The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-06

TN the land of Spain there Is hill
which the Spaniards call 81 Ulti-
Il mo suspiro del Moro. Translated 1t
is ''The last sigh of the Moor" On
that hill stood Boabdil. the unloved of
fate, who took a mournful pleasure in
the surname of "The Unfortunate" and,
gazing for the last time on the glories
that were the Moors, exclaimed: allah
Achbar whten did misfortunes ever
equal miner
with these words the last of the Arab
kings forsook the land which his fore
fathers had conquered and retreated
across the Strait of Gibraltar. beaten
and Inundated by the combined forces
of Aragon and CASTLE, led by Ferdinand
and Isabella.
Truly 1t was a proud year for Spain,
for 1t placed to It's credit two events
that will endure as long as time-the
conquest of the Moors and the discovery
of America. But it is a true. If trite, say
ing that all things move in cycles and
that history repeats itself, for they are
saying that Spain, having lost Cuba and
the Philippines through an unfortunate
war with nation in the land which Co.
lumbus discovered. must now crush its
ancient enepies, the Moors. who have
taken up arms on the Riff coast, or be
forced to accept the verdict that 1t Is a
fallen people.
History has no more romantic pages
than are reopened with the news that the
turbaned, dark-skinned warriors of Mo-
rocco have successfully met in battle the
soldiers of the young Alfonso. 1t was in
such warfare as this that these two
people stained with blood the fair land of
ancient Iberia, and the centuries saw first
one and then the other bear the palm
Of victory.
1t is a darkly significant fact for Spain
that each of these ancient enemies went
down to defeat after generations of lux
ury had made the one people decadent,
and the other had become virile in the
hard school of adversely. Already French
newspapers are suggesting that for the
prestige of the Christian world 1t may be
necessary for the rest of Europe to throw
its soldiers into the balance to prevent
another conquest by the Mohammedans.
Spain was a fertile field for the con-
queror when Mohammed preached the re-
ligion of Islam to the Arabs and started
them on fanatical career of conquest.
Like the rest of the Roman empire. Iberia
was given over to luxury on one hand
and grinding servitude on the other. So
when the Arabs. in their western march,
had reached the Pillars of Hercules.
Spain was in no position to prevent their
nearer approach. And to the aid of the
Moors, too. came the opportune treachery
of Count Julian, governor of Ceuta and
vassal of King Roderick. 1t is tradi-
ton that Roderick violated Count Julian's
beautiful daughter, Fforinda, and that
| the enraged father admitted the Moors
In revenge. Anyway. there was great
battle in which the Spaniards largely out
numbered the Moors, but were disastrous
ly defeated. Rodericlt, fleeing from the
field sings in the words of the old
Spanish ballad:
Last night I was the King of Spain
| today no king am I;
| Last night fair castles held my train
tonight where shall lief
| Last night a hundred pages did serve
| me on the knee
| Tonight not one 1 call my own-not one
| pertains to me.
Then began one of the most wonderful
| pages of history. The Arabs, emerging
| from their deserts and establishing their
| power in a new land displayed powers
of government and capabilities for mas
tering the arts and sciences that were the
wonder Of the world. For nearly eight
centuries Spain under the Moors was the
marvel and envy of Europe. Splendid
| cities sprang up on the shores OF the
Guadiana and Guadalqutvir, whose names
! only are left to tell of their pristine
| glory. The fertile fields of Andalusla
blossomed as the rose under the skillful
irrigation of their new owners. Art,
| literature and science were honored and
cultivated. The study Of medicine made