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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s 6 des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Stre reproduit en un seul cl«ch6, il est fllm6 6 partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche 6 droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. n 22 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■ V ^1 f/ THE PAST AW THE FUTURE OF NQ YA SCOTIA : 5y. J^ISr A.DDRESS ON * ihc 113th ^nniwvfinrfi, of the ^dtlpcnt of the djnjjltitl 0f the Irouince. DELIVERED I5Y K. G. HAIJJUI-aj:Xl^', By request or tlie .^iSm»versai'y Coiiinaittee. Ml HALIFAX, N. S. PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY J. B. STRONG, 203 Barhinoton St. 1862. HALIFAX, N. S. : PRINTED BY J. B. STRONG, 203 Barringtox St. mwjv AM) XATinii: of tiii: axnivp:rsarv (TAiWAWTlOS. ILliJ (U !f-iUfax, .huw 21s', 18G2. ("ulo:ii:,t3 liavo lor many years occui»ied, in some respects, an equivocal .ind somewhat uncnviiihio position. T]iou,t;h sincerely attuched to the nriti
  • e are cuascious that as descendants of Lritons ^^•c can justly claim an equal siiarc of that heritage of glory which is the common "property of the nation. lUit how striking is the contrast that presents itself to tlie colon..-.t, when he crosses the line that divides us from the neighboring He})ubllc ! There all the inhabitants, )oung and old, combine to celebrate the an- niversary of the establishment of the Union. Jlven the "-iri-'pean emigrant, wlio has but a few numths before souglit (hat as an adopted home, feels tlutt ho has a ])ersonal interest in the incl \s that are recalled, but, above all, in t]u)se institutions v/hich are ann dy ex- tolled, and in the permanence of m liich his future happiness and destiny are so deeply involved. An impression has of late existed, that we might learn a useful lesson, in this respect, from our republican neighbors: that an annual com- memoration of the settlement of tliis province, might be (d' pcrnianent benefit to ourselves, by promoting a feeling of loyalty to t!ic I'arent State, which by its arms and its treasures protecteet'aud fostered our early existence, by familiarizing us with our past history, and by ])ro- iiioting an interest in those natural rc^iources, the value of which v.ehavc liitherto scarcely appreciated as they deserved. It has been considered, that an annual commemoration like this, if divested of that spirit of self-laudation so conspicuous in the national rejoicings on the Fourth of July, might be permanently established among us, without rendering ua liable to the impututioii wf a vunily which, while unseemly even in a groat ro])iiblic. would 1)e doul^ly ri(fi(ulou> in a comparatively unknown colony. ^ Such, it is believed, M-cre the feelings MJiich influence 1 (he Anuivirsury (Committee, in instituting a commemoration of the landinj,' (;(' CoIoikI Cornwallis and the first settlers of Halifax, on the L' 1st da v of Jum 1749. The following brief outline of the proceedings, of wliicli (lie fdUow iti- address formed a pa^-t, may not be uninteresting : — At an early hour the citi/cns of Halifax were reminded of llie d;i\'s celebration, by a salute fired l)y tlie Halifax Volunteer Artillcrv. At the meeting at which the following address ',\as dillvered, flic pupils belonging to all the different schools of tlie eitv were ]n-es( nt. and sang several song? composed for the occasion. On tlie platform were Sir Alexander Milne, K. C. «., the Admiral on the Station, luul suite, Colonel Dunlop, the Commander of the fiarrison. tlie Hon. Alexander Stewart, C. B., Judge of the Vice Admiraltv, the .Alem- bers of the City Council, representatives of the Clergy of all the different religious denominations in the city, the Provincial Secretarv. ami a large number of other gentlemen. His Worship the Mayor (R. C. Hill, Esq.) took the chair ancnco of Ili«< Ivvfollciuy the I'larl oi' Muljuravo. the iorce present l)cinf,' composed exclusively ot' Halifax. Volunteers, consisting of the Halifax Volunteer ]5attallion, the Halifax VbUmteer Artillery, and the "N'ictoria Rifles, llejiresentatives of several country companies were present, but did not take part in the review. In the afternoon the Scottish \'oUinteer UiHcs and tlie Caledonian ("lub met at the Horticultural Gardens and took part in the Hij^hland jramcs. There was subseipicntly a very hirf^e ])rocession of firenun. who, with their Aire engines beautifully decorated, formcil a vcj y striking feature in the day's ])roceedings. The celebration eoueludcHl v.ith a dinner given by the Corporation, and with fireworks in the Hortindtural Gardens, which were illuminated for tiic occasion. As the foregoing incidents have been fully described in the columns of the Halifax papers, a more detailed account is rendered unneces.tary. d Scotch- ay, when ather sat ascendant rul that I as I am promote 3 its ad- be more nd whom rovincial use, and of wild ■ \ • INTRODUCTION. The following address yas most hastily prepared ; and as some of the subjects touched upon arc of historical interest, especially the question of the expulsion of the Acadians, which has always hitherto been presented in a light most unfavorable to this Pro- vince, the publication of it has been delayed a few days to enable the writer to examine more carefully the documents relating to this transaction ; and some notes have been added since the de- livery of it that may be of interest. The writer having, since the delivery of this address, been com- pelled to be absent from Halifax, its publication has been delayed until he could find time to make a less cursory examination of the original documents relating to an event respecting which so great an authonty as the eminent Amencan historian, Bancroft, has said — " I do not know if the annals of the human race keep the record of sorrow so wantonly inflicted, so bitter and so perennial, as fell upon the French inhabitants of Acadia." " The hand of the English oflicial ser ii,:d under a spell with regard to them, and never was uplifted, bur to curse them." As Mr. Bancroft seems to have had access to many, if not all, of the documents referred to, the writer feels that to oppose his opinion to that of Mr. Ban- croft would be a piece of presumption, unless the public were aflforded a perusal of a portion of those documents which have led Mr. Bancroft, on the one hand, to stigmatize the British Govern- ment as having been guilty of unprovoked cruelty ; and the writer, on the other, in justice to the people of this province, and the British Government, to throw the burthen of this sad event on the unscrupulous ambition of France, which, in time of peace, waged by the aid of savages a secret and merciless warfare on the IV. English settlers in Nova Scotia, and employed the terror of the Indians, and the influences of educated emissaries and incendiaries, to terrify and seduce the unhappy Acadians into a disaffection against the Government that had, for almost half a century, pro- tected them in their religious and civil privileges, and left them in undisturbed possession of the most fertile districts of the province. Even with these additions, the address is necessarily much more imperfect than the writer would wish it to be, his engagements leavmg lilm but little time to Avade through the voluminous docu- ments of the Record Commission — a work of no slight labor ; but as, if there should he any longer delay in its publication, many will have forgotten that it was ever delivered, it must go in its present form, Avith all its ijnperfections, before the public. terror of the cl incendiaries, a disaffection century, pro- d left them in ' the province. ily much more engagements iminous docu- ;ht labor ; but icatiou, many nust go in its iblic. THE PAST AND THE FUTURE OF ■ NOVA SCOTIA. The Executive Committee in their Programme of to-day's pro- ceedings, have announced that an Onitiou will be delivered to-day, in commemoration of the one hundred and thuteenth anniversary of the settlement of Halifax. None of U8, who have not been in the neighboring republic, have ever heard any address bearing so formidable and imposing a name. You must all be aware that orations are not in vogue among Englishmen, and are chiefly confined to the literature and history of^classical antiquity, or to the productions of our neigh- bours the Americans. Among the Greeks and Romans, rhetoric exercised a power and assumed a position denied to it by us in this matter-of-fact age. It wai3 a different atmosphere that men tlien breathed. When we read theii- histoiy, we fancy that we are almost studying the acts and thoughts of a different and extinct species of our race. The haze of poetry that seemed to envelope even the ai I Ions of every-day life, gives them a peculiar charm to the student, who turns now from the prosaic world around him to the glories and the struggles of those distant ages, which have been perpetuated and will ever survive in the memory of men. Among the Americans, though their orations often excite our ad- miration by their eloquence, they seem exotics. But among the Greeks and Romans, however elevated their tone, they appear to be perfectly in keeping with the genius of those nations, and to be the natural productions of the spirit of those^ ages. Though delivered thousands of years ago, they still appeal to the hearts of readers even in this commonplace, utilitarian nineteenth century. Who is there that does not, even now, feel his blood course more warmly through his veins, as he reads the magnificent funeral oration delivered by Pericles over the dead of Marathon — the language of which, if applied to even the greatest struggles of modern times, would seem utterly extravagant, but which appears peeuliarlv suitable to tb^ great event respoctinR which it was delivtjd. 1 w"„r fcl tl,»f s.rerrbSt"Tt"^°"=-'i:"'''"''"'i'»-»^^^^^ envious contemporanes insinuated? Yet the House of On™ mons would undoubtedly sneer at him it he were n" v to appe"; historic cave as Vr Si w^Sd T ^SicurdT e "as ^U to a sense f th^^l ' °^°', r'X»""S '» ^"ive his countrymen hlslt rtL^''Tr' "^'T-''"^ '^"'^ ^'^ ^^'^" "^'^^•^ observable in the tu es a str kin" ! 