The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-29 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF T

uisLIC JOURNALS. tween Spain and the Republic had been definitively
terminated. When, however, Senor Tavira, the
TIMES.—A standing army is a necessity to an esta- Spanish Envoy, had communicated to the Ministry
blished Government. This is a doctrine which has at Madrid the arrangement which he had effected,
now acquired, it may be said, a catholic character, the latter pronounced themselves dissatisfied, repu-
having been accepted by all nations, having received diated the acts of their ambassador, and proceed: .1,
overwhelming proof by recent events, and being only as every one in Europe supposed, to resume the ne-
disputed by political enthusiasts. But then comes gotiations at the point at which they had been thus
the question of degree. If the army could grow out unsatisfactorily broken off. Another Envoy was
of the nation by a sort of natural process and in sent, the person selected on the latter occasion being
fitting proportion, like the hand or the arm, to which an admiral, who proceeded to Valparaiso with a not
it is often compared, then we should only have to insignificant fleet. This circumstance, however, dill
accept a general doctrine and leave the rest to the not excite alarm. The differences were not of a
laws of development. But, unfortunately, the serious character, and the fact that the negotiations
development in this case is apt to assume the most of Senor Tavira had been so nearly successful led
preposterous proportions ; and the army is apt to persons not unnaturally to imagine that those Qf
become a huge wen, which exhausts the body with- Admiral Pareja would not prove unavailing. rps
out rendering any adequate services in return. So assumption that the Spanish Admiral would negu•
there continually arises the further and only ptacti- tiate at all, however, proved to be entirely erroini•
cal question—whether an army of a given size is an ous. From the approbation accorded to Achniq
absolute necessity or not. That question does, or Pareja by his superiors it now appears that it W
does not, admit of a consideration. If it be simply never their intention that he should go to Chili hi
asked whether the army is necessary to the present the character of a diplomatist. What the Spanish
position, the present designs, the present difficulties, Government wanted was, not reparation for allevl
and the whole policy and temper of the hour, then insults to their flag, but purely and simply war. Tli
it is impossible to say what army may not be justly is manifest from the conduct pursued by the Athei•
considered necessary. There arc situations for ral on his arrival atValparaiso, coupled with the sub.
which nothing less than an armament en masse will sequent ratification of that conduct by the Govern.
be sufficient. If everything is to be done by force, ment at Madrid. Admiral Pareja did not, on arriv.
if the nation will abate nothing of its claims or its ing in Chilian waters, open negotiations with the
pride, if the Government is to be conducted in a Government by declaring the nature and extent of the
high-handed manner, with an utter disregard of satisfaction which he required, but he peremptorily
moderate counsels, Statecraft, and common sense; demanded that the Chilians should, in the first in.
then by all means plunder and degrade half a nation stance, salute the Spanish flag. When this was done,
in order to arm the rest and sustain a continual but not before, be would declare the nature, of the
menace against the peace of the world. But reparation which would be required and accepted by
the alleged necessity depends entirely on the policy his Government. The Foreign Secretary at Madri:l
to be maintained. There are modes of bearing is reported to have stated in his circular note that
in private life which make it a necessity to carry the reception given by the Chilian Government hi
daggers and revolvers, or to fortify your house, or the first overture made by Spain in the course ef
to go nightly rounds with an army of watchmen last summer wase such as to preclude the possibility
and keepers. But if the object is to be considered, of further negotiations ; but surely it would bar,'
as well as the scale of the defence, then the inquiry been worth while at least to have stated the nature
into the necessity of a large army admits of being of the satisfaction which was demanded before ha'.
carried very far. Nay, it may start with a strong ing recourse to measures which must entail injury
presumption in its favour. It is a strong presump- not only on the supposed offenders, but on other,
tion against an army if it is beyond a certain ratio who it is conceded are strangers to the dispute. If,
to the population or the revenue. Its necessity as the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs state,
must then be justified by special and extraordinary further negotiations were rendered hopeless by tin!
circumstances. Nor is it enough just to point them reception given in May last to the representation
out, as if the fact closed the inquiry. It might be of Senor Tavira, surely it was the duty of tlp.
