The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-03-25
What She is and is Not. Her
Weak and Strong Points.
Once the Most Opulent Kingdom In All
Europe, Now in a State of Com
plete StagnatiOn.
Beggars Compose the Largest Glass OF
Her Citizens. Over One Thousand
Charitable Institutions, Sup
porting Five Hundred
Thousand People.

There is no country in the world
OF quite as much interest to us now
as Spain. Her weak points and her
strong ones, her good ones and her
bad ones, what she is and what she
is not-all these are questions of
vital Importance to all Americans
Just now. Indeed, we never have
and never can regard this nation
with Indifference; and, whatever
our feeling may be now, we cannot
forget that good Queen Isabella
pawned her private jewels to secure
money to fit Columbus out for his
famous voyage to the new world.
1t is not hard to remember where it
lies on the map: the square penin-
sula dropping off from the south of
France and forming the extreme
southwestern corner of the continent
of Europe. The central portion of
Spain is occupied by an immense
plateau, the loftiest of the entire
continent. To the north and west
of this plateau are mountainous
tracts of country, while on the east
and south are fertile valleys. The
surface of the country is more diver
sified than any other of the same eX-
tent in Europe. The climate is as
varied as the landscape. In some
provinces it is damp and rainy
during the greater part of the year.
Some sections have warm winters
and tropical summers free from eX-
posture to burning winds from the
south, while in other quarters it is
so cold that sentInels have frozen to
death while on duty. The central
portion occupied by the plateau is
overswept by tempests of chilly
winds in the winter and scorched by
the sun in summer. Many beautiful
streams flow through rich meadows
and pastere lands. Corn and wine
are the chief products; sugar, cotton
rice. oranges, lemons, and dates
! also grow there.
So much for the country; now for
the people who live there. They
are from very ancient stock, and
are a mixed race. They are said to
have in their veins the blood of
more different families than any
other nation in Europe. Long, long
ago the peninsula was called Iberia,
and from intermarrage of the
lberians with Celtic invaders (who
came from GauD there grew up a
race called the Celtiberians. They
were a very powerful race, we'll or
, ganized and equipped for warfare,
and for many years succeeded in re-
sisting the attacks of the Romans
At last, however, they were sub
jected, and gradually adopted the
manners, speech, and dress of their
conquerers. The Romans called it
, Hispania, or Spania; and they
, founded many cities which still
exist under the names by which
they were originally called.
In the year l24 b. c., during the
reign of Augustus, the military
roads were completed across tho
J country; and the way was made
easy for an influx of colonists from
all quarters, who intermarried witt
the natives; and the modern
f Spaniard is the descendant of the Sc
mixed races.
In the northern part of Spain are
a few provinces inhabited by q PEG.
pie called the Basques, who are sup
posed to be che only representatives
{ of the ancient stock of Iberia. They
are brave, simple, liberty loving
people, who would die rather than
surrender any of their ancient rights
and customs. Until 1873 they main.
, tanned separate constitution
( which granted them privileges moi
enjoyed by the rest of the people.
+ There have been many internal
( revolutions and rebelliOns, which
) have kept the affairs of the nation
in very unsettled condition. Dor
Carlos, the pretender to the Span.
ish crown, headed an insurrection in
1873. He had a large following il
{ the northern provinces, and they
were kept in continual ferment
until its suppression in 1875.
a The present king of Spain IL
y Alphonso Kill, and he is lac
/ eleven years old. In point of Law
I he is regarded as an infant, and tn,
, affairs of the kingdom are admins
I Christina. The health of the boy
! king is not the best, and fears arr
entertained that he will never liv,
to rule his kingdom. His mother
the queen regent, is a woman o
great wisdom and goodness, and sh,
$ has wisely managed the kingdom
p. committed to her care.
r 1t is said that Columbus discov
Y cry of America was a disastroui
b event to Spain. 1t was then
o splendid empire; but following tn,
1 discovery of America there arose {
s number of impoverishing wars, anC
: then began the decline of her great
: ness and power. The wonderful
n stories which followed the discover
S of the new world-stories of bound
t less W ealth, gold as common a
Q iron, riches Observation-Disclosures tn
= most energetic Of the entire king
dom to seek for the tabled gold. S,