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[RMd betore tiie (kNsiety, Jany. Itlb, 1910.] A good many learn history from Shakespeare and Walter Scott, and are apparently as well content as if their information had t)een derived from more aathentic sources ; nor is this to be wondered at,' when we know that the creations of these demigods of literature contain so much truth as to make the alloy supplied by the imagination readily pass current as having the. ring of the true coin. It is not, then, surprising, that, when Longfellow delighted the world with his beautiful poem of " Evangeline," the inoideats of which adhered so closely to what had been generally accepted as authenticated facts, and which itself was so well calculated to appeal to the higher sympathies of our nature, — it is not surprising that it was received • not only by his own countrymen, but by the people of England almost as a revelation of holy writ. So strongly did this feeling prevail, that at the time of its publication in England in 1849, it was introduced by the publisher as follows : " The beautiful poem of Evangeline cannot fail to awaken painful feelings in the mind of every thoughtful Englishman. m i WANaBLINB AND THE ARCHIVES OF NOVA SCOTIA, OR t> It recalls to recollection one of those deplorable acts of cruelty and unfeeling tyranny, which too frequently marked the career of our early colonization and conquest. British iiistory . takes little notice of the transaction : but on the north shore of the Atlantic, the scene of the afllicting events, it is still remembered and pourtrayed in vivid colours, forming one of the most interesting portions of household narrative and tradition. Whatever may have been the crimes of some of the Acadians, it is undeniable that as a people they were treated with unnecessary cruelty; and though the circumstances are well nigh obliterated from the pages of authentic history, they have an imperishable record in the pages of " Evangeline." ^ Haliburton, writi.:^ in 1839, uses this language : — " It is very remarkable that there are no traces of this important event to be found among the records in the Secretary's office in Halifax. 1 could not discover that the correspondence had been preserved, or that the orders, returns, or memorials, had ever been filed there. In the letter-book of Governor Lawrence, which is still extant, no ccnmunication to the Board of Trade is cntored from the 24th Dec, 1754, to the 5th Aug., 1756, if we except a common victualling return. The particulars of the affair seem to have, been carefully concealed, although it is not now easy to assign the reason, unless the parties were, in truth, as they well might be, ashamed of the transaction. I have, therefore, had much difficulty in compiling this account." 1 ; Minot, Hutchinson and PAbb^ Raynal were the chief sonrees of Haliburton's information ; but it is due to him to say, that -i i^v^hile he looked on the deportation as " a stain on the "■< Provincial Councils," and " would not attempt to justify what V*. all good men have agreed to ccndemn,"yet he admits, that, " by many, t'Abb6 Raynal 's account is thought to represent a state of social happiness totally inconsistent with the frailties and passions of human nature, and that it is worthy r^ rather of the poet than the historian. •■ v" ^ '"^^ ■' .r, i »yf" lA, OR tflofcrnHty narked the itish iiistory north shore 8, it is still ling one of rrative and of some of e they were cumstances tic history, pages of e:--«It is s important ary's office espondence memorials, of Governor tion to the 1754, to the ing return. ?e« carefully the reason, be^ ashamed lifficulty in hief sources to say, that lain on the justify what ;dmits, that, o represent t with the t is worthy THE HUrrRT AND PROSl Or HISTORT. 7 It is possible that no exception might have been taken to the published accounts of this really deplorable event, had not the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia, on the 30th April, 1857, on the motion of the Honble. Joseph Howe, adopted a resolution requesting the Lt.-Governor '* to cause the ancient records and documents illustrative of the early hiptory and progress of society in this Province, to be examined, preserved and arranged, either for reference or publication, as the Legislature may hereafter determine." ,£;^ In 1864, two hundred volumes of manuscripts had been selected, arranged, catalogued, and bound, by the intelligent " Commissioner of Records," T. B. Akins, Esq., who, in 1869, published by authority a volume entitled " Archives of Nova Scotia ;" from the preface to which, the following extract is taken :--»r.^r t>a -Tefjj «?iimi! Jpfi) tMdi;>! '- " The expulsion of the French Acadians from Nova Scotia is an important event in the history of British North America, and has lately derived peculiar interest from the frequent reference made to it by modern writers. Although much iias been written on the subject, yet until lately it has undergone but little investigation, and in consequence, the necessity for their removal has not been clearly perceived, and the motives which led to its enforcement have been often misunderstood. I have, therefore, carefully selected all documents in possession of the government of this Province, that could in any way throw light on the history and conduct of the French inhabitants of Nova Scotia, from their first coming under British rule until their final removal from this country." With this introduction, I shall now invite attention to the poem of " Evangeline," and to the ^^ Archives" which bear on the same events, not asking assent to any deductions of ray own till we have concluded our review. The poem of " Evangeline" opens with some lines descriptive of a portion of " Acadia" at the time of its 5. ! 8 BVAMOBLIlfK AND THB ARCHIVES or IfOTA HCOTIA, UK publi'satinn in 1849, and then introduces us to the Village of Grand Pr6, in September, 1765 : — r . .f: (.y. . f^ v;, /Vft •' This \a tlie forert primeval ; bat where are the hearts that beneath it '^ LeapeJ like the roe, wiicn hehearsin thewoodland the voice of the huntamanf Where is the thatoh-roofed village, the home of the Acadian rarmers — Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands, -^1% Darkened by shadows of earth, but retlecting an image of heaven 7 , .^ Waste are those pleasant farms, and the farmers for ever departed I Scattered like dust and leaves, when the mighty blasts of October Seize them and whirl them aloft, and sprinkle them far o'er the Ocean. Naught but tradition remains of the beautiful village of Orand Pr6. « In the Acadian land on the shores of the Basin of Minas, Distant, secluded, still, the little village of Orand Prd Lay in the fruitful valley. Vast meadows stretched to the eastw&rd, Giving the village its name, and pasture to flocks without number. ' , 1/, " There, in the midst of farms, reposed the Acadian village ; Strongly built were the houses, with frames of oak and chestnut, Such as the peasants of Normandy built in the reign of the Henries. ^ ' Thatched were the roofs, with dormer windows ; and gables, projecting Over the basement below, protected and shaded the doorway. There, in the tranquil evenings of sumnier, when brightly the sunset Lighted the village street, and gilded the vanes on the chimneys, Matrons and maidens sat in snow-white caps and kirtles, Scarlet and blue and green, with distaffs epinniug the golden flax." - And— -in v' ■■'--- '• ■* ;.i».eib ;.v^H'-,.