The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-11
A DYING NATION.
response.

Spain is dying. 1t takes a nation a long
time to die, even after the process begins,
and it is protracted in proportion to pre-
vious vigor and vitality. Spain was once
a vigorous and aggressive nation, never as
extensive territorially or as populous as
some others, but vigorous and aggressive
to a remarkable degree. In proof of this
it is only necessary to recall her former
wars of conquest, her voyages of discov-
cry, her magnificent possessions in North
and South America, her vigorous colonizing
policy, etc. But those signs of vitality have
long since passed away, and for nearly
three hundred years Spain has been slowly
dying. 1t has been just about that long
since, in the zenith of her power, she es-
sayed to deliver a crushing blow to the
Protestant interest by capturing England.
to have marked the beginning of SPANS
decay, for although she has engaged in
many and some notable enterprises
since, she has never reached the height of
power she had under Philip III. OF the cen
fury following the accession of Philip III,
in 1893, historian says: Three reigns fill
this century of national decline, full as it
is of crowned idiocy, hypochondria and
madness, the result of incestuous marriages
or natural weakness. The splendid and
prosperous Spanish empire under the EN-
peror and his son, its vast conquests, dis
eoveries and foreign wars, becomes trans
formed into q bauble for the caprice of
favorites under their SUCCESSORS The dy-
ing has been going on ever since, with oc-
casional rallies which have only served to
emphasize the process. When she has not
been engaged in cruel wars of aggression
against weak peoples or in vain efforts to
maintain her odious rule over rebellious
colonies, all destined to acquire their indie
pendence, she has been torn in pieces by
civil wars, dynastic wars, wars of success
sion clerical wars and other natural fruits
of corrupt government and unmistakable
signs of decay. Such nation ought TO die.
In the economy of Providence and the evo-
luton of civilization there is no place for it.
At the beginning of the present century
the population of Spain was 1851 900, and
now it is 1S,OG0.0O9, an increase of less than
S,0O0C00 in q hundred years. In the same
period the population of the British islands
has increased from 100000 to 10000 900,
that of France from 27,0OO.0O0 to 40,O0O,0OO.
that of the United States from 100000 TO
75000,00e. The population of Spain has but
little more than doubled since 1851, and dur
ing the same period her decay In every fea-
ture of material prosperity and her symp-
toms of degeneracy have become more and
ago Buckle, the author of THE History of
English Civilization" wrote of Spain:
There she lies, at the further extremity
of the continent, huge and torpid mass.
the only representative now remaining of
the feelings and the knowledge of the mid
die ages. And what is the worst symp
tom of all, she is satisfied with her own
condition. Though she is the most back
ward country in Europe, she believes her
everything of which she ought TO be
ashamed. She is proud of the antiquity of
her opinions, proud of the strength of her
faith, proud of her Unreasonable and child
amend either her creed or her customs.
proud of her hatred of heretcs and proud
of the undying vigilance with which she
has baffled their efforts to obtain full and
legal establishment on her soil.
This picture, drawn forty years ago, is
still truthful, the only difference being that
four decades have deepened Its lines. The
dying process has not brought out any new
virtues and has only verified the adage of
ruling passions strong in death. In the
interest of civilization Spain should not
only get out of Cuba. but get off the earth