The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-13

under much more effective laws. The High
lander of Great Britain is to-day hard
ly ever an assassin but he used 10 stick
his foe with a knife which he called
dirk, very readily indeed. fThe Spaniard,
again, is supposed to be specially superstI
tious; but we fancy some at least of that
, idea concerning him arises from the fact
that his superstition takes the direction
usually of strong Catholicism. Those who
really understand either Frenchmen or
Italians do not think them free from SUI
perstition, though in both instances the
quality is found combined with a great
disposition TO irreligion, sceptical irreli-
gion among Frenchmen secularists or pa
gan irreligion among Italians
As to truthfulness, there is not much TO
choose between the races, though they
speak truth, or neglect truth, upon some
what different impulses. The Frenchman
has mathematical side to his head rare
ly lies to himself and tells the truth when
ever it is obviously inexpedient in the
sense of being contrary to utility to tell
lies. The Spaniard tells the truth when
ever the contrary would seem to himself
to be discreditable, and therefore tells it
or declines to tell it at unexpected mo-
ments and in ways that surprised the
Northerner; while the Italian tells If
whenever it will not roughen path which
he thinks 1t his clear business to make
smooth. He will utter a falsehood for
your comfort as readily as for his own
thing which the Frenchman never does
unless he has an epigram to be delivered
Of and the spaniard very seldom.
The Spaniard. too. must have some
where in him a keen artistic sense. His
language and the way he uses il show
that as well as the things he has built
and the pictures he has painted His is
perhaps the most beautiful architecture IN
Europe, and even in the New World
where he was in a hurry nothing that he
built has the want of charm and pic
turesqueness which distinguishes every-
thing built on that continent by the Anglo
Saxon. In literature he Is as great hu-
morist as the Frenchman. though his HUI
NOR is more sardonic He has the canac-.
ity of being a great dramatist; and In all
graver productions, as in all public utter
ances, he has a special gift for a rather
full-mouthed eloquence. The Ignorance of
the three peoples in about equal. though
the Frenchman's seems the less because
he wants to know whatever he thinks
pays him in any way; and there is no
great difference In their habit of economy.
Perhaps the Spaniard carries 1t furthest
because he Is so Indifferent to the quality
of his food; but capacity for continuous
self-denial distinguishes all three. though
as they are not equally industrious the "a
pacity enrlches the Frenchman, while II
leaves the Italian poor and the spaniard
almost a beggar.
It Is his quality of pride which distin-
guishes the Spaniard alike from the Ital
ian and the Frenchman. A personal dig
nifty quite apart from mere vanity. an
pears TO be as essential TO him as freedom
to the Anglo-Saxon or order to the Ger
man. This feeling shows itself in his
dress in his bearing, in his language. in
all his acts, public and private. He can
not cringe, he cannot brook a slight. he
cannot suppress himself when self-eTace-
ment would be convenient. He must be
acknowledged as gentleman on all occa-
sions as the condition without which bus
mess cannot be done. and he usually adds
70 the word gentleman the word Spaniard
He is gentleman Of Spain, or In his own.
eyes ne ceases to be any