C. CHINIQUY
It was eleven o’clock at night, when I consented to sign this document, which was to be handed to the bishop and have any value, only on the above conditions. The two deputies were besides themselves with joy, at the success of their mission, and at my readiness to sacrifice myself for the sake of peace. Mons. Desaulnier said:
“Now we see, evidently, that Chiniquy has been right with his people from the beginning, that he never meant to create a schism and to put himself at the head of a rebellious party, to defy the authority of the church. If the bishop does not want to live in peace with the people and pastor of St. Anne, after such a sacrifice, we will tell him that it is not Chiniquy, but Bishop O’Regan, who wants a schism—we will appeal to the Pope—I will go with Chiniquy, and we will easily get, there, the removal of that Bishop from the diocese of Chicago.”
Mr. Brassard confirmed that sentence, and added that he, also, would accompany me to Rome to be the witness of my innocence and the bad conduct of the bishop. He added that it would not take him a week to raise twice the amount of money in Montreal, we would require to go to Rome.
After thanking them for what they had done and said, I asked Mr. Desaulnier if he would be brave enough to repeat before my whole people what he had just said before me and Mr. Brassard, in the presence of God.
“Surely, I would be most happy to repeat before your whole people, that it is impossible to find fault with you in what you have done till now. But you know very well, I will never have such an opportunity, for it is now 11 o’clock at night, your people are soundly sleeping, and I must start to-morrow morning, at six o’clock, to take the Chicago train at Kankakee at 8 A. M.
I answered: “All right!”
We knelt together to make a short prayer, and I led them to their rooms, wishing them refreshing sleep, after the hard work of the day.
Ten minutes later I was in the village, knocking at the doors of six of my most respectable parishioners, and telling them:
“Please do not lose a moment, go with your fastest horse to such and such a part of the colony; knock at every door and tell the people to be at the church at 5 o’clock in the morning to hear with their own ears what the deputies from Canada have to say about past struggles with the Bishop of Chicago. Tell them to be punctual at 5 o’clock in their pews, where the deputies will address them words which they must hear at any cost.”