New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-01
BUCKLE ON THE CHARACTER AND POSITION
OLE SPAIN

ieve that most of readers will be interested in
the extract from Buckles History of Civilization .
which we print below 1t forms the concluding por-
tion of his remarkable chapter on the History of
the Spanish Intellect from the Fifth the middle
of the Nineteenth Century"
the reader will able 10 understand the real
nature OF spanish CIVILIZATION He will see how, under
the sounding names Of loyalty and religion urk the
deadly evils which those names have always concealed
but which 1t Is the business of the historian TO drag TO
light and expose bind spirit of reverence, taking the
form OF AN unworthy and gnOminOus submission to the
Crown and Cnrc Is the capital ana essential wee OF the
Spanish people IL is their sole national vice. and IL has
suthced to ruin Them From all nations have gIlevousy
suffered, and many suffer still. But nowhere in Europe
has this principle been 50 long supreme as IN Spain.
manifest and SO fatal The idea of liberty is extinct
II indeed in the true OF the word II can he
been and vii be; but hey are bursts Of
rather than of liberty. In the most civilized countries
While obeying them 10 insist their repeal. This is
because we perceive that better remove grievances
than 10 resist them. While we submit 10 The particular
hardship we assan the system from which the hard
snip flows. For nation 10 take This view
darker periods Of European history. was uuattanabe
Hence we ind that in the middle ages though tunuts
mcesSant, rebeiiOns rare. But since the six
teenth Century local Instructions oyoked by immcd
ate injustice. diminishing and are being superseded
whence unstce proceeds There can be no doubt that
s change Is benefcal partly because 1t Is always good
from effects 10 causes. aud partly because reVOlu
lions being less frequent than insrrecuons the peace or
society would be more rarely disturbed confined
themselves entirely 10 the larger remedy Al the same
time Instructions generally wrong; revolutions are
always right An instruction too often the mad aud
passionate effort OF ignorant persons who are impatient
under immediate injury, and never stop 20 nvesti-
gate ITS remote and general causes. But rcvouti0n
when the work Of tho nation itself is splendid aud
imposing spectacle because 10 the moral quality Of ndig
nation produced by The presence q ev II ADDS the tcl
ectual qualities of foresight and combinations and. unit
INK IN The same act If the highest properties OF our
the opprcssor, bur also relieving the oppressed.
I'm spain, however there never has been revoutioD
properly so called tjre never BIAS even been one grand
national rebellion The people, though often lawless
are never free Among them find still preserved that
peculiar faint OF baIbau>m which makes men prefer oc
ca,icna disobcdience systematic liberty Certain feel
gs there Of our common nature which even Their
eavsh loyalty cannot eradicate and which from time to
time urge tAcm resist injustice. such instincts are
happily the iualcuabe lot OF humanity, which We cannot
forfeit We would and Which are too often Tie last re-
against the eNtTavaganc!es OF tyranny Ana this
all that spain possesses. The spaniards there
fore, resist not because they are SplhaIas put because
they Stil even while they resist they revere
While they VII se H sSa', r 5g ,se not ~ me
smallest evil They sne the taXgatheior but iall pros
aNgatheIer pies his craft Ihey VIII even revive the
troublesome and mporunate monk. OF sometimes they
Wli soon al the SIosA ana "lIo-1 li'Vst WIZ o
TIER inatuauoh that lhty MNuid Ieh .I nv 9 ~ oe
Tense Of that cruel church which has inflicted Oh ihe'a
hileois Cadmit!es but TO which they stu cDs rs II IL
were the dearest object of thcir affections:
" Connected with these habits OF mind, and IA eooth'
forming part u them, nnd reverence Tor ambiguity
and au mortlnate ehaaty OF old onhlons, on Icicns
aud old habits, which itmiLd us OF those uolitdl clNl
once universal IN Europe; but they began to de
out iu the six,ocn century aud are now, comparatively
always been welcomed. in thdt country lbey retain
tAor original force and produce men natnI@ les,s
pOr.It know already known, they fepress those
- arauos and dull that generous confidence ~ the
future. without which nothing really great can we
aciieNe people VINO regard The past with TOO Wstfu
an eve vln never bosir themselves 10 help the onward
progress; they VIII hardly believe that pfogrCss is pos
Shle. 10 them. antiquity j. synonymous with WlsdOn
and every improvement Is a dangerous innovation. In
IN this state Sfsm siiil fingers Hence the span.
