Evening star., 1909-08-28
spANIsH-AMERIcAN POLITICS
TREND OF AFFAIRS IN THE
LANDS OF THE SOUTH.
Careers of the Colonies OF Spain
Contrasted With Those That
sprang From England.
rom tho American Review of Reviews.

From the American Review Of Reviews
The world looks on South America
through foreign eyes. To reverse this
process-to show that both for good and
evil the Spanish-American republics OF
South and Central America are but the
legitimate and inevitable results Of the
history OF the mother nations-is the at
tempt Of Senior Carlos Arturo Torres, In
Nuestro Tempo:
During the first century Of independence
political movements in Spanish America
reflected only the correlative movements
Of European nations. with their real char
acter refracted, attenuated or exaggerat-
ed according to the occasion. American
nations were but formed of the aluvium
and detritus of the old world: the native
element has lacked a reason for institut-
ing its own initiative. Mistakes and
Utopias, spasmodic reform and the weak
ness of prostration, as well as generous
deeds and happy adaptations. are nothing
but feeble echo Of events beyond the
seas. European Judgment, implacable
in it's severity. forgets too easily the In
heritances of the new nations and con-
DENNIS them in a breath as "brutes OF
vicious propensities." Heinrich Heine
has delineated the most gallant and
genteel representative OF these nations
His brow wreathed with laurel. gold
spurs glittering upon his heels-with all
that he was no hero-not even a gentie-
man-nothing but the leader or roDoer
band who, with insolent hand. inscribed
In the book of fame his lnsolent name
Ramon Cortes."
Liberty and Slavery.
The colonies Of Spain, as contrasted
with those Of England, never possessed
any form Of representative government.
"Englishmen and Anglo-Americans were
unequal in liberty; Spaniards and Spanish
Americans were equals in slavery"
Arbitrary centralized power. owing but a
loose allegiance to the crown, soon sowed
the seeds not only of revolt, but OF
tyranny Your orders shall be obeyed
but not fulfilled was once the insolent
response of BelalcaZar TO the message OF
his sovereign. The fruits OF their nation $
history was soon gathered, In the names
of Miranda. Narino, Bolivar, Sucre, y hiS-
gins, Belgrano San Martin and Santander.
at once men and soldiers. thinkers and
at times statesmen of the first order, with
generous hearts and lofty spirits. we
have the marvellous prediction or bollVal
in 1916 as to the future of Spains vas'
dominion in America: Mexico will be a
republic with a president holding office
for life; Central America will form q
confederation whose canals shall shorten
the roads of the world; New Grenada
Venezuela and Eucador will form the re-
public of Colombia Chile will be the most
stable of the republics. and Peru will be
the prey Of lasting trials, for 1t mas II,
it's lap the two foes of orNer-Sold and
slaves"
Spanish Traditions.
Three we'll defined characteristics early
~ SDAn1Sn
America-conservative traditional author
ity. dfaconan militarism and doctrinarS
radicalism. To the two latter the stric-
lures of the writer Seignobos well apply
a populace accustomed only to obey The
clergy and popular leaders. their only
ideas of liberty obtained from European
books and whose leaders are men whom
peace leaves without employment. Nota-
BILE exceptions belonging to the conserva-
tive class are Portales in Chile and
Garcia Moreno in Ecuador-men of power
in their day, but whose influence went
with them to their graves. Men or the
other types. Santa Ana and Juarez In
Mexico. Carrero in Central America, and
Murillo in Colombia. some of them civil
war incarnate," men who in Shakespeare s
words placed politics above conscience,
nevertheless have left their mark upon
their countries history. They have full
filed their mission of devastating hurri-
cane, and their countries. like the earth
after a physical cataclysm. break forth
into the fresh growth of new civiliza-
ton.
In Argentina, a nation whose code has
been called "the most liberal and demo-
cratic in America, If not in all the world =
Murillo appears as the genial exponent OF
this budding and fruitful America. The
same state Is under president. Sarmien-
TO who has become known as the
Founder" and whose motto is-'.Build
schools, revolutions win cease" 1t is the
renaissance after the middle ages.
The republics have condensed into one
century of life many centuries OF history.
They came newly born into a world al
ready grown old. Guided by the mirage
of an impossible millennium they have
passed through many transitions. Their
errors were to attempt the ideal. but they
have worked, have labored and have
af RI