The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-01
The Story Of Saragossa.


Let US not deceive ourselves Havana
is not to be taken by thu blowing of ram 6
horns, nor by sounding brass or iinking
cymbals. The story of Saragossa and the
! gallantry with which its men ana women
defended their homes against invasion and
I assault comes to us from the early years
| of this boasting century of progress and
peace as warning 1t comes as a warn
| ing to tell US that though Spain IS a dying
nation, Spanish chiYalry may not yet be
dead.
Let US not be unjust or fear to make
every acknowledgment that justice may
demand. Let US recognize the fortitude
of the women who can endure and the
bravery of the men who in days Of de-
spair can be heroes, Xerxes with his thou
sands could hardly force Thermoyplae
and he met defeat at last at Salamis. His
tory is replete with illustrations that as
the race is not to the swift, neither is the
battle to the strong alone. In the de-
Tense of Saragossa. the Spanish exhibited
a fortitude and heroism for which it
would be difficult TO find parallel with
out going back to the day when the wo-
men Of Carthage gave their hair to be
used by Carthaginian warriors to wing
the flight of arrows that carried death to
many a boastful Roman soldier. Lei us
not make light OF our f0c nor unleresti
mate the valor Of the men who guard
the walls Of Havana. Let US not deceive
ourselves in the belief that this is hol-
iday parade and that with prancing steeds
and modelling plumes We can march gayly
into the heart of the beIeagured city.
Ninety years ago on the 18th day of the
coming month the siege of SaragOssa
was begun by the French. Palafox, a
young man of 2S, was the commander OF
the Spanish forces within the city. The
inhabitants united with him in a determ-
ination to resist to the death, and after
the siege had continued for many weary
weeks he sent III answer to the French
demand for surrender the famous reply
of war to the knife since become the
watchword of desperate resistance. At
last, on August Il, the French were re-
pulsed and compelled TO raise the siege
They returned on December 20 of the
same year and renewed the attack. But 1t
was not until the 21st of February. 1909
and after more than 80. 900 people had lost
their lives, that the city surrendered. OF
those who died, by far the greater number
were victims to an epidemic, without
which it is doubtful if the Spaniards
would have yielded at all.
Even after the French had possessed
themselves of half the city the heroic
people continued to resist, fighting hand to
hand battles in houses and streets with
the invaders. The glory of that defense
does not belong to the men alone, for the
women also took part, and the fame Of
Austina, the Maid of Sargossa," will en-
dure as long as poetry, history and song
can preserve the story Of her heroism.
The people of Saragossa knew that they
were fighting against desperate odds. The
power of the mighty French empire was
behind the invaders. But love Of country
and hatred of their foes were In the
hearts of men and women alike, and when
that is so resistance is dearer than life
and halo of martyrdom encircles the
heads of all who fall.
Let us hope there will be no such re-
sistance at Havana, for to take the city
under such conditions would involve a
loss of life terrible to contemplate. But
there should be no Understanding either
the ability or the willingness Of the inhab-
itants to defend their homes. 1t has
been estimated that there are 100, 900 train
ed soldiers in Havana, and if the story Of
Saragossa is to be repeated they will be
supported by the heroic fortitude of all
classes both men and women. Better rec
ognize that it may take many months to
reduce the Notifications and carry the en-
than to believe that as soon
as the blue uniform of an American SOL
der shall be seen, the hearts of the in
habitants will melt with fear and the
gates will be thrown open with prayers
for mercy and forbearance.