USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Cahokia > Cahokia records, 1778-1790 > Part 60
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J. B. H. LaCroix.
1 Sec supra pp. 125, 213.
2 The great flood of 1785.
577
CONCERNING TRADE, OCTOBER, 1785
day, March 8, 1782.1 The said M. LaCroix has not been troubled up to the present in his trading; but now he is in a position very prejudicial to the public and to the petitioner and which tends to cause the citizens to perish from hunger, especially at a time of such great calamity as we find ourselves in at present.2
The alien merchants of Michillimackinac, gentlemen, are here and, far from contenting themselves with the asylum which we give them to sell their merchandise to the French, they are trading with the savages, who come to this village, for all the goods which the said savages bring and are taking from us in this way the means of making a living, since they overcharge us for these same commodities of trade at exorbitant prices; and to the detriment of the people they are making hords of the goods in order to transport them out of the place or to sell them at prices most burdensome to the public. Since these merchants have no right of trade in this village and since, if we have some goods to trade with the Indians, [this] advantage should belong to us and not to strangers; and since we suffer them here for convenience, after having been sent away from the Spanish bank, it is not just in us to permit these traders to carry off before our eyes what Providence offers us through the savages. But these traders are trading before our eyes and up to our very doors not only in merchandise but also in what is more pernicious, drink, and are favoring the savages at a time when one cannot be too careful. In order to avoid the evils which may result therefrom, I pray, gentlemen, that you have the goodness to continue me in my trading right and that all alien merchants for the future be for- bidden to participate therein in this village or to trade in anything with the savages who come here, on pain of a fine, such as it shall please you to fix, and of confiscation of that for which they shall have traded; and in return the petitioner offers to conform to the conditions of the decree of the Court of the said 8th of March, 1782, so that this branch of commerce be preserved for us in our village [and not pass] to aliens; and this is my conclusion. At Cahokia October 29, 1785. J. B. H. LaCroix.
In view of the decree rendered by the Court of the district March 8, 1782, by which the said Court granted the right of trade
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ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
Veu la Sentence Rendue par la Cour du district le 8. mars 1782 par laquelle ladite Cour a accordé la traite des sauvages aud' Sr jean Bte LaCroix lequel a toujours Exercé ladite traite Sans aucun Reproche ni plainte de personne cest pourquoy la Cour assemblée a decidé Et decide par la presente sentence que led' Sr LaCroix Sera continué dans ladite traite Exclusivement a tous autres pour le Bien public de ce poste Et Sera libre de traiter Laudevie aux sauvages a la reserve neantmoins Et Cas trés expressement reservé quil ne poura delivrer laudevie aux sauvages que lors quil partiront de ce de ce [sic] village de facon quil ne Boivent point aud' village Et quil nen resulte aucun domage Et Sera donné une personne de Confiance par la Cour pour veiller a ce que led' S' LaCroix ne leur donne point a boire Et jusques a ce que les sauvages soit Conduit avec leurs Boisson a une lieues hors de ce village. Et ledt Sr La Croix se Conformera a toutes les Conditions expliquées En la Sentence de permission du S. mars 1782 Envers le public def- fandons trés expressement a tous commerceants anglais Etrangers Residants depuis peû En ce poste qui nont point de Sermant de fidelité aux Etats la traite de Lau devie sous tel pretexte que ce soit a peine de Cent livres demande Et de plus grande peine En Cas de residive nenten . . [M/S. torn]. . Neantmoins desroger au Com- merce libre des marchands Etranger pour la traite Et de . . [MM/S. torn]. . des marchandises . . [M.S. torn] .. et la Cour se reserve En cas de prejudice au public de reformer la presente permission accordée aud' Sr LaCroix dont elle prendra Con- noissance En tems et lieux si les Cas La requiere Et le Con- tinuons dans son privilege jusqua Revocation expresse de Notre part deffendons a qui que ce soit de Le troubler, ni inquieter Et la Presente Sera lu publicé et affiché demain dimanche a la porte de cette Eglise a lissue de la messe dimanche donné par nous La Cour seant par MIT j Bte du Buque Charle ducharme fr. Courier. Et thom Bredy ce dernier na voulu signer Et les autres ont signé Et aprouvé par mr trotier com- mandant Le 29 Sbre 1785.
