EXPLANATORY NOTE

The appearance of this work, niore than a year af ter Mr. Parkman 's deatb, calls for a few words of explanation. While writing it, I fully expected that my statemeuts would meet his eye, and, possibly, be chalienged by him. At the tiine of his death niy manuseript was almost complète. ïhere being then no reason for haste, and my health having suffered from excessive application, I went to spend five months in California. Siuce my return from Los Angeles, I hâve been busy making arrangements and providing ways and means for the publication of thèse volumes, throughout which I hâve preserved, in referring to Mr. Parkman, the expressions I used when I thought they might be read by him.

Mr. Parkman 's death, depriving me of part of the objeet I had in view, came upon me with the suddenness of an unexpected shock and the keeuness of a great disappointment.

Much praise has been indulged in by his many admirers since his death, and more particularly by the Rev. Julius Ward in McClure's Magazine of January, 1894. Mr. Parkman had the wise foresight to présent to the Massachusetts Historical Society an oaken cabinet containing his manuseript volumes and the documents which he followed. His objeet, so says Mr. Ward, was to enable critics to estimate the correctness of his writing, and probably, also, to allow his friends to défend him.

Mr. Ward, moreover, informs us that Mr. Parkman was so accurate, so trustworthy, so impartial, so careful in ail détails, that history as written by him is final. Such an assertion is, to put it mildly, rash. Ail this praise, sorae of it well deserved, can hâve no effect on one who, like myself, has fouud him out; it is the obvions resuit of Parkman 's plausibility and unparalleled astuteness.

Now may hâve come the opportunity for the oaken cabinet. For my part, I bave endeavored to dispense with any such collection, by giving room to my

sources of information in the text itself, readily sacrificing the attractiveness of the narrative to the higher purpose of affording, to the eamest inquirer after truth, the best available data for forming au independent and reasonable judgnient.

In this connection it my be well to point out how my researches hâve brought to light a most curious instance of the progressive distortion which history may be made to suffer under the skilful manipulation of unscrupulous men. The Compiler, eonfronted, on the one hand, with a collection of documents already mutilated by interested persons, and, on the other, by the publie opinion of a hundred years condemning the act which it was bis business to throw into clearer relief, sets to work to garble and distort the scraps that had eseaped destruction. Far from fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by the Législature, far from furnishing matter for real history, his compilation, by the very fact of its issuing under such high patronage, of its conséquent claim to impartiality, and of its facilitating the labor of research, would inevitably constitute, for the average student of history, a barrier to further inquiry, and would thus pave the way for Lawrence 's defenders. Such must hâve been the Compiler 's purpose. Sooner or later some bold writer would be found to realize it and stamp it with the semblance of finality. That writer ia Parkman. Trenchant assertions, positive and précise conclusions and ail the other resources of his profound eraftiness hâve been brought to bear upon a fresh mutilation and a further distortion of the Compiler 's distorted and twice garbled collection. After Parkman, as might hâve been expected, other writers would arise who, with less knowledge of the subject, would improve on his System of suppression or at least of unwarrantable inference. This process of progressive distortion must hâve pretty nearly reached its utmost limit in the foUowing lines:

' ' The Maritime Provinces, — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, cover, at least the first two of them cover, the area of the old French Acadie, which, submerged by the tide of conquest, shows itself only in the ruined fortifications of Louisburg, once the Acadian Gibraltar, in remains of the same kind at Annapolis, and in a relie of the French population. The name, with the lying legend of British cruelty conneeted with it, has been embalmed, not in amber but in barley-sugar, by the writer of ' ' Evangeline ' '.

" Lieutenant-Governor Adam Archibald, Mr. Parkman, and Dr. Kingston hâve completely disposed of this fiction, and shown that the déportation of the Acadians was a measure of necessity, to which recourse was had only when forbearance was exhausted. The blâme really rests on the vile and murderous intrigues of the priest Le Loutre. The commander of the troops, Winalow, was an American. ' ' *

* Goldwin Smith: Canada and the Canadian Question, p. 56.

