The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-14

D
ly pleased to confound their plans and relieve
their victims The very excess of temporal and
spiritual thraldom has frequently become the
parent Of Freedom while it must be admitted
that the abuse of liberty has Also many times,
engendered tyranny.
The members of the Holy Alliance, by neg
lecting to pay due attention to these great
truths, had to experience the frailty Of that
structure which they had raised with the conf
dent expectation of its being strong enough to
brave every outbreak of popular displeasure
Founded, as it was, upon the bayonets Of sol
diers, it must naturally tumble in the dust,
when deprived of that support. 1t was, indeed,
a most presumptuous hope, that the European
nations should for any length of time submit
patiently to the principles which guided the al
| lied princes In their government over their re-
/ spective people, and in their assumed protec
torShip over Europe at large.
! Uninstructed by the lessons of history, many
OF the most sagacious statesmen had approved
of a system which may have worked well du-
ring the age of the intellectual infancy of the
European population, but which, in the then
state of civilization, could not but ultimately
provoke resistance and revolutions
! Many of the continental nations could not be
| forced to recognise their rulers as viceroys of
! Heaven, but were, on the contrary, disposed to
look upon all authority which did not smanate
! from the popular will, as illegal and usurped
! Consequently, plans had been formed, in many
! places, for attempting by force to subvert the
established order of things, and introduce free
! forms of Government
II As the steam, when too much compressed,
bursts the strongest boilers, so the oppression,
when exceeding the endurance of human pa
thence, produces outbreaks Of popular fury, in
spite of all precautions.
When, maddened by despair, the victims of
despotism gather courage to resistance, they
not only often succeed in breaking their letters,
but are very liable of avenging their sufferings
by rioting, in shedding the blood OF their ty-
rants, and glorying in the agonies of their
former masters. But such acts of cruelty have
disgraced but very few of later revolutions in
Europe, which have generally been conducted
with great moderation on the popular side.
] have already intimated, that on the LIST OF
January, 1920, events favorable to the cause
of Freedom transpired in Spain.
Yes, on that day the chivalrous Rafael del
Riego proclaimed, at the head of some of the
Spanish troops stationed in the vicinity of Ca
dir, the restitution of the Constitution of 1872
The army assembled in that city and its neigh
borhood responded joyfully to this call, and re-
solved, under the leadership of Ricgo and the
gallant Colonel Quiraga, rather to attempt the
deverance of the Spanish people from despot-
ic rule, than TO set sail, as it was destined to
do, for the Spanish colonies in America, there
to enforce the claims of despot against those
who, sword in hand, had assumed the rights of
freemen. This noble revolution of the troops
collected at Cadiz was, on the whole, followed
by the most happy consequences.
The Spanish people generally embraced the
cause of Freedom; and the King, without be-
ing able to make any material resistance, was
obliged to submit to the manifest will Of the
nation. Consequently, on the Sth Of March he
swore fidelity to the Constitution.
! On the 9th of July, the assembly Of the Cor.
ties was opened, and the King, in its presence,
most Solemnly renewed his oath of obedience
to the Constitution, adding 81 offered to
swear fidelity to the constitutional law adopted
by the COrtes in the year 1912; and from that
moment, Crown and Nation entered into their
legitimate rights. My resolution was free and
voluntary. 1t correspondent with my own in
terest and with that of the Spanish people,
whose happiness has ever been my first
thought"
Such were the expressions of that consum-
mate hypocrte, whose mean and treacherous
disposition was then not fully known, but who
Suppressing his real sentiments, received with
a smiling face the congratulations upon the
|
Piles of his Government, first of the United
States, and then of Great Britain, the Neither
lands, Bavaria, Saxony, France, Sweden, Swift
zerland, and the Pope of Rome But no con-
gratulations we're transmitted by the Emperor
Alexander of Russia though he had ackuowl
edged, in the treaty of Weleki Luki, the validi-
ty OF the Spanish Constitution of lSl2-nor by
the monarchs of Austria and Prussia. These
! three princes seemed on this occasion TO have
forgotten the solemn declaration which they
had made, on concluding the Holy Alliance,
that they would base all their acts upon /" the
precepts of justice. of Christian love and
peace"
Meanwhile, Portugal-the King of which
then resided in Brazil-sufering from the mis-
rule Of those to whom the royal power had been
delegated, followed the example of Spain, and,
by the successful instructions at Oporto and
Lisbon, established provisional Junta for
the preparation of the Cortes." At the close of
the year, the decree of the King, dated October
9th, arrived from Rio Janeiro, approving the
convocation of the Cortes, promising approval
of the propositions that might be offered By it,
if not at variance with the principles of mon
archy, and granting at the same time an am.
nesty to all that had participated in the revo-
luton.
Naples had, however, still earlier followed
the example of Spain. Instigated by Austria,
the NeapOlitan Government had increased its
severe measures against the LiberRls-or, as
this party was then styled in Italy, the Carlo
nari-And provoked thus popular insurrec-
ton.
The first revolutionary movement took place
on the I'd of July, 1920, among the troops
stationed at Nola who were soon Joined BY the
greater part of the army, and by the National
militia. The Constitution of the Cortes was
proclaimed, and the King, from motives of fear,
promised to adopt it within eight days. On
the 18th of July he eonferred-under pretext of
illness-the regency upon his son, the Crown
Prince, as his delegate. The latter proclaimed
Immediately the adoption Of the Spanish Con-
stitution-as was the general desire-with res
servation of alterations to be proposed by the
Parliament, when assembled.
The King, in second proclamation, declared
himself satisfied with this proceeding; and on
the 18th of July, he, the Crown Prince, and the |
Prince of Salerno, took the oath of fidelity to |
the Constitution. On the opening of the Par |
lament, on the lst of October, the King re- /
peated this oath, protesting, with the most i'm
pressiye words, his adherence to the Constitu- /
ton.
But there were, nevertheless, several causes |
disturbing the JOY of the Patriots. A bloody /
civil war was raging in Sicily, and even in |
Naples many symptoms announced the secret /
Vaccinations of those who were hostile to the |
new order Of the public affairs. Still, the
friends of constitutional liberty would most
probably have vanquished these internal foes.
but for the aid these received from without.
Austria, in virtue of the secret treaty con.
cluded with the King Of Naples, in 1915, in
which the latter promised "to introduce no
incompatible with the monarchic