Mr. President and Gentlemen, As an Acadian, I cannot remain silent on this important occasion, given that it is a vital question for the homeland; I would not like the story which will recount the events of July 20 and 21, 1881, such an important time in our existence as a people, to have to report the refusal of a child from Acadia to enlist under the national flag and to defend it against any invasion.

I bitterly regret having to fight against some of my compatriots, among whom are my best personal friends, and against our Canadian brothers whom I greatly respect and admire because of their attachment to their nationality. But this is not about playing politics or serving particular interests; we are summoned here by the organizers of this Acadian convention to “affirm our existence as a people” and take the means to preserve our nationality. Please believe, Mr. President, that the policy I propose to follow in this discussion is both liberal and conservative. I will follow a liberal policy by recognizing the rights of the nationalities that make up our society; and conservative in defending and upholding our rights as a distinct people, with a separate history and a destiny to fulfill. We have already demonstrated with great clarity and eloquence the importance of a national holiday for Acadians. Indeed, it seems to me that a people who, during more than a century of trials and persecutions, have managed to preserve their religion, their language, their customs and their autonomy, must have acquired enough importance to deserve that he adopts the means of affirming his existence in a solemn manner; and this could not be done more effectively than by celebrating a national holiday of its own. All people have felt the need to choose a national holiday. So, for example, the English have St. George’s Day, the Irish have St. Patrick’s Day, the Canadians have St. Jean-Baptiste; the Savages themselves have a national holiday, Sainte-Anne. So, Mr. President, you see that all people have their particular patron who distinguishes them from one another; and by this means they preserved their national identity. See the Englishman; whether he is in Europe, America, Asia or Africa, St. George’s Day reminds him that he is English and he could be recognized as such. The exiled Irishman would never be able to let St. Patrick’s Day pass without remembering the memory of beautiful Erin, homeland of his fathers. French Canadians scattered in the various parts of America gather, on June 24, each year, on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, to sing in unison “O Canada, my country, my loves”, and they like to repeat with legitimate pride that the name of Canadian, after that of Christian and Catholic, is dearest to their hearts. The Savage also wants to show that he belongs to a tribe that he cherishes, and on St. Anne’s Day he would not exchange his title of savage for all the titles in the world. Are the Acadian people the only ones to ignore their national existence, and will they agree to erase themselves forever from the list of peoples? What! the Acadian people, whose history gives us such a touching account of their courage and energy, would not take advantage of this solemn circumstance to protest against a trend which threatens to engulf us and make us disappear, as a people, from the public stage? Will Acadia no longer have children who will want to remember its glories, its misfortunes and its triumphs? The Acadian name, which has already resonated under the vaults of the Vatican and in the palace of Our Gracious Sovereign as well as in the capital of our motherland France, this name so dear and so sweet to the heart of a true patriot is therefore destined to perish!

No, it will not be so, the day has arrived when merit must be recognized and justice granted. Today the people have their eyes fixed on us and are preparing to judge us according to our actions. The homeland calls for all its children to help defend it. She has brought them together in convention to defend and take care of her interests and she expects energetic and persevering dedication from them. May she not be deceived in her expectations, and in her present state of failure, may she receive the support she has the right to hope for from her children. Would our fathers, confessors of the faith and martyrs of the cause of Christ, who sleep in our cemeteries, be dishonored by denatured descendants?

This is about, Gentlemen, the choice and adoption of a national patron. However, I protest in the name of the Fatherland, against the amendment to the first resolution which proposes that Satin-Jean-Baptiste be chosen as the national holiday of Acadians and I accept with great pleasure the motion of my friend Dr. Chiasson, which proposes the feast of the Assumption as a national holiday. It is about considering this question from its true point of view. We must not let ourselves be misled by beautiful, eloquent speeches, which can easily lead listeners to follow their imagination rather than their judgment. Remember that many of you may have lost very just cases through the skill and sophistry of an opposing lawyer; I hope it will not be so in this circumstance.

It is said that Saint-Jean-Baptiste must be chosen for the national holiday of the Acadians and it is alleged that this holiday is at a time of the year when the inhabitants are free and where college students are gathered together, it would be much easier to choose this holiday at this time of the year than at any other time.