7 f "f^-n^^^nts of ancient nations, and eonsti- cutej a sinking contrast with the spirit of the present a-e 'Vh. h;:trdrsddi' '^' 'r^-^ -''' ^^-^^ ,^rj^::T^4^ to r wV. , ' T""^"^ '"^'^ ^o"^^^*^ J^"" to half pay ; yet even tnv K I"/''"^'"^' '^' ^'''^'y o^' ^^^««i^'^l antiatiity^W seem to No o.t"?of TnX' r'^^' 1^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^"^"^"^ ^"^ y ofX:r:^.e^ oratiloftLTTt'/'^"^^ ^f''-""*^' as bombast that eloquent Zm2e[ tlZ:) ^'"''^ "^ :'^^^^ ^'' ""-^'^^ ^"« S-"^^"t followers asyTum 0? /" ''^^ "^'^* '^" prophetically describes as the last oWa/lnt'n-t;"r "'' '^i' '"•*' "^ '^'' ^'''''''' '^o from that of lamcnrs, tianstcxTcd to the modern stage! The * Tacitus Agrie. c. 30, r iuitable to the rator felt that i not confined and votaries ^nificent pas- confined ♦he ," says he, e earth has land where led upon to he far famed s and deaths ead. g of orators, f oil, as his e of Com- y to appear rical for so ed in the icre, as all u'iably are ; countrymen the reach of ith rhetoric . politicians ^nble in the and consti- age. The attempted ■ ; yet even ley seem to those ages, t eloquent it followers as the last om that of literature. it appeals, ige! The Germans have tried to introduce it, but have failed. The splendid chorus of the Persae, or the finest passage from the grand old tragedy of Prometheus Desmotes, would either be coughed off the stage at the Adelphi, or would set all the audience asleep in a short time. The world has grown too matter-of-fact for such flights of eloquence and imagination. Generals no longer make orations to their armies. " Up Guards and at them" is almost the only piece of rhetoric history has recorded in describing one of the greatest battles of the most successful general of ancient or modern times, " England expects every man to do hi% duty " is the terse stern watchword with which Nelson commenced the glorious battle of Trafalgar. Even in our own times there has been a singidar change, a tendency to decry rhetorical ilays, to listen only to plain matter- of-fact communications and audresses. Sheridan's great speech of several days length against Warren Hastings (designated a speech, not an oration), though eulogized by his contemporaries, is now regarded as most defective in point of taste. The eloquence of the House of Commons, it is said, is composed of sarcasm and statistics. There can be no question that this feeling, so peculiar to the British people, is equally manifest here. I have often heard barristers from other colonies remark on the plain, simple, colloquial addi-esses which are generally to be heard in the courts of law in this province. And the same remark may, with some few exceptions, be applied to the speeches delivered in our legislature. But across the border the rule is reversed. There seems to be an extravagance in the mode of thought and expression among our neighbors that is in striking contrast to the cautious, cool reserve of the British people, WJiat would be designated adcbesses in Great Britain, are elevated to the rank of orations, — and their Fourth of July orations probably deserve the name, from the rhetorical and figurative character which they assume, and the great learning, eloquence and ability which they generally evince. Though the committee have designated this address as an oration, I assume they have merely used the phrase usually applicable to anniversary speeches on this side of the Atlantic, but have no wish that it should be of the same character as those well-known effusions. They desire that instead of its being limited to the settlement of Halifivx, it should rather embrace the history and destiny of the whole province ; and a very general opinion has been expressed that it should be of a practical chaiacter. This being the case, I need not apologize for adopting a plain, familiar style, or for principally touching upon those topics which i. > f : 8 • have a practical value, or which are deserving of- inquiry bv Nova Scotmns, instead of recalling minutely to you the dry details of the foundation of the city, .vhich only possess an inte- rest in the eyes ol antiquarians. To give you even an outline of the history of the past, would take up too much time for the nar- row limits of an address, and would weary the audience as much as the speaker. I shall, therefore, onlv allude to a few of the promment features of our past history. The only points on which we can even briefly touch, are the character of those who best de- serve the name of Novascotians— the unfortunate Aborigines : next, the history of the French colonists, and their fate ; the settlement of Halifax and of the pronnce ; the advent of the J^oyalists, and the subsequent social and commercial develope- ment of the people of Nova Scotia,-each of which can only receive the most cui-sory and passing notice. I shall then turn to the future of the province, and to those steps which are necessai-y to enable us to avail ourselves of those blessings which Providence lias showered around us. _ The large assemblage which I find around me is an evidence that, m this commemoration, we are supported by the cordial sympathy and good will of the public. The object is an honorable and I believe a most useful one, viz., to inculcate in the breasts of Nova Scotians, a feeling of patriotism, and to promote an acquaintance with the histoiy of the past, and an intimacy with those natural resources, upon which, as well as upon our own en^gics, depends the future which Providence has in store for us if et It may be suggested by many persons who do not compre- nend the spmt m which this commemoration was organized, " Whv attempt to get up a colonial Fourth of July ? You have no grand achievements that are deserving of such an honor. Your pro- gress as a colony does not compare so favorably with that of the sister provmces as to entitle you to assume to yourselves the right of rejoicing over the triumphs of the past. Pray, leave the Ame- ricans unmolested in their questionable ebullition of national boast- mgon their great anniversary ! They may have some apology for their waste of gunpowder, . nd their high-flown figures of rhetoric, in those grand orations in which the battle of Bunker Hill is an' nual y impressed upon the minds of the young and old as far greater than Marathon, Cressy, or Waterloo, and by which the conviction IS yearly made doubly sure, that they are the greatest, wisest, and most virtuous of nations. If we cannot imitate them in those points in which they are deserving of the admiration of the world, let us not vainly emulate them in theii- weaknesses, by 9 •inquiry by 'ou the dry sess an inte- n outline of for the nar- ace as much few of the ts on which .^ho best tle- Aboiigines ; X fate ; the vent of the 1 develope- hi can only ihen turn to fe necessaiy Providence in evidence the cordial ject is an inculcate in I to promote timacy with )n our own itore for us. lot compre- 5cd, " Why e no grand Your pro- hat of the 2s the right 3 the Ame- onal boast- ipology for of rhetoric, Hill is an- old as far which the le greatest, litate them Titration of messes, by trying to get up a poor imitation of theu- annual saturnalia, and a mild "edition of theii- Fourth of July Orations !" This, I believe, is the feeling of some few persons in this city, who have mistaken the whole object and import ot to- day's proceedings. n u- „«. I mav, perhaps, be pardoned for askmg those who would object to this commemoration, has a colony a right to remember its natal dav^ must it wait until it arrives at full maturity bctove it can publicly assemble its sons to recall the trials of the past, and^to prepare for the struggles and the triumphs of the luturef 1. i were to ask those who are jissembled here, who most religiously observes the returning day of his nativity, it would be not among the aged, who can look back upon a successful hfe, m which there is a long succession of grateful honors to meet thou- glance; but it would be among the band of young people that i see as- sembled to lend us the aid of their tuneful 'voices, that we should find the fullest and readiest response. Yet, oh blooming Miss, iust promoted to your teens! oh holiday school-boy, surely you have no very great reason to be proud of the part which you have played in the theatre of liie ! W^at have you done to entitle you to an animal allowance of sweetmeats on that impoitant day, which ushered you into the world? Many children that commenced with vou the arduous study of A. B. C, have lelt you far behind in the race for knowledge. Why do you rejoice over a day that recalls how little you have yet achieved f You cannot answer the question, yet you know that I am wrong. You feel that you have a vested right in the dehcacies with which you are annually crammed ; and you are fully conscious that, what- ever phvsical effect the unusual amount of luxuries you enjoy may produce, you are mentally happier and better from the influence ot that day, which is, and will be for many years, the happiest m your calendar. If you cannot answer the question, I shall do it tor ) ou. You do not recall your birthday so much on account ot the past, as with reference to the future. Each day you celebrate shews that you are one year nearer to that longed-for time, when you will be called upon to take your place in the world, and assume the position which will be allotted to you by your Creator, it is an agreeable festival, that combines and unites you more closely to your friends and kindred. Perhaps there is one chair vacant, that recalls the absent one who has commenced life's pilgrimage be ore you, and has left for ever the paternal roof, for the purpose of fighting the hard battle of life. The empty seat reminds you of him ; the returning day recalls to his mind the celebrations that he knows 10 again among ,he youthful tCg, Si' t'fh " '■"'«'°»"- « nimd is engrossed with tLprescnt--^n/,f'r' ■ "''^"^"''^' ^^^ and absorbed ia the sW^X Tr "'''-l'^' ^''^ '"''"^"^^''^t^d pleasure,- but ^venin™f iTdoT'of "' '^' ^^^^P"--^ ^^ backward again over thf jouL y ofS^-bSr?; ^''"l '\"''P the lonsr and wearv nilc-L ^ "te— back to the spot whence the past"re"urn aT^.^S ^^' '^^^"^^^.ed. The anniversaries of chanil Thefoiitarv or.:r"^.^t%^'^ fcstival,_but ah ! how frieniofhisSilSw''''''^r^^ ^^ ^^^^'^ ■> that the past seems See a p"::;^^^^^^^ ^^ "-'--T of the LrW that aS it. '™''^ '^^ ^'''' ^° ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ — Let us then take a lesson from the young ! We are rnn,n«vo Set;u3z;L7 k„::i t T ,■> V '" ^°- ^' *^' cause it tend, L V? ^^ ' ^. celebrate this natal festival, be- nefgll'uT " °" °" ^^'' -'» - *e eatimatioi ^fT^ .e£„; an oS IfuSlt ^I SVlJ^S, fn^Xu II istle of busy iiagination is o^xty mirth, world, h and age — >ry- In the the morning e journey of Jontide, the :oncentrPted I pursuit of i>in to creep pot whence ^vcrsaries of ut ah ! how 3 ; that the iiory of the generation, h leads be- ind unseen ! compara- •ast of the !stival, be- the bonds tering care threatened have past endeared miversary province, very year ve ad van- progress, )n of our us ridicu- wliatever " pai'ty or lid of all itements ivictions. and are perfectly unbiassed by party prejudices, for, having early in life resolved to avoid the thorny path of politics, which has but little to attract a young man in this province, presenting as it does before him an ordeal of recrimination and cri- ticism unknown in Great Britain, I have steadily pursued the path I have choscu. But it may be said as to some portion of my address, these anti- cipations of the future are the enthusiastic views of a young man, whp knows but little of the province. If this is the case, I can only say it is my own fault. Since June last I have been in almost every town and village in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia ; and twice almost every year I pass through the greater portion of Cape Breton and the eastern section of Nova Scotia. The business of the International Exhibition has necessa- rily thrown one in with those, who are most interested in our pub- lic welfare. But, to obtain reliable data on which to base my con- clusions as to the capabilities of this province, I addressed a scries of circulars to some of the most practical and intelligent men in eveiy county — the best farmers, practical land-surveyors, ship- builders, to some members of the Legislature, and those most ca- pable of gl\ang reliable information. The returns furnished by them arc most encouraging as regards the future of this province, and most fully warrant my anticipations, and show that the opinions advanced to-day, are those entertained by shrewd, practi- cal business men, and are not, as may be alleged, tiie result of inexperience or enthusiasm. In turning to the past, the first thought that suggests itself, is relative to the condition of those who once were the lords of the soil, in a land where their descendants only exist, for the most part, as helpless paupers and vagrants. "Why waste your time in a race that is less known and less worthy of notice than any of the Indian tribes ? There is nothing in them that invites or would repay enquiry." Such may be the views which many may enter- tain respecting the aborigines of this province ; and yet I believe the study of th'nr language, history and customs, would well re- pay the leisure of any Novascotian who would turn his attention to this subject. In the United States the Government as well as private societies have, on a most liberal scale, had investigations made respecting the Indian races, and the reports of the Smithsonian Institute bear evidence to the scale on which these inquiries have been conducted. The Micmacs belong, with many of the tribes to the north of Lake Superior, to a simple race, whose primitive faith was the nearest ap- 12 proach yet found among heathen nations, to the reliction of thp trn^ wh ch d :raded 1 1 > T" "^ f' ''"^^"^"^ subordinate deities ^KlRo.nf the literature and mythology of ancient Greece dl Im V ik Hd f*^' -"-P/i"g tenets of frahmanism or Bud' vasttumriiT^'^l?