USA > Maine > How the Acadians came to Maine > Part 5
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In his book entitled: "The Acadians of Madawaska", Father Collins notes the poor spelling of French names in the American census of 1820. However, he was fooled by the name of Francis Carney which, as he says "sounds familiar to English ears", but which was the anglicized name of François Cormier.
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After the census of 1824 taken by the government of New Brunswick, the colony, which had been left on its own resources for 25 years, became the object of special attention in this Prov- ince. Madawaska was annexed to the parish of Kent in York County, which county had as its representative at the legislature one of the most distinguished politicians of Canada, Peter Fisher. He became interested in his new constituents whom he often vi- sited and for whom he obtained many favors from his govern- ment.
The War of 1812 had awaken in the territory a military spirit which had a pronounced tendency toward independence. New Brunswick made use of this military spirit to its own advan- tage by creating military grades and officers among the inhabi- tants. Social prestige, wealth, and often just the popularity of the candidate were qualifications for a grade of captain.
In the colony there were just two companies under the com- mand of Captains Francis Cyr and Pierre Duperry, but by 1824 the number of officers was increased to five and in 1836 there were eight under the command of Major Peter Fisher. Therefore, the frontiers were to be well-protected.
The Grand River mission, on account of its mounting im- portance and its distance from St. Basile, requested as early as 1820 a chapel where services could be held every month. For the same reason, Chautauqua, where a great number of immigrants had settled, also wanted a chapel. Chautauqua had a population of 450 whereas. Grand River had but 350.
Father Michel Ringuet succeeded Father Lagarde as pastor of St. Basile in 1821, and Father Sirois succeeded Fother Ringuet in 1826.
Father Elie Sylvestre Sirois did not wait long before he built a chapel in Chautauqua and one at Grand River, chapels of equal dimensions, that is, 70 feet long by 40 wide. Begun in the sum- mer of 1826, the chapels were ready in the fall. In fact, Chautau- qua had its first Mass on January 1, 1827. The construction of a chapel brought not less than 50 new families to Chautauqua.
Father Sirois built another chapel at Tobique for the Male- cite Indians and for a few Catholic families in the area. His priestly duties took him as far as woodstock, N. B. on the St. John River. St. Anne of Fredericton had just been given a resident pastor who was Father J. E. Morisset. Therefore, Father Sirois gave all of his time to his four missions: St. Basile, Van Buren, French- ville, and Woodstock.
According to the parish census of 1830, St. Basile had a population of 1,395 inhabitants, or 209 homes; Chautauqua had
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746 inhabitants, or 112 homes; Grand River had 471 inhabitants, or 107 homes, a grand total of 2,612 inhabitants for all Mada- waska.
The inhabitants of Chautauqua were pleased with their chapel, but they did not like the name of the place. Chautauqua had degenerated into "Chatte-à-Coin" (Corner Cat). The people down the river did not miss a chance to tease the respectable ci- tizens of Chautauqua by a play on words, which brought a cer- tain feeling of unfriendliness between the people of upper river and those who lived farther down.
This affair was taking alarming proportions by complex in- terests of rivalry, and the Chautauqua army, under the command of Captain Romain Michaud, was always on the alert to avenge the honor of the parish on the first provocation, when notables of the town asked Father Sirois to change the name of the place for that of a saint.
Father Sirois addressed a request to the Bishop of Quebec on December 8, 1827 suggesting the name of St. Emily, but since there was no office in the breviary in honor of St. Emily on her feast day, the bishop dedicated the parish to St. Luce (St. Lucy) and gave St. Bruno as patron of Van Buren.
Father Sirois left Madawaska in 1831 to take the parish of St. Stanislaus in the Province of Quebec. He died at St. Barnaby at the age of 83.
Father François Xavier Romuald Mercier, assistant at St. Antoine de Chambly, succeeded Father Sirois at St. Basile. Father Mercier was Acadian. He was the son of Jean Louis Mercier and Elizabeth Landry of St. Roch de l'Achigan in Montcalm County, an area colonized by Acadians on their return from their New England exile. Later on he went to Montreal where he was ap- pointed Canon and Archpriest of the cathedral.
The inhabitants of St. Luce of Frenchville had addressed a petition to the bishop for a resident pastor, but had to wait a few more years. St. Bruno's of Van Buren had the first honor. On oc- count of its geographical location, it had the missions of Aroos- took, Tobique, Falls River, and Woodstock.
