The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-16 00:00:00

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1875.

FRANCE AND SPAIN.

The two countries separated by the range of
the Pyrenees mountains have each been passing
through a crisis since the new year opened,
which, so hr as Spain is concerned, had been
little foreseen in this country. Not that a con-
stitutional crisis in Spain is of absorbing inter-
est here, for people have for some time past as-
sociated the very name of the place with disor-
der and anarchy, More than six years have
elapsad since Queen Isabella fled from her capi-
tal, and the Puerta del Sol, the finest square in
Madrid, was filled by joyous crowds who, at the
triumphal entry of Prim and Serrano, rent the
air with their acclamations. Since then, Prim
tried his hand at king-making, and was assasin-
ated for his pains. The second son of the King
of Italy accepted the throne which Was offered
to him, but vacated it after a short but troubled
occupancy, during which be found it impossible
to induce the hostile factious to work together
for the common benefit of the realm. Since the
abdication of Amadeus, the Spanards have. had
Republics of varying complexions, the govern-
ing Powers being called upon to deal at one
time with rtbels of one diseription at Cartlia-
gene, and with the forces of Don Carlos, which
at one time seemed to be making their way
through the northern provinces. Both Castelar
and Serrano appear to have become weary of
the strife, and for the present at all events we
find the bulk of the Spaniards concurring in the
elevation of Prince Alfonso to the throne- In
S s:ptetcber 1868, the new King, then a lad twelve
years old, escaped with his mother into France
and the chances of a Bourbon restoration were
apparently of the smallest. Now he is proclaim-
ed the Sovereign of the Kingdom, and as the
change can scarcely be for the wors-, let us
hope that it may be for the better. If it puts a
stop to the civil war, the gain will be one to
civilization and to humanity.
_

Meanwhile there is another crisis in France,
adding one more to the numerous list which
have taken place there since the termination of
the war. It would not command much attention
bat from the fact that what has just happenned
in Spain will give considerable encouragement
to that numerous section of French politicians
who look forward to some kind of monarchial
restoration. Not unnaturally people have grown
somewhat weary of the provisional state of
things which has existed so long. Marshal
MacMahon is styled President of the Republic,
although the Assembly, which placed him where
he is, not only objects to it. The bye elections
for a long time past have returned a majority of
Republicans, yet this very fact is gall and worm-
wood to the Assembly which made a Marshal of
France a Republican President. The Assembly
convened originally to make terms of peace
with the victorious Germans, has gathered int )
its hands constituent powers which were never
intended to belong to it, and although the elec-
tions show that it no longer represents a major-
ity of the people, there is no dissolution, such as
there would be in this country under similar
circumstances. The Assembly, which calls it-
self the Sovereign Power, could decree a dis.
solution if it so ;leased, bat a large number of
its members know well that they would obtain
no seats in the new Parliament, and as the re-
presentqtives of the people are paid for their
services in Fra:lce, this to many of them is a
consileration. The President of the itepabiie
has no power to order a dissolution, and as re-
cent events have proved that the Ex. cut ive and

the Legislative estates of tho realm cannot work
'Nell together, it is difficult to see ho ,v France is
to be afivern.•,l unless Af,n!Nlahon cuts the Gor-
dian knot, aid dissuiv;,s by a e.,up (Vont. Sup-
po:int. be did sa, however. what won • heg tin ?
A guttural apral to the country Won hi ninincs-
tionaly ha folio‘vod lythe retur:t f a I.:,,Tubi-
can Meithity, %Ma hOW long Ivctild
.‘l.
s:ou'uly sougat to deprive Ai:it:Mit:on of the
twer with whicit ho is inve,,,Ted, no one dmilits
that he .votil,l have the i;upport of tI :r.a v i
the maintenance of his ooshion. Titus tho Pro-
*Limit-Marshal and the mi itary fort:es w abl be
in direct antagoni.4::l to the p yular a ill, and
ai.borug'i this very well for a ti or,
wind he iniposs ble for it to last for a period IA
dl appr,ciable in the Iti-tory of a 5..3!e.
eien of A.Ln-lo XII. will further
coop:W.oe thJ politic;tl situ Ition in FeancL If
the isourbon throne can be killeef'Br fudy r,-estah-
lishiA at Ma! ii, Legitimists and Orleas.is,s will
see ia the Ix!, a new agency fQr the I)os,ihl.l re
erection of their dynastic structure in P.lris.
"plat there is any chance of such a restoration
no one on al.; sale of the Channel can bolieve.
The last of the Legitimist Kings was Charles
X., who lied from his capital under a cloud of
odium whicli time has not yet been able to efface
Then we come to the last of the Orleanist mon-
archs—Louis Philippe, sometimes called the
citizen King, who reigned eightceen years, and
at length found his throne crumble away be.
neath him like a house of cards. He was urged
by his Queen to put himself at the head of his
troops, and go out and face the howling mob
which surged in front of the Palace windows,
but unfortunately, as in the case of other revol-
utions in France, the soldiers could not be relied
upon to protect their King, so Louis Philippe
came to England in a Newhaven fishing•boat as
plant" Mr. Sadth," and died amongst us in exile.
It must be confessed triat in either case the
memories of the expiring sovereignty are not
encouraging to the hopes of a restoration. Then
we have at third party, the imperialists, whose
last representative, Napoleon 111., will have his
name associated with the greatest military dis-
nster recorded in history. Yet the Bonapartists
really stand a better chance of seeing the Prince
Imperial restored than the Legitimests have of
the Comte de Chambord, or the Orleanists of the
Ccimte de Paris. fhe worst of it is that any
attempt to resa ore either of the three wonld in
all probability Tight up the flames of civil war.

Yet it is dilnc-ult-not to see that FrAnce is again
drifting towards a revolution. A reactionary
A6svmhly and a powerless Executive cannot go
on long together, and even if MacMahon lasts
mit the term of his Septennate, which will expire
in 1880, that event will be the signal for politi-
cal commotion of which we have no experience
here. Meanwhile the prevalent uncertainty
respecting the future cripples the energies of
the country, damages ita commerce, and para-
lyses its industry. The sooner there is a settled
Government of some kind, whether Bourbon or
Imperialist, certainly the bettor.