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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmis d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est fiimd d partir de Tangle supirieur gauche, de gauche d droito, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I ¥?)^^3- A LETTEE ON THE Diracefiil Riot Ib lie Catliolic Cliircl ii Prescotl, ?, I ON SUNDAY, Sept, 8th 1867. - WITH 1 REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC CMEER ^ fl i- OF THE KEY. E. P. ROCHE, P. P. OF PRBSKOTT, $ BY J. GRAY, Student at Law, Prescott, Ontario. >-^'^ / r OGDENSBUllGH, N. Y. ^ 1867 .-^ ■i}J^=^ — ^^^5^3=^ — ^^^^f^;^^ — ^=^^^2:^ /^ /j'l. r^(>^n69 'i^'\ ■i^BI^Pt- rwifflft^fl ■f?';-'.'M The EDITH and LORNE PIERCE COLLECTION ^/CANADIANA ^ccns University at Kingston \ X I, ( I A LETTER //^/ yi ON THE DispceM Eiot ii the Catlolic Gliir cl ii Prescott, ON I T SUNDAY, Sept, 8th 1867. WITH A REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC UMBER OF THE REY. E. P. ftOGHE, P. P. OF PMSKOTT, BY J. GRAY, Student at Law, Prescott, Ontario. -> ♦ < - OGDENSBURGH, N. Y. 1867 WiV- • IT ;■ ' * ^4 J> OODENSBURGH, N.Y., Oct. Itt, 1867. SuxDAT, the eight day of September, 1867, will long be remem- bered by the inhabitants of Prescott, and especially the Catholics of this town, as one on which one of the most disgraceful, scandal- ous, may we add sacrilegious, riots, wluch ever desecrated the house of God, occured in the lloman Catholic Church in Prescott. We purpose herein to review the cause of so unusual an occurrence we purpose to give an expos^ of the reasons which influenced the* congregation ; we purpose to narrate without fear, favour or malice, the wrongs of the Catholics of this Mission, and explain the almost universal, yet just indignation, of the Catholics of Prescott against their pastor. In so doing we assure our readers in advance, that we admit and respect the principle, that private character is something which every gentleman should consider sacred, and especially one who is the de- positary of man's imperfections \ When a man, however, assumes a public position, his acts are liable to enlightened public criticism ; but defamation of private character is always the criterion of a blackguard and a coward. In our personal references we will confine ourselves to the public acts and dictions of him whom we consider as immediately respon- sible for the lamentable scene which we will attempt to portray. Possibly in so doing we may, figuratively speaking, be obliged to place the culprit in the Triangles. We may be forced to let the Cats des- cend on his blistering back ; we may deem it judicious to order a ahower bath to cool and subject his torrid cranium ; we may prescribe a dark cell wherein to compose his wandering and excited imagi- nation wherein by calm reflection and free from public indignation he may feel the odour of his nasty public dictions, and cry out in the sincerity of a truly contrite heMt, "peccavi, peccavi, miserere me Do- mine ;" but once more we reiterate our assurance that we write with no sentiments of hatred or ill will, but with feelings of deep sympa- thy and condolence ; we write in obedience to public opinion which demands such an exposition of this defamer of private character ; we write and strike only on the defensive, and whilst we have a free press we will not hesitate to wield our quill in defence of public good and private character. And we feel assured in this instance by bringing Father Roche before the bar of public opinion, by exposing his public career to the gaze of an indignant public, we will teach a salutary lesson to others of his stamp, and convince the venerable Bishop of this Diocese that Prescott has too long been saddled with a Pastor most objectionable to his hearers and whose usefulness has long since ceased ; who has called the most exemplary of our ladies sluts and swine ; who has assailed the most honorable of our fellow townsmen with Five Point ephithets, and dubbed infant babes as hratSy within the sacred precincts of the house of God, by one who has attacked nearly every Catholic Family in Prescott and o vO vn -i ^ ^ ^ :t / 4*'.. X I \ its environs, and wlio ever forgotfiil of tho noble injunction of the lloman Uard, ''Nil nisi bonuin de Mortals." has assailed tlio dead bones of our venerable departed and held thorn up to tbo scorn of an indignant congregation in the presence of weeping frioiuls and re- lation?; and on one occasion in ] articular, assuming the very attributes of the Divinity, bo told one of the most exemplary Catholic families in Canada that the soul of their dead brother was bin-ning in Purgatory for their sins. "Judge not lest ye be judged," will bo the only comment we will make on so unparalled an utterance. To our many Catholic frionds wo would say, that no person could entertain more respect for the sacred dignity of a Priest, no j)erson be more sensible of the reverence due to one than the writer; but this respect, this reverence, should never dwindle into a superstitious awe for the indi- vidual who so far forgets his sacred vocation, as to violate everything tiiat is dignified in chivalrous humanity, as to outrage every fine sen- timent of the human breast, and crucify as it were the most delicate