the hispanic nations of the new world-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







The　Hispanic　Nations　of　the　New　World；　A　Chronicle　of　our　Southern　Neighbors

by　William　R。　Shepherd






CONTENTS

I。　THE　HERITAGE　FROM　SPAIN　AND　PORTUGAL

II。　〃OUR　OLD　KING　OR　NONE〃

III。　〃INDEPENDENCE　OR　DEATH〃

IV。　PLOUGHING　THE　SEA

V。　THE　AGE　OF　THE　DICTATORS

VI。　PERIL　FROM　ABROAD

VII。　GREATER　STATES　AND　LESSER

VIII。　〃ON　THE　MARGIN　OF　INTERNATIONAL　LIFE〃

IX。　THE　REPUBLICS　OF　SOUTH　AMERICA

X。　MEXICO　IN　REVOLUTION

XI。　THE　REPUBLICS　OF　THE　CARIBBEAN

XII。　PAN…AMERICANISM　AND　THE　GREAT　WAR

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE






THE　HISPANIC　NATIONS　OF　THE　NEW　WORLD

CHAPTER　I。　THE　HERITAGE　FROM　SPAIN　AND　PORTUGAL

　At　the　time　of　the　American　Revolution　most　of　the　New　World　still　belonged　to　Spain　and　Portugal；　whose　captains　and　conquerors　had　been　the　first　to　come　to　its　shores。　Spain　had　the　lion's　share；　but　Portugal　held　Brazil；　in　itself　a　vast　land　of　unsuspected　resources。　No　empire　mankind　had　ever　yet　known　rivaled　in　size　the　illimitable　domains　of　Spain　and　Portugal　in　the　New　World；　and　none　displayed　such　remarkable　contrasts　in　land　and　people。　Boundless　plains　and　forests；　swamps　and　deserts；　mighty　mountain　chains；　torrential　streams　and　majestic　rivers；　marked　the　surface　of　the　country。　This　vast　territory　stretched　from　the　temperate　prairies　west　of　the　Mississippi　down　to　the　steaming　lowlands　of　Central　America；　then　up　through　tablelands　in　the　southern　continent　to　high　plateaus；　miles　above　sea　level；　where　the　sun　blazed　and　the　cold；　dry　air　was　hard　to　breathe；　and　then　higher　still　to　the　lofty　peaks　of　the　Andes；　clad　in　eternal　snow　or　pouring　fire　and　smoke　from　their　summits　in　the　clouds；　and　thence　to　the　lower　temperate　valleys；　grassy　pampas；　and　undulating　hills　of　the　far　south。

Scattered　over　these　vast　colonial　domains　in　the　Western　World　were　somewhere　between　12；000；000　and　19；000；000　people　subject　to　Spain；　and　perhaps　3；000；000；　to　Portugal；　the　great　majority　of　them　were　Indians　and　negroes；　the　latter　predominating　in　the　lands　bordering　on　the　Caribbean　Sea　and　along　the　shores　of　Brazil。　Possibly　one…fourth　of　the　inhabitants　came　of　European　stock；　including　not　only　Spaniards　and　their　descendants　but　also　the　folk　who　spoke　English　in　the　Floridas　and　French　in　Louisiana。

During　the　centuries　which　had　elapsed　since　the　entry　of　the　Spaniards　and　Portuguese　into　these　regions　an　extraordinary　fusion　of　races　had　taken　place。　White；　red；　and　black　had　mingled　to　such　an　extent　that　the　bulk　of　the　settled　population　became　half…caste。　Only　in　the　more　temperate　regions　of　the　far　north　and　south；　where　the　aborigines　were　comparatively　few　or　had　disappeared　altogether；　did　the　whites　remain　racially　distinct。　Socially　the　Indian　and　the　negro　counted　for　little。　They　constituted　the　laboring　class　on　whom　all　the　burdens　fell　and　for　whom　advantages　in　the　body　politic　were　scant。　Legally　the　Indian　under　Spanish　rule　stood　on　a　footing　of　equality　with　his　white　fellows；　and　many　a　gifted　native　came　to　be　reckoned　a　force　in　the　community；　though　his　social　position　remained　a　subordinate　one。　Most　of　the　negroes　were　slaves　and　were　more　kindly　treated　by　the　Spaniards　than　by　the　Portuguese。

Though　divided　among　themselves；　the　Europeans　were　everywhere　politically　dominant。　The　Spaniard　was　always　an　individualist。　Besides；　he　often　brought　from　the　Old　World　petty　provincial　traditions　which　were　intensified　in　the　New。　The　inhabitants　of　towns；　many　of　which　had　been　founded　quite　independently　of　one　another；　knew　little　about　their　remote　neighbors　and　often　were　quite　willing　to　convert　their　ignorance　into　prejudice：　The　dweller　in　the　uplands　and　the　resident　on　the　coast　were　wont　to　view　each　other　with　disfavor。　The　one　was　thought　heavy　and　stupid；　the　other　frivolous　and　lazy。　Native　Spaniards　regarded　the　Creoles；　or　American　born；　as　persons　who　had　degenerated　more　or　less　by　their　contact　with　the　aborigines　and　the　wilderness。　For　their　part；　the　Creoles　looked　upon　the　Spaniards　as　upstarts　and　intruders；　whose　sole　claim　to　consideration　lay　in　the　privileges　dispensed　them　by　the　home　government。　In　testimony　of　this　attitude　they　coined　for　their　oversea　kindred　numerous　nicknames　which　were　more　expressive　than　complimentary。　While　the　Creoles　held　most　of　the　wealth　and　of　the　lower　offices；　the　Spaniards　enjoyed　the　perquisites　and　emoluments　of　the　higher　posts。

