THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. bATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1898.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 9871, 8 January 1898, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. bATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1898.

SPilsr has its heroic memories ; hut it seems as if it had fallen away from its proud traditions. It ia no longer the Spain that it was under Charles the fifth* The nation ia not the same. They planted colonies all over the globe at one time, bat they have gradually lost them* Those communities have melted away. After all there seems to be something in the genlaa of a race for oolonising purposes. The colonies planted by Britain are always selfssupporting, If *,hoy were not, they would be left to die out. The East and West African oolonles of Germany cost the country a good round earn. annually ; and yet there are nearly as many Government officials as there are settlers. Algeria, which is the greatest colony that France possesses, is not able to pay its way. The maintenance of it coats the Frenoh Government; annually a large amount. Colonies of that description can not be a benefit to the mother country. The case is entirely reversed with British colonies. They are left unhampered to work out thetr destiny in their own way. All the advantage the mother conntry derives, or seek* to derive, Ib perfect free trade She daraands nothlDg else. The trade and the fl»g go together ; and thj people who enrol themselves nnder the national emblem work < ufc their salvation in their own way, and as seems best unto themselves. It has occurred to us how different It is with other countries. Here is Cuba, for Instance. It is one of the beauty spots of the earth. For fertility, according to its acreage, there is really nothing to be compared wilh it. All the o <nditions that go to make an ideal home for man, Cuba possessesa to a moat wonderful extent. It ia a perfect garden— an " Araby of the Blest " bo to speak. If It was Inhabited by the mast inferior of raoes we should expect to ccc them rise up in revolt against their tyrannical oppressors. The Cubans are, to a great extent, a mongrel race, bub, after ail, is the term " mongrel" strictly applicable 1 Or does it c >rry any reproach, unless it la to our Creator 1 The most mixed raoes in the whole wide world are the British and the American, and we fail to see their anperlors amongsb men, Tiuy hold the coign of vantage above all of the human rftca. The only superiority, it seems to us that they derive by comparison with other races, ia the way in whlcn they have been a'lowed free ploy for their intellect and energies, The mother country has allowed them to work oat their own destiny. Spain seema to be turning the lesson to advantage by the granting of autonomy to Cuba. We venture to predict that once the Ouba-a realise the effect of liberty of action, Spain will ba aurpriaed at the results. The principal points are as follows :— (1) The Cubans to enj >y all lights accorded by the Spanish Conßtiutlon without limit of any kind. (2) Identity of political and civil rights for Spaniards and Cabana without distinction of race or colour. (3) The creation of a Cuban Chamber, all the members to be appointed by popular eleo ion, with a provision for the subsequent establishment of a S.nate. (4) The Cuban Chamber to be empowered to vote on the estimates of expenditure, to make laws relating topnblio »ervioes, to fix tha Caatomi tfcrlfl% and to deolde oa the re*

sponslblllty of the members of the executive power. (5) The mother country to assume the exclusive management of ' international, military, and naval matters, together with the competent jurisdiction and organisation of tribunals. (6) To also undertake the dUection of political and civil laws of a national character, and the control of expenditure under this head in Cuba and Puertorioo. (7) The Executive power to be vested in the Governor-General with delegates whom he / will have the right of appointing and who t will be responsible to the Cuban J Chamber. The pity Is that Spain did nob come a deal sooner to this conclusion. It wou'd have saved oceans of blood aud valmble lives to the country. Because a nation that could dlnplay such heroism, whether "mongrel" or not, deserve and ara entitled to the privilege of governing thomeelvea. They ate cast in the heroic mould and deserve to Bircead.