Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-10-16
THE ACADIAN NEUTRALS
SUPPOSED ORIGIN OF lONGFEL-
LOWS POEM OF "EVANGELlNE."

liar interest to us as Pennsylvanians, for
the author laid the leading events of the
story in Philadelphia. 1t is there Evange-
line and Gabriel landed, and to that city
E%vangeline returned after her f~ruitless
search for Gabriel:
In that city also they die, and tradition
points out the little Catholic church,
Trinity, at the northwest corner of Sixth
and Spruce streets, where they were buried.
Whether Evangeline or Gabriel ever
really existed, except as we find them in
the m Imagination of the poet Longfellow
in this story, we know not; but that many
of the Acadian neutrals or eXiles, as they
are often called, arrived in Philadelphia, is
well authenticated by many acts of our
provincial assembly. Perhaps "A short refer
ence to their history will enable us better
to understand and enjoy this poem, which
is certainly as pathetic and sweet as any in
the language.
DRIVEN RON HOME.
A French Catholic settlement of about
1000 souls had long existed in Nova SEQ
tia, located on the Bay of Fundy. When,
in 11l3, that country was surrendered to
the English, it was stipulated by the treaty
of Utrecht that one year be granted the in
habitants to remove their effects, but they,
not being willing to lose the fruits of many
years labor, chose to remain and become
subjects of Great Britain, on condition
that they might be exempt from bearing
arms against France. This request they
understood to be granted on taking the
oath of fidelity to Queen Anne, and it was
also renewed some years after to King
George II, who again allowed them this
exemption.
They rendered assistance, however, to
the English government on all occasions,
being willing to erect forts, make roads,
build bridges, etc. The only thing they
could not do was to Dear arms against
their countrymen and destroy with their
own hands relations and friends. In this
way they lived in this secluded corner of
America, inoffensive and peaceable farm
ers, until the French and Indian wars
broke out and stirred up a strong feeling
against them as Catholics. When the Eng
fish government, which was smarting no
doubt from reverses, including Brad
docks defeat, which occurred on our own
soil of Pennsylvania in July, 1855, gave the
order, for state policy nc doubt, but yet
unfeeling, to remove them from the coun-
try, the reader to make the new popula-
ton that was flowing in more loyal -and
English in character. On the 5th of Sep
TENDER, 1855, about 1900 in all-say 500
men, $50 women and 1,250 children-were
by this order taken from their farms and
homes, put on shipboard, and 255 houses,
go barns, 165 outhouses and II mills were
burned.
The population was distributed among
the English colonies. Some were landed
In New England, but not quite half of
them on the 10Th of November, 1155, say
two and a half months after their embark
alton nrrivaI in tho TlalaVrnra rivar in
three sloops, the Hannah, the Three
Friends and the Swan. Five days after
Governor Robert Hunter Morris made
their arrival the subject of a special mes
sage to the assembly, then in session,
which was tinctured with the prevailing
anti-French and Catholic feeling of that
day-feelings which our late reverses had
intensified and engendered, and he adj
vised that they should not and in the city,
and did guard them on Province island,
below the city; they numbered over 800.
A FRIEND INDEED.
The assembly fortunately was composed
of many Friends or Quakers, and those
beautiful features of their character
charity, liberty of conscience and tolera-
tion-were on this occasion nobly displayed,
and Anthony BeneZet, a Huguenot Quaker,
who had a prosperous school for the educa-
ton of young women, and after whom a
street was named, was appointed by the as
sembly to at once purchase blankets, shirts,
stockings and other necessaries, which
amounted to over 81 ,000, and this was
charged to the public account. A few
Of the neutrals, rather han lose their ma
tionality, took the military road across the
mountains of our state, reached the Ohio,
and constructing fatboats foated down
Ikla nI;a naI NT,.;--,na; nA1 ,;roI ,I.;-
French countrymen in Louisiana.
In February, 1856, a bill was introduced in
the assembly and approved March the same
year, to dispense the neutrals into the coun-
Ties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester and
Lancaster, to give them, as the act ~recites,
an opportunity of exercising their own
labor and industry. 1t does not appear
that many left, for Watson, in his "Annals
Of Philadelphia" says: These poor peo-
pie became completely dispirited. They
wept over the story of their wrongs and
described the comfortable farms and homes
from which they had been dragged with
otter regrets.
Anthony Benezet was their kim friend.
He educated many of their daughters and
mis- charities were constant and unremit-
ling. They were provided quarters in a
;ong range of one story wooden houses,
QUILT on the north side OF Pine, between
Fifth and Sixth streets, and there made a
French town in the midst of our society,
and lived spiritless and poor, and became
finally a burden, so that the authorities to
awaken them in 1857 ordered the overseers
If the poor to have their children bound
)ut. Our record to them is good, for it APP
pears that from the time of their arrival in
November, 1853, to the termination of our
colonial government, or the commence
nent of the Revolution, 1716, 81, 800, or
so, 900, was expended and charged to the
public account, and when to this is added
private charity, always large in our ia
Tored land, we may well feel proud, espe-
TALLY as it was to the French Catholics,
Nth whom we We're then at war for the
possession apparently of our homes.-A. f.
VI. in Philadelphia Ledger.
Mausoleum.
Mausolus was king of Caria, and after
nis death his widow, Artemisir, erected a
magnificent tomb to his memory. Indeed,
t was so wonderful and surpassed all other
structures so much in its appearance and