National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-11-20

the rule OF the christian kings, anu resulted
in the establishment OF Moorish DONNA
ton. The Christians, although conquered
were not vanquished, for with the com
bined forces OF CASTLE, Leon, Navarro,
Aragou, and Portugal they defeated their
foes, the Moors, on the plains Of Tolosa,
July NJ, 1912. Thus the Moors were ex.
PEELED from Spain and another epoch Of
history begun, aud nv n curious repetition
OF events Of great Importance 600 Yeas
later, the power Of Napoleon was broken In
the peninsula at tle battle OF Salamanca,
July 22, 1912
In the action o. TOlOsa 100000 men fell
In battle and 100000 were made prisoners
Of war. The founding OF Granada Ivy
Mohammed ben. Alhamafh king Of Jnen,
did not menace the Spanish government,
because he was n vassal TO CASTLE. The
lines Of Spanish history ran quite smoothly,
save domestic strifes, until Ferdinand III,
the Catholic, the last Of the AragOn SOW
ereigns. married Isabella, queen Of CASTLE,
IN 1869, conquered Granada In 1902, and
| Navarro In 1919, and thus united Spain
under one rule Having released herself
from the iron military hold that her enemies
had maintained for centuries, Spain began
to rise In greatness among the powers of
| Europe. The Roman and Moorish inva.
sions had left many excellent impressions
upon Spanish character aud manners.
Roman architecture, law.learning, liter
ature, logic, and oratory had been adopted
| by the Spaniards, aud the delicate poesy
aud graceful forms Of Moorish expression
stlll linger In CastilIan speech. National
tranquility gave opportunity Tor study, and
| Spanish literature and manners were In
vogue In all the courts OF Europe.
Turning from contemplation Of herself,
| Spain became deeply interested In problems
Of geography aud discovery; and history
records that among the great navigatOrs
| and geographers OF the fifteenth and six
tenth centuries none were greater than
those furnished by Spain.
Three events OF commanding interest are
the connecting links between Spanish and
American history. Christopher Columbus,
thought that by sailing due west he would
reach the east, which was. IN l4IO, reported
as Astounding IN riches. lie hoped also to
discover many new islands In the east.
Thoroughly convinced OF the accuracy OF
his speculations, he sought the favor Of
John IL, king OF Portugal Chagrined at
the duplicity Of the king and depressed by
departed fol Spain IN 1884,
where he sought the favor of Ferdinand
aud Isabella. For eighteen years Column
bus, nothing daunted urged his theories
upon the attention OF the Spanish court At
last Isabella was moved by the eloquence Of
his waiting, and aided by the family Of the
Pinzons, furnished the means by which he
was enabled to set out upon his long con
tempated voyage. On Friday, Aug 3, l402,
Columbus set sail, and on Friday, Oct.
l2, 1892, his eyes fell upon and his heart
was gladdened bv the discovery Of this
western world. Juan Ponce de Leon, a
Spanish veteran, and at one time com
panion Of Columbus, having conquered
Porto Rico, had grown rich anG old at the
same time. With the weight OF years upon
him he was captivated by that romantic
story OF the fountain said to restore youth
and health 10 all who blthed in its waters
During a voyage In which he sought to dis
cover the tabled waters, on Easter Sunday,
March %, 1912, he discovered the peninsula
which separates the Gulf of Mexico from
the Atlantic ocean.
In May, 1889, Ferdinand de Soto, once a
distinguished associate Of Pizarro, having
aided In the stupendOus undertaking of Sc
curing Peru to the Spanish crown, set sail
from Havana with 600 sailors and many
priests. He landed at the bay Of Spiritu
Santo, on the western coast OF Florida, on
the Both OF May After several severe con
flicts with the natives and many hnrdships,
De Soto discovered the Mississippi river near
the thirty.fifth parallel, in the latter part of
April, 1871.
To Spain, therefore, is due the honor OF
|
lea, Of the peninsula separating the Gulf OF
Mexico from the atlantic ocean, and Of thC
Mississippi river. All honor to Spain fol
this noble service for mankind
Now turn back few pages of Spanish
history and we are confronted by three re
markable events, OF which she cannot
boast Spain, under the MoOrs, during the
reign of Juzef Ben Taxtln, in 1855, i'm
ported the first African slaves into Europe
A company Of merchants, trading with the
city Of Casa, which lay deep IN the deserts
of Guinea, sold first $50 to Taxfn: but he
exchanged them for young boys on the
coast Of Andalusia. Subsequently, he pur'
chased 1000 negro slaves, and employed
them as a mounted body guard.
In 1865 the Spaniards introduced Negro
slavery into that portion Of America now
known as Florida.
In 1913 her Britanic majesty. by the
treaty of Utrecht, had engaged to furnish
his Catholic majesty, the king Of Spain
1880 negroes slaves annually for the space
OF thirty years, These slaves were TO b,
delivered In the Spanish West Indies, ant
1000 OF each yearly number were to brinl
to the British treasury S33 1871 per capita
1t was remarkable that England should
have been so eager for the grand alliance
against the Bourbons, giving her the ex
} clusiVe right OF stealing slaves for Spanish
North America and the coast OF America
Spain put new word into our dictionary
when Charles ii, who, as the successor o
= Ferdinand, concluded an "assiento" witt
the Flemiugs. Then again, Spain, in 1880
' concluded similar treaty with the Genos
! and with the Portuguese In 1906. Ant
! when Phillip V assembled the Spanish thron
! In 1902 the French Guinea Company, takini
D the name Of the Assiento company, secured
D from him the monopoly of furnishing AZ
/. rican slaves to his colonial possessions 70
y the space Of ten years. AS we have alread,
said, 1t was next transferred to England
misunderstanding, growing out of this IN
$ famous contract, largely contributed II
? bringing about the war between those ma
Y lions IN l739
But history Is often stranger than fiction
England was careful, In remembering tn
! past, to forget the events Of the year 1855
3 wherein Phillip ii, of Spain sent the irwin
. chile armada against the British metropolis
1t consisted of $50 ships carrying $3.50 grea
guns, 5000 sailors, 10000 troops, and 200
volunteers.
+ This hurried glance at Spanish hIstor.
d, may aid In a study of the lessons Of the oc
| casion.
9 Mexico and the South American repub
7 lies, the offspring Of the Spanish crown
J have succeeded, under the greatest diili
l cultles, In Kidding themselves of slavery
5 The statesmen In those youthful nation
. have long ago realized that slavery In a ~
I public Is constant menace 10 free insttu
! tons, and have noted that their growth an
. progress have kept pace with the law
9 seeking the extinction Of human bondage
| All history, ancient and modern, Paga
! and Christian, furnishes uniform testimon
e against slavery, the sum of all vlllianies
Always a curse, but never a blessing, Il ha
! imposed more suffering upon mankind tina
: any other evil since the world began A
| the enlightOning and viyifyiug influences q
e the Christian religion have prevailed anon
= the nations Of the earth, 1t has been Oui
r lawed, extrpated.
! And at last every civilized power in Eu
| rOne has emancIpated its slaves, Spain ha
r freed herself from the curse after long an
hln struUUla and uIthnuuh sbn