Thu3 is liistory fabricated. The Compiler begat Parkman, Parkinan begat Archibald, Archibald begat Goldwin Smith. By dint of repeated mutilatious, step by step, they hâve succeeded in giving the lie to the received opinions of a whole eentury and in proclaming to the world, in telling phrase, that the cruelty of this déportation is merely a nursery fable. There remains but one further step to take: let some still more audacious perverter of history aflQrm either that the déportation itself is a myth, or that the Acadians, if they were not ungrateful, ought to erect monuments to Lawrence, Beleher and Wilmot, beeause they did not exterminate them on the spot.

Of the writers mentioned above, the Compiler and Parkman are the only ones against whom there is overwhelming évidence of bad faith. The others erred through rashness in that they ventured ou ground that was unknown to thera except through the descriptions of the garbling pair. For it is hardly necessary to emphasize the fact that Mr. Goldwin Smith, though dabbling in history for fifty years, has probably never gone in for original research, but has preferred to write, in admirable English, brilliant one-sided summaries and glittering, though seldom golden, generalizations. However, there is just one short sentence, in the passage I hâve quoted from him, whieh looks very much like bad faith "embalmed in barley-sugar " puerility. "The commander of the troops, Winslow, ' ' says this great word-monger,' ' was an American ' '. Now, as thèse events took place twenty years before the Eevolutionary War, there were at that time no Americans as distinguished from Britishers. Besides, Winslow was merely the local commander at Grand Pre; there were three other such commanders, Hanfield at Annapolis, Murray at Pigiguit, Moncktou at Beaubassin, ail three having nothing at ail to do with the American provinces in what is now the United States. Yet, in the teeth of thèse weU-knowu facts, Mr. Goldwin Smith tries, by an apparently simple statement, to shift the responsibility for the déportation on shoulders that ought not to bear that crushing weight. His covert insinuation means this: The cruelty of the déportation is a lying legend; and at any rate, if it is not, British honor is safe, sinee he who commanded the troops was an American. Before Mr. Smith, no one ever accused Winslow of being the author of the déportation; he merely carried out the orders of his superior, Lawrence. To ignore the Governor who concocted the whole scheme, and to throw the blâme on one of the subordinate officers who obeyed his orders, is pièce of childish trifling unworthy of au intelligent school-girl. As for Longfellow, he needs no defence. His work is but a poemj yet the conscientious historian will find more truth in his "Isarleysugar" than in ail the lofty sneers of Mr. Smith.

The following letter was addressed to me since this work has been put in the publisher's hands. It is from George S. Brown, Esq., now of Boston, Mass., ex-M. P. P. for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and author of a valuable History of that country:

"I hâve read in the Montréal "Herald" the Introduction to your forthcoming Bock on Aeadian History. The subject is of much interest to me, for I hâve made a spécial study of it as well as of the Acadians theniselves, who are numerous in Yarmouth County, where more than fifty years of my life hâve been passed.

' ' I see that you charge Parkman with partiality, if not with dishonesty, in dealing with your subject. You are right; dishonesty seems to be the proper Word, for he has evidently suppressed the truth when treating of the Aeadian Expatriation of 1755. He has ignored, I am sorry to say, whatever tended to exhibit the déportation in its true light; he has garbled historié records to suit his purposes; he has explored every nook and corner to hunt up something disparaging to the Acadians, and he has taken no account of Haliburton, Andrew Brown, and other trustworthy writers.

"The Home Government not only did not aid or sanction the déportation, but they opposed it, as did also General Amherst, Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in North America. I hâve become conversant with the main facts since my book was published, but I had glimpses of thera ail along. Casgrain lets in some light, but there is much more to be said in the same direction. For the mère sake of truth and justice, I am glad that you lead the way, and that you expose Parkman 's perversion of the facts of history, etc., etc."