[Signed]
Ch DuCharme J B H LaCroix
B Dubuque marque de fr courie magistrat +
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CONCERNING TRADE, OCTOBER, 1785
with the savages to the said Jean Bte. LaCroix, who has always exercised the said right of trade without any reproach or complaint from any one, for which reason the Court in assembly has decided and does decide by the present decree that the said M. LaCroix shall be continued in the said trading privilege, exclusive of all others, for the public good of this post; and he shall be free to trade in liquor with the savages with this reservation and condi- tion, nevertheless, expressly reserved, namely that he can only deliver liquor to the savages when they shall set out from this village and so that they do not drink in the said village and there results no damage therefrom; and there shall be appointed by the Court a trustworthy person to see to it that the said M. LaCroix does not give them anything to drink and that the savages with their drink are conducted to the limits outside of the village. And the said LaCroix shall conform to all the conditions declared in the decree of permission March 8, 1782. In regard to the public, we forbid very expressly all English merchants, who are alien residents for a short time in this post and have not taken the oath of fidelity to the states, the trade in liquor under any pretext whatsoever on pain of one hundred livres fine and of greater punishment in case of repetition, not [intending], however, to detract from the free commerce of the alien traders for the trade and [Mss. torn] of merchandise [Mss. torn]. And the Court reserves to itself, in case of prejudice to the public, to change the present permission granted to the said M. LaCroix, of which it will take cognizance in time and place, if the case requires it; and we continue him in his privilege until express revocation on our part. We forbid any one whomsoever to trouble or disturb him. And the present shall be read, published and posted to- morrow, Sunday, on the door of this church at the close of mass. Given by us, the court in session, J. Bte. Dubuque, Charles DuCharme, Fr. Courier and Tom Brady; the last has not wished to sign and the others have signed; and it was approved by M. Trottier October 29, 1785.
[Signed] Ch. DuCharme. J. B. H. LaCroix.
B. Dubuque
Mark of Fr. Courier
Magistrate.
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Veu et aprouvée par moi major commandant
fr. trottier
a que Cette Condissionte Labuxiere greffier Le present Privilege Ennullé par la Sentence de ce jour sur les registres des audiences aux cahos le 12 9bre 1788
Labuxiere grefier
INHABITANTS OF CAHOKIA TO CONGRESS, JULY 15, 1786. Messieurs des Etats unis de L'amerique tenant Le Congré. Messieurs :
C'est avec la plus sensible peine que les habitants des cahos aux Ilinois se trouvent reduit a vous porter les justes plaintes et vous demander vôtre protection contre entreprises que Mr. Dor- sey pentacoste veut former sur terres aux cahos et les desposseder d'un Bien qui leu[r] apartient legitimement et dont ils sont en pocession eu[x] et leurs peres depuis prés dun Ciecle.
La prairie du pont a apartenu de tous tems aux habitants, tant pour la cultiver sil en avoit Besoin q[ue] pour servir de Com- muns a leurs Bestiaux sans laquelle il leur seroit impossible d'En Elever d'aucune espece.
Le Sr. Gibault curé desservant la cure des Caskakias a 20 lieues de notre village s'est arrogé le pouvoir secret d'ozer disposer de cette prairie En la Concedant a Mr Le Colonel Clark qui a revendû cette meme concession a Mr Pentecoste qui aujourdhuy veut s'en emparer et en deposseder les habi- tants
il n'a jamais êté au pouvoir d'aucun Eclesistique des ilinois de disposer du Bien des Sujets. les loix ni leur Etat ne leur ont jamais donné un pouvoir si arbitraire, Bien loin d'y avoir eû aucunme authorité ni droit, leur devoir a Eté restraint a dire la messe et a recevoir la retribution qui leur revenoit pour y cele- brer le service divin Et jamais les pretres de ces Endroits N'ont eû la permission ni le privilege de donner des concessions. ce privilege n'a anciennement apartenû qu'aux Commandants Et
1 Papers of the Old Congress, Ixviii., 37. Original manuscript.
? The concession was made by Father Gibault to Stephen Trigg, one of Clark's officers, on April 21, 1779, and transferred by the latter to Clark on May o of the same year. Both deeds were registered at Kaskaskia instead of at Cahokia .- Kas. Rec., Court Record. The
581
MEMORIAL, JULY, 1786
Seen and approved by me, Major Commandant,
Fr. Trottier
a que cette Condissionte [?]
Labuxiere, Clerk.
The present privilege annulled by the decree of this day entered on the registers of the audiences at Cahokia, November 12, 1788.
Labuxiere, Clerk.
INHABITANTS OF CAHOKIA TO CONGRESS, JULY 15, 1786.1
Gentlemen of the United States of America holding Congress. Sirs :-
It is with the deepest pain that the inhabitants of Cahokia find themselves compelled to bring their just complaints to you and to demand your protection against projects which M. Dorsey Pentecoste is devising with respect to lands at Cahokia and by which he would dispossess them of property which belongs to them legally and of which they have been in possession, them- selves and their fathers, since almost a century.
