New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-19
SPANS LOST COLONIES.
CRUELTY. GREED AND TYRANNY CAUSE
HER EXTRAORDINARY DECLINE.

Spain without question the greatest ROVER
in the world. She owned all that she now pos
sesses in addition 20 Portugal the kingdoms Of
Naples and Cioily. the duchies Of Milan. The
Netherlands and the whole Of the TWO Americas
south Of the thirty-fourth parallel. a dominion
70 which neither Great Britain. nor Russia, nor
ye: the United States can be compared in respect
Of potential wealth-yieldinC power. This en-
pire. too. rested on strong foundations 1t lasted
in Naples for two hundred years. Tho people
OF the Low Countries threw it off only by an
effoT, tina, vas like mar;yrdom, while The
Spanish ascendancy in America was 50 deeply
rooted that even now the creed the Language
And the civilization Of every land that belonged
H. Spain remains essentially SPANISH.
Today Spain is one Of the mos; weak and
fallen kingdoms on the face q ;he globe Only
par, Of he Iberian Peninsula remains IN her pos
session. Her population has dwinded to Il
0O00 600 She is threatened with the Joss t. The
United States Of her only iNo remaining COLO
MES the Antilles and the Philippines. Her
treasury is practically bankrupt. her army dlsor-
gained and in fact she has sunk g. TIL .e.el ~
g fourth-late Power. She shows that she s ono
Of those nations which. to use the words OF Lord
Salisbury. have exhausted their vitality and
sre doomed 70 decay
What the cause 4 this decay can bo Is a sub
jet for much speculation and discussion. ne ther
OF which, however has Is YET furnished any
satisfactory Response 10 the problem. There ar'
come who ascribc il T. the expulsion of III,
Iws but Spain reached tho culninatng roii.-
4 her power alnos; two centuries after tn
Hebrews Aad been driven out q tn kinsd .fn.
there are others. such as Lord Macauiay. who
Are inclined 10 ascrioe It t. Roman Catholicism.
BIZ. it was Roman Catholicism that helped
Spain to build W her colonial empire. and
Franc. Nhi., she was Roman CaihoAc. and
Roman catholic even 70 the degree u bleotry.
did no; decline in that way. There are yet
others who insist that The yalor ard The man
hood Of the Spanlard has decreased but ampl'
evidence l. the contrary has been furnished even
since the beginning q The present war. ~hi'
Ne first Napoleon was wont 10 declare ;hat h.
al never me-; ia al his Mars NOR, daring and
reckless foes than the Spanish guer..las.
CUPlDITY THAT oNEKREAcHED ITSELF
IT. fact. there Is no explanation that can b'
furnished for the astounding decline q spain
lnless Il b. that the inevitable advance of prog
ress and ENLIGHTENMENT even n spanish coun-
tries has gradually awakened ,hc masses 10 tho
injustice Of ,hei: being oppr, ssed and ground
down for the benefit Of the classes and 10 the
lniquiiy Of extorting from the people the fruit
o. their labor for the benefit II favored and gen
orally utled drones Spain. II must De con
fessed has from time immemorial treated her
foreign possessions a. mich COWS. TO be drained
OF their last drop II milk FOR the so.e advantage
OF those in power a; Madrid. and has not even
tractised that piece 81 elementary domestic
economy which consists IN leaving something 70
.he producer t. ser,e a i KIND % nes;egg sh-
forgot. IN fac, the principle incuicatcd ~ tn
Bible when IL forbade the rnuzzAns q thu OK
that thrasheS he corn