In the meantime, Father Langevin ministered to the parish- ioners of Madawaska and Lake Temiscouata. Father Antoine Langevin, born at Beauport, February 7, 1802, was 33 years old . upon his arrival at St. Basile where he stayed for 22 years. Bishop Donald McDonald of Charlottetown visited him in 1838 and ap- pointed him Vicar General of his diocese.
Bishop Dollard confirmed this appointment four years later when St. John, N. B. was erected into a diocese. However, on ac-
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count of its isolation and difficult communication with St. John, Madawaska remained under the administration of the Bishop of Quebec unti! 1852, the year Halifax was erected into a diocese.
Father Langevin was a man of superior administrative ability. He was the man chosen by Divine Providence to direct the des- tinies of Madawaska during the most difficult period of its moving history: The controversy on the frontiers.
He was a man full of energy. He possessed an indefatigable perseverance and had an authoritative character. As long as the uncertain fate of the people continued in regard to the frontiers, he was the arbitrator for this loyal and devoted population. But when the danger had passed, the people became tired of his ab- solute regime. He did not have the vision to temper his authority to correspond with the new situation. The people filled with bitterness the last years of this priest who had been born to command. The long delay of the settlement of the boundaries, the autocratic woys of the pastor, the energetic vindication of his rights, the ignorance of the majority of the people do not in any way excuse the inhabitants for this lack of respect toward one who had done so much for them. The ten years of stubborness and savage threats on the part of the people and the domineering attitude of the pastor are not justified and are a black spot in the annals of Madawaska.
The death of the pastor opened the eyes of many who wept more over their own stubborness than on the one they had lost.
It is through the influence and recommendation of Father Langevin that St. Bruno's of Van Buren obtained a resident pastor. Father Antoine Gosselin, pastor of St. Agnes of Charlevoix, be- came the first pastor of St. Bruno's. He took up his residence in the fall of 1838. In a letter dated November 18, 1839 to Bishop Signay of Quebec, he wrote that the parish of St. Bruno had 125 Acadian families, and that Tobique had 15 or 20 Indian families. A few miles from Tobique lived 30 or 40 Irish Catholic families.
Encouraged by the success of St. Bruno's parishioners, the inhabitants of St. Luce (Frenchville) did not delay to ask again for a resident pastor. Again Father Langevin, who had but 200 families in his St. Basile Parish, thought it would be to the advan- tage of the St. Luce parishioners to have a resident pastor. In a letter to Bishop Signay, he mentioned that the parish of St. Luce had a population of 850 with 140 homes. He assured the Bishop that the mission could easily support a pastor.
In July, 1843, Father Henry Dionne, assistant at St. Basile's since 1841, was appointed pastor of St. Luce.
The year 1843 was a year of Jubilee in Madawaska, since that year marked the end of conflicts regarding the question of
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frontiers. The year 1843 marked also the fiftieth anniversary of the erection of St. Basile as a parish.
Father Langevin had as hosts at St. Basile's, Bishop Dollard, first Bishop of New Brunswick, the vicar general of Quebec, Mon- signor Mailloux, Fathers Charles Chiniquy, Pouliot, Pilote, Hébert of Kamouraska, Malo of St. Joseph of Carleton, Gosselin of Van Buren, and Dionne of Frenchville.
During the two days of the Jubilee, Mass was celebrated in open air on Martin's Hill which dominates the St. John Valley and from the top of which one may get a panorama of Mada- waska.
It is from this hill that the young and brilliant Father Chini- quy still deeply attached to the Catholic Church delivered one of the most eloquent orations on the vice of intemperance. His sermon on temperance was so forceful and eloquent that many who were passionately addicted to the vice of drunkardness took the pledge.
Later on, Father Chiniquy abjured the faith of his childhood and priestly life. His prestige fell with his religious apostasy and in that state, he persevered to the end. God alone is his judge. Before men, he passed judgment on himself in his book entitled: "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome". His Protestant sermons which reflected vengeance and calumny did not draw any sect to him. He died irreconciled with the Church which had ordaned him and detested by the sects he had tried to befriend.