true that a man had valid reasons for thinking his Spanish Government to have given notice of thee
life or his property in danger ; but that would not intention to declare war against Chili at the tine,
justify him in parading a whole armoury of wea- they despatched Admiral Pareja to Valparaiso,
pons, in putting everybody to inconvenience about and thus afford to neutral States the opportunity
him, or in neglecting all his public and social duties. for making preparations for the suspension of their
Perhaps he might meet the danger another way. trade with the Republic. That Spain intends to
Perhaps he might fare quite as well if he ignored it prosecute the war with vigour seems manifest froat
alt )gether. The argument of necessity is supposed the instructions which have been given to the car
to be most unanswerable, but is at the same time tains of their vessels of war. Anticipating the pos.
most absurd, when it is urged in favour of two ail- sibility of cruisers sailing under the Chilian flag being
maments alleged to be required by one another. equipped and manned in neutral ports, their naval
The expenditure of Austria is yearly running further officers are instructed to treat as pirates all vessels
away from the means of ultimate payment ; and not officered and manned byChilian citizens, or sail'
Italy, hard by, is running into bankruptcy. They ing under a commission not directly derived iront
both maintain:armies whose maintenance can only the President of Chili. If the object of the Spanish
be defended by the fear of invasion or internal dis- Government is to visit with the penalties of piracy
turbances. The Austrian empire has to hold to- all persons found on board vessels of the Alabane
gether the many incongruous elements that compose class, we need not say that they will introduce 11
its political unity, and in one of them it sees a pos- new and disagreeable feature into naval warfare ao
session all but falling out of its grasp into the lap of carried on between civilised States. The Chilians
a hated rival. It has several immense provinces, still are entitled to buy ships just as they are entitled to
haunted• by the traditions of independence, and one buy other munitions of war, and they may, by the
with a strong affinity to a neighbour. If ever a laws of war, put those ships in commission when oil
standing army might be excused, this, we are told, is the high seas. It is probable that the instruct ions 0,
a case. Italy, on the other hand, had to complete a which we refer amount only to an empty threat, aeu
union, still partial, to create a common loyalty, and are not intended to be acted upon. If, however, the
to educate a nation into obedience and order. Under Spanish Admiral should understandhis Government
ordinary circumstances and by common rules she au serieux, the Chilians would unquestionably have
would disband half her immense army and restore recourse to reprisals. That such instructions, hog':
some hundred and fifty thousand men to the occupa- ever, have been given would seem to show that
tions of peace. But, besides what she professes to fear something more than a blockade enters into this
from Austria, she does not venture to dismiss the programme of the hostilities resolved upon.
men, who must carry arms either for or against her seems to be assumed that English or French inter.
Government. At present there is not the occupation vention will not exceed the limits of quiet complain).
for these men. They would have nothing to betake Every one now takes it for granted that, henceforth
themselves to. Tliey can fight and that is all. They no State will trouble itself about the quarrels d
are like the old Highlanders—good soldiers, or bri- others. France and England allowed Denmark to
gands. They extort their pay, and rob the State by be despoiled : it is therefore reasonable to conelud/
compelling it to accept their services. This policy • bei
that they will not interpose to prevent Chili
is favoured by the geographical features of the bullied. The Spanish Government should, howeve
country, and by its ancient and unaltered variety recollect that we are considered a nation of shop
of races. Local feeling still excuses the man who keepers, and, as such, may be driven to protect oil
defends a spot or a pass against the more distant trade against wanton and unnecessary injury.
and almost foreign Italian. Such is the strongest
plea for an overgrown army. But if this amounts
to a necessity, it is also a necessity that Italy should
educate twice as many soldiers as she ought to re-
quire upon the common scale ; it is necessary that
she should spend every year twelve million pounds
sterling more than she can raise by the severest
finance • it is also necessary that in a very few
years she should find herself without money, without
credit, without the means of retaining in her service
several hundred thousand men who will have learnt
by that time that they are necessary to her existence
and that they are the actual masters of Italy. It
cannot be necessary that any should ruin itself and
fling itself down an abyss with open eyes. Neither
can it be necessary that any nation should maintain
an army which it cannot possibly pay. Nothing
whatever can be necessary which leads to speedy ruin.
