Chapter XXIV

At the beginning of the nineteenth century the foreign dominions of Spain, although reduced, were still a vast and imperial possession. The colonial territory over which Alfonso XIII. was to have sovereignty at the close of that century, consisted of the Philippines, the richest of the East Indies; Cuba, the richest of the West Indies; Porto Rico, and a few outlying groups of islands of no great value.

Nowhere had the Constitution of 1812 awakened more hope than in Cuba; and from the setting aside of that instrument by Ferdinand VI. dates the existence of an insurgent party in that beautiful but most unhappy island. Ages of spoliation and cruelty and wrong had done their work. The iron of oppression had entered into the soul of the Cuban. There was a deep exasperation which refused to be calmed. From thenceforth annexation to the United States, or else a "_Cuba Libre_," was the determined, and even desperate aim.

After a ten-years' war, 1868-78, the people yielded to what proved a delusive promise of home-rule. How could Spain bestow upon her colony what she did not possess herself? When in 1881 she tried to pacify Cuba by permitting that island to send six Senators to sit in the Spanish Cortes, it was a phantom of a phantom. There was no outlet for the national will in Spain itself. Her Cortes was _not_ a national assembly, and its members were _not_ the choice of the people. How much less must they be so then in Cuba, where they were only men of straw selected by the home government, for the purpose of defeating--not expressing--the popular will? The emptiness of this gift was soon discovered. Then came a shorter conflict, which was only a prelude to the last.

A handful of ragged revolutionists, ignorant of the arts of war, commenced the final struggle for liberty on February 24, 1895, under the leadership of José Marti. At the end of two years a poorly armed band of guerrilla soldiers had waged a successful contest against 235,000 well-equipped troops, supported by a militia and a navy, and maintained by supplies from Spain; had adopted a Constitution, and were asking for recognition as a free Republic. The Spanish commander Martinez Campos was superseded by General Weyler (1895), and a new and severer method was inaugurated in dealing with the stubborn revolutionists, but with no better success than before. In August, 1897, an insurrection broke out anew in the Philippines, and Spain was in despair.

America calmly resisted all appeals for annexation or for intervention in Cuba. Sympathy for Cuban patriots was strong in the hearts of the people, but the American Government steadfastly maintained an attitude of strict neutrality and impartiality, and with unexampled patience saw a commerce amounting annually to one hundred millions of dollars wiped out of existence, her citizens reduced to want by the destruction of their property,--some of them lying in Spanish dungeons subjected to barbarities which were worthy of the Turkish Janizaries; our fleets used as a coastguard and a police, in the protection of Spanish interests, and more intolerable than all else, our hearts wrung by cries of anguish at our very doors!

But when General Weyler inaugurated a system for the deliberate starvation of thirty thousand "Reconcentrados," an innocent peasantry driven from their homes and herded in cities, there to perish, the limit of patience was reached. It was this touch of human pity--this last and intolerable strain upon our sympathies--which turned the scale.

While a profound feeling of indignation was prevailing on account of these revolting crimes against humanity, the battleship _Maine_ was, by request of Consul General Lee at that place, dispatched to the harbor of Havana to guard American citizens and interests. The sullen reception of the _Maine_ was followed on February 15, 1898, by a tragedy which shocked the world. Whether the destruction of that ship and the death of 266 brave men was from internal or external causes was a very critical question. It was submitted to a court of inquiry which, after long deliberation, rendered the decision that the cause was--_external_.

It looked dark for lovers of peace! President McKinley exhausted all the resources of diplomacy before he abandoned hope of a peaceful adjustment which would at the same time compel justice to the Cuban people. But on April 25, 1898, it was declared that war existed between Spain and America.

Less than a week after this declaration, in the early morning of May 1, a victory over the Spanish fleet at Manila was achieved by Commodore Dewey, which made him virtual master of the Philippines; and just two months later, July 1 and 2 were made memorable by two engagements in the West Indies, resulting, the one in the defeat of the Spanish land forces at San Juan, and the other in the complete annihilation of Admiral Cervera's fleet in the Bay of Santiago de Cuba--misfortunes so overwhelming that overtures for peace were quickly received at Washington from Madrid; and the Spanish-American War was over.

