GEOGRAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS 65 



He promoted with indefatigable perseverance a series of 

 public works, including nearly all those now found upon 

 tie- island; he established botanical gardens and schools of 

 agriculture, sought far and wide for suitable plants for 

 profitable culture, and, as far as possible, removed the 

 trammels imposed upon commerce by the old system of 

 privilege and restriction. 



Owing to the wise administration of Las Casas, and its 

 influences which were felt after his departure, Cuba's 

 allegiance to the Spanish crown was maintained during 

 the times (171*4-1820) that witnessed the loss to Spain 

 of her mainland colonies and Santo Domingo, and the 

 terrible Haitian revolt against the Freneh. It was this 

 loyalty which caused Cuba to be termed the " Ever-faithful 

 Island," a loyalty attested, in July, 1808, when news 

 reached Havana that Napoleon had overthrown the Span- 

 ish dynasty, by the unanimous and patriotic action of 

 the municipal corporations, which took oath to hold the 

 island for the deposed sovereign, and declared war against 

 Napoleon. 



This patriotism was but poorly rewarded by the mother- 

 country; for, beginning with that very year, she initiated 

 the unwise policy of sending to Cuba as captains-general 

 men imbued with no motive other than that of reaping 

 from its revenues private fortunes with which to return to 

 Spain. These men were armed with absolute authority. 

 A few of them were honorable and noble ; others, by their 

 acts, covered their names with infamy. 



Bv the decree of 1825. which still constitutes the funda- 

 mental law of Cuba, the captains-general were armed with 

 a despotic authority such as is known in no other ( Ihristian 

 country. This enabled them to arrest, banish, execute, or 

 otherwise punish any resident of the island whom they sus- 

 pected; and later the decree was supplemented by authority 

 tosetaside the judgments of the highest courts. These acts 

 deprived the inhabitants of all political, civil, and religious 

 liberty, and practically excluded them from public office. 



