history. Spain will need much time to shake off the parasites
which have grown upon and cling to her; she has no self-dependence
so long as her nationality is composed of inquisitorial monks,
ambitious soldiers, demoralized civil servants, and a populace
bred to support this state of things in silence. It is therefore
useless to expect anything from Spain.

During three and a half centuries Spain's policy has been a
delusion. Is there a conflict between Spain and England or
Holland? Then the friars come and relate to us preposterous
absurdities of the miracles of Saint Francis and of the Image of
the Virgin of the Rosary, whilst Simon de Anda calls the Pampango
natives his brothers so long as they fight to save the Spanish
flag falling into the hands of English or Dutch _savages!_
Is the foreign invasion ended? Then the friars, through their
salaried agents in the press, reward us with epithets such as
monkey, buffalo, etc. Is there another conflict imminent between
Germany and Spain? Then the friars call the natives Spaniards and
the military officers own us as their sons and they dub us brave
soldiers. Is the conflict finished? Then we are again overgrown
boys, beings of inferior race and incapable of being civilized. Is
there now to be a struggle with Americans? Then General Augusti,
who is the living symbol of Spanish authority, who ought to be the
most prudent of the prudent, the most cultivated of the cultivated,
points at America as a nation composed of all social excrescences;
the friars and their enslaved Spaniards want again to cajole
and cheat us with offers of participation in public affairs,
recognition of the military grades of ex-rebel chiefs, and other
twaddle degrading to those who would listen to it. In fact,
they have called into their councils the sons of the country,
whilst they exclusively carry out their own ideas, and reserve
to themselves the right to set aside all the resolutions at a
stroke. They offer to enrol in their ranks the insurgents of
yesterday, so that they can have them all shot on the morrow of
the present difficulty. What irrision! Do you want another trick
exposed? Now that Spain is in danger of losing the Philippines,
the executioners of the other day--the everlasting tyrants--tell us
that America will sell the Islands to England. No,