The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-07-20
The Dscadencs of Spain.

On his accession to the Spanish
throne Philip III found himself ruler
of the greatest empire the world had
ever seen since Rome was at the zenith
of its power, says the New York Her
aid. Its natives were famous for their
greatness and they ruled the ocean; its
armies were famous for their proves;
she swayed the destinies of Europe,
had possessions in all the continents,
and may be said to have owned the
Americas, North and South. Samuel
Johnson, writing as recently as l740,
when complaining of the poor peoples
hardships, said:
"Are there no regions yet unclaimed by
Spains
Quick, let US rise. those happy lands explore,
And bear oppression's insolence no more"
The Spanish Empire was the result
of marriages, conquests and discover
les; its decline may be ascribed to the
ruthless character of the Spanish peO-
pie. The Inquisition and bull-hghting
were evoIutions from this character.
Torquemada and the matador were no
more cruel than the nature of the peo-
pie required. Cardinals were frequent
ly prime ministers, and Tamerlane
never treated Central Asians more mer-
cilessly than Spain treated the Indians
of North America. When Columbus
discovered St. Domingo it had a pOpu-
lation of 100000; in 1880 this popula-
ton had dwindled to $4,000. Cortez
in Mexico aud PizarrO in Peru were
ideal Spanish conquerors.
In the latter part of Philips reign
Spain lost all, or nearly all, of her de-
pendencies in North Africa, and early
in the next reign Burgundy, Naples,
Sicily and the Milanese.
l609-The Netherlands.
l62S Malacca, Ceylon, Java and
other islands.
l640-POrtugal.
-Maestricht, Hertogenbosh, Bre-
da, Bergen-op-Zoom and many other
fortresses in the low Countries. In this
year also she taeitly surrendered SUI
premacy on the seas to Northern Eu-
rope.
1659-Rousillon and Cardague. Those
places were ceded to France, thus MAX
ing the Pyrenees the boundary between
the two countries.
166S-Other sections of Flanders.
l672-Many towns and cities in Flan-
ders.
I704-Gibraltar.
17O4-MajOrc Minorca and Ivizza.
1T9I-The NOotka Sound settlements.
1874 st. Domingo.
1S00-Louisiana.
SO2-Trinidad.
lSI9-Florida-
1Sl0-2l- Mexico, Venezuela, Column
bia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chilli, Ar
gentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Patago-
MIA, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,
San Salvador, Hayti, San Domingo,
besides numerous islands, retaining not
a foot of ground in America.
In 1898 she may lose Cuba, Porto Ri
co, the Philippine Islands and the La
drone and Caroline Islands.
During all these years, while other
nations were discovering new regions,
or capturing those discovered by Spain,
the land of the Cid Campeador was go
ing steadily down the hill. The only
time she stood still for a moment was
in 1860, when Marshal O'Donnell took
Tetuan and Ceuta from the MOors.
In the heydey of Morosco ascendeney
Spain had population of 20, 100000, in
the time OF Ferdinand and Isabella,
L, ,OOO, coo, and in the beginning of the
century, only 6,OO0,OOO. The
present population is about 100000.
1t may be said, in conclusion, that
education in Spain is limited to com
paratively few. Thirty or forty years
lgO ii was no disgrace for a Spanish
yrandee not to be able to write his
name.