passions and affections of the human heart, and we remind our readers that " from him to whom much is given much shall be required,"'and consequently the more sacred the character the more sacred should be the example ; and when the latter becomes revolting the more re.s- })onsible must be the culprit. Judas Iscariot was one of the ch o.sen of Christ, yet the Saviour of mankind told him it wore better for liiin he were never born ! ! To enter on our task. Father Roche has now officiated as P. P. in Prescott some twenty-three years; he has presided over one of the most wealthy, intelligent and respectable congregations in Upper Canada, who not only supplied all his pecuniary necessities, but bestowed on him large sums of money, which he has invested in mortgages and other securities in the Province. lie is a curly head, good look- ing, dressy, dashy individual ; sports a black thorn, seldom or never wears his sutan in public, and patronizes horse races, theatres, cir- cuses, nigger shows, &c. A stranger would take him more for a Jockey than a Clergyman ; as a scholar he is very superficial, lie is well adapted to play the i>art of a demagogue among an extreme ignorant communitij ; but intelligence easily penetrates his shallow- ness ; his sermons are very high falutin and windy, contains very little substance, and after an effort of three-quarters of an hour, seven- eights of his hearers would know very little of what he had been talking about. With this brief sketch of the notorious individual in question, we will now come to the immediate subject of our letter. We accuse Father Roche of having attacked or insulted almost every Catholic family in Prescott. We accuse him of having assailed the dead bones of our venerable departed, and we will now lance the ulcer of his public career and place its disgusting core before an indignant public gaze ; we will rehearse some of his base attacks on private character, which will explain, justify and account for the al- most universal abhorence in which he is held by his hearers, and show why, after so long a career, which should have endeared him to his \ \ 5 cir- 'congrogation, a rospoctful though firm demand is about being niavle for his ronioviil. The Moi'i\u3, tlie Swocnoys, iho Carbcrys, tho Whites, the Moonoys, the Murphys, tho MoCreas, tho lUicklys, tho McGannons, tho Scotts, the Messrs. Savage, Kavanagh, Koilty, (^'Sullivan, Cowan, McGruory Dissett, Portri'i, and many young hidios whose names we forbear to vnont on ; Tather McKay, tlie vcni'rable sisters of Notre Datno at Ogdeusburg, tlio Hon. John S. MeDoiiahi, among Catliolies are some of tho families and persons whom ho has more or less shame- fully aliusod in his Church from tho altir, platform or the pulpit. During tho hours of divino sorvieo ho has stigmatizo 1 his congrega- tion in the proscnco of strangers as a fdthy set; within tho same sa- cred precincts he has called two pf the most exemplary young ladies in Hrescott DIUTY sluts, another a filthy swink ! Would you not be justitiod, Mr. T. 'I'racy, if you have a tpark of noble feeling in your breast, if you have :i courageous soul hositate no longei to horsewhip in the pul)lic streets the base defamor of your esteemed sisters, cr retain Mr. Fraser or Richards to bring him before a judge and jury where his deserts may be meeted out to him. Mr. .1. Buekly will you hesitate any longer to apply a green beach to the back of the man who caluinni. ted your venerable father whilst living and cast reflec- tions on his cherished memory when doad? Let no vaguo terrors deter cither of you from a task which filial aifeetion must stimulate you to perforin ! Mr. Moran, vour sister, mother, brother 'ive been shame- fully viUfitd ivh'ilst living, one cf them judged og Father Roche whilst dead ; what course will you purs "o ? To many other families wo might likewise appeal ; the fond mother whose in/a it babe he branded as brat in the church, we mi<;ht invoke to castigate the slan- derer of her offspring ; of Father McKaij, w horn he called a miserable mendicant, we might ask to demand ai\ apology. To the venerable sisters of Notre Dame we might sugg' jt their right and duty to de- mand a retraction of the slanders poured out against them : but the public is cognizant of these and many other outrages of which Father lloche has been guilty, and we stay here for the present and come to the more immediate subject of our letter — th^ riot in the church — remarking, en 2)assard, that during the long career of defamation of private character which the Catholics of Prescott submitted to from Father lloche, they endeavored by all possible means to cul- tivate friendly relations with him and often gratified many of his whims much against their inclinations. During the late elections, certainly through no personal motives, but through sincere political convictions, the Catholics of Prescott allied themselves with the reform party. We say without personal motives, for no more estimable gentlemen than tho conservative can- candidates, Messrs. Shanly & Clarke, could be found. This alliance caused Father Roche's ire and he endeavored by violent harangues in his church to induce his congregation to renounce the principles they ospoused. His hearers became