Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-05-29
A Tragic Scene from History.

The following is the best historic account we
recollect to have seen of the massacre of the
French in Sicily, In the year 1888. This nara
i've of that terrible tragedy-one of those stern
lessons which oppression has often compelled
the people to read to tyranny-is taken from an
extract In the Gentlemans Magazine, from A
History Of the War of the Sican Vaspefs.' :
BY Michele Amari. Edited by the Earl of El-
lesmere
"Half mile from the Southern wall of the
city, (Palermo) on the brink of the ravine Of
Oreto, stands a church dedicated to the Holy
Ghost, concerning which the Latin Fathers have
not failed to record that on the day on which the
first stone of it was laid in the twelfth century,
the sun was darkened by an eclipse. On one
side of it are the precipce and the river on the
other the plain extending to the city, which in
the present day is in great part elcumbered
with walls and gardens while square enclos-
uie of moderate size, shaded by dusky Expresses
honeycombed with tombs, and adorned with urns
and other sepuchral monuments, surrounds the
church. This is public cemetery laid out to-
wards the end of the eighteenth century, and
fearfuly filled in three weeks by the dire pest-
ence which devastated Sicily in 1887, Onthe
Tuesday, latter Easter, 3lst March, 1882 at
The hour of Vespers, religion and custom crowd
ed this then cheerful plain, carpeted with the
flowers of spring with citizens vending their
way towards the church. Divided into groups,
they walked sat in clusters, spread the tables, or
smoked upon the grass; and whether it were
defect or merit of the SiciIian character, threw
ferings--when the followers of the Justiciary
suddenly appeared among them, and every bo-
som thrilled with shudder of disgust. The
strangers came, with their usual insolent de-
meanor, as they said, to maintain tranquility
and for this purpose they mingled in the groups,
Joined in the dances, and Familiarity accosted
the women, pressing the hand of one, taking
unwarranted liberties with others and gesturlng
TO those more distant until some temperately
adnonlshed them to depart, in Gods name, with
out insulting the women and others murmured
angrily but the hot blooded youths raised their
voices so fercely that the soldiers said to one
onother-.' These insoent paterini must be arm
ed that they dare thus to answer and replied to
them with the most offensive insults, insisting
with great insolence on searching them for arms,
and even here and there striking them with
sticks and thongs, Every heart already throbbed
fiercey on either side, when Young woman OF
singular beauty, and of modest and dignified de-
pertinent appeared, with her husband and rela'
titna bending llleir steFs tosvar.ls the etarssh
IDrouet, a Frenchman, inlpelled either by in
science or license, approached her as if to ex-
anime her for concealed weapons, seized her
and searched her bosom. She fell fainting into
her husbands arms, who, in a voice almost
choked with rage, exclaimed Death, death tC
burst from the crowd which had gathered round
them, sprang upon Drouet, disarmed and slew
him, and probably at the same moment paid the
penalty Of his own life, leaving his name un
known, and the mystery forever unsolved
whether it were love for the injured woman, the
impulse of generous heart, or the more exalt
ed flame Of patriotism that prompted him thus tc
give the signal for deliverance. Noble exam
Piles have power far beyond that of argument
or eloquence to rouse the people, and the abecl
slaves awoke at length from their long bondage
"sDeath, death to the French they cried
and the cry, say the historians Of the time, re-
echoed like the voice of God through the whole
country, and found an answer in every heart. -
Above the corpse of Drouet were heaped those
Of victims slain on either side, the crowd ex-
banded ITSELF closed in, and swayel hither and
thther in wild confusion; the Sicilians, with
sticks, stones and knives, rushed with desperate
ferecity upon their fully armed opponents they
sought for them and hunted them down fear
ful tragedies were enacted amid the preparations
for festvity and the overthrown tables were
drenched in blood. The people displayed their
strength and conquered. The struggle was
brief and great the slaughter of the Siclans ;
but of the French there were two hundTed-and
two hundred fell.
Breathless, covered with blood, brandishng
the plundered weapons, and proclaiming the in
suit and its vengeance, the insurgents rushed
towards the tranquil city. Death to the
Frenchr they shouted, and as many as they
found we're put to the sword. The example, the
words, the contagion of passion, in all instant
aroused the whole people. In the heat of the
tumult Roger Masrangelo, nobleman, was
chosen or constituted himself their leader. The
multitude continued to increase; dividing into
troops, burst open doors, searched every nook
and hiding place, and shouting, Death to the
French smote them and slew them, while those
too distant to strike added to the tumult by their
applause.
The slaughter continued with increased fe-
roclty even the darkness Of night failed to ar
rest it, and it was resumed on the morrow more
furlously than ever nor did it cease at length
because the thirst for vengeance was Stacked,
but because victims were wanted to appease it.
Two thousand French perIshed In this first out
break. Even christian burial was denied them,
but pits we're afterwards dug to receive their
despised remains and tradition still points out
q column surmounted by an iron cross, raised by
compassionate piety on one of those spots prob
ably long after the preparation of the deed of
vengeance. Tradition, moreover, relates that
the sound of word, like the Shlbboleth of the
Hebrews, was the cruel test by which the French
were distinguished in the massacre, and that it
there we're found a suspicious or unknown per-
son, he was compelled with sword to his throat
to pronounce the word death.
Even the atars afforded no protection; tears
....LanLnI. nathan old