Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-26

were not nearly so fanatlcaI In their re.
ligious propaganda as the Catholics
and under their beneficent rule the de.
spised Jews We're allowed immunity
from persecution. IT was during the
Arabic regime that the Institution OF
had its birth. 1t brought with
II the exaggerated and superficial wor.
snip OF woman. who after all was
neither more nor less than a chattei.
the preservation OF a coercive religions
policy and a supersehsitive and stllted
code of honor. Cruelty later on super
seeded the chivnlrous instincts incuI-
Gated during this period. The invaders
We're hnalIy driven away, and those
who remained suffered spollation and
persecution. The blgoted priesthood,
ever jealous OF its prerogatives, was
the prime FACTOR In tnstlga ting the tor
ture and extinction of the hated inf
dels. Dogma reigned, and in few
years the enlightenment spread by the
learned Arabs was forgotten The pail
of darkest night settled over the land.
As Il climax of bigotry 5000 manuscripts
of inestimabe value were burned by
the priinate Of Spain in the public
square OF Granada. Priestly rule pre-
vailed, and blind obedience to the
mandates of the church WAS exacted.
While other nations encouraged every
thing progressive Spain placed an en-
barge on all that tended toward il. Ma
uonal pride was lulled to sleep, martial
spirit was dead. and Il lethargic indiffer-
ence crept over the inhabitants.
This state of affairs was somewhat
mltlsated with the accession of Ferdi-
nanu ana Isabella, by whose union the
kingdoms OF Aragon and CASTLE be-
came united. During their reign Spain
mad It's renaissance. its golden age of
prosperity, the glory of which was
however, obscured by the bIgotry of
the soverelgns. by whose authority the
horrors OF the inquisition were sane
toned Through all of the centuries
since the Roman usurpntion the Span
ish had bowed rather to the mandates
OF Rome than To those of the state The
inter was elevated above the crown
Both Ferdinand and Isabella were
bigots. There was n riot of blood
thirstiness,. and an auto da fe gave a
pious believer as much pleasure as n
hullfight. Tile history Of the lnaulsi-
ton is the blacklist blot upon Spain's
besmirched escutcheon.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks.
SPANS fortunes In the fifteenth CEN
fury were most brilliant. and her rank
as one of the great powers of the world
was fully established. She was at this
time one Of the most picturesque fis-
ures in Europe.
II was during the sovereignty Of
Ferdinand and Isabella that Columbus
discovered America. which ranks as one
of the most splendid achievements in
history. The luster or this conquest
was, however. dimmed by the rapaclty
ana thirst for lucre displayed by tho
rapacinus conquerors. In the West In
dies' Mexico and South and Central
America the banner of Aragon and
CASTLE foated The cruel policy Of ex.
termination pursued against the unof-
Tending savages and their SO called
conversion at the point of the sword
fili one OF the darkest pages in the
annals of old Spain.
The new world became the treasure
chest OF spain. her empty Golfers being
replenlshed with American gold
Under Philip ii the religious wars in
the Netherlands Were instituted The
Dutch finally won their freedom in the
seventeenth century. the Portuguese also
threw off the mated dominion of Spain.
while France wrenohed away the prov
inces on her border. The dismember-
inent OF the kingdom was complete.
During the Moorish ascendency the
population had numbered 20. 900 900. 1t
had now dwindled to 6,0O0.O 900.
The star of conquest set, TO rise no
more. The glory of Spain was Il thing
of the past. One by one the splendid
occidental Jewels dropped from the
crown, and only Cuba. the Philippines
and few inconsequential. islands re-
NAMED The possessions in Mexico,
Florida and Louisiana were wrested
from the mother country, too weak Ion.
ger to hold them in leash The nation
which had once inaugurated an aggres-
sive policy was forced TO accept peace.
In the eighteenth century a Bourbon
king was seated upon the throne, only
to be overturned by Napoleon Roma
parte who drove the Bourhons cut and
enthroned his brother Joseph in .heir
stead. The proud Spanish mobiles III
brooked the plebeian usurper, whose
reign was Of short duration. With his
overthrow the Bourbon line again as
serted its supremacy.
The French regime had less effect up
on Spain than any of the other foreign
occupations. Ever since the reign of
Philip IL Spaln's Importance as ma
tion has been on the decline, and its
Industries and commerce have sunk TO
the condition of mediocrity. The wheels
of progress have ceased to turn. The
fog Of inactivity. Intolerance and ig-
norance has spread over the land once
distinguished for the splendor of its
achievements.
The prospect Is not an encouraging
one. The impoverished nobility reside
in their tumble down castles too proud
to labor and too poor to keep up their
vanished state. Like Don Caesar de
Bazan. they wrap their ragged cioaks
about their emaciated forms and. steep