The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-25
The Revolution in Spain-The Position 4
tho Church.

The Revolution in spain-The Position Of
tho Church.
Our latest news from Europe is in the high
est degree encouraging as to the prospects Of
the revolutionary movement In Spain. Up to
the present moment matters have progressed
in manner which almost makes US doubt
whether the popular estimate of the Spanish
character which has long been entertained is
not altogether wrong. We have for some
generations been taught to believe that the
main cause Of the backwardness of that
really fine country was the result Of
the gross ignorance and mental i'm
becility of the people Of all ranks and
classes. The wise and statesmanlike course
which has been pursued by the Provisional
Junta, and the unanimity of sentiment which
has since the commencement Of the revolution
pervaded the entire nation, force the question
whether we have not been unduly depreciating
Spanish intellect. We cannot get over the
testimony which has been given by every in
telligent traveller in that country since the
times of the Great Charles and his successor,
Philip. The testimony has been uniform and
unvarying that an opportunity enjoyed during
the days Of Spanish splendor and conquest
was recklessly flung away, and that the power
and the riches Of that magnificent empire,
on which the sun never set, should have
served no higher or better purpose than that
of building up the power Of the Church and,
through the Church, OF enslaving and en-
feebling Spanish intellect No one can deny
that darkness has long brooded over Spain, and
that OF all the European nations she has been
the most hopclessly backward. 1t Is at the
same time possible that we have not paid sufd-
cient attention to the fact that agencies are at
work which have In remarkable manner
changed the conditions under which knowledge
is disseminated. The last ten years in Europe
have been years Of wondrous activity and
change. Steam, the printing press, the cleo
trio telegraph have given to hours the power
and importance once possessed only by years.
Many of the changes which are now taking
place every day would, fifty years ago, have
been regarded as simply miraculous. The old
prophetic language Of Scripture, "Many shall
run to and fro and knowledge shall be in
creased" has but to change its tense to b.
truthfully descriptive Of the facts Of the day
From the influence Of these new agencies
Spain has not been wholly exempt, and If she
succeed in carrying this revolution to a salts
factory conclusion she will have given the bes
answer possible to those who despise the brain'
and culture OF her children.
After all, however, IL is not to be denied that
as compared with the other nations Of
Europe, or, indeed with any nation
anywhere at all representative of Western
civilization, Spain has Jagged far behind. In
tellectnally she is certainly the most backward
Of all the Western nations Nor Ia 1t difficult
to understand why 1t should be So In no ma
ton of modern times has The Church welded
so tremendous power AS she has welded in
Spain. In no nation has that power been SO
misused. II would not be difficult to show
did space permit, why Ia that country such
power was acquired. Suffice IL to say that
when Spain. after long years Of effort. came