^ nations called the Moundbilders, from the and I nauch regret to find that some relics of a verv Smilar .tn' 'W H 'T\^" Cumberland, have been lenTy sS^^^^^^^^^^^ of The hit ? 'X ^"": "^^^^^^^ ^'^ *h« ^^-i^^^h American Colonies ot the history of the native tribes, and the impression exUufhll t;:^^^ ''-^- -- «^-^^^h the Micmac is oS^fte Unfortunately for the enquirer, the Micmac exists only in hisforv His descendants are assimilated to the whites in nfannei ml chaiacteu^e the progress of civilization in eveiy ac^e ^ut there IS one literary relic of the Micmacs that is peculiarly deserving of study viz., their native mode of writing Ti onj of he greatest curios ties of literature on this continent, I believe It s not of a pictorial, but of an arbitrary character, o^ch of the letters represeatmg a word. They are most unmistakeably Indian ti of tlie true according to le heavens." re each war- unds of the nate deities cnt Greece sm or Bud- anction the hern tribes objects of leitics, and sacrifice of I, from the •read up to they wan- ipposG that e heard a Idors hav- ibute any- very fine, ;d States ; jular cha- le person d. L Colonies ixists that nations of md I am grea deal ne of the 1 history, ners and too often eculiarly [t is one believe. 1 of the '■ Indian 13 in their character, with some slight admixture of European letters, such as would be requisite in order to adapt so rude a system of writing to express t)ie prayers of the missionaries. Among the Indians, who attribute everything they knov/ to the French, it is supposed to have been taught them by the^missionaries. Under- standing that a learned German Priest at Tracadie has devoted his time to mastering the language of the Micmacs, I obtained last summer from Father Gii-rou- a letter of introduction to him, for the purpose of inducing him to turn his attention to this subject. Not, however, returning by way of Tracadie, I was prevented from seeing him, but I have recently learned that he has considered the subject so interesting, that he has had types cast for the alphabet, and has brought out in Austria a work in Micmac characters. I confess, I Avish that, instead of the subject having been investi- gated by a foreigner, some young Novascotian had turned the atten- tion of literati to these curiosities of literature. Vv'here the great Humbolt* considered similar investigations worthy of the exercise of his great mind, they cannot be regarded by us as too unimpor- tant topics for our interest and researches, especially where they relate to the aborigines of our native province.f Wasted away, as they now are, by vice, disease, and by that inexorable law by which the red man seems destined to melt away before the advance of the pale faces, they present a striking contrast to the warlike nation that extended to DeMonts and Pontricourt their friendship and protection, — and wept with grief when their welcome guests for a time abandoned Port Royal and retuined to France. The first permanent settlement effected by the French was in 1606 ; the record of which event, engraved on a rough piece of sandstone, which bears the date of that year, and is marked Avith masonic signs, is noAv in my possession. It is a singular thing that for years past no Nova Scotians have ever desired to see it, while an American Society, taking a much deeper interest in our his- torical monuments, has had a cast of it sent to the United States : one really felt tempted to present it to those by whom it was so valued, if it would not have been wrong to allow this record to leave the province. ♦ Hnmbolt refers to a report of n similar system of writing having prevailed in a portion of South America, and greatly lamenta the loss o*" a ttoeument written, not in pictoriul, like the Mexican, but in orbitrary characters— the latter being muciii more advanced, and indicating a higher state, ho says, of civilisation than we have any record of in history. ~ , -r. ,. t. , , t I should not ,omit a reference to thp philological laborS; of the Kev. Mr. Uand, who deserves iniinite credit for being one of the pioneers in this interesting field of research. 14 The Nova LlTh , i htoS ^:T' °',*° ^r^"- -«'™™' "( struggles with thrSLl fn, lt""^°\-- ^"^'^ *" P"T'=""'I the history of MadanS i;w %":f S ""'""S ."i™-''-- gainson, against her husban.1'! 1? l ■ .? ""^cc, with a small .lands o^'as pecuLly attrl ive N ? «r™,"""" "f ^'^•'•«=. yaotin. the singular in'ml™ 'rordsX' Ba™ Crf"™"^" T the ...lowing ^ulin^ZscSr fr^^'tVo^t?;''^-.'.'?:^ ^^ ''' ae Castme, a eentleimn nfni^ '." -^'^^°"fa" • — " Ihe Baron the Abenakis, fS^'r^ ,^^^^^^^^ iTe'^t"^ '^ -^^ ^'"^^^^ respected by the sava-es thatThJv Iv i^.^^^^^^' ^^ so much god. He was formerf; a„ officer^f the T" ^""^ S '^'^ '"^^^'^'^ threw himself amon- the savaloT wV P^''^^^'' Regiment, and He married amon>them after 'thlf u^^"""^' ^' ^^^ ^^^^'""l- forests of Acadia fo thrp ^'r ^"'^'''"' ^"^ preferred the place of hit natTvity For'TT .^^""^^^^^ that encompass the savages, he bewTbW ft as t^^^ °'>^^ ^''^'^.l/^^^^ *^« from them. Tney made ll he r^tt "h"^^^^^^^^ ^^f - m a manner the sovereiirn of thi f- ■, , ^'^^^^^^ which is worked himself iX sucfa L,inP v"t '"^ ^^ ^^^^^'^^ *^^ h-« have made such ^se of as to d . v '^ 7i") ^"'"^ "^"" ^"^ ^'^ ^^""^^ threeiundred VousaL e;o«tf ^\\^ *- or . in good dry gold But all Ir ' u , ""^ "'''^ ^^ his pocket goods for prefent to his ll "'' ^' "^^^'^ "^^^ ^« *« h\iy up from hunting present h L t^^h\''''°"'t"^'' "^"'^ their reLr^ The Governt?Gene al o^ P 'n v:.ich means he intended fn • 1 "^'^'' '^^^"^^'^ ^^« stand that God does not^LTbct stant SlkV "^ ''''^'' '^ ^^'^- s^wTsrSt^Lri^^^^^^^ cured the afr::;^^:; XT^^^^^^^^^ most effectually se- civilisation in the new world i^' ^ ^ "^^'l *^^ P^«"«^^« of a time when there were no^^h" "^""-^ '^^ '""»^°° "^ Christ at soldiers who hSTv thl «w J T'''"''.^'"'' "^^^P* tJ^««« «tern errors. On^ of Ll, J- ^"1*° "°^^^"^« the heathen of their from C..aTa to'th? '^Spi'^Tm ^ '""^'^^ ''^"^^ "^^^ -^ ^>ii88i88ippi. Some were tortured by thp 16 settlement of ;he perpetual f themselves, vith a small It of Acadie, romance re- tine over the r a romance, tne, extracts The Baron ived anions IS so much ;heii- tutc^lar aliment, and ad learned, eferred the :ompass the e with the ible esteem r, which is ees he has t he would ove two or his pocket to buy up leir return the value. , and" the as several somely to anged his to under- gled with )st endur- America. ually se- meers of Christ at ose stern 1 of their his way by thp savages, and underwent the pains of martyrdom. They were the early historians of the new world — and, though their desire to acquire temporal power led to their expulsion from Italy, Spain, and Fiance, and though they have always had most bitter enemies even in their own Church, their missionary zeal, in the age of which I am now speaking, is deserving of all praise ; and in their Relations des Jcsuites, recently published, they have left an enduring monument of their energy and devotion. Time would fail me to describe the constant mutual reprisals and attacks that chequer the early history of this province. Repeatedly conquered by the English, as often ceded to France by the British Government, who generally lose by diplomacy what they gain by arms, unfortunate Acadie was perpetually changing owners, and when it was finally ceded to Britain in 1713 there must have been many persons residing in it, who had not less than five times in- voluntarily changed their rulers. But the very circumstance of the province so often reverting to France, was fatal to the French Neutrals, as they were called. When the oath of allegiance was first administered to them, it was with a reservation that they should not be compelled to bear arms against France, There can be no doubt, however, that the Acadians looked forward to the day when France would again assume her sway over ne province. The Indians, stimulated by the authorities in Canada, and aided and abetted by the neutrals, committed a series of bloody outrages upon the English. The Acadians hoped, probably, that the British settlements would in time be abandoned, and the settlers discouraged by the unseen dangers that everywhere beset them. Much romance has been thrown around that sad finale of this portion of our provincial history ; and the historian of Nova Scotia has allowed his sympathies to the suiFering Acadians to blind him, I think, a little, to the stern necessity that was imposed upon the provincial government, of taking some decided steps to terminate a state of affairs that must have retai-ded, if not absolutely thwarted, the attempts of the English to settle and cultivate the province.* The Americans have made much of the sufferings of the Acadians, and have attempted to fasten a stigma upon the British nation re- specting it. They forget that the influences that led to this sad occurrence came from the people of New England, whose fear of French domination led at first to the settlement of Halifax as a * I understand that information subsequently obtained by him, has induced him, •ince the publication of his history, to take a different view of this transaction. 