The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-09-21

munger = Inere are some or your
people that think we are rich. This has never
been the case with Us yet since we have beer
in this country; but less 80 at present than
ever, for all the riches which remain to us are
Poverty and Misery"
This petition, like the other, had no effect
and on February 5Ih, the large body of Neu.
trails who had gathered in Boston, nearly four
hundred in number, were ordered to be dis
persed, and to return to their towns. Those
who had succeeded in reaching ST. Domingo
met with most unfortunate fate. Unused to
the climate, they were soon attacked by dis
case, and most of them persisted niserably
OF those who survived, many found their way
to France
Hardly was this affair terminated, when
even another opportunity for emigration was
offered The British Government was most
DESTROYS of promoting settlements in Canada
and on March l, 1865, General James Muir
ray, the Governor of that Province, issued a
proclamation, offering grants of land to all
who would emigrate there. This offer does
not appear to have attracted the serious alton
ton of many of the NeutraIs until late in the
year; but on February 8th 1856 eighty-nine
OF their families, numbering four hundred
and ninety -one people, patitoned the Governor
and Council to transport them 10 Canada, and
grant them the means of maintenance for one
year. and also to write to Governor Murray,
| requesting him to receive them, and give them
lands, according to his proclamation.
Governor Bernard looked favorably upon
this petition, and q few days after it's reoep-
ton, addressed message to the House of Rep
resentatiyes, in which he said" You have
now an opportunity, at no great expense, to
dispose of these people; so that, instead Of
| being burden TO the Province and to them
selves, as they arc like to continue whilst
they remain here, they may become fresh
accession of wealth and strength to the Brit
ism Empire in America, as it is certain that
their industry only waits for property to exert
itself on, without which no one will be indus
trious. | therefore hope you will improve this
occasion and in SO doing you will unite pub
lie spirit with charity"
The House Immediately considered this mes
sage, and requested the Governor to write to
| Murray and acquaint him with the desire of
| the petitioners, and ask if he would receive
them. They also appropriated eco to despatch
two Neutrels with Bernards letter, and Pc
tition from the Neutras to Murray. In May,
one of them returned with Murrays reply.
He wrote-"I think it viii be for the good Of
the British empire in general, and of this
Province in particular, that these people were
settled here upon the same footing with his
Majesty's new Canadian subjects, and there
| fore shall not hesitate to receive them. But
as they formerly refused to take the oath of
allegiance and sbjuration, and, by their petit
| ton to me, it appears they expect to be sup
ported here at the expense of the Government
until they can provide for themselves, think
it necessary to enclose my answer to their pc
tition, which beg you will be pleased to have
| communicated to them in such way that none
may plead ignorance. This will prevent future
heariburnings and reproaches On either side"
| In the answer which he mentioned, he ex-
| pressed his readiness to receive them, but his
inability to make any provision for supporting
them after their arrival Eight hundred and
ninety, nearly all who were left in the Prov
ince, expressed their willingness to 60 upon
these conditions, and stated that they were,
| 10 general resolved to take the oath of fidelity
| to Greet Britain, at the same tiple requesting
| the Legislature of Massachusetts, to take some
measures to support them for little while
| after they should roach Canada. We can find
nowhere, among the records OF the Province,
any mention of an official permission to these
| Neutrals to emigrate but many vessels, filed
| with them, sailed for Canada during the sum-
mer and the autumn. They rejOined there
many Of those who had fled through the vii.
| derness eleven years before from the flames of
| Grand Pre- and Cumberland, and the bayoness
of the British troops and at last found peace
| and friends.
| And here we take our leave of them. We
quit their history with regret for in it we have
| been deeply interested 1t is often remarked,
| that in the contemplation of the suFeriDgs of
other ages we are apt to lose sight of those of
| our own. But the reverse is also true; and
there are some who cannot realize that those
have lived who have suffered much and endured
bravely in the past.
| The whole history of the Acadans illustrates
strongly the different traits of character of the
| French and of the English settlers in America.
| The EngliRh were leavened with the Purtani-
| cal leaven. The Indians were to them nothing
| but bloody heathen,n and the French were
Roman Catholic pagans"+ They cherished
| little affection for the Government at home,
and it cherished even less for them. With the
| French, it was entirely different-they assimi-
| lated themselves more to the customs and peo-
| pie Of the new country. Where tho English
had one John Eliot, the Frenchmen had many
like Father Marquette and the Baron Castine );
| and, far from being slienated in affection from
| the Home Government, they always made its
| interests and theirs one.
| There was one quality which both French
and English had in connon-an intense reii-
| giOus zeal But they manifested it differently.
| The English wsged a fierce crusade against
| everything that savored Of superstition. They
marched against Louisburg headed by the
banner which George Whitefeld had blessed
with the motto, MI despsrandlni, Christie
duce" They came to the Indian with the
| Bible in one hand and the sword in the other.
| But the French Jesuits wAged a peaceful, reli.
| gious war; their forts were chapels in the will
| derness, and their martial music the chapel
bells. They did not seek by force, but by
| kindly treatment, TO win the Indians to the
| faith of the Church. As natural conse-
quence, they gained the attachment of the
savages, and, having gained it, they made use
| Of it in war.
Of the affection which was always warm to-
wards the mother country, the story Of the
| Acadians affords sufficient evidence. In all
their varied fortunes they never lost their love
| for the religion, the customs and the people, of
| France.
4As a curious example Of religious bgotry, the
town of Stoneham sent in its bill, year for main
tanning its proportion of the Neutrals headed with
| this title Account Of keeping the three French
| Pagen."
LOSS OF LIFE BY STEAMBOATS,
| A report has recently been made to the Sec
| retary of the Treasury, showing the number Of
| steamboats, DESTROYED, and the causes of their
| destruction, during the first half of the present
year. Ii is set forth in the report that no ad-
ditional legislation is necessary on the part of
the Government to the act passed by "Con-
gress in 1852, to provide for the better security
| of the lives of passengers on board of vessels
propelled in whole or part by steam" except
| to extend it SO as to include ferry boats and
tow boats propelled by steam.
The report states that from January to
| lime II IS54 there were sxty.four steamboat