The record-union., 1898-10-31

any other nation; and it does not come
just as much, perhaps more, if he has
done nothing but loaf.
Oar own theory is that it springs
from soldiership; that the Spaniard,
like the Highlander after fighting per-
petually for centuries past, has got the
soldier characteristics fairly into his
blood-the love Of appearing dignifed,
the tendency to Incidence when of
duty, the instructive loneliness about
grade. the, personal pride as of the man
who faces death while other men only
live. Certainly the Spaniard has 1t,
and it maeks him on occasion one OF
the most to be respected, and on occa-
sion one of the most irrational of Gods
creatures. He seems when his pride
is moved to act on emotion, merely, and
will put aside the greatest temptation,
or act with the greatest folly, accord
ing to the provocation-
PRIDE AND CALLOUSNESS.
1t is, we believe, of his pride, united
to his other and worse quality, callous-
ness, that the Spaniard's reputation for
cruelty which has run down through
all ages, has been born. 1t may be
doubted if he hurts anybody for the
sake of hurting, though he has not the
general European idea of the value Of
human life-neither had the Roman
but he regards any rebel as one who
has insulted him, and who must be
chastised until he is obedient again. He
will utterly crush, to his own injury
very often, rather than not be master,
and acknowledged master. The feeling
seems to be entirely Independent alike
of race and color. During the terrible
wars of independence in South America,
the true history of which has never
been written, the Spaniard treated rebel
Spaniards just as he treated Indians"
at the time Of the conQuest-that is, he,
whenever that seemed the only way,
slaughtered them without mercy. He
does the same to-day in Cuba, and from
the same motive. He must, however,
be callous as well as proud, or he could
not let women and children die of want,
or exult in, the risk Of human life, which
is, after all apologies have been made,
the true source of excitement in a bull
fight. That callousness may be the
result, as it was in the Roman, of CEN
turies of battle, or it may be a survival
from his original forefathers, who it
seems almost certain descended from
some tribe akin in language and char
acteristics to the Mongol, the race in
which, Of all the greater divisions Of the
human family, the sentiment of pity is
most weak. Even a negro feels more
for the suffering than a Tartar or a
Chinese.
To complete our appreciation of
character which, with all its faults,
evokes sympathy for a certain underly-
ing nobleness that on unexpected occa-
sions becomes a motive force, we must
add that the Spaniard, brave, proud
self dominating as he is has some hid
den root of inefficiency. He never quite |
succeeds. With every requisite for a
great army, he has never yet made |
one that permanently conquered. He
has never succeeded in keeping Portu-
gal, which is almost Indispensable to |
his safety. His ships, often splendidly |
fought, have never won a great en-
gagement. He has never made a
Government which contented him, and |
with every wish for wealth. and a mag |
nif1cent estate he has remained poor.
He does not wrestle vigorously with his |
modern difficulties, such as tenure, |
and the continuous emptiness of his ex-
chequer, and, in fact, to be brief, does
not succeed in realizing his wishes. |
Something. in fact, prevents his apply |
ing his strength, which is great in the |
right direction, and so he falls back ex-
hausted, leaving the evil unremoved or |
the blessing unattained. What the |
cause Of that futility, which has reap |
peared throughout the whole course Of |
his domestic history, can possibly be |
must be left to himself to discover. He |
himself is aware Of it, and suggests as |
the cause, with demure smile, that |
heaven is envious Of Spain. He will |
grow serious on the subject one day, |
and when he does there will be a revo- |
luton in Spain such as the world never |
saw, and perhaps a career for Spain |
such as shall once for all make her ir- |
ritable pride serene-London Spectator. |