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L'iMPARTIAL

Tignish, Mardi, 20 Aril. 1909

Pour les Cultivateurs

Vous plairait-il ie réponde à une difiicuité que j'éprouve relative- ment à la ‘‘terre à employer’ pour la plantation des arbres d’orne- ment.

Il est admis que lorsque le ter-| rain où se fait la plantation est | “trop pauvre’’, il faut avoir soin, de faire les trous plus grands et d'y | ajouter uve certaine quantité de | ‘bonne terre’’ sans quoi on ferait | uu travail inutile. Ici, tout le ter- tain où nous voudrions avoir plu- sieurs centaines d'arbres est un ‘‘sable presque pur’’, et il faut al- ler loin chercher de la bonne terre. Par contre, nous avons ici à notre poitée un grand champ de ‘‘glaise pure quiest utilisée dans une manu- facture à Trois-Rivières. Or, je! voudrais savoir ‘‘si cette même | glaise’’ après s'être bien effritée sous l’action de l'air et du soleil, ne pourrait pas, en la ‘‘mélangeant bien avec le sable’”’, faire une ex- cellente terre pour la reprise des arbres ?’’ S'il en était ainsi, notre travail de plantation se trouverait réduit presque de moitié. Mais les arbres nous ceûtent si cher, qu’a- vant de nous décider à prendre ce moyen, nous préférons consulter | quelqu'un qui pourrait nous ren- | seigner sûrement —P. Q. Cap de | la Madeleine.

RE

SI VOUS AIMEZ |

la bonne lecture intéressante et a-| musante envoyez-nous douze cents | et vous recevrez 55 Belles Longues ! Histoires en français par le retour | du courrier, Adressez : LE JARDIN | LiITTERAIRE, P. O. Box 464! Dépt 143, Manchester, N, H, |

To our English Friends

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Our English friends will appreciate, we trust, the effort we are raaking, in placing before them, in their own language, the resolution passed at the last Acadian Congress, at St. Basil, Madawaska, in August 1908. The resolution ex- plains fully the injustice which the Acadians have had to submit t9, by the witholding of documents, by men, who prejudiced, either by fear of displeasing some higher autho- rity or by hatred against the acadian race (presumably the latter) have omitted from their publications, the true copy of the archives, which were they published, would place a different phase on the whole history of Canada. Through the untiring energy of the Honorabl'e Pascal Poirier, sena- tor, secretary of L'Assomption, this glaring injustice has been brought to the notice of the public and now a demand is made that the true copy of all the archives be made, with- out omission. Akin, who was authorized by the Nova Scotia Provincial Legislature, issued but a part of the docu- ments which were at his disposal ; had he done his duty, he wouli have strenghten the bond of friendship which should exist between the acadian people and the english race.

The suppression of some of the facts ef one of the great- est crimes ever perpetrated towards the human race, has caused an apathy between the two interested races, wlmich would have been cemented with the strongest bond of friendship, and a unanimous denonciation of the evil doers, if truth had been known.

It is for the purpose of righting this grave error of A- kins’, that the resolution has been drafted, passed at a con- gres, where five thousand faithful British subject proclaimed its justification ; and it is for that purpuse that we give it all the prominence in our power. We trust, ’ere we hold our next Congress, which takes place, in 1910, at Tignish, P. E. Island, that we will have the satisfaction of seeing tne truth laid before the public.—Ed. L'IMPARTIAL

A Monsieur F. J. Buote Président de /’Assomption,

Mon cher Président,

Dans un précédent rapport, je vous ai rendu compte et au peuple de ce que j'ai fait, en ma qualité de secrétaire, des résolutions passées au Congrès de Saint Basile, l'été deruier, et vous ai tenu au courant des répor ses très cour- toises reçues de chacun des Surintendants de l'Education des trois provinces, des gouvernements et des bnreaux d’exa- minateurs pour l'admission à la pratique de la médecine, auxquels ces résolutions furent adressées.

J'ai, dans le même temps, adressé à nos Seigneurs les K- vêques les suppliques très respectueuses qui leur étaient faites de la part des prélats ecclésiastiques, des vicaires gé- néraux et du clergé français des cinq diocèses des provinces maritimes, et des Acadiens de toute l’ Amérique du Nord. Aucune de Leurs Grandeurs n’a daigné, jusqu'à ce jour, s’abaisser jusqu’à faire faire un simple accusé de réception par Son secrétaire ; de sorte que j'ignore, n'ayant pas fait euregistrer nos lettres, si elles ont eu l’honneur d'être re- mises à Leurs Grandzurs, et si Leurs Grandeurs en ont pris connaissance.

