The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-13
A MIsFIr RACE.


The interest which Spanish complications
mas aroused leads to an inquiry about Spain
itself. 1t has an area of 1880 square miles,
including the islands on it's coast. This
means that Spain is nearly five and a half
times as large as Indiana. It's population
is l7,5oO,OOo, which means that Spain is some
what more densely populated than is In
diana, since five and half Tndianas. at the
estimated population of the present time,
would contain about IL, 100000, inhabitants.
Including its colonies, Spain has a popula-
ton of 2S,91l 600 and an area of Cos, coo square
miles. The Philippine islands, in the Pa
citic, have a population of 9,5OOOOO and an
| area nearly three times that of Cuba. The
population of Cuba was 1,521, 6S4 at the last
enumeration, with an area of 43, 22O square
miles. Porto Rico, with an area of $3.50
square miles. has population Of 7S4, 100
The population of Spain proper is greater
to-day than it was in the days of it's power
and glory. .aiN
Spain, like other countries on the western
side of Europe has been overrun by wave
after wave of national migrations, conquests
sway of Carthage for generations, when 1t
received its African and Phoenician blood
Subsequently the Romans conquered the
country, and many of them married and
lived there new admixture resulted.
When Rome fell the Goths and Vandals
swept over the country At the present time
many of the noble families of Spain show
in their appearance that their claim of de-
scent from Germanic conquerors is well
founded 1t is said that the phrase 'blue
blood had it's origin in the distinction be-
tween the plainly marked and blue veins of
the light-complexioned aristocracy of Spain
and the swarthy peasantry of more south
ern blood, caused by long exposure to the
sun Of a country which is hotter in mid
summer than any other in Europe. The la
ter Moorish conquest made Spain half
Oriental and Moslem for centuries. In spite
of the barriers of race and religion, there
was some blending of the race represented
by the conquerors and conquered. With the
expulsion of the Moors and the unifcation
of Spain the national type was formed much
as it is to-day. Thus it appears that the
Spaniard is an amalgamation of many
races. AS result of the amalgamation
Spain has not kept pace with the rest of
Europe but has fallen to the rear. 1t is
probable that other examples can be found
where the admixture of races of opposite
characteristics has not been beneficial.
The rise and decline of Spain can be COM
pared to that of Rome. The beginning of
the great power of Spain dated from the
discovery of America, which was the
achievement Of that country. It held the
greater part of the new world at one time
and the ambition of it's rulers was to SUBJ
jugate Europe. What Spain might have
done with Spanish kings cannot be sur
missed. Ferdinand was the first and last
Spanish king, as on his death the success
sion passed into the line Of the Hapsburgs.
During the rise of Spanish power it was
characterized with cruelty, persecution and
tyranny. It's subjugation of Holland and
it's menace of England disclosed the Split
of remorseless despotism which has dom
mated Spanish rule from the first. Eng
land broke it's power on the ocean, and it's
decline soon set in. Spanish domination in.
this hemisphere defied common justice and
malignant foe of every sentiment of human
freedom. If Spanish rule had had the ca
pacity to learn from experience it might
have held it's American colonies, but il
had not, and one by one its possessions re-
VOTED and won independence. The policy
pursued in Mexico and South America is
the same that Spanish rule has been pur-
suing in Cuba. In the light of history IT
may safely be predicted that, whatever
Spanish rulers may promise Cuba, they
would not carry out, because the ruling ele-
ment and indeed, the race is hostile to
anything like local government in it's de-
tendencies. One by one its remaining colo
MES will break away and, without the
power to govern itself, Spain may be taken
in hand by the European powers, because
its people cannot adjust themselves to mod
ern civilization.