the conquest of new france-第26章

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the　French　population　to　France。　Assurances　came　from　the　British

government；　however；　that　there　was　no　thought　of　molesting　the

Acadians。



With　the　order　〃As　you　were〃　the　dominant　thought　of　the　Treaty

of　Aix…la…Chapelle　in　1748；　the　highly　organized　and　efficient

champions　of　French　policy　took　every　step　to　ensure　that　in　the

next　struggle　the　interests　of　France　should　prevail。　Peace　had

no　sooner　been　signed　than　Versailles　was　working　in　Nova　Scotia

on　the　old　policy。　The　French　priests　taught　that　eternal

perdition　awaited　the　Catholic　Acadians　who　should　accept　the

demands　of　the　heretic　English。　The　Indians　continued　their

savage　threats。　Blood　is　thicker　than　water　and　no　doubt　the

natural　sympathies　of　the　Acadians　were　with　the　French。　But　the

British　were　now　formidable。　For　them　the　founding　of　Halifax　in

1749　had　made　all　the　difference。　They；　too；　had　a　menacing

fortress　at　the　door　of　the　Acadians；　and　their　tone　grew

sterner。　As　a　result　the　Acadians　were　told　that　if；　by　October

15；　1749；　they　had　not　taken　an　unconditional　oath　of　allegiance

to　George　II；　they　should　forfeit　their　rights　and　their

property；　the　treasured　farms　on　which　they　and　their　ancestors

had　toiled。　The　Acadians　were　in　acute　distress。　If　they　yielded

to　the　English；　not　only　would　their　bodies　be　destroyed　by　the

savage　Micmac　Indians；　but　their　immortal　souls；　they　feared；

would　be　in　danger。



The　Abbe　Le　Loutre　was　the　parish　priest　of　the　Acadian　village

of　Beaubassin　on　Chignecto　Bay　and　also　missionary　to　the　Micmac

Indians；　whose　chief　village　lay　in　British　territory　not　many

miles　from　Halifax。　British　officials　of　the　time　denounced　him

as　a　determined　fanatic　who　did　not　stop　short　of　murder。　As　in

most　men；　there　was　in　Le　Loutre　a　mingling　of　qualities。　He　was

arrogant；　domineering；　and　intent　on　his　own　plans。　He　hated　the

English　and　their　heresy；　and　he　preached　to　his　people　against

them　with　frantic　invective。　He　incited　his　Indians　to　bloodshed。

But　he　also　knew　pity。　The　custom　of　the　Indians　was　to　consider

prisoners　taken　by　them　as　their　property；　and　on　one　occasion　Le

Loutre　himself　paid　ransom　to　the　Indians　for　thirty…seven

English　captives　and　returned　them　to　Halifax。　It　is　certain　that

the　French　government　counted　upon　the　influence　of　French

priests　to　aid　its　political　designs。　〃My　masters；　God　and　the

King〃　was　a　phrase　of　the　Sulpician　father　Piquet　working　at　this

time　on　the　St。　Lawrence。　Le　Loutre　could　have　echoed　the　words。

He　was　an　ardent　politician　and　France　supplied　him　with　both

money　and　arms　to　induce　the　Indians　to　attack　the　English。　The

savages　haunted　the　outskirts　of　Halifax；　waylaid　and　scalped

unhappy　settlers；　and；　in　due　course；　were　paid　from　Louisbourg

according　to　the　number　of　scalps　which　they　produced。　The

deliberate　intention　was　to　make　new　English　settlements

impossible　in　Nova　Scotia　and　so　to　discourage　the　English　that

they　should　abandon　Halifax。　All　this　intrigue　occurred　in　1749

and　the　years　following　the　treaty　of　peace。　If　the　English

suffered；　so　did　the　Acadians。　Le　Loutre　told　them　that　if　once

they　became　British　subjects　they　would　lose　their　priests　and

find　their　religion　suppressed。　Acadians　who　took　the　oath　would；

he　said；　be　denied　the　sacraments　of　the　Church。　He　would　also

turn　loose　on　the　offenders　the　murderous　savages　whom　he

controlled。　If　pressed　by　the　English；　the　Acadians；　rather　than

yield；　must　abandon　their　lands　and　remove　into　French　territory。



At　this　point　arises　the　question　as　to　what　were　the　limits　of

this　French　territory。　In　yielding　Acadia　in　1713；　France　had　not

defined　its　boundaries。　The　English　claimed　that　it　included　the

whole　region　stretching　northeastward　to　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence

