The record-union., 1898-05-15
A GLANCE AT SPANISH HISTORY
IN THE WEST INDIES.


The Record Union" has repeatedly
said that the Spanish conqueror and
master is by nature cruel; that merci-
lessness is an ingredient of his natures;
it comes to him by tradition and blood;
it is bred into his bone and his soul.
The most superficial student of histo-
ry is aware of these truths. A score
of instances of his conquesting could
be cited to maintain the proposition.
But one will be sufficient, and it is
timely, since it relates to the very
land for which the American is to-day
doing battle. Columbus raised the
Spanish flag at San Salvador and in do
ing so he planted the first seed of the
most merciless and cruel conquest of
which history gives us any account
We doubt if in the earlier ages when
men wore skins and carried stone-head-
ed spears and ate their enemies more
cruel examples of conquest, triumph
and heartlessness are to be found.
1t was neither the spread of the gos-
pei nor the desire to lift tribes to the
level of civilization, which prompted
Spain in her conquests, but the love of
gold and this prompting has remained
with her, underlying all her achieve
ments in the New World to this hour.
She has MIXED the Western Hemi-
sphere from the moment her colors
hoated over bit of its sea or soil. Gold,
plunder, tribute; these have been the
forward cries of Spain on this hemi-
sphere. The cross and the Bible have
been secondary considerations, despite
the pretentious claim that the Spanish
nation has been foremost in advancing
their standards among new peoples.
Portugal challenged the Spanish
claim to all the Western world, and
the matter being referred to the Pope
he decided with much care, and so far
as we can now ascertain with entire
justice, that what we have known as
Brazil should fall to Portugal and all
the rest of the New World to Spain. As
division Of spoil goes, it was appor-
toned fairly according to the impor-
tance Of the two conquerors. That
gave Spain more territory than was
then possessed by any other nation on
the globe.
With this enormous advantage of
possession and recognition by the Pa
pal power, then so potential an infiu-
ence in the worlds politics, had Span
ish policy been directed to true devel-
opment of the countries she had been
awarded, to the civilization of their
peoples, to wise, mild government, mer-
ciful, kindly and strengthening con-
duct towards them, who shall say
that she might not to-day be possessed
of the major portion of the territory,
est and most beneficent power on the
earth? But self-aggrandizmen plum
der. thirst for gold. Unsuitable greed,
hardness of heart, exercise of cruelty,
oppression and enslavement of peoples
marked her policy and the world knows
the result. Had Spain planted colonies
as did the Dutch and English, fostered
them and accorded them freedom of
action encouraging them in peaceful
arts. there might have been larger
Latin, than Anglo-Saxon America to-
day.
What the Spanish did was to plant
colonies only where the result would
most speedily profit home Golfers. The
richer spots were seized upon with
greedy haste, and every effort put forth
to make them yield. Not content with
natural production under industry she
seized native treasures and transport
ed them boldly to Spanish capitals
such as We're not divided among the
plundering soldiery.
It was, as recent writer in the New
York Mail and Express aptly puts
it, perhaps happy thing for America
that the Spanish discoveries and con-
querors reported the aboriginal
tribes of the interior Of the continent
to be so devilish in their savagery as
to be assailed only at great cost and
high risk. This story, which the Span
ish pioneers firmly believed. probably
saved our land from greater doInina-