The Prairie du Pont has belonged from all time to the inhabi- tants, both for the purpose of cultivating it, if there was need thereof, or to serve for commons for their animals, without which commons it would have been impossible to raise any kind of animals.
M. Gibault, curé, serving the parish of Kaskaskia 20 leagues from our village, has dared to arrogate secretly the power of disposing of this prairie by conceding it to Colonel Clark, who has resold this same concession to M. Pentecoste, who to-day wishes to take possession and dispossess the inhabitants thereof.2
It has never been in the power of any ecclesiastic of the Illinois to dispose of the property of the subjects. Neither the laws nor their state have ever given them a power so arbitrary. So far from having had therein any authority or right, their duty has been limited to saying the mass and to receiving the remuner- ation which accrues to them for celebrating divine service; and never have the priests had the permission or the privilege of giving concessions. This privilege has formerly belonged to the com-
land commissioners of the U. S. disallowed Pentecoste's claim, because Father Gibault had no authority to alienate the lands of the church, and was expressly prohibited from doing so. -Amer. State Pap., Pub. Lands, ii., 139.
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ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
commissaire des lieux lors qu'ils y etoient authorizés par le Souv- erain Et jamais aucun prêtre ne s est immiscé ni n'a ozé prendre une pareille authorité.
Le Sr Gibault sachant quil navoit aucun droit ni pouvoir de concedder, mais pour se faire un merite Et tromper la bonne foy de Mr Clark luy a fait cette consession frauduleuse Et contre la bonne foy publique. aussi en a-t-il gardé le silence Et bien [rien ?] n'est venû a la Connoissance des habitans jusqua ce jour, dans la Crainte quil avoit sans doute quils ne luy fassent la honte Et la confusion d'avoir trompé Mr. Clark Et En meme temps voulû s'il avoit êté En son pouvoir deposseder les dits habitants de leurs Biens par une concession aussi vaine que tenebreuse qu'il a donné secretement au Mr. Clark En voulant le persuader de son faux pouvoir.
que deviendroient les citoyens de cette partie si des trompe- ries aussi manifestes et aussi scandaleuses avoient lieu ou seroit la sureté publique des Biens de chaque famille. il ny en auroit plus aucunne et le proprietaire ne pouroit pas sassurer d'etre tranquille sur son propre foyer. cette Liberté si chere N'en seroit que lombre.
c'est pour prevenir de si mauvais dessein Et arreter le Cour des Entreprises que le Sr pentecoste veut former sur nos Biens fondé sur ce vain titre ou dautres quil auroit pû surprendre et obtenir de Nos Siegneurs du Congré a nous honereuses et pre- judiciables que nous prenons la Liberté de Nous adresser Nos seigneurs Et Souverains a votre tribunal, pour vous suplier de regarder la Concession donnée par ledt Sr gibault comme une tromperie manifeste donnée par un homme non titré a ce sujet Et qui na jamais eu aucun pouvoir sur nos Biens la declarer nule Et abuzive, Renvoyer Mr pentecoste a se pourvoir contre Mr Le Colonel Clark Et ce dernier contre Gibault qui sera tenu de nous Exiber ses pouvoirs En vertu des quels il veut nous despoceder de nos Biens Et terres Et des quels nous sommes En pocession depuis letablissement des cahos qui passe plus de 80, ans: pocessions que ces predecesseurs et meme les anciens commandants ont toujours respectées.
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MEMORIAL, JULY, 1786
mandants and the commissaries of the places, when they were authorized thereto by the sovereign; and never has any priest interfered or dared to assume such an authority.
M. Gibault, knowing that he had no right nor authority to make the concession, but in order to make a merit and to deceive the good faith of M. Clark, has made this concession fraudulently and against the public good faith. Also he has kept silent about it (and it didn't come to the knowledge of the inhabitants until this day) on account of the fear, which he undoubtedly had, that they would disgrace and confuse him with having deceived M. Clark; and, at the same time, he wished, if it had been in his power, to dispossess the said inhabitants of their property by a concession as vain as underhanded, which he had given secretly to M. Clark, because he wished to pursuade him of his false power.
What would become of the citizens of this part, if trickeries, so manifest and so scandalous, were allowed; and where would be the public surety of property? There would no longer be any; and no proprietor could be assured of being undisturbed in his own home. This liberty, so dear, would be only its shadow.
