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Show The Glory and Shame of Spain A FEW weeks ago a man who was a teacher in Spain was shot by law, because for eight years he had been demanding more liberty and better schools for the poor of this country. It was a grievous mistake to try, condemn and execute ex-ecute such a man. We In our free country cannot understand how such a thing was possible, but it was not in our country, but in Spain, which for two thousand years has been a concernment to mankind, and whose history is perhaps more interesting in-teresting than that of any other land that the sun shines on. It certainly In many ways is the most interesting country of Europe to the student. The interest begins with the going there of the Romans two thousand years ago to subdue it. The natives put up a wonderful fight against the Invaders. In-vaders. Of one battle with them the great Julius said, he had often fought for victory but never before for his life. But the trained legions were too much for the barbarians and they were finally subdued, and for four hundred years Spain was a Roman dependency. In that time Rome founded many of the present most beautiful cities of Spain and their names still linger there. Thus Saragossa was Caesar-Augusta, and a dozen other cities were given Roman name3. The Romans built fortresses and bridges and roads, which still remain, they fused their language with the native tongue or the country and made that "soft bastard Latin," which Byron speaks of. Very many of the names of great Romans, which enrich Roman history were born in Spain. Such as Martial, Lucan, Qulntilion and the Senecas were all natives of Spain. Then for a thousand years, indeed up to the time of Ferdinand and Isabella, Spain was a ruling power. At one time she" ruled twu-uirrds of Europe, she found a new world and possessed herself of more than half of it, and tho list of her poets, orators, scholars, artists, writers and soldiers is about the most shining In history. With such a record behind them, it is not wonderful wonder-ful that the men of Spain expected that before H; Cervera's fleet, the "American navy would melt M i away like a white frost under the morning sun. ; And a monarchy has been the rule there for these M two thousand years past, and so fixed is it in the H minds of the people that no oilier government 1' ever was or ever can be compared with their own, K that even the marvelous Castelar could not, even R in a day, when Spain was n disgrace because of M ' the vices of her sovereign, even Castelar could not Ht, kindle in their souls the courage to accept a Re- W f public. H So when this teacher tried to arouse the men H I around him, his words fell on dull ears, among H? the people, while the authorities charged him H with treason, tried and shot him. There is still W lett enough of manhood, enough of courage in M Spain to emancipate it, could the people but H throw off their belief that their sovereign has a H divirfe right to rule them. This can come only B with a higher education, it was for this that Fer- fl rer made his demand, and fearing what that de- H mand, if presisted in would lead to, why there B was nothing to do but to kill him. |