Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-10-27
tails and the mind gladly turns to 9TH

tails and the mind gladly turns to 9th |
er themes for relief.
At one period Spain was the first
nation in Europe. The sails of her
commerce hoated in every sea. Her
army was invincible upon the land
She had an honorable position in lit
erature and, thanks to the Moors she
had expelled, was not excelled in arch
itecture and mechanics. Without the
patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella
names that should be held forever
dear in the memory of every Spani-
ard-the daring Genoese could never
have turned the prows of his vessels
towards new continent which he was
well assured had an existence but
for their timely aid the rich treasures
of the new world might for ages have
remained the sole heritage of its dus-
ky sons. Spain first unlocked this fab
ulous wealth, opened this continent
and adjacent islands to higher grade
of civilization by the introduction of
the gospel and the precepts that make
to higher life. While Spain was the
mother, the nurse and the patron OF
this moral and intellectual progress,
while she started the tide of emigra-
ton towards these new fields, while
she planted the germ and infused a
new life into other nations, she her
self soon began to recede from her
own high attainments, to sink lower
and lower in the esteem of the world,
till today, if we except Portugal, no
country in Europe is less regarded
than she. She has lost her power on
land and sea; her schools are closed
to the masses; learning is PROSTATE ;
her peasantry must not meet in pub
lie assembly; in short her government
is centralized despotism in its worst
and most repulsive form. Her expul-
sion of the Moors which occurred in
the thirteenth century, proved the ex.
pulsion of industry and art. which LETT
its ugly mark apon her future growth
Though she shone with much lustre a
couple of centuries later, when Philip
was on the throne, and when Charles
the Fifth held as vassals the best part
of Europe, we yet assert that mon
strous injustice was blow that, com
bined with the discovery of America
was the cause of her miserable de
cline.
The thirs t for conquest and the
greed for gold that came with the lat
ter event proved too great for the
naughty DOns of that imperious age
They forgot everything that ennoble:
man, sunk the ii liner feelings of the
heart in that one idea Of power anC
gold. For this she destroyed the cf
Terminate tribes that peopled the new
discoveries, ill the recOil came and il
the end stamped out the liberties of
her own people, when she bent under
the weight OF her cOrruptions.
The revolution of 1868, however
appears to be an accomplished fact
1t is radical and complete. There i
not room to doubt it, should we wis
to. We glory in the expulsion OF
queen Isabella-her name foul libe
upon the illustrious consort of Feru
nand. May she never return to tran
pie upon her people, and may her lat
subjects never have occasion to regrt
b their action, but remembering t h a
o righteousness exalteth a nation
Y march forward with proud and stat,
o ly tread to the full fruition of the
e desires. We see the finger of God
!. this great and grand upheaval.