New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-09


nersons 90 hardly amounts to defence, except az
70 immediate responsibility for the murder or
Edward Howe by the Indians. who fired on a
flag OF truce.
From first TO last the English in Nova SCOTIA
aimed first TO prevent the migration or the
Acadlans into French territory, and second 10
reconcile them to English rule. From hrs' u
| last the only question was one OF loyalty as eA-
| pressed in the usual oath. There were Cover
nors who endeavored to win the Acadians py
mild measures and who kept back the main
question in the hope that the people would yleid
sooner or ter Of their own accord. These Gov
errors are duly praised by Mr. Richard. There
were other Governors who had stern views as 20
the duties OF subjects. and respecting these no
anecdoe If 1t Is dlscredltable Is too trivial Tor
| Mr. Richards pen. But taken altogether, the
documents which he gives and his own COM
mentary justify the belief which Parkman
work creates that on the whole the Acadians up
| to the last moment were treated with as much' II
not more than as much. kindness was shown
! TO the English cOlOnsts. There Is one vital fact
which Parkman seems to take for granted, but
which apparently escapes Mr. Richard, namely.
that the whole body Of English colonlsts must
have been nmcal to the Acadians as neutrals,
and that no Government could withstand this
| popular feeling for indefinite length Of time.
Colonel Lawrence. Governor of the colony at the
time of the expulsion. later fell under the dis
pleasure Of the Nova Scotians, and they drew up
an informal complaint against him. In that
paper II anywhere the repugnance of the Eng
lish to the treatment received by the Acadians
should have found place: but there Is no COM
plant except as to the delay In sending away
the ships with the exiles on board and the con-
seurent cost to the colony. II 1t a crime to
! expel the Acadians. it cannot be charged solely
upon the authorities but must be shared by
all the English colonists. This justihes Park
mans view OF the events as merely Incidental
| to the death struggle for the possession Of the
continent In which France and England were
! engaged. Lawrence's honesty does not figure in
the affair except to enhance It's brutality; and
Parkman 10 not to be blamed for ignoring in his
brief story all that Mr. Richard dwells upon
so infinitely All that h. said about Lawrence
is substantiated by the records What he
omitted 10 say not pertinent to the history
/ Of the continent though useful IN defence OF
/ the Acadans.
II the criticisms Of Mr.. Richard had occurred to
/ parkman h. would doubtless have said that what
! Lawrence did would have beer done In any case.
soon or late. by some authority. He held that the
/ situation of the English palliated measure
which was too harsh and indscriminatc to be
! wholly Justified II did not even occur - him
| that the question Of profit from the coniiscation
! ~ the Aoadian domain would be separated from
! the thought Of the colony whole. He alluded
! t. the slowness II immigration as showing that
a desire for tho lands was not a motive. IS had
been alleged. Tor the expulsion. But Mr.. Rich
ard finds I'm mere avarce the cause for the whole
tragedy If the Acadlans He has this justfca-
ton that what profit actually accrued from the
,ha
Of the Governor and his polit al friends Colo
nlsts mad. thu charge at the time. The had
not word o say for the Acadans whose prop
oriy had been Withheld. Their only complaint
w,s that the money FOR which the property was
/ sofa GiI not get into the publ, treasury. and
/ they Acknowledged that vouchers might be- in
/ existence for this money. Lawrence died before
/ an Investigation could be made. Thus Mr.. Rich
ards explanation ot the affair rests on a partisan
/ accusation. which Parkman could rightly dis
! trust. II ~ better occasion than this Is found
! for charging him with fraud as q historian. then
/ Harvard College need never be ashamed that
''Montcalm and Wolfe" was dedicated to IT,
II IL true that Paikman was less enthusiastic
! In behalf Of the Acadians than some others had
! been He vas unequiyocay on the side Of the
/ English colonists in the long struggle with
/ France He saw In It struggle FOR liberty
/ against tyranny and Of progress against con-
servatism. As a confessed partisan Of ccnscrv
atism particularly Canadian Catholic con-
/ scrvatism Mr.. Richard Is justified In traverslng
/ Parknan's views. but hardly justified in traduc-
/ ing his character as n man and a historian. Mr..
| Richard takes pleasure. has been said. In re-
/ vlvlng anecdotes to the disrredi, Of those who
were the foes Of the old Acadia. Parkman
took equal pleasure in showing that. II the exllcs
7 ot.1 he they
were welcomed with anything bu; enthusiasm
by their French compatriots in Canada. The
matter t. worth mentioning. because 1t involves
Just that suppression Of evidence on Mr.. Rich
+ ard's part which he censures 40 severely in the
| case II Parkman Both historians agree that
numbers Of Acadans found their way to Que
bee Both agree that In at least fugi-
tives were swinded out OF everything they had
! in tho world by French Canadian But Mr..
/ Richard dcnounces Parkman for adding an in
dictment Of the whole French population of
/ Quebec on the strength If a single instance Of
/ dishonesty. What Parkman actually did was
t. quote Bougalnville's "Journal' in which
made the most sweeping statement concerning
/ Canadian rapacity and the wholesale mortality
among the refugees But Mr.. Richard does not
mention Rouganve. He garbles the quotation
and attributes 1t wholly to Parkman thus con-
voying the impression that the latter max
ing an appeal to his inner consciousness. In
short Mr. Richard has written clever book:
but IL would have been better If 1t had been
/ s,rlcted to pure history
EMERSON AND THE GUIDES.
From The Troy Times.
The poet Emerson credited with being
q handsome man. though people who knew him