The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-14 00:00:00

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LONDON, ITESDAY, APRIL 14, 1846,

The dark veil which has long concealed the deeds
re-
of
the Spanish Camarilla, has, at last, been partially
moved, and the public been allowed to get a glimpse of
the plots which CURI,TINA. and NARVAEZ, and their
nameless associates, have carried on is the secret re-
3esses of the palace. For a time these two chief con
spirators, and they deserve no better epithet, seemed to
work cordially together. They came about the same
reriod from Paris, full of instructions from the Court
of the Tuileries, and ready prepared with gold and
)they means to boot, to overturn EspARTERO, to seduce
the army from its allegiance to the Regent, to upset the
;onstitution, and establish a military despotism. In all

this they completely succeeded, the Cortes were broken
jp.xnew Chambers elected, or rather appointed by the
(Dictaript, and so thoroughly were they purged of inde-
-,j,:,•oeailenVaing Jiberal Members, that every measure pro-
%Xi:l ,dosed .. --49epament was adopted with little or no
c _ :svtgoiti9re;-a.. ." 'overwhelming majorities. Even this
k ',ll4itk.fif ibsoiutis .. however, did not gratify the wishes of
----r, . ---
k

,

the chief actors : the Ministers were not always 1
compliant to orders—the Cortes even dared
to raise their voice against the TRAPANI

marriage, and the nation, concurring in their views,
loudly exclaimed against the project for allying the
young QUEEN to a worn-out branch of the Bourbons,
and degrading the country by a mercenary compact
formed solely for the selfish purposes of the QUEEN-
MOTHER. Then, it appears, the struggle commenced
between CHRISTINA and NA.RVAZZ. Ministry after
Ministry was dissolved and reformed—a second coup
d'Etat was tried, and patiently submitted to by the
people, but all would not do. The war was going on in
the:Camarilla as hot as ever—neither of the intriguers
would bear an equal near the throne: NARVAEZ confident
of his power over the army dared the QUEEN-MOTHER
to do her worst, and this spirited woman (for her
courage and firmness none can deny) made up her mind
and resolved to sacrifice NARVAEZ at every risk. The
General was beaten by the QUEEN, and after being
escorted out of Spain by a detachment of his own
dragoons, he reached Bayonne on the 10th, and is now
on his road to Paris or Naples. This is the most de-
cided revolution that has taken place for four years
in that devoted country; nay, even the expul-ion
of BSPARTERO was not so important, for the army
at once transferred its allegiance from him to NARVAEZ
and a strong body of troops under a skilful general were,
always ready to repress counter revolutions. But at
present the army is without a leader. Neither CONCHA,
nor CoRDOVA, nor any of the newly-appointed generals,
has any particular influence over it. BRETON, a daring
and cruel, but active officer and firm adherent of NAR-
VAEZ, has been displaced, so has MAZARREDG, and
MANZO, and all those who aided the Dictator in main
taining his power. The troops, in fact, have lost the
chiefs in whom they seemed to trust, and are open to
the intrigues of NARVAEZ and his cast-off followers—the
most unprincipled adventurers in Spain. It is impossible
to form even a guess of the probable result of such unex-
pected and dangerous complications. About CiantsTlNA's
plans we absolutely know nothing, but what can be
gathered from the statement of parties supposed to be in
her confidence. These, on the whole, are satisfactory.
It is said that the Cortes are to be summoned
to meet on the 24th inst., that the arbitrary decree
against the liberty of the press is to be recalled,
that a Bill for trial by jury is forthwith to be proposed,
to the Chambers, and that a general amnesty is to be
proclaimed for all political offenders, excepting only the
Carlists. Such results are not unlikely, looking at all
the circumstances of the last explosion. NARVAEZ had
presumed too far on CHRISTINA'S peculiar position and
prepossessions; he thought to frighten her into submis-
sion by holding up before her eyes the sabre by which
hitherto he had ruled Spain—he, in fact, believed he
was master, and would submit no longer to female do-

minion ; but
" Sweet is revenge—especially to women ;"

and revenge this intriguing and unscrupulous woman
was resolved to have. She discarded the General, ap-
pointed ISTUBITZ Prime Minister, insisted on the im-
mediate expulsion of her rival from the Spanish terri-
tory, and determined to brave every hazard, even the esta-
blishment of a constitutional and popular Government,
to debar for ever his return. This, indeed, is the only
feasible view that can be taken of the late
mysterious events. She will be a friend of
liberty so long as the profession of liberal senti-
ments suits her views. She will bide her time
for another plot. The great, the only enemy at present,
is NARVAEZ, and he can be put down only by a uni-
versal reaction against him throughout the country.
The army is a doubtful and dangerous weapon. She
cannot even trust to it. Her only resource is in the
Cortes and the nation, and these she will pay worship
to until the great object of her revenge is accomplished.
Let us hope that in this instance good will spring out of
evil, and that Louis PHILIPPE, who took this woman
four years ago under his paternal care, for some purpose
or another, will have the honour, though unwittingly, of
establishing constitutional government in Spain.

