Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-03-20
HOW NATIONs RISK AND FALL.

Empires are built up or undermined
by the ceaseless industry Of obscure
multitudes, often slightly observed or
but dimly comprehended. The COM
pletc decline of Spanish power within
tho last two hundred years, and the
sudden rise of the influence of the Uni
ted States within the last half century,
will illustrate both the undermining and
the building up Of empires. Two hum
dred and sixty-four years ago, Spain was
besieging Ostend, and was warning All
nations from %trespassing ON her outly-
ing possessions. in both the Americas
and the East Indies. But from that
time to the present, tho power of Spain
has crumblcd more and more completely
into the dust, while that Of the colonies,
then hardly begun by the English and
Dutch In North America, is every day
more and more respected. A single
telegram from Europe shows that, while
in Florence, the American Admiral Far:
ragut is treated by the Italian Govern
ment with the utmost cordiality and re-
spect, Spain is forbidden by France to
assist the Pope to maintain his temporal
power. When the millions which Spain
wrung out of Mexico and Peru within
three hundred and fifty years are con-
sidered, her present poverty and lack OF
power seems almost incredible. Strong,
brave, wealthy, and with honorable
traditions, the causes which have un-
dermined her power and reduced her so
low in scale Of national respect and in
f~iuence, are worth consideration.
The habits Of the obscure individuals
who form the millions of each nation,
generation after generation, determine
its eventual power and rank in the scale
of IL civilized nation. Spain has educa
ted her masses with little regard for
honor, and less for life, provided they
are successful. Brave often 10 a fault,
wal has been a trade with them, and
even q pastime, while industry and
productive skill have been the employ
ment of the masses of the United States.
War has been only the occasional re-
sort, and one Of necessity or the defense
of cherished rights with US, while Span
iards, intoxicated with the wealth Of
their conquests, were trained to fight
for interest, md, as the easiest means
of supplying their wants or INDUCING
their ambi ious passions.
Productive industry has been des-
pissed, and human life has been held
cheap indeel by NIL classes. Quarrel
with a Spnniard md yon must beware
of his knife. The qualification of re-.
venge, even to the death of the victim,
has been carried so far, that n sort Of
high bred, but II very distant courtesy,
is the only safeguard. Industry, except
in case of war, has been despised, and
the result is a nation most sensitive and
refined, but poor, passionate, and fierce
in their passions. They do not multi
ply, because the means Of subsistence
continually diminish, gather than in
crease, and so it comes to pass, that
while IN the United States, the poor in
crease in property and numbers Mt the
same time, by producing more than they
consume, Spain increases very slowly
in population, and still less in the
amount she n raise in taxes.
Tho Island Of Cuba, on our own const,
is tho only exception, and through the
forced labor of the slaves, gives some
little appearance of life and growth to a
colony, which, Joined to the United
States, would rapidly become wealthy
and prosperous in the highest degree.
The education Of the entire population
was on iden which never entered into
the mind of any nation until, from being
acted upon in y few Of the colonies, Mt
the Declaration Of Independence, it be-
came a part Of our national policy. In
Spain it would be simply idle to talk Of
the education of the children of the
poor, and hence they grow up in the in
diligence of passion and vice, while an
American child is we'll taught to con-
slider his interests on q wider scale, and
| control himself so rs Ia become pros.
porous. And II is the difference of early
education upon points like these, that
In the course Of generations makes all
the difference between prospecting and
declining nations. Amid all the wars
and tumults, the scheming and cabals
of Courts, eventually the nations whose
industry and civil rights have been most
carefully preserved and developed, have
become prosperous, strong and numer-
Gus, while in proportion as tho standard
Of education has been low, and the
morals neglected, the national power
and greatness has declined, and finally
the strength in war itself has deterior-
ated.