Necessity cannot mean more than the law of self -
preservation' and neither Austria nor Italy will con-
sult thislaw by destroying their credit and plunging
themselves into hopeless embarrassments. With the
prudent and honourable, necessity means nothing
more than duty. In both the States before us there
is a great work to be done, and there are immense
difficulties to be overcome, but that is not to be clout)
by mere force or by an immense army, gratifying
as it may be to the pride or to the self-will of the
ruler. It is remarkable, indeed, how disastrous
standing armies have proved to Austria, and how
little they have had to do with the fortunes of Italy.
The whole history of Austria is a history of huge
armies and great defeats. As to Italy, its late union
under the Sardinian dynasty was brought about not
by standing armies but in spite of them, and in utter
defiance of them. It was the people themselves who
received Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel, and the
army found itself powerless in the presence of a
united nation and unarmed invaders. The present
necessity cannot be really greater than that which
was successfully met, one may say, without a wea-
pon. The Italian Government cannot really have
more to fear from its own soldiers than from those
of the Bourbons. There is, indeed, a necessity, but
it is the necessity that an active, restless, and proud
population should be employed for their own lasting
good and their country's. Something must be done
with that immense superfluous host, now kept to-
gether, it is grandly said, to teach them they are
citizens of Italy, and to make them jealous for its
greatness. As Englishmen, we shall be accused of
not appreciating such rhetorical appeals, but if 3,000
years of progress and glory have left the Italians
still in a condition to require this teaching the les-
son will not now be learnt in a day. What re-
mains, and what no argument can affect, is the fact
of two larger armies than either Austria or Italy
can support, retained because from one cause or
other it is said it would be dangerous to disband
them. Every day these overgrown masses are kept
together they add to the weight of that burden Which
is paralysing enterprise and destroying civil life.
An armed body of multitudinous proportions de-
mands food and pay. It is fed and paid at the ex-
pense of industry, and by a continual drain on those
savings which are the fund of returning enterprise.
The coming age is robbed of its heritage and saddled
with a huge debt. The repayment of that debt may
prove a sorer trial both to Austrian and to Italian
unity than any they have yet been exposed to.
Who contracts it ? For whose advantage ? Who
has pledged the word, and who has reaped the be-
nefit ? 'These are questions that one day will be
asked' from many different provinces and meet with
very different replies.
POST.—The circular note which has been ad-
dressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Madrid
to the various representatives of the Spanish Go-
vernment at foreign courts is said not to be reas-
suring in its tone. With the text of the note we
are not as yet made acquainted, but, if its substance
is accurately stated in the telegram which we pub-
lished yesterday, it would certainly seem that we
were precipitate in assuming that the remonstrances
of the French and English Governments would have
the effect of inducing Spain to reconsider the policy
which she has thought proper to pursue towards
the Republic of Chili. The conduct of Admiral
Parej a was so unprecedented that we were willing
to believe that it was unauthorised by the Spanish
Government, and that the latter would lose no time
in declaring that their representative had exceeded
his instructions. The story of the origin and pro-
gress of the quarrel between Chili and Spain is, it
is true, rather obscure, but we were justified in ex-
pressing our astonishment when, without a single
note of warning, we were told that hostilities had
commenced between the two Powers. According
to the strict code of international law, one State
may, whenever it pleases, declare war against
another ; but, according to the usage of civilised
nations, so extreme a course is never resorted to
until every means of securing a pacific solution has
been tried without avail. It is with States as it is
with individuals—redress for alleged grievances
should be sought by friendly representation before
violent measures are adopted. That negotiations
took place between Spain and Chili a few months
since, with a view to the adjustment of existing
differences, we are aware, but we also had reason
to suppose that they had been brought to a satis-
factory issue. The Spanish Minister at Santiago
in May last had declared himself satisfied with the
explanations given by the Chilian Government, and
the other members of the diplomatic body in that
city considered themselves in a position to assure
their respective Governments that the quarrel be,

COUNTRY MARKETS.

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• BRIS T OL—TUESDAY.
Our market to-day was well attended and more busin(
passing. Wheat sells in retail at full prices. Barley
larger supply and very firm in price. Oats fully as lita
Beans and peas held for more money.