-^; '";;>'S4' ; ,1,. u," Anon from the belfry Hfiu ^»J>!,." v tl'^^" Softly the Angelns sounded, and over the roofs of the village Columns of pale blue smoke, like clouds of incense ascending, , . ^ Bose from a hundred hearths, the homes of peace and contentment. < -. Thus dwelt together in love these simple Acadian fanners^ — Dwelt in the love of God and man. Alike were they free from Fear that reigns with the tyrant and envy the vice of republics ; Neither locks had they to their doors, nor bars to their windows ; But their dwellings were open as the day and the hearts of the owners j There the richest was poor, and the poorest lived in abundance." ■ Ten years before this, the Sieur Marin, with a detachment of Canadians and Indians, had been despatched on a mission to Acadia, by the Government at Quebec ; and the result is given us in a letter from Messrs. OeBeauhamois >■ \ .'•■ -. ^ii ■/*.-'.-' >," UH THE POCTRT AND PIIO0I Or HIBTORT; 9 village of neath it liiintaman T ners — -J" n? edi er Ooean. wBrd, «r. iriea. ojeoUng unset h ■■IP J ■>>■•. ■i'^' lent *irnen; with a espatobed ibeo ; and !auhamois and Hocqnart to Count de Maurc,>aii, under date of Itth Sept.; 1746 : — '* As rpgards the dixposition of the inhabitint* towards UP, all, wlih the pxception of a very small portion, .ire tJesiroua of returning nnder the French dominion. Sieur Marin and the officers of his detachment, as well a.' the missionaries,^ have assured us of this ; they will not hesitate to take up arms as soon as they themselves are at liberty to do so ; that iiS, as soon as wo shall become masters of Port Royal, or they have powder or other munition!* of war, and will be backed by some sedentary troops for *heir protection against the resentment of the English. *' We have explained the conduct tne English will probably observe towards the Acadiaos. We cannot imagine that they could entertain the idea of removing these people, in order to substitute Englishmen in their stead, unless the desertion of the Indians should embolden ihem to adopt such a course, utterly iahumaa as it may be. The Acadians have not extended their plantations since they have come under English dominion ; their houses are wretcht'l wooden boxes, vrithout conveniences and without ornamentb and scarcely containing the most necessary furniture ; but they are extremely covetous of specie. Since the settlement of lie Royale, they have drawn from Louisburg, by means of their trade in cattle, and all the other provisions, almost all the specie the King annually sent out ; it never makes its appearance again ; they are particularly careful to conceal it. What object can they have, except to secure for themselves a resource for an evil day } Already many of them have caused enquiries to be made, whether they could find lands here to settle on, and whether they would be admitted to enter on them. We have avoided all answer.** . .;, c. ij*. To do justice to the subject, we must go back to the 2nd October, 1710, to the capture, by General Nicholson, of Fort Royal from the French under Subercase. Previous to this date, England, though claiming the country from its discovery by Cabot, in 1497, had maintained no permanent hold, and for V. r 10"*' BVANOrLINB AHD THB AUCHIVBI Or NOTA BCOTIA, OK upwards of a century there had been a cobstant change of rnasters ; and the Inhabitants, or Acadians^ hadnoRoner •oknowledged themselves the subjects of one Crown, when, without the slightest regard to their feelings, interests, or wishes, they were transferred by treaty to the other. But it would seem that it was now decided to hold it, and by the fifth Article of the capitulation it was declared "th'.tthe inhabitants within a cannon-shot of Port Royal should reinain upon their estates, with their corn, cattle, and furniture, during two years, in case they should lot be desirous to go before ; they taking the oaths of allegiance and fidelity to her sacred Majesty of Great Britain." , ,».v* , *. By the treaty of peace signed at Utrecht, 11th April, 1713, " all Nova Scotia or Aisadia compfKhended within its ancient boundaries, as also the city of Port Royal, now called Annapolis Royal," were yielded and made over to the Queen of Great Britain ; and by the 14th Article : ** It is expressly provided that in all the said colonies to be yielded and restored by the most Christian King, in pursuance of this treaty, the subjects of the said King may have liberty to remove themselves within a year-io any other place, as they may think fit, together with all their moveable effeds. But those >yho are willing to remain there, and to be subject to the Kingdom of Gl-reat Britain, are to enjoy the free exercise of their religion according to the usage of the Church of Rome, as far an Hie laws ofQreal Britain do allow the same.** ""7: It will also be right to have in full the letter of Queen Anne, under date 23rd day of June of the same year : — ** Anne, R. " Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well : whereas our good brother, the most Christian King, hath at our desire released from imprisonment on board his galleys such of hia subjects as were detained there on account, of their professing the Protestant religion : We, being willing to shew, by some mark of our favour towards his subjects, how kind we take I »« - - I . II JPJill A, 0> change of no M) mer »rn, when, te rests, or er. But it id by the "th'.t the lid remain farniture, ous to go Kdelily to pril, 1713, its ancient w called the Queen expressly elded and 36 of this I liberty to , as they ''eds. But ject to the xercise of of Rome, )t of Qo^eo lereas our our desire uch of his irofesaing , by some d we take «!■ romv AND PKOM or HirroKT. 11 his compliance therein, have therefore thought fit hereby to signify our will and pleasure to you, that you permit such of them us have any lands or tenements in the places under our government in Acadia and Newfoundland, that have been, or are to l>e yielded to us by virtue of the late treaty of peace, and are irilling to continue our suhjpcts, to retain and enjoy the said lands and tenements, without any molestation, as fully and freely as other our subjects do or may possess their lands or estates, or to sell the same if they shall rather choose to remove elsewhere. AnJ for so doing, this shall \m your warrant, and so we bid you h*>urtily farewell. Given at our Court at Kensington, the 2Srd day of June, 1719, and in the 12th year of our reign. : A. ,: , b. ... , ..' By Her Majesty's command, ';.': * * ;( V " '^ '•<^'« Dartmouth." !( will be well here to note, that the 14th Article of the treaty limits the right of removal to one year; whereas, unless taken in connexion with the treaty, the Queen's letter assigns no limit. After the death of Anne, in January, 1714, two officers were commissioned to proceed to the different settlements in the colony, to proclaim His Majesty King George, " and tender the oath of allegiance to the French inhabitants, with such English as ye shall find, and administer the same to such as are willing to take them, in the form prescribed, and will be loyal and good subjects to His most Sacred Majesty George, King of Great Britain." By a letter addressed by Colonel Vetch to the Lords of Trade, on 24th Nov. following, we learn that, from the best computation, the numl)er of French was " about five hundred families, at the rate of five persons to a Tamily," making two thousand five hundred souls ;- all of which, with the exception of two familic!