The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26

among them. and most OF their number
married the daug hters OF anteoedent Nor
man settlers. DR.. Munro has no doubt that
had the colony been left permanently in
the hands Of the Rouen and Dieppe mer-
chants its population would have been
Norman tinged with Angevin; but in 1858
the control OF Canada was taken from
the commercial company which had pre-
viously administered it, and the country
became a royal province Theeupon an
influx of settlers from other parts OF the
dominions Of Louis XIV began, small
parties coming from Picnrdy, Potion and
Gascony TO take up lands in New France
1lM' immigration opened up new phase in
the evolution Of the colony from racial
point or view for while the Norman ele-
ment remained very strong it WAS unable
completely To assimilIte the non Norman
settlers. who now began to arrive in larger
numbers Many OF the newcomers were
from Paris ana the surrounding districts,
but these were for the most part. Govern
ment officials, priests, traders and others
WIN did not tdke up tautis. When more
over. French regiments Of regular troops
were disbanded In the colonies both soldiers
and officers married either colonials or
women whom the King sent out to New
France in considerable numbers during the
years 1867 and l672. The colonial church
registers show that even Of these more than
half gave Normandy as their place OF biIth.
On the whole, our author deems it probable
that Of tho total population Of New France
computed in 1880 at somewhat less than
5000 souls at least four-hiths were either
u
had married Norman wives IL ia true
that during the next three quarters OF a
century there was steady inpour OF
settlers from various parts OF France, almost
every province contributing its quota
Even thsn however Normandy sent many
moro than its share, and the Norman popu-
lation IN the colony increased with striking
rapiditv owing 10 the high birth rate II
was observed that the Norman settlers
went on the land more readily than did the
other immigrants many OF whom took up
residence in the towns 10 engage in trade
When eventually the colony passed into
English hands the exodus TO France was
mainly OF officials priests and tovnsmen
Few went from the rural districts nus 1t
was that the Norman element retained
decisive performance down 20 and after
the conquest. and thus It came 10 pass that
the French speaking communities OF an
ada employ 10 this day almost exclusively
the Norman accent and forms Of speech.
This j. a matt Of Importance from
sociological point - view. for the Normans
of the seventeenth century we're sturdy
thrifty and Industrious stock. admirably
fitted for the tasks Of pioneer life in new
d fAfA
have been their procriyity FOR disputing
among themselves proclivlty oil "hlch
we hear so much in contemporary french
literature and throughout the French
colonial period the officials had reason TO
complain OF tho extreme lltigiolsness OF
the coionists The law courts we're kept
busy settling the most trivial controversies,
the long winter giving the settlers ample
SCOPE to indulge in chickering's Of every
kind. Ii must be said however. in his
favor. that in both the Indian and English
wars the Norman hahitant proved himself
an excellent fighter daring to fault.
and capable Of enduring the most severe
hardships In the arts OF peace, on The
other hand no was conservative IMAM
bilious and even unprogressive This back
wardness il attributed by DR.. Munro in
part TO a marked lack OF initiative. but we
are reminded that the administrative sys-
TEN under which the subjects OF Louis
XIV lived, both in Old France and New,
was not such as 70 afford them much OPP
portnity for economic advance. even had
they been naturally progressive. Al all
times an answering loyalty, both TO ria
sovereign aud TO his church. chara otedl7ed
the Ina bitant, and the rigorous demands
which both made on his time and means
placed hun under a serious handicap in
his struggle for a comfortable subsistence