The colonial empire of Spain was at an end. The kingdom over which Alfonso XIII. was soon to reign had at a stroke lost the Spanish Indies in the West, and the Philippines in the far East. To America was confided the destiny of these widely separated possessions, Porto Rico being permanently ceded to the United States; while, according to the avowed purpose at the outset of the war, Cuba and the islands in the Pacific, as soon as fitted for self-government, were to be given into their own keeping; a promise which in the case of Cuba has already been redeemed, all possible haste being made to prepare the Philippines for a similar responsibility and destiny.

The quickness with which cordial relations have been re-established between Spain and the United States is most gratifying; and too much praise cannot be bestowed upon that proud, high-spirited people, who have accepted the results of the war in a spirit so admirable. In the loss of her American colonies, Spain has been paying a debt contracted in the days of her dazzling splendor--the time of the great Charles and of Philip II.,--a kind of indebtedness which in the case of nations is never forgiven, but must be paid to the uttermost farthing. If history teaches anything, it is that the nations which have been cruel and unjust sooner or later must "drink the cup of the Lord's fury," just as surely as did the Assyrians of old. Another thing which is quite as obvious is that the nations of the earth to-day must accept the ideals of the advancing tide of modern civilization, or perish! A people whose national festival is a bull-fight, has still something to learn. Much of mediævalism still lingers in the methods and ideals of Spain. In the time of her opulence and splendor these methods and ideals were hers. So she believes in them and clings to them still. She has been the victim of a vicious political system, to which an intensely proud, patriotic, and brave people have believed they must be loyal.

In no other land--as we have seen--is the national spirit so strong. Certainly nowhere else has it ever been subjected to such strain and survived. And this intense loyalty, this overwhelming pride of race, this magnificent valor, have all been summoned to uphold a poor, perishing, vicious political system.

But the _Zeitgeist_ is contagious. And at no time has its influence in this conservative kingdom been so apparent as since the Spanish-American War; soon after this was over, Alfonso ascended the throne of his fathers. The important question of his marriage after long consideration was decided by himself, when he selected an English Princess, niece of Edward VII., for his future Queen. The Princess Ena is the daughter of Princess Beatrice,--youngest child of Queen Victoria,--and Prince Henry of Battenberg, who was killed some years ago during one of the Kaffir wars in South Africa. A royal marriage uniting Protestant England and Catholic Spain would at one time have cost a throne and perhaps a head; and the cordiality, and even enthusiasm, with which this union has been greeted in England shows what seas of prejudice have been sailed through and what continents of sectarian differences have been left behind; proving that the _Zeitgeist_ has been busy in England as well as in Spain.

The royal marriage of these two children--(the King having just passed his twentieth birthday)--attended by the traditional formalities, and a revival of almost mediæval splendor, took place at Madrid, June 1, 1906. The many romantic features attending the courtship of the boy King and his English girl-bride invested the occasion with a picturesque interest for the whole world. And yet--impossible as it would have seemed--there existed some one degenerate enough to convert it into a ghastly tragedy. While returning to the royal palace over flower-strewn streets, after the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, a bomb concealed in a bouquet was thrown from an upper window, hitting the royal coach at which it was directly aimed. The young King and Queen escaped as if by a miracle from the wreck; and the destruction intended for them bore death and mutilation to scores of innocent people in no wise connected with the Government; and Madrid, at the moment of her supreme rejoicing, was converted into a blood-stained, mourning city.

Never did anarchistic methods seem so utterly divorced from intelligence as in this last attempt at regicide. If it had succeeded, an infant-nephew would have been King of Spain, with a long regency, perhaps, of some well-seasoned Castilian of the old school!

There was an incident in connection with this marriage which deeply touches the American heart. The special envoy, bearing a letter of congratulation to the King from President Roosevelt, was received with a warmth and consideration far exceeding what was required by diplomatic usage, and the stars and stripes helping to adorn Madrid for the great festival gave assurance that Spain and the United States are really friends again.

