Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-07
ONESPANIARD'SVIE
HE WRITES GOV. TYLER As TO
OPPRESSION IN HIS COUNTRY.
AMERICAN CRITICS ATTACKED.
Mr.. PouItney BigeIow md Mr.. Nom
curc Conway Criticised for Recent
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of opprcs-
sion-Thc Hull Flights.

one Spauiard's opinion OF his country
men and his government. given in a let
ter received by Governor Tyler from
abroad. Is assuredly not hattering to the
Dons nor TO their institutions.
The letter was written from London,
England. by citizen Of Valencia, Spain,
and the writer asked that his Excellency
have It published in the principal paper
,n Virginia but without his signature,
as no was afraid to have his identity
known 10 the officials Of his country.
The communication begins as follows:
"THE YANKEES AS PAINTED BY
THEMSELVES"
This IS the heading OF an article pub
Ished by la Corrispondencla de Espana,
July 8. 1895 The newspaper mentioned
IS the largest Of the Madrid daily papers.
The following is the way they paint
themselves as per the above paper:
Firstly. Mr.. Poultry Bigelow Cwho
ever no is). Of Philadelphia. educated in
Germany, and a school chum OF the En-
peror states that the American soldier
has no stamina; that there are United
States generals without calibre enough
10 command a company: that the cleo
lions TO positions in the United States
army are made mainly by intrigues Of
women at Washington. and that the
United states army is at discord with
itself, and is like an electric machine in
the hands OF an African Sultan, or like
. chip with four captains
MORE LIBERAL THAN AMERICA.
The article proceeds further, by stating
that Virginia Yankee, Moncure Con-
way. recently lectured in Boston at a
FTee-Thought Congress, and he stated
that there is more liberty Of thought in
Madrid than I'm Kew York." and that
there IS complete liberty in Spain to at
tack Church, state, or Throne. The Span
iards, ne said, are called cruel
they lynched fifty bulls in a year. while
the Yankees IN the same time lynched
10 negroes-that the war Of 1776 was a
mistake, and that Franklin had called
81 So"
As regards what Mr.. Moncure Conway
said IN Boston, l don't know, but in
point OF fact. there is no such liberty in
Spain as he states. The laws in Spain
are severe. even on those who carcature
Church. Throne. or state at carnival.
During the past ten months I know Of
two cases. personally. which ! will give
as illustrations and ] am aware that
there have been very many more.
The editor OF a newspaper. published in
an interior town in Spain. issued an
article "a leading EDITORIAL upon the con-
dillon Of the agricultural labOrers peons
or peasants) OF the district No one
doubted the truth Of the article as to the
bad condition Of these people, but the
Governor OF the province summoned the
editor and threatened him with fine and
Imprisonment and total suppression Of
this paper should no repeat the offence.
Another editor 10 my knowledge, was
Imprisoned for two weeks publishing an
article taken from n Valencia newspaper.
n which military officers had been accused
Of extreme cruelty 10 the political prison
IRIS at the Fortress Of Monte Juick
WEYL4ER TILE HYENA.
Weyler nick-named Hyena by his own
formerly loved to boast of
IFS cruelty TO political prisoners in Spain.
and TO my own knowledge years ago a
governor was sent into n Spanish pro-
vince pledged TO close the Masonic lodges.
and the one small Protestant chapel that
existed in a province of nearly 100000
people
The free thought paper OF Madrid-Las
Dominicales-is a liberal and wen-con-
Quoted newspaper. but ever since II has
been in existence it has had to fight every
nch of its way. It's founder was Senior Ra-
mon Chies. a fine scholar, writer. and
orator, and also a patriot. If any one in
IN 10
ruted 20 the day Of his death. The pres
snt editor. Senior Demoho, has been inn
orisoned Ir publishing the truth within
he past three years, and issue after issue
II his paper has been suppressed by the
public censor Of Madrid. and the editors
las made frequent apologies TO his sub
cribers, stating that it requires great pa
ience 90 publish a free-thought paper in
spain. OF late, this paper has been al
Cgether suppressed.
THE BULL-FIGHTS.
As 10 the fifty bulls lynched q presume
n bull-flghts), 1000 is nearer the true num-
ler. as there are bull-fghts nearly all the
ear around I'm the larger towns. From
wo 20 ten bulls are the number killed i'm
ach and The bulls kill from three to six
orses each. Hundreds Of the country
orral bull-hghts are never mentioned in
rint at all, while the large city papers
I've column almost every day of bull
ght news. Spain claims that the bull
ing is the road to progress. and that il
caches children 10 be brave and courage
us; hence bull-fghts are the schools Of
pain. There are newspapers that say
ull-fghts teach Christianity and mathe-
1atlcs. The pagan circus. OF Rome, did
ecay. but there is no decay shown in the
agan circus of modern Spain
Yours very faithfully