After reading Mr. Brown 's book (who by the way is a étranger to me), I wrote to him, saying, in substance, that his praise of Acadians seemed to me rather excessive. I hère extract the foUowing from his answer:

"In your letter you intimate that I might be held chargeable with undue partiality to the Acadians. I do not, and I stand ready to justify everything I hâve said of the Acadians of Yarmouth County with whom I hâve been long and intimately acquainted, and when'I say that since the year 1761, when Yarmouth County was first settled by the English, there is not a case on record of an Aeadian being charged with a capital crime, — that, though they nuniber about 8,000, nearly one third of the population of the County, the occasions hâve been of the very rarest when the prison doors hâve been opened for an Aeadian charged with an offence of even the most trivial nature, there is little danger of one 's saying too much in their praise."

No. II. (See Vol. T., page 344, and Vol. II., page 135). LAWRENCE 'S CHARACTER. * Sir,

We are extremely obliged to you for your favor of the 30th July last and for your assiduity in our aflfairs.

We ean assure you, sir, that we were almost without hopes of being r-onsidered as English subjects. The haughty and diadainful behavior of Governor Lawrence to ail our remonstranees, though tendered with the utniost submission, gave us much reason to think he was countenanced at Home by those we had ail the reason in the world heretofore to think were the patrons and principal supporters of this infant settlement, and speeially when it was publicly declared by Governor Lawrence 's créatures, that those gentlemen in office hère, who had ever been solicitous to forward and promote the settlement and who had in every point behaved with honesty and integrity, speeially the Judges of the courts of justice and some of the Council, would soon be displaced. They are the only men who hâve been the means of keeping the settlers from deserting in a body and supported the rights and liberties of the people.

Your letter bas revived the hopes of the inhabitants, and it has been great comfort to them to find an Englishman in England who has their unhappy state and condition at heart and eommiserates their bondage under oppression and tyranny.

We are sensible of the diffieultiea in England and the unsettled state of the Board of Trade which may retard our affairs; but, we are not without hopen, through your care and assiduiy, that we shall meet with success in having an Assembly soon ordered to be established hère; and we cannot help expressing our extrême satisfaction to find that it was the Lords of Trade 's most earnest intention to hâve an Assembly instantly settled, as we are very sure it is of ail

* British Mnsenm. — Brown MSS. — Papers relating to Nova Scotia, 1748- 1757.— Add. MSS, Vol. 19072. In 4 to fol. 43, No. 33.

At the top of this letter, A. B. Grosart of London, the owner of Brown 's Manuscript, has added with his own hand:

"A long letter (sixteen closely written pages) addressed to some one in England by the Colonists concerning the state of the Province.

"This is a high-toned and most vigorous letter: and lays bars with most withering scorn the character of Governor Lawrence. It reminds one of the complaints of the elder Puritans in the days of Charles. . .

"This MS. most important.

things in the world the most necessary step to strengthen and establish this settlement and invite settlers to corne and settle among us.

We eannot but express our most hearty sorrow that our good Lord Halifax bas, at this critical juncture, resigned his place at the board. We are ail to a nian perfectly assured of that good Lord 's sincère attachment to the welfare of the colonies, and look upon him truly as the father of this colony. We are fuUy persuaded that he will use his utmost endeavors to remove from us our oppresser and the oppressor of ail his good purposes; a person unknown to him and recommended by persons on whoni we relied and wliom we are sure were not acquainted with his bad heart and mischievous intentions, one of whom is General Hopson, who has had sufficient reason to alter his opinion. The other is G&neral Cornwallis, who is too much a friend to this people if he could be convinced of the ill-treatment and unjust oppression this tyrant Governor has been guilty of ever to countenance or support him.

