Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-03-20
spa.n---Her Power and Decline.
BY MACAUIE.

MAcAULF.
Whoever wishes TO be well acquainted with the
morbid anatomy of governments, whoever wishes to
know how great States shall be made feeble and
wretched, should study the history of Spain. The
empire of Philip the Second was undoubtedly one OF
the most powerful and splendid that ever existed IN
the world. In Europe he ruled Spain, Portugal the
Netherlands on both sides of the Rhine, Franche
Corne Rnu=Silon, tire DIlanese and the two Settles,
Tuscany, Parma and the other small states of Italy,
were as completely dependent on him as the Nizam
and the Ralah OF Berar now on the East India
Company. In Asia, the King of Spain master
of the PHILIPPINES, and of all the rich settlements
which the Portuguese had made on the coast Of Ma
lter and CorOmandel In the Peninsula of BIalacca,
and the Spice Islands of the Eastern Archipelago. In
America his dominons extended on each side Of the
equator TO the temperate zone. There Is reason to
believe that his annual revenue amounted, in the sea-
of his greatest power, to four millions sterling
a sum eight times as large as that which England
yielded to Elizabeth. He had standing army of fifty
thousand excellent troops, at a time when England
had not single battalion In constant pay. His ordi
nary naval force consisted of hundred and forty gal
leys. He held what other prince IN modern times
has held, the dominion both of land and of the
During the greater part of his reign he supreme
on both elements. His soldiers marched to the capt.
tai of France, his ships menaced the shores of Eng
land
It is no exaggeration to say that, during several
years, his power over Europe greater than
that of Napoleon. The influence of the French con-
queror never extended beyond low-water mark. The
strait to his power what it believ
cd that running stream was to the sorcerles OF a
witch While his army entered every metropolis
from Moscow to Lisbon, the English fleets blockaded
every port from Dantzic to Trieste. Sicily Sardinia,
Maiorca Guernsey enjoyed security through the whole
course of war, which endangered every throne on
the continent. The victorious and imperial nation
which had filled its museums with the spoIls of Ant
werp, of Florence and of Rome, suffering pain
fully from the want Of luxuries, which had rem
dered necessaries. While pillars and arches were
rising to commemorate the French conquests, the
querors trying to make coffee out of succory and
sugar out of beet-root. The influence of Philip ON
the continent as great that of Napoleon. The
emperor of Germany was his klnsman.
France, torn by religious dissenSions was never a
formidable opponent, and sometimes dependent
ally At the same time, Spain had what Napoleon
desired in vain-ships, colonies and commerce She
long monop0sed the trade of America and the Indian
Ocean All the gold of the West, and all the spices
of the East, received and distributed by her.
During many years of war. her commerce was inter
ruDted only by the predatory enterprises of few
inc privateers Even after the defeat of the Armada
English statesmen continued to look with great dread
on the maritime power of Philip The King Spain,
said the Lord Keeper TO the two Houses, in 1893,
''snce he hath usurped upon the kingdom of Portu-
GAL hath therefore grown mighty by gaining the East
Indies as, how great soeyer he was before, he Is
now thereby manifestly more great. He keepeth a
navy armed to impeach all trade of merchandise from
England, GascOigne and Guienne, which he attempted
to do last vintage so as he has become from
tier enemy to all the West of England, well all
the south parts, SUSSEX Hampshire and the Isle of
Wight Yea, by means of his interest in ST. Malnes,
port full of shipping for the war, he is dangerous
neghbor to the Queens Isles Of Jersey and Guernsey,
ancient possessions of his CROWN and never conquer
cd in the greatest wars with France"
The ascendancy which Spain then had in Europe
was in one sense well deserved. 1t ascendan-
IL -
i'll all the arts of policy and In the sixteenth
century, Italy not more decidedly the land Of fine
arts Germany not decidedly the land of
bold theological speculation than Spain the land
of statesmen and soldiers. The character which Vir-
Gil has ascribed to his countrymen might have been
claimed by the grave and naughty chiefs who
rounded the throne of Ferdinand the Catholic, and of
his immediate The majestic 'prenere
imPeriO PoPuOS,' was not better understood by the
Romans in the proudest days of their republic than
by GonsalvO and ZimiEes Cortes and Alva.
The skill of the Spanish diplomatists was renown-
ed throughout Europe. In England the name of Con-
domar IS still remembered. The sovereign natcn
unrivalled both in regular and irregular warfare.
The impeuous chivalry of France, the serred pha-
lanx of Switzerland, were alike found wanting when
brought face to face with the Spanish infantry In
the wars of the New World, where something differ
ent from ordinary strategy required in the gene
raj, and something different from ordinary discipline
IN the sodier-where it was every day necessary to
meet by expedient the varying tactics of a
barbarous enemy, the Spanish adventures, sprung
from the common people, displayed fertility of re-
sources, and talent for negotiation and command,
to which history scarcely affords parallel.
The Castilian Of those times was to the Italian,
what the Roman in the days of the greatness of Rome
was to the Greek. The conquerors had less ingenui-
ty, less TASTE less decacy of perception, than the
conquered; but more pride, frmness, and courage;
more solemn demeanor, stronger sense of honor.
The one had more subtety in speculation the other
more energy in action. The vices of the one were
those Of coward the vices Of the other were those
of tyrant.
1t may be added that the S2anard, like the Roman,
did disdain study the arts and language of those
whom he oppressed. A revolution took place in the
literature of Spain, not unlike to that revolution
which, Horace tells US, took place in the poetry OF
Latigm .Capta fdctun rictOren cepit.' The slave
took prisoner and ensaver The old Castian ballads
gave place in the style of Petrarch and to
heroic poems IN the stanZa of Aroo the nation
al songs Of Rome were driven out by limitations Of
Theocritus and translatons from Menandcr.
In no modern society, not in England during
the reign Of Elizabeth has there been 50 great
number of eminent at once in literature and il
the pursuits of active lfe Spain produced during
the sixteenth century. Almost every distinguished
writer was also distinguished as a soldier and poti
clan. Boscan bore arms with high reputation. Gar
cilasso de Vega the author of the sweetest and
graceful pastoral poems Of modern times afer shor
but splendid military career fell sword in hand a
the head of a sterming party Alonzo de Escila bor
conspicuous part In that war OF Arauco, which HI
afterwards celebrated in the best heroic poem tina
Spain has produced Hurtado de Mendoza, Who's
poems have been compared to those Of Horace, an,
whose charming little novel is evidently the model o
Gil Bias, has been handed down to US by history a
one of the sternes of those proconsus, who