The Dtrdln of a New Era
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the Republic and were enthusiastic about the prospects of a rich harvest of souls. In a personal report to Timon, Father Paquin stated he had married 4 couples, baptized 3 adult converts and 25 children, heard 68 confessions, and had given Holy Communion to 31. No report on the work done by Chandy has been found. 51 Abbe N. B. Anduze, the old parish priest of Natchitoches, who had almost caused an international incident a few years before, was back in Texas at about this time. But on this occasion he came on French admiralty business and spent two or three weeks in Houston. He was now chaplain of the French fleet under Admiral Bauclin. He wrote to Bishop Blanc to inform him that since the Texan Congress had selected Austin as the new seat of government, land speculators who were anxious to attract Catholic settlers to the new capital were willing to make a generous grant of land for a Catholic church. He also reported the recent visit of Father Muldoon to Texas. "The wretched Mr. Muldoon has left in these parts an impression most detrimental to Religion.... I am trying to repair by the gravity of my manners and the gentleness of my conversation the evil wrought by that emissary of Satan." It appears that Muldoon had tried to get himself recognized by the Republic as the legitimate representative of the Bishop of Monterrey. At the request of the Cabinet, Anduze published a statement in the National Intelligencer that "the Bishop of New Orleans alone has juris- diction over the Catholic Church in Texas, and priests who come un- provided with credentials from him have no right to exercise the Cath- olic ministry in the Republic." He justified this action to Bishop Blanc by pointing out that it was necessary in order to prevent men "sans mission et sans caractere" froID: imposing on the public. He took occasion, before returning to Natchitoches, to praise the ex- cellent work of Paquin and Chandy. 53 Shortly after Timon's return, Father Bonaventure Armengol, sta- tioned at the seminary at Lafourche, . appealed directly to Nozo for permission to go to Texas on the grounds that he, a Spaniard, could do more good there than in Louisiana. Armengol was a Catalonian, who had been brought by Timon from Europe in 1837. He was a good theo- logian and a scholar, but somewhat impractical. Etienne passed the request to Timon for final action, but warned him against placing Armengol in any responsible post because of his proclivity to run too UBJanc to Auguste Jeanjean, May 27, 1839, Bayard, op. cit., 70. 55 Josepb W. Schmitz, T4xat1 Statecraft, 1836-1845, 70-71; Anduze to Blanc, April 25, r839, Notr1 Da#U Arcliiv1s.
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