Afin d’être plus certain de ne manquer en rien au respect, j'avais pris la précaution de faire traduire ces suppliques en langue anglaise, service que M. le Juge Landry avait eu la gracieusité de me rendre.

Je viens d’adresser à M. J. Willie Comeau, député de Halifax, pour le présenter à qui de droit, le MEMOIRE destiné au lieutenant gouverneur, et aux deux chambres de la Législature de la Nouvelie-Ecosse. M. le sénateur Co- meau a bien voulu, à ma demande, en faire la traduction en anglais.

Préalablement, vu qu’il s’agit d'archives historiques, je l'ai fait examiner par notre généologiste, M. Placide Gau- det, qui y a relevé et corrigé quelques erreurs de nom et de faits.

Il serait peut-être désirable de demander à nos journa"x, toujours si accueillants, de vouloir bien publier en anglais, le dit mémoire, afin que le peuple sache précisément ce que J'Assomption fait en son nom.

Bien cordialement à vous, mon cher Président, PASCAL PoIRIER, Secrétaire Shediac N. B. avril 1909

MEMORANDUM :

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From the Acadiaus of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the United States of America in general conventi assembled at St. Basile, N. B. August the 15th. 1908.

To His Honor the Honorable D. C. Fraser, lieutenant governor, To the Honorable the Legislative Council and To the Honorable the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia,

On the 3oth. of April 1857 the following resolution was passed by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly :

Resolved that his Exclency the Governor be respectfully requested lo cause the ancient records and document illus- trative of the history and progress of society in this provin- ce, to be examined, preserved and arranged, either for refe- rence or publication, as the Legislature may here after de- termine, and that this House provide for the same.’’

The following year the Assembly authorised the Lieute- nant Governor to procure in England all the official papers required by the Archivist and a copy of all the despatches and documents necessary to make their records complete.

By another vote of the House the Archivist was grauted a sufñiency of funds required to have copied, at Quebec, all and any documents of a public and private nature referring to the early History of Acadia.

Finally, in 1865, outhe recommendation of a Special committee, the Archivist was given authority to make sui- table selections from amowgst the Historical! Documents ia this possession and to publish these selections in a volume ‘in octavo’’.

Backed by this weight of authority, Akin, in 1869, pu-

lished a volume of 755 pages. Unfortuuately this volume is less an attempt to make better understood and illustrate the History and progress of Society in Nova Scotia, than to justify the expulsion of the Acadieus, in 1755, and at the same time to place in the worst possible light, what the Compiler terms the encroachments of the French Cana- dian authorities upon the domain of Nova Scotia.

And Akips’ work is one abounding in preiudice rather

than an impartial historical record such as the House indi- cated by its resolution.

That this is so, he himself, moreover, as good as ad- mits :—‘‘Although much has been written on the subject, yet, until lately it has undergone little actual investigation aud in consequence, the necessity for their removal has not been clearly perceived, and the motives which led to its in- forcement have been often misunderstood’’.

Aud it was with this idea, fully decided upon in advance, aud in such a spirit as this, that Akin first collected, and, in 1869, published his volume of ‘‘Selections’’ from the public Documents of N. S. ; a voiume better known by the title of ‘’Nova Scotia Archives”.

Now, it can be fairly stated, that this volume contains very nearly all the historical data from which English wri- ters—for the greater part in gooi faith—call their informa- tions, when they write an account of the ‘‘Great Deporta- tion’’.

In the interest of Historic truth, it would have been bet- ter to have published nothing at all, thau to offer to the public—the jury in the case—a plea from one side of the case only.

This spirit of prejudice clearly influenced Akin through- out the whole of his researches and was a deciding factor in the selections made.

He admits that, up to his own time, ’’the necessity for their removal has not been clearly perceived’’. And it was with the. design of having his views prevailed that he pu- blished, rejected or struck out—suitably to the purposes of his view:—the public documents found at Halifax.

And, without any authority for so doing from the Legis- lature, in line of carrying out his duties :: an Archivist, he assumed the Authority of a Doctor in History, a judge in the interpretation of Historical Documents.

À few examples will suffice to show how he carried out his duties af an Archivist, and what manner of a ‘Doctor’ he is.

He omits from the published documents bearing upon the Treaty of Utrecht a certain very important letter from L'Hermite to Nicholson, which shows how a subsequent understanding between Loui: XIV of France and Queen Anne of Eugland effect substantially the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, so far as concerns tlie situation of the Acadiaus, and their right to withdraw from Nova Scotia.

