For three hundred and eighty-seven years Spain had been the sovereign of Cuba, exercising her power through one hundred and thirty-six administrations, of which the first was one of the longest and the last was one of the shortest. It will be worth our while to recall the roll, which bears some of the noblest and some of the vilest names in Spanish history:

No. Date
11512 Diego Velasquez, Lieutenant-Governor
21524 Manuel de Rojas, Lieutenant-Governor, provisional
31525 Juan de Altamirano, Lieutenant-Governor
41526 Gonzalo de Guzman, Lieutenant-General
51532 Manuel de Rojas, Lieutenant-Governor, provisional
61535Gonzalo de Guzman, Lieutenant-Governor
71538Hernando de Soto, Governor-General
81544Juan de Avila, Governor-General
91546Antonio Chavez, Governor-General
101550Gonzalo Perez de Angulo, Governor-General
111556Diego de Mazariegos, Governor-General
121565Francisco Garcia Osorio, Governor-General
131568Pedro Menendez de Avilas, Governor-General
141573Gabriel Montalvo, Governor-General
151577Francisco Carreno, Governor-General
161579Gaspar de Torres, Governor-General, provisional
171581Gabriel de Lujan, Captain-General
181589Juan de Tejada, Captain-General
191594Juan Maldonado Balnuevo, Captain-General
201602Pedro Valdes Balnuevo, Captain-General
211608Gaspar Ruiz de Pereda, Captain-General
221616 Sancho de Alguizaz, Captain-General
231620 Geronimo de Quero, Captain-General, provisional
241620 Diego Vallejo, Captain-General
25Aug. 14, 1620 Francisco de Venegas, Captain-General
26 Juan Esquivil, Captain-General, provisional
27 Juan Riva Martin, Captain-General, provisional
281624 Garcia Giron de Loaysa, Captain-General, provisional
291624 Cristobal de Aranda, Captain-General, provisional
301625 Lorenzo de Cabrera, Captain-General
311630 Juan Bitrian de Viamontes, Captain-General
321634 Francisco Riano de Gamboa, Captain-General
331639 Alvaro de Luna, Captain-General
341647 Diego de Villalba, Captain-General
351653 Francisco Xeldes, Captain-General
361655 Juan Montano, Captain-General
371658 Juan de Salamanca, Captain-General
381663 Rodrigo de Flores, Captain-General
391664 Francisco Dairle, Captain-General
401670 Francisco de Ledesma, Captain-General
411680 Jose Fernandez de Cordoba, Captain-General
421685 Andres Munibe, Captain-General, provisional
43 Manuel Murguia, Captain-General, provisional
441687 Diego de Viana, Captain-General
451689 Severino de Manraneda, Captain-General
461695 Diego de Cordoba, Captain-General
471702 Pedro Benites de Lugo, Captain-General
481705 Nicolas Chirino, Captain-General, provisional
49.... Luis Chacon, Captain-General, provisional
501706 Pedro Alvares Villarin, Captain-General
511708 Laureano de Torres, Captain-General
521711 Luis Chacon, Captain-General
531713 Laureano de Torres, Captain-General
541716 Vicente Baja, Captain-General
551717 Gomez de Alvarez, Captain-General
561717 Gregorio Guazo, Captain-General
571724 Dionisio Martinez, Captain-General
581734 Juan F. Guemes, Captain-General
591745 Juan A. Tineo, Captain-General
601745 Diego Pinalosa, Captain-General
611747 Francisco Cagigal, Captain-General
621760 Pedro Alonso, Captain-General
631761 Juan de Prado Portocarrero, Captain-General
64July 1, 1762 Ambrosio Villapando, Count of Riela, Captain-General
65June, 1765 Diego Manrique, Captain-General
66July, 1765 Pasual Jimenez de Cisners, Captain-General, provisional
67March 19, 1766 Antonio M. Bucarely, Captain-General
681771 Marques de la Torre, Captain-General
69June, 1777 Diego J. Navarro, Captain-General
70May, 1781 Juan M. Cagigal, Captain-General
711782 Luis de Unzaga, Captain-General, provisional
721785 Bernardo Troncoso, Captain-General, provisional
73.... Jose Espeleta, Captain-General, provisional
74.... Domingo Cabello, Captain-General, provisional
75Dec. 28, 1785 Jose Espeleta, Captain-General
76Apr. 20, 1789 Domingo Cabello, Captain-General, provisional
77July 8, 1790 Luis de las Casas, Captain-General
78Dec. 6, 1796 Juan Bassecourt, Captain-General
79May 13, 1799 Salvador de Muro, Captain-General
80Apr. 14, 1812 Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, Captain-General
81July 2, 1816 Jose Cienfuegos, Captain-General
82Apr. 20, 1819 Juan M. Cagigal, Captain-General
83Mar. 3, 1821 Nicolas de Mahy, Captain-General
84July 2, 1823 Sebastian Kindelan, Captain-General, provisional
85May 2, 1823 Dionisio Vives. Given absolute authority by royal decree, 1821
