The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-19
PEOPLE OF SPAIN.
Character and Peculiarities of
Inhabitants of the Id erian
Peninsula.

The character and peculiarities of the
| Spanish people are at this iuncture sub
| iects of interest to the American pu bic,
| which is, for the most part, in possession
of less information from actual contact
with SpaniardS than with most of the
races of Europe. While we have Italians,
| ScandinavianS, French, Germans, Poles,
| HungarianS, and even Greeks. scattered
| throughout the various sections of the
country in greater or less hunters, We
have very few SpaniaTds among us, and
their presence has been confined to few
districts. The result is we are little ac-
Guainted by observation with the people
who are at this time facing us with arms
in their hands.
The Iberian Peninsula has composite
population, the result of many informing
lings of different races which in turn have
swept into the country and at various
periods have dominated it.
The country being badly broken by
physical contour, and its coast regions
separated from the interior plateaus, in a
general sense the influences which have
affected the character of the people have
come from distinct sources. Thus we see
the country invaded from the north by the
IstEmus of the Pyrenees, over which in
vaderS from Central Europe passed on the
one hand, and on the other we have the
great coast cities OF Cadiz and Malaga,
which trace their origin to the Phoenicians,
and Carthagena, founded by the Cartha
genians from the north coast OF Africa.
The original inhabitants, so lar as known
to history, were a race called BasGues,
whose descendants still predominant in
many of the remote valleys OF the PENN
sula They were early succeeded by a race
of Kelts, and at length, with the rise of the
Roman Empire, thepeople practically he
came Iatins. After the fell OF the Roman
power in the fifth century various tribes
from central Europe swept into the PENN
sula: those making the greatest impress
sion uLon the race and its language icing
the Nisigoths. In the eighth century the
BerberS and Arab tribes from the north of
Africa, known under the general appella-
ton of Moors obtained a footing at Gibral-
tar. on the south coast. and finally COR
Guered the country. The blood of the
Moors pervadcS Spain to-day. T icy, IN
turn were expelled after struggle Of mere
than seven centuries, Just teiore the dis
coHcry Of the western hemisphere by
Columbus. which inaugaratedthe colonial
policy of Spain This circumstance at
once made ii the greatest power of the
Middle Ages, and contributed directly TO
its decadence.
The discovery OF the New World not only
served TO drain Spain OF her most capai lie
and enterprising young men, but by Ia.
enormous import Of the precious Inet"r~
from the New World reduced the nation TO
a race of profiigates. The disposition 40
labor and enterprise was paralyzed by Il
abundance of plundered wealth. Durif
the 200 years from the first quarter of the
10Th to the first Guar.ersof the 18th century
it is estimated that notIless than s35 600
OOO, 900 in treasure waS drawn from Spanish
America only to be dissipated by purchase
in other countries of the necessaries and
luxuries of life, which should have been
produced by frugal and industrious
people at home. Atlthe beginning of the
present century Spain began to lose her
western colonies, butin the struggle which
resulted it is usually admitted that the
moral stamina OF tho people has been i'm
proved and that the Spaniards of to-day
possess as a nation personal character
sites much in advances Of the time when
he inGuisition ruled supreme.