iuds are remarkable for AL ireriness. a want
If
which. hi ouf busy and enterpt'ing are Isolate them
from the rest Of the CIVILIZED world believing that niue
can be done. they i hul1y 10 don't Believing that
the knowledge they have inc4t.d j. ldI t4.t, tndn
any they can obtain ihty MlNh 10 pies'I'o 'oii
lectudI possessions Whole ana uhrIiou' i.lsnueh az
Content With What hs already been DequcatheI tLey
excluded nom that great EuocaL Mhioh,
hss tsS eD tedy sJvsTclne unset,ne od opn-
IONS destroying old fOhes reforming ana improving Oh
G s'; AID rnrkey bnt leaving spain unscathcd
While tine human intellect has neen mHhhg
Willie disrovcitcs nom every quarter are pres,
lng ulOn AZ. ana coming ia such rdlad ana
IN Ike 10 az iEcir sIlcndor j. unable contemplate
item as "A hole; while other discoveries SIN more I'M
re uan.fc.iy appT0acL4lg and may DC seen looming
m Tie ii. stance plcuce they nov Ohscure!y working
bcir minds win those ni-ctucd, restless aud alnost
ueasy feelings which the luyaTabc hdlbinteir 81 ia
tu.e Violated al M points is forced 20 disclose lei &C.
crcls aud reveal her structure. Aer economy, aAd her
~ lIugUg win the uo.so OF intellectual acme Ncmeht-
with Mich even dcspouc governments anect 70 9mIa
tAze, IN order That they may dlyeit thcin
from tLelF .".lt44 V.'is., ,ip ,,ro nc l,bei
new iHs'fumenis wLsiCuy s'd lpiS ,'e 1.s
ciieDcD Tic IaUe mud svayed 10 AID 10 - tosse1
and aeated slan tl,e!'s o., u,t,i', - tha
world and making 10 impressions upon d. tneIe
she lies, at tie lufiAcr oAliemliy Oh lhe continent
. huge and torpid ma.s The t0e representative now le
manning Of Tie ieeInes ana hhoNI1'ae 81 'hG ''uoio
Ages. Aud what 10 Tie worst SYMPTOM o. az she ~ st
.UfN.l
backward country IA Europe che be.c'eh herself 10 Do
he foremost re Vs. She ~ ,rDI ~ IL apfoniiy of
her opinions proud Of her orthodoxy Inpnd 81 the
strength OF her faith logd Ci nSf "a ,c r,d
either her creed on her CUSTOMS pmu OF heI haeH %
hcrelic and proud % .e una! s 'sl'o VIZ % mn "a
All these things consylring together prodnce. in their
aecrreofr that melancholy oxidation TO which give
III collective name OF spain The history Of that single
word IL the history nearly every ycssitude OF which
he nnar speccs II capable 1t comprises the extremes
0t strength and weakness, OF unbonhded wealth. am oi
abject poverty II ~ the history ~ tie mixing OF 1lnei
every political combination which the WI OF lhan ctn
aoVise; laws infinite ~ variety as wei az I'D numpet
cousftutiOns OF all Kinds from the most Stringent 10 VIC
most liberal. Democracy monarchy goNermnch. Wy
priests, government by municipalities, government p
iohles government b. Foreigners have becn 'ileu,
aud tried in vain. Material appHhuces naho - -
c ,ffisV introduced IRON abroad manufaetgles
set up, conmpcatons opened roads ne sT ce as hem "
every sort OF alteration except alterations OF oImon
Sowiedgc Aud the resnl, IS, hatih pe Of te efforts
n successive Governments IN spite OF the influence OF
foreign customs and In spite OF those phy seal aIcVIH
lions which just touch tic surface OF society bat arc u
able 10 peueilate beneath there ae no signs OF national
iroetsss: the priests are rather gaining ground IMAM
losing II the 81 ghtest attack on the Cnrch Ouses ie
peope while even tle dssOueness OF the clergy ana
he odcous vices which. IN the present century; nave
stained the throne. do naugh ~ lessen either Tue SUI
perstOn the loyalty which tho force OF
many centuries has Craven Oh the minds ana eaten INTO
the Hearts Of the spanish nation
---
THE SOUTH.