The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-07 00:00:00

its acquitoition. What conducedinore than anything
else to the subOrsion of the power of • Lovis.
PHILIPPE was hiS insidious and yet 'flagrant endpa
your to secure the inheritance of that fatal diademto,

s own race through the medium of the disgyacefil
Arigue ever since hnown in history by the title oi

the Spanish Marriages. Let all be .tranquil on the
surface of ,European politics, and lot but, that golden
circlet be dropped into the midst as an object of con-
tention—the cahn suddenly gives place to a tempest.
It becomes for all the world like the magic circle
traced in some evil incantation. In itself it
may be as insignificant as a pebble cast
into the water, but no sooner has it fallen than
ring upon ring of confusion, arising and spreading
outwards, renders at last the confusion worse con-
founded. It is as if Spain wore the stormy petrel of
Christendom. No sooner does it become in any way
conspicuous among the other nations of Europe by
reason of its Crown being aspired to or 'boldly taken
' possession of by-some new pretender, or by some reso-
lute usurpation by JOSEPH NAPOLEON, ex-King of
Naples, by the KING of the FRENCH for his son
NIONTPENSIER, by LEOPOLD, of Hohenzollern-Zig-
maringen, by AMADEUS 1., Due d'A.osta—than
foreign war or civil conflict immediately
becomes inevitable. When a BONAPARTE
was substituted for the old BOURBON dynasty,
the great six years war, known as the Penin-
sular war, commenced. When ABERDEEN was
outwitted by GUIZOT, and the wily'old Citizen King
was hugging himself with exultation over the success •
he fancied he had thereby achieved—then he himself
with the whole of his dynasty were swept away, as if
by a tornado, in the outburst of the revolution of Feb-
ruary. When the mere announcement came that the
Spanish Crown was to be awarded to the scion of
the House of the Prussian Sovereign, all con-
• siderations of diplomatic courtesy were
flung to the winds, the gage of battle was
impetuously thrown down by one, and was eagerly
snatched up by the other. War was abruptly pro-
claimed, the armies of the two greatest military
nations of continental Europe were as rapidly as pos-

- .
sible concentrated, confronting each other upon the
frontier line between Alsace and the Rhenish Pro-
vinces, and the terrible campaign of 1870 began with
a vengeance. And now, while this appalling Franco-
German war is still raging, as if Spain had not yet
fully accomplished her mission as the Marplot of
Christendom by way of completing and perfecting all
her previous efforts at the promotion of discord, she
has hit upon the happiest possible plan of en-
suring civil war—implacable and interminable—
, among her own population. Although during these
last two years she has got on very well without any
Sovereign at all, Spain has, under the direction of
PRIM, been all this while endeavouring to induce
some foreign Prince, no matter apparently whom, to
put his foot upon the neck of the Spanish nation.
Failing in every previous effort of this kind, Plum at
last bethought him of the younger son of King VICTOR
EMMANUEL. The Duo D'AOSTA.S candidature,
submitted to,the Cortes, resulted in a balance so
even between the affirmatives and the negatives
that it might almost have been expressed as six an
half-a-dozen. Satisfied, apparently, with any
majority at ally the Italian Prince eagerly ac-
cepts the proffered sovereignty. Whereupon the.
signal for civil conflict in the way of armed opposi-
tion is given by the spokesmen of Spanish
Republicanism. How far that signal will
be responded to remains to be seen. But)
at any rate, it has been given, and given,
tor) with evident determination, " Uneasy lies the
heal that wears a crown," says SHAKSPERE ; but
uneasiest of all when the Crown is Spanish—the
couch of the poor daydreamer who wears it being
anything but a bed of roses! Thorns are there in
abundance, but the roses are long since withered.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

PRESIDENT GRANT'S MESSAGE.

The message which President Grant transmitted
to Congress on Monday is so important a document
that it may not be amiss to direct sp3cial attention
to its leading feature. This refers to the Alabama
clains. The President recommends Congress to
authorise the appointment of a commission to esti-
mate the claims of private individuals; these claims
are to be paid by the American Govern-
ment; and the latter in its turn will
present the bill to England. This is
undoubtedly a declaration of policy, and a very
serious one, The late negotiations on this question
bad the object of securing the arbitration of
some disinterested party; General Grant will
have no arbitration. By pa, ing the pri-
vate claims, the President would at once
take the liability of England for granted. Indeed,
he expressly says that the convictions of Americans
on this matter are "firm and unalterable." And not
only is England to have no voice in the settlement
of her liability, but the amount of damages are to be
equally beyond her control ; the American Govern-
ment is apparently to pay what the Commission
recommends, and application will be made on this
side of the Atlantic for the sum total. It often
happens that Congress does not take the advice
which the President offers it.
THE CANADIAN FISTIEBIES.
It is difficult to determine whether the Alabama
claims proposal of President Grant, or his decla-
ration touching the Canadian fisheries be the more
remarkable. On November 23 General Butler—he
of New Orleans celebrity—delivered a lecture at
Boston on American relation with England. He
affirmed that the -Canadian fisheries problem must
be settled by concessions to the United States, or
war must he made upon England. The United
States, General Butler balieved, were longing for
war. War with England would unite the North
and South once more. War with England would be
beneficial to the Republican party. Best of all, war
with England would be cheap. This lecture was follow-
ed by a violation of the fishery laws, and the consequent
capture of an A mericau schooner by au English
cruiser. President Grant now comes in with a
declaration that the present fishery practice must be
modified, or the United States Government will be
driven to reprisals. The transit of goods in bond
across the States to Canada must be prohibited,
_ _ _

or, v if necessary, Can al ian vessels forbidden
the waters of the United States. The style of
the whole document is well worth attention. It
is not known .whether Generals Grant and I3ntler
have formed a political alliance ; but they are known
to be on most intimate terms, and it is even believed
that the Man of New Orleans is kept out of the
Cabinet by the representations of the President's
colleagues. lie accession of General Butler to the
position of leader of the Republican party in the
llouse of Representatives is very probable.