466 ROMANCE LITERATURE 



solved when Dr. Alfred Mercier founded in 1876 the "Athe'nee 

 Louisianais," a literary society whose publications contain many 

 important contributions, and which comprise several large volumes. 

 As this admirable World's Fair is held to celebrate the centennial 

 of the cession of Louisiana to the United States, you will allow me 

 to call your attention to the exhibit of French Louisiana in the 

 Department of Anthropology and History of the Exposition. There 

 you may have an idea of the French literature of the oldest state 

 formed out of the immense province acquired by the United States 

 in 1803. It is a literature influenced principally by that of France, 

 but which contains nevertheless some works influenced to a high 

 degree by local surroundings. 



The French language in Louisiana will long continue to be spoken 

 as a mother tongue by many thousands of persons, and local French 

 literature will continue to be produced, because the writers are 

 animated by the purest feelings of filial piety, and are entirely dis- 

 interested. They know that their works written in French will be 

 read by few persons outside of Louisiana, and they have no idea 

 of pecuniary gain. The Creoles of Louisiana, that is to say. the 

 white descendants of the French, although they know the English 

 language and are in no wise hostile to it. consider the French lan- 

 guage as much their own as it is that of the native Frenchmen. It 

 forms part of their inheritance as well as the traditions, the names, 

 and the blood which their fathers have transmitted to them. They 

 have produced works written in French just as naturally as they 

 have spoken the language which they learned at their mothers' 

 knees, and have never thought of being rewarded by the French 

 Government for an act which is a simple expression of hereditary 

 feelings. They are pleased, however, when their brethren in France 

 send them tokens of remembrance in the form of affectionate letters 

 from distinguished statesmen or authors, or when these eminent 

 men come in person to express their fraternal feelings. The Creoles 

 of Louisiana, although they are thoroughly loyal to the American 

 Union, are highly pleased to see. when they go to France, that they 

 arc not considered as strangers in the native 1 land of their ancestors. 

 The "French Family," la Famillc Francaixe. as it has often been 

 expressed so admirably by M. Louis Herbette. of the '" Conseil d'Etat." 

 should maintain close bonds of affection all over the world, and it 

 should be thus with the Italian, the Spanish, and the Portuguese 

 families. Jn this way the development of the Romance literatures in 

 foreign countries might be greatly encouraged. 



Let no one think that love for the language, the literature, and the 

 country of the ancestors will ever prevent the descendants in the 

 United States from loving above all the land of their birth. Study 

 the historv of the French Creoles of Louisiana, and vou will see that. 