Though　objects　of　disdain　to　both　these　masters；　the　Indians　generally　preferred　the　Spaniard　to　the　Creole。　The　Spaniard　represented　a　distant　authority　interested　in　the　welfare　of　its　humbler　subjects　and　came　less　into　actual　daily　contact　with　the　natives。　While　it　would　hardly　be　correct　to　say　that　the　Spaniard　was　viewed　as　a　protector　and　the　Creole　as　an　oppressor；　yet　the　aborigines　unconsciously　made　some　such　hazy　distinction　if　indeed　they　did　not　view　all　Europeans　with　suspicion　and　dislike。　In　Brazil　the　relation　of　classes　was　much　the　same；　except　that　here　the　native　element　was　much　less　conspicuous　as　a　social　factor。

These　distinctions　were　all　the　more　accentuated　by　the　absence　both　of　other　European　peoples　and　of　a　definite　middle　class　of　any　race。　Everywhere　in　the　areas　tenanted　originally　by　Spaniards　and　Portuguese　the　European　of　alien　stock　was　unwelcome；　even　though　he　obtained　a　grudging　permission　from　the　home　governments　to　remain　a　colonist。　In　Brazil；　owing　to　the　close　commercial　connections　between　Great　Britain　and　Portugal；　foreigners　were　not　so　rigidly　excluded　as　in　Spanish　America。　The　Spaniard　was　unwilling　that　lands　so　rich　in　natural　treasures　should　be　thrown　open　to　exploitation　by　others；　even　if　the　newcomer　professed　the　Catholic　faith。　The　heretic　was　denied　admission　as　a　matter　of　course。　Had　the　foreigner　been　allowed　to　enter；　the　risk　of　such　exploitation　doubtless　would　have　been　increased；　but　a　middle　class　might　have　arisen　to　weld　the　the　discordant　factions　into　a　society　which　had　common　desires　and　aspirations。　With　the　development　of　commerce　and　industry；　with　the　growth　of　activities　which　bring　men　into　touch　with　each　other　in　everyday　affairs；　something　like　a　solidarity　of　sentiment　might　have　been　awakened。　In　its　absence　the　only　bond　among　the　dominant　whites　was　their　sense　of　superiority　to　the　colored　masses　beneath　them。

Manual　labor　and　trade　had　never　attracted　the　Spaniards　and　the　Portuguese。　The　army；　the　church；　and　the　law　were　the　three　callings　that　offered　the　greatest　opportunity　for　distinction。　Agriculture；　grazing；　and　mining　they　did　not　disdain；　provided　that　superintendence　and　not　actual　work　was　the　main　requisite。　The　economic　organization　which　the　Spaniards　and　Portuguese　established　in　America　was　naturally　a　more　or　less　faithful　reproduction　of　that　to　which　they　had　been　accustomed　at　home。　Agriculture　and　grazing　became　the　chief　occupations。　Domestic　animals　and　many　kinds　of　plants　brought　from　Europe　throve　wonderfully　in　their　new　home。　Huge　estates　were　the　rule；　small　farms；　the　exception。　On　the　ranches　and　plantations　vast　droves　of　cattle；　sheep；　and　horses　were　raised；　as　well　as　immense　crops。　Mining；　once　so　much　in　vogue；　had　become　an　occupation　of　secondary　importance。

On　their　estates　the　planter；　the　ranchman；　and　the　mine　owner　lived　like　feudal　overlords；　waited　upon　by　Indian　and　negro　peasants　who　also　tilled　the　fields；　tended　the　droves；　and　dug　the　earth　for　precious　metals　and　stones。　Originally　the　natives　had　been　forced　to　work　under　conditions　approximating　actual　servitude；　but　gradually　the　harsher　features　of　this　system　had　given　way　to　a　mode　of　service　closely　resembling　peonage。　Paid　a　pitifully　small　wage；　provided　with　a　hut　of　reeds　or　sundried　mud　and　a　tiny　patch　of　soil　on　which　to　grow　a　few　hills　of　the　corn　and　beans　that　were　his　usual　nourishment；　the　ordinary　Indian　or　half…caste　laborer　was　scarcely　more　than　a　beast　of　burden；　a　creature　in　whom　civic　virtues　of　a　high　order　were　not　likely　to　develop。　If　he　betook　himself　to　the　town　his　possible　usefulness　lessened　in　proportion　as　he　fell　into　drunken　or　dissolute　habits；　or　lapsed　into　a　state　of　lazy　a