The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-05


ern History and Effects
Of the War-Evangeline Out Of
Poetry.
From the New York Post
ST. Martinsville. the Little Paris" of
louisiana, and celebrated in song and
story as the burial place of sweet Evan
geine' was in the earliest days known as
the 'Poste de Attakopas." The French
had established here a military and trad
ing post for the benefits of commerce and
10 protect the white settlers against the
Attakopas Indians. In the early annals
it recorded that G. Broussard, sur
named Beau Soliel, an Acadian, " is APP
rointed captain commandant of
the Acadians who have come with
him from England to settle on the land of
the Acupatas, and we have no doubt that
he will always comport himself with zeal
and fidelity We enjoin the Acadian in
habitants TO obey him and lend him an
ear to all which he will command them
in the service of the king, under penalty
of disobedience."
This queerly worded commission is
dated at New Orleans, April, 1865, and is
modern Little Paris"
This gives the date of the arrival of the
Acadians from Acadia, a province of
Nova Scotia. Their descendants in Acadia
land are as distinctly provincial nov as
were their ancestors VINO originally emf
grated from France nearly two centuries
ago. But no sooner had the sturdy and
COmmunistiC peasants, tired of turmoil in
France, landed upon Acadian peninsula
found Cd 10
England Their expressions becoming
even greater, many of them fed and
others were shipped to various ports of
the hostile Indian frontiers of America.
No sooner had they reached New
France" the Louisiana territory than
they found it had been coded to Spain.
They refused TO give their allegiance to
Spain as they had refused to recognize
English authority, and were as brutally
treated by the Spanish commandant
(O'Reilly, an Irish adverturer), as they
had been by the English Monctou.
The history of these French emigres
to the original Acadia, and thence to the
second Acadia in Louisiana, is one of ex
IRENE hardship and oppression. The his
tory of their descendants of the last few
generations is replete with romance,
such as is found, naturally, among Il class
of people who are distinctively provincial,
rather than French, and who, notwith-
OF the manners and customs of the
newer French" of later DAYS nor of the
Americans. They speak French, or the
patOiS Of their ancestors of two centuries
ago, and they have stubbornly refused to
learn English. They hate the English
people as thoroughly as did their ances-
tors whose homes were burned by incen-
diaries wearing the uniform of British
soldiers. But they like quiet and peace
full Hfe-an element within itself, not
influenced by outward civilization, nor
seeking to influence others.
They live in a veritable Arcadia The
Little Paris" or St. Martinsville, the
original settlement of the Arcadians, is
situated on Bayou Teche, covering both
banks of the sluggish stream, over which
there is an old fashioned wooden bridge.
On each side OF the BAYOU are olden-time
French Chateaus, half concealed in rose
gardens, the ground slOping to the water.
Some of the houses have staircases on the
outside and broad verandas supported by
pillars, Spanish exterior, while the con-
Meeting rooms give the chateau French
interior. For miles the bayou is lined
with live oaks, rejecting their green
foliage in the waters, atfOrding groves
for picknicking and fishing, the chief
amusements of the latter-day Acadians.
These simple children of nature see
nothing romantic in their beautiful sur
roundings, and are unaware of their own
picturesqueness. They picnic beneath
the cooling shade of the grand old trees
that were old when De Soto came. passing
near this spot In their little bateaux
l1at-bOttomed boats that cannot be over
tQrned) are fishing parties. When the
boat grounds upon an alligator there is
considerable merriment, and a fight to
capture the monster The Acadiaus are
about the only people who do not fear 20
attack the saurian. He is always at
tackled IN front, for blow from his tail
Will upset a boat or kill person.
Early in the present century, soon after
the ACadians found themselves under yet
another government, the Poste de Alta
kOpas was changed into the village of ST.
Martinsville. The Acadian planters had
now become in good financial circumstan-
ces, and the village became lie Petit Paris.
Inc wealthy families of New Orleans
auu the lower coast came TO spend
the summer amid its beautiful vine
uncovered gardens, and to ramble
upon the picturesque banks of the
L.eche, fringed with grass and water
lilies. For a generation prior TO the
0e2inning of the late civil war, lie Petit
Paris was the fashionable summer re-
sort Of Louisiana, and in addition to the
wealthy Creole visitors were the artists
OF the French opera company, who inva-
nabiy came over from lie eros Paris.
They gave Comediettas and selections
Crescent city the previous winter. They
ana not come TO prey upon the visitors, as
Do the alleged artists who swarm at the
northern resorts, but gave their per-
iornances as complimentary to their
former patrons.
But the civil war ended the romantic
NE OF lie Petit Paris. IL was occupied
alternately by confederate and federal
troops. and occasional bands of iay-hawk-
efs visited this Acadian settlement aud
robbed the people. To them one side was
40 better nor worse than the other, but
'Ael drew the bead on the iay-hawkers.
he close OF the war found them as eX-
UNsive as before, and they are as imper-
NOUS to outside influences to-day as they
We're then. Like the Bourbons Of
france, they neither learn nor
luFget. They are proud of their
ancient lineage, proud Of their isola-
uou' and never tire of relating the story
VI Ihe suferings Of their ancestors, and of
'eaIng aud singing the romantic story Of
sweet Evangeline." But one must come
Wen recommended before the Acadian,
STspcious Of all other people will talk.
"9eh that is gained, their hospitality
limited