The Indianapolis journal., 1898-07-11
WatSOn'S Ally, BOabdil Ell Chico.

The commercial Yankee pigs are not cred
ited upon the peninsula, with being given
to the romantic building Of castles in
Spain," yet now that Commodore Watson
has been ordered to lombard the coast
cities Of the Spanards, it seems reasonably
certain that the Americans are not averse
to tearing a few of them down. This threat
ened invasion brings to mind the prayers of
the descendants of the exiled Moors OF
Granada, scattered among the cities of Bar
barry. These petitions to Allah were for the
success Of an invasion of Spain, but not by
a force that is to come from out of the
West. During the reign of Ferdinand and
Isabella, Boabdil, who swayed the sceptre
over that part of Spain held by the Moors,
was forced to give up Granada, the Moorish
capital, and all its possessions, to the
Christian sovereigns of Spain. From that
day to this the Moors have held no territory
on the peninsula. After fleeing to the north
Of Africa they took up their abode there,
to hand down from generation to generation
the hope that, in the declining days of the
Spanish empire, they might again resume
their lost domain and restore it to the ORR
entail splendor and power that it enjoyed be-
fore their fall. There is an old Spanish le-
gend to the effect that, at the time that
Ferdinand and Isabella wrested the sceptre
from the hand of Boabdil, instead of leav-
ing the country with his hosts, they were
subjected to strong enchantment, and to
this very day assemble in subterranean pail
aces beneath the Mountain of the Sun, at
whose feet lies the Alhambra, and beyond
it the city of Granada, According to the ie-
gend it is written in the book of fate that.
when the enchantment is broken, Boabdil
will descend the mountain at the head of
this army, resume his throne in the Alham-
bra and his sway of Granada, and, gather
ing together the enchanted warriors from
all parts Of Spain, will reconquer the PEN
inSula and restore to it the MoSlern rule of
the Moors. Could Commodore Watson rely
upon this army of vengeful wraiths to fol-
low the plans laid down for them by the
celestial board of strategy, as set forth in
the book of fate, at the very moment that
he is pounding away at the defenses of
Cadiz, Almeria or Alicante, there can be
but little doubt that Spanish honor will be
vindicated.
One way to kill f1eas is to drown the dog:
and it would seem that the only way to
cate the Dons themselves. At any rate it is
to be hoped that Boabdil ell Chico will take
advantage of having the cooperation of
flesh and blood, fire and steel navy to assist
him in his campaign.
/ have referred above to the Yankee pigs
being thought too commercial in their
tastes to have any romantic sentiment. This
is the prevailing impression on the peninSu-
la, and the swinish epithet has been hurled
at our heads daily of late with less force
than at the beginning OF the war, by the
Madrid and outside press of Spain.
Is it possible that Spain. with her few
books (and most of these are mediocre), can
scorn America being wholly commercial
and void of sentiment and valor? America,
who sent to her one of It's first and bright
est literary lights! man who, though
Yankee, and of proven commercial fitness,
delved deep into her richest mines of chv-
airy and romance, and brought to the light
of the world prizes of legendary lore and
historical incident, polished by the trans
cendant grace. of his intellect.
In the "Alhambra" Washington Irving
tastes and Yankee shrewdness impelled him
to cooperate in one Of the neatest fake ad-
vertising schemes perpetrated before Bar
mum and his advance agents had made that
branch of publicity a science. The scheme
was a success, and Knickerbocker's history
of New York enjoyed wide sale as re-
suit
According to Spanish nomenclature this
commercial feat of Irving's brands him
Yankee pig. Whether the Spanish needed
the biblical warning, "cast not thy pearls
before swine" or not, certain it is that
Yankee pig has gathered them.
Irving visited Spain and made his home
in the Alhambra, through the courtesy Of
the captain general of Granada, in 1929. 1t
is interesting to note with what faithfulness
he has described the Spanish character as
borne out by our own observations made
possible by the war. He found the Span
iards even in the lowest classes, poetical in
both thought and language, and possessing
innate courtesy, together with clear wit.
In referring to the days of chivalry he
says:
1.-The annals of the times TEEN with illus
trious instances of high wrought courtesy,
romantic generosity, lofty disinterestedness
and punctiliQus honor. that warm the very
soul to reac them. These have furnished
themes for national plays and poems, or
have been celebrated in those all-pervading
ballads which are as the life breath of the
people. and thus have continued to exercise
an influence on the national character,
which centuries of vicissitude and decline
have not been able to destroy, so that with
all their faults, and they have many, the
Spanards, even at the present day, are, on
many points. the most high-minded and
proud-spirited people. of Europe. 1t is true
the romance of feeling derived from the
sources / have mentioned has, like all other
romance it's affectatons and extremes. 1t
renders the Spaniard at times pompous and
grandiloquent; prone to carry the pun
donor. or point of honor. beyond the bounds
of sober sense and sound morality; dis
posed. in the midst of poverty, to AFFECT the
grand cabalero.
Alas! how true to the Spanish character
of to-day is this description of Washington
Irvings formed seventy years ago, and 10
what straits has this same point of honor
reduced the old monarchy that, even then,
was tottering to its fall
GEORGE W. CRAW.
Fort Wayne, Ind, July Z.