*, had bound themselves to remove, and that several of them had already done so, the rest designing to do so next summer, after harvest. It EVANOIMNB AND THK ARCHIVR* or NOVA MTOTIA, OH Un t)i« Sri) Mav, 1715, Governor Caulticid wrote to lh« Seorethry of SlHle that the French inhabitants had rufuned lu taku the oaths or to (|uit the colony. .... ., In 1717, the Acadiana were again called upon to swear allegiance, when they replied: " I'niess we are protected from the navageB, we cannot take the oath demanded of us, without expuaing ouraeivoH to have our throats out." In 1719, Governor Philips complained to the Board of Trade that P^res Vincent and Felix had assumed the functi^ios of Governors at Minas and Chignecto, and were inciting the French and Indians a^^ainst the English ; and he further reported to Lord Carteret that there were on the Isthmus four colonies of about 500 families, besides a settlement of 100 families at Annapolis, who, finding their new masters in no condition to oblige them to the observance of the treaty, remained on their possessions in defiance of the Government, and only waited a rupture between England and France to re-establuh thejormer Government, there being only two hundred men in the fort to restrain them. In 1720, Lieut.-Govemor Major Lawrence called on the Acadians to send six deputies to confer with him, and also again summoned them to take the oath of allegiance; but, instead of complying, they addressed the following letter to M. St. Ovide, Governor of Cape Breton : — '• " ""^ ''"'■ ■ ^ "May 6th, 1720. "We take the liberty of writing to you, sir, by the Revd. P. Justinian, in order to present to you our very humble respects. We have up to the present moment preserved the purest sentiments of fidelity to our invincible monarch. The time has arrived When we need his royal protection and . assistance, which you, sir, may give us on this occasion. The English general whom we have expected for a long time has arrived, provided, as he has informed us, with full authority from his prince to compel us to take the oath of allegiance, ■TIA, OK krrote to the id rufiued to >n to swear ire prnteoted adud of ua, It." lo Board of iBsumed the , and were lish ; and he ivere on the besides a inding iheir I observance fiance of the 'Ung/and and being only lied on the m, and also [iance; but, ing letter to 6th, 1720. the Revd. 'ery humble eserved the larch. The tection and ision. The ng time has ill authority allegiance, V »'' ^ THK POBTKY AND PIIOSB Or HISTOaVt ^'-^'" «49 or leave the country within four mantha^ withnut Mng allowed to tak$ utoiitf toith us any part of our jtersowd property^ except two sheep per family ; he claims the rest as the property of the king, his mdster. However, in this very pressing juncture, we have preserved our fidelity to our king, in declaring anew that we will persist in being faithful to our prince and U) our religion, as you will see by the copy which we send you of the reply to the proclamation published by the said general." , .., On thd other Kand, the reply seat to the Govemor^s summons contained this paragraph : — " You reproach us, sir, ii. the proclamation, with having remained on our property more than the year stipulated in the articles of peace. We have the honor to reply, that it was impossible for us to do Otherwise, for the following reason : that though permission to sell our real estate was granted to us, yet we have not been able to do so, not having yet found a purchaser ; the above p ivilege, therefore, has been useless to us. Moreover, by a letter of the late Queen Anne, of happy memory, it was ordered that a valuation of our property shouid be made^ and the amount of said valuation should be paid im, as was done on the evacuation of Placentia and other places ceded to the Queen by the King of France.'?,.,, „ „..;.„i o.. The letter of Queen Anne contains no such order; but there is much reason to believe that the simple, ignorant people were told so by emissaries from Canada and Louis- burg, who were constantly going about urging them to decline either to take the oaths or to leave the country, under the confident statement (by no means unlikely) that the King of France would soon again reconquer it; and Governor Philips, in a letter to M. St. Ovide, of 10th August, 1720, wrote : — ^^ It in not denied that Queen Anne granted to these inhabitants, as well as to those of Piacentia, the liberty which you mention, of which some took advantage in leaving within the limited time ; but of which others have justly lost the advantage, through their negligence or presumption. . B LJ:ia I 'ii iil ii piBw ii iiiBiiiriiiwnMiir^ L-* 14 XVANOBLINK AND TH« ARCHIVES OF WOVA SCOTIA, OB . Your commissioners, even, who came here to regulate this affair, in the time of General Nicholson, agreed that thero was but one year's grace, and disputed only wheliier its commencement should be reckoned from the date of the said treaty or from the time of the convention of the inhabitants here, for the purpose of being instructed as to this favor. Since that time, they have not been prevented from with- drawing. Many of them left, and sold their possessions according to the Queen's intentions ; but you must admit that there is a great difference of time between one and seven years that they have remained in his Majesty's dominions, in the full enjoyment of their property, until they have begun to think that they have more right here than his Majesty himself. So you ought not to be surprised if his Majesty at this time thinks proper, for the security of his dominions, to summon them in this manner, demanding of them their allegiance if they continue in the country, on the most advantageous terms they could possibly expect or desire ; or to leave this country without having any regard to them.'* Prom a careful and dispa) sionate perusal of the Archives^ we cannot fail to come to the conclusion that the British authorities refrained from enforcing the treaty up to this date, for two very cogent reasons : in the first place, they were unwilling to drive from the Province the only settlers that were in it ; in the second place, there were several times between the peace of Utrecht and 1755 when they were not in a position to enforce compliance, even if it had been thought desirable. In reference to the first statement, Q-overnor Mascarene thus wrote in 1720 :— " There are but two reasons which may plead for keeping the French in the country : 1st. Depriving the French of the additional strength they would acquire by the immigration to Cape Breton ; 2nd. The use they might b? put to in providing necessaries for erecting fortifications, tilling lands, and keeping up a stock of cattle, till the English themselves are powerful enough to go on.^^ *-i .. aa lA, OB »HB POETRY AND PROS! OP HI8T0BY. 15 gulate this that them rheilier its uf the said inhabitants this favor, from with- K>8sessions admit that seven years ), in the fall n to think mself. So t this time 3 summon allegiance vantageous > leave this I Archives^ the British this date, they were s that were es between e not in a :en thought Mascarene which may . Depriving acquire by they might )rtification8, the English r) The Acadians, on the other hand, had two very powerful motives which urged them to remain : the first and purest was love of country, which never burnt stronger in any people; the second, the desire to retain their property, strengthened by the confidence that the King of France would soon again be master of the country. » i .