The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-18
CALLS SPAIN A MOSSBACK
REV. DR.. WRIGHTs REJ0INDER
TO ARCHBISHOP IRELAND


ma OF Europe - Rev. Thomas
Hnmbly Disagrees With the Arch
bishop, ms Does the Northwestern
Chronicle, "a Catholic Newspapers,
Archbishop Ireland seems to have
struck most unpopular chord in that
part OF the sermon he delivered at the
cathedral last Sunday night which was
devoted to a warm espousal of Spain
and Spanish deeds and valor and a
denunciation of the critics Of that
country. The pastors Of many of the
churches devoted a part of their ser
mons yesterday in reply to the arch
bishops position. The most surprising
criticism OF the archbishop, however,
was leading editorial in this weeks
Northwestern Chronicle. While this
newspaper is strictly independent, it is
devoted largely to news Of the Catholic
church, and was once almost the Or
gan of the diocese. This takes a much
different view of the Spanish from that
OF the archbishop. It's editorial was
headed THE Truth About Spain,'
and strangely enough this was the ex-
act subject on which Rev. DR.. Wright,
OF st. PauPs church, spoke at the
morning service
Rev. Dr. Wrights sermon was in
some measure rejoinder to the SER
mon preached last Sunday at the ca
thedral by Archbishop Ireland DR..
Wrights subject, as heretofore stated
was The Truth About Spain" He took
his text from John ill.,, 8: HE Must
Increase, but Must Decrease" The
preacher said In substance:
The greatness of ST.. John consisted not
so much in his advocacy of his reforms, but
in his willingness to accede to the greater
reforms of Christ. While he loved his own
theories ne was conscious that in the prog
ress OF events other theories would be sub
sttuted Tor his own. So deeply seated were
his convictions that he retired from the
scene OF action when Christ appeared a
teacher of men. John must therefore, be
regarded as a progressive prophet
1t is the spirit which keeps the activities
OF the world in motion. The people who
40 not agree with this progressive spirit have
Ihey are to be found everywhere. They are
In political parties. There are men today
VINO are acting with the Democratic party
as If Jefferson and jackson were still pres
ident. There are men in the Republican party
who forget that the issues of thirty years
ago have been substituted by living issues
mere are mossbacks in the church-they
are peop-e who wish to- worship as their
grandfathers did, In the same building, with
the same music and the same ritual There
are nations who areiin this category.
spain there have been many criticisms con-
corning the history and conditions of that
country. Some Of these criticisms have been
unjust. 'e0tA
Archbishop Ireland, in a recent sermon de-.
clared that some people attribute the deca-
dence OF Spain to the immortality of the
women W. OF that land. and to the dominance
OF OF c ene Latin church These crticisms are
OF course, untenable. Equally so is the as
sert1on recently made by Henry Adams in
iowa mat the condition of Spain is due to
pure trash.
ton, What Is the Truth About Spain?
l put on the stand an expert who will car
~ ~ weight with any jury, for he has made
me subject Of civilization a life study, and
nus book has been translated in nearly ey
cry language. refer to Mr.. Henry T. Buck
e e ana ms york The History Of Civilization
condition of Spain is due to a s,avish ad-
hereNe to antiquity, to old customs and old
hapits. The details which he gives fully
e ef @ the charge The splendid discoveries
europe with applause. with the exception Of
Spa Which rejected them, and when Har-
tiop IN .h the discovery of the crcula
years, in denying the fact Buckle also
SHOWS that even in the middle of the eight.
eenrn century there was not singe practical
cheh!St IN Spain, and that when Phi,in v
was i'll he refused to have any native nbv:
stefan, and sent for foreigner to minister
10 To-. nm In the same century Spain had to
ASK ahav io n to build her ships. and when
SILL nd enough to know how to rig them. In
I.60, when It was proposed TO clean the
streets OF Madrid. the physicians of the city
came together to consider the movement
and they decided that in centuries gone h.,
streets had not been cleaned and that Il
was wlsest and best to leave them in their
texis,ing condition The rich mineral depos-
us OF Spain. cobalt silver iron and coal
in boundless quantities. were worked nv for
elgners, as the Spanards had neither the
sk IN MOI nor the inclination to do the work
IN the matter of diplomacy the nation f.
behind the rest of the world, and IT'S ambas 80
sadors have been drawn from France Ita1v
ana ireland. 1t has only been in recent
Athourb SPAN ,no has had native
rivers OF her native land. she was not abe
TO make her own maps, but they were made
IN IN france and Holland In conclusion
Spain sleeps on, untroubled. unbeadino
impressive, receiving no Impressions from NE b.
rest Oh the world and making no Impressions
of H. ~, mere she lies at the further extremity
VI ehe continent; a huge and torpid mass. thu
sole representative now remaining If ~ {
ieeiingS ana knowledge Of the middle ages
ana a Waat Is the worst symptom of all, She
~ Satlshed with her own condition
The truth then about Spain ia thar CHI. ,s
a;th o oach among the nations Of the world
b %1dh o. only herself to blame for It, She has
China. The religion of China is the worshin
OF ancestors and this has extended to the
worship of everything old and defunct Thai
nation nation, with the largest population of any
ready to be dismembered by The now ~ NOW w
Europe. Spain has had an exper, ence from
her nor. progressiveness somewhat of the
same KIND She has lost the Netherlands
Gibraltar. Central and South America. and t.
now in danger of losing her North American
possessions. ~
The lesson comes home to all of us both
individually and collectively that 10 No y ~
to be useful in the world we must keen stem
with the progress OF the times. God IDEAS
graclously with us sometimes by calm o
paradise. and we are glad Of their going h.
cause they have outlived their usefulness
COO Is marching along and we must march
of the present and future life.