New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-23
TEE DUKE OF ALFA.


| or ends lii flame, the name OK the iron
| hearted soldier, who is inseparablv assoc
| ated with the terrible ordeal through whicl
| the Netherlands passed from Spanish SLAYER,
| to Dutch independence, will drop from in
Vulnerable lips and innumerable pens, ant
| serve rs rally;ng cry for those who hop
the massacre of American citizens on boart
the Nirginius may transform the Queen o
the Antilles into an American island. Nearl,
300 years have elapsed since Aiva went t
his grave; but in every struggle between
liberty and oppression his uneasy ghost ha
seemed to burst the portals of the tomb an(
stalk abroad as a reminder of that dark ant
dismal era when a long-suffering people
gOaded into madness by more than devilisf
tyranny, rose against an empire which the1
overshadOwed the world and struck the
blow which made republican governments
possible
How strange il is that to-day the memory
of this man, who 80 long ago turned to q
little heap of coffin dust, should assist il
arousing the wrath of great nation which
had no existence when he lived, and set in
motion influences which may sooner or later
snatch from Spain the last of her once mag
niiicent colonial possessions. Neither Alva
nor his master dreamed that the horrible
work which the one did at the bidding OF
the other would be handed down as an aw-
full legacy to generation after generation,
and envelop both in halo of imperishabIe
infamy. Dead they are, but their deeds
live after them-burned, as it were. with a
hot iron into the worlds heart, there to re-
main until 1.-The last syllable of recorded
time.
Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, duke of
Alva, was born in Spain IN 1903. He sprang
from race OF soldiers-himself destined to
be the greatest soldier of them all. His
family claimed descent from the old Byzan-
tine emperors, and one of his ancestOrs-a
PalHlogus-conquered Toledo and added
the name Of that city to his own and his
descendants title. The father of the sub.
.ject of our sketch was killed in an encounter
with the Turks, and the son grew up with
the deter mination to aveDge his death and
carve out fame and fortune with his sword
He my almost be said to have ieaped from
the cradle into the saddle. for at an age
when other boys are amusing themselves
with toys and trities he was studying the
art OF war, and was already an adept in
every manly and military exercise
When he entered the army Is not known,
but it is certain that al sixteen lie fought at
the battle of Fontarabia, and at twenty-five
accompanied Charles " in his campaign
against the Turks. 1t was in this campaign
that his cool courage, precoclous wisdom
and remarkable genius attracted the atten-
ton of monarch who had a rare faculty
for discovering what was in a man, and
hencetorward Charles and the voung Fer
nando were inseparable. 1t il told Of him
At this pericd-and it is about the only
sym ptOm of the gentler passion he has ever
lanlfested-that he rode from Hun gary to
Spain on horseback for no other purpose
tlau to enjoy a brie. interview with the |
bride he had left behind.
In 1875 he was with Charles in the expe- |
lition to Tunis; il l5i6-F he commanded |
he forces arrayed against the Smalcaidian |
eague, and achieved great distinction at |
he siege of Muhberg. where he won |
plendid victory over his antagonists. In |
:5i he was attached to the suite Of Philip
hen crown prince-and joined him on the
'isit to England which resulted in his mar
iage to Queen Mary. When Philip by the
bdiCatIon of his father became king Alva
Tas appointed generaiissimo of the army in
taiy, aud waged that famous war against
ope Paul ". which created such vast
eandal among the faithful. At the conclu-
on of hostilities-w hich had all gone in
lvor of the Spaniards-Alva proceeded to
ONE, kissed the feet OF the pontitt whose
.rritories he had Overrun and whose troops
3 had van4uished and obtained an abso.
tion which must have stuck somewhat in
le throat Of the holy parsonage who gave it,
When Charles abandoned the cares of
tate for the sacred calm OF the secluded
onasfery of Iuste, he recommended Alva
Philip III the strongest possible terms,
Id urged his employment wherever and |
hoIever . steady brain and a relentless
N were needed. We have seen that
lilip followed this advice in the Italian
tiiculty; he was now to follow it IN a ,
uch more important matter. and on a
-l,r 10
ure for neaIiy eighty years, and where
ain was TO receive those wounds which
We reduced her once imperial sway to
fh lnsI Inlhcant dimensions that she is
rdly able to maintain her own national
:. Spanish decaCenCe began with the re- =
Hon III the Netherlands. That rebellion ,
ts the cancer which slowly but surely !
: eaten the LIE out OF the dominion
lich once EN- hraCed the choicest portions
the Old World and the New-a dominion
lich has he'd no equal since Rome lost
sceptre Of the earth. \
Il is impossible, OF course, in the columns
ii newspaper to give even the briefest .
mmary Of those events which produced a
Tolt in provinces hitherto enthusiastically
al to Spain. Enough for our present
rpOse to say that This revolt was not so
.ch against Spanish authority as against
. Spanish iuqusitioD, and that the Meth \
ands threw Oft the yoke because Philip
steadily adhered to his tavorite motto:
etter not 70 reign at all than to reign
ar herttlcs.' Up to the moment when
people OF the seven provinces finally
l forever repudiated their allegiance to q
ain, they could have been recOncied to
.ir sovereign by simple proclamation A
his part of liberty to worship God accord j,
to the dictates OF their own ConscieDces.
Is was the ultinatum which William
Orange announced. and which Philip re-
ed; and this was the pivot upon which
ned those events that, long after Will
N and Philip had gone. ushered in and R
affirmed the Dutch republic.
Margaret OF Parma, as regent of the
therlauds, had Jailed to crush the bud
e in-urtection, and being a woman {
ugh one Of the most MASCULINE of her =,
was too merciiui to inaugurate the :.
ley which Philip had resolved to put in A
&c. lie Did not Lave far to look for a NJ
II VIII" could enforce that policy without
I auG without remOrse. Alva was | T
dy and willing tool and il the planet
been searched tor person to do Satan's A.
ding in Satanic style. Fernando Alvarez NJ
Toledo would have distauceA all com. p,
tiers. He was then ftty-nne years old,
, straight, with small, round head, keen "
tering eyes. heavy nose. thin lips. and Al
iron gay beard, which, divided into two 2,
= TUFTS, fell upon his breast.
lis nerves were ste.l: he was as incaDa. "
OF fatigue as of forgiveness: he had no a. a.
eti'e except for blood. and went about Do
bloody business as quietly and dispas-
lately as the professional butcher who ga
s his knife to the throats of dumb brute-. s.
'ugh the very Incarnation of cruelty he No
seldom angry, and certainly never al d
eI his anger to disturb his judgment or AL A:
,rfere with his appointed task. As "a I
'hine Tor systematic murder, the annals OF