Catoctin clarion., 1899-11-09
SPAIN'S DECADENCE.
HER POSSESSiONs DWlNDLlNG AND
HER POWER VANISHING.

Once Her Army and Navy Were Famous
For Their Prove IS. has She Has Lost
in Two Centuries-WhiIs Others Were
Acquiring She Went Down Hill.
On his accession to the Spanish
throne Philip ii. found himself ruler Of
the greatest empire the world had seen
since Rome was at the zenith Of its
power. Its navies were famous for
their greatness and they ruled the
ocean, its armies were famous for
their prowess, she sWayed the destn-
les Of Europe, had possessions in all
the continents, and may be said to-
have owned the Americas, North and
South. Samuel Johnson, writing as
recently as 1740, when complaining Of
the poor peoples hardships, said:
"Are there no regions yet unclaimed
by Spain?
Quick, let us rise, those happy lands
explore,
And bear oppression's insolence no
more"
The Spanish empire was the result of
marriages, conquest and discoveries;
it's decline and fall may be ascribed to
the ruthless character OF the Spanish
people. The Inqusition and bull fight
ing We're evolutions from this char
acter; TorQuemada and the matador
were no more cruel than the nature OF
the people required. Cardinals were
frequently prime ministers, and Tam
erlane never treated Central Asians
more merclessly than Spain treated
the Indians Of North America. When
Columbus discovered St. Domingo it
had a population of 1000 900; in 1880
this population had dWindled to $780,
600. Cortez in Mexico and Pizarro in
Peru were ideal Spanish conquerors.
In the latter part of Philips reign
Spain lost all, or nearly all, of her de-
Tendencies in North Africa, and early
In the next reign Burgundy, Naples.
Sicily and the Milanese.
1609-The Netherlands.
162S-Malacca, Ceylon, Java and
other islands.
1640-Portugal
1G4S-Spain renowned all claim to
Holland
1G4S-Brabant AMI parts Of Flanders.
16l9-Maestricht Hertogenbosch.
Breda Bergen-op-Zocm, and many
other fortrcsses in the Low Countries.
In this year also she tacitly surren-
dered supremacy OF the seas to North
ern Europe.
lG59-RCusillon and Cardague.
Those places were ceded to France.
thus making the Pyrenees the bound
ary between the two countries.
1GGS-Othcr sections of Flanders.
lG72-Many tow Ms and cities in Flan-
ders.
1704-Gibraltar.
1704-Major Minorca and Ivizza.
1791-The Nootia Sound settle
ments.
1794-St. Domingo. |
1S00-Louisana.
l802-Trinidad.
lS19-Florida.
1Si0-21-Mexico, Venezuela, Colom-
bia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chilli, Ar
gentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Patago-
ma, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,
San Salvador, Hayti. San Domingo, be-
sides numerous islands retaining not
foot of ground in Americ2.
During all those years, while other
nations were discovering new regions
or capturing those discovered or con-
quered by Spain, the land of the Cid
Campeador was going steadily down
the hill. The Only time she stood
still for moment was in 1860, when
Marshal ODonnell took Tetuan and
Ceura from the MoCrs.
In the heydey of MoroSco ascendan-
cy Spain had a population of 20, 0,000,O 900,
in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella
10000 900, and in the beginning of the
eighteenth century only 6,000,O0o The
present population is about 1S,0OO,OO0.
1t may be said in conclusion that ed
ucation in Spain is limited to compara-
lively few. Thirty or forty years ago
1t was no disgrace for Spanish gran
dee not to be able TO write his name. .