If we are to consider the time of the year as having to influence us in the choice of a national patron, I am not at all of this opinion, because, on June 24, the spring work is far from being finished in the Maritime Provinces. Perhaps it is different in Canada. As for the convenience of colleges – it seems to me that in this case, general interests should be considered before personal and particular interests.

For me, having a college and a convent in my parish, this consideration would flatter me very much; However, I would gladly make the sacrifice of these advantages in favor of the people in general, who not being able to attend in large numbers in these localities, will nevertheless like (will like) to meet on the day chosen to celebrate their (their) national holiday, and the students returning to their families will go a long way to enhancing their brilliance.

It is also said that Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day was celebrated by the first Acadians and has been celebrated ever since. I have tried to find some solid evidence to support this claim, but in vain. I therefore affirm that this is a gratuitous statement and that it has no basis. I remember reading somewhere that the French celebrate what they call Saint-Jean and not Saint-Jean-Baptiste. On this day we make bonfires, we sing songs and the children have fun around the fire. However, no one would dare announce that Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the national holiday of the French.

It seems that the origin of this festival is due to a pagan custom that the French bishops, unable to eliminate it, gave it a Christian name to Christianize it. The first Acadians were able to imitate this example, but apart from three or four Acadian parishes which began celebrating Saint-Jean-Baptiste only a few years ago, this celebration has never had a national character. These parishes served by worthy Canadian missionaries who, wanting to preserve the memory of their country, introduced this celebration into these parishes and the conduct of the Acadians in participating to these demonstrations can at most only demonstrate the submission and traditional obedience of the Acadian people towards their (his) priests who were all for them (him).

It is also said that through Confederation we all became Canadians, and therefore it is appropriate to have only one national holiday. In this case the English and the Irish would have to be invited to come together with us to celebrate a single national holiday, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, because they are all Canadians. We are happy to be united so closely with our brothers in Canada. We are united to them by ties of blood and religion, not to mention the Confederation, which more or less identifies our political and civil interests. However, if in order to preserve this fraternal union it was necessary to sacrifice one’s nationality, the name of Acadian, for me, I would not hesitate for an instant, and I would rather incur the displeasure of a brother than that of my mother, the beautiful Acadia. Some say that if the Acadians refuse to choose Satin-Jean-Baptists as a national holiday, the French Canadians will stop showing the same interest in us. The high idea that I have formed of the intelligence and spirit of the Canadian people does not allow me to entertain such an opinion of such a just and reasonable people.

They knew how to preserve their religion, their customs and their laws at the cost of many sacrifices and through indomitable energy they knew how to have their rights respected as a people, and now the French-Canadian people occupy one of the first places in the social scale.  How could he condemn among the Acadians what gave them their strength and provided their independence? Let us learn from the Canadian people an important lesson for our preservation as a people and let us preserve at all costs our national character as French Acadians.

Far be it from us the outrageous thought that our sister, the province of Quebec, would be mortified to see Acadia claim the heritage that belongs to it in so many ways.

It is predicted that unless Saint-Jean-Baptiste is chosen as patron of the Acadians, luxury and intemperance, these two scourges of our century, will necessarily engulf us. I have great reverence for the precursor of Our Lord, but it is possible to be temperate without covering oneself with camel skin and without eating locusts. Besides, Mr. President, the one that I have come to propose as our national patron cannot have a rival. Saint Mary, who served as a model for all saints and who surpassed them all in holiness, is still today as she has always been the most powerful advocate before the throne of God. Therefore, the exchange in question cannot in any way harm our religious and national interests. We are weak, we need a powerful patron.

Allow me now to point out to you some of the reasons why you should choose the Queen of the Assumption as the Acadian national holiday in preference to Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The Canadians having chosen Saint-Jean-Baptiste as their patron saint, it seems to me that unless we want to confuse our nationality with theirs, it is urgent for the Acadians to choose a particular holiday. It is good to note that we are not the descendants of Canadians, but of France, and therefore I see no reason why we should adopt Saint-Jean-Baptiste as our national holiday. Following the example of the English, the Irish, the Scottish, the Germans, we must try to choose a holiday that reminds us of our origin. I even dare to affirm that the Feast of the Assumption has always been and must always be the national holiday of the Acadians, descendants of the French.