-• -. . - 1 k The element of religion also unhappily exerted its powerful influence. We have seen that by the treaty of Utrech* Uo free exercise of the Roman Catholic religion was conciied but with the proviso, ''as far as the laws of Great Britain do allow the same." The British Governors and the French ecclesiastical authorities, unfortunately, entertained very different views as to how this clause was to be interpreted. The free exercise of their religion implied the right of having priests, which was at once conceded; but then the great difficulty encountered by a Protestant government in dealing with a Roman Catholic hierarchy intervened. The mii sionaries had their superiors either in Canada or Cape Breton, and felt that the ecclesiastical tie which bound them was superior to any temporal obligation. The English Governors asserted that the instructions which the missionaries received were such as were opposed to English interests, and led them to assume a!'*hority in things temporal as well as in things spiritual : in short, that they were striving to be the virtual governors of the country. To counteract this, it was insisted that the Bishop of Quebec should only exercise his authority through the English Governor, and should send no missionary into the Province without his licence, aim .hat the missionary so licenced should, before entering on his functions, present himself to the duly-constituted authorities and take the oath of allegiance. Some of the missionariei .made no objection to taking the oath, and, as the Archives shew, discharged their duties faithfully to their flocks, and in such a manner as to secure the respect and support' of the Governors. Others refused or evaded the oath, and became the subject of correspondence between the Governors and the 16 KVANOKLmE AND THE ARCHIVES OF NOVA SCOTIA, OR Bishop of Quebec, and M. St. Ovide, the French commandant at Louisburg. It would also appear that in 1725 the Frisnoh authorities, both ecclesiastical and temporal, had apparently conceded the demands of the English ; but Governor Arm- strong, in a letter \o the Duke of Newcastle, of December 2nd, in that year, complains of a breach of faith on the part of M. St. Ovide : — " Notwithstanding those his fair promises, I have had the good luck to take two of his passports, the one for trading, the other carrying a missionary priest, both with his directions, coming into this G-overnment, contrary to his faith. A copy of the said passports I herewith inclose for your grace's Information." On the 28rd June, 1729, Governor Armstrong wrote to the Lords of Trade : — "The first person I shall take notice of, for his notorious insolence, is Monsieur Breeley, the Popish priest of this River, who having for some time past endeavored to withdraw his people from their dependence on this Government, by assuming to himself the authority of a judge in civil affairs, and employing his spiritual censures to force them to submission. His insolence and tyranny growing at last insupportable, I sent the Adjutant to him, to his house, -which stands a little way from the Fort, to desire to speak I with him, but his intelligence proved so good, though nobody was acquainted therewith but Major Cosby, that, before the Adjutant could reach his house, he was gone off, and has 1 «ver since absconded somewhere in the woods about this , River, among the Indians, pursuing his former practices of obstructing H. M. service, and exciting the savages to mis- chief. To prevent which, I thought proper, by order published V at the Mass-House, to command him to be gone out of the ^ Province in a month's time." But the most able, the most active, and the most unscru- pulous opponent of English policy, and who did most to I bring about the deportation of the unhappy confiding Acadians, ; was one who appeared on the stage at a somewhat later date, ' and who acquired for himself an unenviable notoriety in lil WpM --'iw i i1>i.;iiWa .\V t' .t i 'iiWMim'$0li1 Bit: flA, OR omtnandant the Fnsnch apparently ernor Arrn- : December on the part ir promises^ jrts, the one t, both with trary to his inclose for nrrote to the lotice of, for the Popish endeavored Qe on this ^ of a judge ires to force growing at o his house, lire to speak lugh nobody , before the off, and has about this practices of ages to mis- er published 2 out of the Dost unscm-' lid most to ig Acadians, at later date, notoriety in THE POKTRY AND PR08K OF HISTORY. tT Acadian annals — the Abb6 Louis Joseph de La Loatre. This unprincipled man was sect to Canada by the Society of Foreign Missions in 1737. He became missionary to the Mic-Mac Indians of Acadie iu 1740-1, and at once made himself obnoxious to Governor Mascarene by inciting the Acacllatis to opposition ; and there is abundant proof in the Archives that from the date of his arrival to the capture of Fort Beausejour, he was the most determined and uncom- promising enemy of British authority. [ /■■ .^ 4; '; i In the winter of 1730, Governor Philips had induced the Acadians of Annapolis River to subscribe the following oath : ^ Je promets et jure ^inc^rement en foi de chr^tien, que je ' serai entierement fiddle et ob^irai vraiment Sa Majesty le Roi Qeorge le Second, que je reconnoi pour le Souverain Seigneur de I'Acadie ou Nouvelle Eoosse. Ainsi, Dieu me floit en aide." aiv -^Miw% M'l J^v-iiii Oi>f- .1 -.wiAj k:- if*it; There are 228 signatures attached, and it is worthy of note, as shewing the state of education, that no less than 48 of these subscribers wrote their own names* 1 i'ii&-uiGmK.fA *r« tfiu:,- . -, ■ ■ , ■>* « You have at last, my dear sir, got into the very trouble which I foresaw and predicted long ago. The refugees could not fail to get into misery sooner or later, and to charge you with being the cause of their misfortunes. • • • • The Court thought it necessary to facilitate their departure from their lands ; but that is not the concern of our profession. It was my opinion that we should neither say anything against the course pursued nor anything to induce it. I reminded you, a long time agg, that a priest ought not to meddle in temporal affairs, and that if he did so, he would always create enemies, and cause the people to be discontented. " I am now persuaded that the General and all France will not approve of the return of the refines to their lan^s, and >' lA, Olt you by the g reauy to ships, is to each other aid we are d that they rge militia hat be true, Its for the lasparos in and militia to decide ^49, that he tants, to be e Acadians B the oaths, of Quebec, se, and the prehension, ery trouble he refugees id to charge • * • • ir departure r profession, y anything tiduce it. I ghX not to >, he would )le to be France will lands, and ^yf Ai. THr POETRY AND PROSB OF HISTORY. 91 the English Government must endeavour to attract them. Those refagees would do well to demand — Ist. The free exercise of their religion, and by no means to allow their priests to be compelled, as it were, to ask a blessing from the Governor. They should take oare that the Bishop shall have power to visit them at least every five years, .