Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-11-16

Spain the land of chivalry. Shakespeare for in
stance, says, Richard ii
Feared by their breed, and famous by their BIRTH
Renowned Tor thor deeds ns fur from home
ForChrstan service, and true chvulay."
refer to that period of history whom afte
the conquest of Granada, the Moors were fnnll,
driven from Spain. Spanish chvalry painted fol
new fields of action, on which it might win ad
ditonal aurels; and tho discovery of n new
world at this precise period, opened to its enter
prise new theatre for adventure.
OF the spirit with which the Spanish cavalier
entered on this new career, Mr.. Prescott speaks
as follows, in his third Vol, page GA
"The period which we are reviewing was still
the age of chivalry; that stirring and adventur-
Gus age, of which we can form little conception
IN the present day of soher practical reality
The Spaniard, with his nice point Of honor, high
romance, and proud vain glorious vaunt, was the
true representation of that age. The Europeans
generally, had not yet learned to accommodate
themselves to life OF literary toll, or to the
drudgery of trade, or to the patient tillagc Of
the soil. They left these to the hooded inmate
of the cloister, the humble burSher, and the mis-
cradle ssrt. Arms was the only profession wOr-
| thy Of gentle blood the only career which the
high mettle cavalier could tread with honor
The new world, with it's strange and mysterious
perils afforded noble theatre for the exercise OF
| lis calling. and the Smnish4d entered Oh it with
|
Other nations entered on it also, but with dir.
! fcrent motives. The French sent forth then
missionaries to take up their dwelling among the
| heathen, who, in the good work Of winning souls
| TO Paradise, were content to wear,-nny, some
times to court--the crown of murtyrdom. The
Dutch too, had their mission, but it one of
! worldly lucrc and thry Gasind rcrainpe pensG Tor
toll and suffering in their glinlul traffic with the
natives. While our own Puritan fathers, with
the true AngloSaxon spirit left their pleasant
homes across the waters, and pitched their ten,s
in the h0wlng Wilderness, that they might emoy
the sweets of civil and religious freedom But
| the Spaniard came over to the new world in the
true spirit of u knighterrant, courtng adventure,
h hlwever perilous, wooing danger, as 1t would
seem, for it's own sake. With sword and lance,
he was ever ready to do battle for the faith and
as he raised his old war-cry of 'St Jago' he fan
cied himself fighting under the banner Of the
miltery apostle, and felt his single arm match
for more than hundred inidels! 1t the
expiring age of chivalry and Spain, romantic
Spain, was the land where its light fingered long
est above the horizon.'
Such is the language of Mr.. Prescott, admit
ting that the Conquest of Mexico, was viewed by
the Spaniard, as a kind of holy crusade, for the
extension of Christianity, and the chief object of
Cortes expedition. In the instructions given
him by Velasquez, the Governor Of Cuba, he
was told to bear in mind above all things, that
the object which the Spanish monarch had most
at heart, was the conversion of the Indians, and
to take Jealous care to omit nothing that would
rcaOund to the rcrviee Of eoa, his sovereign
Cortes determined to comply, while he entered
fully into the spirit of these instructions. This
banner was constructed in imitation of the IA
nous one which Constantine, the first Christian
1 Emperor; had seen in the heavens, and was in
4 scribed with the like motto; In hoe signo vim
ces. Like Columbus when he landed, he unturl
led it to the breeze, breathing prayer to the Got
OF, nations, and addressing his heroic little band
in STRAIN well worthy of the soldier of tho cross
L refer you again to Prescott's ibid p. 25S.
Who were the Aztecs then. they contendec
with Were they not heathers and infdels ant
all history proclaims, 9TH ugh more civilized
than the northern savages) that they worshippeC
as the Deity, the hideous idols of Cozumel, ant
on the pyramid Choluala in whose shrines, they
offered up human sacrifices which the Knights
of the cross shattered with religious zeal, and il
their place raised temples to the true and living
God, after the reverend fathers OlmedO and Dia
(who were only few of the many missionaries
who christianized tho savages of the Great West,
enlightening their minds on the great truths o
revelation, urging them to receive these in plac
of their hcathenish abominations The native
listened in profound silence, and if we may believ
the chronicler of the event, were melted int
tears; while their hearts were penetrated witt
inrs who seemed to WELD in their own hands th
thunder and the tightening Such were the Az
= tees and agree thus far with Mr.. Lunday,-
r that the anna gamation with the noble Castiliau
was unpropitous ; this, with the climate, an un
preiudiced mind would trace the imbecility of tht
Mexican, and not to the influence of priest-rid
+ den country The Spanish patiently toled to con
vert them to christianity, had intermarried them
; and become one people with them; while tn
good Puritans, exterminated the poor Indians
0 They all vanished at the first dawn of Englisl
civilization, like snow under the rays of the sun
and thus tho Anglo-Saxon may boast OF his supe
rior humanity. We would have looked for
loltier tone Of moral feeling, as well as for les
y sweeping remarks, and more accurate statemen
!, of facts. Why give undue prominence Il
y the Puritan fathers, who, IT there be any trutf
in history, were anything but the friends o
n a, least religious liberty! Why hold up th
e car-ow minded, and exclusive peoploof blue law
] witch hanging memory, as very paragons OF per
o fection for nation of enlightened freedom !
s Why, in speaking of the enlightenment OF tn
: age, and eulogizing the AnglO-Saxon race, pas
, lover in utter silence, William Penn, and Lor
: Baltimore, who, in Pennsylvania and Maryland
did at least al much for civil liberty as the Pill
grims, and much more for religious liberty !
II Does this great republic owe its freedom til
=, boassed Reformation referred to think not
IS no more TINA the discovery of the great cont
, nent itself. Have Catholics ever proved them
: selves ayerse to liberty, though they they a
: maintain thar faithful allegiance to the Vatican
v which is th, strength of their union.
D. In the daikest hour of the great revolusionar