect-
ing a church edifice and saying to lost men : "Come in and
hear the Gospel. If you dont want to come in, so much
the worse for you. Our duty and responsibility end here."

We are beginning to understand that our duty is to save
men. If they will not come to the source of life because
they do not know that they are dead, because they are lost,
it is our's to go to them Avith the message of life and light.

It is our firm conviction that we are spending a great
deal of money which bears but scanty fruits. The French

Our Methods of Warfare.

189

1-0 ct-

aiul

lllK'll

ere."
save

cause
lost,
ght.

great

Caiiadians will not be converted to Christ unless we can
send into their homes consecrated men and women who
will read the Bible to rhem, show them sympathy, interest
themselves in their cliildren, invite them to tlie church and
Sunday school. To be sure our PVench pastors do this in
a measure, but they have many other duties to attend to,
they have their pulpit work and their own pastoral work,
and they can do but comparaiively little in the direction we
have indicated.

We do not see any very good reason why this college
should not broaden its sphere oi" usefulness by opening its
doors to Italian young men and prepare them for mission-
ary work among their countrymen. The urgent necessity
of evangelizing the thousands of Italians who have come to
this republic has been made manifesi to all lovers of native
land. This people has been under the same religious intlu-
ences as the French Canadians, and those who are to work
among them need very much the same kind of training.

Our institution, in connection with the School for Christ-
ian Workers of Springlield, Mass., will also help in prepar-
ing secretaries for Young Men's Christian Associations.
There is a great deal of good work to be done among the
French speaking young men of this country, through the
associations. But workers cannot do effective work, unless
they are conversant with French as well as English.

We have been already appealed to for general secretaries
for French branches of Young Men's Christian Associa-
tions, and as years go by tlie call for such workers shall be
greater. Arrangements can easily be made with the above
named institution for a course of studies to be followed by
voung men desirous of devoting themselves to so commen-
dablc a work.

[»

i '

'If

iL i 1

I'JU lour Hi'.rilarjc.

SECTION III. — ITS PLAN OF WORK.

It may be interesting to many to know how our work is
carried on from day to day.
Doiaastic Work.

Our college is a missionary institution, as has been stated
more than once. It is not meant for the rich, but for young
men of moderate means and lor those who could not obtain
an education without some help. It need not be said that
if strong and rich institutions, where high lees are paid,
cannot begin to pay their current expenses without outside
aid, it is out of the question for us to do so. We depend
almost wholly on gifts for the carrying on of our daily work.

Great care has been taken to reduce the expense to the
minimum. In the first place the young men, as in the
INIount Hermon and Northtield schools, do all the work of
the college, with the exception of the cooking. Even here
they lend a helping hand.

To each student a certain work is assigned and fjrreat
care is taken so that the work may be thoroughly done.
Habits of order are formed which cannot but be of inesti-
mable value to the young men. Especially is this work
useful to the young boys, unaccustomed as the majority are
to proper discipline when lirst they come to us.

With this arrangement, very little money is paid out for
help. All the young men are expected to pay SlOO a year.
Many cannot do that at once, but agree to comply with
the requirement in years to come, as soon as their circum-
stances allow of it.

Course of Studies.

The College has two distinct departments, the prepara-
tory and the collegiate.

The preparatory department divides itself into four years.

Our Methods of Warfare.

101

In the first preparatory we take boys and keep them in this
class until they are prepared to enter upon the regular three
years course which lits them for admission into our regular
college class, or into any New P2ngland college.

It is found necessary to have a senior division in this de-
partment for a class of young men who have been left
without education by the church of Rome and are too fur
advanced in years to attend the public schools. Our aim
is to give these an elementary education, that will help them
in life. They at the same time receive the religious ins-
truction they stand in need of

The question is often asked : "Why do you take boys?"
Our answer is that several very good reasons lead us to do
so.

In the first place, the boys we receive are often taken out
of the French parochial schools and educated on Protestant,
American lines. We consider this to be a most worthy
work, which will prove to be of inestimable value to this
country.

In the second place many of these boys would receive no
education at all if we did not offer it to them. The parents
in many cases do not care much if these boys are educated
or not. Being illiterate themselves they do not see why
their children should know more than they do. They need
their work at the factory to help the family. They can't
afford to let them lose so much time. They however con-
sent in many instances to let us take charge of their boys.
Often we do not succeed in keeping them the whole year.
As soon as the dull winter months are over and the busy
spring has returned, the parents send for the boys, just
when we are doing the best work with them. As years go
on, we are succeeding in obtaining more perseverance and

192 Your Heritage.

a greater desire to complete a regular course of studies.

