The Republican journal., 1912-02-29
The Isle of Honor.
| l.

There are three institutions especially
Corsican. The clan, the vendetta, and
the brigand. Certain families have such
an influence over their neighbors and the
poorer peasantry about them, that they
are looked up and appealed to, very much
as were the lords and barons of the Mid
die Ages. One must belong to clan in
Corsica, and vote blindly as the chief d.
reefs, espouse his wrongs and fight for
his rights. In return, the powerful head
of the clan pleads the cause of his ad-
herents in court, loans them money with
out any hope of payment, allows them to
cut all their wood on his estates, gather
their yearly provision of chestnuts,
olives and firewood, without let or him
! drance, and pasture their cattle where
they will. In compensation, the chief of
the clan vigorously exacts the vote of
those he has thus favored. In olden days
the members of the clan followed their
chief to war, now they follow him to the
electoral urn. Politics are the one ex-
cltement of the Corsicans, and the cleo
lions are always bitterly contested,
never without some head breaking and
exchange of pistol shots. asked Cor
sican youth this very morning, "Nicolo,
do the people in Ajaccio still care any,
thing about the great Naroleon?" ''Do
they care?'' he replied, $50 much, that
never an election passes without some
one giving up his life for him. This
was communicative speech for Corsi-
can to make. AS rule they are secre-
tive about themselves and their affairs,
though curious enough about the strang-
ers from over seas. have even been
asked my age, by one of the ancient
crones, with fiat straw hats, and dried
fig faces" Needless to add that my re-
+! ply was most fattering to myself!
The vendetta, superstitious curse, is
the vengeance taken in return for some
real or imaginary wrong. 1t often be-
gins in some trivial manner. An APP
pietto kills donkey, quite by accident
while out hunting, which belongs to a
Scatena. The latter says nothing. Later
he encounters the Appetite in some soli-
tary place and kills him. The family of
the murdered man resolve to avenge him.
The Oldest male takes up the vendetta.
This continues on, even to second or
third generation, the duty of the vendetta
devolvirg always on the eldest male. 1t
often happens that fourth, or even a
| fifth cousin, finds vendetta on his hands.
He does not know the origin of the quar-
rel which has been the primary cause of
their hereditary animosity. The people
whom 1t most nearly concerned are all
dead and gone. The laws of the land,
aided by the police, have tried, in this en-
lightened twentieth century, to abolish
this fearful custom. But there was a
famous vendetta recorded in all the Cor
sican newspapers as late as June 1905.
! The bandits were those unfortunates
who had legally incurred the justice of
their native isle. Rather than go to pri-
son they took to the open country, and
/ lived the life of an outlaw. They were
picturesque figures and not without hero
ism. When they thought their crime
might have been forgotten they ventur-
ed back to civilization again, but were
always ready to return to the evergreen
Corsican Maquis at the slightest hint of
danger in the person Of the hated
gendarme.
The maquis is the thick underground
of cistus, heath, myrtle, arbutus, genista,
mountain laurel, rosemary, lavender.
scrub pine and the other Towering shrubs
so prevalent in Corsica. The bandit &C.
cupied his spare time, of which l rather
fancy he must have had a plenty, in COM
posing lament, OR ode, in praise of his
own misfortunes, wherein he laments
his sad fate in being obliged to live apart
from his family far from the hearthstone
of his ancestors. His friends always
spoke of his absence as quite temporary,
somewhat as we might say today, ooh,
he has gone to The seashore, or to his
home in the country!" These bandits
were really their own worst enemies.
They never molested stranger, for they
have high sense of honor, and the laws
of hospitality are craven deep upon the
Corsican character. His are no petty
vices. He does not rob, pilfer or steal.
He simply kills. 1t is the primeval in.
stinct. Banditism has been almost
stamped out. Occasionally one reads Of
an isolated case in the newspapers. A
whilom notorious bandit is now pursuing
the peaceful occupation of guide for the
tourists who take long carriage trips in.
to the interior of the island, where nc
railroad penetrates.
The Corsican never begs, he is toe
proud for that. He will not accept
money in payment for some trifiing SER