Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-12-02
SPANS DECADENCE.
HER POSSESSIONS DwINDLlNG AND
HER POWER VANISHING.

Once Her Army and Navy Were Famc b
For Their Proves what She Has I'p.t
- Two Centuries While Others Wv
Acquiring She Went Down Hill.
On his accession to the Spanish
throne Philip II. found himself ruler OF
the greatest empire the world had seen
since Rome was at the zenith of its
power. Its navies were famous for
their greatness ami they ruled the
ocean, its armies were famous for
their prowess, she swayed the destin-
les of Europe, had possessions in all
the continents, and may be said to
have owned the Americas, North and
South. Samuel Johnson, writing as
recently as 174O when complaining of
the poor peoples bardships, said:
care there no regions yet unclaimed
by Spain?
Quick, let us rise, those happy lands
explore
And lear expressions insolence no
more"
The Span sh empire was the result of
marriages, conquest and discoveries;
its decl'rC and fall may be ascribed to
the ruthless character of the Spanish
people. The irQus.tion and bull fight
ing were evoivtiors from this char
acter: TyrCHemada and the matador
were NO lore cruel than the nature of
the people required Cardinals were
frequently prime ministers. and Tam
erlane never treated Central Asians
more mercIessly tkan Spain treated
the Indians of North America When
Columbus discovered St Domingo it
had a population OF 100000; in 1880
this population had dwindled to $780,
600. COrtez in Mexico and Pizarro in
Peru were ideal Spanish conquerors.
In the latter part of Philips reign
Spain lost all, or nearly all, of her de-
tendencies in North Africa, and early
in the next reign Burgundy, Naples,
Sicily and the Milanese.
1609-The Netherlands.
162S-Malacca, Ceylon, Java and
other islands.
164O-Portugal
164S-Spain renowned all claim to
Holland.
164S-Brabant and parts of Flanders.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Hertogenbosch,
Breda, Bergen-op-Zoom, and many
other fortresses in the Low Countries.
In this year also abe tacitly surren-
deled supremacy on the seas to North
ern Europe.
Rousillon and Cardague.
Those places We're coded to France,
thus making the Pyrenees the bound
airy between the two countries.
1GGS-Other sections of Flanders.
1672--Many towns ard cities in Elan
ders.
1704-Gibraltar.
17O4-Majorca, Minorca and Ivizza.
1791-The Nootka Sound settle
ments.
1794-St. Domingo.
1S00-Louisiana.
1SO2-Trinidad.
1S19-Florida.
1S10-21-MeXico, Venezuela, Colom-
bia, Ecuador Peru, Bolivia, Chilli Ar
gentina, Uruguay Paraguay, Patago-
ma, Guatemala Honduras, Nicaragua.
San Salvador. Hayti, San Domingo. be-
sides numerous islands retaining not a
foot of ground in America
During all those years, while other
nations were discovering new regions
or capturing those discovered or con-
quered by Spain, the land of the Cid
Campeador was going steadily down
the hill. The only time she stood
still for moment was in 1860. when
Marshal O'Donnell took Tetuan and
Ceuta from the MOors.
In the heydey of MOrosco ascendant
cy Spain had population of 10000 900.
in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella
100000, and in the beginning of the
eighteenth century only 5000 600 The
present population is about $4,000 600.
1t may be said in conclusion that ed
ucation in Spain is limited to compara-
lively few. Thirty or forty years ago
it was no disgrace for Spanish gran
dee not to be able to write his name.