In the third place we must have the boys, we must begin
with them, if we are to do a work that will be lasting in its
results. It is^impossible to speak too severely of the moral
and religious teaching given to the French Roman Catholic
youth by the Romish church. It is very easy for that
church to say that she inculcates proper principles of mora-
lity, but we know by painful experience what sad havoc
that system of religion makes of the conscience.

I have stated it more than once, I may repeat it here. I
would have no hope of ever lifting up the French Roman
Catholic population of this country and of Canada, were it
not for the existence of the missionary boarding-schools of
Canada and for this Springfield college. It is only by tak-
ing young boys and young girls, young men and young
women and by instilling daily in their hearts and minds the
principles of the Gospel, the principles of righteousness, of
honesty and of truthfulness, that the disastrous results of
this Romish education and the ignorance it breeds, can be
counteracted. To expect to do this work of evangelization
by building churches and preaching, very often to empty
benches, is to make a stupendous mistake. I would not give
one year of this Christian educational work for ten years of
ordinary missionary work. After what has been said on
mission work, church and publication work, the statement
just made will not be misinterpreted.

Our regular college course extends over four years. It
is very much the same as that of New England colleges.
More time is necessarily given to a certain class of subjects.
Our young men are preparing for a special work and re-
quire a special preparation.

The instruction is given in both French and English. It
is our purpose to give a thorough training in the French

f J''f'^

Our Methods of Warfare.

11)3

tudies.
t begin
2 in its
; moral
'atholic
or that
f mora-
1 havoc

here. I
L Roman

were it
;hools of
^ by tak-
A young
iiinds the
sness, of
-esults of

, can be
nrelizatiou

to empty

\ not give

years of

said on

statement

^ears. It
colleges,
f subjects,
k and re-

nglish. It
■be French

language and its literature. The young men who arc to be
leaders among the B^rcnch of New England, must have a
thorough knowledge of their own tongue if they are to suc-
ceed. There is not much risk that our studentn will not
learn English. The English tongue absorbs us and it is
much more spoken than the French.

At the time we write tiie faculty is composed of four
professors, (we have not yet any regularly established and
endowed chairs,) and live assistants. Five of the teaching
staff speak both languages, the others speak but English.

The young men have literary and debating societies trom
which much benefit is derived.

Relujious Life.

This college rests pre-eminently on a Christian basis. It
was born of prayer and it has lived so far on faith and
prayer. The Bible is one of its prmcipal text-books, to be
read reverently and prayerfully every day.

A regular course of Bible studies is given to the students
of all the years. These studies are arranged and adapted
to the degree of advancement of the boys and young men.
They are in charge of the president.

The Bible instruction is of such a character as not to
interfere with the denominational preferences of the young
men. The unscriptural doctrines of the church of Rome
are fully discussed. We can scarcely say that there is no
fear for the religious faith of the Roman Catholic students
who come under our care, as the priests do of the Protest-
ant young people whom they attract to their institutions.

"We are perfectly candid about the matter. A Roman
Catholic who spends a year with us, if he is serious and
has convictions, runs great risk of losing faith in the old
system. Romanism cannot stand very long with the light

** '"'!

^} i

1U4 Your Heritage

oftlio (lospel shining upon and into it. This has ben our
cxi)i!rioi)cc.

Jn iKhlition to the liiblo course whidi forms part of our
rci^uhir curricuhun, we have our family ix-ligious life. Every
mornin;^ at a (juarter to nine, professors and students niv^et
in the hirgest recitatiiju room, called the chapel, for morn-
in;^ prayers, all taking their Bibles with them. This ser-
vice is conducted by the president. A hymn is sung, thew
follows tlie reading of a chapter of the Holy Scriptures
alternately. The leader reads a verse in French, a certain
inimber read the m^xt in Kn'^lish and the rest I'ead the
third verse in Fn-ncli, and so on to tiie end of the chapter.
Then follows the prayer, sometimes in French, sometimes
in English ending with the J^ord's prayer in unison.

On the Sabbath day all the students are recpiired to at-
tend church morninj' and evening;. In the morniu'i; all are
expected to attend the French Protestant church, with the
exce[)tion of the young boys who go to Hope church, the
distance being too great lor these to attend the Ibrmer. In
the evening the young men are free to go to an evangelical
church of their choice, their names being given to the j)astor
of such church.

