The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-05-24
HOW A GRRAT EMPIRE WAS
DESTROYED


and Hoarding the Plumber.
In the last quarter of the eighteenth
century Spain held what was then the
greatest empire of the world. In North
America it extended from the Missis.
sippi river to the Pacific ocean, and
from the Canadian line to the South
ern point Of Patagonia. Before the
close of the first quarter OF the nine
teenth, the climax Of two centuries OF
stubborn resistance to the progress Of
the world had come and Spain stood
stripped of the imperial robes Of its
splendid past and clothed in the beg
carly rags of it's present. No other
country has aver lost SO much in so
short a space Of time. The loss changed
the Spanish national character, with
out changing it for the better. 1.-THE
contrast is most striking between the
Spaniards Of to-day and the Spaniard
Of three hundred years ago." writes
Milburn. 'Now he is INDECENT, often
apathetic, grave, reserved, and, what
ever his inward capacity for passion
and exertion, and inefficient and idle
man. Bat in those old days, the, Span
ish race was inspired with q wild, four
fold energy Of avarice, religion, ambi
tion and adventure, which swept them
around the world in a long and bloody
storm OF conquest, conversion and
slaughter, gained them their vast col
onial realms and wealth, and unfolded
q panorama Of achievements, miseries,
cruelties and crime, whose representa-
tions in the antique Wood-cuts of De
Bry are horrible to look upon"
From the beginning of the fifteenth to
the close Of the nineteenth century,
the Germanic and the Latin races Of
Europe, with England as the leading
representative of the one and Spain OF
the other wrestled for the empire of
the world. The lines of ace were as
sharply drawn between Latin and
Teuton as when the German tribes
first over ran and cong Iered Rome It
was now Spain snd now France and
now both together against Eugland.
On land England was worsted and it
was only as q result of our own sue
eessful revolution that the power Of
the Latin races was checked and the
Anglo-Saxon given his present over
whelming weight in the affairs of the
world.
The struggle that began when Drake
and his fellow buccaneers invaded
the Spanish Main, ended when Jeffer-
made the bargain with Napoleon which
gave America, west Of the Mississippi
river, to the United States. Since then,
Spanish power has never been able to
rally its strength, and Spain has lost
one province after another until it's re-
fusaI to acknowledge that the world
moves deprives it at last of Cuba-the
sole remaining relic Of its oncs mighty
power.
We are accustomed to think only Of
Spanish pride and cruelty in summing
up the relations of Spain towards her
SO1O4ASGS 6A0 gOW6L0S WChASE GhC6S
but it is a matter of history that the
Spanish missionary checked the cruel
ty of the hidalgo, and has saved the
Indians of Spanish America from ex
tinction az they have not been saved
in North Mmerica. This is the one re
deeming trait of Spanish rule in Amer.
lea. It raj not enough, however, to
offset the indomitable and ignorant OBJ.
stinacy with which Spain has opposed
its whole force TO the irresistible move.
ment which has made modern times.
Through Cortez and Pizarro, through
Ponce de Lson and DeSoto, through
hundreds of nameless adventures not
less daring, Spain struggled for the
empire of the New World, not under
the impulse of the colonizing spirit as
it is created to day, by q surplus of
population, but as a result Of a fever
ish desire to amass the largest possible
store of gold.
The idea had taken shape early in
the sixteenth century that the country
which accumulated and held the larg,
est hoard Of gold would inevitably be-
come the Wealthiest and most powerful
country. Adesperate struggle between
Spain and Eogland was inspired by
this logic. Spain robbed the Mexicans
and Peruvians of their bracelets, rings
and othet jewels, and sent ship-load
after ship-load Of ingots home to
Madrid until England could endue il
no longer. Drake, Raleigh and other
equally eminent Vikings-whose pro
fession in plain terms was nothing
more nor less than piracy under gov.