The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-06

The communication published below
was written recently by Frederic Hall,
who died few days ago. Mr., Hall
was formerly the legal adviser of Max
imilian in Mexico.
: The work of the Peace Commissioners
at Paris has been concluded, though not
without numerous protests and bitter feel
ings on the part of Spain. 1t will not
be embarrassing to review briefly the
character, the demands and the bearing
of Spain in general, and particularly
her transactions with powers of lesser
physical ability.
She has not forgotten, and never will,
her former glory, her grandeur, her
wealth, and her vast domains Her SPLEEN
dor, regal pomp. power and influence, Gre
ated and fostered in her boundless pride,
haughtiness and dictatorial bearing. Her
courts, arrayed in glittering splendor
were looked upon, as she imagined, with
great wonder by other powers. The Span
ish grandees who could wear their hats
in the presence of the King were consid-
cred far superior to any English or re-
publican gentleman. No soldier of Eu-
rope ever related with more pride his dar-
ing deeds than did the Spanish knight his
tale of Spanish bravery.
The gorgeous splendors of other Euro
pean courts were fancied by Spain to be
in borrowed light, reflected from the sun
of her own glory. She has looked down
with contempt upon every power she be-
lieved to be her inferior, and when ques-
tions have arisen between them and her
self she assumed an overbearing attitude
that was disagreeable and even sufficient
to destroy all hope of an amicable settle
ment.
Even at the commencement of this late
conflict she could not refrain from ridi-
cule. She pictured the Americans as
hogs" which, she seemed to think, she
could easily gather in droves, and with
the aid of such men as Weyler butcher
them. Her plans she was unable to carry
out, and the hogs" as she pictured them
to be, came near eating her up. She has,
at last, taken down her pictures and we
have taken in her provinces. In a tinan-
cial view the taking was to our advan-
tage.
If Spain ever refrained from insolence
when she believed she could overawe her
antagonist history has not recorded the
event For three-quarters of a century
Cuba has been threatening isle and
menace to American shipping and pride.
The shooting Of Americans taken from the
Virginius, some years ago, without a
trial, is still fresh in the minds of many
Americans. CalifornianS in particular do
not view the Spanish in any pleasant
light. They remember that when they
neared the Cuban coast, before our con-
tinental railroad was built, not infre-
quently a shot from a Spanish gun came
across the steamers bow, which brought
her to. They had some complaint against
the steamer which always turned out to
be groundless. American ladies and gen.
tlemen We're insulted on board the steam
er by Spanish brutes, and no remedy ex-
listed therefor.
They believed then that the United
States were their interiors on the sea,
and perhaps not without some reason, as
our navy was formerly composed of
ships, in some ways, unequal to the Span
ish fleet. 1t has been said our Govern
ment was unwilling to test the relative
prowess of the two navies
TIC illustrate Spain's treatment Of
lesser powers we have but to recall her
acts in South America. During the presi-
dency of General Jose Antonio Pezet on
the 14th day of April, 1864 a Spanish
squadron, under pretext of obtaining sat
isfaction for damages claimed by some
Spanish subjects, took possession of the
islands of Chincha, valuable property of
Peru. Admiral Pinzon, commander of the
squadron, declared in a public document
that, since 1924, there had only existed a
truce or arm1Sttce, or suspension of
hostilities, between Spain and Peru, and
that the mere taking possession of those
islands was vindication of Spanish
rights, as Spain was still the owner of
them. President Pezet, in spite of the
protestations of his people, made a treaty
of peace on the 9th day of January, 1865,
by which Peru recognized the demands of
Spain, and promised to pay an indemnity
of So, 900 900. Then the Spanish squadron
evacuated the islands and paid its atten-
ton to Chile, because the latter had ex-