F^very Sabbath afternoon we have the regular College
chapel service. It is led by the professors and senior stu-
dents in turn. A topic is chosen in advance and after a
brief address by the leader, the meeting is thrown open to
all for addresses and prayers. As a rule every minute of
the hour is well employed. The object of this service is
to get close to the heart of the boys and young men and
lead the unconverted to accept Christ and profess his name.
Sometimes the service takes the form of a Bible reading on
some practical subject, or again the president or one of the
professors gives a more extended address on topics bearing

n\ i

the
In

nastor

[f stu-

It'ter a

ten to

ite of

'ice is

n and

panic.

hg on

)f the

taring

Our Mi(/,<i)ls nf Warfai't'. 195

(liivcilv upon the life-work which many of our youn;^ men
have in view.

The c()ih'<::e ^Miinfr lion's Christian Association, organi-
zed hist winter, has a weekly prayer-meeting on Thursday
afternoon. Tlu^se meetings though not largely attended,
have done much good. As Viuirs goon and as our numbers
increase, they will increast' in ellieit'iicy.

Last fall a missiomiry society was organized with the view
of infusing a missionary spirit among our young men. Once
a month a collection was takt;n up and in the spring $')()
was j)aid out for different benevolent purposes, not a very
large sum to be sure, yet the raising of it involved sacrificjs
and these sacritices are worth a great deal in the formation
of a Christian, benevolent character.

It is (Hir purj)osi! to engage in missioiuiry work during
the college session as opi)ortunity offers. Some of the
young men may go out into the city or adjoining towns on
Saturday or Sunday to hold meetings, distribute Cliristian
literature and in other ways carry the gospel of Jesus
Christ U) the thousands of French Canadians who are drift-
ing itito carelessness an<l infidelity.

"With such influences as these, surrounding our students,
it can be easily understood how much good can be effected.
Let three or four hundred young ])coj)le, taken from among
the French Canadian masses, be educated on these lines
and they will act as a leavenin<r influence on the entire
population.

AVe cannot insist too strongly on this phase of missionary
work, believing as we do, that it is the most speedy, econ-
omical and effective method to use to bring this population
into harmony with the Christian civilization we are anxious
to develop in this country.

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19G

Heritage Your.

SECTION IV. ITS PRESENT STATUS.

A college is not built iu a day. Some of the difficulties
which we had to encounter have been alluded to. Our
hopes and expectations for the future become bright in view
of the fact that we have been able to remove so many of
the prejudices which acted as strong barriers against us, and
we have won the confidence and cu-operation of the church-
es and of a goodly number of educated laymen.

This was the first desideratum. No enterprise can hope
to succeed as long as public opinion is against it. The press,
secular and religious, comments frequently and favorably on
this educational enterprise, so does the pulpit. TJjus two
of the most powerful agencies of our modern society are our
friends and supporters henceforth. This implies a great
victory.

The French Protestant College is only beginning its work.
As a college it has done two year* m' wo)'' as well as it
could do it, with the tools it had at its ■' sposaiand the ma-
terial it had to mould into shape. Of the fifty students it
gave instruction to last session, only four were classed as
regular undergraduates, two being Freshmen and two So-
phomores. In view of the fact that these young men, at
any rate three of them, began their studies later in life than
they would have desired, we will find it impossible to over-
take all the work prescribed in our curriculum, and which
we will exact of the classes which ai'e to follow.

So far we have graduated no students and will have no
graduating class for two years. It is our purpose to send
out men well equipped, well trained, and especially do we
aim at the development of strong characters.

The world asks for men to-day, iu every sphere of activ-
ity, and in no field of labor are strong men more needed

It* .r:

Our Methods of Warfare.

197

than among the million of French Canadians of this great
republic.

Tiireo years ago we left Lowell to come to Springfield.
"We had not a cent in our treasury, and our assets were a
few broken chairs and second-handed school desks. Nobody
knew when we took our departure, nobody bid us farewell.

A warm reception however awaited us here. A friend
who does not wish us to mention his name, gave us a S 1000
lot and on this parcel ot land we rested our weary feet,
rested our weary head and aching heart.

About two months later we turned the first sod, sought
God's blessing upon the work and begun with fresh vigor
with a new enthusiasm, the work in which our life is wrap-
ped up.

