The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-20
THE WEAKNESS OF SPAIN,

In ability to hold dominion over her
colonies, Spain has been the weakest of all
the European nations. One by one her de-
Tendencies have slipped from her grasp,
and yet those which were discovered and
seized by her daring navigators and SPLEEN
did troops in the centuries gone were the
richest in the world. All the magnificent
empire lying south of the Rio Grande was
once dependency of the Spanish crown
except the comparatively poor areas which
Portugal held. These all have been lost to
her. The last considerable remnant of her
territory in the West is Cuba, which has
never been reconciled to Spanish domina-
ton, and which is repeatedly making des-
perate efforts to be rid of it. 1t is not likely
that the present rebellion will be success
full, as, having already lost so much
precious territory, Spain is retaining a
desperate hold on this wonderful island
and will not give it up.
Her treatment of her dependencies has
been a warning to all of Christendom ex-
cept herself. Her methods of subduing,
governing and levying tribute upon them
have been cruel, tyrannical and Unsuitable
from the beginning. The unspeakable
atrocities committed by Cortez in the con-
quest OF Mexico bore the same spirit that
animates the Government of Cuba to-day.
Her own history has taught her nothing,
possibly because her racial peculiarities
make it impossible for her to learn. No
sooner had she freed herself from the yoke
OF the Moors, which had CALLED her neck
for 500 years, than she set out upon
course of subiugation, pillage and oppres-
sion that put the worst atrocities of the
Moors to the blush. She learned nothing
of humaneness from her own sufferings,
and has acquired no wisdom from her own
failures or the success of her neigh ors in
Europe. England needed but one great
lesson-the successful. rebellion of her
American colonies-to make her the most
humane and the strongest ruler of alien
dependencies that the world has seem
Had Rome shown but fraction of her
wisdom she might have remained the ruler
of the world. 1t was much such a policy
as SPANS in this regard that brought
Carthage, Greece and Rome to the dust.
The condition OF Cuba seems hopeless,
and all civilization must look on helpless
and plying. 1t is altogether out of Joint
with the spirit of the age, and would be a
dark picture even for the savage times that
preceded the dawn of Christianity The
Spanish authorities rule the natives with
uperciliousness, an insolence and tyr
amy almost incredible Only an over
whelming swarm of bayonets to inspire
terror, and cruel domestic taxation and
both export and import duties that insure
poverty, ignorance and humbleness, could
make such suzerainty possible. There
is hardly foreign power having citizens
resident on the island but that must either
keep gunboats in the Cuban harbors for
their protection or be constantly in broil
with Spain for outrages committed upon
them. Capital there is insecure and the
profits of its investment uncertain. AL
though the island is known to be wonder
fully fertile and to be rich in valuable min
eral deposits the development of its natu-
raj resources has been shamefullv neg
lected.
The question of the annexation of Cuba
to the United States is too old to be inter-
esting. If Spain should consent to sell the
island she would demand at least as much
as would pay her an interest equal to her
present net revenues from that source; ;
and that likely is too large to bring the
subject of annexation within the range of
discussion. There seems to be no present
hope for Cuba. If, in the good time COM
ing, the great nations should agree upon
an international policy under which some
thing like an international law of eminent
domain could be enforced, the right to
exercise such power as that under which
Cuba suffers might be tried and con-
demned, reasonable damages awarded,
and the highway of civilization and indie
pendence established