HOW VICTORS HAVE TREATED VANQUISHED.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 253, 4 December 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW VICTORS HAVE TREATED VANQUISHED.

THE CLOSE OF OTHER WARS

Looking back over a century of war, one is struck with the grim, unbending altitude of some victorious generals and the generous and emincnetly rianly spirit displayed by others. Similar in many respects to the final chapter of the Boer War was the even more protracted American Civil War. Like Lord Kitchener, General Grant 01 the Federal fortes was a man of lew words and of a reputed taciturn disposition, but, to use a popular expression, his heart was in the right pl&ee. When Vicksburg was tottering vo its fall, and the Confederates within its rampart s weie faced on all hands with gaunt famine, disease, and death, their Commander, General Peinberton. thought it was time to make peace overtures, and with the air of an unbeaten man he asked for the appointment of a Commission to avoid fuither bloodshed. Tersely and stiffly came the answer back from Grant —"unconditional surrender." Miserable at heart, Peinberton, nevertheless sent a proud retort, declining to surrender unconditionally and mtimating his readiness to continue the light. "Very well," said Grant laconically. Secretly, however, the Feleral General admired the spirit of his adversary, and, after he had put it to a hard test, be generously withdrew the •■unconditional," and agreed that the Confederates should be paroled and the officers allowed to retain their side arms and private property.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL AVAR. The final settlement of this great war was a most remarkable piece of business. To a stranger unacquainted with the two men arranging peace it might have «v«.i! nothing more important than a meeting between landlord and tenant. The Confederates, though well-nigh pulverised by defeat and adversity, generally shrunk, as did our brave antagonists the B icis, from the odium of surrender, a word from General Grant to break the ics tor them would have been received with rare thankfulness; but that word was left unsaid. When at last, however, the Confederates were brought utterly to theii knees Grant changed ivum tlio harsh, uncompromising soldier to a man brimful of .sympathy and tact. The meeting between hi in and the vanquished General Lee was a strange and memorable one. Lee, dignified and corniced, with long white beard falling down upon a faultless uniform; Grant, bluff and unconventional, in mufti soiled and mud-stained. The Federal led the conicreation on topics quite uneonnecteu with the war. and it was not until Leo reminded him of the object of the meetin;', that surrender was discussed. With rare heartiness. Grant yielded eerything voluntarily—everything and more than the other could expect to receive. Uihcers and men were at once paroled and allowed to return to their homes with their horses and side arms. L training that his vanquished foes had for the prist few days been living entirely on parched corn, Grant promptly supplied them with 20.000 rations. When the surrender became known outside, a saline of 100 guns was begun. "Stop those guns," commanded Grant peremptorily.

•' Wo will not exult in their downfall." l.i a heart-touching speech Lee bade his n ,n a sorrowful farewell, and Jesircd them lo prove good citizens; and so ended one of the most memorable conflicts in history.

BRITAIN'S WAY. Mrilnin, no matter what Government .(.is in power, has always been prone to • teat a fallen enemy with great humanity. Had Arabi Pasha directed lis .<•- colutionary energies against certain other Powers except Hiitain. the probubility are that instead oi being given a .•oinfoi table residence in Ceylon and thereafter a free pardon, ho would r.«rc Udi expeditiously removed from otf the lace of the earth altogether. ft will be in the lecollectiou of many renders that C'etewayo, when sent to England at. a formal prisoner, \\;i to lion 'ted and his captivity converted inio a • ritabl conducted pleasure trip in I <■<. ]<j Kcati, :; Ma-jri '■ arucr "<■ '; ..- _:xat ambiticm, threatened to euibruil ■e o'ealaud into auothor Maori war. ,jave such trouble that it was doemefl u-.i-.itil,. to place upon his head a reward it L'iOU, and as time passed b\ without 'lis capture uce-ming any nearer this figure, was giadually increased until H toadied the handsome sum of .L.">.(ion. I'"i iiiiinv weary mouth,-, and ovor Inja Ij.J '.i 'mi : unlet IA but

time and timo again when his capture seemed assured, a guu of a friendly Maori would go off in a mysteriously accidental way, and Tc Kooti was off like the wind. One might think that a man with £5,000 on his head, a small army at his heels, and many deaths to his charge would get short shrift when run to earth. But. eventually, when Te Kooti gave himself up and cheated many expectant persons out of the big plum, he was neither shot nor hung, but pardoned.

Even to go back to the glorious Peninsula days, we find in the last investment of that" campaign—the historic siege of San Sebastian—British chivalry prominently to the front. Rey, th© French General, after a magnificent defence, was obliged to plead for terms of surrender. With rare generosity Sir Thomas Graham allowed him to march out with bands playing, flying colours, and all honours.