At the moment we write, we hn^-c a property worth

8 25,000 practically in our hands. It embraces about* two
acres of land, situated in one of the most desirable pares of
our city. We have two Ijuildings, a wooden iMiilding
once used as the City Hospital, now devoted to the b(>ys,
and the Owen Street Hall, which acts for the present as
dormitory, recitation hall, chapel and ])rinting house.
The garret is our printing room just now and the cellar our
laboratory.

Adjoining our college property is a lot about as large as
that owned by the college, which two friends have pur-
chased and hold for the institution. A good house has been
built on this property and is now occupied by the president.
It is hoped that this house and land will be transfered to
the college ere long.

The expense for the year 1890-91 was about Sl0,500.
This includes the salaries of four professors and four assis-
tants, the household expenses for a family of about fifty,
and in fine all the expenditure of the year. We have no

m i

108 Your Ev.ritarje.

endowment, save two scholarships, one which yields 890
and another S25. This money is used to aid needy stu-
dents. We live from day to day, from year to year on
faith ; we plan humbly and modestly, trusting that God
will send us the means needed to carry out our restricted
programme.

We have about 65000 paid or pledged toward a building
for a young women's department. We have a Ihie build-
ing lot on which to build, but we do not intend to begin
operations until we have $20,000 securely pledged.

Last year we gave instruction in the preparatory and
college departments to 72 boys and young men, to some of
these for a short time only, but to the majority for the col-
lego year. About 105 sought admission, without speaking
of the young women who are waiting to come in.

SECTION V. ITS IJUOADEK AIMS.

As we look a little into the future, we can see a wider
and more comprehensive held of usefulness than it is now
advisible for us to speak of in detail.

The young women's department we have already alluded
to. We attach much importance to it and we eagerly
await the day when it will be in our power to throw open
our doors and say to those many bright, dark-eyed, intelli-
gent and often beautiful French girls, who are wasting
their young womanhood in the factories : "Enter our por-
tals, breathe the Christian atmosphere of this institution of
learning, erected by God's people, so that new, higher and
nobler views of life may be set before you, that you may
discover what possibilities lie buried in your young hearts
and brains, that you may make the best of your lives."

Our whole manhood is stirred within us, and it seems to
us that had we ten lives we would gladly sjiond them in the

Our 3Iethods of Warfare. VJO

endeavor to secure for these girls, the advantages they
would so highly prize if once they understood them.

This young women's department will open to our young
French Canadian girls a new field for their activity.

We are preparing young men, we are giving thcni a
broad, liberal education, we are striving to educate the
whole man. Some of them will be pastors and teachers.
They will marry and become heads of families.. Now
will their usefulness in life be destroyed, as has so often
bCvin the case, by ill-assorted marriages? Their wives should
be wise, Christian, educated French Canadian young avo-
men, college graduates. Where can they find them? It is
our heaven-imposed mission to train them.

The field we are working in and which the missionaries
of the cross or the agents of Satan must soon occupy, requi
res a large force of consecrated women to act as Bible-read-
ers, messengers of truth in thousands of French homes of
the United States, of Canada and of BVance for that matter.
It is the mission of our college to prepare such, to make
them familiar with botli French and English.

To this department there will come intelligent young
women, who may not be able, tor want of preliminary
training, to take a college course. To these we may give
a good elementary education and give them a course of ins-
truction in general house-keeping, cooking, sewing and the
rest, and thus make of them practical, useful women. The
half of the divorces wiiich disgrace this land are due to the
fact that the girls who marry, do not know the elements of
house-keeping. Quarrels arise over the sour bread and
other indigestible food, over the untidy house, and sepa-
ration follows.

We are asking ourselves the question whether we could
not educate a class of girls in such a way as to show them

't! ?!

200

Your Beritage.

the superiority of domestic work over factory service, and
make them content to do house work in Christian homes
where they would be treated in a Christian manner.

We are not sure if this project can be accomplished, but
the advantages to be derived from it, both to th«. girls and
to the patrons, would justify us in attempting the experi-
ment.

Hundreds of pure maidens lose their womanhood in our
great cities, through ignorance and because they are thrown
upon a wicked world with no one to advise them. It were
a hundred fold better for them to be in good homes, than
in the boarding house. We do not think we are idle dream-
ers when we say that we have a great work to do in this
direction, by adapting our educational work to the needs of
the population we are called upon to educate and save for
God and the country.

In answer to many inquiries, we would say that in all
probability arrangements will be made for a French sum-
mer school, especially for those who desire to study in view
of work among the French.

