The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-09-23
SPANS DECADENCE.
HER POSSESSIONS DWINDLING AND
HER POWER VANISHING.

Once Her Army and Navy Were Famous
For Their Prowess-What She Has Lost
in Two Centurfes-WhiIe Others Were
Acquiring She Went Down Hill.
On his accession to the Spanish
throne Philip IL found himself ruler of
the greatest empire the world had seen
since Rome was at the zenith of it's
power Its navies were famous for
their greatness and they ruled the
ocean, its armies were famous for
their prowess, she swayed the destin-
les 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 1740, when complaining of
the poor peoples hardships, said:
Are there no regions yet unclaimed
by Spain?
Quick. let us rise, those happy lands
explore,
And bear expressions insolence no
more"
The Spanish empire was the result of
marriages, conquest and discoveries;
its decline and fall may be ascribed to
the ruthless character of the Spanish
people. The Inquisition and bull fight
ing were evolutions from this char
acter; Torquemada and the matador
were no more cruel than the nature of
the people required. Cardinals were
frequently prime ministers, and Tam
pr1aDo rauor troofod Gor+f,a1 Ac:auc
more mercilessly than Spain treated
the Indians of North America. When
Columbus discovered st. Domingo it
had population of 100000; in 1880
this population had dwindled to $780,
600. Cortez in Mexico and Pizarro in
Peru were ideal Spanish conquerors.
In the latter part of Philips reign
Spain lost all, or nearly all, of her de-
tendencies in North Africa, and early
in the next reign Burgundy, Naples,
Sicily and the Milanese.
1609-The Netherlands.
1628-Malacca, Ceylon, Java and
other islands.
1640-Portugal.
1648-Spain renowned all claim to
Holland
1648-Brabant and parts of Flanders.
1649-Maestricht Hertogenbosch,
Breda, Bergen-op-Zoom, and many
other fortresses in the Low Countries.
In this year also she tacitly surren-
I. dered supremacy on the seas to North
ern Europe
1859 Rousillon and Cardague.
Those places were ceded to France,
thus making the Pyrenees the bound
airy between the two countries.
1668-Other sections of Flanders.
1672-Many towns and cities in Elan
ders.
1704-Gibraltar
1704-Maiorca, Minorca and Ivizza.
1791-The Nootka Sound settle
ments.
1794-St. Domingo.
1800-Louisiana.
1802-Trinidad.
1819-Florida.
Mexico, Venezuela, Colon
bia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chill, Ar
gentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Patago-
San Salvador, Hayti, San Domingo, be-
sides numerous islands retaining not a
foot of ground in America.
During all those years, while other
nations were discovering new regions
or capturing those discovered or con-
quered by Spain, the land of the Cid
Campeador was going 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 ascendant
cy Spain had a population of 100000
in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella
100000, and in the beginning of the
eighteenth century only 100000 The
present population is about 18,000,0O0.
1t may be said in conclusion that ed
ucation in Spain is limited to compare
lively few. Thirty or forty years ago
it was no disgrace for a Spanish gran
dee not to be able to write his name.