The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-08-10

ancestors of Britain and our neigh
bors of Gaul from the civil and re-
ligious yoke of the Koran" Fought
In the year 1872 it broke the power
of the Saracen, who was then like to
overrun all Europe. Had not Charles
Martel then and there won his VIC
tory, mosque might stand today
where stands Westminster abbey.
The discoverer of America might
have been a. Barbary corsair. Check
ing the Arab conquest of western Eu-
rope at Tours, Charles Martel rescued
Christendom from Islam.
The Tours engagement was fought
In the same country where RACES the
heavy fighting of today. 1t was lost
to the Turxish-Arab conqueror
largely because his soldiery yielded
to the same greed and passion for loot
ascribed to the German troops of the
present.
The modern historians have been
forced to obtain their material for
discussion of this battle from the
manuscripts of the old Arab writer's
and from the illuminated records of
the monkish chroniclers. The fight
ended strangely. They all agree
upon that. But 1t Is difficult to OBJ
tain reliable data as what took place
before the rout.
Charles Martel, duke of the Aus
tralasian Franks, was man Of ex-
ceeding holiness and resolution. Hal
lam thinks he was rash in risking the
fate of Europe on single battle,
but Charles was tried and expert
enced soldier, whose impetuosity was
guided by military brilliancy and who
doubtless relied In large measure upon
the discipline and military order with
which he had been able to endow his
Frankish militia. He had no stand
ing army, but he knew the weakness,
as he knew the strength, Of his enemy.
In any case he won and won convinc-
ingly.
The Saracens were led by Adder
rahman, of whom 1t is recorded that
he came out of Spain with the
largest army the chroniclers had
ever seen, all his wives and all his
children, yea, even he and all that
were with him, as If they were hence
forth ever to dwell in France. The
Arab writer's picture Abderrahman as
a model Of integrity and justice. The
Christian monks relate that he burned
and murdered wherever he went, that
he was given over to all manner of
vices, and that his Berber cavalry,
force of notable skill and valor, raw
aged the country until 1t was mere bar
renness. The rival historians agree
upon practically nothing, save that
the Saracens were defeated. The
Arabs say that the force of Abb
derrahman numbered $4,000. The
monks do not hesitate to increase this
by several hundreds of thousands. One
of these latter recorders puts the loss
of the invaders in dead ut Tours at
375,0OO. He adds that the number Of
Christians killed was but 1907. For
this disparity In losses he gives credit
to direct interposition Of Providence.
The Count Eudo tried battle with
Abderrahman at the river Garonne, but
the Moslem shattered Eudo's army, held
prisoners and swept on. 1t was then
that Charles Martel rallied every avail
able man. His first fortunes were like
those Of Eudo. Abderrahman drove
him back, taking large numbers of pris-
oners and advancing through the .coun-
try like desolating storm. The
writer's set it down that "the men of
Abderrahman were pulled up in spirit
by their repeated successes and they
were full of trust in the valor and war
practice of their emir." Charles Mar
tel had every reason to believe that the
death which had been meted out to
Eudo would soon be his own portion.
All the Franks were trembling at the
terrible army of swarthy men which
devoured all that faced it.
Presently Charles taking stand along
the Loire felt strong enough to risk
mighty cast of the dice. He had
gained important re-enforcements and
in spite of the general terrorization he
had stiffened the spirit of his men. Abb
derrahman's success in entering Tours,
with the resultant decentralization Of
his troops, gave the Frankish leader
the opportunity for which he waited.
Once 1t came he pressed 1t to the full
limit Of success. Abderrahman stormed
Tours almost before the eyes of the
army which came to save 1t. The fury
and cruelty of the successful Moslems
against the luckless inhabitants of the
fallen town has been likened to that
of raging tigers. Each man Of the in
vaders loaded himself with loot. The
sword and torch were everywhere at
work. at was manifest" says one
Arab historian, "that Gods chastise-
ment was sure to follow such ex-
cesses," and proceeds to lament the
loss Of discipline upon the Saracen
army.
Abderrahman was keenly alive to
the danger in the disorder which re-
suited in the possession of so much
spoil by each soldier, yet he dared not
venture the displeasure of his men
hy nrdarino fhan IN abandon avarv-