The herald., 1898-09-09
SPAIN INDICTED
AN ABLE LECTURE By PROF.
,.-~ y ADAMS .-D 40
THE COURSE Of HISTORY
The Causes Of spain's Degeneration
and Its Inevitable Results-The
American Remedy

The lecture Of Prof. Charles Kendall
Adams, the eminent historian and educator,
ON "The Indictment Of Spain by H1story'
given under the auspices of the Academy OF
Sciences ait 800 South Broadway last even
ing, was attended by large audience.
President Abbot Kinney called the meet
ing to order and introduced the oistin-
gushed speaker. who fcr over AM hour nelo
the close attention of the assembly through
an instructive resume Of history.
Prof. Adams introduced his lecture with
an outline of the countries that ONCE owed
allegiance to Spain and are now free from
her control. In speaking Of the decline and
fall Of nations, he continued: ut is curl
Gus fact that of all the nations OF antiquity
that have risen, fiourished and declined.
only one survives and that is China, which
has not perss in perennial youth, but
rather Of a perennial middle age.
"In modern times nations crystallize
around certain centers, beginning invaria-
bly, as group of Independent authority,
because they were obliged to do so for self
protection, as in France, Italy and Ger
many. These nations have grown DOWN to
the present time, and show NO visible signs
Of decay, with two ceptlons-Poland and
Spain. In the former there was one fatal
defect. The government was made up Of
mobiles and peasantry; there were mo middle
classes. AS a consequence, revolts and
anarchy existed, and it was but natural
that the nation should come to an end.
"At first 1t would seem that NO ethnolog1-
cal difference existed between the people
of Spain and those of Italy, but their his
tories we're different, consequently results
differed
The speaker traced the government OF
Spain from the time it was conquered by
the Phoenicians. Celts, Greeks and
Romans to the invasion Of the Goths in the
first centuries Of the Christian era. They
obliged the Romans to withdraw and es-
tablished themselves ON the Iberian
peninsula, except In small part on the
northwest. They were adherents OF the
Arian heresy. The Franks followed and
they were considered the guardians OF the
Catholic faith. They obliged the Spanish
king to go beyond any previous allegiance
to Catholicism, and 1t was this union OF
church and state that overcame the visi-
goths.
Before the seventh century a system OF
bigotry and intolerance began that has al
ways been so characteristic of Spain. The
Mohamedans landed'in France in the year
700. with the sword in one hand and the
Koran in the other, but the peculiar union
Of church AMID state succeeded in defea ting
them at the battle of Tours In 1732 and
drove them back to Spain and began to
overthrow them there. This was succeeded
by centuries of civil war, but it was not
until 1892 that Moorish rule was defeated
..vJ
the Alhamb :,
The government became military power
with abs olutely no idea of civil methods.
The renewal of letters AMID art that had
been kindled in other parts Of Europe
never succeeded in penetrating the brains
Of the people of Spain.
Two great events had their influence in
shaping Spain's destiny-the inauguration
Of the inquisition. which was not 10 es;ab-
llsh punishment, but to regulate it; and
the other was the discovery Of America
by Columbus.
The speaker dwelt upon the perfidy Of
the discoverers in dealing with the natives
Of Peru and Mexico, and the entire absence
of fairness. The event that had the most
direct bearing on the destiny Of Spain was
The large amount of gold and silver taken
from America, which, since the archives
have been thrown open to historians, has
been found to have been 5000, 900 900, and
dollar at that time had five times the
purchasing power that 1t has now. Spain
had then 100000 OF people, and this enor-
nous wealth made the rulers absolutely
Independent. In the Escurial the table
and chairs are still shown where Charles
xx,ttb ~ no ,1od
the world. This absolutism was taken UP
| by that rulers successors and precipitated
centuries of misrule, decreasing Spain 6
population from 100000 to 100000.
| Prof. Adams then traced the course OF
events through the Bourbon rule Of France
and the French revolution to the present
and when he touched on the aftermath OF
the present war the audience visibly
frightened. The causes that led to the
war, Prof. Adams states. were the prin.
ciples that prevailed in Spain 800 years
ago-the rule of the mobiles over their serfs
and, though the former are proud, cfival
rous and conservative, they are cruel to the
| last degree. The old military methods
prevail and corruption follows. Another
characteristic is the ignorance Of the peo
pie. Not 6S per cent of the Spanish popula
tion can read and write. and where there |!
such ignorance there can be no such thint
as human liberty. Spain has contributed
nothing to scientific invention, little to lit
erature and little TO civilization.
The war has developed responsibilities
upon US we had not anticipated, and W,
must accept them. We must give the In
surgents a fair trial in ruling Cuba, but tn,
speaker predicts that in five years 1t will b.
more apparent that we should absorb /
than it had been that we should take Ha
wall. We should keep the Philippines, no
for what they can bring US, but for what W,
can do for them. Prof. Adams emphasized
he statement that II the United States Il
successful in establishing a government
IN the islands that have come into our pos
session, the government must inaugural,
q civil service such as England has IL
India and abolish our present political meth
DDS in sending governors to rule over then
merely for the money to be made out o.
the office.
DOVER, Eng. Sept. S.-Frank Holmes
OF Birmingham left Dover at $40 this morn
ing in an attempt to swim the channel. HI
was accompanied by rowboat.
Captain Matthew Webb, the Englisl
cxr,t,,nv,,ov opcc Su,a m from Dover I'm ul n a