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

ure OF George Summer on spain and her
evoluti0nisls. Delivered at the Mercantile
brary Association, On Tuesday Eyeciags
bcember 10.
country in the world affords such striking
q 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 pauperlsm had she taken advantage
e 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
cded. At one time, and we may say, but re-
y-at all events, within the infancy of az ante.
ism life, that within less than $50 years--Span
he greatest and the richest of modern nations.
commerce was more extended than that Of any
people, her fleets were most numerous, he
Tors most formidable, her soldiers most inyinci
her manufactures most esteemed. She com
led the world. Her mobiles, dignifed and hon.
were like kings, her merchants were Xix
,es. her people were prosperous, industrious and
eDted, and the products of their industry were
admiration anu demand Of the world. All this
vas, mainly, before the discovery Of America by
INDUS.
Sumner did full Justice to the subject he had
en- for his lecture. He commenced by leading
uditors with himself across the Pyrennees into
q. His description OF the aspect Of the
try and Of the appearance of the people, as
on the Alameda, at Burgos-the first city Of
consequence on the road to which he carried
udience-was 80 vivid and correct, that we, who
been the same journey before, could almost
ent- 49, N -,
e stranger who knows Spain, said Mr.. s., only
past giOries recorded in history, and by = 9
lmoN daily accounts which he receives o.
outbreak there, who has come to regard that
as in q chronic state of revolution, is curious
low who are its heroes and on what stage these
y are enacted. 10.
enters Spain by the pass Of Roncesyalles, and
the legends Of Charlemagne's defeat fresh in
minds Of peasants who never read a book he
through the land; finds q sombre cloud of me-
poly brooding over it sees immense tracts un-
waited 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
ribbon of water, SPAWNED by pretenti0us
ses, which justify the remark OF French am
hdor to former king of Spain, that it would
good operation TO sell q bridge and with the
Feds buy river"
(e stranger remembers the grand old drama Of
lder0n, the prolific nurse of Lope de Vega,
The tragedies of the Immortal author of Don
|otte, and he enters the theatre, hoping to hear
ich tones of the Castilian tongue, echoing their
~ periods; he finds only poor translation of
French vaudeville and the romanti; drama
mad.
ndng pride and poverty around him-msn in
devoid of knowledge and Of patriotism, the
hger asks, g Can this be the Spain OF old!" 1t
same. But why this saddening change What
D has brought IL so low Is there any hope for
|se? These were points which Ma Sumner pro-
ed to examine in his lecture.
Iere could hardly be in the whole course OF poli-
economy a more interesting question than this
|e causes Of the decliue and fall Of Spain. That
try affords wide and large field Of observa-
for every one who directs his mind to an in
into the causes of the prosperity or of the
of nations and people. II is a solution to he
ed at by an accurate knowledge and careful
liberation OF facts, combined with Just conclu-
drawn from the facts. This study, which is
of the privae life and means Of living that is
he economy Of nations and peoples not per-
'happily called political economy since that
is now taken in moie confined and limited
pta.oD, as if it were branch or part CT mere
les
il particularly in political economy that Spain
d loud and speaking lesson to peoplo. let 1t
tonishing how little this lesson has been read
political economists, and how useless the warn
has proved TO nations. Spain was one the
nation we have seen; her people were
prosperous people it has been said, uptil the
and silver of South America were poured into
lap. From that moment the commencement OF
becadeDce Of Spain may be dated. England, as
r and tOIfQYiQV To the
: rIin, from the same calses, though there Is
renee in the operation and production Of the
e.. The increase OF money in Spain was
cause Of her material ruin; and the same
tase in England is the Cause of her pau
Nm and popular degradation. But the ex-
I've increase OF money in spain came from
mines OF South America, whereas the
ey in England has been produced in a much
ter excess by the coppeyplste printing presses
5hresorcedle street, and other similar institu-
for the manufacture of money. The origin Of
excess has been different. but that excess in
countries is the cause. The cause Is tho sane,
the effect Is also the same in both countyies,
rly, the impoverishmcnt Of the people. IL Is
| impoverishmcnt, this poverty OF the prtAt
OF people, in which the material rise and fall
ny nation consists; for some few great and
people in country will never make great
| rich people, nor oveD respectable country.
n has never been, nor is she TO this day, With
her great and wealthy people. The riches Of
Duke OF Medina Sidonia are IA proyerbial as
E OF Crussus England, too, IL not without her
and wealthy people; but in both countries
Fifth avenue gentry are few In number, the
lie are poor and wTetched, aud respectable as
are-as riches always ace--they do not make the
raj countries respcc i9ble, nor the government,
BIG and powerful. When the masses are poor
D they can with difficulty live-Yhen provisions,
cred into the hsrds OF the merchants and
ers, ere sold out 70 them at high prices, and in.
nv itself = Is seen 70 be almof useless,
b Il will do little more than barely
ure n living-.hen II il that q people
uslly abandon industry, which Il rendered
uftable by the cupiddy Of the gambling
1lstors who gather and possess by aggregated
~ all the products of the country. Hence II il
the people are brought IN material ruin when,
e power OF money unnaturally increased ard
led by comparatively few, those few can be-
possessors Of oil the products Of q nation, and
industry tributary 70 them in the prices they
and thus make the people work chiefly FOR
benefit and profit, Industry becomes con
tihlC when II " no guarantee against want and
nv; people throw u OF when IL ceases to bo
lucrative. In other words, when labor IL i'll paid
e will not care 10 labor; or, which il the same
when labor being well paid all it, proceed are
owed up by the mercha ~ adveuturef who taxes
prices every laboring man as much az he nos.
can--dfty per cent and even more IL he can ret
Ich la such q state NJ any nation industry
leimuded lsnguishes, and langIishing, Goth die.
was the action OF money in spain, such is ts
in England. Prices rose as money increascd
cunt. A few had the money, aud these naturally