LIST OF VISIGOTH KINGS.

A.D.
Ataulfus, 411-415
Wallia, 415-420
Theodored, 420-451
Thorismund, 451-452
Theodoric I. (Defeated Attila), 452-466
Evaric (Completed Gothic Conquest in Spain), 466-483
Alaric, 483-506
Gesaleic, 506-511
Theodoric II., 511-522
Amalaric, 522-531
Theudis, 531-548
Theudisel, 548-549
Agilan, 549-554
Athanagild I., 554-567
Liuva I., 567-570
Leovigild, 570-587
Recared I., 587-601
Liuva II., 601-603
Witteric, 603-610
Gundemar, 610-612
Sisebert, 612-621
Recared II. (3 months).
Swintila, 621-631
Sisenand, 631-636
Chintila, 636-640
Tulga, 640-642
Chindaswind, 642-649
Receswind, 649-672
Wamba, 672-680
Ervigius, 680-687
Egica (son of Wamba), 687-701
Witiza, 701-709
Roderick, 700-711
Theodomir, } Kings without a kingdom { 711-743
Athanagild II.,} { 743-755

KINGS OF THE ASTURIAS AND LEON.

A.D.
Pelayo (of Royal Gothic birth), 718
Favila (son of above), 737
Alfonso I. (son-in-law of Pelayo), 739
Fruela I. (son of Alfonso), 757
Aurelio, 768
Mauregato, 774
Bermudo I., 788
Alfonso II., 791
Ramiro I., 842
Ordoño I., 850
Alfonso III., 866
Garcia, 910
Ordoño II., 914
Fruela II., 923
Alfonso IV., 925
Ramiro II., 930
Ordoño III., 950
Sancho I., 955
Ramiro III., 967
Bermudo II., 982
Alfonso V., 999
Bermudo III., 1027
Fernando I. (also King of Castile), 1037
Alfonso VI., 1065
Urraca, 1109
Alfonso VII. (also King of Castile), 1126
Fernando II., 1157
Alfonso IX. (Aided Conquest of Moors), 1188
Fernando III., 1230

LEON AND CASTILE UNITED.

Alfonso X. (_el sabio_), 1252
Sancho IV., 1284
Fernando IV., 1295
Alfonso XI., 1312
Pedro I. (_el cruel_), 1350
Enrique II., 1369
Juan I., 1379
Enrique IV., 1454
Isabel I. (married to Fernando II.
of Aragon), 1474

CASTILE AND ARAGON UNITED.

Carlos I. (Charles I. Elected
Charles V. of Germany, 1519), 1516
Philip II., 1556
Philip III., 1593
Philip IV., 1621
Carlos II., 1665

HOUSE OF BOURBON.

Philip V., 1700
Fernando VI., 1746
Carlos III., 1759
Carlos IV., 1788
Ferdinand VII., 1799
Joseph Bonaparte, 1806
Ferdinand VII. (reinstated), 1814
Isabella II. (dethroned, 1868), 1843
Alfonso XII., 1874
Alfonso XIII., 1885