gradually more and more disgusted .wlaaMdMllMiiMi ii^thiii.ii I'M^ 6 \rith his conduct and especially recognized the insincerity of his asser- tions " that the interest of the Catholics of this section were more secure in the hands of Macneil Clarke than in those of his estimable Catholic opponent John McCarthy." The Sunday previous to the riot Father Itoche threatened his hearers with an electioneer harangue in favour of Messrs. Shanly and Clarke, when the great majority of them stood up and walked out of the church. At the nomination he, in our opinion, almost originated a riot, and we trust the scathing repartie of Mr. C. F. Frascr, that leading and sound exponent of Catholic opinion will prove useful to his reverence. During the entire election Father Roche might be seen forgetful of his Sacred character, descending into the political cock pit, making an electioneer drummer of himself, driving from one end of the riding to the other, imploring his co-religionists for God sake to vote for Messrs. Shanly and Clarke ! On the Sunday in question tne people hoped that, as his arabitioii was realized, his appetite for personal abuse would be satiated. But ere divine service was over, shielding himself under the protection of his vestments, he poured out a volley of abuse at the congregation in general, and then veered around to his disgusting personalities. The writer hereof was the first victim aimed at, and whilst the foolish diatribes of abuse were confi- ned to himself he treated them with silent contempt. Irritated possibly at the indifference of the writer to his foolish remarks, he began to tresspass on more dangerous grounds ; he began to hold up the dying renjains of the writer's aiflicted brother for the scorn of his hearers, outraging every generous impulse of his weeping mother, breaking the very spring of everything that was dear and beloved in Jier breast ; agonizing every cord in her heart by so mean, so despi- cable, so cowardly an allusion to her dying son. The writer's brother . was a young gentleman who had completed his collegiate course ; he was universally esteemed bj all his acquaintances and respected for his talents and character ; he entered the Jesuit novitiate, prepara- tory to making a profession of a religious life, when, by an accident which dislocated his spine, he was forever prostrated both physically and mentally, and he was placed in the Provincial Asylum for treat- ment under the fostering care of Dr. Workman. It was this dying remnant of afflicted mortality with whom there was so general a sympathy that Father Roche was beastily enough to allude to, when the writer advanced up the aisle of the church and respectfully re- marked, "Father Roche I must protest against so vile an attack on *' mjr dear, dying brother; attack me if you can, but if you dare asperse *' his memory I shall vindicate his character." Enraged at this request Father Roche shouted " put the boy out." Put me out ! rejoined the writer, there is not one in the church who would do so. I res- pect your sacred diguity as a Priest and the sacred place we are in, but you force me to appeal to this congregation to say whether you have not scandalized them by your conduct and disgraced the posi- tion you should honour. You have insulted and abused nearly every Catholic family in Prescott, and I appeal to this congregation to shew asscr- more imable to the angue ity of nation jathing ponent During of his £ing an riding to vote juestion tito for as over, poured 1 veered the first re confi- Irritated arks, he hold up orn of his ; mother, )eloved in 30 despi- 's brother ourse ; he ected for prepara- i accident physically 1 for treat- this dying general a e to, when ctfuUy re- attack on iare asperse this request t! rejoined so. I res- } we are in, hether you [d the posi- icarly every tion to shew their universal abhorence for your career in Prescott by standing up and leaving the church. Father Roche in a tremulous voice conti« nued — "is there a man to pot him out ? " Not one ! Is there a soldier to put him out ? There was too much chivalry in their hearts to obey the coward's appeal. Lt. Donnevan said he would have marched the troops out had he been present. An old simple man now approached the writer, when a general uprising of the congregation surrounded him. Great excitement began to bo ma- nifested. Some one thousand men, women and children, were faint- ing, weeping, screaming and jumping out of the windows ; one wo- man exclaimed, "let us leave the church and let Father Kochc talk to the four walls." Father Roche, like the Ishmalite, had am HANDS KAI8ED AGAINST EVERY MAN AND EVERY MAN's HAND WAS RAI- SED AGAINST HIM ! " The tyrant now Trusts not to man ; nightly within his chamber The Blood Houruls guard his couch, the only friends. He now dare trust." He assured his hearers that he was ca!m and composed ; the igno- miny of his position, no doubt, began to make him sensible of the disgust in which he was held. J^ot a friend, not an assistant to obey his orders f except old Martin Band his hired man, whom he almost pounded to death last winter. The latter, we believe, drew the blood of one of the congregation, when he was collared by some of the crowd and pitched out of the church. For thi;* sacrilege we leave the public to judge who is re'jponsible ; one thousand witnesses will endorse the strict accuracy of our statements ! 