New-York tribune., 1899-07-16
SPAIN'S RESURRECTION.
A FATALJsM THAT MAKES THE COUNTRY
SUPERIOR TO DISASTER
OUT HER OWN DESTINY.
Madrld correspondence Of The London Mall.

yet rtdCht Il the remOteI COunlIySIuC.
The peasant a loin cloth girt about MS waist,
still bestrides his mule in sublime ignorance ol
Americas triumph. News uaVelS SIV"Iy ~
Spain, where the morning paper Is not nor
necessary than wine and bread; ana IL Woulu
be safe to wager that if you encountered way
farer on the Sierras and spoke to MN OF pdltIeS
and alarms his mind would revert Slowly u the
half known glores OF the Peninsula
But the ignorance Of the country may ~
matched by the apparent indifference Oh Ihe
towns. and for this Indifference another eNP'a-
nation must he sought $1,000 -,
Spain woke up one morning To ma tldt NJ
colonies had been snatched from her. that thc
last link had been snapped in the chalh Mni'.
once bound her to the splendid Victories u itc
golden century. And she accepT,u Cne af ,ind G,d
covery with an admirable tranquility OF NINA
Cuba and the Philippines. alas. were her5 no
more. Henceforth she would lose the resPoilSl-
bty. well as the excitement, Oh Hh6eii"S
campaign But with tat lofty pride whlch
refuses to realize humiliation spain put the
truth away from her. and took up her occupa-
tions once more with a rare yet perfect resl8ha-
tiOn 80 the inevitable. ,,,
Spaniards have always shown themselves either
unconscious of, or superior to- disaster Iheie
is now as there was three centuries ago,
touch Of Moorish fatalism in their character.
Kismet they murmur. as the Mo0rs dld also'
who once peOped the country ard when there
is no help for disaster they wrap themselves IN
triple cloak OF arrogance and grimly smile AT
facts as though they only half believed In them.
Now. this faculty Of proud quietude separates
the SpaniardS from the other Latin peoples haI
France been forced six months ago to accept an
irksOmo peaCe what would have been her cOndi-
tiOn to-day? worse anarchy would reign thhn
now disigures her ungOverned capital ClNll
war would have taken the place OF a patriotic
struggle. and the free citizens OF Paris. glutted
with the enemy's blood would long since have
been at one anothers throats. For the red ter
ror Of revolution is the constant camp follower
of France. stalking on the heels of battle to
make disaster ten times more disastrous. When
the Frenchman has received blow ne must
DerfOrce appOrtiOn blame not to those who dealt
It. but TO those who permitted it to be dealt, and
the Commune a logical conclusion 10 the
German victory. Yet how differently has Spain
locked upon defeat In Madrid there IS no
speech of revolution, no fear Of bloodshed. but
merely a well justified hatred of peculatlon. ana
an uneasy feeling that politics will not permit
the proper punishment Of the offenders.
NOT AN UNMIXED MISFORTUNE.
Nor is Spain's loss an unmixed misfortune.
When America accepted wider responsibilities
she amply increased the revenue Of her foe.
since cuba and the Philippines if they tlattered
the Spanish pride. at the same time drained the
Spanish pocket In the fierce desire of eXpan-
sion which to-day has laid hold Of the more ac-
tive. restless nations. the peoples of the South
can take no share. The competition is too press
ing FOR their gay. slOthful. pleasure loving tenn
perament. Where life is easy and work is hard
we cannot expect to find a colonial policy con-
ceived with spirit and the Andausians for in
stance. will not sacrifice themselves for Islands
to idleneSS and their soil Yields wine and olives
to a simple scratching So it was that for many
years Spain failed either to govern or to profit
by her colonies: the war conducted by unscru-
pulOus generals was certain guarantee of pow
erty. and il is A significant truth that by shift
ing the burden Spain has enriched herself 1t is
a long while since the peseta bore the value
which II bears to-day.
But though the war is over and accepted
loyally for what 1t achieved the Spaniards in
private. still nurse painful wound
The eternal dislike Of strangers i'm which they
rival the ancient Athenans. is more bitter. more
intense than ever Collectively. maybe. it finds
no expression. but you will hardly converse with
a solitary Spaniard without discovering the
signs of a private resentment Now. this re-
sentiment is cherished mildly against the Amer
leans. who have triumphed in war but more
strenuousy against the English whose sym
pathy. says Spain. was too loudly and violently
expressed. But this resentment will soon be
merged in the unwilling liberation which Spain
extends to all foreigners ard then the war will
have left little trace save in rest from colonial
warfare and in handsomely repcnished
Chequer.
And what Of the future? VIII Spain. now
she is confined forever within her own borders.
win back something Of her old wealth and pros
perity? VIII she establish the peace and tran
qui!lity which are best suited to her character?
No disturbance is likely To come from without.
since France. though she has just demanded.
with threat. that the Spanish debt should be
paid in full. is too busy cleaning her own house
To cOvet the house Of her neighbor. Besides the
part and. even if they not Europe would
not be likely to witness the encroachment of
France.
In truth. Spain will now be left to work out
her own destiny. and there is no reason why she
should not face the new century with hope and
confidence. The fact that she has passed
through the crisis of defeat with the merest
threat Of revolution is proof enough that her
varied provinces are all standing Loyalty by the
throne, and that there is little chance of i'm
mediate dissension. Indeed all over Europe
a al nd aoyit tiroir &c
wisely held an exploded doctrine The Carlists
in Spain have no better prospect than the Roy