The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-04-05
OF SPAIN AND THE SPANIARD.

public thought his national historical
characteristics are being recalled by
students and the masses of our people
are again asking who is he and whence
came, and are giving answer short and to
the point He is a relic of the medival.
He came of war, strife and hatred be-
tween races: he is the result Of ages OF
cruelty and conquest of oppression ana
the oppressor, in which he has been al
ternately victim and master; the re-
euIt of centuries of religious fanaticism,
bigotry and superstition; of countless
instructions and piraticaI conquesting;
ot unparalleled intolerance and misdi-
Tected chivalry.
Several distinct races of men have by
conquest occupied the peninsular terri
tory, and each has left an impress upon
the character of the State, traces Of
which still remain, and the composite of
all these is the Spanish people as we
have them at this day with the vices
and virtues of all inextricably mingled
and still fashioning Spanish character.
Perhaps no other ground of Europe
has been so saturated with human blood
or fought over more savagely, and in no
part of the continent has there been at
any time such absolute rule of intoler-
ance and uncharitableness as upon the
soil of Spain. The domination of the
Moslem for 500 years stamped upon the
character Of the nation lines that have
not been effaced by Christian civilization
and probably never will be.
But though the Moors overcame the
native peoples and drove the remnant Of
them to the mountains of the north,
where hatred Of the Arab and fealty to
the cross We're cherished until the Span
lard as a national character again as
sumed control, he was tainted by some
thing Of the barbarity of the conquerors.
1t was distinctly manifest in the hour
of his triumph and in the unmerciful
fury with which the invading hosts and
their institutions We're driven back and
out Of the kingdom.
1t is not surprising that the Spaniard
as we have him. born of hatred. CEN
turtles of war, bitterness, intolerance
and persecution, should be naturally
more cruel and less sympathetic in war
than other classes of civilized beings.
The ages of strife through which his
nation passed and the trials it endured
implanted cruelty, revengefulness and
fanaticism in his nature and made him
treacherous despite his better prompt
ings.
He rallied in the centuries succeeding
the expulsion of the infidel and became
as brilliant as he was merciless, as pas
sionate as he was courageous as poetic
as he was warlike, as cunning as he was
brave and as regardless Of the rights of
others as centuries of violation of his
own had taught him to be.
That a people thus nodded should fail
to harmonic and move abreast with
the peaceful commercial modern spirit
is not surprising; that they should fail
or refuse to come to the level of the
prosaic and unromantic methods and
thought of the latter half of the century
is not at all astonishing. That such a
state should develop shrewd politicians
and cunning diplomats, as we'll as emf
nent scholars and noble examples in art
and literature is the highest credit that
can be claimed for it.
Its boldness in adventure and DISPOSE
ton to grasp have not been more con-
spicuous than it's miserable failures as
a colonizer, and its wretched attempt
to rule or govern those it dominates. In
the nature of the race there is little room
for the tolerant spirit, and less ambition
among the masses to broaden and up
build except by conquest. Spain has, in
fact, achieved no victories by other than
the force of arms. That such a state
should part steadily, one after another
with its possessions abroad. was as in
evitable as the sweep Of time.
It has not in its character the benevo-
lent characteristics which win the re-
spect or rivet the affection of other peo-
pies to 1t. Step by step it has been
driven from its hold the world over, un-
I'll its last important strongholds beyond
the peninsula appears to be slipping
away to the point of absolute loss.
The Christian-Arabic history of Spain
ought to have given the world ma
ton Of most enduring quality; it has
in fact, given US a people who, once
united under Isabel as a mighty
Kingdom, holding the cross above the
crescent has come TO be nrno hareC
among the weakest and least cohesive
or States At one time the most alb
solute kingdom on the face Of the
globe. it suddenly became the most
and from that it made the leap again tt
absolutism. It has vacillated between
constitutional government and unbri-
died monarchy, and has been dashed
invader, of democracy and imperialism
1t abolished the Inquisition at one
time, and re-established it at another
1t arbitrarily changed the line of de-
scent among its princes, and warred
within itself between self government
and abject submission to a royal arts
tccracy. It freed the nation from un-
charitableness, and chained it again
to the chariot of bigotry and intoler-
ance. 1t fought the grandest duel the
world has ever known, in one of the
most critical periods of history, and de-
Eberately cast away the fruits of its
victory