Nebraska advertiser., 1868-10-15

Proclaim the contest rife,
The same fell viii, as vengenul still,
Maintains the stubborn strifeI
The Reconstruction OfSpain.
Now that the Government of Queen
Isabella has been OverthrOWn by reYO-
luton, and that this Burbon princess
has been driven from the kingdom In
disgrace, and her dynasty depOsed by
the popular voice, the future of Spain
becomes a subject of the deepest inter-
est. Speculation as to the form of
government likely to be substituted
for the Constitution, which has by the
expulsion of the Queen just fallen to
pieces, will be, we presume, soon set
at rest; but splendid opportunity is
now presented the patriots and states
men Of Spain to repair the national
| disasters and humiliations of their
country for generations past, and to
restore her to something like the proud
position she once occupied among the
nations Of the earth.
PAST HISTORY OF THE SPANISH KING
DOM.
The annals of Spain for nearly four
hundred years past present one of the
most striking chapters in the history
of nations. In the earlier part of the
sixteenth century she stood on the
very pinnical of national greatness
and renOwn. The feuds of the old
Spanish Kingdoms had been effectual-
ly healed by the union of the King
dOms as a single monarchy, under the
Joint scepter of Ferdinand and Isabel
la. The discoveries of Columbus had
given Spain new world; the con-
quest of COrtez and PiZarrO had made
her the mistress of immense regions
teeming with the precious metals, and
other valuable products; and she
might at that period have Justly ap-
prOpriated the proud boast of England
in latter days. that the sun never sets
upon her dOminiOns. But she did not
long retain the power and glory which
then belonged to her. The very vast
ness of the advantages which she en-
jOyed, the very OverfiOwing abundance
of the resources which she had at
command, the very greatness of the
natural wealth of her extensive colo
NAL possessions, instead of enlarging
and consolidating her prosperity and
heTstrength, initiated against her well
fare by eneTvating her people and
cOTrupting her government; and the
baneful rule of an almost UubTOken
succession of feeble and vicious sOver-
eigns at length dragged her down into
the dust, and made her name a by
word to the other nations Of Europe.
At the beginning Ofthe present centu-
ry, her fortunes were at an extremely
low ebb. After more than q century
of decline, under the enlightened rule
of Charles III. who was an exception,
as regards ability and character, to
the sOveTeigns of Spain since the pc
riOd of Ferdinand and Isabella, the
prosperity of the country began to re-
vive; but the good fruits of his wise
administration were completely de-
stTOyed during the reign of his imme--
diate successor. Charles w., who
ascended the throne in 1888; and the
annihilatiOn of her navy by Nelson at
the battle of Trafalgar in 1905 left
Spain completely PROSTATE. For the
last go years she has never known
repOse. What with the invasion of the
country by the French in 1903, follow
ed by the Peninsular war, which lasted
for more than five years what with
the perfidy of Ferdinand VII, after
his restoration 70 the throne in abrO-
eating the liberal constitution of 1872,
and seeking to fasten the yoke of
despOtism upon the neck of his sub
jects, together with the popular dis
turbanees which his unprincipled
attempts provoked what with the
war of independence in the South and
Central American Provinces: what
with the Carlist war, which desolated
the Kingdom for seven long wears:
and what with the numerous insur-
rectiOns which have taken place
during the reign of Queen Isabella,
arising from the reactionary policy
which she has fatuOusly pursued
during the whole of her inglOriOus
reign, the history of Spain during the
whole of the period named presents a
chapter of trouble and suffering from
the beginning to the end. 1t is true
that within the last quarter of q centu-
ry the country has made some prog
ress in material prosperity; but the
revolution which has just driven Isa-
bella from the throne proves that that
progress has taken place in spite Of
radically vicious government and in
stitutions thoroughly corrupt.
RESOURCES OF SPAIN.
The Spanish people have it now in
their power to apply effectuai reme-
dies to the evils with which the cOun-
try has been so long afflicted, and
their movements, under present cir
cumstances, will be watched with the
deepest anxiety by the friends of
progress and popular government all
over the world. Spain still possesses
all the elements of national greatness.
Ii we look at her geographically, we
find that in point of situation, area.
climate, soil, and variety of produce
tiOns, she occupies a foremost place
among the countries of Europe. Oc-
cupying the largest portion of the
splendid peninsula which forms the
southwest corner of the European
continent, the kingdom is nOless than
800 miles IN length, with an average
breadth of about miles, and covers
an area, including the Balearic and
Canary Isles, Of lS6, ,031 square miles.
The climate of the greater part of it is
of the most delightful and salubriOus
character. The soil is in general re-
markably fertile, and among the pro-
ducts OF the country are many OF the
most precious articles of commerce.
Spain has a coast line 1,317 miles long,
of which Up miles are formed by the
Mediterranean, and 60 miles by the
Atlantic Ocean, and the country is
well watered The total population,
according to the last census, taken in
1864, is l6, ,286, ,675, showing an increase
of nearly one hundred per cent in the
space of a century. In spite Of all the
drawbacks from which il has suffered,
the manufacturing industry of the
country has materially advanced Of
late years, and there has also been q
marked improvement in all agricuItu-
raj processes. During the last twenty
years over three thousand miles of
railway have been opened for traffic,
and an equal number of miles of pub
lie roads have been constructed. In