essed of one single ship of modern construction or armament; and
when the unfortunate marines and their heroic commanders had been
immolated by the overwhelming superiority in numbers and efficiency of
the Americans, the noisy injustice and anger of a senseless crowd at
home were allowed to compass the lasting disgrace of casting the blame
for the foreseen disasters on Admiral Montojo, who was thrown as a
victim to the jackals.

To-day, we find Spain absolutely without a navy. Two second- or
third-class ships--and they not even properly found or armed--are all
she possesses. Men she has, however, with the traditions of a great
past, while the officers of her navy are thoroughly alive to the class
of ships and the armament which are needed to give their country the
protection, and their foreign policy the dignity, which other countries
of far less importance are able to sustain. No wonder that her writers
are pointing out that instead of being satisfied with immense
long-winded despatches and notes, couched in grandiloquent language,
which Spanish Foreign Ministers seem to think amply sufficient, strong
nations have a habit of sending an iron-clad, or two or three cruisers
to back up their demands, and that no other European country but Spain
thinks it safe or wise to leave her coasts and her commerce entirely
without protection in case of a European war breaking out. Will the
nation itself take the matter in hand, and in this, as in so many other
matters, advance in spite of its Government? If it waits for the
political seesaw by which both parties avoid responsibility, there will
be small chance of a navy. The same ministry is in power to-day which
landed the country in the Spanish-American War, and it would seem as if
the nation considers it the best it can produce. _Manana veremos?_

CHAPTER XII

RELIGIOUS LIFE

The natural bent of the Spanish mind is religious. Taking the nation as
a whole, with all its marvellous variations in race and character, no
portion of it has ever been reproached for insincerity in its religious
beliefs. It has been often held up to reproach for bigotry and
superstition; but the people have in past ages been penetrated by a
sincere reverence for what they have believed to be religion, and
perhaps no other nation has been more thoroughly imbued with an
unwavering faith in the dogmas taught by its religious instructors.
English Roman Catholics--especially those who have seceded fr