until, by the time we reached the Council Chamber, we must have passed some two hundred of them. I was at once admitted to the Council Chamber where Riel was sitting at the head of the table round which were a dozen wild-looking fellows. Among them were Père Richot and Mr. Le May from Pembina. Riel rose, and coming down to where I was, shook hands with me and asked me my business. I said I was Dr. Tupper, an independent member of the House of Commons, and that I had come to take my daughter back home, but as his men had taken Captain Cameron's horses, wagons and baggage, I had come to ask him to allow me to obtain them. His reply was: "You must have seen Captain Cameron's servant on the road between here and St. Norbert, as I sent him with one of my constables to bring the man here who has the horses and wagon." "I have never seen Captain Cameron's servant, and would not know him if I met him," was my reply. Riel then said, "If you will return with the man who brought you here, and remain at his house until 4 o'clock to-morrow, I will undertake that all the things belonging to your daughter shall be there." 'You are very kind, but as I am here, would it not be well for me to go into the town and see the person who has these things in his possession?" I asked. "No," said Riel; "I think I can manage this matter better than you, and I only undertake to do so on the condition stated.” I could only reply: "I dare say you are quite right, and I will accept your kind proposal." We shook hands again, and I left the fort and returned to St. Norbert. When we reached there about midnight, I asked my driver how far it was to Antoine Gonslan's, in whose possession the horses were, and finding it was under two miles, told him to drive me there. He did so, roused up Gonslan, and told him that I had been to see Riel, and the result of the interview. Gonslan turned out the horses, harnessed them in the wagon, and put in the horse clothing, and I got into the wagon and we drove back to Biste's. As they had only one room in the house, they made me a bed on the floor. I was very comfortable, and in the morning found I had slept on a hair mattress which I had given to my daughter in Halifax. I remained the day, December 29th, at Biste's, as I had promised Riel. At 5 p.m. two sleds drove up to the door with half a ton of my daughter's trunks. Nothing had been taken from them. Immediately afterwards Père Richot arrived and invited me to spend the night at the glebe house. I thanked him and said, "I hope, Father Richot, you do not suppose I was foolish enough to take the risk of coming here to get these trifles. My object is to see you, and as you cannot speak English nor I French, well enough for so serious a purpose, I propose we should go to the nunnery and get one of the young ladies I saw last night to interpret for us and discuss this important question fully." Sister Macdougall acted as our interpreter. I told Father Richot that it was impossible for the rebels to succeed in holding the country against Canada, and if they avoided shedding any blood they would obtain everything they could desire by negotiation, and the leaders who accomplished that result would be entitled to great consideration. Père Richot replied that Canada could never conquer the half-breeds; the country was so vast, they could retire, and sustain themselves by hunting, and, as a last resort, they could join the United States and become a State in the Union. I replied that the United States would not give them the slightest aid, as it would involve them in a war with England which, as matters then stood, meant the independence of the Southern States, which the North had made such enormous sacrifices to prevent. He seemed much impressed, but said that there was one man who must die! naming him, and saying that that man had offered a half-breed one hundred dollars to shoot him (Father Richot), but that when he drew a bead upon him through a pane of glass God paralysed his arms and the rifle fell down. I said, "If that could be proved the man would be severely punished, but that the shedding of one drop of blood by the insurgents would ruin all, and would be murder." After two hours' discussion we went to Père Richot's house, where, at 10.30, Riel and Mr. Le May, of Pembina, came and spent the night. I avoided anything but general conversation with them. Père Richot, at my request, found me a half-breed, Solomon Vine, who contracted to take us all to Fort Abercrombie. I wished to bind him to start in two days. He said, "I cannot do that as I turned out my horses on the prairie in October, and have not seen them since." On my asking, "How can you hope to find them?" he replied, "I expect to find them where the wild oats grow," as he did; and they were in fine condition. Père Richot gave me a pair of Indian moccasins, and I gave him Captain Cameron's tool-box and ammunition. Sisters Macdougall and Riel sang in Cree for me. They were both highly accomplished ladies, although the mother in each case was a full-blooded Indian. Sister Riel went to Isle à la Crosse, a remote region in the NorthWest, where she devoted her life to teaching Indian children. Louis Riel was her brother. I corresponded with her up to the time of her death. When visiting Winnipeg I always called upon Sister Macdougall at St. Boniface, until her death. Mr. Le May, on the morning of the 29th, received an urgent message from his wife to get me to return to Pembina as soon as possible, as their daughter had been attacked in the same way as Miss Cavalier. We left for Pembina at one o'clock, and before we reached there on the 30th, Mr. Le May was fully converted to my views regarding the insurrection. He wrote me that he was in danger of being lynched at Pembina for advocating negotiations with the Canadian Government, as I had recommended. I prepared a memo. for Colonel de Salaberry, who was immediately allowed to go to Fort Garry, and Grand Vicar Thibeault, who had been practically a prisoner in his residence, was allowed his liberty. I wrote from Pembina to Sir J. A. Macdonald as follows: Pembina, MY DEAR SIR JOHN,-We reached here Christmas Eve, and on Sunday afternoon I started for Fort Garry. The sisters at St. Norbert, in the absence of Father Richot, sent a man in the confidence of the insurgents with me to Fort Garry, where I arrived at 8 p.m., and saw Mr. Riel in council. I informed him who I was, and that my object was to obtain my daughter's luggage, etc. He requested me to go back to St. Norbert, and assured me that I should receive everything there the next day. I spent the night at my driver's house, near Father Richot's, and the next day, in the evening of which Father Richot came and invited me to spend the night with him, which I did. We discussed the question in all its bearings, and I hope some good was effected. Father Thibeault was really a prisoner, having been escorted to the palace, and remaining there under observation. I advised that he and Colonel de Salaberry should be received and have an opportunity of communicating the views of the Government. At 10 p.m. Riel and Mr. Le May, a prominent adviser of the former, came to St. Norbert. I avoided any personal communication with Riel, but in the morning Father Richot informed me that they had decided to receive Colonel de Salaberry and Father Thibeault, and that the former could come forward. I have this moment returned to Pembina, and have but a moment to write this hurried line to you, as the post will close in a few minutes. |