INDEX

Abbasides, 66, 67

Abd-el-Rahman I, 66, 67, 68, 69, 72

Abd-el-Rahman II, 72, 73, 74

Abd-el-Rahman III, 74

Abdul Hassan, 105, 106

Acropolis, 92

Actium, 27

Æneas, 12

Ætius, 36

Ahab, 12

Alaric, 31

Alcázar, 89

Alexander, 13

Alfonso I, 63, 64, 65, 78

Alfonso III, 78

Alfonso VI, 81, 82

Alfonso IX, 86

Alfonso X, 90

Alfonso XII, 154, 155, 156, 160

Alfonso XIII, 144, 148, 150, 155, 162

Alhambra, 92, 106, 107

Alhama, 106

Almanzor, 79, 80, 86

Almoravides, 83, 84

Alsace, 129

Andalusian, 32, 61, 67, 79, 80

Antony, 27

Arabia, 91

Aragon, 64

Arianism, 40, 46

Armada, 121

Arthur, 70, 82

Assyrian, 7

Asturias, 6, 63, 64, 78, 81, 125

Ataulf, 32

Austria, Archduke of, 110

Ayasha, 105

Babel, 4

Babylonian, 7

Bacon, Roger, 87

Badajos, 83

Baghdad, 74, 75

Balboa, 114

Balearic, 11

Barcelona, 12

Basques, 36, 70

Battenberg, 162

Beatrice, 162

Berber, 2, 58, 65, 81, 83

Bertrand du Guesclin, 96

Black Prince, 95

Blanche de Bourbon, 95

Blenheim, 133

Boabdil, 105, 106, 107

Bourbon, 130

Braganza, Duke de, 128

Brummel, 73

Brunhilde, 42

Brutus, 27

Cadiz, 8, 21, 55, 120

Cæsar, 26, 27

Canaan, 7

Canada, 138, 139

Canning, 147

Cantabrian, 56, 64, 127

Carlists, 149

Carlos II, 128, 130, 131, 132

Carlos III, 135, 136, 141

Carlos IV, 142

Carolinas, 129

Carthage, 10, 12

Carthagena, 15

Castelar, 153

Castile, 64, 79, 81, 94, 100, 101, 109

Castilian, 81, 123

Catalonian, 6

Catherine, 109, 118

Catherine de' Medici, 119

Cato, the Elder, 22

Cervantes, 24, 126

Cervera, 160

Ceuta, 18

Chaldean Civilization, 6

Chanson de Roland, 70

Charlemagne, 69, 70, 142

Charles Martel, 58, 69, 86

Charles I, 131

Charles II, 129

Charles V, 95, 110, 112, 122, 123

Chivalry, 126

Christina, 150

Christina, Hapsburg, 154

Cid, 82, 83, 85, 88

Clovis, 36

Columbus, 29, 109, 114

Constantinople, 107

Constantius, 34

Constanza, 96

Constitution, 144, 145, 148, 149

Corneille, 24, 26

Cortes, 112, 113, 144, 145, 147

Cortez, 112

Count Julian, 52-56

Court of the Lions, 106

Covadonga, 64, 88

Crusade, 86, 87

Damascus, 60, 74

Delenda est Carthago, 21

De Soto, 112

Dictator, 27

Dido, 12

Don Quixote, 126

Don Carlos, 159

Drake, Sir Francis, 120

Edward III, 96

Egmont, 119

Egyptian Civilization, 6

Eleanor, Queen, 90

Elizabeth, 120

Ena, Princess, 162

Enrique III, 96, 97

Enrique IV, 97

Errigius, 73, 74

Escurial, 117, 121, 154, 155

Eugene, Prince, 133

Eulogius, 73, 74

Evaric, 36

Ezekiel, 10

Ferdinand I, 100, 101, 105, 107, 111, 130

Ferdinand VI, 135

Ferdinand VII, 142

Fernando I, 79

Flanders, 112

Florida, 121, 129

Francis I, 111, 114

Francis d'Assisi, 152

Frederick II, 90

Gallicians, 6

Garibaldi, 153

George IV, 73

Gibraltar, 18, 135, 139, 141, 142

Granada, 85, 86, 92, 100, 101, 104

Guadalquivir, 73

Hamilcar, 14, 15

Hannibal, 12

Hapsburg, 130

Havana, 138

Henrietta, 127

Henry II, 119

Henry VIII, 109, 111, 117

Hidalgo, 50, 63, 78, 123

Hiram, 10, 109

Hispania, 21

Holy Alliance, 146, 147, 148, 149