Since the commencement of the great European peace
of the present century, a vast progression has been made
in the development of the popular intellect, a greater
progression probably than many may imagine. And,
looking at the beneficent consequences which have al-
ready supervened upon the wars which previously deso-
lated nearly all the civilised nations of this hemisphere,
we cannot but regard that anterior outburst as a kind of
convulsive prelude to a state of tranquillity peculiarly
humanising. With those momentous wars, the last vestiges
of feudalism were dispelled from most of the continental
kingdoms ; a moral thunder-storm cleansed the atmo-
sphere—the political and social atmosphere—of those
principles which had outlived many former revolutions
of like tendency, though of lesser effect, and afforded
mankind an opportunity of working out their own ad-
►ancement. That opportunity has not been lost, as far
at least as several of the principalities of Europe are
concerned. And if the labour of regeneration is still

-
anything but completed, that circumstance is attributable
rather to the immensity of the field which had to be
traversed, than to any appreciable indolence on the part
of society itself. Small, however, as the accomplishment
is, in comparison with what has yet to be accomplished,
the people have made prodigious strides in the way of
their improvement. This cannot be denied. The mil-
lions of our English countrymen arc of themselves a
sufficient demonstration of the fact. Forty, thirty—

nay, less than thirty years ago, religious intolerance
was the prevailing characteristic of the bu'k of our
population ; that intolerance has been scattered to the
winds—its doom was sealed with the passing of Ca-
tholic emancipation—it is purged away from every nook
and corner of our social edifice. Nor is a greater
freedom of theological opinion the only boon insured to
us during that interval—slavery has been abolished by
our Legislature, it has been stigmatised as illegal, and
criminal, and unchristian by the language of our statute-
book. Besides this, a fundamental portion of our Go-
vernment has been remodeled—the system of represen-
tation in Parliament has been materially modified, and
with that alteration many grievous abuses have been
annihilated. Other evidences of a more generalised,
though of a not less conclusive character, display the
progress which the work of regeneration has already
achieved. Our multiplicity of mechanics' institutions,
our additional universities and normal schools, our won-
derful facilities of locomotion, but especially that gradual
laxity in our mercantile imposts by which the freedom
of commerce has been insured. These and other minor
,ircumstances testify the real and solid benefits which
have already, or must eventually accrue to the multi-
ude through that spirit of advancement, the existence
And indications of which we are now endeavouring to
elucidate. It is the omnipresence of this spirit which
has caused this to be identified as " an utilitarian age"—

i designation which is frequently (and we think erro-
neously) used in anything but a laudatory sense. Our
generation is, therefore, one of improvement ; it has
shown this in the deeds it has already accomplished, and
in the aspirations it is ever endeavouring to realise.
S'lowly, almost silently, and without anything like osten
atious parade, the instruments of the popular cause have
been labouring forward for the welfare of their common
race, animated by the greatness of their object, sus-
Pained by the success of their different efforts, and
incited to yet greater exertions by their inherent
hopefulness and intrepidity. It is to commemorate the

.uspension, probably the temporary but possibly the per- I
manent suspension, of one of the noblest and most,
powerful of those instruments that we have been induced'
to cast this retrospective glance at the social conditions
:lfavoeurdfoenleloswo-cwoiuthntarymmiexne.d
feeling We
mouf pleasurestaeknowleddgeg':e
—pleasure at the great, and we had almost said splendid,et
Achievements of that instrument of good to the popu-
lace—regret at one amongst the various causes which
have led to this suspension of its labours, and which
cause we shall particularise hereafter. The instrument
to which we allude has long since rendered itself illus-
trious—we mean The Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge ; and it is from an " Address " just issued by
the Committee of that Society that we receive intelli-
gence of its intention to draw its efforts to a conclusion.
For some latent but comprehensible reasons individuals
have occasionally bad the temerity, and we may assur.
edly say the ingratitude, to asperse this very laudable
institution, and certain obscure portions of the press
have recently echoed those imputations: hence we de-
rive additional pleasure in according praise where it is
so justly merited. We would, however, have it particu-
larly understood that in whatever eulogiums we may
utter upon The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Know-
ledge, we are actuated solely by a spontaneous sense of
duty as faithful journalists, and as an organ devoted to
the interests of the people ; and we would moreover re-
mark in all honesty of feeling that our encomiums upon
that Society are as unexaggerated' as they are conscien-
tious. For twenty years has this association been
striving manfully and disinterestedly to promote the
welfare of the English public, and, by inference, to assure
the benefit of the whole human family. Looking at the
extraordinary dissemination of knowledge among the
million since its
abateestablishmnt in 18, it bcomes
toobserve the intent 26 ionse ()f the So-
necessaryalmost beycnd their calculation.
ciety have been realised alm
Where units
theunitpsreresaedntintimthea_ eriodical publicationst tTimhee,bhouonkdserl
llecins, ngtary thousands
ad,
vouchestehou.
s l
for this—the multiplicity of p
vouches for it; so do the coffee-houses of the metropo-