Louis XIII had vowed to consecrate his empire to the Blessed Virgin and he wanted the feast of the Assumption to be the national holiday of the kingdom.

A few years later he sent colonists to take possession of Acadia. They therefore had to take with them the uses and customs of their homeland, and if unfortunate circumstances prevented them from celebrating their national holiday in a regular manner, it is nevertheless true to say that the national devotion of the Acadians , it is the devotion to Mary adorned and decorated with more care, if possible, than the altar where the Savior resides. Enter our Acadian homes and you will see that the image of Mary occupies a place of honor in the living room. Mary even has an altar in many Acadian families, and during the month dedicated to her, her name resounds everywhere. Acadian mothers, in their trials, put all their trust in Mary. Most of them have the name Marie, and they like their children to also have this beautiful name.

Another powerful motive which should lead us to adopt the Blessed Virgin as our patroness is that the bishops of the Maritime Provinces gathered at the first council of Halifax more than a quarter of a century ago, chose the Immaculate Virgin as their patroness of this ecclesiastical province. So that in adopting the Blessed Virgin as national patroness, we are only entering into the views of our prelates who presided over this council, and I have no doubt that this choice would be blessed by our worthy bishops who lead us today.

Now, my dear companions, you have come from all parts of Acadia and all of you here honorably represent all the Acadian localities of the Maritime Provinces. But why are you here? You are here to work for the good of your dear Acadia. You will soon be called by Mr. President to record your votes on the question of the choice of a national patron.

Your approach requires consideration and serious reflection. Your compatriots have their eyes fixed on you and expect a verdict in accordance with their feeling of patriotism and attachment to their beloved Acadia. Your vote is called upon to play an important role in the future of our country and I am confident that none of you will defile this very important page of our history with a treasonous vote against the Acadian cause. Show by an independent and conscientious vote that you are truly Acadian and that you want to remain Acadian. Do not blush at a title that does you the greatest honor. Remember that we need, apart from the goodwill and support of our brothers in Canada, to organize ourselves to defend our religious and national rights. Gentlemen, when the famous question of schools was agitated in this province and we appealed to the federal constitution to defend our religion and our language, what were our surprise and astonishment when we were informed that the Acadians as well as the Catholics of the provinces were the only ones whose interests in this regard had been ignored? What was the result? We have been abandoned to our own resources and to suffer the yoke of injustice and oppression. Therefore, Gentlemen, it is necessary for us not to rely too much on our neighbors who, having their own interests to safeguard, could still forget the existence of the hundred thousand Acadians who also want to remain Catholic and French. In alluding to this fact, Gentlemen, it is not in a spirit of criticism or malice, but to show that we in the maritime provinces need to unite our forces to protect our particular interests, which are not always , because of the circumstances, the same as those of our brothers in Canada. So, Gentlemen, if you want to be welcomed with joy on your return among your compatriots and receive the blessing of your Acadian mothers and wives, register your names under the banner of Mary. This approach, both patriotic and religious, will earn us the praise of the entire universe and will delight and strengthen my compatriots who have been neglected for centuries. Oh! How wonderful it will be to see all the dispersed Acadians come together every year, like their brothers in Canada, to celebrate their national holiday!

Then the Acadian will feel that he has duties to fulfill towards his homeland, and aided and encouraged by the successes of the past, he will be more devoted than ever to the general advancement of his co-nationals. How charming it will be, this national concert, where all the voices of the great Acadian family will come together to chant in unison the Gaudeamus of Domin diem festum celebantes sub honore beatre Marioe Virginis (“Let us rejoice in Dien by celebrating this day celebration in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Yes, we will then rejoice in the Lord on this beautiful day, August 15, and we will celebrate Mary’s Assumption into heaven with all the pomp and solemnity of which we are capable. On this day we will forget our trials and our persecutions, with the thought that if we are worthy imitators of Mary in adversity, we can, like her, deserve to be led by the angels into the heavenly Jerusalem.

I therefore hope that by acclamation you will choose the Queen of Assomption as patroness of the Acadians, and that when you are asked to raise your hand as a sign of your approval of Marie as patroness of Acadia all hands will be raised up towards Mary.