The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-02

mean, but their Notifications are now In
decay, SO little attention having been
paid to them since the wars Of the
French revolution that, with the excep-
ton of few modern batteries here and
there, they are not worthy of considera-
tion. During the wars with Napoleon
every port of Spain was put in thor
ough state of defense by English money,
but since the Spaniards have been left
to their own devices the Notifications
have been neglected, and even forts and
batteries of modern style are mounted
with old fashioned smoothbore guns,
utterly ineffective IN modern warfare.
At the entrance of the Mediterranean
are two points which if properly forth
fed could be held against the naval
powers of the world-Tarifa OH the
Spanish side and Ceuta on the opposite
coast of Africa. Tarifa is, i'll the Judg-
ment of military critics, capable OF be-
| ing made as invulnerable as Gibraltar.
All the seaports of Spain have stron-
| ger Notifications on their land side than
| OH that toward the sea. This odd CIR
| cumstance is a relic of the French inva-
sion in the early years of this century,
| and also significant of the turbulent
| condition of the country ever since, for
| the cities of Spain are, in the judgment
of the government in more danger from
| the Spaniards themselves than from q
foreign enemy. On the bay OF Biscay,
Coruna and Ferrol are the principal
| fortresses, while at Vigo there are two
small forts TO protect the entrance OF
| the harbor, and san Sebastian, the royal
residence during the summer, is guarded
by medieval castle and two or three
water batteries Coruna and Ferrol are
situated on the same bay, about II
miles apart, and the latter is the site OF
the largest navy yard and marine arsenal
in Spain.
Spanish characteristics.
The story of Spain from great Charles
V to little Alfonso XIII has no parable
i'm the history of the world. Historians
and philosophers explain the phenom
enon according TO their individual ideas
Professionals attribute the fall OF Spain Il
religious bigotry and the suppression o
independent thought by the inqulsition
One Catholic writer, Oh the other hand
maintains that loniency in dealing wit
heresy marked the beginning OF ma
tional decay. Had Charles ' been dul.
diligent in stamping out the reforma
ton in Germany, says this writer Spall
would never have deteriorated The pc
, litical economist teaches that the enor
nous wealth brought from America Ill
, stead of enriching really impoverishe
Spain, since it induced neglect OF HON
industries and generated an extrava
: gance which became the ruin OF the ia
ton. Buckle finds, or thinks he finds
the cause. partly at least, in the super
: ( stitious reverence for authority whic
kept the Spaniards faithful to churc
| and state, even while they knew the on
to be corrupt and the other incompetent
, ! Pride Of character and an arrogance tina
excited the hatred of all foreigners an
the antagonism of all foreign states
, the warlike habits of the Spanish people
a confirmed by eight centuries of constar
conflict with the Moors. draining tn
!. country Of its best men and leaving onl
the weakly and infirm-each and ever
one of these causes, together with IL
Vulnerable others, has been upheld b