-f^'.'*'' 'M},pi*mfif, " 2. That they shall neither take up arras against the French or their allies, nor even act as pilots. 4>«. ••»*,.•.,- "t*.-.- ;» " 3. That they shall have .the right to leave the country whenever they think proper to do so. Exhort them strongly not to return to the English without these conditions^ make it appear that without a precise explanation, religion would gradually disappear from among them." >- Things had arrived at such a state in 1753, that the British authorities not only offered no opposition to the withdrawal of the Acadians, but entered seriously into the consideration of the propriety of removing them ; and Governor Hopson took great pains to ascertain the total number of Indians and Acadians, and reported on the 23rd July, to the Lords of Trade, that there were 973 families of Acadians and about 300 families of Indians. It would, however, appear that in September following, the Acadians having sent in to Governor Hopson a memorial couched in the terms recommended by the Bishop, he gave them permission to return and resume their lands, to have the free exercise of their religion, " in the same manner as the other French inhabitants, and shall enjoy all the privileges granted them by the treaty of Utrecht," on their taking the following oath : ** Je promet et jure sinc^rement, que je serai fiddle, et que je porterai une loyaut§ parfaite vers Sa Majest6 Le Roi George Second. Ainsi, que Dieu me soit en aide." Very little good resulted from these negociations ; and in lli^, th9 Acadians, who, at the suggestion of LaXioaUet ba4 ■y* y . fctw hw yrt . vrn w w nifmt^^m mmimmm' mmmm 9S BVANOBLIIfB AMD THl ARCHIVES Of NOVA SCOTIA, OK abandoned their farms at Minas and Beaubassin, and removed beyond the isthmus, sent deputies to Quebec, who \/ere *^ pretty badly received by the General ;" and the Archives give a letter, of date Nov. 9, where the following passages occur : — " Your policy of threatening the English by our savages is an excellent one. They will fear them still more when they do strike. I regard these savages as the mainstay of the colony ; and in order to keep alive this spirit of hatred and revenge, we must remove every occasion of allowing it to be bribed ; and the present condition of Canada demands that those nations which are strongly connected should strike without delay, provided the order shall not appear to come Jrom me, because I have precise instructions to remain on the defensive." La Loutre and Daudin continued their efforts, and in 1755 the British Government determined to strike a blow which it trusted would effectually put an end to their machinations. La Loutre, accompanied by a large body of Acadians, retreated to Fort Beausejour, which was besieged by Col. Monokton, to whom it surrendered on the 16th June, La Loutre having escaped before the surrender. There were foui.d in the Fort 150 regulars and SOO Acadians ; 450 Acadians had also been stationed at a block-house on the River Malaguash. On the surrender of Beausejour, the Governor was instructed to consult and take measures with Admirals Boscawen and Mostyn as to any further emergency, and it was resolved that the Acadians should again be called upon to tako the oaths without reserve, or that effectual measures should be at once taken to remove them from the Province. It so happened that on the 9th July the British arms sustained, on the Banks of the Monongahela, the most disastrous defeat ever experienced, General Braddock having beefi completely routed, with terrible loss. This news was communicated to the Acadians by the Canadian emissaries, coupled with the confident announcement that the British would soon be driven from Acadia. The inhabitants were so emboldened by this, that when they were called upon 4o take the oath, they I 1 I, OK 1 removed vho \/ere hives give ; occur : — ages is an en they do 16 colony ; svenge, we ribed ; and se nations lout delay, because I Tin: PovmT avd piiosb or HisroRVt 2S re." md in 1756 low which ichinalious. IS, retreated Monokton, itre having in the Fort id also been h. "rernor was Admirals icy, and it |called upon measures Province. is sustained, krous defeat completely lunicated to with the tn be driven |ned by this, oath, they peremptorily refnsed, writing to Governor Lawrence : — ** As we are all well aware that the King our master loves and protects only constant, faithful, and free subjects, and as it is only by virtue of his kindness, and of the fidelity which we have always preserved towards his Majesty, that he has granted to us, and still continues to grant to us, the entire possession of our property, and the free and public exercise of the Roman Catholic religion, we desire to continue, to the utmost of our power, to be faithful and dutiful in the same manner that we were allowed to be by his Excellency Mr. Richard Philipp." ' On the receipt of this answer, and the deputies having peremptorily declined to take the oath, Gov. Lawrence, on the Slst July, wrote to Col. Monckton : — " The deputies of the French inhabitants of the districts of Annapolis, Minas and Pisiquid, having been called before this Council, have refused to take the oath of allegiance to his Majesty, and have also declared this to be the sentiments of the whole people ; whereupon the Council advised, and it is accordingly determined, that they shall be removed out of the country as soon as possible ; and as to those about the isthmus who were in arms, and therefore eutitled to no favor from the Government, it is determined to begin with them first ; and for this purpose, orders are given for a sufficient number of transports to be sent up the bay with all possible despatch for taking ther i on board, by whom you will receive particular instructions as to the manner of their being disposed of, the places of their destination, and every other thing necessary for that purpose. *' In the meantime, it will be necessary to keep this measure as secret as possible, as well to prevent their atlempting to escape as to carry off their cattle, &c. ; and the better 'o effect this, you will endeavor io fall on some stratagem to get the men, both young and old (especially the heads of families), into your power, and detain them till the transports shall arrive, so as they may be ready to be shipped off; for when I Lji ,Miiinm >i i '- t4 BVANOBLINII AWD THB ARCHIVES Of NOTA KIOTIA, OK , this is done, it is not much to be feared that the women and children will attempt to go away and carry off the cattle.