The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-10-10 00:00:00

Ely 3totutribgt Aperticr.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 10101

SPAIN.

Spain. which has been torn by so many rev:o
lotions, is now passing throng!' a painful crisis
in her history, and even the immediate fotore
cannot be foretold by the clearest-sighted
amongst us. To oust Queen Isabella from the
throne, to cause her to tly from the country to
the friendly protection of a neighbouring nation,
was, in the temper of the Spanish people, erllll-
- easy work ; but it is far 11i101.1210111t
to build up a stable government amid the
quarrel; of contendiug factions. Coollicting re-
ports hive reached this country for days jet 4t,
and still arrive, and these in themselves shoo
how difficult is the work of re-constitution.
There appears to he in this matter, as in so
many others, three causes--a repnblic, a mon-
archy, or military despotism. The genius of
the Spanish people, we think, jollied to a
republic ; its traditions are all c ~,,, weted with
monarchy ; and 3 dread) it is beui ii Hgoes-
ton with the Spaniards, not whether the go-
vernment shall be repnblican or monarchial, but
who kball be placed on the throne. The voice
of France will of course be very powerful in the
settlement of this question if the progress of the
revolution should turn upon it. It has been
proposed that Spain and Portugal should be
united under the sovereignty of tho king of the
latter country, but to this step France, it is be-
lieved, would he decidedly opposed. It is ru-
moured that France desires that F,s:Eirter,,
shonl4l be Regent till the Prince of the A'sturias
is of age to govern. As to the crown being ob
fered to the Count de Moutemolin, this scarcely
seems probable, for the great majority of the
Spanish people must be opposed to it. Mean-
while, the action of the revolutionary pinta does
not inspire much respect abeoad, and we doubt
whether it can be very favourably regarded by
the Spainards themselves. The situation al-
together is a perilous and a very uncertain one.
We to not attempt either to explain it or to pro-
phecy the turn which events may take, for two
or three times a day tho state of affairs is more
or leas altered by the current events. We can
but sincerely and earnestly al ish Spain well out
of her troubles, lint it is certain that what has
hitherto been accomplished is as nothing corn-
Fired with whet has yet to be done, before .
Spain can take her place among nations as a
well-governed country.

The protest of the Queen we regard as BO
much waste paper. The "lady cloth protest too
mach," and her protest conies too late. It may
be doubted whether it is the production of the
Queen at all, but be this as it may, it will be ut-
terly powerless to turn the Spanish people from
the path on which they have entered. The pith
m y be beset with difficulties, but they will
never call on the ex-Qneen Isabella to sLare
their fortunes. The revolution had but one
primary object—the downfall of the Queen, and
that object having been gained, the Spaniards
will not stultify themselves by retracing their
steps and undoing the arduous work they have
accomplished. What turn events may now
take we do not, as we have said, pretend even
to guess, latt at least we may be pretty certain
that Isabella is another name added to the list
of " monarchs retired from basin( cc."