The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-23

aiding this government. "The position
and strength of the countries occupied
| by the Americans" said Grinalda, the
Spanish cabinet member in 1853, "ex-
cites a Just alarm for the rich Span
ish possessions on their border
This and his declaration that the Amer
leans were already too formidable"
shows Spain's early dislike for our
land. Juan de NIirelles a Spanish ennis
sary, came to Philadelphia then the
capitaD in ll7S in reality as a spy. The
result was that Spain intrigued with
Great Britain TO quell the revolution,
preferrng English supremacy in the
land to the ambition and power of a
new republic. The French minister at
Philadelphia entered into a plan with
Spain to convince the members of con-
gress that territorial acquisition was
an unwise policy, and even convinced
Jay and Morris, of New York.
FIGHT OVER BOUNDARIES.
The dispute as to the boundary line
of Spain's possessions came particular
| ly forward in 1896, when, by change
Of Spanish ministers, Don Carlos Mar
tirez, the Marquis De Yrugo, came to
Philadelphia. He married Sally Nc
Kean, the daughter of the chief justice
of Pennsylvania, and became u leader
of Philadelphia society. The editor OF
a Federal newspaper in Philadelphia
charged him with having attempted to
brihe him to support the Spanish side
of the boundary question, with the re-
suit that the Spanish government was
asked ia. recall De Yrugo.
Thomas Pinckney negotiated treaty
with Spain that settled the Spanish
boundary and the question of the navi-
cation of the Mississippi river which
at that time was claimed by Spain. 1t
fixed the Florida boundary line at the
| thirty-frst degree north latitude, be-
tween the Mississippi and the Appa-
lachicola, and east from the junction
of the Flint river to the head of the
st. Mary river and to the set. The nav
igation of the Mississippi river was
made free to both nations, the Amer
! leans being allowed to use New Or
leans as a port of deposit.
The acquisition of territorial Louis
lana, from which we have made Louis
lana, Indian Territory, Arkansas, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Min
nesota, South Dakota and North Da-
kota, came to us from Spain through
France. In 1900 the territory of Louis
lana was ceded by Spain to France,
who had previously given the terri
tory of Louisiana to Spain. Bonaparte,
embroiled in European wars. needing
money, and fearing the loss of Louis
lana, which he could i'll afford to pro-
tect with soldiers sent from Europe,
sold the territory to the United States
for $15000,000.
DISMEMBERING THE COLONIES.
Florida, too was to soon pass ON
under Spanish rule. In 1868 Florida
was exchanged by the Spaniards with
; Great Britain for Cuba, which had re-
Gently been conquered by England, but
I twenty years later Florida was retro
ceded to Spain. When France ceded
, Louisiana to the United States it was
declared to be ceded with the same eX-
tent that it had in the hands of Spain,
and as it had been ceded by Spain to
France. This gave the United States
a claim to the country west of the
, Perdido river. and the government took
possession of it in 1911. Though Gem
| eral Jackson captured Pensacola, Fla,
in 1914 and 1918, it was returned to
Spain and formally acquired by pur-
chase in 1919 for the sum of $5,OOOOOO.
The Spanish power in California was
overthrown by the Mexican revolution
in 1922 when the government was per-
manently secularized. In 1S43-iG many
thousand emigrants from the United
States settled in California. and when
the war with Mexico broke out, in 1916,
} the struggle for the mastery of the
Pacific coast was speedily ended in a
victory for the Americans, in lS47. The
rush Of Americans for god in 1912 per-
manently settled the question. Texas
had just previously seeded from MeXi-
| co.
The Spanish had held possession If
Mexico until 1S21-or for 800 years
when, as the result of revOiution, it
was declared Independent as a repub-
lie. though soon changing to mon
archy. That was the end of once pow
erful Spain in North America.
LOSSES IN SOUTH AMERICA.
In South America, the tale is as sad
a one. The rising of the people of the
Spanish-AmcriCan provinces to secure
; their political independence began soon
after the royal farlily Of Portugal
abandoned Eurone ana took refuge in
Brazil, i'm 1907. The rising began in
Buenos Ayres, Venezuela and Chile, the
other states following. Paraguay was
WrestCd away and made a republic in
the great rebellion Of 1910 that swept
over Spanish South America. Peru,
with the aid Of Chile, which had Sc
cured freedom ten years before, and
Colombia, secured their independence in
1920. The Argentine Republic, that
vast confederation Of the SOUTH was
wrested by the English in 1906 and af-
forwards gained hcr independence
When Bolivia was free, Spain's glori-
Gus possessions in North and South
America had passed away.
Today Cuba. Porto Rico, the Philip
pines, the Carolines and few small
islands in the Pacific and off the coast
of Guinea fly the Spanish nag. These
and bit Of the African coast are all
that is left Of iipain's Colonial empire.
GREED AND GRAB.
The true cause of the backwardness
OF Spain is the procession of horrors,
violence and public calamities that it
has forced on its colonies. But only
Cuba and Porto Rico can suffer such
terrors in this hemisphere now, and
they perhaps, not long. The rule of
Cuba has been that of aVaricious office
holders, who have MIXED the island of
it's wealth and returned to Madrid with
their ill-gotten gains. The Cuban Colo
nial government, ruled by Spaniards in
time of peace, appropriated 5000 900 for
the maintenance of the army and but
$1,25O,000 for public works.
The burdensome taxation of the peo-
pie of the island, the crushing tariff
| w oh hot