La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

;836 LA SALLE PAINTED BY HIMSELF. [1680-85To another correspondent he defends himselfagainst the charge of harshness to his men: "Thefacility I am said to want is out of place with thissort of people, who are libertines for the most partand to indulge them means to tolerate blasphemy,drunkenness, lewdness, and a license incompatiblewith any kind of order. It will not be found that Ihave inany case whatever treated any man harshly,except for blasphemies and other such crimes openlycommitted. These I cannot tolerate: first, becausesuch compliance would give grounds for anotheraccusation, much more just; secondly, because, if Iallowed such disorders to become habitual, it wouldbe hard to keep the men in subordination and obedience,as regards executing the work I am commissionedto do; thirdly, because the debaucheries,too common with this rabble, are the source of endlessdelays and frequent thieving; and, finally,because I am a Christian, and do not want to bearthe burden of their crimes." What is said about my servants has not even ashow of truth ; for I use no servants here, and all mymen are on the same footing. I grant that as thosewho have lived with me are steadier and give me noreason to complain oftheir behavior, I treat them asgently as I should treat the others if they resembledthem , and as those who were formerly my servantsare the only ones I can trust, I speak more openly tothem than to the rest, who are generally spies of myenemies. The twenty-two men who deserted and