The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-08

nenn, but their Notifications arc now in
decay, SO !ittlo attention having been
paid to them since tho wars Of tho
tTenoh revolution that, with the cXcop.
ton OF few modern batteries hore and
there, thoy arc not worthy Of conSdcru-
sion. During tho wars with Napoleon
every port Of Spain was put in Il thor
ough state Of defense by English money,
but since tho Spaniards hnvo been left
to their own devices tho Notifications
have been neglected. and even forts and
batteries Of modern stylo are mounted
with old fashioned Smoothbore guns,
utterly Ineffective III modern warfare.
AT the entrance Of the Mediterranean
are two points which if properly forti-
hcd could be held against the naval
powers Of tho world-Tarifa on tho
Spanish sida and Ccuta Oh the opposite
coast OF Afrion. Tnrifa is. in tho judg-
mont of military critics, capable Of be-
ing made as invulnerabe as Gibraltar.
All the Eoaports Of Srain have strun-
ger Notifications on their land side than
on that toward the sea. This uhd cir.
cumstance is relic of the French inva-
sion in the early years OF this century,
and also significant of tho turbulent
condition Of the country ever since, Tor
the cities OF Spain arc, in tho Judgment
or the government in moro danger from
tho Spaniards themselves thun from
foreign enemy. On the bay of Bscay,
Corunn and Ferrol arc the principal
fortresses, while at Vigo there are two
small forts % protect tho entrance of
the harbor, and San Sebastian, tho royal
In,
by medimval castle and two or three
water batteries Coruna and Fcrrol arc
situated on the same bay, about 20
miles apart, and tho latter is the site of
the largest navy yard and marine arsenal
In Spain.
Spanish Charactorlstios.
The story Of Spain from great Charles
V to little Alfonso XIII has no parallel
IN the history Of tho world Historians
and philosophers explain the phcnom.
enon according to their individual ideas.
Protestnnts attribute tho fall Of Spain to
religious bigotry and tho suppression Of
independent thought by tho inquisition.
Ono Catholic writer. on tho other hand,
maintains that lenionoy in dealing with
heresy marked tho beginning of ma
tlonal decay. Had Charles been duly
diligent in stamping out tho rcforma-
tion III Germany, says this writer, Spuin
would never havo detcrioratod The DO.
htical ecm mist teaches that the enor.
nous wealth brought from America in
stead OF enriohing really impoverished
Spain, since it induced neglect of homo
industries and generated an oxtrava-
gance which became tho ruin of the ia.
tion. Buckle finds, or thinks ho finds,
the cause, partly at least, in the super-
Rtltious reverence for authority which
kept the Spaniards faithful to church
and state, even while they knew the ono
to be corrupt and tho other incompetent
Pride OF character and an arrogance that
excited the hatred OF all foreigners and
the antagonsm of all foreign states
tho warliko habits Of the Spanish people,
confirmed by eight centuries Of constant
conflict with the Moors, draining tho
country OF its best men and leaving only
tho weakly and infirm--. each and every
ono OF these causes, together with in
n1merable others. has been upheld by