16 check on the growing power of France, and finally to the expulsion of the neutrals; nor do they remember that those by whom the order was executed at Mmas, and aeveral other places, were New En-land troops, commanded by a native of Massachusetts Bay. ^ Wc must not jud^e the actors in this scene by the state of feelinR of the present day. There was a deadly struggle for existence constantly i°'^7\ 7'"'" *^^ f ''"''' ^"'^ ^»g'^^^ colonists. The latter found that the best parts of the j.rovmce were in tlie possession of subjects alien m feehng to the British Crown-aftbrding, in time of profound peace, arms and information to the Indians, and ever, when there was a rumor ot trench fleets on the coast, most contumacious and insulting in their conduct. It u^s evident that, 80 long as France had any foothold m Canada and Cape Breton, they could never be good friends, but might soon bo converted into most dang^-rous enemies. Tliere can be no question that a number having, in a qualified manner, sworn allegiance to the Crown, plainly and openly violated then- oaths, by publicly appearing in arms against the Government, while others more secretly undermined the power of the Lnglish, by exciting the enmity of the Indians against us. lliey claimed to hold the singular position, that they should have all the rights Avitl.out any of the duties or obligations of British subjects, and based their claim upon the somewhat peculiar grounds, that having so long enjoyed the toleration and forbearance of the British Government, they had a prescriptive right to its merciful consideration. By the terms of the treaty under which the province had been ceded, they were either to leave it within a year or to take the oath of allegiance. They chose to remain, and yet refused the alternative. Their qualified oatl . which un- doubtedly niade them British subjects, but, placed them in ti.e enviable position ot being relieved from the burthen and horrors of border warfare, had been a mockery ; the long forbearance and good ftiith of the English who had in no case violated their agreements with the Acadians, o? had dis urbed them in the quiet enjoyment of their property and religion, were with bu h.tle reason invoked as the prescriptive riglit of those by whom they had been so long forgotten and abused. No one can read the minutes ot the Councd at which their deputies were examined, and where the decision was arrived at as to their expulsion, without feeling that the step was onl/ adopted as a matter of life and death by the English, and that so far from sentiments of cruelty and hostility having inflircnced the actors m this unfortunate scene, they afforded every opportunity to the Acadians to reflect upon the consequences of their refusing to take the usual oath of allegiance. .nf'-Vi" ^''t'l''^ ?T^? ''**^"'^''^ ^* Louisburg and at Quebec, and with large tribes of Indians hostile to Britain, the Colonial Govern^ ment well knew that to send abroad the Acadians, who were actuaUy British subjects, would be to convert them (as it is stated in the contem- poraij documents relative to the act) into most active and deadly foes, who woidd swell the ranks of the enemy, would act as their guides as well as their soldiers, and would ensure the destruction of the colony To allow them to remain would prove fatal to the province— to expel them, but pulsion of the he order waa igland troops, of feeling of ICC constantly latter found subjects alien found peace, was a rumor ting in their any foothold friends, but ;re ci^n be no allegiance to ;ly appearing ' undermined IS against us. ould have all subjects, and aving so long rnmcnt, they the terms of 3re either to ley chose to , which un- he enviable der warfare, the English, ians, or had -'ligion, were se by Avhom the minutes and where ing that the nglish, and luenced the mity to the ;o take the at Quebec, ial Govern- !re actually he contem- ly foes, who as well aa To allow I them, but 17 permit them to join tlie French, would still more eurcly seal it=! fate. It was a sicrn alt<'rniitive, and a no Icfs stern decision ; but I must say a hasty inspection of documents, not seen by the historian of Nova Scotia, has led me to the conclusion, that the emissaries of France were al(me to blame, and that tlie harshness of the act was the neccssury re- sult of the sad necessity imposed u]ion tlie I'higlish, the continued hos- tility of the neutrals, leaving the Briti.-ih Government no alternative but to expel them. * We shrink back with horror at the detail of tiie act,-^we recall the domestic virtues of the happy Acadians and the scene of their desolated homes, families severed perhaps forever, — but in our symi)athy for their sufferings we must not do injustice to ourselves, as we hithei'to have ; we must not forget the long forl)carancc of the English, — how they quietly endured the secret connivance of those who had sworn allegiance to the British Crown and their sympathy with the savage enemies that devastated and destroyed many a happy home, and rendered the exi»tenco>of the settlers most insecure. We have all read of the horrors of an Indian war, but what must those horroi's be when they are increased by the .secret assistance and connivance of faithless subjects in our midst. There is among the papers of the Record Commission a document in French pur- porting to be a copy of a letter from the Bishop of Quebec, dated Oct., 1 75 1, the year before the expulsion of the Acadians, and addressed to Mons. Le Loutre, who was a missionary among the Acadians, and a most active enemy of the English. (See Note A Appendix.) In it the Bishop says : " Behold yourself, sir, in the difficulties I foresaw, and long ago predicted to you ! The refugees could not fail, sooner or later, in being unfortunate, and in reproaching you with their miseries. The same thing will happen to them, as took place in the Island of St. John in the first war ; they will be a mark for the English, incessantly harrassed by them. A long time since * Mr. Bftncroft, in order to prevent the English from cxcnsing tlie expulsion as an act of self-defence, says ;— " No further resist.ince wa.s to be feared. The English were miistcrs of the sea ; were undisputed lords of the cotmtri/, iind rould exercise clemency without apprehensioD." Notliinj,' could be further from the truth. The subjects of Britain were actually besieged within a Britinh jirovincc, and, in a time of profound peace, were hemmed in within the limits of their fortifications by the saviigc allies of France; and this unparalleled state of alfMirs even coiitiuued for some timo after nfostcf the Atadians were expelled. On the 1.5th Juno, 1756, the Minutes of Council state :— " Colonel Sutherland reiireseiited to His Excellency that, since the late attack of the Indian enemy upon the frontiers of the German settlement at Lunenburg, the inli.abitants are much intimidated, and especially the women and children, whose aasis^ ance is of very great use upon their lands ; and that he apprehends, unless some further measures are taken for their protection, more than is at present in his power to afford them from the troops with him, thetj would all leave those settlements, and rejmir to the town for safety." Nor did this apply only to the settlement of Lnnenburg. On the 13th September, 1756, BO great was the dread of the invasion of the province by the victorious French, who had already reduced the fort at Oswego, and were triumphant from the borders of Acadia to the Ohio, that the Council decided that all our forces on the Isthmus should be concentrated at Fort Cumberland, to resist the exnected attack. And the Goyernor. by the advice of the Council, entreated Admiral Holmes not to leave the province ua- protected by his fleet at so critical a Juncture. B 18 I remarked to you that a m'M.iomn-y should not meddle at all uith temporal maftor. makn,;. Imnselfan - -vt of onn.ity and hostility." Unfortunl.tdy fcr th. Acudums. he ji.d.ru.u mhioe of the Hi.l.op was neglected by thf3 Kngh.h, an uuTn.hary doa.mcnt lo that ettcct, Higncd by him, beina now among our pubhc records. ' "^ That Lo Loutre was the main cause of tlicir expulsion is manifest on reieren.-e to tj.c docnncits relating to this event, but especially fo one purporting to he a copy „f n letter from the (iuvnrnor-fJeneral of Canad,i to hnn, dated the IXth Octob.T of the same year (1 754) ;_ '^Yourpolifv is an excellent one, to cr.uso them to ho menaced by voui sav^^es, ^vho,n ti.ey wdl f.ar s.ill nuav. >vhen they see the hl„w Mna k. ^ ^ 11k; actual poMtioi, ofth,; .oloiiy rend.rs it imperatiw that I should cause the ne;...c,al.on,s ..t the J.:n.di>h with the .sava^r.s to 1... broken off, a il ton 1. o CO npl then. to_ turn ajrmust us, if ,hey (the English) suc-ccd by pr '« .uts money, an.l .lerc.r. as ilu.y h.'ive i.Kum.d. This is ^hy I relv on vou an.Mons renUrl-V^"' '"" ' '^'"'"'^^' "'"^v^t to induce then/to .strlk'u^t'on 1 bh wi Kwf^ ' ".• u"" ""r"""'"'r- /o'- '" "''^'t^'V'' concerns the Imnor of thJ Kings ann«, and the safety of the colony, your zeal and talents are known The whole of the letter is in the same style. In another paragraph he cleaijy explams the secret of the unmitigated and destruetiVc hostilities settfer's '' '"'''""'^'' ^'" ^"'^''"" ^'""^ ''^^^"^ ''°^'"'' '^"^ ^^"^'ish Referring to their desire to make peace with the sayages, he says :— " The more I know of that project the more decided is my conviction, that we ,kould nem' .»//er the Abenakis, Melecitcs ami Mikmaks to vXpeZ with he L„ghsk. reganl these sMvages as the mainstay of the coCy and to perpetuate in then that feeling of hate and hostUit>rwe u^st remoye from them every chance of their allowing themselves to be CoTu, d and the actual position of matters in Canada demands that these native" w"o are' fast allies, should strike without delay, provided that it may not appet^, tJ>J k ?L ltav""T' '*' "'^ ^ Y' 1'-"'*'^? '•-^■•"^t-»^ to renufin on & ddb siv • Thus 1 eave to your own discretion all the matters respecting the peace, which I regard as a snare for the savages. I further recomlnend vou rfot to expose yourself, and to be well on your guard, for I am persuade, that, if tl EtSh ver haS on ""' ""^ ^°"' """^ '''''"''^ ^"* '"' '^'"^ *° ^ °"'' «^^»^«"«'-- «' 'i^ke it a ' What a light this letter throws on the following inciueucs mentioned by Governor Cornwallis. ^" ".r He alludes to the Governor-General of Canada being annoyed at the seizure o some I-rench yessels which had been tresptussing, and revenging .t by seridmg 0« a Omejf profound peace) " a body of Canada Indiatfs S . ^. .>e .St. Johns and Miekmacks. to do what mischief they could in this n ■ '-';, ''^" Jhen describes the attack "on a little viUage opposite ' ' -; -T. ^- vv called Dartmouth, and the murder of several persons .;• ;.es* proceedimr he says, " are so violent and public that I wonder ■■.^n,;i, L ^ i'rcnch can ay. Their old plea wsl^ it i= ^h° T„j:gjj„ . t,,.. •.. it can De proved that the Governor of Canada gives "them a regard for 19 ith temporiil nfortuiiiiti'ly leglcctcd by rms against him, being uanifost on ;ially to one il of Canada •ed by youi ck. ihould fauso H it toiids to by presents, II and Mens. ilorouH blfiw. lonor of the ^ are known ragraph he hcsti lilies he English says : — ion, that we vake peace he colony ; , we must ('oriu])tf d ; es, who are x'ui' tliat it ) defensive, 'aee, which t to ex[>oso li'' p]ngjish . nijke it a tioned by sd at the revenging ndians to Id in this i opposite ms. I wonder ; but, if ward for every prisoner and scalp they bring of tlic English, tliat coas' s. This is so nnnuliiral ."iid inhuman, that one could not coneeivc a civilizci! nation to be guilty of it. The consequence of this was, tliey sent un order to the inhabitants (neutrals) of the proviuee In general, not lo go as couriers or assist the Eu-lish in any way, upon pain of death. They niiphed to m>\ I ♦.old tliem I was surprised which they'should iiesitat.