writing of her, said:

"Are there no regions yet unclaimed by Spain?
Quick, let us rise, those unhappy lands explore,
And bear oppression's insolence no more."

The whole reason of Spain's downfall is the ruthless and savage
character of the Spanish people.

Due to her oppression, note the following list of colonies which she has
lost:

1609. The Netherlands.

1628. Malacca, Ceylon, Java and other islands.

1640. Portugal.

1648. Spain renounced all claim to Holland.

1648. Brabant and other parts of Flanders.

1649. Maestricht, Hetogenbosch, Breda, Bergen-of-Zoom, and many other
fortresses in the Low Countries. In this year also she practically
surrendered supremacy on the seas to Northern Europe.

1659. Rousillon and Cardague. By the cession of these places to France,
the boundary line between France and Spain became the Pyrenees.

1668. Other portions of Flanders.

1672. Still more cities and towns in Flanders.

1704. Gibraltar.

1704. Majorca, Minorca and Ivizza.

1791. The Nootka Sound settlements.

1794. St. Domingo.

1800. Louisiana.

1802. Trinidad.

1819. Florida.

1810-21. Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chili,
Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Patagonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,
San Salvador, Hayti and numerous other islands.

Spain has now not a foot of territory on the American continent, and
very shortly she will not have a foot anywhere except within the
confines of her own home.

To return again to the proposed autonomy of Cuba.

At the time it was offered Gomez, that grand old man of Cuba said:

"This is a war to the death for independence, and nothing but
independence will we accept. To talk of home rule is to idle away time.
But I have hopes that the United States, sooner or later, will recognize
our belligerency. It is a question of mere justice, and, in spite of all
arts of diplomacy, justice wins in the long run. The day we are
recognized as belligerents, I can name a fixed term for the end of the
war.

"With regard to paying an indemnity to Spain, that is a question of
amount. A year ago we could pay $100,000,000, and I was ready to agree
to that. Now that Spain owes more than $400,000,000, we will not pay so
much."

It was too late now to speak of reforms or of home rule in any shape.
The Cubans were not willing to nurse illusions. They were resolved on
absolute freedom or nothing.

Any form of Spanish rule would mean th