The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27


such manifest progress every day. When the Bastile
fell old Seville fell with it, like other ancient
forms. and since Frenchmen came and broke down
the nquision and robbed the churches and put their
bayonets through the roots of so many august
growths il has only been question OF time, this
coming of and electricity and newspapers and
the other attributes of cold exacting debt pay
ing generation. Over Seville how many waves OF
civilization have rolied--rollcd and washed and
swept and tossed and left little behnd That is the
puzzle in those beautiful Spanish lands. What has be-
come of it all? The gold of the Americas. for in
stance. that drenched this land that comes in
even in feebler stream from poor buried
Cuba-what has become of 1t all? Has it vanished
like the water which washes over the sand and
sraghtway leaves the beach hard and dry before
For ages these tides have swept Seville. over all
of Andalusa. laden with the prizes of prolific civ
cation. First came the Phenician, and no shadow Of
Phunicia remains. Then the Romans were here.
Julias Caesar, who took pride in Seville and pro-
posed making it Rome. But. beyond some
coins ana masonry. what trace of Rome remains
| The Cloths came and vanished, and were succeeded
by the Moors. These two civilizations blend in Sc
vile, and the interest of the town dates from their
| dominion. For five centuries the Moors were mas
tiers. and nothing is attractive to the traveller as
the remains of their art and industry. Then came
the Austrian Charles with his faculty of spelling and
patching of trying to engraft his fierce, stern forms
upon the gentle. winning civilization of the Moor.
A MEMORY OF GOLDEN DAYS.
While the waves have washed and flowed leaving
no result mean accumulated result
would expect from much wealth. while Seville
has been steadily falling from population
that in the eleventh century 100000 in the six
tenth Sc OOO and now with brighter times. is
only 100000 her beauty remains. That Time has not
destroyed. 1t is blended beauty. Roman. Gothic.
Moorish, Christian, You will find them all here, in
faded fashion, without the ancient splendor, but
blended interviewer. What must it have been in the
days of commercial prosperity, when the enterprise
and arms of Spain encrcling the world One
fancy these streets thrilling with the last
news from Peru, wondering what untoward
storm detans the mail from Mexico. Dolores
| looks in tears from her lattice window or
is PROSTATE before the Virgin. thinking Of
Fernando. who is under Cortes, Luis. who found
his fate under Pizarro. Or go back another age and
fancy all Seville futtering with this strange news
| from over the seas-that even the dark ocean has
been forced, that the cross has been planted
| continent And this grave seafaring Italian, who
passes in modest state to the palace to his King
| and Queen-this man has done the marvel. and the
cost of it to the treasury not than the decora-
tions of the palace audience chamber. Behold all
Seville is out to the strange procession-god and
|
! and spices-such wonderful things as were
| never known in this land, where the
ancients placed the Elysian fields. It is the
last arrival from the Indies. the Indies Of Amer
ica where God and the Virgin have planted the cross.
| Those were the glorious, golden days, and can
| well imagine with so much wealth pouring into
Seville. and much enterprise for her sons. fame
| and fortune for whoever carried sword-even for
| swineherds from Estramadura, like Pizarro and
Cortes-that it must have been the Of luxury and
| power.
THE GAMBLING SPIRIT.
One wonders. however. it true wealth comes in
| this fashion What the sea washes toward us it
| washes from us-the sand, perhaps, excepted. How
much better for Seville il she had found wealth
her own soil. in the industry of her people-gold
in her cornfelds and silver in her vineyards What
| came from America did no good to any one
but the Church. and. result even the
| Church robbed it has been by Frenchmen and
revolutonists. is the richest in Europe The money
| that came from America is not in monuments or
| in works of utility. The Escurai TO be the
| only exception, and illustration of how money
can be wasted suppose there is striking
| monument in the world. America did Spain more
| harm than good so long AZ these mines the
| sea only trouble the mines at home. Long enjoy-
ment of money never earned and luxuries that come
without the seeking enervated the people, Then
| there the gambling sentiment which pervades
| Spain. There the delicious uncertainty of what
| could be found in America mine a morass
| generals sword q grave in the swamps. It was
| chance always chance and every galoon came
| with cargoes and new achevements--Per Cuba
| Mexico, St. Domingo. Florida, Louisiana-drcam
| succeeding dream. more and moro ravshing-
| you can well how the world whirled
about them. corruscating. flashing. deceptive;
| how the mind abandoned humble home
| duties to look out the seas; how the modest
| sure ways of life-a penny earned and q penny
saved--lost their hold; how character unstrung
undsciplined. The gambling spirit fourshed. 1t
| reigns still in powerful, but, hope, diminishing
influence. II even affects religion The worship of
| the Virgin you it in Spain, is only the gam
bling spirit in religion. II is not the devotion which
takes the penent to pray pardon for sin and strength
to do right but all hopes. all Wishes all fears
thrown at her altar. aud prayer becomes invoca-
ton Of chance. Instead of doing the spaniard waits
| in the sun to what the Virgin will do for him. To
the general Spanish mind the Virgin is not the type
of chastity the fountain OF virtue. the immaculate
conception the Mother Of God, beautiful. comfort.
ing, pattern tn the good consolation to those in
radiant example of all that is highest and
| noblest in womanhood. She has IL in her power to
| give something's husband. child harvest RAIN
donkey prize in the lottery She is the Divinity
| of Chance, and as such is worshipped.
| GAMBLING SPIRIT RELIGION.
| oh Virgin. we'll beloved. with those rapt seraphic
| eyes, ever lowering us: coming 30 close 10
ones life. to the maiden in her dreams, the warrior
| in HIS bivouac. the husbandman over his vines
| lady OF consolation aud of hope, who has been so
| much in all those ages to millions who have suf-
fered and believed. is it not degradation to md you
here. even in Catholic Spain. the land Of saints. of
Laurence and Theresa. merely goddess of chance
patron Of the spirit Of gambling And this is to
what the faith of Spain il rapidly falling What 10
me IL most striking Is the naturalization that
seems to have fallen on religion in Spain
| Its spiritual side is deadenod The Church
| il not monitor pattern, as at
| home. but influence tn be proptatcd
political influence, source of money and
| power. The priest IL not what he IL mt home--a
teacher and father to his flock. He Is simply lead
ing influential citizen. educated and with about the
same position in Spanish society rs leader in New
| York politics would have in New York society. lie
| is respected or dcrided according he has merit
You meet him in all the walks of life. You sit next
to him In the bull fight jostle him in theatre. hear