The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-01-14

nOU unsafe TO predict CnaG the Deglu-
ming of the twentieth century will see
it return once more to the actual linn
its of its possessions in the fifteenth.
Now, then, what causes have been
operated to bring on such decay OF
prestige, while other European ma
ton, like Germany and England,
Russia and Italy, France and Austria,
have developed and in some inca
sure kept close together in their de-
velopments, mental and moral?Briefiy
put, | should sum the causes up
as o. Irreligious solicitude for God;
(2)Greed for gold; 81 The Grandee
spirit; az A wrong colonial policy; (5)
Unprogressiveness. On only two OF
these features shall l have space to
dwell this week The balance will be
referred to in my next.
Altogether Spain seems to have
been possessed of a demon of self dis
| truction, a demon that has taken
varied forms in four centuries, but
which, through them all, has been
| forcing Spain steadily onward toward
humiliation. Its wars with the
Moors fostered strong national
spirit and beause the wars were relig-
ious in character, they tended also
to make Spain the stronghold of Ca
thOlicism. SO long as there was fair
fighting Spain was strengthened by
the conflict; for in certain stages of
human progress war, with its inten-
dant horrors, seem to have been, if
not a necessary feature, at any rate
an aid to civilization. But Spain,
when the conquest was practically
complete, and the remaining MoOrs
had settled down to agriculture and
to trade, burning with zeal for the
God of their bloody imaginings called
in to aid in the complete eXtermin-
alton of every heresy, that tiendish
device for pOpulating Heaven and
saving souls, THE lnqusitiOn."
Their conquests in the New World
} also were in the beginning religious
, conquests. Their adventures were
/ to win vast glory for the Church,
and so in the name of almighty God
, most joyously did they Stay without
! conjunction.
: The demon of Spain, burning with
5 the lust of conquest, drunk with the
blood of it's best children, personitied
by Pizarro in Peru, and Cortez in
= Mexico, by treachery and by super
iority of arms, by ambush and by
outrage, destroyed the civilization of
e the Incas and ravished the possessions
| of Montezuma. Everywhere the
2 thought was supreme to win a greater
2 realm for the Catholic faith. But, as
} always with religion lacking the true
g religious elements of unselfishness and
l mercy, it became mere cloak for
} greed and wickedness indescribable.
ton that places its hopes for pernan-
: ency upon misconceptiOn of Gods
' character, is building its structure
upon the sands.
That strange royal pair Ferdinand
' and Isabella, combined in themselves
an intense greed for gold and fierce
| religious intolerance. When their
2 country could produce such devoted
servants of God as Loyola and Saint
Theresa, we must indeed believe there
was depth to the religious feeling.
But also when we consider the ser
want of Ferdinand and Isabella, the
fierce Torquemada, we are compelled
: to realize that with religion was a ire
mendous admiXture of greed. After
the Inquisilion became thoroughly es-
tablished, it was found so easy to Sc
secretly dispose of men and women of
wealth that to Ferdinand, eager for
money, the temptation was too over
powering. So, while Isabella fanati-
cal soul was satisfied with the works
of the Holy office, Ferdinand found
solace to himself in reprenishing his
iiC WIN vi lIAt ulSJ-
ton became, in short, little else but
robbery and murder in the name of
God. If the walls of the Escurial could
speak, a cry for vengeance, long inau-
dible to human ears, would stir the
human heart. With the same spirit
of lust for wealth, the colonies were
always regarded as fair prey to be
mercilessly stripped of everything
valuable that was compact and trans
portable. Precious metals became
common in Spain, wealth was on every
side, luxury was all pervading. Yet
in the midst of its greatest material
prosperity, the demon of self-destruc-
ton was unobtrusiyely vt work for
any nation that puts It's trust in ma
terial wealth for pemnanency also
builds its structure upon the sands.
Notice to Teachers.
An annual local institute will be
held at Accident on Friday and Sat
urday, Jan. % and %, 1881
The public especially invited to at