Chapter I: Front Matter

SPAIN FROM WITHIN

[Frontispiece.]

SPAIN FROM WITHIN

BY
RAFAEL SHAW

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
1910

(_All rights reserved._)

“For behold! this monstrous twenty million class,
hitherto the dumb sheep which these others had to
agree about the manner of shearing, is now also
arising with hopes.”
--CARLYLE, “French Revolution.”

PREFATORY NOTE

“Truth is an exile from our political world. Every faction and
every group tells only that part of the truth which reflects
discredit on its neighbour. Thus our political literature is
interesting only as an archive of monstrosities. The other part of
the truth--that which deals with the good qualities of the
neighbour--is so out of fashion that nobody believes in its
existence. To tell the truth to our politicians would be the
greatest proof of friendship that could be offered to them. But who
has sufficient courage to attempt it? No one in this world would
venture upon so difficult, so disagreeable, and so dangerous a
task. The result is that in Spain the only respect paid to the
truth is to leave it unspoken.”--NUEVO MUNDO, Madrid, Feb. 24,
1910.

In the following pages I have endeavoured to show what the people of Spain believe to be the truth about those who exercise authority over them, as gathered from conversation with Spaniards of all classes, but principally working people, in town and country, and from my own reading and observation. Whether my informants are right or wrong in their opinions and beliefs I do not pretend to decide; all I can declare is that I have faithfully reported what I have heard and seen. The importance of the opinions I have collected lies in the fact that, whether they are justified or not, _the people believe them to be true_, and on that belief they will assuredly act as soon as circumstances allow.

I have to acknowledge with thanks the courteous permission of the Editors of the _Spectator_ and the _Standard_ to incorporate in this volume the gist of various articles, notes, &c., which first appeared in their pages. The author and publisher have also to express their thanks to the Editors and Proprietors of the _Nuevo Mundo_ of Madrid for permission to use the illustrations in this book, which are taken from that periodical.

RAFAEL SHAW.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE