Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-09-10
WHAT SPAIN HAS LOST.
HER STORY OF TYr AND SHAME
NEARING ITS FINAL CHAPTER.

Which Once Rivaled Ancient Home In
tho Extent Of Her Possessions-The
Future seems Dark For Her.
The losses of Spain in the war which
has Just ended in her defeat cannot be
estimated for some time to come, OBJ
serves the Atlanta Constitution. The
victors do not yet know the full ex-
tent of their conquests, and they have
not decided how much of their newly
acquired territory they will find it to
their interest to hold as their own.
The red and yellow flag will disap-
pear from the West Indies; from one
Of the Ladrones; from Manila, and
perhaps from the entire Philippine
group. The conquerors will now ex-
anime these choice job lots of islands,
arranged in nicely assorted punches,
and take their pick.
Spain is in hard luck. The mills
of the gods have been rather slow in
her case, but they have finished their
work at last, and there is not much
left of a kingdom which once rivaled
ancient Rome in the extent Of her
possessions. A little more than three
hundred years ago, when the second
Philip mounted the throne, his fleets
aud armies were the most powerful in
the world, and his colonies circled the
globe. Both North and South America
practically belonged to Spain. Even
century later Samuel Johnson asked:
care there no regions yet unclaimed
by Spain?"
By discovery, conquest and mar
riage the Spanish rulers rapidly ac-
quired territory, but wherever their
generals pitched their tents desolation
followed. In less than forty years
after they discovered San Domingo
its population dwindled from 2,OOO,-
900 to 25O,OOO. In Mexico and in
Peru, Cortez and Pizarro waged war
OF determination.
Before Philip died he had lost vast
tracts in north Africa. In the next
fifty years Spain lost Burgundy, Naples,
Sicily, Milan, the Netherlands, Me-
lacca, Ceylon, Java, Portugal, Holland.
Brabant, Flanders, Roussillon and Car
dague, and in the same period she sur
rendered her control of the seas to
northern Europe. After this Gibral.
tar, the Woatka sound settlements and
San Domingo were given up. Louisi.
ana went next, followed by Trinidad,
Florida, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argen-
tina, Banda Oriental, Paraguay, Pata-
gonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicara.
qua, San Salvador, Hayti and numer-
GUS smaller possessions.
And now Porto Rico is ceded to the
United States; Cuba is freed from the
Spanish yoke, and if we want few
dozen or few hundred fine islands in
different quarters of the globe we have
only to say the word.
No statistican would be bold enough
to guess at the value OF these bits OF
land, but it is estimated that they are
worth not for from 81, 900, 600, 900. OF
course, we should take into considera-
tion the cost of the war to the United
States when we finally decide upon
the disposition Of the conquered terri
tory.
At present we have no definite
figures. 1t is not enough to soy
that the Government has spent
800, 900, 900 for the army and navy
in the past three months, and will
have to spend hundreds of millions
more in the next year or two in con-
trolling the new countries under our
flag. Among our expenses arc the
interest on Government bonds, the
loss in the productive labor Of the
volunteers, and then there are other
iucidentals. Altogether, saying moth
ing about pensions, it is likely that
few years from now it will be known
that the war cost us about 81 ,O0O,-
100000
1t is fact that the geographers
have very hazy ideas about some
countries. They do not know the num-
Der of islands in the Philippines.
Some say 400, while others say 1000.
Many Of these islands, however, are
very small, and great deal Of their
area is not arabic. The interior of
Cuba is sealed book to the geogra-
piers. They say that it has never
been thoroughly explored. Maps are
not always reliable. Our Govern
ment maps show that the Louisiana
cession extended beyond the Rocky
Mountains and included the north
Pacific States. It is only recently
that all order has been issued 10 cor
rect these maps. If we know so lit.
tie of our own country, how can we
be expected to krow oil about Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines?
When o nation once starts on the
downward road it generally goes at
the pace that kills, and goes to the
very bottom of the hill. Spain has
been travelling this road for more
than three centuries, but she learns
nothing as she goes along. She is as
naughty and as boastful as she was in
the days of Philip. About fifty years
ago Buckle, the historian, wrote of
her:
"rhere she lies, at the further ex-
tremity of tho continent, huge and
torpid mass, the only representative
now remaining of the feelings and
the knowledge of the middle ages.
And what is the worst symptom of oil,
she is satisfied with her own condi-
dition. Though she is the most back
ward country in Europe, she believes
herself to be the foremost. She is
proud of everything of which she
ought to be ashamed.
This pen picture is just as true to-
day as it was when it was drawn.
There is no hope for such country.
In the near future Spain will lose the
last of her colonies, and it is quite
possible that the kingdom will disap-
pear from the map of Europe. Her
story of tyranny and shame is nearing
its final chapter.
Long Speech.
The longest speech on record was
made by Mr.. de Cosmos in the Legis-
lature of British Columbia when a