Year: 1870

EEsets Of Revel.sie. On spasisA I.dustry.


There is much In the history Of Spain which
awakens peculiar interest in the minds Of
Americans The pictured pages Of her his
torians have presented to us her glory, and
even, by comparison, her rapid decadence, In
fascinating colors; and while we read the
story of her ancient triumphs with an honest
glow Of admiration our sympathies are still
further won by the recollection that her flag
was associated with the early discovery Of the
New World, and that in after ages she was
among the first to hail with courteous welcome
the independence Of the United States. Her
history from the beginning has been remark
able. Once almost the only barrier between
the Christian States Of Europe and the
invading hosts OF Mohammed advancing upon
them from beyond tho Mediterranean, the Wis
dom Of her leaders and the gallantry OF her
champions commanded the gratitude and the
applause Of Chris,endom. Subsequently, as
the nearly uncontested mistress Of the seas, she
allowed the splendor of her renown to be tar
nished by the cruelty and rapaoity OF
her brilliant but reckless explorers. The land
OF Aphonso the Wise and Of the Cid Cam
peador became oppressive in her laws, and as
tute rather than daring in her policy. Then
began her swifs decline, until the population
Of almost twenty-five millions which she pos
sessed In the fourteenth century had fallen in
the nineteenth to less than half that number.
But In 1860, after an endless series of wars
aud revolutions, she began to revive, upon the
new impulse given to ber national pride and
effort by the successful expedition to Morocco,
in which Prim earned his first world wide dis
tinction.


Since then we have watched the progress
Of Spanish revolution with friendly concern,
and have time and gain uttered cordial
encouragement, just as we have favored
the effort for Cuban independence. At
length, when partisan contentious and grossly
neglectful administration rendered an uprising
of her people inevitable, as well as just, we
held out the friendly hand for we then be-
lieved, as we still hope, that it was, indeed,
the new birth Of great nation. But we have
waited thus far in vain for the consolidation of
Spanish liberty upon q stable basis. Month
after month has begun to verge into years
Of hesitancy, the subservient counting OF
this or that dynasty, and that neglect OF
practical affairs which, unless speedily cor
rected must end in financial and social
anarchy Here we might enlarge upon the
exhibit which every mail from Europe brings,
but we have only to indicate the prostration OF
the fine province Of Catalonia as an example to
point the moral of decay. The population of the
great commercial seaport of Barcelona declin-
ing while we look; whole agricultural AZ well
as manufacturing districts scant Of bread; the
wines of Tarragona, once sung by the poet Mar
tial as equal to the classic vintage of Campania
the Happy, now shipped to the colonies by
foreign hands, and in vastly diminished guam
titles, aud the precepts of force and greed
hourly invading regions that were, not long
since, even in the worst of times, ruled by the
homely honor Of simple and laborious race.
Let Spanish statesmen and patriots awake
to the solemn duties Of the situation. They
have yet time, and their country is full oi
| resources. Abnegation Of selfish pride, tn


adoption Of the progressive intelligence thai
peers in upon them from every surrounding
frontier, and government not Of falterinQ


dynasties, but of the people, and by the peo
pie, will restore the glory Of Iberia and termi
| nate this D0nsa de la Muerte.