The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-04
SUMMER OFT SPAIN.

lure OF George Summer on spain and her
,volutionis,s, Delivered at the McrcnntsIc
brary Association, On Tuesday EyeUisg,
,cember 20.
} country in the world affords such striking
a to modern nations as Spain. But nations,
10 individuals, seem unwilling to take lessons, to
We instruction, to profit by salutary warnings
10 hearken in time to advisers. Perhaps, even
is day, England might have been saved from
condition Of pauperism had she taken advantage
c lesson to nations which Spain has given
S to others, but at an enormous cost to herself.
the reasons here stated, aud for many Others,
. is subject peculiarly adapted for lecture,
cannot fail, if judiciously treated, OF exciting
interest, and leading the public mind to sound
soiid reflection. There are many various as
Is or points of view under which Spain may be
rded. At one time, and We may say, but re-
y~at allevents, witain the infancy Of az ante.
ian life, that is,wthin less than $50 years--spain
he greatest and the richest of modern nations.
commerce was more extended than that Of any
|. people, her fleets were most numerous, he
|iOrs most formidable, her soldiers most inyinci
her manufactures most esteemed. She com
lied the world. Her mobiles, dignifed and hon,
|, were like kings, her merchants were Xix
les. her people were prosperous, industrious and
|eDted, and the products of their industry were
|.dmiration anu demand of the world. All this
vas, mainly, before the discovery of America by
Imbus.
Sumner did full justice TO the subject he had
en- for his lecture. He commenced by leading
auditors with himself across the Pyrennees into
%. His description Of the aspect Of the
try and Of the Appearance of the people, as
on the Alameda, at Burgos first city Of
consequence on the road to which he carried
udience-was so vivid and correct, that we, who
been the same journey before, could almost
|ine ourselves transported there again for the
ent. =,
e stranger who knows Spain, said Mr.. s., only
B past gl0ries recorded in history, and by the
Almost daily accounts which he receives of
outbreak there, who has come to regard that
as in chronic state of revolution, is curious
bow who are its heroes and on what stage these
b are enacted. -
enters Spain by the pass OF Roncesyales, and
the legends of Charlemagne's defeat fresh in
minds Of peasants who never read book he
through the land; finds sOmbre cloud of me-
boly brOoding over it sees immense tracts uu-
vated and depopulated its seaports deserted
Dads, except few which, like the spOkes of q
radiate from Madrid to the borders !; finds
nd itself without art or industry, but filled with
poo Office holders and hunters; Its river, Manga
3, q ribbon of water, spanned by pretentiOus
ses, which justify the remark OF French am
hdor TO former king of Spain, that cit would
good operation 70 sell a bridge and with the
beds buy river
e stranger remembers the grand old drama Of
lderon, the prolific nurse of Lope de Vega,
&he tragedies of the Immortal author of Don
otte, and he enters the theatre, hoping to hear
|ich tones of the Castilian tongue, echoing their
}ly periods; he finds only poor translation of
French vaudeville and the romanti; drama
hiding pride and poverty around him-men in
J devoid of knowledge and Of patriotism, the
hger asks. Z" Can this be the Spain Of old?, It
same. But why this saddening changer What
has brought il so low Is there any hope for
sc These were points which Mn Sumner pro-
ed to examine in his lecture.
tere could hardly be in the whole course OF poll
economy a more interesting question than this
e causes Of the decline and fall of Spain. That
|try affords wide and large field Of observa-
| for every one who directs his mind to an in
v into the causes Of the prosperity or OF the
of nations and people. II Is solution to bc
led at by an accurate knowledge and careful
liberation OF facts, combined with Just conclu-
drawn from the facts. This study, which il
of the priya,e life and means Of living that is
| he economy of nations and peoples not per-.
I'happily called political economy since that
= is now taken in a moie confined and limited
|ic ss'
lis particularly in political economy that Spain
5 loud and speaking Lesson to peoplc. let It
tonishing how little this lesson has been read
political economists, and how useless the warn
Ihss proved TO nations. Spain was one the
h nation we have seen; her people were
prosperous people il has been said, uptil the
snd silver Of South America were poured into
Jap. From that moment the commencement Of
becadepce OF Spain may be dated. England, as
| r population aud masses, u now tortering to the
ruin, from the same calses, though there Is .
Is. The increase Of money in Spain was
cause Of her material ruin; and the same
base in England is the Cause Of her pau
I'm and prpula- degradation. But the ex-
I've increase OF money in spain came from
mines OF South America, whereas the
lev in England has been produced in a much
Ter excess by the coppeyplste printing presses
street, and other similar inst!tu.
for the manufacture Of money. The origin u
|exccSs has been different. but that excess in
countries is the cause. The cause Is the sane,
the effect Is also the same IN both counGief,
|ely, the impoverishment Of the peoplc. Is
impoverishmcnt, this poverty OF tho great
! Of people, in which the material rise and fall
Inv nation consists; for some few great aud
people in country will never make great
rich people, nor even respectable country.
In has never been, nor is she TO this day, With
Iner Rrthb bnu Ntsisny ptOplt. lHt flCuth Vi
Duke OF Medina Sidonia are IA proyerbial as
3 OF Crnssus. England, too, is not without her
and wealthy people; but In 10th countries
/. Filth avenue gentry are few In number, the
BE are poor and wTetched, aud respectable "a
are-as riches always are--they do not make the
kal countries respcC iaple, nor the governments
be- and powerful. When the masses are poor
b they can with difficulty liye--yhen provisions,
Tered into the bsrds OF the merchants and
hrs, ere sold out ~ them at high prices, and in.
nv itself ~ Is seen 70 be alm0t useless,
b Il will do little more than barely
lure q lving-,hen il Is that q people
|usly abandon industry, which il rendered
|oftable by the cupidty of the gambling
ulstors who gather and possess by aggregated
~ all the products of the country. Hence Il il
the people are brought IN material ruin when,
be power OF money unnaturally increased ard
bed by comparatively few, those few can be
! possessors Of all the products Of q nation, and
! industry tributary 20 them in the prices they
b, and thus make the people work chiefly for
benefit and profit, Industry becomes con
! iblC when Il Is no guarantee against want and
|riy; people throw u or when IL ceases to bc
.nerstive. In other words, when labor il i'll pad
te will not care 10 labor; or, which IL the same
when labor beng well paid all it, proceed are
lowed up by the mercho ~ advcnturer who taxes
prices every laboring man rs much az he pos
csn--dfty per cent and even more ifhe can Cct
ich. la such a state Of any nation industry
lcimuded lsnguishes, and lang,Iishing, Goth dic.
was the action OF money in spain, such is its
4 in England. Prices rose as money increased