“We
did upon pretenses not worth a farthing, root out his innocent, deserving
people, whom our utter inability to govern or reconcile gave us no right to
extirpate.” Edmund Burke (1729-97)
British Statesman, Author…on the Deportation.
While
some might initially perceive the subject of this paper as being purely a
matter of semantics, I contend that every person of Acadian descent should
eschew the use of the term Expulsion with reference to the tragic events
of 1755-63. It is a word designated by the perpetrators of the horrendous act
to describe their evil deed and since, unwittingly, adopted by many who profess
to be sympathetic to the Acadian view.
I
was reminded of this not long ago when discussing with a Scot the tragedy that
befell the Highlanders during the Clearances, which were also instigated
by the English Crown. He had used the word Expulsion in connection with
the Acadians, and when I admonished him, giving my reasons, he agreed with my
position adding, “The victor writes the
history and that is the word I learned in the history books of Nova Scotia.”
And so it is. The term is preferred because it then likens the Deportation to
acts committed by the French with respect to the Huguenots or the eviction of
the so-called “Loyalists” by the American patriots (loyal only to their new
nation) and fighting for independence from the Crown. Such a comparison is
entirely without merit; a person expulsed may choose his destination.
Words
have meanings. The Deportation was unique in its intent and cruelty: The homes
of the Acadians were burned, much of their cattle slaughtered; families were
physically removed (often separated) and driven onto vessels at bayonet point
bound for destinations chosen by their captors. They were not expelled, they
did not emigrate, they were deported. Not all lexicographers deal with
the difference between the words Deportation and Expulsion with
precision, often giving them similar meanings. The roots from which they
etymologically evolved suggest they are quite unlike in meaning however. The
Latin origins of deport are deportare, carry off, carry away: de,
away, off + portare, carry and for expel we find expellare, drive
out: ex-out + Pelier, to drive. Again, the Acadians were not driven,
they were taken.
While
some sympathetic to the Acadian view of things slip into the use of the
victor’s choice of words, those of the British view never fail to choose
carefully. The English bias of Mahaffie in his recently published Land of
Discord Always is evident in both his index and the text; the word is Expulsion,
never Deportation. On the other hand, A. H. Clark (as neutral a writer
as I have found) in his Acadia uses Deportation exclusively.
There is a “code” here if you will, and a check of the indices of any of the
histories of the time is revealing; try it. When writing, make your mark as an
Acadian, use DEPORTATION, never Expulsion
This
article appeared in the MAY 2002 issue of Le Réveil Acadien, quarterly
of the Acadian Cultural Society…
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