Thèse are ail the friends Governor Lawrence has in England, for, on this side of the water, he has none, either of the inhabitants or gentlemen of the army who hold him in the utmost contempt, except those formerly mentioned to you, his agents in oppression. Perhaps you will be more surprised to hear how this governor who sometime ago was only a painter's apprentice in London should hâve advanced himself to such heights. We are obliged to eonfess that he has a good address, a great deal of low cunning, is a most consummate flatterer, has words full of the warmest expressions of an upright intention to perform much good, though never intended, and with much art solicitously courts ail strangers whom he thinks can be of any service to him. By thèse and such arts has he risen to be what he is, and, elated with the success, is outrageously bent upon the destruction of every one that doea not concur in his measures.

We beg leave to make this remark which we désire you will read at the end of twelve months, that if he be not removed Nova Scotia will ie lost to the Crown of Great Britain, and the rest of the colonies be endangered of sharing the same fate, which ought to be the utmost concern of every Englishman to prevent.

And, in order that you may in some measure understand the importance of this, he has prevailed with Lord Loudun to represent in England the necessity of placing this Colony under a military government, and of suspending the charters and laws of the other colonies, the conséquence of which, we appvehend, would be a struggle in the colonies for liberty, and a conséquence too fatal to name. And while the contentions subsist there, the French will penetrate in this Province: indeed they hâve no feasible conquest left them but this colony, and, if the others are deprived of their liberties, it is difficult to say what the effect will be, but the worst is to be feared.

We could say many things which nearly concern us about the affaira in this part of the world, but we are confident you will hear of them from better hands, for they must become public.

We cannot but express our most sincère acknowledgment of gratitude and thanks to the Right Honorable Mr. Pitt, that great patron of liberty, for the condescension he bas shown in taking notice of our affairs; and, se far as reasonable and just, we douibt not of bis concurrence and assistance to procure us redress.

In answer to your remarks, that the quorum of sixteen is too large for the proposed number of twenty-two deputies for the whole Assembly, it is also our opinion, but it was the résolve of Council.

Our désire of having ail placemen excluded from the Assembly, was owing to the circumstances of the colony under our présent Goveruor. The voters are almost dépendants, the offieers are wholly so, it would therefore be the Governor's Assembly and not the people's. Laws would be made according to bis pleasure, and no grievance would be redressed. But if a Governor who has the welfare of the colony and the interest of the people, was appointed, this would be an immaterial point.

The reason why triennial Assemblies was proposed, was intended only for the first Assembly, in order to settle the colony under an English Assembly; otherwise, foreigners, being the most numerous, and the time when they will be naturalized by a seven-years' résidence near approaching, the future Assemblies might be mostly composed of foreigners, which might be dangerous to this frontier setttement.

As to the article of Judges, a good Governor will avail more for the advancement of justice, and then a good judge would be under no concern least he be displaced.

Another of the Governor 's acts, is to misrepresent and abuse ail below him. He has publicly called his Council a pack of scoundrels, the merchants a parcel of villains and bankrupts, and has represented in England the whole as a people discontended and rebellions. We hâve authority of his saying and declaring this from his own mouth in the présence of many offieers both of the arniy and navy. It is posible, sir, that people can be easy under such a Governor? We dare appeal to our two former Governors for our behavior under their administration, whose conduct to us was the very reverse of Governor Lawrence.

Believe us, sir, we are not captions. We are not that turbulent people we hâve been represented; our interest obliges us to be otherwise; we désire nothing inconsistent with the prérogatives of the Crown ; we désire none other than the liberties enjoyed by the other colonies, which His Majesty has graciously been leased to promise by his Royal proclamation.

Our distresses hâve arisen from the malevolent disposition of Governor Lawrence and his créatures. Were they removed and a Governor of humanity appointed, one acquainted with the constitution of Englishmen and an Assembly settled, you would soon hâve the leasure of hearing of the increase and success of this settlement, for we are well assured that 500 families would

remove from Massachusetts and settle immediately hère, as we know the offer bas been made to Governor Lawrewnce and rejected upon their requiring an Assembly to be first established, in order that they might hâve proper laws for their régulation and security of their property.