*' In order to prevent the return of the Acadiann, or their joining and atrengthenirig their countrymen at Cape Dreloo, St. Johns, or Canada, it was decided that they should be sent in different detachments to Massachussels, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland^ Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York, — the Governors of which colonies received instructions as to their reception and the prevention of their return. We have already given estimates of the nnmbers of Acadians, talien at different periods by difTercnt Governors. The first census or estimate by Col. Vetch, in 1714, amounted to 2,500 souls, counting ySve to a family. . f> ^ « ^t»l According to Governor Hopson's census, they had inoretjHi^ in 1753 to 973 families, or 4865 souls. . ,i In 1755, the period at which we have now arrived, numbers who had been induced to emigrate to Canada, St. Johns, and Cape Breton, had returned ; and it is believed that there were then in Acadia about 7,000 souls. This is the t^stimate of G-overnor Lawrence ; Raynal says 18,000. As soon as the authorities had decided on the terrible alternative of deportation, instructions were issued to Colonel Winslow, commanding at Pisiquid', and Major Handfield at Annapolis Royal, which were in terms sufficiently considerate and humane, and calculated to secure that " whole families should go in the same vessel," and to make the removal *' as easy as His Majesty's service will permit." The Archives shew that eighteen vessels were chartered and suitably provisioned, and instructed to rendezvous at convenient stations. Those appointed to rendezvous in the Basin of Minas were destined to carry 500 persons to North i A, OR «•». THE POBTRY AND PROSB Or HISTORY. that the I carry off II, or their Eipe Breton, uld be sent 1 Carolina, and New instructions lurn. lumbers of Governors. [, amounted d increased iW arrived, [Canada, St. lieved that 'his is the 000. the terrible to Colonel andfield at considerate }le families imoval " as artered and dpzvous at ous in the ns to North Carolina ; 1000 to Virginia, and 500 or more to Maryland. Those in Annapolis river were to convey 300 persons to Philadelphia, 200 to New York, 300 to Connecticut, and 200 or more to Boston. The accounts shew that this was done at a cost of £6,568 7s. 6d., exclusive of provisions furnished by Government. •• All arrangements were completed, and the transports had arrived at the various places of the proposed embarkation about the sixth of September, when Col. Winslow issued his proclamation calling on the people to assemble to hear the King's orders, similar proclamations being published in the other districts ; and as the account given by Longfellow of the proceedings at Grand Pr^ is substantially correct, and probably furnishes a fair portrait of what took place at the other places, I shall read from Evangeline what is there said of this most heart-rending event : ' ■■■•, .«}' CANTO IT. ^^:t..^..f " PiMwantTy' r««e next morn' tlie sun on the village of Grand Prt. Pleasantly gleamed in the soft sweet air the Basin orMinoo, Where the ships, with their wavering shadows, were riding at anchor ; Lire had long been astir in the village, and olamorous labour Knocked with its hundred hands at the golden gates of the morning. Now, from the country round, from the farms and the neighbouring hamlets, Game in their holiday dresses the blithe Acadian peasants. Many a glad goo ' ' You are convened thm day,' ho aaid, 'by Uia Majealy'a ordera. ^ Clement and kind haa he been, but how you have anawored hia kindnea* Let your own hearts reply I To my natural make a:id my temper, Painful the taak ir T do, which to you I know muat be grievoua. Yet muat I bow and obey, and deliver the will of our monaioh ; Namely, that all your landa and dwellinga and cattle of all kinda, Forfeited be to the crown ; and that you youraelvea fVoin thia Frorinoe Be transported to other landa. Ood grant you may dwell there, Ever aa faithful aubjecta, a happy and peaceable people I Priaonera now I declare you ; for auob ia Ilia Majeaty'a pleasure,' " The effect of this address is then well given : "Silent a moment they atood in apeechleaa wonder, and then roae Louder and ever louder a wail of aorrow and anger, '^ And by one impulse moved they madly ruahed to the doorway. Vain waa the hope of eacape ; and cries and fierce imprecationa Rang through the house of prayer ; and high o'er the heada of the oihers Roae, with hia arms uplifted, the figure of Baail the blaclcflinith, Aa, on a stormy aea, a apar ia toaaed by the billows. Fluahed was hia face and distorted with paaaion ; and wildly he ahontad — " Down with the tyrants of England I we never have aworn them allegianc*, Death to these foreign soldiers, who aeise on our homes and our harvests t" More be fain would have said ; but the merciless hand of a soldier Smote him upon the mouth, and dragged him down to the pavement." In the midst of the strife and tumnlt, the door of the chancel opened, and Father Feiician entered. We have been com- pelled to give a portrait of a bad priest in the person of La Loutre ; we are now happy to recognize in Father Feiician u -H i m, 1, 1 .11 i wuXi ii A, on iroui, bMt. ohuralijranf, e headitoow ong Ibeiuy i«nt,— ftltar, D. I kindDCW ip«r, Province re.' oae the oiben ehouted— !mallegianoe> ir barreiU I" Idier irement." le chancel been corn- person of ;r Felician »♦/ TMB POmiT AND PMOtB Or HIITOIIT. the faithfal minister of the Master whom he profoss«d to serve, the apostle of peace and good-will among men, and who was the type of such priests as M. Bailly, whom the English delighted to honor, and whose services were publicly and ofTiciatly recognized on more occasions than one. Father Felician, ascending the steps of the altar, thus spake i " What is tbii that ye do, tny ohildrcn 7 What madneia hM lei^ed you T Forty ye»n of rry lift have I laboured among you, and taught you. Not in word alone, but in deed, (o lovo one another I It tliie the Ouit of my toile, of my y\r'» and prayers and prirations T Have jou lo eoon forgotten all leiaone of love and forgivenesa 7 Thie it the house of the Prince of Peace, and would you profane it Thus with violent deedn and hearts overflowing with hatred 7 Lo ! where the oruoifled Christ fVoin hia cross is gazing upon you I See in those sorrowful eyes what meekness apd holy compassion ! Hark hew those lips still repeat the prayer, ' O, Father, forgive them ? '* Let us repeat that prayer in the hour w><«n the wicked assail us ; "^ Let us reoeat it now, and say, ' O, Father, forgive them 1' " Few were his words of rebuke, but deep in the hearts of his people <' Sank they, and obs of contrition succeeded that passionate outbreak ; And they repeated bis prayer and said, " 0, Father, forgive them I " Time will not permit us to read the graphic description of oocurrenoeis between this and the day of embarkation, but we now resume : " Four times the sun had risen and set^ and now on the flflh day C ' Cheerily called the cock to the sleeping maids of the farm-house. . -, /, Soon o'er the yellow fields, in silent and mou.'iful procession, ,. r^me from the neighbouring hamlets and farms tl " By the waters of Babylon we sat do., i •' ^ ■ And wept, when we remembered thee, Sion. 4 -i' As for our harps, we hanged them -,'v. , On the trees that are therein : . s i;.' u . . [A, OR ig. '■'^ '■:;■• heir ohildren es on, and red ihipboard ; ?r6 !' I « ^ r lampmenU 1 whirlwind, horaea 'f: meadomu." ■-'■■■,.>" t> lenae. Can le bard of '■■"•^*^*^^-' ' Tme POBTRT AND PROSE or HISTORY \ ORY. ''' *• V t0 1 ■-> ^ .!?>'<■ r„.- ..^v; _"s . ,. "■. .i , . ■^ ''■••.' ■, ' ,•,.;. ■■ ;;..v*>;- For tbej that led us away captive required Of us a song and melody in our heaviness ' Sing us one of the songs of Sion t' How shall we sing the Lord's song In a strange land 7 If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my Right hand forget her cunning I" And Tlaliburton has written : — " The removal of the French neutrals forcibly reminds us of the pathetic lament of the Mantuan Shepherd, when driven from his patrimony by the victorious soldiers of Augustus : " O, Lycida, vivi pervenimtu,^ &c., &c. And every school-boy must recollect the wail of Melibceus : **Nos patrae fines et dulcia linquimus arm.