The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-04-28
Who Are These Spaniards.

Who are these people with whom
we are on the point of having bloody
quarrel2 They are one of the oldest
nations, as we are one of the young
est. Their history runs back more
than 1000 years, while ours scarcely
extends beyond the time of our great
grandfathers. Our time of greatest
glory and prosperity is the present
their glory and prosperity is all in the
past. We are new and shining with
fresh paint they are old, timeworn,
musty and tempered and toned by
the traditions of ages. We live in
the present; they live in the past.
They foster their pride in the con.
quests OF the sword of the long ago;
we brag and buster over the con-
quests of peace of the immediate
present. Their hills and valleys are
filled with the shades of fabulous
heroes and demigods; ours bear the
marks of hard knocks in the struggle
for the almighty dollar. They raise
bulls, to be killed for public amuse-
ment by gaily dressed matadors we
raise bulls to be killed by machinery,
and the bull fighting is done on the
stock exchanges.
What they call their glory was OBJ
tanned by plunder, while ours came
from hard work. Their arlstocracy is
founded largely on the butchery of
their fellow-beings; ours is founded on
the butchery OF hogs, on bargain sales
or the slaughter of lambs in the stock
market. They are waiting for miracles;
we are performing miracles. They are
decay!ng nation; we are growing
one, and one of the liveliest in the
universe. They are playing losing
game, with the cards running against
them; we are playing winning one
with luck running at high tide. They
are drag upon the progress of the
world; we are leading it at a dizzy
pace. They are an OK cart with no
grease on the aXles; we are limited,
vestibule express train, electric light
ed, steam-heated, and running on
straight, away course LAID with 100
pound steel rails. They are num-
mers; we are hummers.
The Spaniards never had much luck.
If they have oppressed other people,
they have had plenty of the same
medicine themselves. The Carthagen-
ians were the first that brought the
Spanish peninsula to the attention
of the world. They founded colonies
along the Mediterranean. When the
Romans destroyed Carthage they fell
heir to it. 1t was then part of Gaul
and was called Hispania. They con-
quered It and gave it the first real
start toward civilization. When the
Romans began to decay, it was con-
quered with the rest of the empire by
the Goths. They grated their lang
uage on to the Latin and gave us
Spanish but this amalgamation had
scarcely taken place until, in 100,
the Moors or Saracens, from Africa,
began to pour in and eventually re-
duced the whole country to subjec-
tion, except the northern portions.
These Moslems stayed for 100
years and the last vestige of their
authority did not vanish until just
about the time OF the discovery OF
America by Columbus, when the keys
of the Alhambra were surrendered to
King Ferdinand. During all of that
time almost constant war was waged
between the Moslems and the Christ
ians; and when the latter were not
fighting the invaders, they found plenty
OF employment in fighting among
themselves. This period was one ol
constant war, rapine and slaughter
but amidst it all the Moors establish.
ed high standard Of civilization, fol-
that day, and made an impress upon
art and architecture which is still felt
in the world; While the Spaniards
developed that vigor which finally
enabled sthem, when the Moslems
got to quarreling among themselves
to expel the invader.
Then Spain entered upon what she
regards as her era of glory. Queer
! Isabella had faith in the cranky no
tions of Columbus and pawned hel
jewels to stake him with an ocean