The college may also have a department to which Ame-
rican girls could come to acquire a practical knowledge of
the French language and its rich literature. The faith
of many a young American girl has been destroyed in the
Romish convents of Canada and the United States. There
should be no excuse for sending young wonicn to these Ro-
mish institutions, erected very largely for proselytizing pur-
poses.

We throw out these hints, which will sullice to indicate
some of the additional features of the work upon which we
may be called to enter in days to come.

Our Methods of Warfare.

201

SECTION VI. — ITS PRESSING NEEDS.

me-

IQ of

■iiith

the

lere

Ro-

pur-

As is the case with all young institutions, the needs of the
French Protestant College are many. It is not expected
that these can be met at once. The Board of trustees are
prepared to wait patiently for the realization of their larger
plans.

It is a word on our pressing needs, which we feel cons-
trained to speak in closing this our plea for the evangeliza-
tion of the French speaking population of this great repu-
blic.

It is with gratitude to God that we say that we are now
at a standstill in this educational work. By this we mean
that the growth of the college has been so rapid these last
three years, that it is impossible for us to give admission
to more than sixty students, while one hundred and five
made application last year. This number would at once be
doubled if it could be announced that young women are ad-
mitted.

We consider it our duty to call tlieattentionof the Christ-
ian people of New England and of this country to this state
of things. Here is a large and ever increasing population
which the French priests are endeavoring to keep in the old
ruts. They leave no stone unturned to perpetuate among
them, the customs, manners, superstitions, national and re-
ligious prejudices which they bring with them from the
province of Quebec. The public schools reach but a com-
paratively small number. The vast majority are being
fashioned in the old ultramontane mould, in the French
Catholic parochial school.

Now for reasons which need not be repeated, the French
Protestant College, an American iustitution which offers a
Ohristian education to French Canadijin young people, sue-

202

Your Heritar/e.

ceeds in attracting, without special effort, twice as many as
it can receive. May we not be permitted to ask, how long
it will be our painful duty to say to these young people who
knock at our door, not only for intellectual but also for spi-
ritual f'jod : "We can do nothing for you. We know that
you have minds and hearts capable of the fullest develop-
ment. Properly educated, you would become a source of
strength to this nation ; but our rooms are all full. Run
you^ cl': • stay out in the cold night of Romish supers-

tion, ^.'i . n your case, will end in the darker night of
irreligion, iniidelity and all the evils they lead to."

As V - *\rite ti *^ ■' lines under the eye of God, we cannot
but feel oppressed. TJa New England sky is not the clear,
pure and broad expanse under the protection of which the
Pilgrims and Puritans dwelt at peace. Dark and porten-
tious clouds overhang it. They may break upon us as hur-
ricans and cyclones. It is none too soon for you, lovers of
native land, to build up the new instittuions imperatively
needed to protect the old ones and give them stability.

What then should the Christian public, nay patriotic citi-
zens who make no profession of religion, do at once for this
young college ?

1st. Place in the hands of the trustees 613,000 for the
current year. In addition to this, the sum of $1000 is
needed for the Scientific department in which work is to
begin this fall.

2nd. A new dining-room and kitchen are required.

3rd. The erection of a suitable budding for young women
should not be delayed any longer. We are losing precious
time. The sum of $5000 is already secured, but some
$15,000 or $20,000 more is needed.

4th. A recitation hall, with chapel is urgently needed.

Uf ■

'■£>■

Our Mtthods of Warfare.

203

We have no wnnn largo enough for our religious exercises,
or public gatherings.

With these buildings we would be able to receive some
two hundred students und could do efficient work for some
years to come.

It need scarcely be said that an endowment fund is also
a pressing necessity. It is not easy to plan with nothing
whatever to depend upon. Nor is it easy to find many
Avell equipped teachers, willing to nuike engagements on
mere faith.

AVe feel confident that all these needs will be fully met in
the near future. The hand of God has been so visible in
the brief history of this College, that there is no room left
for doubt. What we believed at the outset, when well nigh
all were doubters, we are now more than ever convinced
of, namely that this enterprise is of God and must triumph
over all difficulties.

CONCLUSION.

In closing this little book we say out of an honest heart
we trust : Go, do thy humble work. Carry the message
where good it will do. Ifsome needed information be given
that will arrest attention, create sympathy on behalf of a
religious and intelligent people, which a cruel sacerdotal
caste has oppressed for more than three centuries, a sympa-
thy that will lead men and women to adopt wise and pru-
dent means for their emancipation and salvation, the writer
will say out of a thankful heart :

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us but unto thy name
give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake"

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