Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-07-25

Uuo u Inc heXhaustlble fertility
of the soil, and its wonderful produe-
tiveness, attracted the attention and
inhamed the covetousness of sur
rounding nations and tribes from a
very ancient period. The first set
tiers who cultivated the soil were a
branch of the Etruscan tribes (Tus-
cany),-the same who fought the
Latins SO long and stubbornly in the
early days of Rome. About four
centuries anterior to the Christian
era, the Gauls, of France, poured
over the passes of the Alps and
drove out the Etruscans,- s,-pushing
them back over the Apprentices, into
the valley of Arno, whence they
came. Continual wars followed for
the repossession of the rich lands of
the Po, which, in those days, were,
In chief parts, covered with. dense
native forests. But the. Etruscans
were so hard pressed by their hostile
Roman neighbors on the south that
they were unable to expel the Gauls,
who continued to pasture their cat
tie, horses, and sheep in the Valley
of the Pc up to the time of Hannl-
balls invasion of the territory of
Rome, at which time the Etruscans
had succumbed to the military prov
ess of the Roman Republic, and
were Incorporated into it. Those
Cisalpine Gauls formed an alliance
with Hannibal against the rising
power of Rome, which they dreaded,
as well they might; and they fur
nished him large reinforcements of
men and horses during the fifteen
years he ravaged Italy. Immediate
ly after he had evacuated it, the Re-
mans commenced a war of extermin-
ton against those Celts of the Po
who had aided the terrible invader,
and they never ceased their efforts
until they had either expelled, de-
stroyed, or carried into slavery the
last of the Cisalpine Gauls, who at
the commencement of this war of ex-
termination, numbered more than
million of people. History records
few examples of
MORE COMPLETE OR BLOODY RETRIBU-
TIoN.
The next thing done was to repeo-
pie the conquered country with
Romans and Etruscans. Colonies
were established, without loss of
time, in all parts of the Valley of the
Po. Forests were cleared away;
roads were laid out; cities were
built; the ancient via Emelia-a
great military stone-paved highway
was extended from the vicinity of
Florence (from there it ran to Rome)
over the Apprentices, down to the Pc
Valley, and thence up the valley,
passing through what is now called
Bologna, Modena, Parma, Piacenza,
Pavia, Milan; and then turned south
westerly to Turin, andended in one
of those passes of the Alps, over
Mt. Gents. This great highway from
Rome to the Alps was completed B.
C. ls7,-showing how thoroughly
and rapidly the Romans occupied
the plains of the Po after getting rid
of Hannibal, who remained in Italy
B. C. 219 and 204. For the next $50
years the Pc Valley constituted an
integral and important part of the
Roman Government of Italy. Swarms
of colonists were rapidly sent into it,
until the whole plain was denuded
of its immense forests and brought
under careful tillage. At the time
of Attila's invasion it was thiekly
populated, beautifully cultivated,
and covered with cities and villages.
1t contributed enormous revenues
for the support of the corrupt and
eneryated Communistic Government
of Rome. As history relates, the Pc
Valley was
FEARFULLY sCoURGED AND RAvAGED
by that savage Attila and his cut
throat hordes, who burned and de
stroyed until the whole land was laid
waste with fire and sword, and the
cities, and villages, and farm houses
were reduced to ashes, and black
ened, burnt walls. AS fast as the
afflicted inhabitants repaired in part
and retilled their fields, fresh hordes
of barbarians poured overthe Alpine
passes, from Spain, France, Ger
many, and Hungary, and repeated
the ravages of Attils. Goth, Vandal,
Gaul, and Hun, by turns, destroyed,
} devastated, and devoured the prop.
erty of the people, mercilessly sack
) ing cities and towns, and putting
their miserable inhabitants to the
sword, There was no end to those
invasions, and plunderings, and
butcheries, from the days Of Attila
down to the extirpation of foreign
rule in 1859. From the time of the
Crusades until the battle of Solferi-
no, the Valley of the Pc was con-
tinued object of cupidity on the part
/ of the Germans. Austrians, Span
iards, and French, who struggled
with each other all over it. There
is scarcely spot in this whole valley
on which a battle has not been
fought. It's soil has been literally
SATURATED WITH HUMAN BLOOD.
Since the fall of Rome it has been
bone of contention over which Eu-
ropean nations have worried each
other like so many savage dogs; and
some of the most destructive battles
recorded in history have occurred on
these plains The cause of this
fierce and bloody contention, contin-
ued for so many centuries, is quite
apparent to the traveller who passes
through this wonderful valley: 1t Is
found in the unsurpassed fertility Of
the soil. combined with bright skies
and a mild and -salubrious atmos-
phere. Here are all the natural con-
ditions for obtaining the most abun-
dant sustenance with the least labor,
united to a delightful climate and
beautiful landscape of plains, and
mountains, and sparkling rivers.
Hence the fierce and obstinate strug-
giles of different nations for the mas
terry and possession of this garden
like valley, which is truly a ''smiling
land" flowing with milk and honey,
and full of eorn,c oil, and wine, TO
l.. l.