The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-18

spared.
In yenezuela, which was the hrxt co1s 4
ony 10 revolt. jn 1919 orders were ISSUED y
from Madrid 20 block all the leading
roads in the province. hem in the peot
pie. their cities and towns, and preve>>k N
any travel OF the insurgents from town
to town. Had this harbarous policy BEEN
successfully executed. as II has been d
Cuba lately. Venezuela o have beon Y
house. But there was a Bolivar. who.
in m OF the Insurgents. after y
wonderful military feats. won his coun~
try's independence. There were. how
ever, wholesale massacres before b
end, as at the terrible siege or Quito.
when n out OF every five or the gar
rison was cut down in cold blood by the
Spaniards after the surrender.
civil wars. short lived republican, rule,
unstable monarchies and military in~
surrections represent SPANS history Z
since; but. like the Bourbons. she
learns Jh bombast. the silly brava~
do, the Intellectual struggling against
yiriIc nations n her constant defeats
seem to ave brought no realisation o.
the ever failing power. Gradually, but
at times also with majestic force. shorn
OF her immense colonial possessions. she
49, va = 10 -
mere trife to be remedied perhaps some
other day. Her own population has De-
creased and become weakened and en-
ervated until she is really an object Of
pity IL not contempt. The taking from
her OF the Philippines. Cuba and Puerto
Rico leaves her a humble dependent.
and her possible fate. like tina OF Po-
land. is a partition OF her Iberian penIn-
sula by other powers, but even that
would not lessen her love of theatrical
display. her innate ferocity and her
cruelty.
II Is not the purpose to deny the char
acteristics OF past bravery to the gem
| uine dons. Spain a don much fight
| ing. and good lighting. in her days of
| glory, but her martial spirit a de-
| parted. and what individual personal
| heroism may remain is insufficient 70
| stem the tide OF the worlds ~reproach,
| the superior brain force of the Anglo
| Saxon and the unrivaled excellence OF
| the American gunner. Some time posi-
bly, there will be a great work issued.
a companion volume to Gibbons im-
mortal history. and 1t will deal with
"The Rise and Fau OF the Spanish EN-.
pire."
One OF the most peculiar efforts ever
made was that Of Philip III ITO isolate
| the lnIeliect Oh Ills hAu8OOuis kAS AVt~I
babe n one to a Spain for the
purpose of study or to come into II with
the intention OF intoxicating knowledge.
That isolating system OF the Castillau
monarch has left It's mark or Spain to
this day. IT has had much to do with
the physical and mental ~degenerocy or
the inhabitants. the most illiterate ~
all Europe, and explains much that
cannot otherwise well be understood-
for instance, how the mass of the gem
eral people there can readily be made
to believe hat Dewey was whipped e.
Manila, that Admiral Sampson was
forced to withdraw from San Juan and
that all our victories are virtually r9-
pulses.
Time was when to name the colonial
possessions of Spain was to enumerate
a world. Now its holdings are little
more than spots on the ocean--the Ca
naries OF the Atlantic, the Balearic
isles Of the Mediterranean. the Sulu -
lands. the Caroline islands n the
Marianne islands OF the Pacific, Fer
nando Pc and some few other ports IN
Africa, a stray shoal here n there
and a suzerainty over Morocco. Her
flag will soon cease to float In the west
ern hemisphere over an inch Of GROUND
she can call her own.
The Canaries and the G pc Verde IL
lands. the latter belonging to Portugal,
have lately become noteworthy from
frequent mention of them in connection
with the movements Of squadrons, pu
they are otherwise little known. n be-
ing cut on from association with thS
continent they have not been OF I'M
port to either the politician or the hts-
torian. Nc event OF considerable inter
est has ever occurred In either OF them
and they are practically In the samc
CONDITION they were 300 years ago.
The Canary group. comprising n -
lands of Tenerife, with it's port OF san
ia Cruz and whose famous mountain
peak ia known to all the navigatore Of
the globe; Gran Canaria. Palma. Lanxa'
rote. F~uerteventura, Gomera n Fer
ro. with an area of $500 square miles
or ~four-elevenths the size Of Maesachu'
sets, have q population Of nearly Soos'
900.
The Guanches, or Canary natives. Ar
outnumbered by the Spanish element =
completely that rebellion would be hope
less. Then there is little to enrich (
Spanish official. and consequently ther'
are not the reasons for revolt that nav
existed elsewhere. The Cape VERDI
archipelago is absolutely devoid OF IN
ltItSt CAttBt os ~ 0T~"
yiting and the most forsaken looking Sc
OF islands on the earth.
SPANS last naval battle before tn
present war-and 1t demonstrates IN
supineness of her nava armament ant
her almost absurd g~unnery-was wnel
she was defeated by Peru, with Chile
aid, in 1854. She sent . squadron Q
seven vessels. mounting 211 guns, 3
punish the Peruvians for h alleges
maItreatment of Spanish subjects IN
former had nothing on the water to op
pose his force. but Chile came to Peru
support with three ships. the Esmeral
da. the Victoria and the Loa, carrying
total OF As guns. many of them smooth
bores. The Esmeralda met the SPANS
gunboat Cavandago (three guns) An
captured her in 20 minutes without ios
ing a man. The Spanish, who hred tnre
shots. had two men killed and 4
wounded. This loss, followed by "a
!. capture of an armored launch. 50 cha
- grined the Spanish admiral. Pare1a. tn
~ he committed suicide in his cabin.