Six documents of unquestionable importance bearing upon the attempt made in 1720, under Governor Phillips, to compel the Acadians to take the oath of Allegiance to the English Crown, and which consists of two memorials from the Acadians of Annapolis and Grand Pré, of a letter from Father Justinian, of a letter from the Governor of Louisburg, and of a joint missive from the Acadians to the Governor of Louisburg, find no place in the ‘‘Selections from Public Documents’, compiled by Akin. They were intentionally omitted, Aud of this, the proof is that four of these documents were in 1869, —and are to-day—lying side by side in London, with those other documents which were copied and published by this Nova Scotia Archivist, On the other hand there is uo longer any trace of them at Halifax.

Doucet came over to Nova Scotia, in 1717 as Lieutenant Governor of the province. A period of peace followed and to a certain extent of harmouy and good feeling. Doucet himself, a just, though stern man, finis but little to com- plain of, in his reports concerning the Acadians, to the Lords of Trade and Commerce ; quite to the contrary in- deed. But Akin whose views it apparently does not meet, makes no mention whatever of all this official correspon- dance between Doucet and London.

Avuother Example. Akin reprints fifteeu letters from General Amherst, five from Governor Powral, three from Governor Philipps, all addressed to Governor Lawrence, all of the utmost importance, since they bear directly upon the Expulsion of the Acadians and the events ôf that period ; but he publishes not one of Lawrence’s replies to these let- ters. For what reason ? Moreover no trace of these replies can auywheres be found to-day. Whe caused them to di- sappear ? Who destroyed them ?

The events of 1755, events of passiouately absorbing in- terest, to the historian, are passed by quite unnoticed by the cotxpiler. He allawes to remain büried in oblivion acts of the greatest ‘‘Historical and Social’’ importance.

Akins’ instructions from the Legislature were to compile a collection of s1ch papers ani documents as would make most clearly comprehensible the ‘‘History and progress of Society in the province of Nova Scotia'’.

He was commissioned to collect materials for an impartial History of Nova Scotia an 1 nothing else. One of the main points upon which light was sought to bethrown was the question of the oath taken by the Acadians to the English Crown : À most difficult historical question to settle. A: kin settles it off hand, and in doing 50, he quite freely lays aside his role of a compiler merely.

Uptothis period (1730) so he states in a foot note at bottom of page 266, no oath whatever had been taken by the inhabitants of Acadia, except that by the people, in the neighbourhood of Port Royal, which was one of uncondi- tional allegiance.

This is a statement which it would be extremely difficult to prove ; likewise the following : Governor Phillips on his return to Anuapolis in 1730, brought the people at last to take an unconditional oatkh, willingly. This statement is contradicted by the Lords of Trade and Commerce, by the Acadians, by the English Governors themselves, Lawrence included ; in short it is denied by everybody. The follo- wing statements stands inthe same category of alleged facts, often in the face of proofs to the contrary :—

‘The term Nentrel French having been so frequentiy ap- plied to the Acadians in public documents—their constant denial of an unqualifi:d oath ever having been taken by them, and the reiterate assertions of their priests that the y understooi the oaths taken from time to time, in a qualified sence (by drawing a distinction between an oath of fidelity and one of allegiance) led the Governors of Halifax, in 1749. ani at subsequent periods, erroniously to suppose that no unconditional oath of allegirnce had ever been taken by the people of Acadia to the British Crown’.

Nothing in the whole volume of Nova Scotia Archives justifies the statement, but nevertheless Akin suitably to his purpose, makes the claim boldly.

To write History impartially, both sides, both versions should be considered. That is to say, in order that Akins’ volume might be really complete and useful, and meet the intentions of Howe and the other Nova Scotia Legistalors, all the omitted documents of importance that can yet be found, whether at Halifax or in London, should be hunted up and published.

In addition to these, the documents bearing npon the o- ther side of the question, the French side, should be pub-

lished as well, These can be found in large numbers at Que,

bec, Paris, in the records of the Admiralty, in copies at Ottawa, and possibly at Halifax. These documents could easily fill a second volume of the Nova Scotia Archives, quite as interesting, possibiy, asthe first volume ; but in any case, from this time hence forward, necessary.

The Acadians now in Congress assembled are by no means the only ones who find complaints to make concer- ning Akins' volu'1e and the us: he made of the records.

