St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1891-01-03

many words of the same spelling an6
pronunciation, mean extremely differ
ent things, according to the way ir
which they are used. Words not spell
ed exactly alike, are pronounced SC
nearly SO as to be often misleading
Homer, town in north Louisiana, is
sometimes understood to mean Houma
a town in south Louisiana and vice
versa. Acadia parish is in south Lou.
isiana, but the town of Arcadia is in
north Louisiana; but sometimes the
two are confounded. The present
Nova Scotia Of the British possessions
of North America. wSs Acadia or Aca.
die when that couh Wy belonged to
France. When the Acasiens were ex-
PEELED by the British, or Chose to flee
from British oppression, they settled
in southwestern Louisiana which be-
came practically Acadia. Without
railroads and without any regular com
by water with the rest OF
the world, the Acadians of southwest
ern Louisiana were left to themselves
and to their own resources for nearly
a century. They had fled from op-
preston, and they found peace and
freedom here, with soil and climate
that could not be surpassed. They
were happy and had an easy life, and
being i1Dlated and without commerce,
there was nothing to tempt the satans
Of the ambitions and ayaricio1 world
to come among them. They became
noted for their simplicity, honesty and
hospitality. As the force of circum-
stances compelled them merely to live
and enjoy themselves, they naturally
fell short in or failed to have those ac-
auirements that are found among a
people who control or are ambitious to
control their own government. The
Acadians of southwestern Louisiana
had 1.o government of their own they
we're under foreign governors appoint
ID BY France OF Spain, according to
which country louisiana belonged at
,he time. Consequently the Acadians
here had no national life. There was
40 certainty even that their language,
he French, would be left to them J;
1nder Spanish rule; the use of it in
he schools, might be forbidden. Why
cultivate language that sooner or
ater would be replaced by another?
Then came the sale of Louisiana to the
government Of the United States. The
newspapers here were once all French;
Ill legal documents were in French,
he language of the courts and of the
awyers was French; everything was
French. After the change of govern
nent, the English language came in.
The laws were published in both Ian
yuages; newspapers gradually became
lalf French and half English; and the
Engligh speaking immigration from
he States, gradually increased until
he two languages became common in
outhNestern Louisiana. But since
he war, the laws and all legal publica-
ions ceased to be published in French
hat language. long since disappeared
rom the public schools, and it is
eldom taught in private schools ex-
ept as a branch in fact that Ian
,uage, while spoken by thousands in
Louisiana, is merely a
radition. While the mother-tongue
# many is French, the language they
cad and write is English. With the
dvent of steamboats, and railroads,
nd commercial enterprise, the Aca-
ian people have taken on new life :;
,ut we can not see that this new life
S happier one. The immense guam
tiles Of rice and cotton produced by
hem, now that there is market,
how that they are .amenable to cir
like other people. In
europe where the most incessant toll
viii scarcely keep the poor from star
alton, great industry is to be expected
'ecaused it is forced but the volun-
ary industry of our Acadian popula-
ion, is not surpassed by any other
,eople with similar environments.
Acadia and Arcadia are not only not
he same in words; but they refer
to people of different races,
hat fourished at different times and
n widely different territories. There
5 however one resemblance. The
ISOLATION of the Acadians in southwest
IN Louisiana, was the occasion of
neir being considered by the preten-
ious world outside as simple and
acking in artificial acquirements-|
,hich, if true, would have happened to
ny other people under the same cir
and unfortunately their
ontact with the rest of the world
ince, has given them vices from which
hey were formerly entirely free.
Arcadia was country of ancient