It is to anticipate so evil a purpose and to stop the course of the attempts which M. Pentecoste wishes to make on our property, which attempts rest on such a vain title, or to stop other conces- sions, burdensome and prejudicial to us, which he may undertake to obtain from our lords of Congress, that we take the liberty, our Lords and Sovereigns, of addressing your tribunal, in order to pray you to regard the concession, made by the said M. Gibault, as a manifest fraud and as given by a man not empowered in this matter and who has never had power over our property; and to declare it null and improper and to dismiss M. Pentecoste to plead against Colonel Clark and this latter against Gibault, who shall be held to show us his powers, by virtue of which he wishes to dispossess us of our property and lands, which we have possessed since the establishment of Cahokia, which is more than eighty years; possessions which his predecessors and even the former commandants have always respected.
We dare to hope, sirs, that you will set aside and annul all
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ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
Nous ozons esperer Messieurs que vous voudrés Bien casser et Ennuler toutes autres concessions au permissions que le Sr pentecoste auroit pû obtenir de vous tendentes a nous desposseder de nos pocessions et quil ne pouroit obtenir plus grande quantité de terres que celles que la Cour de ce district luy accordera aux Endroit qui ne seront pas Etablis Et qui jusqua present nont pas Eté pris par personne, cette quantité ne pouvant excedder dix arpents de large sur la Superficie de quatre Cent quarante arpents, laquelle quantité de terre lui sera donnée aux Endroits qui ne seront prejudicia[ble] a personne.
ci inclus Nos Seigneurs vous trouverés la Copie de la procura- tion que le chapitre de Canada a Envoyé au Sr gibault dont l'original est deposé au greffe du district des cahos, par laquelle procuration vous verés que le Sr Gibault n'a pû ny du le demem- brer ny Conceder aucunne partie. ni portion des terres et Bien de la mission des Cahos sans lexprés consentement des habitants dudt lieu a qui tous ces Biens sont transmis pour lEntretien de Ladite mission ou prestre que lesdits habitants voudront y Etab- lir. Et que par concequant le Sr gibault n'ayant jamais des- servy cette cure ny a Eu aucun droit ny pouvoir. dailleur on ne Crain pas de L'avancer dans le temps quil a donnée cette pre- tendue Concession secrette et hor de la Connoissance des habi- tants il etoit interdit par ordre de Leveque de Canada de la quelle interdiction on ignore s'il est Encore relevé, or toute inter- diction Ennule tous actes Et contracts qu'il auroit pû faire pen- dant quelle a duré et par concequant tous ses pouvoirs se trou- voient anéanty.
Nous vous reiterons Nos Siegneurs avec tout le respect et la soumission que nous devons a nos Souverains Et avec toute la fidelité que nous vous avons ·jurée, de nous accorder la justice que nous vous demandons, contre toutes les Entreprises du Sĩ pentecoste sur nos biens terres et communes, que vous ne pouvez connoitre par vous meme a moins qu'une personne Éclairée Et sans partialité ne vous en face un fidel raport. c'est En conce- quance que nous avons chargé Mr. Gabriel Ceré Negociant des ilinois porteur de ces presentes de vous donner tous les Eclair-
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MEMORIAL, JULY, 1786
other concessions or permissions, which M. Pentecoste may obtain from you, which tend to dispossess us of our possessions, and consent that he cannot obtain a larger amount of land than that which the Court of this district will grant him in places which shall not be settled and up to the present have not been taken up by anyone, such concession not to exceed ten arpents in width and four hundred and forty arpents in area; which amount of land shall be given to him, where it will not be pre- judicial to anyone.
Enclosed herewith, our Lords, you will find the copy of the power of attorney which the chapter of Canada sent to M. Gibault, the original of which is deposited at the office of the district of Cahokia, from which power of attorney you will see that M. Gibault neither could nor should dismember or concede any part or portion of the lands and property of the mission of Cahokia without the express consent of the inhabitants of the said place, to whom all this property is conveyed for the main- tenance of the said mission or priest, that the said inhabitants shall wish to establish here; and that consequently M. Gibault, since he has never administered this cure, has had no right nor power. Besides we do not fear to advance that, at the time when he gave this pretended concession secretly and without the knowl- edge of the inhabitants, he was interdicted by order of the bishop of Canada, and we do not know if that interdiction is yet removed; but all interdictions annul all acts and contracts, which the one, so interdicted, may have made while it lasted; and consequently all his powers are annulled.