- to obcv, llie King of KuL.lund's (iovcrnor, or the Indians; and ordered them to do their duty on pail) of militaiy execution."' He speaks of the violent outrages of the French, of their openly sup. plying the Indians witli arms and ammunition, and adcl^i very naturally, " What luore, my LonN, could they do in open war?" Nothing can be clearer than the fact that there was not tlie most re- mote idea of interfering, in any way, with th(! religion of the Acadians and tiiat their expulsion was not caused by any feeling of bigotry, as hu- been alleged. Although Mons. Daudin had afforded the government at loast a jjlai ible excuse, if not the most conclusive reasons, for sending him out o; the province, yet we find that the Council (October 21st, 1751) resolved tnai, as he had promised " to comi)ort himself dutifully to the govcrvimei: t," they \ycre of opinion, that as the inhahUants could nol get another ptwst M?.s winter, IMons. Daudin bo pemiitted to return.'' Nor is tliere a shadow of excuse for the stigma that has been cast upon the Provincial Go\-ernment, on the ground, that the expulsion was caused by a desire to deprive the Acadians of their lands, and to give them to English settlers. On tlie contrary, it is plainly to bo seen that there was every desire to conciliate the neutrals by kindness and liberality, and to leave them in the quiet possession of their property, if it could be done with safety to the government. In 1751 Governor Cornwallis writes—" His Majesty's French inhabit- ants behave in a better manner, and I have real hopes, that time will convince them of the difference between an arbitrary French government und the lenity and frendom of the English, and that they may become good subjects. Certain I am it would be so, if a method could bo found to prevent Frc!\ch missionaries being among them. How that can be at- tained I can't say, for priests of some sort they must have." In 1753 Governor Hopson writes in the same kind spirit — "Since I have been here the French inhabitantshavebehavedtolerablv well, though their apprehensions from the French and Indians have cntirelv prevented their taking any step to show themselves attached to us. Ibelicve en- couragement may doa gi-eat deal, and should hope that a proper method for a due administration of justice among them, and secui ing their property by now grants, might have a good efFect." Governor LawTencc writes in the same year — "The French emissaries still continue to perplex these inhabitants with diffic;dties about taking the oath of allegiance, and, though they have not been in the least pressed *o it of late, yet they seem to think we only wait a convenient opj>ortunity to force it upon them, as they everv dav masnifv to themselves tbe diffi- culties they should lie under with the Indians if they take the oath, a« B 2 20 M m woll as the notion that it would -subject them fo bear arms. I should thmk It would be of great advantage, both to them and us, that tiiis matter was one way or other cleared up as soon as possible, because, if they were sure ol the situatior they were to remain in, it wonld naturally pro- ducc a spint of improvement amongst them, the advantages of which they would soon be sensible of, and thereby become more attached to an English government than they have hitherto been." He then refers to an offer made by him to the refugees from Chiegnecto, of allowing them to nHui'n to their lands on their taking the oath, which, " if they comi^ly, would ^eatly h.scn the difficulties the other inhabitants make about taking the When Halifax was first settled, as well as frequently afterwards, a large number of Acadians, who had taken the oath r f allegiance, al)andoned the province, and went to Cape Breton or Canada, in order to become subjects ot the King of France. /^i?''/'^'V"i'''^'T "'""^^""^ twenty-six persons, who had left Piziqu^d (Windsor) for Louisburg, found the soil so barren, that they obtained leave from the French Governor to return to their former homes. On arriving at Ilalifax, they prayed that their lands might be restored, and stated that they were willing to become British subjects, and to take the oath o allegiance without any reservation. Tiiey appeared bdbre the Council on the 9th October, 1754, and alleged that the reason for their leaving their lands was « because they Avere so teiTified by ilons. Le- Loutres threats, and his declaring the distresses tliey would be reduced to It they j'emained under the dominion of the English." When we remember that this application was made in tlie year preceding the expulsion, we can scarcely believe it possible tiiat, if the English were meditating a cruel spoliation of the lands of the Acadians, that they would have been generous to these refugees, who had violated their oaths and had forfeited all claim to the generosity of a cruel task master. _ But let any dispassionate reader reflect on the munificent generosity of the English Government towards those unhappy refugees, whose only fault was that they, in common with their countryinen, were the dupes of intriguing emissaries from France, and he will' be willing even at this late hour, to do justice to a government that returned injustice by generosity, and msults by forbearance, until self-preservation left them no alternative but to cut that Gordian knot by force, which for half a century they had been unable to solve. We find that that harsh and cruel government, as it has been known throughout the whole civilized world by the the writings of Bancroft, Mmot, and other American historians, but slill more by the beautiful poem of "Evangeline," not only did not hesitate to restore them their lands but to quote the words of the original Minutes of Council of October 9th 1754, " it appearing that they were in very great distress, bemg entirely destitute of all necessaries, it was resolved that they should be permitted to return to tlieir former possessions, and that twmfy-four of them hnngthe most necessitous, should be allowed provisions during the ■winter; and that the other four eLjuld Imve a week's provisions given to 21 subsist tl.em until thoy return to their former habitations at Piziquid wiH're tlicy would be assisted by their friends and relationn " * _ If, before another year had passed, the Provincial Government, dcspair- mg of any other remedy, was forced to expel those, wlio, tli<.u-h livine under our flag for almost half a century, could neither be conciliated by tlic lapse o time, nor the effect of kindness and forbearance, let the blame tall upon those, who, for political purposes, sowed the seeds of disaffection among an innocent and harmless people, and finally drove an unwilling government to such sad extremities, (See Note B.) We must remember that Governor Lawrence was the last person to be gmlly of unnecessary harshness ; as little can he be aceuseil of groundless fears of the future elTects of Acadian agjiressions, if permitted to continue. He was thoroughly acquainted with them ; was as brave as he was o-cn- erous, and is to this day remembered as one of the most estimable "and high-minded representatives which the Crown has ever placed over the people of this province. Governor Cornwallis seems to have ivgarded him as perfection in every respect, and his despatches to the Lords Com- missioners of Trade and Plantations are constantly eciioing his praises Such being the case, no little weight is to be attached to tiie following extracts from a letter from him to the Home Goverement, dated 1st Au<^ 1754 : — °' " It gives me great pleasure that yonr Lordships look upon our French Inhabuants in so just a liglit. As.any alteration in their affairs might be of tlio highest importance to this Province, they have been Ion- the ob- ject of iny most serious attention, wiiich, with the frequent experience I have had of them in tlie course of my duty, has enabled me to form an opinion of them and their circumstances, that I shall now take the liberty to lay fully before your Lordships, together with such measures as appear to me to be the most practicabh.', and effectual for putting a stop to the many inconveniences we have long laboured under from their obstinacy treachery, paitiality to their own countrymen, and their ingratitude for tfie favor, nidulgencc and protection they have at aU times so undeser- vedly received from his Majesty's-Governmcnt. " Your Lordships well know that they have always affected a neutrality and a,s it has been generally imagined here that the mildness of an Eng-' hsfi Government would by degrees have fixed them in our interest, no violent measures have ev(!r been taken with them. But I must observe to.your Lordships that this lenity has not had the least good effect • on the contrary, I believe tliey have at present laid aside all thou-hts of taking tiie oaths voluntarily, and great numbers of them are at present gone to Bcasejour to work for the French. " They have not for a long time time brought anything to our markets but on the other hand have carried everything to the French and Indians, wliom tliey have always assisted with provisions, quarters and iutelli- ^wi, J''V'^n'" ^""''•■"ftOvitli tliis before his eyes, condudcs his dmi)ter on the Aendians regttul to tfiem ; tvas never uphjled but to curse them !" J " sz genoe ; and indeed while they remain without taking the oaths to His Majesty (whicli they never will do till they are forced), and have incen- diary French Priests among thtm, there are no hopes of their amendment. As they possess the best and largest tracts of land in this Province, it cannot be settled with any effect while they remain in tliis situation ; and tho' I would be very far from attempting suc'h a step without your Lord- ships' attention, yet I cannot hdp being of opinion "that it would be much better, if they refuse the oaths, that they were away." In confirmation of this view, I may mention tliat an aged relative of mine, a daughter of old Governor Fianklin, who died some years ago, but who could recal the early events of the American Kevolution, having seen Governor Hutchinson's carriage burned by the Boston mob when she was a little girl, and who was well acquainted with the history of a tran- saction like this, which was necessarily the subject of discussion in her early life among the people of the province, entertained a very different opinion on this point from the Historian of Nova Scotia. I can distinctly remember her showing me a long letter, which she liad reeeived lirom Mrs. Tonge, the wife of an officer who was at Annai)olis during the expulsion, which shews that the step Avas regarded by those who were personally acquainted with it as absolutely a matter of life and death for tlie English inhabitants. We may attribute even more weight to her testimony than to the opinion of Governor Lawrence, who was of course more or less responsible for the act, and may have been biassed. He was a soldier ; perhaps his heart had become hardened by war to the spectacle of human suffering ; — but here is a woman speaking of this painful transaction, more than half a century after it occurrrcd, yet strongly urging its necessity. Can she have been influenced by a con- temptible hatred of an inoffensive and harmless people ? Surely their sufferings would have been an atonement for their offences, and a voice from those graves which they found in a distant land, would have pleaded with her to do justice to those, who could no longer suffer from an enmity which they had never provoked. Time would have softened htr heart, and enabled her to judge more impartially of the justice or iniquity of tlio act. But she must have remembered the terrors that for many years surrounded the daily existence of our early settlers ; how hundreds of emigrants, not daring to venture beyond the guns of the citadel, were crowded for years in the limits of tlie town ; how many died from suffering and sickness ; how famished crowds beset the Governor's door, praying him to save them Irom starvation. She remembered the price that was in a time of profound peace set upon every Englishman's head by the French authorities in Canada, who ])aid a horrible bounty on the scalps of Eng- lish settlers. (See Note C App.) Every tree had its dangers ; the forest was a source of terror to the settlers who, even on the borders of Bedford Basin, ventured trembling into the woods to obtain the fuel which their families recjuired. When night came, well might they exclaim, " Would that it were day !" The darkness was the shield of unseen foes, and each night that the emigrants laid down to sleep, tliey dreaded lest their slumbers should be broken by the teiTific war cry of [)ainted sava<^es. These are evils which may be endured for months ; but when they are continued for years, men are apt to b(;conie despiTutc, and to adopt any remedy, how(!ver har.