Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-20

great nations. The Siege Of Troy,
whether mythical or otherwise, gave
the world a host of heroes and a series
of adventures it could not we'll do with
out; Carthage has left behind a few irl-
perishable names; Rome has left many
and has served as an example and q
warning for centuries: Spain has shown
us what great nation should not be.
and, particularly in her treatment Of
the Netherlands. aroused n people who
afterward caused her great distress
While the partition of Poland has d.
rected the eyes of the world to q possi-
Die menace in the aggressions of a great
country like Russia. From these cita-
lions out of the old worlds experiences
II may be seen that the Beers have lit
lie TO hope for or to encourage them in
the way OF precedent. If we turn to the
new world, however, we find more hone
ful conditions from which to draw au-
CURES FOR their future. particularly in
the dissolution of Spain's great colonies
III Mexico, Central and South America.
AL the time Spain was engaged in
carrying the inquisition into Holland
ana striving to crush her brave people
she was the conceded proprietor of the
greater portion of America south Of
Florida. The great navieators like Co
lunbus. Nespucci and the Pinzones. and
cruel conGustadores like Cortes. Pizar-
TO ana DE Soto had added to her orig
mai territory vastly more in America
than was then held by all the recogniz-
ed powers combined
The settlements formed there grew
and lourished owing TO the discoveries
or sold in the West Indies, Peru and
Mexico, and for 300 years Spain held
THESE countries i'll grip of death. Semi
4 n IN I1xs
between the colonies and the mother
country laden to the gunwales with
gold. silver. spices and precious woods.
These were the frequent objects of at
tack by English. Dutch and French prt-
Nateers. and many millions were divert
| ell from their destination in Spain to
the coners of her enemies But still
she held the colonies true to their allie
glance. until the period when Napoleon
Bonaparte invaded Spain and placed
his brother Joseph upon the throne.
This was in lS0S, and though the
former king, the dissolute Ferdi-
nand, was n second Nero b. ma
ture and had no regard for the
liberties of his subjects either at home
or abroad, still the colonsts found in
the imposition of new regime and u
foreign sovereign excuse for revolts
against the mother country. The flame
OF revolution ragged throughout all the
southern colonies. In Mexico the patriot
priest Hidalgo led the first outbreak.
| beginning II civil war which lasted
many years. The same year Chile de-
clared her independence. Venezuela
followed in 1911, again was in revolt in
1913 under Bolivar. and. after n pro-
tracted conflict with varying success,
the republic of Colombia, embracing
New Granada, Venezuela and Ecuador,
was established in 1919. Meanwhile the
revolution was fiercely raging in Mex
leo, and in 1921 the shackles OF slavery
were broken. never to be replaced.
After the long conflict was over 1t was
found that the only remaining depend
encies of Spain in America were the
comparatively Insignificant islands OF
Cuba and Porto Rico. And these two,
as we all know, after enduring Spanish
tyranny for nearly two-thrds OF anoth-
CT century, were finally released
through the intervention OF the United
States.
1t is perhaps quite natural that, while
the little folks of Europe have rarely
received assistance from their big