Already, in 1824, the Historian Haliburton, a judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, complain that :

‘The Archives at Halifax partake of the nature of some secret thing that someone is trying to conceal ; and that from the little that can be learned from them, there is rea- son to believed that important papers bearing upon different periods have in part on the whole disappeared'’. Moreover, what were at first merely conjectures became in time con- victions in the mind of the great historian :

“Itis very remarkable, he further says, in his History of Nova Scotia, vol. 1, p. 196, that there are no traces of this important event (the deportation of the Acadiens) to be found among the records, in the Secretary’s office of Ha- lifax. I could not discover thatthe correspondence had been preserved, or that the orders, f1eturns and memorials

had ever been preserved, or that the orders, returns or me- .

moriais ha ever been filled there. . The particulars of this affair seem to have been carefully concealed, although it is not easy to assign the reason, unless the parties were, us in truth they might well be, ashamed of the transaction.”

A letter from Rameau de Saint Père, authors of two inte- resting works on Acadia : La France aux Colonies and une Colonie Feodale en Amerique, (France and her Colonies and a Feudal Colony in America) addressed to the Abbé Casgrain, throw some light on the doings of the keeper of the Archives at Halifax. He says : —

“I arrived at Halifax in September, my friend Mr Bea- mish Murdock obtained for me permission to consult the Government Archives and an appointiment was made for the next day. I was shown some volumes and bocks of re- cords, but was notified that I was forbidden to make any copy or extracts, And I was furnished'with neither pen nor pencil. À place fwas assigned me at a table in the middle of a room in which eight or ten clerks werz working. No chair was offered to me, the result being that 1 could not be seated, and that none of my movements could escape the notice of the employees.”’

Rameau de Saint Père, introdnced by Beamish Murdock, had travelled the whole way from France to Halifax to glean materials from the Officisl Records and Documents that might be of use in his history of Acadia.

The Abbé Casgrain, aâuthor of ‘‘Un pelerinage au Pays d'Evangeline’’ (A Pilgrimage to the land of Evangeline) of several other notable historical works, when he came to discuss the dispersion of the Acadiens, was struck as were Haliburton and Rameau with the number and importance of the ‘‘gaps’’ which adorn the Nova Scotia Archives. He betook himself to London, to make comparative ‘‘studies’” of the texts in the British Museum and the public Record office. Let him speak for himself :—

‘‘The selection from public documents (Akins’ book) has evidently been made with the idea of justifying the Acts of the Novà Scotia Government in their expulsion of the Aca- dians. To accomplish this there have been systemati ally rejected or allowed to remain ‘‘undiscovered’’ the most compromising vwfthe official Documents, especially those that might throw a favorable light on the Acadians. Let it be well noted, that the compiler (Akins) has no ground for pleading ignorance, as he himself in many places affords e- vidence that he has studied the Official Documents of the Public Records Office in order to make comparison with those of Halifax. I myself have compared the ‘‘Compila- tion'’ at Halifax with the originals in the Public Records Office and have verified omissions so important and so es- sential as to completely alter the records. I found proofs that my suspicions were but to well founde.,’’ (from a Pe- lerinage to the land of Evangeline page 39)

Finally the historian Richard is no less explicit. On page 13, vol. 1, of his work : Acacia Missing Links, he declares :

‘’That he has no hesitation in stating that the documents (contained in the N. S. Archives) indicate the grossest partiality in their selection for the evident purpose, but thinly disguiseé in the preface itself, of making a collection of all the documents and records that might justify the ex- pulsion of the Acadians.

In view to the premises and in order that future histo- rians of Nova Scotia may have more complete and more re- liable records to draw from, your petitioners pray that the Government of Nova Scotia appoint one or more parsons to make a further selection of historical ducuments pertaining to the History of Nova Scotia, from the time of the con- quest of the couutry by the English (1710) tothe Treaty of Paris (1763 the same to be selected in a broaï spirit of impartiality and published as a sequal to Akins ‘‘Selections from the Public Documents of the province of Nova Scotia.’ =

Most respectfully submitted, PASCAL POIRIER, Secretary.

The aforegoing resolution was moved by Senator Poirier, seconded by Senator Comeau, and carried unanimously.

P, P

F7 2 # + ner” * mm ns | h Fr W' NOUVELLE SERIE L'IMPARTIAL, TIGNISH 1. P. E., MARDI 20 AVRIL 1909 r6 ANNÉE

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tained at the Post Offices on the route and at the office of the Post Office Inspector. John F., Whear Post Office Ins pector Post Office Inspector’'s Office Charlottetown, P. E. I.

33rd, March 1909

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