86May 2, 1832 Mariano Rocafort. Given absolute authority by royal decree, 1825
87June 1, 1834 Miguel Tacon. Given absolute authority by royal decree of 1825
88From June 1, 1834,
to Apr. 16, 1838		Lt.-Gen. Miguel Tacon y Rosique, Captain-General
89From April 16, 1838
to Feb., 1840		 Lieut. Gen. Joaquin Espeleta y Enrille
90Feb., 1840,
to May 10, 1841		 Lieut. Gen. Pedro Tellez de Gironm, Prince of Anglona
91From May 10, 1841,
to Sept. 15, 1843		 Lieut. Gen. Geronimo Valdes y Sierra
92From Sept. 15,
to Oct. 26, 1843		Lieut. Gen. of the Royal Navy, Francis Xavier de Ulloa, provisional
93From Oct. 26, 1843,
to Mar. 20, 1848		 Lieut. Gen. Leopoldo O'Donnell y Joris, Count of Lucena.
94From Mar. 20, 1848,
to Nov. 13, 1850		 Lieut. Gen. Federico Roncali, Count of Alcoy
95From Nov. 13, 1850,
to Apr. 22, 1852		 Lieut. Gen. Jose Gutierrez de la Concha
96From Apr. 22, 1852,
to Dec. 3, 1853 		Lieut. Gen. Valentin Canedo Miranda
97From Dec. 3, 1853,
to Sept. 21, 1854 		Lieut. Gen. Juan de la Pezuela, Marquis of de la Pezuela
98From Sept. 14, 1854,
to Nov. 24, 1859		 Lieut. Gen. Jose Gutierrez de la Concha, Marquis of Habana, second time
99From Nov. 14, 1859,
to Dec. 10, 1862		Lieut. Gen. Francisco Serrano, Duke de la Torre
100From Dec. 10, 1862,
to May 30, 1866		Lieut. Gen. Domingo Dulce y Garay
101From May 20, 1866,
to Nov. 3, 1866		 Lieut. Gen. Francisco Lersundi
102From Nov. 3, 1866,
to Sept. 24, 1867
on which date he died		Lieut. Gen. Joaquin del Manzano y Manzano
103From Sept. 24, 1867,
to Nov. 3, 1866		 Lieut. Gen. Blas Villate, Count of Valmaseda
104From Dec. 13, 1867,
to Jan. 4, 1869		 Lieut. Gen. Francisco Lersundi
105From Jan. 4, 1869,
to June 2, 1869		Lieut. Gen. Domingo Dulce y Garay, second time
106From June 2, 1869,
to June 28, 1869		 Lieut. Gen. Felipe Ginoves del Espinar, provisional
107From June 28, 1869,
to Dec. 15, 1870		Lieut. Gen. Antonio Fernandez y Caballero de Rodas
108From Dec. 15, 1870,
to July 11, 1872		Lieut. Gen. Blas Villate, Count of Valmaseda
109From July 11, 1872,
to Apr. 18, 1873		Lieut. Gen. Francisco Ceballos y Vargas
110From Apr. 18, 1873,
to Nov. 4, 1873		Lieut. Gen. Candido Pieltain y Jove-Huelgo
111From Nov. 4, 1873,
to Apr. 7, 1874 		Lieut. Gen. Joaquin Jovellar y Soler
112From Apr. 7, 1874,
to May 8, 1875		Lieut. Gen. José Gutierrez de la Concha, Marquis of Habana
113From May 8, 1875,
to June 8, 1875		 Lieut. Gen. Buenaventura Carbo, provisional
114From June 8, 1875,
to Jan. 18, 1876		Lieut. Gen. Blas Villate, Count of Valmaseda, third time
115From Jan. 18, 1876,
to June 18, 1878		Lieut. Gen. Joaquin Jovellar y Soler. He was under Martinez Campos, who was the general in chief
116From Oct. 8, 1876,
to Feb. 5, 1879		 Lieut. Gen. Arsenio Martinez Campos
117From Feb. 5, 1879,
to Apr. 17, 1879		 Lieut. Gen. Cayetano Figueroa y Garaondo, provisional
118From Apr. 17, 1879,
to Nov. 28, 1881		 Lieut. Gen. Ramon Blanco y Erenas
119From Nov. 28, 1881,
to Aug. 5, 1883		 Lieut. Gen. Luis Prendergast y Gordon, Marquis of Victoria de las Tunas
120From. Aug. 5, 1883,
to Sept. 28, 1883		 Lieut. Gen. of Division Tomas de Reyan y Reyna, provisional
121From Sept. 28, 1883,
to Nov. 8, 1884		 Lieut. Gen. Ignacio Maria del Castillo
122From Nov. 8, 1884,
to Mar. 25, 1886		 Lieut. Gen. Ramon Fajardo e Izquierdo
123From Mar. 25, 1886,
to July 15, 1887		 Lieut. Gen. Emilio Calleja e Isasi
124From July 15, 1887,
died Feb. 6, 1890		 Lieut. Gen. Saba Marin y Gonzalez
125From Mar. 13, 1889,
died Feb. 6, 1890		 Lieut. Gen. Manuel Salamanca y Begrete
126From Mar. 13, 1889,
to Apr. 4, 1890		 General of Division Jose Sanchez Gomez, provisional
127From Apr. 4, 1890,
to Aug. 20, 1890		 Lieut. Gen. Jose Chinchilla y Diez de Onate
128From Aug. 20, 1890,
to June 20, 1892 		Lieut. Gen. Camilo Polavieja y del Castillo
129From June 20, 1892;
died July 15, 1893 		Lieut. Gen. Alejandro Rodriguez Arias
130From July 15, 1893,
to Sept. 5, 1893		 General of Division Jose Arderius y Garcia, provisional
131From Sept. 5, 1893,
to Apr. 16, 1895		 Lieut. Gen. Emilio Calleja e Isasi
132From Apr. 16, 1895,
to Jan. 20, 1896 		Captain Gen. Arsenio Martinez Campos
133From Jan. 20, 1896,
to Feb. 11, 1896		 Lieut. Gen. Savas Marin y Gonzalez
134From Feb. 11, 1896,
to Oct. 31, 1897		Lieut. Gen. Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau
135From Oct. 31, 1897,
to Nov. 30, 1898		 Capt. Gen. Ramon Blanco y Erenas
136 Nov. 30, 1898,
to Jan. 1, 1899,
at 12 noon.		Lieut. Gen. Adolfo Jimines Castellanos

