The Cogswells in America - citizen hylbom blog

in the French colony of Cape Breton seemed to be aggressive, and the disas-
ters to the British troops under Gen. Braddock increased the plotting against
British rule among the French settlers. There are times with nations, as with
individuals, when drastic remedies have to be employed, and when an urgency
exists which cannot wait for the ordinary movements of the law, when, in a
word, weapons for immciiiaie tUtct are called into action, irrespective of their
rudeness and harshness. No one can do other than deplore the sufferings
which attended the expatriation of the French Acadians, but their removal
had become a political necessity. The act was performed with all possible
humanity by Col. Winslow, a native of New England, who commanded the
forces charged with the unpleasant duty. Col. Winslow himself said that the
work was " contrary to his make and temper," and was not likely to aggravate
the sufferings of the unhapp)- people.
Some descendants of the French Acadians remain in the Province, living in
secluded villages, retaining their separate language and customs, and holding
little intercourse with the British inhabitants, yet it may be questioned whether,
nationally regarded, not only they, but all the so-called French Canadians,
are not really more British than French ; for their ancestors are reputed to
have come from Brittany and Normandy. Jacques Cartier. the first Kuropean
voyager who set foot in Canada, was a native of Brittany. Brittany was col-
onized from Wales ; its French name is Bretagiie. the same as for Britiiin,
while both its current English name and that of its people are but variations
of Britain and Briton. The intiinate blood relationship between the Normans,
also, and the English, requires no words of explanation. If, then, there be rea-
son to believe that no actual difference exists except in language, between the
French Canadians and their British compatriots, it may be worth while for the
former to consider whether they would not do wisely to give up this one
acquired peculiarity, and so identify themselves in all respects with their
neighbors speaking the English tongue.
The vacant places in Acadia were soon filled. New England, whose vig-
orous sons took so prominent a part in all the battles of Great Britain on the
.American continent, stepped into the vacant farms, and among her pioneers in
New Scotland, caine from Connecticut in 1761, Hezekiah Cogswell.
Our earliest authority in print for the statements in the foregoing sketch is
• Haliburton's History of Nova Scotia." This work was received with special
and official favor by the Legislative Assembly, and is worthy of the author,
who on other and humorous fields earned the sol'riquet of " Sam Slick." It is
in two volumes, published in 1829. The first volume is occupied with a
general history of the Province, and the second contains an account of its
arrangement in divisions, counties, districts, and townships, and the manner in
which they became settled with inhabitants. The settlers were invariably of
the lespectable classes, and their descendants have no reason to fear a coinpar-
ison with the population of any other country as regards their origin. No con-
vict under sentence has ever been known to cross their borders, except, strange
to say. oiit'iCnrd-bounJ. An amusing instance of this was recently given in a