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Show 82 THE J,ILY AN"D Til~: TOTEM. Ccrta.in it is that we do not anywhere sec, in the J,i;;tory of the colony established by Coligny, any proofs of that strong devotional sentiment which has been urged as the motive to its establishment. Doubtless, this was a prc,·ailing motive, along with others, for Coligny himself; but the adn!nturcrs chosen to begin the settlement for the reception of the persecuted sect in l<~lot·ida, were C¥idcntly not vcry·dccply imbued with religion of :my kind. They were a wild and reckless body of men, whoso deeds were wholly in conflict with the pure and lo\·cly profession of sentiment which has been made in their behalf. How far their J ccds arc to be justified by the provocations which they received, and the tyrannies which they endured, may be a question; but there cnn be no question with regard to tho general temper which they exhibited- the tone of their minds-the feelings of their hearts-by all of which they nrc shown as stubborn, insubordinate and selfish. It is not dcuicd that they had great provocation to violence ; but Laudonnierc !Jimsclf admits that they were, in all probability, u not so obedient to their captain as they should have been." ":\lisfortunc," he adds, "or rather the just judgment of God would have it that those which could not bee O\'Crcomc by fire nor water, should bo undone by their ownsclvcs. This is the common fashion of men, which cannot continue in one state, nnd had rnthf'r to O\'Crthrow thcmseh•cs, than not to attempt some new thing dayly." N ot only was no peace in the colony after tho execution of Gucrnache, but the evil spirit, in the mood of Captain Albert, was very far from being laid. "His m:1dncss," in the language of the chronicler, "seemed to increase from day to day." flo was not content to punish Gucrnachc; he determined to extend hia severities to the fri,mds and associates of tho unhappy victim. L.ACIIAN£1 THE D£LIV£n£R. 83 Some of these he only frowned upon :1nd thrcn.tcncd ; but his threats were :1pt to be fulfilled. Others he brought up for punishment ;-~ympathy with his enemy, being a prime offence against the dignity nud S.'l.fet.y of our petty sovereign. Among tho~e who had thus rendered themselves obnoxious, Lachanc was necessarily a conspicuous object. Jn the same unwise ami violent spirit in wllich he had pursued Guernache, Captain Albert was determined to proceed against this man, who was really equally inoffensi\·o with Guern:1che, and quite ns much beloved among tho people. But tho aspect of tl..tc t'vo cases was not precisely the same. Tho friends of Lachanc, warned by tho fate of Gucrnachc, were somewhat more upon their guard,-morc w:1tehful and suspicious,-and inclined to make the support and maintenance of the one, a tribute to the manes of the other. Dcsidcs, Pierre Renaud, who had some how been the deadly enemy of Gucrnaehe, hnd no hostility to Lacbane. The l:1tter, too, had not so singularly offended the amour proprt of Captain Albert, by his successful rivalry among the damsels of Audusta. Tht:'y bad not so decidedly shown the preference for him as they h:~.d for the fiddler, over l1is superior. No doubt ho was preferred, for he, too, like Gucrn:lchc, was a person • cry superior in form and physiognomy to Albert. Dut, if they felt any preference for tho former, they had not so offensively declared it, as tho indiscreet ~l onalctta had done ; and, with these qualify ing circumst..'l.nees, in l1is favor, Lachnne was brought up for judgment. His offence, such as it was, did not admit of denial. Some palliation was attemptnd by a reference to the <llnims of Guernache, tl1c cxccllcnco of l1is character, his usefulness, and tho general favor ho had found equally among tlJC red-men :1nd his own people. These suggestions were unwisely made. They censured cqun.Ily |