from　the　frontier　of　New　England。　The　French；　however；　said　that

Acadia　meant　only　the　peninsula　of　Nova　Scotia　ending　at　the

isthmus　between　Baie　Verte　and　the　Bay　of　Chignecto；　and　for

years　a　Canadian　force　stood　there　on　guard；　daring　the　British

to　put　a　foot　on　the　north　side　of　the　little　river　Missaguash；

which　the　French　said　was　the　international　boundary。



There　was　much　excitement　among　the　Acadians　in　1750；　when　an

English　force　landed　on　the　isthmus　and　proceeded　to　throw　up

defenses　on　the　south　side　of　the　river。　This　outpost；　which　in

due　time　became　Fort　Lawrence；　was　placed　on　what　even　the　French

admitted　to　be　British　territory。　Forthwith　on　a　hill　two　or

three　miles　away；　on　the　other　side　of　the　supposed　boundary；　the

French　built　Fort　Beausejour。　Le　Loutre　was　on　the　spot；

blustering　and　menacing。　He　told　his　Acadian　parishioners　of　the

little　village　of　Beaubassin；　near　Fort　Lawrence　and　within　the

British　area；　that　rather　than　accept　English　rule　they　must　now

abandon　their　lands　and　seek　the　protection　of　the　French　at　Fort

Beausejour。　With　his　own　hands　he　set　fire　to　the　village　church。

The　houses　of　the　Acadians　were　also　burned。　A　whole　district　was

laid　waste　by　fire。　Women　and　children　suffered　fearful

privationsbut　what　did　such　things　matter　in　view　of　the　high

politics　of　the　priest　and　of　France？



During　four　or　five　years　the　hostile　forts　confronted　each

other。　In　time　of　peace　there　was　war。　The　French　made　Beausejour

a　solid　fort；　for　it　still　stands；　little　altered；　though　it　has

been　abandoned　for　a　century　and　a　half。　It　was　chiefly　the

Acadians；　nominal　British　subjects；　who　built　these　thick　walls。



The　arrogant　Micmacs　demanded　that　the　British　should　hand　over

to　them　the　best　half　of　Nova　Scotia；　and　they　emphasized　their

demand　by　treachery　and　massacre。　One　day　a　man；　in　the　uniform

of　a　French　officer；　followed　by　a　small　party；　approached　Fort

Lawrence；　waving　a　white　flag。　Captain　Howe　with　a　small　force

went　out　to　meet　him。　As　this　party　advanced；　Indians　concealed

behind　a　dike　fired　and　killed　Howe　and　eight　or　ten　others。　Such

ruses　were　well　fitted　to　cause　among　the　English　a　resolve　to

enforce　severe　measures。　The　fire　burned　slowly　but　in　the　end　it

flamed　up　in　a　cruel　and　relentless　temper。　French　policy；　too；

showed　no　pity。　The　Governor　of　Canada　and　the　colonial　minister

in　France　were　alike　insistent　that　the　English　should　be　given

no　peace　and　cared　nothing　for　the　sufferings　of　the　unhappy

Acadians　between　the　upper　and　the　nether　millstone。



At　last；　in　1755；　the　English　accomplished　something　decisive。

They　sent　an　army　to　Fort　Lawrence；　attacked　Fort　Beausejour；

forced　its　timid　commander　Vergor　to　surrender；　mastered　the

whole　surrounding　country；　and　obliged　Le　Loutre　himself　to　fly

to　Quebec。　There　he　embarked　for　France。　The　English　captured　him

on　the　sea；　however；　and　the　relentless　and　cruel　priest　spent

many　years　in　an　English　prison。　His　later　years；　when　he　reached

France；　do　him　some　credit。　By　that　time　the　Acadians　had　been

driven　from　their　homes。　There　were　nearly　a　thousand　exiles　in

England。　Le　Loutre　tried　to　befriend　these　helpless　people　and

obtained　homes　for　some　of　them　in　the　parish　of　Belle…Isle…en…

Mer　in　France。



In　the　meantime　the　price　of　Le　Loutre's　intrigues　and　of　the

outrages　of　the　French　and　their　Indian　allies　was　now　to　be　paid

by　the　unhappy　Acadians。　During　the　spring　and　summer　of　1755；

the　British　decided　that　the　question　of　allegiance　should　be

settled　at　once；　and　that　the　Acadians　must　take　the　oath。　There

was　need　of　urgency。　The　army　at　Fort　Lawrence　which　had　captured

Fort　Beausejour　was　largely　composed　of　men　from　New　England；　and

these　would　wish　to　return　to　their　homes　for　the　winter。　If　the

Acadians　remained　and　were　hostile；　the　country　thus　occupied　at

laborious　cost　might　quickly　revert　to　the　French。　Already　many

Acadians　had　fought　on　the　side　of　the　French　and　some　of　them；

disguised　as　Indians；　had　joined　in　savage　outrage。　A　French

fleet　and　a　French　army　were　reported　as　likely　to　arrive　before

the　winter。