Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-08-19

HON Us never enforced In inc basque prov"
ducss, and Basque arrested for any crime,
10 matter what, cannot be sent out OF
Biscay for trial.
These fueros have been source Of in
finite annoyance to the government from
he fact that tho Vizcnyans form thus an
mxtspendent community in the kingdom
md have privileges so exaggerated that
the people vt other provinces complain Bit
tersy Of the immunities enjoyed BY the
Basques The latter, they say, arc no bet
ter than themselves and should be placed
On the same footing as the rest Of Spain's
people, both in regard to military duty
and taxation. Every attempt, however,
that has been made to abolish tho fuerOs
Has resulted In Basque insurrection,
characterized by so much vigor that the
government has finally been forced to yield
and purchase peace by renewing tho fueros.
Twice during the present century has
the Spanish government endeavored to
abolish the Basque privileges and place
the people Of these three turbulent prov
fuces ON the same basis as tho other popu-
htion. In 1919 the new Spanish consti-
tuition, adopted during the general recon-
struction Of Europe which followed tho
Napoleonic wars, graded tho Basques as
otheY Spaniards. Instantly the provinces
GobeIled No taxes could be collected, the
subscription could not be enforced, for all
the Basques took to the mountains, and
the war, begun in 1913, lasted until 1898,
when tho Basque privileges were restored
and tho Basques became quiet Ten years
ktar isabella undertook to subdue tho
Bas4ues, when another instruction was
started, and the Basques espoused the
eause of Don Carlos. The government
poured thousands of troops into the Basque
oou1try and seized all the fortified places.
At enc time there was not u town in all
,Biscay which was not in control Of the
Spanish troops. Soizing the towns and
'ee1,ters of population was a measure OK
pected to end the instruction, but seemed
only to add fuel to tho fame, for in small
parties the Basqucs operated In the noun
ta5ns, and whenever the Spanish troops
moved they foil into ambuscades, were
fred upon by the guerrillas, and in 1910
the country was rs far from being pacifed
rs over, when the government yielded the
point and restored the privileges.
Again, In 1879, the government under
took to subdue the Basques, when again
they roso in instruction, placing them
selves under the leadership of Don Carlos,
and the war lasted four years, resulting In
the retirement Of the pretonder and the re-
sumption by tho Basques Of their old
rights. 1t was utterly impossible to sub
due them. Their love of freedom and jeal-
ousy Of any interference with their rights
we're so strongly marked that they had be-
come part Of the Basque nature What
they are now they have always boon. Spain
has been overrun by military conquest,
but the Basques have never been subdued.
The people Of tho Basque provinces arc
the descendants Of the aborigines Of the
country who were in possession when
Spain was conquered by the Romans.
Anciently they were known as Vasconi,
and u relic of this primeval name 10 found
in Vizcaya, tho people calling themselves
Vizcayans. When the Romans conquered
Spain, the aboriginal population retired
10 the mountains of the north and to the
Pyrenees region, and there. in fortresses
rendered impregnable by nature they de-
led oil efforts Of the conquerors. The
Romans finally concluded convention
with them similar to that which the Span
1sh government has been forced to make
and utilized thousands Of them In the
Roman armies as auxiliaries. The Cloths
succeeded the Romans, but the Cloths
made no impression on the Basque ooun-
~. The Moors and the Spaniards were
mo more able to overcome them than were
the Cloths. Like the Bretons in France,
the Welsh, the highland Scotch, they have
been overrun, but never overcome.
II Tho country Of the Basques ispeouliarly
suited to guerrilla warfare, and officers
who have conducted operations against
Them are unanimous In declaring that a.
guerrillas the Basques have no equals.
while concentrated in the three provinces
named SO as to constitute the great ma.
|iprity Of the population they are widely
disseminated throughout the Pyrenees re-
lGton, northern Spain and southern France.
The whole Of north Spain is mountainous,