s a large share of the territory
which she possessed at first, Spain, which once held sway over a vast
portion of America, has been deprived of nearly all of her colonies,
and ere long may lose control of the island on which the discoverer of
America first saw the plant.[14]

[Footnote 14: "Spain has doubtless conquered more of the
Earth's surface than any other modern nation; and her
peculiar national character has also caused her to make
the worst use of them. It was always easier for the Moor
to conquer than to make a good use of his conquests; and
so it has always been with Spain."]

It is an historical fact that wherever in the English and Spanish
colonies civilization has taken the deepest root, so has also the
plant which has become as famous as any of the great tropical products
of the earth. The relation existing between the balmy plant and the
commerce of the world is of the strongest kind. Fairholt has well
said, that "the revenue brought to our present Sovereign Lady from
this source alone is greater than that Queen Elizabeth received from
the entire customs of the country."

The narrow view of commercial policy held by her successors, the
Stuarts, induced them to hamper the colonists of America with
restrictions; because they were alarmed lest the ground should be
entirely devoted to tobacco. Had not this Indian plant been
discovered, the whole history of some portions of America would have
been far different. In the West Indies three great products--Coffee,
Sugar-Cane, and Tobacco,--have proved sources of the greatest
wealth--and wherever introduced, have developed to a great extent the
resources of the islands. Thus it may be seen that while the Spaniards
by the discovery and colonization of large portions of America
strengthened the currency of the world, the English alike, by the
cultivation of the plant, gave an impetus to commerce still felt and
continued throughout all parts of the globe.

An English writer has truthfully observed that "Tobacco is
like Elias' cloud, which was no bigger than a man's hand,
that hath suddenly covered the face of the earth; the low
countries, Germany, Poland, Arabia, Persia, Turkey, almost
all countries, drive a trade of it; and there is no
commodity that hath advanced so many from small fortunes to
gain great estates in the world. Sailors will be s