The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-01-06
Webster on Spanish Power.

In his second Bunker Hill address,
nearly three-quarters of century ago,
at the time when the Spanish Amer
lean colonies had revolted and declared
their independence, and they had been
received into the republican sisterhood
by the government of the United States,
Webster drew this powerful sketch of
Spanish power:
1.-THE conquerors and the European set
tiers OF Spanish America were mainly mill
tary commanders and common soldiers.
The monarchy of Spain was not transferred
to this hemisphere; but it acted in it, as it
acted at home, through its ordinary means
and its true representative, military force.
The robbery and destruction Of the native
race was the achievement OF standing
armies, in the right Of the King and by his
authority; fighting in his name, for the ag-
grsndizement OF his power and the extern
sion Of his prerogatives, with military ideas
under arbitrary maxims,-a portion Of that
dreadful fundamentally by which perfect
despotism governs a people. AS there was
transmitted to Spanish colonies?
The colonists Of English America were of
the people, and people already free. They
were Of the middle, Industrious and already
prosperous class, the inhabitants of COM
mercial and manufacturing cities, among
whom liberty first revived and respired
after q sleep Of thousand years in the
bosom Of the Dark Ages. Spain descended
on the New World in the armed and terri
BILE image OF her monarchy and her soldiery;
England approached it in the winning and
popular garb Of personal rights, public pro-
lection and civil freedom. England trans
planted liberty to America; Spain trans
planted power. England through the
agency of private companies and the efforts
of individuals, colonized this part Of North
America by Industrious individuals, max
ing their own way in the wilderness, de-
Tending themselves against the savages, re-
cognizing their right to the soil, and with q
general honest purpose of introducing
knowledge as well as Christianity among
them. Spain stopped on South America
like vulture on Its prey. Everything was
force. Territories were acquired by fire and
sword. Cities were destroyed by fire and
sword. Hundreds OF thousands of human be.
ings fell by fire and sword Even CONVEX
sion to Christianity was attempted by fire
and sword.
Behold, then, fellow-citzens, the differ
ence resulting from the operation Of the two
principles Here. to-day, on the summit OF
Bunker Hill and at the foot Of this monu-
ment, behold the differencel would that
the fifty thousand voices present could pro-
claim it with a shout that should be heard
over the globe. Our inheritance was OF
liberty, secured and regulated by law and
enlightened by religion and knowledge
that of South America was of power
stern, unrelenting, tyrannical military
power"
Such as Spain was described in 1925,
by the most eminent OF American ora
tors and statesmen, she had been from
the times of DeSoto, Cortez and Pr
zarro, and such she has been down to
the time of Weyler, the latest repre-
sentative of the military power, "stern
unrelenting, tyranical, that has "stoop-
ed on Cuba, like vulture on it's prey"
Had this country that now constitutes
the domain of the United States Of
America remained permanently under