The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-29

!, peasants from the basin Of Mlnes-Longfello
l calls II the basin OF Minas-was . politica
: necessity. By the treaty Of Utrecht Franc
, had transferred Acadia to Great Britain an'
, tho Inhabitants had afterward taken an oatl
Of fidelity to King George. Thus they wer'
, British subjects; but as their oath had beet
, accompanied by q promise. or ut leas
clear understanding. that they shoult
not be required to take arms against
Frenchmen or Indians. they had become
known rs the neutral French" This name
tended to perplex them. and In their Ignorance
and simplicity they hardly knew to which side
they owed allegiance. Mr.. Parkman points
out that their illteracy was extreme. Few oil
them could sign their names, and contempt
rary we'll acquainted with them declares that
he knew but a single Acadian who could read
and write. This. in tho historians opinion.
was the notary lie Blanc and even his compo-
stious were crudc and illitcrate. Ignorant OF
books and isolated In wild and remote cor
ner OF the world. the Acadans knew nothing
OF international affairs and were totally in
competent to meet the crisis that was to
come upon them. In activity and enterprise
they were far behind the Canadians. who
looked on them as inferior Their pleasures
were those Of tho humblest and simplest
peasants. but they were contented with their
| lot and asked only to be let alone Their in
tcrcourse was unccremonious to euch point
| that they never addressed each other. or. 1T Is
said. even strang as Monsieur. They had. in
| other words the social equality which exists
| only In the hum blest conditions Of society. and
presented tho phenomenon OF II primitive
| democracy Matched under tho wing OF
an absolute monarchy. Each was as good
rs his neichbor: they had no natural
leaders nor any to advise or guido
than fho rnissio0nrv prfnSt who In
every case was expected by his supcriors to
influence them in the interest OF France and
who. in fact. constantly did 80. While one OBJ
server represents them rs living In n state OF
primeval innocence. another describes both
mon and women rs extremely foul Of speech.
from which no draws inferences unfavorable
to their domestic morals. which. nevertheless,
according to Mr. ParSman. were commenda-
ble As Is usual with n well-tcd and unambi-
tious peasantry. the Acadians were very pro-
linc and are said to havo doubled their num-
bsr every sixteen years. In 17+S they counted
in tho peninsula. OF Nova Scotia between
twelve and thirteen thousand souls. The
English rule had been OF the ightest so light
that 1t could scarcely be felt. and this was not
surprising since tho only instrument for en-
forcing it over n population wholly French
was some two hundred disorderly soldiers
in the crumbling little fort OF Annapolis. In
the interval OF some thirty years between the
peace OF Utrecht and tho war Of tho Austrian
Succession the province was necessarily left
to take caro- OF itself.
From the outbreak. however. OF tho war just
mentioned tho French aimed to recover
Acadia. and they built their hopes Of doing
40 largely on a rising Of the Acndians against
the English rule. They spared no efforts to
excite such rising. Early in 1915 a violent
and cruel precnution against the danger was |
suggested. William Shirrefr. Provincial SEQ
rotary gave it as his opinion that the Acadians |
ought to be removed. being n standin. mon |
nee to the colony. This is tho first proposal of |
such nature that Mr.. Parkman can find. On
this other hand. Shirley. Governor OF Massa-
chusetts. although his energetic nature
inclined him to vigorous measures. was
not inhuman. and he shrank from tho
OF forcing whole communities
into exile. He still held that it was
possible to turn the greater part Of
the Acadians into safe subjects OF the British
Crown. and to this end. In 174G. he advised the
planting Of q fortified town where Halifax now
stands. and the securing by forts ard Carri-
sons Of the neck OF the Acadian peninsula
where the population was most numerous and
most disafrected. Mr.. Parkman believes that
II the Newcastle Government had followed at
the time these recommendations the removal
place. In 1749 Shirley's plan was partly car
ried into effect by the foundation OF Halifax:
but at that time tho dsafrecton Of tho Acadi-
ans had so increased and the hope OF regain
nc tho province for France had risen so high.
hat this partial and tardy assertion OF British
authority proved Intellectual. The hopes OF the
French had been stimulated by tho folown.
Incident. In December. 1746. body Of some
I've hundred soldiers OF Massachusetts. under
Col. Noble. took possession OF tho Acadian vii
age OF Grand Pre-. the chief settlement of tho
district OF Mines. In February. 1747. this gar
'ison was attacked by somo three hundred
and Indians. and after losing
fraction OF their number were
to capitulate. Grand Pro was re-
occupied. however. later in the same year by a
oarty OF Massachusetts soldiers. The Aca-
lians thus found themselves between two
hangers and unable to see which horn OF the
dilemma was the worse. They tried to avoid
10Th by conciliating French and English alike /
md assuring each ofthoir devoted attachment
Their position was. in fact. dcplorable. by
he treaty OF Utrecht. rs wc have said,
rance had transferred them to the British
'rown: yet French officers denounced them as
ebels and Threatened them with death
they did not fight at their bidding |
gainst England: and English officers threat. j
ned them with expulsion from tho coun. ,
ry il they broke their oath of allie. 7
lance to King George. 1t was tho duty !,
I the British Ministry to occupy the province
nth n force sufficient to protect the inhabi-
ants a.ainst French terrorism and leave no
Quit TINT the King Of England was master of
cadia in fact as we'll as in name. This alone
ou'd have Hver:el the danger OF Aradan
ev"lt and the harsh measures to which II J
fterwnrd cav. rise. At tho time I 100 wien '
ne cxpa'riation took place il had seemingly :
ecome unavoidable Hut this event ,!ors
ct fall within the scope Of the present install. 5
lent VI Mr.. Parkman's narrative.
~.
1T is made clear in this history that the one |
rilliant achievement of tho British ARMS on =
lis side OF tho Atlantic during the war OF the +,
ustrian succession. namely. the CAPTURE of |,
was largely. though not ey. II
usivcly. due to tho New England colonists. I,
lie expedition was organized by Shirley. n