-h, that may prc-servo them from the misery and ter- rors of their unhappy existence. There might have bef-n more merciful arrangements as to the mode of effecting the expulsion, but we must remember that if the expulsion was necessary, it must necessarily be sudden in order to be effectual : and in the hurry of the embarkation, it is not improbable that heart-rending separations were unconsciously caused by thos province, I turn now to the settlement of Halifax, which was an event of the utmost importance to the English nde in this province. Though we had previously held Port Royal, or Annapolis, our tenure was insecure, and could scarcely be considered as extending much farther than the range of our guns ; but the setth-naent of Chebucto was an offset to the rising town of Louisburg, on which France had lavished its thousands without hesitation, knowing that, while it held Cape Breton, it held the keys to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and of the highway from Europe to America. Lord Cornwallis, with a fleet of thirteen transports, which contained * Evangeline. 24 2,376 passengers, arrived at Cliebiicto Harbor, the shores of which were an unbroken wildoriipss, except where the Duke d'Anville's men had been collecting fuel ; and there were no sign-i of civilization to ije seen, excei)t- ing that sad spectacle of the ravage.-; of war, where a few topniasts of the magnificent fleet which was sunk in t!ie inner harbor, or Bedford Basin» were stiil visible above the water. On the 21st June. 1749, he landed on our shore?, an occurrence, which, as a provincial event, we are assemljled to commemorate. There is one thing that, I think, M'e may na'urally conclude, that but for the settlement of Halifax, not only Nova Scotia, but Canada and Cape Breton, would have long been tiie property of the French, and might have continued so until tlie present day, — a circumstance that gives a peculiar historical importance to the occurrence we are now recalling. The New Englanders well knew the benefits that woidd accrue from'^the establish- ment of a town at Cliebucto, and suggested and aided in its formation. The first ch'aring was made at Point Plea.sant, but subsequently, in consequence of the shoals, the town was moved up to its present position. The first settlers were apparently not the most serviceable, but were succeeded by others more adaptpd to struggle with the hiu:iLjhips of a new colony. But the details of the settlement are hardly of a nature to interest a gene- ral audience. They resembled much the ordinary incidents of colonization ;. but there is one thing that is remarkable. We were not left like the Pilgrims to struggle alone with starvation, and to fight unaided with the savages. The settlers were put on government allowance. Every in- ducement was held out by the British nation to lead people to seek a hdme in Nova Scotia. How quaintly the details of the early settlement now read ! Again and again we are remin^led of the singular change in colonial thought and opinions that has since taken place. It is well worth while for the antiquarian to wander through the cor- respondence of Governor Cornwallis. At one time he alludes to Old St. Paul's, which, he says, will, according to estimates sent from Boston, cost £1,000. Then he refers to St. Matthew's Church, which was subsequently con- structed for the use of " Prottstant Dissenters." The whole town was surrounded by stockades to keep off the Indians. Fortifications of a very simple character were i'rectcd in George's Island and around the town, and a government mill built, which seemed to give more trouble to his Excellency than any other of the weighty matters on his mind. Then there was a host of officials unknown to their descendants. There was a commissariat officer to look after the rations allowed the settlers ; and, " credat Jud;eus ! " so anxious was the British Government to increase the population, that it appointed, among other Colonial digni- taries, a government midwife ! The Lords of Trade and Plantations- unfortuniitely aboli:ihcd this useful oifi^ce; but as there uiu some of "the powers that be " upon the platform, I would respectfully suggest to our 25 politicians, whether the creation of a new liead of a department would not —in tliis age of " women's rights," be a boon to the fair sex, l)y opening to them the doov to public life, which has hitherto been so inexorably closed against them. Can we be surprised that, when the older colonics revolted, and endeav- oured to seduce the Nova Scotians from their allegiance, the latter re- mained firm and unshaken in their loyalty, remembering, as tliey did, that, not only for years had tliey been i)rolected by the arms of Britain, from the ravages of t!ie French and their savage allies, but had. even from the very hour of their birth, been blessed by the fostering care of the mother country ! _ There was a Council of six persons appointed. The Governor had under him tiie Lieutenant-Governor at Annapolis, which hae United Slates, though one of our privateers, extorted by its gallantry, the following enlogium frdhi James in his naval annals, who mentioned the engagement of the " Rover" with the " Santa Ritta" and three gun boats as one that did honor to the colonies : — " This was an engagement that did great honor to Capt. Godfrey, his officers and crew, and proved how well the hardy sons of British America could emulate their brother tars of the parent country." (See Note E Ap]).) Nc can I refer as fully as I could wish to those whose names are well worthy of remembrance. The gallant Hero of Kars should not be for- gotten by his countrymen ; nor should we fail to recall with pride the equally world-wide fame of the defender of Lucknow. Strange indeed is it that in the two most exciting sieges of our times two Novascotians were to the fore, and have attracted to themselves the notice of the whole civilized world by their bravery and skill. There arc others, too, who, having . adopted a more peaceful path, are hardly less deserving of our grateful remembrance. The late Mr. Archi- bald, wliose hon mots are still retained and appreciated — the author of Agricola ;* the Novascotianf who has organized the finest commercial steam * The la^o Hon. John Youngs fother of the Chief Justice. , t Sir Samuel Cunard, Bart. " 27 fleet in the world ; nor among tliose wlio have earned a place in our mem- ory, should wo for;.'('t the venerable old man who for mure tlian half a centu-. prt'.-idcd over our courts of law, and by hi.s decease lel't a painful blank in society vviiich but few can fill.* Perhaps I should allude to the development of our iiolitical instiuitions, but secinji; near me, as I do, the representative.si of diiFercnt opinions, I shall consider discretion the better part of valor, and maintain n prudent silence. Tlie question now arises, has the progress of the province been such as to be a subject of conj>ratulation. While we have much to be proud of, there arc certain plain palpable truths which we should not shrink from avowing, on a day like this, when we pause to look back upon the ))ast, to find in it an omen for the future. Wliat has been tlic progi-css of the province as regards population ? What is the state of our agriculture — our fisheries, and education in the province ? As regards our population, the following interesting statistijcs arc given by Mr. Knight in his very able essay on I^ova Scotia and its Resources, of which I trust ever one who is here will obtain a coi)y. The rate of increase in the following years was: — In 34 years, up to 1818 - - - 156.41 In 10 years, up to 1828 .... 087.49 In 9 years, up to 1837 - - - 029.1)3 In 14 years, up to 1851 - - - 038.12 In 10 years, up to 1861 . - - - 019.82 Showing a very remarkable and gradual diminution in the rate of increase in the population of the province. Thus, in 1828, the previous increase for 10 years was 87.49; while in 1861, for the same number of years, it only amoimted to 19.82. It therefore appears that the increase of our popillation during the last ten years has been less than it has ever been before in the history of the province. Few will question that Nova Scotia, from the superiority of its mineral, maritime, and agricultural resources, as well as from its geographical position, is destined by nature to sustain a far larger population than either Mas^acluisetts or Rhode Island. If its population were in the same ratio to the number of square miles, as that of Massachusetts, it would amount to 2,551,362 inhabitants; and if in the same ratio as tliat of Rhode Island, to 2,286,870. At present it only numbers 330,000." (See Note F App.) Let us then turn to the state of our agriculture ; and hore, I fear, we have but little to congratulate ourselves upon. Tlie agricultural societies have everywhere fallen through ; and no one can pass, even through the ^''' best districts of Nova Scotia, without feeling how little justice has been done to the fine natural capabilities of our soil. // In Cape Breton, where the population consists of emigrants from the Scotch hha who arc utterly ignorant of agriculture, the state of farming * The late Sir Breuton Halliburton. 28 / IS absolutely - epIoruLlc. There arc large districis of the finest uiiland rctlucecl to u desert, producing nothing but weed^ and thistles. Let any one pass through Judicjuc and for a century and a half, and are still as productive as ever, though they have never received a particle of manure, and they will scarcely believe you. Nowhere can a farmer, with so small an amount of skill and mdusiry, make so comfortable a living as in Nova Scotia. Jivcn with the defective system that prevails here, some of the avera<^e specimens of our cereal and root crops have attracted the attention of the Uritish public ; and Nova Scotia, hitherto supposed to be only capable of rearing fir trees, has sent the best oats in the Exhibition ; and it has been actually proposed that that land of perpetual fogs should send home a cargo of oats, to bo used as seed by the British farmers. Then, our apples and potatoes sent there, are almost unrivalled. What could we not do if we could only import a few Mechis and model farms to the shores of Mmas Basin, and give our province the same advantacres which those have enjoyed that have competed with us at the World's Fair *.x,^^ u"u-* ^^^ contributors from this province prepared beforehand for the H-xhibition ; but, as in October next there is to be a gi-and inter- co onial show of roots, cereals and fruits, organized by the Royal Horti- cultural Society, I sent, in May last, circuhirs, with the list of premiums, to our confa-ibutors, so as to give them timely warning, and to enable them to do full justice to the fine capabilities of our favored land. 1 hough the approaching Exhibition is not under government mana-re- ment, It is of sufficient importance to attract the immediate attention^of colonial authorities ; and I trust we shall be able to put forth our whole strength, m order to enable us, with justice to ourselves, to place our agricultural productions besi.le the specimens that will there be collected Irom every quarter of the globe. 