The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-25

In INV II
nization; at each now revolt some grievance,
some which the rule OF old Spain inflicted
upon them is thrown into its grave and the next up
rising buries It completely No who has not lived
in Spanish American countseand studied their colonial
history judge Of the depth Of the flood Of entailed
woes in which they have had to float their republican
aks for half century, until the subsidng revolutionary
surgss might give them some hope of rest Nor does
history present European progress where
much misrule has been shaken Off SO quickly.
In all the Spanish American republics II will be found
as rule that In proportion to their distance from
Mexico. the great centre Of Spanish American Catholic
power SO has been their progress In civilization
their war Of independence for the great prime causes
especially In Mexico OF the revolutions have
been the attempts OF the progressive portion Of her poo
pie to shake themselves FREQ from the crushing rule Of
the clergy. But circumstances far back In the
history Of spain and having more direct and
powerfully drawn lines OF and effect than most his
torca events conspred 70 turn Spanish character into
tide that spent m full and eliminating upon the
American colonies
ERA or THE SPANISH CONQUEST.
spain at the very date o. the discovery OF America
was taking breath after the most tori BILE religious war ON
record had taken nearly eight hundred years for the
whole nation had received an intensely concentrated
gious education In single given direction spain was
the great battle ground, the buwark Of Catholicism
against the tolerant Moslem faith whose cimite
having carved their way her territory, were
threatening TO rest the plains Of Italy, under tho
shadows Of the Mosem standards which advancing
westward spurred on by all the fiery fanaticsm which
the Catholic faith could INSPIRE the whole nation lost
itself in q single idea and became the mighty
exponent Of Catholic militant power In western
Europe. AS war rolled onO and shock after
shock baptized the Cross in Noslem blood the
mind of Spain lost Its balance every element Of the
elect forced into the channel Of religious fsrvor
until Spain became educated to engraf upon her moral
code the most revolving crimes (Any one, II was said
might conscientiousy kill apostate whenever he could
meet him. There was some doubt whether man might
STAY his father II a hereto or innde but none
whatever to his right in that event. TO take swayshe
life Of his his brother '-Prescots Ferdinand and
Isabella VOL p 46l) Religious fanatcism, true to It's
instincts to enslave TO cultivate the intellect step
by step crushed out every ennobng influence until the
former generosity OF Spanish character lost itself in the
darkness which advanced southwark with their armies
The wild tide which, while 1t hurled back the Moors
and drowned human progress in its waves at length
reached the Spanish Jews who, with all their advance
ment in civilization, refinement and wealth bent to the
the Crescent At length came the Inquisition to en-
throne itself upon the ruin IL to crush out the
last spark Of intellectual opposition to religious ia
naticsm and in the wild wreck to sway the destnes
Of people
Tho rulers OF Spain at that time the monks and
nquisitors Their sovereign the exponent Of religious
idea, turned the thunderbos in his power to the task
of the unfolding of the Cross and the overthrow Of the
hereto The whole country became monastery in
which the stormy elements Of the times swayed
Potent for religion ambition and avarice
figured in history; and all these elements, swayed by
the Roman pontin became in his hands the lash with
which he sc0urged Europe Tho brain Of Spain, at all
times powerful Ia the direction of its education proved
what mighty efforts man can make when his forces are
led in given direction. The period produced some of
tho most extraordinary men of history and
though we lament the talent which, per-
vertcd flooded all opposition to its inclnaons we can
not bat admire the genius which could spring from
such elements and WELD such power with so much sue
Suddenly the barriers which had for any centuries
held In check the flood Of religious fervor were no more
Swept southwark by the anaca torrent the Moors had
disappeared across the Mediterranean and Spain was at
length Tree from civilization and the Crescent The spir
ua fervor vas at loss where TO vent Its fury; the
uon mind, missing Its accustomed recreation. turned
its forces wherever the sancty OF the Cross was to be
upheld, aud found employment under Cardinal Ximenes
in campaign against the Moors OF Northern Africa or
later still against Soym the Magnificent Hungary,
and the crushing OF Professionalism in Germany. But
this not enough for the occupation OF all the turbu
lent spirits to which eight centuries of warfare had given
brth They sighed for wider field, ard destiny bad
hxed tue proper moment the ships of Columbus brought
back the udinss Of the wonderful New World which
TO become curse to Spain, OF the vast fields which were
open for the planting Of the Cross and the propaga
ton OF the faith The stories of untold treasures TO be
gained there expanded hike rippcs, and panderng
to the cupidty OF the mind linked its two power
full forces religion and ayarice The brain Of Spain be-
vast crucibe In which the rery Spanish inns ma
ton melted down the wealth Of the New World and
throw its power into the religious dea that st swayed
th nation. The conquest of Mexico by Cor,ez, the
boldest Jateo oil his time, and The overthrow Of the
Empire OF the Incas by his Pizarro, with the
tue Of treasure which Immediately poured into spain,
infancd to a still higher degree the maginat which
had been in its estimates of To the Span
lard the new sun which sbimmered in the West was
fall OF opaent empires only awaiting the Cross and sword
Of some bold adventurer to build mighty family upon
ther ruins.
Expeditions launched ont in quick succession and
4 hardy soldiers who had bronzed their faces in the
OF Italy under the great captain or in the wars of
Spain against the Moors OF Hdalgos of all classes; from
the noble with royal blood the Hidalgo dc Bagueta
and while they drcw into ther wild excitement much
outlet for much OF the turbulent and unprinci
pied element OF the Span sh population. The first expe
dons were generally OF better class than the emra-
ton which followed. The countries being all occupied
apporoned TO Idalantados there was lett no induce
ment To ~ organize such knghtly expeditions as
Pedro de Mendoza fitted at his cost and led to the
conquest Of the La Plata region in 1884 Mendoza
in this expedition arced TO take with him thousand
men, well and equipped with physicians for the
sick and with number of ssionarcs for the CONVEX.
sion OF tic Indians The latter point was particularly
claimed by Mendoza II was, moreover, especially stip
ulated in his contract that " any sovereign prince
sh uld fall into his hands his ransom, although belong
ing by law To the Emperor should be divided among
the nQa odorss, deductng only the royal nth. IL
was by such contracts this that the New World
appor;oned to he ad, enturous spirits Of the tines To
Indicate the Intense acti ny Of the spanish nd IN the
direction OF America, may be stated that so soon as
the terms u tho contract were promulgated crowds of
oil classes presented themselves. No less than flfty
grandoes and gentlemen Of distinction took part in this
expedition Among them were Don JOAN de 0soro,
who had gained great ronown IN the OF 1tay; Don
Dcgo de Mendoza, brother OF the Adalantado. and
who named Admiral OF the feet Juan dc Ayolas,
Don Domingo Martinez, afterwards a famous poet;
Francisco dc Mendoza major domo Of the King OF the
Romans, and Don Carlos Dublin foster brother ~ the
EmpcrOr all volunteers led by the spirit OF adventure
aud the desire OF riches The multitude desrous
bark became great that IL necessary sail before
tho appointed day and when the account taken OF
the number on board the fourteen vessels which
posed the feet II found that instead Of the
thousaud for which Mendoza had stipulated there
were twenty-five hundred srauiarfs and one hundr
and nfty Germans, besides the OF the vessels.
(Scc Sir ". Iarish's Rio de In Plata
In the organization Of these EXPEDITIONS for