Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
FRENCH ATROCITIES.
Looters in Pel<in Are Murderers In
Africa and Madagascar.

From the London Telegraph.
Little notice. writes a correspondent, ap-
pears to have been taken by the British
press of tho recent debate in the French
chamber Of deputies concerning the atroc-
tiles committed by French officers and OFF,
Gals in the French Soudan and in NADIA
gascar Yet the facts recounted by NJ. Paul
Vigne, the deputy who brought forward the
question, are Of such a character as to leave
little doubt that some of the deeds perpe-
trated in the French African dependencies
would have been considered disgraceful
even among the early Spanish colonizers,
whose methods are well known to hiSto-
rians. In the course of his long and power
full speech, NJ. Vigne remarked that this
was not the first time he had called the at
tention of the country to the excuses. the
violence, the abuses of all sorts which had
been and were being committed in the Sou
dan and Madagascar. NJ. Nigne proceeded
to read to the house the following report,
signed on February 3, 1892 by DR.. Martinez,
principal medical officer at the post of Say,
and witnessed by the French acting resi-
dent Lieut. Delaunay:
Il went with Capt. Dubreuil of the marine
infantry resident of the post of Say, to the
other side Of the Niger, within sight of Say,
on the morning of December "a, 1S9S-the
day on which Capt. Chanone of the Spahis
started, and forty-eight hours after the de-
parture of the mission for Dourga-to view
the encampments. Hardly had we got out
of the latter when our senses were offended
by a nauseating odor so violent that we
could not approach any further-its cause
a heap of cOrpSeS, whose number we could
not count, which had been placed In a
thicket. The vultures had commenced their
work of destruction. This said NJ. Nigne,
was how the mission began its work-un-
der the shadow. so to speak, of the French
flag Referring further to the brutalities
| committed by Chanoine and his mission. NJ
Vigne quoted letters written by French Off
GERS to show how whole native villages
were destroyed and their inhabitants put to
the sword carried into captivity-like so
much human CATTLE one writer puts it
whether they offered submission or not.
M Toureau, marechal de logis, or quar-
termaster, says: I'm village near Say a
white man had been received with open
arms. He returned after the passage of the
mission. The terrified chief still received
him well, but said to him: You friend,
but come and see what these whites have
done He took him outside the village.
The portion Of the mission which had So
journed in the village had been welcomed,
given provisions and shelter. Next day a
large number of porters having been de-
manded by the mission, all the men capable
of fulfilling that duty fled into the bush;
the old men. the women and the children
alone remained. These were taken out,
placed in a row and volleys were fired at
them until all were dead" No fewer than
Ill corpses were counted.
NJ Vigne, who was constantly inter-
rupted by the nationalist element, quoted
many other document sand letters to prove
his case. After the taking of Sikasso the
women were distributed among the troops.
Four thousand prisoners were taken, and
on the march afterWard-carred out in
stages of twenty-five mles-the children
and all those too fatigued to go on were
murdered and left by the roadside. Some Of
the stories recounted by the officers who
kept diaries en- route are unfit for publica-
ton NJ Vigne told the house. amid ex-
CARNATIONS, that the superior commander
of the French Soudan issued to all the Off
From today there are no longer any slaves
| in the French Soudan. There are only peo-
pie not free (gens non libres)."
Dealing with Madagascar, NJ Vigne cited
many instances of ridiculous clauses in the
native code, and the excessive punishments
melted out for trivial OffenseS. He dwelt on
the fact that the corvee forced labor sys-
TEN was still in vogue, but here was inter-
rupted by the minister of the colonies who
from January 1, 1901. judicial torture was
also common, and M. Vigne cited one case in
which a chief who refused to confess an
alleged offense was covered with straw and
cloth soaked with petroleum, which was
then fired by French captain, assisted by
other officers. Many other instances of tor
ture were quoted, and M. Vigne severely
rious Gen. Gallieni, who, by the way, it is
| understood. has since either resigned or
been dismissed his Office. M. Vigne's DOW
erful speech evidently made great impress
sion on the house, especially among the
radical and socialist members, although, as
usual. the nationalist and reactionary
groups continually interrupted. and en-
deavored to show that the speaker was
striking at the sacred army.