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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1877)
LtKKEii's Civil. LinuiiTY aj?i Ski.vGovhunmext. 157 Imvo endured. At another she woulil be seen kneeling beside the dying soldier, binding up bis ghastly wounds, mid bathing his fevered brow with as much care and tenderness as she would one of her own household. Again, she could grace the throne as became tin. Queen of a mighly nation', and when this was iin. necessary, dolling her royal robes which she scarcely ever wore except on state oc casionsand taking her woik, she would go and sit beside some of her bereaved or invalid subjects, cheering them with words of joy and comfoit. " No wonder, then," you say, " that her subjects were so ultached to her." Hut it may be asked " Did siiu ever make a blunder? Had she no faults as well as viitues?" Certainly, at least as we now look at matters from our degree of civilization, nor do wo in tend to omit them, but while presenting them will siiow as clearly as possible that they were mistakes caused rather by the times, and influences brought to bear up on her, than by any fault of her own. Before charging her with 11113- crime, we must remember that the world was but just emerging from barbarism, and many acts which are now looked upon as inhu man were then regarded as perfectly legit imate and just. Moreover, the doctrines of Catholicism were so impregnated in the very natures of the people that the priests had almost absolute control of the destinies of nations. Two of her acts seem hard to excuse; namely, the expulsion of the Jews, and the establishment of the "Holy Inquisi tion," the most diabolical institution that ever disgraced the face of the earth. The workings of this institution, and the terri ble ordeal through which tens of thous anils of innocent persons have been com pel led to pass, are well known to all. Isabella's whole nature revolted at brutal treatment, and had it not been for the in fluence which her ghostly advisers had over her, these two acts would not disfig ure his otherwise illustrious reign. From her youth she had been taught to ever re gard the advice of the Catholic, dignita. vies. Hut, as we said, her nature was such that the priest never gained absolute control, and ofllimes the Pope himself had to swallow his chagrin at her refusal to obey his mandates. Wa enn more read ily excuse these blunders than those simi lar ones of our ancestors In New England several centuries alter. Isabella was human and consequently liable to err, yet Spain has never had her equal, and the whole world, we believe, has never produced her superior. Her name is ever used with reverence by all Spaniards and of all the bright lumina ries of the past she will ever be retained in the memory of after ages as the Arenus of the starry firmament. LIEBE1VS CIVTL LIBERTY AND SE LF.GOViltNJrENT. As the above has lain on the library shelves unnoticed, I thought, after care 1 ly reading the work, that it was a duty to give it a brief review. Though I have heard from my childhood the term liberty resounding from all, its meaning had ever perplexed me, until I chanced to meet Dr. Lieber's work. Hut few authors are able to give an impartial view of sociolo gy. They are seldom able to get beyond the confines of their own county. Like many theologians, who think that their creed is the only medium of salvation they believe their country is the only one possessing liberty, and the only one fit for it. As a result, we hear nothing but Eng. lisli, French, Swiss, or American liberty, as though each one held and derived lib. erly within itself. But Dr. Lieber's mind is broad and unbiased. He seems never to have become contaminated with narrow sectional views, which enables him to give us u clear idea of government. Like the French, we are in danger of confounding liberty with the absolute power of the populace cox pojntli, vox Dei. Dr. Licber, from his vast knowledge of historical facts, plainly shows that the