Honorius, 34

Horn, 119

Huesca, 25

Huns, 36

Iberia, 2, 6

Ides of March, 27

Ionian, 9

Isabella I, 12, 96, 100, 102, 108, 109, 110, 130

Isabella II, 150, 151, 152

Isabella de Bourbon, 125

Isabel of Portugal, 114

Isaiah, 13

Islam, 59, 64

Jamaica, 128, 129

James II, 131, 132

Janizaries, 158

Jesuits, 136

Jezebel, 12

Joanna, 109, 110

John of Gaunt, 96, 97

José Marti, 157

Joseph Bonaparte, 143

Juan II, 100, 102

Juntas, 143

Karl, Archduke of Austria, 132, 133

Kelts, 4

Keltiberians, 5, 15, 22

Khalif, 65, 66, 75-77

Koran, 60

Kossuth, 151

Lee, 159

Leo X, 111

Leon, 79, 81, 94

Leopold, 132

Leovigild, 43

Lira, 24

Lorraine, 129

Louis IX, 90

Louis XIII, 125

Louis XIV, 127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134

Louis XV, 140

Louisiana, 139

Lucan, 29

Luther, 114, 116

Madrid, Treaty of, 139

Magellan, 114

Mahdi, 85

Maine, 159

Manila, 138, 160

Maria Theresa, 127, 132

Marie de' Medici, 125

Marius, 23, 24

Marlborough, 133

Martian, 29

Martinez Campos, 158

Mary Tudor, 117, 118

Maximilian, 109, 111

Mazzini, 153

Mercedes, 154

Mexico, 20, 112, 137

Milan, 135

Minorca, 135

Mississippi, 138

Mithridates, 25

Monroe, 147

Moor, 56

Moriscos, 126, 128

Moscow, 143

Montpensier, Duke de, 152, 154

Munda, 26

Murillo, 52

Mur-Viedo, 16

Musa, 52

Naples, 135

Napoleon, 139, 142

Navarre, 79, 94

Nelson, 142

Ne plus ultra, 18

Nero, 29, 73

Netherlands, 115, 119, 120, 128, 135

New Orleans, 139

Nineveh, 7

Noah, 7

Numantia, 24

Octavius Augustus, 23

Olivier, 70

Omeyads, 66, 67, 72, 74

Opus Majus, 87

Ordoño I, 79

Osca, 25

Ostrogoths, 36

Paladins, 70

Pedro, 83, 95

Pelagius, 64

Pelasgians, 30, 88

Peru, 20, 112, 137

Petronius, 73

Phenicia, 91

Philip II, 161

Philip III, 125, 126, 127

Philip IV, 127, 128

Philip V, 33, 134, 133

Philippi, 27

Philippines, 137, 138, 156, 158, 160

Pillars of Hercules, 18, 82

Pizzarro, 112

Placidia, 33

Plutarch, 24

Pompey, 25, 26

Ponce de Leon, 112

Portugal, 94, 102, 109

Pragmatic Sanction, 151

Pretender, 132

Protestantism, 115, 118, 119

Punic, 11, 14, 16

Quebec, 138

Quintilian, 29

Ramiro I, 79

Recared, 46

Reconcentrados, 159

Reformation, 114

Richelieu, 131

Roderick, 51, 54, 56, 107

Roland, 70, 71

Rome, 13

Roncesvalles, 13

Saguntum, 9, 16

Sahara, 2

Salic Law, 150

Saracen, 61, 62, 63

Santiago de Cuba, 160

Sardinia, 11, 14, 135

Scipio, 19, 22

Seneca, 29

Seville, 88, 89

Sidon, 7, 12

Spanish Succession, War of, 33

Spartans, 30

St. Augustine, 129

St. Bartholomew, 119

Stuart, House of, 131

Suevi, 31

Sylla, 23, 24

Syrian, 7

Tarif, 53

Tarshish, 10, 13

Toledo, 45, 65

Torquemada, 103

Trafalgar, 142

Troy, 9

Tubal, 4

Tyre, 7, 13

Ulfilas, 39

Utrecht, Peace of, 134

Valladolid, 100, 101, 104, 117

Vandals, 30

Visigoths, 36

Wamba, 47

Wellington, 143

Weyler, 158

White Hind, 26

Witiza, 50, 51

Yusuf, 67

Zante, 9

Zarynthus, 9

Zeitgeist, 162, 163

Ziryab, 73

End of Project Gutenberg's A Short History of Spain, by Mary Platt Parmele