The New York herald., 1874-11-03
THE CARLIST WAR.
Campaigning in the Biscay
Country.
AN INSIDE VIEW or THE NSuRReCTION
Carlism Not as Bad as 1t
Seems.
COMPLICATIONS ON THE FRONTIER

URNIErA, Oct. Is, 1874.
This is a little village. situated on the highway
leading from the French frontier to Tolosa, right
under the guns OF the fort Of Hermann. The fort
is held by q republican garrison, and is built on
the top OF steep, rocky mountain, completely
commanding the road from the frontier to Tolosa
and the country for three miles around The vii
lage Is, nevertheless. In complete posse ssion oi
the Carsts. who occupy 1t as far as II suits their
convenience. passing up and down the road at
their pleasure under the very muzzles or the re-
publican guns. The result Is a kind OF desuitory
firing on the part Of the loft Whicl Is kept up
pretty much all day long. NOW, while write.
shen goes seething overhead about every ten min
utes and explodes up the road In the direction
of Toosa. where the Carlists have small post.
This is kept up all day, sometimes in one direction,
sometimes in another, whenever they discover
signs OF the Carlist soldiers but they do not IRE
Into the village here even when occupied by the
Carlist troops. The people seem to have become
quite accustomed TO this state OF things, looking
upon it apparently as a matter OF course and they
60 about their ordinary occupations as though
nothing unusual were going on. You see them
ploughihg and working TRANQUILITY in the fields,
where every now and then a shen falls, explodes,
and heaves up the earth like miniature volcano,
paying little more attention to the strange visitor
BecmlHSiJ tudu tucy WOuiu 10 the uTOpplUS OF an
over-ripe apple in one OF their own orchards
Here in the village OF Urnieta children are play
ing IN the streets and manIfesting as much
indifference to the shells screaming overhead as
though they were so many crows. Only now and
then, when one comes lower down than usual and
Just skins over the tops OF the houses, shrleking
like very demon, do they draw within doorways
or behind walls to wait for 1t to pass and resume
whatever they were about, as though lombard
ment were the most natural thing IN the world.
THE WAY THE WAR Is CARRIED ON.
Everything considered, the war is carried on
with more humanity than would be expected
under the circumstances The ordinary occupa-
tions OF the people are little interfered with by
either OF the belligerents. The people OF the
country go and come and pass back and forth
from the Carlist to the republican lines without
apparently the slightest let or hndrance. For in
stance, the villages of Hermann ana Urnteta are
little more than a mile apart; the former is held
by the Serranoists the latter by the Carlists and
yet the Inhabitants pass between the two
villages and go and come almost as
In times OF peace. The business OF q
spy must be very easy one here. As far as
can see there is nothing to prevent Carlist SOL
dier from throwing of his Uniform, putting on his
ordinary clothes and going through the republican
lines with impunity. Indeed. both parties seem to
have the greatest indifference to spies, and pre-
sent, In this respect, morbid contrast to the
French who took IL into their heads during the late
war that it was spies who did them all the harm.
! nave low been IN the Carlist country two
months, travelling in every direction, and have
only been asked for my passport three times. In
France, under the same circumstances, l would
have been asked for 1t at least fifty. Here, well
as around Pampeluna, Irun, ST. Sebastian and
other places, the two parties have kind OF tact
understanding that non-comDatants are 20 be dis
turbed little as possible, ana except during
actual fighting they seem TO move about
as freely as In peace times. Apart from
this cannot help being astonished at the very
slight interruption the civil administration OF the
country has suffered. Public works are going on,
roads peing repaired, bridges built, and every
where the regular routine work OF the civil gov
ernment is progressing as in times OF peace. Don
Carlos has by no means seized the whole revenues
OF the country for military purposes, as might
naturally be supposed under the cIrcums tances he
would do, out has ordered that wherever not pre-
vented py actual military operations the civil
administration should continue TO operate as in
ordinary times. This shows that be knows more
about governing a country than he Is usually
given credit for.
HOW THEY TREAT EACH OTHER.
There are other things that strike US here as
being curious. There seems to be little personal
animosty bitterness between the soldiers OF the
TWO armies in spite OF all the stories told OF cold
blooded cruelty to each other. They often meet in
disputed territory in frontier villages without
coming to blows. and have heard a number OF
stories which show that whatever may be their
political opinion, they have very great feeling
OF animosity toward each other, and that recon-
citation could be very easily effected between the
soldiers once their respective chiefs were OF q
mind Opposing sentinels near each other often
strike up conversation, and having come to q
satisfactory understanding lay down their arms,
meet each other half way, exchange cigarettes for
WINE, or wine Tor bread, or breao for meat, as the
case may be, treating each other TO a variety OF
opprobrious names and epithets the while (the
Spanish soldier. unlike the Russian, always In
suits his enemy, anc then resume their respective
positions. In every war 1t often happens that
troops on the sKirmish line during a cessation OF
hostiiities arrange q kind or armistce between
themselves but 1t il unheard OF for senrnels to
do so.
The following story, am assured is true in
every particular dozen republican soldiers
having got lost in the mountains one cold, rainy
night, Knocked at a house for shelter which hap
pened to be already occupied by dozen Carlists.
After a little preliminary negotiation an agree
ment was come to; the repubncans were allowed
TO and the Carltsts shared their ratons with
them In the most hospitable manner. They all
slept together In the same house, shook hands
next morning, and each party went peaceably on
its way.
The village OF Urnieta is situated on the road
leading from Irun to Tolosa. 1t Is about sixteen
miles from the frontier and ten from the sea. The
tort OF Hermann forms with Irun, on the frontier,
aud st. Sebastian, on the sea, an almost equilate
raj Triangle as they all three command the
railroad and the macadamized road leading from
France through lrun and Tolosa. The Carlists are
Obliged to take TO the mountains and have re-
course to mules Tor the transport OF everything
coming from France by this route. The way is very
difncult and toilsome, but one is well repaid for
the trouble OF climbing the mountains by the mag
ni1cent views to be got Of the surrounding country
and OF the strange, wild, out OF the war places
never visited by the ordinary traveller. y