The times., 1898-04-24
HER NEW W0RLO RECORD
Spain's History One of Cruely
and Defeat.
AMERICAN REV0LTS
San --nrtin, bolivar and Others Who
tilinns in the Early Part of This
Cenfury-Cuba's Hntrcd for the
MotherIamu.

At the beginning of this century the
dominions of Spain included Louisiana,
which stretched from the Mississippi to
the Pacific and northward indefinitely;
the peninsula of Florida; all of Mexico
and Central America; all of South
America, except Brazil; Cuba, Porto
Rico and part of San Domingo; the Phil
ippines, the Carolines, the SoolOo and
the Marianne islands; Fernando Pc, and
other spots on the gold coast of Africa.
At the close of the century nothing of all
this vast dominion remains to Spain, eX-
cept Cuba, Porto Rico, the Carolines,
the Philippines, Fernando Po and few
landing places in Western Africa. Such
melting away of territory has hardly
ever before befallen powerful nation
within a single century.
The greatest loss-that of Louisiana
involved no defeat or disgrace. The coun-
try was assigned TO France in redis-
tribution of territory. Florida was made
over to the United States by the treaty
of 1919 without fighting. South OF the
Sabine every square mile of country was
wrenched from Spain at some cost Oh
blood. One hardly knows winch TO mar
vel at most, the pertinacity with whlch
she cIung to possessions which We're snip
ping out of her clutch or the uniform Ill
fortune which attended her attempts to
retain them. The story reads like a ro-
nance. of which the author had resolved
to chain the interest of his audience by
creating unnatural characters ana acCu-
mulating improbable incidents.
The ruling power of Mexico was the
church. which owned the pulk OF the real
estate and welded an iron despotlsm over
the conscfences of the people. The wave
of free thought which had crossed the
Pvrenees into Spain, and of which SONS
ripples had reached the Gulf of Mexico,
was naturally hostile 10 the church, ana
il was the business of the church 10 repel
it, Yet the standard of rebellion against
Spain was raised by two priests-Hidal-
go and Morelos, who kept the banner of
revolt afioat for ten years. Political
freedom was instilled into the Mexican
mind by clericaIs, whose cardinal prin-
ciple to be consistent, should have been
antipathy to all kinds of freedom. And,
though it was a rooted doctrine among
Spaniards that the priests of the church
were to be held harmless for their ac-
tions, because they were servants of
Christ and inspired by God. EIguel Hi
daGo, caught In arms was shackled
hand and foot. carried on a mule to
Chihuahua, thrown into irons and taken
out in the gray dawn to be shot TO death
by clumsy bunglers, who could not hit
the old name heart at ten PAGES; while
Jose Morelos, stripped of his robe, was
set on his knees with his back to the SOL
diers, and shot ignominiously from be-
hind. Intending to fortify the cause of
the church, which was also the cause of
the king, these Spanish officials pursued
the very course that was best calculated
to sap popular reverence for the priest
hood.
The cause of the Spanish monarch
was lost before lturbide took the com
mand of the patriots. He was q frivolous
trifer, a sort of Perkin Warbeck: but
old O'Donoju was a serious person. who
needed no one to tell him when his head
was off. In Mexico, in 1921 Ferdinand
VII was as obstinate and pig-headed as
sultan Mahmound, who declared that Ma
Varlho made no change in his purposes.
the stolld Bourbon might have seen thar
the Mexican people were resolved on
real independence, and actual autononv
but long after Spanish authority had he
come a phanton he still Insisted on fill
tns mexican o1fices with men who were
spanish born, on garrisonine Mexican
forts with Spanish soldiers. on excIndiTe-
from Mexican markets wares that were
not made IN Spain. Such fatuity seere
ouu' yet IL Is consistent with tho uholo
history OF Spain's dealing with her coIa-
nies. ''i Hel COLO
tIu When YOU come TO reflect. II may
perhaps be understood in one who or,a,
ms ms lilroiie TO the Intervention OF tho Dulra
- ,hs isonIeiae 1, with a French army. For
a. lhe fTench, who loved liberty ana ~
horred despotism, sent an arnav 49,.
spaln-to put down liberty ana I,nt,1ig
cespotsm, why should Ferdinand MT
concessions TO the patriots, instead nf
pidlhs ms time till he could fling an ar
my upon them and shoot them. as he wac
u1lhe with their brothers in Spain?
his poiicy had the effect of coercino, tho
central American states into following
the example of Mexico Those et,tas
were not discontented Guatemala and
ealVador had no quarrel with Spajn TO
inns ddy thelr people think a great deal
OF Castllan blood, and if Senor Sagasta
sho'ild oner to let them elect governors
anu presidents, and to pay them out of
the Spanish treasury, they would he lilo
iy TO consider seriously q pronosal +a NJ
store the Spanish flag. But the policy of
SPAN was inspired by such idiocv ~
the iiVe states had no choice but to c,,t
loose from the mother country across tn
sea; Ihe example of Mexico on one side
be resisted ho' 10
n
vent venezuela from being despoiIed nv
england everybody has learned Some
thlng OF its history Ninety wears ago n
was loyal state, controlled by high-ton
ed old Spaniards, who with their de-
scendants, We're true to their king and
thelr church. When Napoleon sent Joseph
10 Maorld TO play kirs Venezuela re-
fused to acknowledge Inn and stood ont
stoutiy for the old dynasty But the rev.
oIutloh IN the mother country unsettled
minds In the colony. 1t was admitted that
any Spaniard was better than n French
man. People began to ask whether any
Venezuelan was not as good, if not bet
Ter, than Spaniard? Caracas thought he
was ana made ready to prove her faith
by sending Simon Bolivar to England IN
puy arms for conflict which was fore
seen but had not yet begun. On his re-
turn ne made the Spanish garrisons pris-
ohers ana locked them up in the strong
fortress OF Puerto Cabello. The move
ment proved to be premature. The Span-
iards broke out of their iail. Spanish svn-
pathlzers turned out to be more numerous
than was expected. After a struggle of
a few months Miranda laid down his
arms, Bolivar returned his estates and
Spanish authority was restored.
III the SpaniardS had been wise tha
colony might have remi.ined loyal to the
nag. But there, as everywhere egregious
stupidity ruled the Spanish councils In
stead of conceding something to the ma
yves SO as TO soothe tEeir pride and rec
oncile them to foreign domination the
nome authorities We're more arrogant
than ever. A Venezuelan never had had
many rights to boast Of; he had now
feWer than ever. The men who rose nm