Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-21

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the governor escaped under cover of the
general tumult, and, with two servants,
rode without halt away from the city. In
the meanwhile, the raging butchery con-
tinued everywhere, and night itself did
not put an end to it. On the following
morning the blood bath began afresh;
the thirst for vengeance was not stilled,
but little by little the offerings were want
ing; for Immediately at this first out
break of the revolution more than two
thousand French were slain. According
to the chronicles, the accent of word
served to discover foreigner;
| if the people noticed suspected or evil
reputed person of doubtful nationality
they compelled him, dagger at the
throat. to pronounce the italian word
| ..ciciIi;" if he spoke this word with a
foreign, that is to say a French accent, he
was without further proof executed on
the spot.
The insurgents forced themselves
even into churches and cloisters; the al
tar offered no more place of refuge;
gray heads, children and women were
slain; the stockings on the mothers
breasts were strangled, and even the
child in the mothers body was not spared
by the heartless avengers.
The stormy outbreak of the lnsurrec-
ton in the capital had in so far an i'm
mediate and healthful influence upon the
whole island. All lesser parties at one
blow ceased to exist. Already in the
bloody night of the 31st of March, in the
midst of the rejoicing over the successful
vengeance and the horror over Its own
bloody deed, the people of Palermo as
com bIa1 form cd nartiamant Qnd Wnra
by this act carried still surther upon the
path upon which they had entered.
The name of king was forever abolished;
they determined to form free state and
place it under the protection of the
Romish church. The people were
brought TO this determination as well
by their deadly hatred of King
Charles and his magistrates, as by the
shining example of the city republics of
Lombardy which fifty years before had
happily shaken off the control of the
Hohenstaufen emperor and now main
tanned their freedom by their own proud
strength.
This soliciting of the really only NOM
inal protection of the church must disarm
the papal wrath, perhaps even fatter the
ambition of the representative of Christ,
ance of regularity, in that in expelling
the present evil rulers they did not inter
fere the rights of the papal lord para
with mount from whose hands the power
was received.
And SO the above mentioned Ruggiero
Mastrangelo, together with eight coun-
cilmen, all from the most distinguished
families of the city, were chosen as heads
&c he Dr. Jinh
bloody ground, with the rafting accom-
paniment of armed men, and the solemn
swaying of the multitude, the new mag
istrates were inaugurated; trumpets and
Moorish drums sounded, and thousands
of rejoicing voices joined in the shout,
olive happinessl live freedomP' The
old banner of the city, golden eagle on a
red field, unfolded itself in new brilliancy
and as a sign of obedience to the church,
the keys Of st. Peter were added to its
quarterings.
From the capital, Palermo, the insur-
rection spread in few days over the
whole island. In Catania alone 5000
French persisted, and in Taoemina, where
many had fled for refuge, the same fate
overlook them. In Messina, which was
held in check by the strong garrison,
where the rising began the latest towards
the end of ApriD 5000 French were muir
dered, and in all Sicily, if one may trust
the records, only two French mobiles were
spared.
So this 'Sicilian vesper" took the form
of blood bath, the like of which-God
be praised-the history of all time can
not show. Charles of Anjou at the time
of these occurrences was on visit to
the Pope. When he heard the news he
foamed with rage and sw0re cruel, devil
ish vengeance against the Sicilians. But
while he stormed Messina, which defend
ed herself herocially, by land and water,
Peter of Aragon, who, fearing Charles,
had meanwhile been looking or, took fresh
courage, landed with $4,000 troops. was
solemnly crowned king in Palermo, forced
Charles to raise the siege and destroyed
the largest part of his fleet. The young
freedom of the city was of short duration,
the rule of Peter followed the tyranny of
Charles, and although the battle between
the two kings was long continued, still
all efforts on the part of the French to
obtain again possession of the island were
unavailing. In the year 1902 peace was
finally declared. Frederick, the son of
Peter, remained king of Sicily, while
Charles the H., son Of Charles of ANTON,
who had died three wears after the Sicil-
ian rebellion, must content himself with
southern Italy or the kingdom of Naples.
The church confirmed the settlement,
first because Frederick declared himself
her liensmsn and also because division
of the Neap0litan power was in her inter-
est, and the lands on either side of the
narrow sea formed two divided kingdoms
for more than century and half.
The history of the world-which as is
well known is the judgment
of the world---has recognized the
Sicilian drama as an act of necessity,
and therefore has in measure spoken
''not guilty. over it. The French rule
over the Trinacrian island had become
an unbearable plague, and the hot
| ble0ded Sicilian freed himself after his
wise rashly and thoroughly, and the
question as to whether the misused peo-
pie did not overstep the allowed bounds
may be left undisturbed. 1t is otherwise
| with the pompous and solemn celebra-
ton of the sSicilian vesper," which has
been taken IN hands by the national par
ty in Italy. We judge the "six hun
dredth anniversary" would have been
better left uncelebrated. The sensitive
ness of the Italian has been excited by
the French possession of Tunis, but the
genius of humanity sadly veiis her head