Under Father Langevin, the colonization of Madawaska was growing rapidly. The districts already settled increased in popu- lation, and other districts, with the help of relatives and acquain- tances. were also settled without the privations and hard times of the first colonies. Simultaneously, the following settlements were made at the following places: Wallagrass, Eagle Lake, Sacred Heart of Caribou, St. Agatha on Long Lake, St. Jacques, N. B., Green River, Drummond, and St. André ..
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CHAPTER XII FORESTS OF ST. JOHN VALLEY ONE CAUSE OF AROOSTOOK WAR
A greedy desire for the Yukon gold was the cause of a con- troversy between England and the United States in regard to the boundaries of Alaska. As much may be said regarding the bound- ary line between New Brunswick and Maine, not for gold this time, but for the vast and rich forests of pines in the St. John Valley and its upper tributaries.
In the absence of all jurisdiction in this contested territory, many people from everywhere were invading the vast forests in this area for the purpose of cutting the giant pines to float them afterwards to sawmills and maritime warehouses.
The Province of New Brunswick which after the War of Independence had colonized a part of this area soon became aware that the State of Maine was establishing an absolute claim in the territory, especially the right to cut timber. However, New Bruns- wick had the preponderance over the Pine Tree State until 1827 when Maine came on the scene of conflict.
A series of revolts, provocations, protestations, and counter- proclamations, debates, mobilization and demobilization, in New Brunswick as well as in Maine, brought the United States and England weil within a short range of war.
Article 2 of the Versailles Treaty reads thus: "In order to avoid all disputes which might ensue in the future regarding the boundaries of the said United States, it is understood and decreed by these presents that the said boundaries are and shall be as follows:
Starting at the angle northwest of Nova Scotia, that is, from this angle formed by a drawn line in a north direction from the source of the St. Croix River to the plateaus or highlands, and from there along the summit which divides the basin of rivers
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which flow into the St. Lawrence River from that of the rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean to the higher source north- west of the Connecticut River; from there following the middle of this course of water of 45° degrees north latitude."
The ambiguity of the Versailles Treaty of 1783 which con- firmed the independence of America and which settled the bound- aries between the colonies of Great Britain and America is res- ponsible for the ensuing conflict. The text of the treaty is not a model of precision, being too obscure in its definitions to be clear in any way.
After much quarreling about the location of the St. Croix River, the question was finally settled, as was told in a former chapter. But what were the highlands which divided the waters that flow into the St. Lawrence and then into the Atlantic, at the top of which highlands a line was to make an angle to meet the northwest source of the Connecticut River?
Americans maintained that this part of the treaty was a reproduction of the Treaty of Paris of 1763 and had been enacted for the purpose of keeping the ancient boundaries of France and England before Canada was ceded to England, and consequently that line from the source of the St. Croix was to take a direction directly north intersecting the St. John River near Grond Falls and keep on in that straight direction to the heights of Notre Dame Mountains, twenty miles from the St. Lawrence mountains, which stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles divide the waters of the Laurention Basin from those that flow into the Atlantic. From there, the demarcation line was to meet the source of the Con- necticut River including not only all Madawaska, but also the middle counties of Rimouski, Temiscouata, Kamouraska, L'Islet, Montmagny and Bellechasse within the boundaries of the United States. This interpretation, no matter how exagerated it appeared to Canadians and English, conformed more to the terms of the treaty. In 1812, England admitted this interpretation of the treaty but refused to conform to it as a protestation against the United States for other areas which, according to England, it held un- justly.
Later on England maintained that this demarcation line could not be the boundaries meant by the treaty, since Maine would project itself into British America closing the St. John River, its only means of communcation between Lower Canada and the Maritime Provinces. England identified the highlands as Mars Hill located twenty miles south of the Aroostook River. From there, the line followed west to the boundaries of Quebec which gave Canada more than half of Aroostook County.
It was within these two contradictory lines that the contested
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area happened to be located. Its surface was equally divided be- tween New Brunswick and Maine with about 12,000 square miles of surface. Madawaska then held two-thirds of this surface, all the area north of the Aroostook River to Lake Temiscouata. Since Madawaska was the only part that had been settled, it became the main stage of the war between the two contestants.
In 1817, American citizens, Captain Nathan Baker, John and James Harford with Captain Fletcher came to the St. John River and settled on the Meruimticook River at Baker Brook about 20 miles west of St. Basil. These new settlers came from the Kennebec Valley.
