A Catholic history of Alabama and the Floridas Volume 1

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...of Erin or of Spain among the Religious. The people of the Convent were mostly French or of French descent, but no word or act of O'Reilly's was ever found fault with within the Convent walls. The nuns were satisfied to do all in their power for the suffering. We may say here that no religious persecution of any kind was ever practised in Louisiana. All were free to come and go and worship God according to the dictates of conscience. The appointment of O'Reilly was but temporary. He was sent out to try the accused of the Supreme Council, acquit them, if innocent, and punish them if guilty. He fulfilled his commission, and made his king and his adopted country respected and beloved through out the Colony. And though he was not charged with the religious administration, it was well known that no abuse would be tolerated in O'Reilly's atmosphere. Dagobert is described as an easy, ignorant man, and less complimentary things are said of him. Easy, he probably was, but he was beloved in the Colony. His exquisite voice often led the congregation in singing God's praise. "The Pere will always be very glad to officiate," said one of the governors, "for singing is with him a passion. "And he sometimes recreated his friends at the entertainments which celebrated the marriages and christenings at which he officiated. Ignorant he was not, and none of his contemporaries seem to have charged him with ignorance. He wrote and spoke French and Spanish fluently, and had a good knowledge of Latin. He was known as a friend of O'Reilly's and that is surely in his favor. Count O'Reilly1 had fine social qualities and was distinguished as a letter-writer. Jean Bouligny who wrote a genealogy of the family, referring to their escutcheon, says: "The principal ...