New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-02
SPANISH VICTORIES"

The Spanish capacity for winning victories
nke that Of Manila and ''rcpulsng" enemies as
they have before Santiago Is one OF the most re-
markable things in history. No other nation
could 20 on for three hundred years winning
victories and nhctng defeats without growing
great and powerful Rut Spain. from its PIN
nace Of glory has pursued steadily triumph
ant career toward impotence yet every step in
that progress has been one of wonderful
achievement and renowned conquest and to-day
Spain is gaining battles one after another ana
rejoicing over them and singing re Deums just
as If each victory did not leave her worse OF
than If she had suffered n defeat. Some ma
tons prosper through adversely. but the span
iard's condition becomes more misernDle accoru-
ing to the measure of his success.
II may sometimes seem as If the remarkable
bulletins which come from Spanish commanders
and Ministers announcing that they cannot con
tain themselves for Joy over glorious achieVe-
ments which achievements turn ont to he the
sinking Of one Of their fleets or the destruction
Of one CT their batteries must be a piece of
superb buncolng of the Spanish people by m
unscrupulously clever If chdshly silly. GOV
eminent. II is looked upon ms a part OF polcy
foolishly and shortsightedly conceived. bur
nevertheless founded on notions of political eX-
pedency. But those who give the Spaniards
credit for so much Of political tactics evidently
do not know them so well rs did DIR English
ancestors Of Queen Elzabeth's time. these
strange boastlngs which seem TO us so funny
are instructive. Don Quxotc was no creature
Of Imagination. He was Spain. The Spaniard
without the capacity for sclf-dcusion would Do
no Spaniard He could no more face facts IN
the time of Philip III than he can face them
now and the Minister'S who could not read We
tory In the blackest disaster and he perfectly
convinced that they were right. and that an
enemy who would not conccde the point was
not only liar. hut n scoundrcl, unworthy OF
being beaten again. would not be knsmen 10
the knight Of La Mancha. There is nothing
new under the sun. and nothing new in Span
ish character. Manila and Santiago had their
exact counterparts In the sixteenth century.
case In point Is called up Ivy the preface TO n
book by Sir Walter Raleigh: "A Report or the
"Trvth of fhc light about the Hes of Azores.
this last Sommcr Rctwixt the Rencnge. one of
"her Mniestlcs Shippcs. and an Armada of the
king OF SpnIne,' printed in London in 1871.
Sir Richard Grenvllc with the Revenge. in
that year met n Spanish feet Of ffty-hrcc ships
of the Azores. and fought for day and a
night before he was conquered. Inc spanish
were reinforced soon after by merchantmen
until their feet numbered one hundred and
forty vessels. and then n great storm came up.
and only thirty-two Spanish ships escaped de
s,ruction Nevertheless il was Spanish "vic-
tory" and was herallcd abroad that Raleigh
wrote:
Because the rumours diuersly spred
OF this late encounter between her maiestes
ships and the Armada - Spain; and the Span
iardcs according to their VsUall manner. I'll IN"
world with their Vaine- glorious vaunfs. making
great appearance" 81 victories when on the
contrary themselves are most commonly
beaten and dishonourcd: II IA agreeable with
Al good reason that the beginning. con
tinuanco. and successe ~ this late honorable
encounter ~ Syr Richard Grinuilc and other
her maiesties captains with the Armada or
Spaine. should he truly set down and pub
lished
The SpanIaris according to their usual man
ncr stIll Ill the world with valnglorious
vaunts Translate Ralcch's old English into
modern dcion md Y might be thought to come
from Dewey or from Sampson. The leopard
cannot change his spots nor the Spanlard
change his hrag He will continue to win "vlc-
tories" 10 the last. and doubtless when he has
lost all his colonies and made peace he win
continue 10 fcciiate himself on the splendid
way In which ne licked the Yankees.
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