Shortly afterwards came John Baker, Jesse Wheelock, James Bacon, Charles Studson, Barnabas Hannawell, Walter Powers, Daniel Savage, Randall Harford, Nathaniel Bartlett, Augustus Webster, and Amos Maddocks. These came from the Kennebec Valley in Somerset County. Some settled at Baker Brook, while others established a settlement at St. Francis Ledges. These same ones later on took refuge at the fort in Fort Kent in 1839 to de- fend the American patriots against the Canadian troops. Until the erection of the blockhouse in Fort Kent, the American colony at Baker Brook was the center of the little American Republic in British land.
John Baker, a citizen of the little town of Moscow in Somer- set County, had first gone to Gaspesie on Chaleur Bay and from there had come to the St. John River to settle among his relatives on the Meruimticook River. At Baker Brook, he started a com- mercial lumber enterprise and built big sawmills on Baker Brook. He married Sophie Rice, the widow of his brother, Nathan.
John Baker is the grandfather of Colonel Jesse Wheelock Baker, ex-deputy to the New Brunswick Legislature, and Enoch Baker, manufacturer at Baker Brook.
John Baker, as an American citizen, could not own in his name any land in New Brunswick. He had. deeded to a friend in Woodstock, Samuel Nevers, the land on which he had settled. On account of his talent and activity, he soon became the acknow- ledged chief, the Washington of the American Republic of Ma- dawaska. He began to spread American propaganda that the land he held and all surrounding land belonged to Maine. To legalize his American civil status, he asked the Portland Legis- lature to deed to him all the land bordering Baker Brook. In 1825, the government of Maine gave him the titles to the land in spite of the protests of New Brunswick.
The New Brunswick government then taxed all foreigners who were residing in the Province and seized all the timber cut by them. This act did not help matters any and irritated General
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Baker, as his friends used to call him.
All the American colonists of Aroostook and all those who had American sympathies were convoked at John Baker's resi- dence on July 4, 1827 to celebrate, in a worthy manner, the an- niversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, and to sign a declaration of fidelity to the Republic. The Star- Spangled Banner was hoisted in the presence of a multitude who showed their approval with loud noise. The celebration ended with a banquet. The Acadians who had been invited had refused to take part in the demonstration.
Pierre Duperry from time to time kept the officials at Frede- ricton well informed on the activities of Baker at Meruimticook.
On August 10, the day chosen for the proclamation of the Constitution, Marshal George Morehouse of New Brunswick ap- peared on the scene at Baker Brook and asked Baker what was the meaning of the flag.
"This is the American flag", replied Baker furiously. "Have you never seen it? In that case you may examine it at your lei- sure."
On the order given by the magistrate to bring the flag to him, Baker proudly replied: "I'll never do such a thing. We placed it there and it shall stay there. We are in American territory and Great Britain has no jurisdiction here and we will be upheld by our own government".
The British cut down the flagpole and took the flag to Fredericton.
Mrs. Baker, as stubborn as her husband, went to St. Basil to buy cloth to make another flag and had it up again.
In the meantime, Baker and his companions had been ac- cused of revolting against British laws. During the night of Sep- tember 25, 1827, fourteen policemen seized the capital of Meru- imticook and made Baker prisoner. No sooner had they left the waters of Baker Brook, then the flag of independence was flutter- ing again in the breeze. Mrs. Baker, as a good American, had taken over.
Baker was fined twenty-five louis and was condemned to three months imprisonment. Maine sent a protest to Washington. Henry Clay, the famous Secretary of State wrote to Lincoln, Governor of Maine: "The government of the United States, con- vinced of the justice of Maine's claim will espouse the cause of John Baker and his companions, if the authorities of New Bruns- wick refuse to liberate him." Governor Lincoln at once ordered the Governor of New Brunswick to release his subjects arrested on
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Maine soil, otherwise American troops will invade the capital of the Province. Baker and his men remained prisoners of the New Brunswick Government until Americans decided to mobilize their troops.
The troops were sent to fortify the town of Houlton and to build the military road to the St. John Valley.
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CHAPTER XIII EARLY ATTEMPT TO INCORPORATE MADAWASKA LED TO ARRESTS
From time to time the officials in London and Washington had submitted the question of the boundaries for arbitration to William, King of the Netherlands. The State of Maine protested at once against such a choice of arbitrator who had the reputation of being a vassal of England.