30 P As respects our minr^ral capabilities, I need merely refer you to the opinions expressed in Englimd respecting this Ijraneli of our department. When ({overnor Cornwallis stated to the British Government that this province if owned by I'Vancc would be worth more to her than all the niine.^ of Pern, he was nearer the literal Iru^h perhaps than he imagined. Who can venture to say what is the extent of our ^old fields, or the wealth and population they may attract to our chores ! The Government I think have been piudent in not advertising too extensively the nature of our auriferous deposits. A year will t^ettle the ([uestion as to their inducements for the investment of capital ^,v.^<{ labor; but it is a serious thing to bring persons hith'>r, who may be unable to find employment, and may be compiiUed to dejiend upon the charity of the public for subsistence. Thf'n there is (mr iron, inferior to none; and, what is n\ore important, our coal fields, unequalled in value and extent, wc having sent h.imo a specimen far larger than any that have been exhibited, though many have come from all the quarters of the globe. AYhat says "the English Mining Journal" on this point? The Mini n() Journal of May 11th, I'Sfil, says : "Itisoftlie highest importance to Great IJritaIn that she possesses coal on both sides of the Atlantic ocean, whereby she will be able to support independently her steam navigation to the Western world. This advantage will give the natioJi the highest ascendancy in peace and in war. " The coal of Nova Scotia is cufRcient to supply the wliole steam navy of Britain for many centuries to come, and also to meet am])ly the demands of the North American colonics. " It is probable that Nova Scotia, in proportion to its extent, stands unrivalled in tiie productive capabilities of its coal fields ; indeed, the coal fields of Cape Breton would appear to be almost inexhaustible, and Nature affords every facility for working them to advantage. The extensive coal deposits of Nova Scotia can scarcely be too highly estimated when con- sidered in connection with increasing steam trafl[ic — trans-Athmtic and Colonial — and the fact that no coal fields of any considerable value exist either in Canada, Prince l-^dward, or at Newfoimdland." When we reflect on the immeasurable advantages of our possessing coal fields on our coasts, and remember the maritime progress that our province has already made, we may well expect that Nova Scotia is destined to be in America what England is in the Cld World — " the Mistress of the Seas." With a population not larger than that of a second rate English town, the province already ranks as one of the principal maritime powers o^the world. Her registered tonnage in 1856 was one- sixth more than the aggregate registered tonnage of all the Australian colonies, Tasmania, New Zealand, the British West Indies, the African cr)lonie8, and Mauritius. While the amount of tonnage built in Nova Scotia, in 1851, was equal to between one-half and one-third of the whole of the tonnage built and registered in the United kingdom in the same year. We now i)ossess as large an amount of tonnage as that of Great Britain at tlio beginning of the last century ; and ahouid any of us live to 31 sec tho year 1900, wo shall fiiul, I am convinced, our native proviucr owning an amount of r^hipping equal to the vast mcrcantiU' marine which tlie Mi.strcud of tlie Seus posse-sod at the commencement of the presi'nt century. Her geographical position indicates to every man who looks at the map of the New World that Nova Scotia is destined to be tlic groiit emporium of the trade of North America. There is something most striking and singuhir in her position and rcsoiu'ccs. Turn to the map of Briti.sli Ame- rica, wliich contains a territory larger tlian the whole of Europe, and far exceeding it in mineral and agricultural resources, and you sei; on the I'aei- fic coast Vancouver's Island standing out, like a huge breakwater, aa if to slielter the fleets of tlie Pacific. Nature has evidently pointed to her as the west('rn outlet of the vast Colonial Empire of Britain. Then behold the sudden discovery of gold, attracting thousands thither, — and the no less valuable mines of coal, discovered at the water's edge. Then turn to the eastern coast of British America and you see Nova Scotia jutting far out in the very highway of nations, and looking as if Nature liad raised her up in the ocean ns a vast pier for the fleets of the Atlantic. Gold, that magic power in suddenly creating new empires, is found at the same time in British Columbia, the western portal, and in Nova Scotin. the eastern outlet, of British America. But far more important to the future destiny of our province, are the deposits of iron, unsiirpassed in ((uality ; and tlie vast areas of coal on the southern and northern coasts, near harbours that could shelter tlie navies of the world. [Here a memorandum was handed to Mr. Haliburton, which, as read by him, was as follows : " It might be as well to mention, that the Chebucto Company took, yesterday, from one claim, .$1000 worth of gold. " A very rich specimen was also laid on the table at the same time.] Tiiis announcement constitutes a new era in our gold mining, and a most happy omen for the future, which I am now attempting to fore- shadow. Can it be chance, or was it not rather a piece of patriotism on the part of the Chebucto Company, who have left the nuggcL undisturbed until it should be announced as an auspicious part of the day's pro- ceedings '{ ^\''ho can doubt that Nova Scotia and British Columbia luive a bright destiny before them, and that we may yet live to see them bound together in a chain of communication, along which the luxuries of Asia, passing on from ocean to ocean, wiU be borne upon their journey to the distant markets of the old world. I must now conidude this necessarily imperfect address. It is but right to myself, as well us to the subject which I fear I have but inadequately discussed, to state, that I have only had since Tuesday to prepare for this occasion — having learned definitely only on the Friday morning previous, on my return to Halifax, that the honor had been assigned to me, and the in erim until Tuesday having been occupied in the somewhat difficult undcrtvikiiig of procuring an iuspcction of the official documents I have referred to. 3^ 1^ 1 fed tliat it would Iiavc been far hotter if some older person had assumed this task— some " litu(hitor temporit acti," who might have looked with greatcT ploiisuro upon th(^ past and with less hope upon the future. Yet I believe th;it you will agrc; with mt? that, as we ai-e a young colouv and can scarcely vio with the Mati(jns of the old world in our hi-;(orv, '•ve can at least turn with pride and cxultati(jn to the future. Thank Heaven, it is the case. Sad indeed must be the natal anniversary which old a^e commemorates in solitude and silcn<'e ; but sadder still the anniversary of nations who have nothiuK left but the glories of the past, and the historic memory of tlie dead, whose very fame seems a silent reproach upon the living. Dark must have been tlie day when the last Doge of Venice went for the last time through the time-honored custom of chain- ing* the Adriatic by casting a ring into its depths. He must have felt the • mockery of the act. The deserted warehouses, the empty palaces, the lonely port once crowded by argosies from every shore, told a mournful tale ; and he must have returned to his palace to weep in silence over the departed glories of his itation. Tlie festival now is, I believe, nclected : and well it may it be ! Never should captive Venice hold her'^ancient ann'vcrsury, until, in some happier hour, she shall burst the chains that have long entliralled iier, and bury them forever in the depths of the Adriatic. " Dormira sempre, e non sia che. la svegli? " t The present and the pa.st are our own— the future is in. the hands of Providence. Let us render ourselves worthy of the destiny that, we trust, awaits us, by burying those bitter animosities that have long divi- ded us—by cultivating a feeling of pa,triotism, and a healthy tone of pub- lic opinion— by shunning the evils of democracy that have led to the dis- astrous fate of the neighboring republic, and by cultivating those social and political virtues tiiat make us upright men and good citizens, and render us deseiwiug of the bounty and the blessings of Heaven. *»'^'',!?l'''^'''''"'^"'''^ ''^ •'^""'^ wrifcrs called " cliahimg," and l)y othera "wedding tho sea. 1 Iicsc two terms can scarcely be considered sunomimous. t Petrarch, Ciuiz. VI. ■" "^ APPENDIX Note A. M')ns. L(!T,oiitro does not seem to iiave Iwcn the only emissary of France who lirou^ijit u;ioa tho oiut with regard to themselves before now, as they hod been already in- dulgcil with six yeare to form a resolution thereon. " " They then desired leave to retire to consult among themselves, whicli they wer« permitted to do ; when, after near an hour's recess, they returned with the sam« answer, that they could Tiot consent to take the oath, a.s prescribed, without cousultin* flic general body ; but that they were ready to take it as they had done before. T« which they were answered, that His Majesty had disap])roved of the manner of their taking the oath before ; that it was not consistent with his honor to make any condi- tinim ; nor could the Council accept their taking the oath in any other way than as all other His Majesty's subjects were obliged by law to do, when called u[ion', and that it was now expected they should do so ; which they, still declining, were allowed till next niurning, at ten of the clock, to come to a resolution. To which time the Council then adjourned. " The Deputies, still persisting to refuse, were put under arrest on the followii\g day. After they had been imprisoned, they sent word that they wou'd take the oath ; biit a-i an oath under such circumstances would not have been binding, being a com/ji(/sor(^ wttli, in Jhro cnnscientiip, and as there wa,s a statute of the realm, by which Roman Ca- tholics, once refu-iing to take the oath of allegiance, were incapacitated from takinir i* thereafter; the Council refused to allow a form to lie gono through, that would liar* been, not oidy teebnically, but substantially, n nullity. American writers have sup- posed that this incident referred to all the Aeadians I'bnt the only persons eonecrned were a few dei)uiies from I'iziquid, the inhabitants of which were ordered to .%on! f^nts are The inhabitants of the diffcre^.t Acadian townships wore ordered to send deputies to ilii ifax, and on the 25th those trom Annapolis river were examined I)y tlie Council rhe said deputies wore then ordere.! to Ik- called in; and boinj; asked ,vhattiiev had o say, they declared that they appeared in behalf of themselves and all the other nhabitants of the Annapolis llnvr; (hat they could not take any other oath than what they had formerly takcn-whu'Ii w:.s with u reserve that thev should not bo ol.li-.etk to thcv hLTtH./'/?, f , •t;^«^„t'"^ Ki>';<'s intention to force them to <,uit theirlands, they hoped that they should be allowed u convenient time for their departure. „. . .\ T ^"T'"r ;'>"» ';-''^"'l t''^".' .'^'-■vc'-ai take any other oath than what they had done before. of M^llt^r^hwnl '''^?