** But to come down to later times when men professed Christianity, we only require to read a page in the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, — when, in 1492, " the decree was issued that all nnbaptized Jews, of whatever sex, age. or condition, should depart from the realm by the end of July next ensuing, prohibiting them from revisiting it on any pretext whatever, under penalty of death and confiscation of property. They were to go forth as exiles from the land of their birth ; the land where all whom they ever loved had lived or died ; the land not so much of their own adoption as of inheritance, which had been the home of their ancestors for centuries, and with whose prosperity and glory they were, of course, as intimately associated as was any ancient Spaniard. They were to b cast out helpless and defenceless, with a brand of infamy set on them among nations, who^had always held them in derision and hatred." A Genoese historian, an eye- witness, thus describes the scene : — " No one could behold the sufferings of the Jewish exiles unmoved. A great many perished of hunger, especially those of tonder years. Mothers, with scarcely strength to support themselves, 'tarried their famished infants in their arms, and died with them. Many fell victims to the cold, others to intense thirst, &c. The whole number expelled by Ferdinand and Isabella, is variously estimated from one hundred and sixty to eight hundred thousand." Let us hope that the smaller number is correct. D ■Vwr 10 EVANOKLINB AHD THK ABCHIVK8 OF NOTA 800TIA, OB w Whilst humanity must always deplore the dread necessity which compels the adoption of sue', extreme measures, it is gratifying to know that the expatriation of the Acadians, heart-rending as it undoubtedly was, was deprived of much bitterness by the manner in which it was actually carried out ; a)3d though it is true that in the hurry and confusion of embarkation, families were separated and sent to different colonies, yet we have undoubted evidence that this was subsequently remedied, and the lost found^and restored. And though it was the intention of the English to deport as many as possible, *' a nation with all its household gods was not borne into exile." A good many occasions had previously offered when the Acadians had of their own accord, or at the instance of such emissaries as La Loutre, abandoned their country; and even of the 7,000 which the official returns shew were still in Acadia in September, 1755, we havu no proof that more than 3,000 were deported in the British ships. We know that, when the ships arrived at Annapolis and Cumberland, the Acadiaus fled to the woods» carrying with them their wives and children. Hunger and exposure induced many to return and surrender ; many more joined the Indian encampments ; while others escaped to Canada, St. Johns, and Cape Breton. Many who had been sent to Carolina and the other colonies, gradually found their way back, and, during the troubled times preceding the conquest of Canada, in 1759-60, joined the Canadians and Indians, and, according to G-overnor Wilmot, " more than once had the audacity to attack the King^s troops ;" and we find by an official return of 22nd March, 1764, that there were stillin the Province 405families» numbering 1762 souls, besides 300 in St. Johns, who, to use their own written language to Governor Wilmot, "Acknowledging no sovereign but the King of France, earnestly request the Government to provide vessels to transport them to France, that they may prove to their prince how devoted they are to his service, and how lA, OR necessity Lsures, it is I Acadians, d of maoh illy carried onfasion of to different t this was id restored. deport as sehold gods sasions had their own La Loatre, which the smber, 1755, orted in the >8 arrived at 3 the woods. Hunger and , many more escaped to the other daring the ^, in 1759-60, : to Q-overnor attack the ^turn of 22 nd 405 families, }n8, who, to lor Wilmot, of France, vessels to )ve to their le, and how ^^«f tm POK'ST AND PBOSB Or HiaTOKT. 81 ready they are to sacrifice, not only their own lives, but the lives of their women and children. Besides, the religion which they profess causes them to persist earnestly in this natter.'* This is the same feeling which shewed itself so strongly in 1749, when English colonists began to mingle among them, when they wrote to Comwallis : " What causes us ell very great pain, is the fact that the English wish to live among us. This is the general sentiment." In reply to Governor Wilmot's letter aforementioned, Lord Halifax wrote : — " His most Chriotian Majesty's ministers assured him that the Court had no intention of interfering with respect to the removal of the Acadians. His Majesty considers the French Acadians in the same light with the rest of his Roman Catholic subjects in America. If they shall be willing to take the oaths of allegiance, and to become good subjects and useful inhabitants, it will be your care to settle them in such parts of your Government as may be agreeable to themselves, and at the same time consistent with the public peace and security. If, on the contrary, they cannot be prevailed on to settle in good humor, and for good purposes, the liberty of removing themselves out of the Province, or out of his Majesty's dominions, cannot be denied them as subjects." Finding no sympathy from the French G-ovemment, and retaining their aversion to the English, a number of families, amounting to 600 souls, departed in the following November to the French West Indies, in vessels chartered by themselves, although they had certain accounts that the climate had been fatal to many of their countrymen, who had emigrated from Georgia and Carolina. What was the fate of those who remained ? Let Longfellow answer : " Still stands the forest primeval ; but under the shade of its branohes Dwells another race, with other ouetoms and language. Only along the shore of the mournful and misty Atlantic " "■ H ETANOBLIKB AND THB ARCHIVKS OF NOVA BOOTIA, OR Linger a few Aoadian peaaants, whose fathers from exile v,f4,ftm .. Wandered baolc to their native land, to die in its bosom. ,;^> In the fisherman's oot, the wheel and the loom are still busy ; Maidens still wear their Norman caps and their kirtles of homespnU; And by the evening fire repeat Evangeline's story ; While from its rooky caverns, the deep-voiced neighbouring Ocean Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers to the wail of the forest." Fortunately, we are in a position to give a more pleasing and happy termination to an "o'er true tale." . , ,. • * Bouchette, writing in 1828, says : — " By the estimate made in 1764, two thousand six hundred were Acadians, who had escaped the general expulsion, or returned to the Province at the peace. In 1772, there were 2,100 Acadians and 865 Indians ;" and speaking of thtf time, he wrote : — " They settle together as much as possible, preserve their religion, language and customs, and never intermarry with their Protestant neighbours. As a people, they are moral, simple in their habits, cheerful in their disposition, and, though neither so intelligent, perhaps, or enterprising as the other inhabitants, are contented and happy." " The township of Clare is almost exclusively settled by Acadians. This township is in a flourishing condition ; farming, lumber, and the fisheries, are industriously and extensively carried on. There are several small vessels owned by the inhabitants ; they have erected between thirty and forty saw^mills and grist-mills." M. Cbauveau, referring to the subject, in his highly interesting Journal of the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1860, considers that the deportation was caused by " a cruel and misguided policy," and adds : — ** Many parishes in Lower Canada were settled by these refugees, and they are not among the less peaceable nor the less prosperous. The characteristics of the Acadian race still distinguish their descendants from the French Canadians. A certain number 'returned after the peace of 1760, and joined those who had escaped the deploi;pblc fate of their country ; their ?!