Williom of Holland admitted that he had been given a hard task. His efforts to solve the problem seem to have been sincere and impartial. On January 10, 1831, he suggested the division of the territory into reasonably equal parts with the St. John River and part of the St. Francis River as definite boundaries. Washington and Fredericton refused to accept that suggestion. However, the two parties promised to abstain from any offensive act during the dispute and New Brunswick continued to exercise its jurisdiction in the contested area.
This compromise had scarcely been concluded between the two capitals when Maine organized the entire south bank of the St. John River. (Maine 1831, Chap. 151, An Act to incorporate the town of Madawaska and other purposes. ) The incorporation act provided a division of the territory into electoral districts which would elect representatives and establish a regular system of regional government.
Notice was duly given the inhabitants of the town to meet on August 20, 1831 at Pierre Lizotte's residence to elect the following officers: Moderator, Town Clerk, and Selectmen.
Captain Lizotte advised Walter Powers to whom the man- dates had been given that he could not allow such a meeting to take place in his house. Therefore, the meeting in which forty men took part was held in open air. Most of the men were Ameri- cans and English-speaking.
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Walter Powers read the act incorporating this part of the Madawaska Territory. All those who were elected to office were Americans. Paul Cyr, Romain Michaud, and other French-speak- ing citizens refused the office of selectmen. In a general way, the French colonists did not take part in the election and showed very little interest in the discussions of the meeting which was under the control of American subjects.
The district had just been organized; all that it needed was representation at the State Legislature.
Captain Lizotte was approached by the leaders of the move- ment as a possible candidate. He was somewhat disturbed like the rest of his fellowmen, for he had been persuaded by his new friends, the Americans, that all the territory south of the St. John River belonged by right to the United States. He was an honest man who had shown great loyalty to England. For this reason, the Americans who wanted to enlist the support of the French to their cause insisted to get him without, however, get- ting his consent. The name of Lizotte appeared on the roster with Baker as his opponent.
The election took place on September 12 in Chautauqua (Frenchville) at the residence of Raphael Martin. About 50 citi- zens; mostly Americans, took part in the election. Captain Li- zotte, to his great surprise, was elected by a majority of five votes. Baker received 16.
The Acadian and Canadian citizens who took part in this election were: Raphael Martin, Jean Baptiste Daigle, Joseph Pel- letier, Christophe Martin, Hubert Caron, Paul Marquis, Joseph Marquis, Thomas Michaud, Joseph· Lagacé, Eloi Labrie, Ferdi- nand Ouellet, Baptiste Boucher, Baptiste Chassé, and Laurent Daigle.
All the convassing for Lizotte had been in vain. When the Legislature convened, Lizotte duly elected, wrote to Governor Samuel Smith of Maine that he had protested against his nomi- notion as candidate the preceding September and that he had no intention of pledging allegiance to the United States as he wos a British subject and intended to remain so until death.
The English Magistrates, Leonard Coombs of St. Leonords and Francis Rice of Edmundston protested against the meetings held in British territory. New Brunswick wrote a strong protest to Washington against the attitude of Maine in the St. John Valley, recalling the agreement of the two governments which agreed to leave things as arbitrated by William of Holland.
Washington replied that the Federal Government had not authorized Maine to annex any part of the territory. New Bruns-
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wick, embolden by this denial, issued an order to arrest all those who had taken part in the meetings held at St. David and at Chau- tauqua.
At a moment's notice, Sir Archibald Campbell, Governor of New Brunswick and commander-in-chief of the army, the pro- curator general and the sheriff of York, and James Mclaughlin with a troop of soldiers arrived in St. Basile.
On Sunday, September 25, 1831, a meeting was held near the church and Governor Campbell paid a praiseworthy tribute to the French colonists for their loyalty, assuring them the pro- tection of the British government. He alluded to the conduct of a certain number of citizens who had taken part in the election of American officials in a territory still under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. He excused the French-speaking citizens who had been misled by agitators from Maine. He appealed to those present to remain faithful and loyal to the British Crown. Spon- taneously, all the inhabitants came forward one by one to pre- sent arms to the Governor. Captain Lizotte was one of them.
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