The New York herald., 1869-06-25

themselves in the Spice Islands, and they held
part of Malacca. BY the conquest OF the Philip
pines they secured communication between
every part of that immense empire which
girded the globe. Meanwhile, in literature
and in war, they had given birth to great men
whose names swelled the lists of the worlds
worthless.
But what came of all this grandeur? Decay
began before the death of Philip III. 1t
went on at an increasing ratio year by year.
Let us mention a fact or two. In the course
of q single century the population of Madrid
had decreased from four hundred thousand to
two hundred thousand. Seville, which in the
sand looms, had in the reign of Philip V.
less than three hundred. This was true of all
the towns and Of every branch of industry. So
bad had matters become towards the close OF
the seventeenth century that it had become
impossible to collect the taxes without the help
In 1903 such was the poverty of the
government that payment OF life pensions was
suspended, and all officers and ministers Of
the Crown were mulcted of one-third of their
salaries. In 1899 Stanhope, the British Min
lister in Madrid, writes that, mot day passed
but people were killed in the streets, scuflng
for bread; that his secretary had seen five
women stihed to death before bakehouse,
and that, to swell the catalogue of misery,
twenty thousand additional beggars had just
arrived in the capital from the surrounding
districts" Add to all this that Spain, recently
so proud and so mighty, had neither troops
nor ships nor fortresses, nor money with which
to obtain them. Since then Spain has passed
through the agony which succeeded the
French revolution. Later she has lost almost
all that once constituted the magnificent en-
pire of the Indies. Again, and again, and
again has she tried to put on her strength and
enter upon new career of vigor and pros
perty, but on every occasion she
has failed Can it be wondered,
then, that when this latest effort was
that any good could come out of Spain? Can
it be wondered at that the birds of i'll omen
and the prophets of evil tidings should have
been masters of the situation? There was
good reason to believe that the worst that
Buckle had said of Spain was true. To hope
for her seemed useless.
In spite, however, of all that was said, and
much to the astonishment of the nations, Spain
has gone through revolution bloodlessly and
with great success. In the course of this revo-
luton, which has lasted some ten months, she
has deposed and banished her Queen, torn up
the ancient dynasty by the roots, manufac
tured new constitution. calmly discussed it
and made it law, and otherwise conducted
herself in manner to command universal
surprise and astonishment. Why is all this
perhaps, so difficult to find as some imagine.
The true character of the Spanish people has
been concealed for many generations. Spain,
one of the first countries in Europe to enjoy
municipal institutions, has been without these
institutions, not because she loves them not,
but because she was denied them. The pecu-
liar character of Spanish history had devel-
oped the two principles of loyalty and
reverence among Spaniards as they had been
developed among no other people. The mon-
arch and the Church were trusted, were
obeyed without question, until the monarch
and the Church became tyrants and Spain
ceased to have will or thought of her own.
In 1872 an effort was made to throw off the
burden, but Spain was too weak to accom-
plish it. In 1920 and 1886 the effort was re-
peated, but still with comparative non-suc-
cess. The seed, however, was annually being
sown and was annually yielding larger re-
turn. The railroad, the telegraph, the print
ing press have come to the aid of the Spaniards
as they have come to the aid of all the nationali
ties of Europe. Thought has been quickened
and purpose has been strengthened. Spain
has felt the impulse of the age, and having
burst asunder the chains which loyalty and
| reverence had forged for and fastened
upon her she is giving proof to the
| world that the spirit which gave her
sons in times gone by the mastery of the
world is not wholly extinct. Breathing the air
| of liberty and exulting in newborn strength
she is behaving nobly and well. Shefs bow
ing to that spirit Of liberty which is giving life
and unity to the German people which has
| given Austria, recently so far behind, fore
most place among the nations; which is
rapidly making Great Britain a republic, and
which is compelling the French Caesar to yield
to the wishes of his people-a spirit which will
| gradually but certainly fashion all the nations
| of Europe after the model Of the Great Republic
| Of the West. So far Spain has done well. II
she will only continue to give little less 10y
atty to the Executive and little less rever-
ence to the Church ii she will yield herself
up little more to the influence Of the new re-
ligion-the printing press, steam and cleo
tricity-she will triumph in spite Of her miser-
able and discouraging past. II, however, she