| Show SPAIN IN HISTORY the nations of the world would do well in acknowledging at the present time the hand of the infinite in the calamities into which the spanish kingdom has been plunged there is a much needed lesson in the events of the day A comparatively short time ago spain had every opportunity of becoming the dominant country of the earth in power wealth and glory she might have fax far surpassed babylonia babelonia Baby lonia greece or rome but she failed to grasp the opportunity the power entrusted to her she used only for selfish ends spain appears in history for centuries past in precisely the same light as does weyler in the cuban campaign cruel crafty cold blooded but her doomsday Is approaching pro aching the supreme judge of nations has ascended the judgment seat the loss of naval engines of wax war and the leveling of her fortifications almost without any injury to the attacking parties to is a 1 mene mene chekel up harsin written across the wall by the divine finger and it Is not only for spain but for the nations of the whole world tr to profit by the interpretation of that thai flaming inscription it may be noted that present condition isi by no means due to neglect on the part of the people to foster a military spirit the nation has not been weakened by long periods of peace wars and rebellions have been the rule and peace the exception nor is there a lack of patriotism of the military order the remarkable decline of the once so mighty empire la 12 due to other causes some of these are pointed out in IL a recently published little volume entitled the spaniard in history in this the author calls attention to the fact that the establishment of the he inquisition in the reign of ferdinand and isabella had a tendency to crystallize the intolerance which time but for that institution might have softened the chivalrous consideration for enemies before the conquest of granada disappeared the inquisition made terrible suffering an enjoyable spectacle at which no one on the penalty of death were allowed to manifest any sign of pity in this way the spanish nation was trained to cruelty she fostered the ferocious spirit that makes even women eager to watch the sanguinary bull fights ait arranged ranged for the entertainment of the nation unfortunately the discovery of america gave the spaniards an opportunity for displaying barbarities on a large scale the conquerors who in their own land had witnessed the indescribable tortures inflicted on their own brethren with the sanction of religion or the burning at the stake ot some i of their noblest men and women in the august presence of kings princes and priests could feel but little compassion for the sufferings of poor or he athens on a foreign shore so spanish ferocity had free reins the inquisition silenced inquiry modern strangled to death and ana the nation was left in mediaeval media eval darkness today in the opinion of even the most enlightened statesmen at madrid the interference of 0 the united states in behalf of a people doomed to death by starvation is incomprehensible they regard it as an an absurdity the effects of the training in the school of the monstrous tomas de torquemada are in evidence in spain to this day in the book mentioned above the reign of philip the second is described as typically spanish and the fate of two envoys sent by the government to madrid is mentioned as illustrating the kings character one of them died in captivity and the other montigny was tried and condemned to death by slow poison but philip considered this mode of assassination too lenient he therefore caused letters to be written describing the illness and death of the incarcerated envoy the latter was wa in ift perfect health but the kings were instructed to issue about his alleged illness at last word was given and a notary a priest pi leaf and an executioner proceeded to the and strangled montigny to death tafter wads giving out the letter written by command of the king concerning his demise by fever the remains of the victim were then buried in the robe of a franciscan monk which cam P high enough on the neck to ca conw athe the marks of the strangulation it is 14 only in our day that researches have brought to light the infamous facts in the event related but spanish history is full of similar incidents eternal justice is often apparently slow in assert asserting ilig itself but it never fails for centuries the inhabitants of the west indian islands and the philippines have suffered intolerable burdens without being given the slightest equivalent in the form of the gif gifts to of civilization iza tion they have suffered oppression until they themselves have become sav 1 age and cruel but at last the day of redemption seems to have dawned spanish possessions are about to be entrusted to the care of another more worthy of the trust spain may possibly sue for peace but after all that has taken place now it cannot be granted until the objects for which the war has commenced shall be attained the islands of the sea must be free from a system of oppression and their inhabitants given a chance to partake in the blessings of civilization that seems to I 1 be the eternal decree the united states has been called upon to execute |