As for évidence of people leaving the colony for want of an Assembly (those that are already gone), it would take time to colleet them as they are dispersed in the colonies; and though one hundred more families are upon the point of removing, they are extremely fearful of being denied passes if they should be found to hâve given such évidence, for you must know that Governor Lawrence obliges every master of a vessel to enter into bond, under a penalty of iifty pounds forfeiture, for every person they carry away without licence obtained under his hand; and, this is donc without the least shadow of law or order of Couneil; nor can any inhabitant go three miles from town without a certificate from a justice of the peace, so that Halifax is really a prison to ail iutents and purposes.

As for what you mention of the dépositions not coming under the seal of the Province, we beg leave to inform you that it has never been allowed to be fixed to any papers but their own, instead whereof Governor Lawrence fixes his private seal, and must see ail the évidence or his secretary; therefore, to such kind of évidence it would be impossible to procure that, and, for want of the Province seal, many hâve suffered in their lawsuits in the neighboring colonies, or at the expense of sending witnesses where their suits hâve been de- I^ending, which are some among the many rights we are debarred of.

But we hope before this time many complaints hâve reached the ear of the Minister, and that it will shortly evidently appear, if it is not already manifest, that whiist Governor Lawrence has the least influence in American affairs, so long will min and confusion attend them. This truth, General Shirley in England, and Lord Charles Hay when he goes there, will, we are informed, make évident to démonstration, for it is generally believed, that, whatever specious crime may be alleged against Lord Charles Hay, his confinement was solely due to Governor Lawrence 's insinuations to Lord Loudun, upon a private disgust to that Lord for examining too freely into the expenses of batteries, etc., etc., and speaking too contemptibly of what had been done for the mighty sums expended in Nova Scotia.

We had not touched upon those matters, but as we think Providence more immediately seems to coucern itself in discovering the villainous arts of the authors of our calamities, and hope will direct its measures in pouring vengeance on the man whose sole aim seems to hâve to blast the good intentions of his country and to make ail subordinates to him misérable.

It is with pleasure we hear that the aceounts of Nova Scotia will be strictly enquired into, as we are very sure, if they were sifted to the bottom, it will be found that not less than ten thousand pounds, of rum, molasses (of which there was not less than 30,00U gallons, which aloue was worth £3,000), beef,

pork, etc., etc., provisions and much merchandize for the supply of the Indians and French inhabitants were taken in Fort Beauséjour, ncithcr distributed as a reward to the captors nor accounted for, except some small quantity of beef and pork sold to the Commissary Mr. Saul on Mr. Baker 's supply, which was extremely bad and decayed, and certified by Goveruor Lawrence as provisions sent by Governor Shirley.

That the Transports were kept uear three months after the French Neutrals were ready for embarcation at an immense expense, and the New England troops kept six months after their service was over, and this for two spécial rcasons: one to oblige them to enlist into the regulars, and the other to defeat General Shirley in raising a sufficient number of troops necessary for the sumnier 's campaign. By which meaus Oswego was lost, and the expédition to Crown Point rendered abortive. We appeal to General Shirley for the truth of this.

That the cattle, etc., etc., of the Acadians were converted to private uses, of which we know 3,600 hogs and near 1,000 head of cattle were killed and packed at Pigiguit alone and sent by water to other places; and what at other forts is yet a secret, ail unaccounted for to the aniouut of a very large sum; and he and his Commissary are now under great perplexity, and contriving to cover this iniquitous fraud.

That £30,000 has been laid out on batteries not worth thirty pence for the defence of this place in the judgment of every person acquainted therewith.

It is possible he may produce vouchers to cover ail his frauds, for, if the true ones should fall short, he has those under him who hâve V)een used to such kind of work and can readily supply the deficiency. But, if a Governor was sent out with orders to enquire into thèse, or at least to take dépositions, we are very sure the whole will be clearly made to appear.

No. III.

(See Vol. II., page 235.)