LOUIS RIEL. THE CANADIAN REBEL. In a somewhat strong contrast to these instances, it must be admitted — though no doubt the circumstances '.vere very different—was the sequel to the Riel Revolt in Canada. Riel was a man of rare natural gifts, and as such coukl be a:i exceedingly dangerous enemy in Canada. Escaping across the Border upon the unsuccessful termination of his first revolutionary essay, he returned and organised another insurrection, which proved still more disastrous, both and his r'abt-hand man "Big Bear" were captured. The latter was sentenced lo imprisonment for life, but was shortly afterwards leleased. Riel .'.as condemned by Court Martial to be hanged—a sentence promptly carried oui. Had he been treated similarly to "Big Bear" the probabilities are, strange as it may seem, that he would have in time been elected a membei of the Canadian Parliament. When the French in 1863, after some hard fighting at La Puebla, got the Mexicans into an uncomfortable position, thoy were very willing—perhaps even anxious—to parole the 1.500 officers that fell into their hands; but the latter positively declined to give Darole, and there was nothing for it but to ship llio lot across to La Belle France, during which process no less than 970 officers escaped. Again in LS44, wiien the French were defied by the great Algerian Chief Abl-01-Kadr, ' they had the pleasure of formulating their demands } and it took the shape of a handsome indemnity and a rectification of boundary. It was also provided that the still at large Abl-el-Kadr should be expelled the country, but when two years later that worthy voluntairly surrendered, the French treated him handsomely, and he ultimately died a French prisonei.

THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR. When, however, thirty years later, the French were themselves in dire adver sity, and obliged time after time to their biave but relentless foes, the Germans, but the bitter response, "unconditional surrender." At Sedan, the French Emperor, anxious that the hell of liro being rained upon the place should cease, urged his generals one after another to sign a capitulation, but each stolidly declined. Moltke was inoxoi able in his demands, and he kept the German Emperor out 0 f the way lest perchance he might ease the terms a little. The French Commander, in .in interview with Prince Bismarck, threatened to blow the place sky high before lie would surrender unconditionally. "Do it if you like." said Bismaick, with the utmost sang froid. But he did nothing so desperate; and so the almost unprecedented prize of 124,000 men. 500 guns, and innumerable etceteras, fell to the exultant victors, who, perhaps not unnaturally, made no effort to restrain their joy At the end of the Spanish-Morocco campaign of 1809-C0 the Moors, finding themselves badly in need of a breathing space, asked for terms, merely with a view of gaining time, for they were yet possessed of ample resources, and had been defeated in only two battles. The conditions offered, however, were intolerable to their proud nature; but. nevertheless, the parley was allowed to drag on month after month—almost every point, important or otherwise, having to be referred to either Madrid or Fez. Suddenly it dawned on Marshal O' Don noil that he might have to do h's work, all over again, and he broke off negotiations to find, his worst fears realised. Fierce and stubborn was iho fighting that followed; but again were the haughty Moors cornered, and this time there was no beating about the bush. They were given forty-eight hours to surrender, the terms exacted being an indemnity of four million pounds and a slice of territory.

SPANIARDS VERSUS FRENCHMEN'

The surrenders and capitulations so far related cannot be said to reflect discredit upon either conqueror 0 r conquered, but the same does not hold good of a few more. The capitulation of Davlen will never be forgotten by Frenchmen, and may even yet make the Spaniard blush with shame. Apart from foul play, it was an affair of so extraordinary a nature as to be almost inconceivable. Dupont, the French General, wounded and virtually in rags, as were most of h's officers and men, and despairing of reinforcements, proposed to R«>ddy, the Spaish General a suspension of hostilities. The latter, being in a f-u from comfortable position himself, willingly consented. In the meantime, however, the long-exepected reinforcements arrived under Vedel, who, ignorant oi the armistice, attacked Reddy fiercely, captured 1.400 of his men, and in all human likelihood would have routed tho rest, but Dupont, his superior in rank, ordered him to desist, give up his prisoners, and retire. The Spaniards were in turn reinforced, and when negotiations were reopened they made demands which were hard to unfairness. Dupont not merely surrendered, but, what with his broken health and rare ideas of chivalry, actually included in llie surrender Vide], many miles away ::t the time, and also another French contingent which chained to come into Ibe neighbourhood. Thus did 20.000 frenchmen capitulate to an enemx they heartily despised. The prisoners were afterwards bhamfully treated. Ihousamis were robbed and hundreds thrown into convict hulk-., while eighty officers were massacred in cold blood.

TEXAS YEItSIS MEXICO. To tbits present day. "RenieuilKT the A In mo" i* a sacred expression U> tht Texan. When in ISV>i the Mexican Dictator Santa Auna captured at Alamo several hundreds of raw Te'suis. ligbtfor what they deemed right and liberty, overy man of them w»i foully matea- ■ t<d by hu orders, and afterwards ido bodies burned—permission to bury them being refused. Not long afterwards the Texaiis, to the stirring battle cry of "Remember the Alamo,*' charged the Mexican army lient-ly. routed it. and captured Santa Anna. Marvellous to relate he wa s no it her shot nor lynched on the spnt. hut kept a prisoner. Perloip • '■■ hai u a • e'piallv surpi rsing, Hi" T... v Go'-eiyyicut rt.i'-TvJ hlfti to 'be

rule of a diminished Mexico. An example of a conqueror's extreme severity which will ap|>eal even more io the imagination was the case ol the brave Hol'er. who by his courage and sagacity had raised himself from peasant to Governor of Tyrol. But his poor little country was only a buffer State, and ' despite his wonderful victories against overwhelming edds which had won Tyrol her freedom, that freedom was assailed once again. Holfer ventured to defy the mighty Napoleon, and for a time with marked success, too; but there could be only one end to such a struggle. The patriots were defeated, and Holfer tried for "his life by a French court-martial, who would fain have acquitted him; but Napoleon could never forgivo the man who for a time had given him such a showing up. and the crack of half a dozen rifles one morning saw the end of poor, honest Holfer.