The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-01-31
MISCELLANY.
The Spanish Character.

In seeking to present a general and inn
partial outline of Spanish life in the lnfe-
rior. promised to give some estimate of
the Spanish character. The first thing you
will notice as leading characteristic Is its
exceeding passionateness. Whether tins
may be due in any measure to the hely
sun of their climate or no, cannot say.
Many thoughtful men with whom | have
conversed upon this subject believe that
such Isl the case. But the fact remains.
No race is so fiery as this. The rule with
the Spaniards of the lower order is word
and a blow. 1t is, however, quite a mis-
take to suppose that the uneducated Span
lard is vindictiye in nature-qulte the re-
verse. His anger. soon up, is soon down
again. and the insult under which he
smarted forgotten, whether it has been
ayengedsor no. The only safe way TO deai
with these men, when angry, is never to
thwart, answer, argue with, or lrrltate
them at the moment when their passion IS
boiling over. .sSpeak an angry Spailiaret
fair" and very soon his anger will calm
down, fld he will become a rational being
again. More than this-he will be willing
and glad to acknowledge his fault. and
shake hands and be on friendly terms
again. -
A case in point here occurs to my mind.
A friend of mine, while out riding, came
suddenly. at bend in the road, on two
angry men. who were just in the act OF
z drawing the knife upon one another. Con-
, trary TO the advice and entreaty OF his
companions, he sprang instantly from his
horse. rushed in between them, separated,
and expostulated with the combatants.
The men, maddened with passion, deemed
worthless and an interference his argu-
ments and entreaties. AT last one OF them
let fallthe fact that they (the duelists) were
brothers. Instantly my friend made use.
and rood use of this point. s'Sirs,a said
@ he, 'sWould you, who sucked the SAME
mothers breast. go down to the grave. ore
of yon with brothers blood on your
: souip{ For a moment the mems better
feelings were aroused; the younger broth
er drew back, and sheathed his knife
fright you are, Senor." he said, badly.
shaneEully, as my elder brother has treated
me, have no right to draw upon him; be
is my brother. after all-my elder brother. .
NV friend took the young fellows arm
and walking beside his horse led him
slowly away from the scene of temp
tation4 Homeward they went, talk
ing about Indifferent matters, until at last
they reached the ''casa" of my friend. On
entering it, this man 1.-THE younger conf
batant1 said while the tears streamed
= down his brown wooden face, ''Y on are
my friend Thanks to God lie down to-
night withsmy hands not wet with my
brothers blood.n The men were miners,
and of the lowest class of itinerant Span
iards.; Again-and possibly as natura
CONSEQUENCE of those frequent and deadly
i crimes committed with the ever-ready
knife-the Spaniard's utter disregard, at
ter racklessness about shedding mans
blood. comes in here as another marked
feature of Spanish character. The Span
lard thinks nothing at all of the higher allt
deeper aspect of his crime; he thinks
nothing pephaps CT fear in too many case
iti sol because he has been taught nothing
of the responsibility of sending his OWL
soul Or his neighbours without one mo
mentfs warning, to its last account. True
he feels certain remorse, and eert;3li
terror of the law may cause him to nem
ble But if his crime be not found out
with the morning sun his remorse ma
passed away. The brothers blood ha
criedupon the knife, and he can cut ant
eat bis melon with the self-same blad
without pang, perhaps without thought
And this disregard of human Life does no
entirely confine itself to the utterly igno
? rant class. Iikea vile Infection, it spread
to those around. Two men, lighting Il
our streets, with revolver and knife, fey
weeks since, both fell mortally wounded
0fcourse not one of the ring OF bystander
had lifted hand to prevent SO ghasdy
termination of what, its commencement
had been but a trivial quarrel. The by
standers, grieye to say, never do interfere
The two men were carried to the hospital
and on speaking to one of the chief officer
of justice about the affair, '' es," !" said ht
lighting his eigarille, one is dead, and th
other, fancy,is just walking on the boz
derland.' With these words he quietl
dismissed the subject. Another case, illul
tratihg what have said, here occurs to m,
Went into wayside Yenta with a frient
aSpanish gentleman. fora glass of commo
= rough red wine of the country. the Val &
PenaS. Two men, words running hig
between them, entered soon afterward; on
drew knife, with AN oath The hoste:
did not cease filing the copas of her Gu
TONERS. My friend. really human
and good man, merely uttered IL
single word $ Knife! and, drawing N
arm through his own, dragged me ou
NntiaeahlY in Marfare lnnu-cnntinued-