• riA, OR M' %-' >oesa <« I forest." rSf >re pleasfaig tiraate made (IS, who had le Province ans and 865 ' They settle lir religion, with their loral, simple and, though \B the other township of Kans. This Inmber, and carried on. inhabitants ; ^w-mills and his highly ales in I860, a cruel and in Lower ey are not erous. The tgaish their ain number those who ntry ; their ■ THB POBniY AKD PmMI Ol* HttTOKT. M descendants form an important portion of the population of New Brunswick, Cape Breton, and Prince Edwaid'a Island. M. Rameau, a French writer, who is now visiting the Lower Provinces, and who had procured from the Archives of the Government in France statistical information of great value to the original settlers, considers that the natural increase of the Aoadians is even greater than that of the Canadians. He says that the actual Acadian population of the Lower Provinces is 95,000 souls, a figare which some will, perhaps, think somewhat exaggerated, but which must be nearly correct, since Mr. R.'s information was chiefly obtainru from the missionaries of the several Acadian parishes. As a general rule, education, has made little progress amopg the Acadians yet ; but at Arichat and other places where !».a6imiii:^vm^ In reference to the statements of rAbb6 Raynal and Messrs. Hoquart and Beauharnois, cited in the early part of this paper, I may say that truth, as is generally the case, will be found to lie between. The Acadians were not then, nor are they now, what either of them describe them ; but I tell you, from my own knowledge, we may safely accept as correct what Bouchette has written, who, in this, as in everything else which he has written, has proved himself a most reliable authority. M. Chauveau's account is, in the main, fair and correct, and is much to be preferred to that of Dr. Tachd, who appears to have been not so well informed on the subject. ^ ■ ,,j In addition to Arichet, mentioned by M. Chauvean, the townships of Clare and Argyle, in the west, are largely Acadian settlements, and were formerly represented in the Legislative Assembly by the D*Entremonts, Comos, Robichauds, &c., as Aricbat was by Martel. The comparative isolation of the Acadians of the present day mast not be attributed too much to their attachment to the Roman Catholic faith ; for we still find the Protestant German settlement of Lunenburg, and the French Protestant HA, OA THV POBTBT AMD PR08K OF RISTOKT. t* i;^ 1 redeemed raditiona of 1 of Utopia, is loosened ley feel for a } every other ■oduct of the unload the mng women om has not »rity as early sonsequence, % useful and and Messrs. of this paper, rill be found . nor are they 1 1 tell yoa, >t as correct in everything aself a most in the main, that of Dr. informed on tiauveau, the , are largely presented in Dnts, Comos, f the present attachment to le Protestant ch Protestant settlements at River John, in the county of Pictou, and Burosois, in the coimty of Colchester, who have almost abandoned the use of their native tongues, and who attend English Protestant places of worship, still retain many of the habits and customs of their ancestors, and rarely intermarry with the Anglo-Saxon race. Lovers of the sentimental may see great beauty in being told by Longfellow : " That iVom its rocky eavernB the deep-voioed Neighbouring ocean Speaks, and, in accents disconsolate, answers To the wail of the forest.' ' But those who have a practical turn of mind will be glad to know that, in the present year of Grace, the bore of the Bay of Fundy bounds cheerfully at the sound of that Mt» noire of the poets of the Wordsworth school, the shriek of the whistle of the iron horse ; and those who are given to reading the newspapers, will see that twice arday they may travel from Windsor (Pisiqnid) to Annapolis (Port Royal), through a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of com and vines, and the fruit from whose orchards took prizes at the " world's fair." -gMii jb.a , .m4hm I may now ask you for a verdict which I think must be a reversal of that of the early historians, and that it will affirm that the deportation was not " an act of cruelty and unfeeling tyranny," but a dreadful necessity, which, even in our own time, war is held to justify, affording additional proof of what the poet has so forcibly sung : .,^ ^.^ " Han's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn." JU Still, we may take a useful lesson from it. This great Dominion, from '* Icy 6asp6" to the Pacific, was at first the undoubted possession of the French, who, in their pride and power, decreed that " no heretic or alien" should be permitted to settle in " New Fbanck." , 9« BTAHOBLUnB AVO TRB AKOHim OT ITOTA MOTU, ITO. The Puritans of ^*Nnr Eholaitd,'' on the other hand, forgetfal of the pineontiona which had driven them from their native land, legislated in the strongest spirit of bigotry and intdeiance against the " Man." This is what man proposed, but Gkxl disposed very differently. Statistics shew that the Northern Continent of America is now the home of every people, nation, and language ; that in onr own Dominion, people speaking the English langnage, and professing the Protestant faith, slightly prepondemte ; that in ihe New England States, there is a new heart and spirit in the descendants of the Pnritan fathers, who, while they have maintained freedom to worship God aooording to the dictates of their own consciences, see withont fear the *^ Mast-Hout^* standing side by side with the Protestant ehnroh. A higher power than human will or desire had decreed that this continent should furnish a home for the toiling ' millions of every clime ; and we have the testimony d[ thoosluids that, in this Dominion, which Gtod has blest with a healthy climate and a fruitful soil, they have found a freedom only dreamt of elsewhere. It becomes our duty, then, flinging aside all national and religious prejudices, but adhering to that which is good, to live together as one people in this good and pleasant land of onr birth or adoption, heartily joining with tb -« poet : " Now let OB pray thst ooms it maj, As oome it will for »' that, That man to man the wwld o'er May bfotheis be and a' that." mm noTiA, no. I le other band, 9n them from ipiritofbigotiy disposed veiy lera Continent ), nation, and e speaking the t faith, slightly tes, there is a 'niitan father*, worship God es, see without ide with the had decreed >r the toiling testimonj of las blest with have fonnd a rar duty, then, ejndices, but as one people or ad<^on, I m.-