We ask again of you, our Lords, with all the respect and sub- mission that we owe to our sovereigns and with all the fidelity which we have sworn to you, that you grant us the justice, for which we pray, against all the attacks of M. Pentecoste upon our property, lands and commons, about which you cannot your- selves know, unless a person, informed and without partiality, makes to you a faithful report thereof. Therefore we have intrusted M. Gabriel Cerré, merchant of the Illinois, and bearer of these presents, to give you all the necessary information so
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ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
cissements necessaires afin de nous rendre la justice que de Bons Et fidels sujets doivent atendre de leurs souverains pour la Con- servation de nos Biens qui sont a la veille d'Etre en proye a la voracité du Sr pentecoste, avide de nous depouiller de notre patrimoine Et nous obliger nous et nos familles a faire un deguer- pissement de tiranie pour nous obliger a Chercher un azile chez letranger aprés avoir Epuisé notre sang a metre nos terres En valeur pour sa rapacité. Nous vous suplions de nous pardonner si nous nous servons de ces Expressions La lettre quil Ecrit icy nous prouve assez ses intentions de la quelle nous envoyons copie cy jointe.
Nous vous demandons Nos seigneurs d'Etre maintenus dans toutes nos pocessions, usages, coutumes Et loix anciennes sans quaucunne authorité y puisse donner ateinte Et que nous nayant pas le desplaisir d'Etre soumis a aucunne autre justice des ilinois connoissant L'incapacite, haine, Et partialité des sujets qui pouroient lexercer, mais de Nous donner la permission de nous . gouverner nous memes comme nous avons toujours fait.
La cour de ce district des cahos a pris sur Elle de Conceder a chaque particulier ameriquain ou autres Nouvellement arrivez En ce pays Et qui veulent sy Etablir dix arpents de terre de large, sur la superficie de quatre cent quarante arpents, dans notre district, Nous Nexedons pas cette quantité afin de menager le ter- rain pour que Chacun puisse En avoir et nous fortifier par le Nombre d'habitans Et nous metre a labry des incurssions des sau- vages Nous esperons que vous nous otorizerez a Continuer dans notre district
Le Sr pentecoste a Envoyé icy un procureur arpenteur avec d'Emple pouvoir pour mesurer Et Borner sa concession qui con- siste a douze mille arpents de terre ou sont comprises toutes les notre il doit se metre En devoir de le faire sous peû de jour. cest a quoy nous formerons notre opositions jusqua ce que nous avons recû vos ordres que nous esperons authoriser nos opositions Et nous Confirme dans nos pocessions.
Nous vous suplions Nos Seigneurs de nous Envoyer vos de-
1 Printed in this volume, p. 621.
2 Probably a reference to the Kaskaskians.
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MEMORIAL, JULY, 1786
that you may render us the justice, which good and faithful sub- jects should expect from their sovereigns, for the preservation of our property which is on the verge of being a prey to the voracity of M. Pentecoste, who is eager to dispoil us of our patrimony and to compel us to make of ourselves and our families a sacrifice to tyranny by obliging us to seek an asylum among strangers after having spent our life-blood in making our lands valuable for his rapacity. We beseech you to pardon us if we make use of these expressions; but the letter which he has written here proves suffi- ciently his intentions, a copy of which we send joined herewith.1
We pray you, our Lords, that we be maintained in all our possessions, usages, former customs and laws so that no authority can do violence thereto and that we may not have the distress of being submitted to any other court of the Illinois, since we know the incapacity, spite and partiality of the subjects who might exercise it ;2 but we pray you to grant us the permission to govern ourselves as we have always done.
The court of this district of Cahokia has taken on itself to concede to each single American or other, who has newly arrived in this country and wished to settle here, land in our district of the width of ten arpents and with an area of four hundred and forty arpents. We do not exceed this quantity in order to man- age the land so that each can have some and we may be strength- ened by the number of inhabitants and so sheltered from the attacks of the savages. We hope that you will authorize us to continue to do so in our district. .
M. Pentecose has sent here a surveyor as representative with full power to measure and lay out the boundaries of his con- cession which consists of twelve thousand arpents of land in which are included all ours. He is bound to begin to do it within a few days. That is why we shall issue our injunction until we have received your commands, which we hope will authorize our injunction and confirm us in our possessions.
We beseech you, our Lords, to send us your decision on all the articles of these representations by M. Cerré, our attorney, so that we may know to what we are bound.
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ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
cisions sur tous les articles de ces representations par m Ceré notre fondé de pouvoir afin de savoir a quoy nous sommes tenus.
voicy la quatriesme representations que nous avons Eu lhon- neur de vous adresser sans avoir jamais recû aucunne reponse Nous penssons que si vous avez Eu la bonté de nous repondre tout a Eté intercepté au village des Kakakias
Nous atendons tout de votre Bonte, Equité Et integrité.
Permetez Nous Nos Seigneurs de nous dire toujour Vostres humbles trés obeissants tres soumis Et Fidels Sujets Les mag- istrats du district des Cahos aux ilinois faisant pour toute la Communauté des habitants du dt lieu.
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