The Irish standard., 1898-06-25

them a good government the angels
would leave heaven and colue to Spain
Cortez, to some little extent, and
tent, in the desperate undertaking of
conquering continents with a few nun
dred men, were greedy and cruel, and
did not, in this respect, represent the
Spanish people, nor the missionaries
who accompanied and olluwed them. In
the war against the rebels in Cuba
cruelty has been practiced, hut what is
war but cruelty incarnate? Would
we have done less. if we had been con-
fronted with like conditions:
Has England or France or the UnitoG
States been less cruel in war than Spain,
or would they be to save themselves
from defeat or humiliation? Is leaving
Cubans to starve worse than leaving
1rishmen to starve? Is shooting Cuban
prisoners worse than blowing Hindoos
from the mouths of cannon?
Some years ago made two quite cx-
tended journeys in Europe to learn what
l could of her peoples and OH my return
In considering what | had seen ans
learned, concluded that were | ever TO
leave my own country | would take up
my abode in Spain. Considering that
there is a God, and there is, and con.
siderng that Jesus Christ is God, and
He is, the Spanish people are the most
sensible, most consistent people on
the earth today. They are the most
hospltable, most humane, most content
cd. OF course they are governend by Il
few consciencless, ambitious men, and
what country is not? The world is not
Gods kingdom anyhow. lie said so.
Spain has her bull fights, but have wo
not our prize fights, and which is the
moro ennohling?
Those who are writing and talking
about them tell of the vices of her low
rabDlc who attend bull fights, but il a
Spaniard was to study us in Chicago and
learn from the chief OF police that there
were 10000 prostitutes in our city and
thousands and thousands of saloons,
might he not as trutlifully and Justly
say that the Americans are a nation of
prize fighters, prostitutes and drunkards
as we can say that they are Il nation of
bull fighters? Things i'll this world arc
colored by the kind of eyes through
which they are seen and the tastes and
desires OF the observers. l once heard
an eminent divine in Chicago tell his
congregation what {, wicked city Paris
was. 1t was evident what part Of
Paris he had seen and knew best. The
Spaniards l knew in Madrid told me To
| keep away from the bull fights, that de-
cent SDaniards did not attend them, but
l went and sickeneG and tainted ut the
sight OF the first contest and was helped
| out of the place. An hour after | met
| young English lady, and on telling her
| Of the revolving spectacle l had wit
messed she blandly replied that it WAS
the first one she had ever missed, and
that she would venture the statement
| that there was not an American or Eng
lish lady in Madrid who was not there.
The low rabblo and foreigners contrib
uted largely to keeping them up by pat
ronizing them. Granting that poorly
governed Spain does not suppress bull
fights, why do not our model govern
ment and people suppress prize fights,
bawdy houses and saloons, which are
very much worse?
Let us use a little sincerity and fair
ness In dealing with the Spanish people.
| Oh that we could become the mos.
| generous, most just, most magnanimous,
most charitable, as we now are the most
| powerful, of nations!