/''I'' .??,'" *'"'■' f''^^J';'"K'" r'^-y --seriously to consider the consequences of their retusal. That, if they once refused the oatli, they would never after be uor mitt«d to take it but would infallibly lose their' po.iessions ; that tte Council were unwilhng to hurry them into a determination upon an attair of so much ex,n- sequence to them, and therefore they should be allowed till next Moniia/, at ten of the clock in the forenoon, to reconsider the matter and fcam their resolution, when their final answer would he expected. And the Council then adjourned to that time " arrived ™'"*° *'"**' *'"' ''^P"^'''^ '"""" l'''''"'«s of Annapolis iilso appeared and refused tho oath. Whereupon they were all ordered into C(mfinement. ' • "As it had beeti before deiermiMed to send all the French inhabitants out of the province if they refused to rake the oaths, nothins; now remained to be cor.sidercd hut what measures should be niken to send them awav, and where thev should bo sent to After mature consideration, it was unanimously agi-eed, that to 'prevent as much a« possible their attempting to return and molest the settlers that may he set down on their lands. It would be most proper to send th<^m to be distributed amongst the .seveial colonies on the contment, and that a suffleient number of vessels shoald bo hired with all possible expedition for that pnrpo.>ie.'" NOTK C. lliat great sufTcnng was v.iwmX by the settlement of Halifax and of th« provifice, by seiu.us beiu}; kept idle in ILaifax, JH evident from tho petition of Jtobert drant and Kich.«d Bulkely to form a settlement »b Lawrenoetown for 37 die purpose of employing the people, and considered " by the Governor in Council 'on 16tli March, 1754. The petition states, "the substribrrs havinR observed the daily decrease of the inhabitants of this town, with the croat |)Overtjr of many that remain for want of eniployment for the laboring poor are ot opinion that nothing can conduce more to prevent a farther (I.'cri'-iiw of our inhabitants, and to the suj.pjy of the town withV)n)visions, than the making out- »tettlepaent8," &c. The petition concludes with the following paragraiih which is \-ery indicative of the dangers of venturing beyond tiie limits of the town • "As the said undertaking will be attended with the immediate exponsc of at least i-SOO to the proposers, we humbly pray your Honor will indulge u^ for the first vcar with such a military force as may be thought necessary, 'and one or two blockhouses so situated as you shall judge most proj^er tor our i)r(,tectiou and iletence, which may at the .«anie time contribute to the security of tiie lots a«d settlement on the Dartmouth shore." In a few days after the Council considered a petition of Mr. Charles Cooke ollering to settle a township at Mahono Bay, and asking for a-^sisitance in erect- ing a blockhouse, &(•., referring abo to the importance of " emplovin'r several indolent persons, and of keeping several good men from leaving the'colony." The Council decided to send a .«loop-of-war with the blockhmise prepared by petiUoner, and a company of Pvangers to protect the settlers from tiie Indians that the hostility of the Indians was instigated bv Fiance, for the i)urpose of driving the Knglish from Nova Scotia, or at least of restricting them to narrow limits, 13 evident from a most impudent proposal for a peace, nr,de by Mon" le Loutre in the name of the Indians, the conditions of whicli would deprive the r.ugli.sh of half the province, and would necessitate the destruction of Fort Lawrence. It very modestly specifies that as long as th(i Enudish iiass along the higliways, they shall be treated as friends, but on their venturing into tlie forests they would be regarded as enemies. ' In the proceedings of the Council on the 31st day of Julv we find the following characteristic entry respecting this letter, "which, being' read and considered t!ie contents appisared too insolent and absurd to be answ(^red through the' author;" it was, however, resolved that the Indians should be informed that if they desired peace, they must come to Halifax, where they would be " treated with on reasonable conditions." they Whether those two distinguished ofHceis wers ever"' at Shelbume, only th.iir rclntives T ^2^^- *m'' cT ""'"'l ^"''T^^ Genemls, tli. y w<,uld have had vohi.ncs wriu.^ «t.out them. Mr. Sab.no, the republican biograph.ir of the Loyalists, disj;o.,.8 of thm in the following manner : ' n "l^"" (i^"i'"V''^' ^.'^o^-"''!.'"'!' ^"'""''^ "'''""'■■.^ Barclay, an aide-de-camp to Gcor-ro Waterloo " '" ' repeatedly distinguished himself, particularly at This notice has certainly the merit of brm-it^. I niav mention here, that Ids father who was a leading man was at one time Speaker of the Ilouso of Assembly of Nova Scotia. Under the head of " Stcphon Dclancy, " Mr. Sabine suvs " a son of liif w^ •tde U> Wellington, and was killed at Waterloo. " This gallant ofmer is ui.lyentiS ro a passing notice, consisting of thirteen words ! A tombstone could scarcely be i more laconic biogi-a|i!ier. • Hundreds of inst^mccs of the Bacrifices of loyalists might be collected, but the infor- manon respecting the dilferent persons who forfeited valuablo properties and went through great privations and sullerings (the fate of all the Loyalists,) can only he ob- twneu from iiteif rcbtivos luiu dwcoiidauts. Tlio instance referred tf. is introduced boro, not bocauso it is in any way distinguishable from the caie of others, who adhered to the British Crown; but because the writer, having had all tlie original correspon- 38 . .mee relating to Major Grant's family in his po.^sossion, can speak with «ome confi licnoe n. to tho eorrectu.s.s of mo:st of the oocunvnces here alhuic I t^ A? n, ..•xa.upleol the tare of the Loyalists, the followinc, i„,i,,,„f, thouT n ore pceulhri liHvre.slino- to the wr.ter, may not he unac.'eptal.le to the palilie • " I'cuUwrh -\e exp;.;!?;. t tS"' and a too elose appheation to his studies, eomi elled him to leave iiirvan i r S ■' vannah, where he died, soon after, of eon.iumption. ''' *''' ^^" no last letter aimonneing his approaeliin- death, to lii.s orphan n-stcrs, whom he I ad been eomiielled to leave in an unbroken wilderness, amon.r Btraii.>ers is a , i^ J-K),,uent and tcn.e ni,,- memorial of the sulferhiKs of the Loyalists >ioyo of' "f he .seems to lave heeo.ue prematiuvly old by il,o cffeets of the trials he had nn w" Soae. lu a few lines he calmly aimoimees his approm^hino- death to w ie he c L' them to he reigned ; and he then dev otes the rema nder of Ids le(ter to iSi./advi ee a.s to their fntnre life-ho^v the elder sister shonhl edueate the vo. "4 ( wSsS wore yet unknown), and the .steps they should take, in order IT obuii; eompcnsaS tliloo "ir '■'"' H ^^•"■'^7'"^:'" '"j: «>'° ^^'^^'^ they had sustained. A easu d r I- C NUi)po.e t was the [iroduetion ot an a-ed father, who, haviur lived out the allot e period o human e.K.stenee, was resio,>emabilcii urgcntur ignotinuo louga Uoutc,.c«n)ut quia vote sacro. " 39 . I may state that there are still dcsrondants of the Dclancvs living- in the Province thouffh then- eompanitivc'ly luiml)lc dreurastances prcscit a strikin- conti-iist to th(> former position of ii family, that kiivo two Governors to tlie State of New York, and raised a. regiment to light lor the cuuse of loyalty. NOTK E. "On the 10th of September, as the British privateer hrijr Rover, of Liverpool, Nova „, n!i \fT /'' n If '^'" '""- *""'--P"""'lei''', nnd 54 men aiul hovs, under the com- S,'„"l .M ' 0"'lf'-ey. V'n« criiLsin- near Cape Blan.'o, on the Hpnnisli Main, the ^I)ani.h schooner Santa R.tta, inouutinir ten long six-pounder;* and two En'dish twolve-poundor-carroiiades, with about 85 men. and accompanied bv tliree Lninboais also under SpaiH.h colors, and which, a. well as the .chooner, had the dav before Cn equipped by tlio jrovcrnor of Puerto Caballo. on purpose to capture the Hover, came )mtrii"n '!;:'"' ''"r' ^"/"'"^ thdr order. The iigh't breeze Jhich had been b'lowi" i; rs ™;,?.^, f • ' "" 'T''T" " I"'* '"''^ "^ ^''-^ tr"n'"'ats, i)y the aid of a number of bow Jf, r -1 -"i "1"'"/''" '^'•'^'; kwpinp up as they advance.l a steady fire from the how guns, AN hich the Hover returned wiiii two guns i)ointcd from her stern, and as licr opponents drew near, with her small arms also. , au i ua ulf Appnzed bv their motions, tlu.t the schooner intended to board on the starboard quarer.and tiie two jrunboats (the thirxl appeared to keep aloof) on the o, So -luarter, the Hover siiifered them to advance until thev .Jt within about is'-ards WW , *" ,'" "'■",'"<-■•' '"•'• o'"'^ on tl'c larboard side, and, pulling (iiiickiv round brought^her sta, ,oi.rd broadside to bear right athwart the schomier's i.owV ..t» i who e decks, then i.llcd ready for boanling, the brig poured a whole broa.lsi.le of o iml md ^ ape. Iminediately nftcr this, her active crew passe.l over to the guns on the pi tc 8 de, and raked the two gunboats in a similar m.anner. The Hove? then "Znenced a dose action with the Santa Ritta, and continued it for an hour and a half; w "line her opponent',, fire grow slack, the Rover, by the aid of a light air of wind ackc i? ead-sads, and brought herstern in contact with the schooners side Tl e h Sh iw hcti rushed on board of, and with scarcely a show of opposition, carried lie Santa ie^shattJmrsUiS: "'''' '"'°^' ''"-" '''' "' '^'" «°-°"; sheered olF, appai^mly ia a "Notwithstanding this long and hard-fought action, the Rover had not a man hurt • while, on board the Snnta Ritta, every officer, except the commander of" a dTtaclSt of 2„ so diers, wa.s killed : the whole of the killed. L found on the deck, ami eU 14, and the wounded to 1 7. The prisoners, including the latter, numbe.-^^d tT Tht^ £S prS '1;: rJ'^'T 'T'' T' '^"' --P' -«"^ I"""-' ; the Rovc'-'s ci,S iiaMiig pieuo i,Iy taken from them the usual obligation not to serve amiin unti ox- chiuiged. This uas an achievement that did great honour to Captain Godf^^-v hts officer. , and crew ; and proved how well the hardy sons of British Ainer a ciu d emulate their brother tars of the parent country." (James's Naval Anual" voL 3) Note F. When wo reflect tliat excellent half-cleared farms, near good roads, with a house to LV frtifr- '"" '" P"^-'"if"lfo>- ono-half the price that an emigrant is com Xd af„{ h T .7'T,'"".'^ '," tho interior of New i^eahmd, where bouses, barns &e orrt^.e.Sld'''"f,°°r "'""'!' '"''"' i°™»««vablethat emigrants shmild roam oft to the Antipodes for a home, when one so near the mother country is open to them But It IS still more surprising that many of our people should have *an iTa t uu tlds country has no ••apabilitles for absorb'ing an agrindtural immigration as is tie ffr,S;!VfT'r'"'?L'";'"'>™' •"«"• ^'-^-''^ '•>« aldof ap,;)persytem! half a mhlioi of people could find a home in Nova Scotin. The Cu-J os of Ii.v'crncss ,rtb«?""";;tl''^ •'"" '■^'""•f V^'^'' " ™P"^' «'^^'' ««■ '■'•«"' ^^^ *« ^^^O, couUl hnd a homo m that county at ouce ; and I am conviaccd there is nothing exaggerated in the state- 40 sr ':i;&«;i;; -ir -: -« .r^:: ssa^^^s IS'^I.? '".'}"' "J™"» E»!l™J tl.»ii MJI.'nirri.. 12419 " .. .. .. ^^;;:\f^'^''\'^''' m o.,r streets hy stran;,n;rs, and no oao can answer it It i to b n ^nnJ^.w' '''^ the past fcw wj,)i<<, Ho.nj n-'son^ lii^in , k.,. >„ r i \ j i' ,'rotto!l that withm money in tiio city, fro n lot kn wi /^'..l, t 'l';'»Qa'-t«n;'=■«. their knowlcd„.eaad ex mpe ' '"^ P'"'"' '^^^ ^''"^^ ''•^ ^"""i" «■' f^c :iB22 ^as f% t /&£m^