The Expulsions of the Acadians

Year
1895
Month
7
Day
31
Article Title
The Expulsions of the Acadians
Author
-----
Page Number
1
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
THE EXPULSION OF THE ACADIANS. The expulsion of the Acadians, which took place 140 years ago, has long been a subject of censure against the British government and the British people. It has been denounced by French and American historians as an unparalleled act of cruelty. It has been made the theme of an epic by one of the greatest of American poets, and the sorrows of Evangeline and of the Acadian people, as depicted in his verse, have brought tears to the eyes of many persons, who, perhaps, would have scant sympathy for an Acadian in real life. As a rule, the expulsion of the Acadians has been condemned even by historians born under the British flag. It was so dealt with by Haliburton, the first historian of Nova Scotia, and it was not until Hannay’s History of Acadia was published in 1879 that anything like a defense of the transaction was attempted. A resident of New York state, named Philip H. Smith, under the title, A Lost Chapter in American History, published a book bitterly attacking Hannay’s views on the expulsion of the Acadians and denouncing the British government in violent terms. About the same time articles of a similar tenor were published in the Catholic Review, in which the author of the History of Acadia was denounced in the most approved style of rhetoric, because he had views of his own with respect to the Acadians and had dared to publish them. Hannay’s treatment of this case was based on the public documents from the archives of Nova Scotia, which were published by the government of that province in 1869. These documents were collected and edited by the late Thomas B. Akins, who was one of the most industrious historical students in America and who has been usually looked upon as a faithful guide in all matters relating to the early history of Nova Scotia. Briefly stated, these documents showed that the Acadians before their expulsion from Nova Scotia were offered a free choice to take the unconditional oath of allegiance as British subjects or to be removed from the province, and that they deliberately chose the latter alternative regarding themselves as neutrals, and not liable to be called upon to perform the duties which ordinary British subjects would be required to do. Francis Parkman, the historian, in 1884, published a book entitled, Montcalm and Wolfe, which dealt with the expulsion of the Acadians and took the same view of their expulsion which had been taken by Hannay. Parkman’s admirers at once hailed him as the original discoverer of this new theory on the subject, and the other writers who had previously traversed the same field, and, in fact, showed him the way, were utterly ignored. Afterwards the matter was discussed a good deal before the Nova Scotia Historical Society by the late Governor Archibald, but no new light seems to have been thrown on the subject either by him or by Mr. Park- man. Now a descendant of the Acadians, Mr. Edward Richard,' who was a member of the house of commons some years ago, comes forward and publishes two volumes on this interesting subject, dealing with the whole question of the expulsion of the Acadians, and disputing the correctness of Mr. Parkman’s book. Mr. Richard lays down the proposition that Mr. Akins deliberately suppressed many documents relating to the Acadian question, which, if published, would have put an entirely different construction on their conduct, and also that Mr. Parkman has treated the Acadians unjustly in his book on Wolfe and Montcalm. Mr. Richard likewise brings out the important fact that the British government did not authorize the expulsion of the Acadians, and had no knowledge that they were about to be expelled until the step had been taken by Governor Lawrence, who alone was responsible for the transaction. Mr. Richard also puts forward the theory that the motive of Governor Lawrence in taking this step was to obtain the cattle and sheep of the Acadians for the purpose of replenishing his own private fortune. Such, in a general way, is the motif of the volumes before us, which have just been published by John Lovell & Son, of Montreal. Mr. Richard bases his conclusions to some extent, on a collection of papers made by the Reverend Andrew Brown, Presbyterian minister, who resided in Halifax from 1787 to 1795. A portion of these papers have been published by the Nova Scotia Historical Society, and they take a much more favorable view of the conduct of the Acadians than has been usually current and condemn in indignant terms their expulsion. Mr. Richard’s book is certainly a very valuable contribution to the annals of Acadia, and whether we agree with his conclusions or not we must respect his motive in seeking to vindicate his ancestors. The only persons against whom the writer shows any bitterness are Governor Lawrence, Mr. Akins and Mr. Parkman; while disagreeing with Hannay’s conclusions he treats him with respect as a faithful historian, the others he accuses of deliberate falsehood and misrepresentation. There is no doubt that Parkman’s fondness for rhetoric frequently leads him into making statements which are, to say the least, exaggerations. We shall probably return to this subject in a future article, and in the meantime desire to express the hope that Mr. Richard’s book may have a wide circle of readers. We think it is the plain duty of the government of Canada to collect every document now in existence on the subject of the expulsion of the Acadians, and to publish these documents in full, so that the whole truth may be known with regard to the matter for the benefit of the historian of the future as well as for all who are interested in this much discussed question.