1 It beggars all description to portray a large congregation d4{ij)^he sacred hours of Divine service in so irresistible a jX)3ition, but from recitals above made an impartial public will conclude that this was a time when patience cease to be a virtue, when indignation against a monstrous career could not be restrained, and the writer, as well as the con- gregation, cannot in reality be responsible for any imperfections in their conduct, as the cup of their indignation was over-flown, and the natural was the law which governed their action. The writer, ac- companied by his mother, quietly left the church when Father Roche hypocritically remarked, "oh how I sympathize with that boy's mother's feelings !'' The congregation left the church ; Prescott was scandalized by Father Roche's conduct ; groups of people were seen all day in the street discussing the event. In justification of our conduct we may state that we have been personally waited on by almost every Catholic in Prescott and received an expression of thanks and approbation for the course we adopted. In conclusion we beg to remind Father Roche th{tt he is the last man who should make an unfavorable allusion to any person's bro- ther. The dying scenes in a New Orleans of a certain indi- vidual ought to make him very cautious and delicate on such a sub- ject. (We do not allude to the elder brother of F. R. kikown in Tipperary as "Ti^er Boehe.'') f 8 In juatice to ourselves we must add a few remarks to this letter. Father Itoche speaks a good deal about the writer's had English, and disturbed intellec't. If we remoniher riglitly Father Roclie was told some twelve years ago, through thecolumus of the press, by an M. P. P., that a hemp jacket was his best protector; and that his pro- ductions were not worthy of an inftnt in his teens. In our o|)inion h(j always makes a blunderbus of himself when ho appears in the press, and any urchin at Karabie's school liousc might laugh at his coni)»03ition. We thirk both he and the public will understa'id our English in this letter, bad as it may appear ; and the public we tliink will award us a sounder intellect than that of our traducer. As regards the assertions in the Argus, — that a plan was formed to get up a riot in the church on the Sunday in question, that the writer ever attacked Father b'ocho in the press or the streets, that the writer's brother was not alludeii to on the tfunday in question, that the writer was expelled from the church on refusing to leave, — we brand the writtr in the Argus as a liar, a sneak and a coward. We challenge him if he dare to come forth and unmask himself, wo brand each and every of his assertions as a wilfu' lie, and can only think ihey we circulated in order to try and allay the indignation against Father Roche wl ich is spreading on all sides. This edition of the Argus was not circulated in I'rescott where its false contents were known. As regards the references of the Argus to Father Roche's IdyuUy: to the knowledge of the writer he coarsely abused at one time the boys on his altar for stopjung from school to go to the procession on Her Majesty's birth day, and forbad them to do so ; and when all the British Enii)ire was weeping at the untimely ieath of the lamented Prince Consort, he held him up before his congre- getion as a monster who was judged before his God ! ! When the cabbage garden rrbel, Smith O'Brien, came to Prescott, he gave him a public reception, and if we mistake not kissed his hand and said he honoured hiir. for the love he bore to his country. We trust in the future, during Father Roche's stay among us, no decent lady or gentlemi.n who reveres loyalty ! the sacredness of private character ! will be seen walking on the same side of the street with hitn. Let him continue to sneak through the back streets and only show him- self like the owls when the dei>d of night may shield him from public recognition, ami may he ! Pious Anchorite, always continue to have Baltimore bivalors and salt water salmon to help him through the penetential fast days. We have orily fired a little pepper and salt in this letter, No. 1. We hope we will not be obliged to appear again, for then wo will be forced to discharge our grape and eannis- ter. With the exception of an Ottawa correspondence, it is our first appearauce in press. We have only now appeared at the most pressing solicitations of many friends and we think we have only discharged a public duty in so doing. In conclusion we will rehearse to the liev. Father Roche what my Lord Bishop Farrell had ooca- sion to tell him, "Go, sir, and learn how to behave yourself." JOHN GRAY. "-'^ItHiiiinfciflMiiWBTIII tiji letter. ngVish, he was an M. 13 pro- jpiniou in the at hi* orsta'id blic we ucer. , ronneil hat the ts, that luestion;, o leave, coward . nself, wo :a.n only lio-nation 13 edition contents Father abuse d at go to the do so ; lely leatU 5 congre- A'hen the ? gave him and said e trust in 3nt lady or character I him. Let show him- from public me to have irough the ir and salt to appear and cannis- ;, it is our at the most have only .vill rehearse 1 had occa- rself." [ GRAY.