There must be added an unwelcome note. The Spaniards—not their high officials—left most ungraciously. It is not to be wondered at that they were sad, that they were sullen, that they were resentful; that they were fearful lest the Cubans should rise against them at the last moment and inflict upon them vengeance for the treasured wrongs of many years. But there was of course no[{133}] such uprising. The Cubans wished to make the day an occasion of great public celebration, but the authorities—Cuban and American as well as Spanish—would not permit it. It was not courteous to exult over a beaten foe. Besides, any such celebration would have caused great danger of trouble. What was inexcusable, however, was the condition in which the Spanish left all public buildings. They looted and gutted them of everything that could be removed. They destroyed the plumbing and lighting fixtures. They broke or choked up the drains. They left every place in an indescribably filthy condition. There was nothing in all their record in Cuba more unbecoming than their manner of leaving it. Such was the last detail of the settlement with Spain.

The settlement with Cuba came next. Indeed, it was concurrently undertaken. And it was by far the more formidable task of the two. It was necessary to arrange for the transfer of the temporary trust of the United States to a permanent Cuban authority, and to do so in circumstances and conditions which would afford the largest possible degree of assurance of success. It is said that when the American flag was raised at Havana in token of temporary sovereignty, on January 1, 1899, an American Senator among the spectators exclaimed, "That flag will never come down!" There were also, doubtless, those among the Cuban spectators who thought and said that it should never have been raised, but that sovereignty should have been transferred directly from Spain to Cuba.

Both were wrong; as both in time came to realize. It was necessary for the sake of good faith and justice that the American flag should in time come down and give place to the flag of Cuba. It was equally necessary for the sake of the welfare of Cuba and of its future prosperity and tranquillity that there should be a period of[{134}] American stewardship preparatory to full independence.

There was, as we have already indicated, some friction between Cubans and Americans at the time of intervention in the Spring of 1898. The Cubans thought that the American army should not enter Cuba at all, save with an artillery force to serve as an adjunct to the Cuban army. On the other hand, Americans were too much inclined to disregard the Cuban army and Provisional Government, to forget what the Cubans had already achieved, and to act as though the war were solely between the United States and Spain. When the actual landing of Shafter's army was made, however, the Cubans accepted the fact loyally and gracefully, and gave the fullest possible measure of helpful cooperation.

The Provisional Government of the Cuban Republic, as soon as hostilities were ended and negotiations for peace had begun, decided to summon another National Assembly to determine what should be done during the interval which should elapse before the United States placed the destinies of Cuba in the hands of Cubans. This decision was made at a meeting at Santa Cruz on September 1, at which were present the President, Bartolome Maso; the Vice-President, Mendez Capote; and the three Secretaries, Aleman, Fonts-Sterling and Moreno de la Torre. It was felt, and not without reason, that the Insular government and its forces had not received the recognition which was their due. Calixto Garcia and Francisco Estrada had given valuable participation in the siege and capture of Santiago, yet they were not permitted by General Shafter to participate in the ceremony of the surrender of the Spanish forces, or even to be present on that exultant occasion. When the Americans thus took possession of Santiago and Oriente, the Cuban government, military and civil, was ignored, and General Leonard Wood was made Military Governor just as though there was no Cuban government in existence.

OLD AND NEW IN HAVANA

The architecture of Havana ranges from the sixteenth century to the twentieth, and specimens of all five centuries may in some places be found grouped within a single scene; with electric lights and telephones in buildings which were standing when Francis Drake threatened the city with conquest.