Rock Island Argus., 1898-08-20

tion is rcvcp enforced in the Basque prov
inccs, and Il Basque arrested for any crime
no matter what, cannos be cent out of
Biscay for trial
These fucroS have been n source of in
finite annoyance TO tho governmeut from
the fact that the Nizcnyans form thus an
independent community in the Kingdom
and have privileges so exaggerated that
the people Of other provinces complain hit
tcrly of the immunitics enjoyed by the
Basqucs. Tho latter, they say, are no bct-
ter than thcs.sclvcs and should bc placed
on the saIl0 footing aS the rcSt ef Spain 3
people, both IN rczIrd TO military duey
and e.xati,u Eyory attempt, howayca,
that has bcca Iuadc TO abolish the fueros
has rcSfIited N a Basque Sls@rreatien,
characterized hy so much vis5or that tie
govcrnmcnt has Enally been forced TO yield
and purchase peace by renewing the fueros.
Twice during the present century has
the Spanish governments cndeayOred to
abolish the Basque privileges and place
the people Of these three turbulent PROV
inccs on the same basis as the other popu-
lRtion. Ia 1912 the new Spanish consti
tuition, adopted during the general recon-
struction OF Europe which followed the
\apoleofiic wars, graded the Basques as
other Spaniards. Instantly the provinces
rcbclled. No taxes could be collected, tho
conscripticz could not be enforced, for all
the war, begun in 1873, i;ISted until 1923,
when the Basque privileges were restored
and the Busques became quiet. Ten years
later isabella undertook to subdue the
Basques, when another insurrcction was
started, and the Basqucs espouscd the
cause of Don Carlos. The government
poured thousands of troops into the Basqus
country ard seized all the fortified places.
At one timo there wHs not u town in all
~ Of ~hr,
Spanish troops. Scizing tho towns and
ccntcrS of population was measure ex-
pected TO end the insuTPection, but seemed
only tn add fuel ~ the flame, for in small
parties the Basques operated in the noun
tains, and whenc~cr the Spanish troops
moved they fell into anlbuseades, were
fired upon by the sruerriiIas, and in 1870
the country as Ear FROM being pacifieI.
as ever, when the government yio!ded the
point ana restored the privileges.
Again, in 1872, the government under
took to slibdue the Basques, when again
they rose in instruction, placing them
selves under the leadership of Don Carlos,
and the war lasted four years, resulting in
the retirement OF the pretendcr and the re-
sumption by the Basques of their old
rights. 1t was utterly impossible TO sub
due them. Their love of freedom and jcal-
ousy of any interference with their rights
were strongly marked that they had be-
como part of the Basque nature, What
they are now they have always been. Spain
has been oVcrrun by military conquest
but the Bascres have never been suhduetl
The people OF the Basque provinces are
the descendants OF the sborigines of the
country who were in possession when
Spain was conquered by the Romans.
Ancientiy they were known as Nasconi,
and n relic cf this priIneval name is found
in Vizcayu. Tho people calling themselves
VizcayanS. When the Romans conquered
Spain, the aboriginal population retired
to the mountains of the north and TO the
Pyrenees region, and there in fortresses
rendered impTegnable by nature they de
fed all efforts Of the oonquerOrs. The
Romans finally concluded a convention
with them similar TO that which the Spar
ish government has been forced to make
ind utilized thousands of them in tine
Roman urmies as auxiliaries- The Goths
succcedcd the Romans, but the Goths
nlode no impression on the Basque conn
try. The Noors and the Spauiaryis were
no more able To overcome them than were
the Goths- Like the ISretons in France,
tho Welsh, tho highland Scotch, they have
been oyerFun, but never overcome.
The country OF the Basques Is peculiarly
suited 10 guerrilla warfare, and officers
=ho have conducted operations against
.aiefn arc unanimous in declaring that as
gucrrillas the B1sCfnes have no equAls-
While concentrated IN the three provinces
nansel so rs 10 constitute the great ma
jority Of the population they arc widely
disseminated throughout the Pyrenoes re-
Gi0n, northern Spain and southern France
The whole Of north Spain Is MOUNTAINOUS. :