New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-18
1.f,es though their rew.r Il do 30 s r.as4a n tie

..,es, though their peweI u Do 20 n gtAtsd u tie
Constitution.
1t is not the IscA Of authority to kesate which
restrsins them, 30 much az II 10 the Zach of p&rSa
mentary education and habits in the country.
The politicians, as well 40 the people generally,
while they possess the forms lack the kn0~,edge,
customs and training Of constitutional govern.
ment.
They are accustomed 70 seek everything from tie
hand ol those in authority, and absolutely seem una
bic TO do anything Of Themselves.
With every faculty and privilege OF independent
and proper political action lodged in their own hands
by their written constitutions and organic laws
for these twenty years past they seem, Deyerthe
less, to be almost wholly impeded OF its exercise.
And this depends upon Themselves, and Dot upon any
power or controlling influence apart from aud supe
rior TO themselves. There is no parliamentary or
political ife in the people All their instincts, Gus
tOms and ways of thinking, feeling and acting polit-
icaly, lead them 10 eOlist receive, or perhaps to
take by force from the hand OF power all dlsPosi-
tOns and measures Of government, great and small;
but they originate no measure, agitatc and carry
through none by themselves. They have no practi,
cal knowledge of their own political capacities and
power TO act peaceably and legtimately; III Their
everyday life and actions they reveal no Pracucdi
consciousness Of their own political being
The power Of the throne in the hands OF lts
present possessor is 10 the last degree weak aud
vacillating but the power of the people IS uDeher
eised except in violent and irregular hts and
spasms almost without any permanent result OF aa'
vantage to themselves.
There is now strong democratic party IN tne
country. that is to say, there is considerable
nnmber of men of talent preaching those doctrines,
and a large following of adherents who accept theln
Tbev aim at the establishment Of republic. III IL
indeed highly probable that the throne may be over
turned and the present dynasty repudiated perhaps
this very year Everything points to that result
Rut the establishment of q republic in this country
seems hopeless. How can the republic he main
tanned where there are no republicans people
which is apparently so incapable OF all political
action in its own behalf which has not learned yet
how 10 behave under constitutional government,
what can be expected of ii under the Republic
VIII they not once more turn The whole business OF
government over to the first individual who may IN
spire their confidence, putting that power out of
their own hands which they seem So unable 10
manage or exercise Will they not again repeat
what happened in 1854, when after every kind of
opposition was yanqulsbcd and the people held the
whole power of the State ID their own hands With
out check or limit Of any description, they halted
short if bewildered, and began TO look about anx
iOusy for some one 10 relieve utn from 30 cmDar'
RAISING responsibility
That movement war r spontaneous rising ofthe peo
pie of Madrid seconded Immediately in the provinces
but wholly without leaders and without direction.
This time they Will have leaders who Will conduct
them further than they Went before; who Will urge
them after the battle to pursue the victory and
reap ts fruits so far as the complete destruction OF
the power of the yanqushed is concerned. The
essential institutions of the old monarchy Will be
destroyed.
But the people of spain are mOnarchlcal; they
know not how Ia be any thing else; they are always
either subsevient or rebelliOus, they have neither
the education and training, nor the political spirit
and feelings of freemen; they seek master, and
good master is whether they confess or not, the
hight and limit of their aspirations. A change of
masters will probably, therefore, he the ultimate re
suit of the revolution now preparing.
During the three months rule at the late Cabinet,
il is known that very important advances were
made III the secret work of armlng and preparing
for an outbreak not to take place immediately, but
probably in the coming Spring.
Almost any great event would now bring on the
crisis and the spirit of the people is ready tor IT,
and their material preparation much better than Il
suppOsed If Napoleon III. had died on the IAN
inst. Isabel H. would not now be Queen OF Spain.
II an absolute Ministry is at length formed here, as
there is every probability it will be, for the present
Ministers themselves confess they cannot expect u
hold their places more than few weeks, that even
will also bring on the lnsurreclioh more oT 1859 iu
mediately and surely.
The President of the Cabinet, 81. Isturltz, said
to friend of mine two days since that he himself
was nothing more than plaster put en- to calm the
political malady mOmentsry, and that BE should
soon drop off.
Last eht there was grand ball in the Palace IN
honor of the fete day of the newborn Prince.
About two thousand invitations were distributed,
the military predomnating.
Americans have been criticised on their bad man
ners at the table; but certainly the guests OF no
thrd.rate steamboat or hotel ever threw themselves
upon the hams and turkeys provided for them more
QIeediy and with less regard to decency and COM
polure than the Garrison of Madrid displayed last
night in the Palace of the Queen. twas almost az
much as lady's life was worth to get caught IN the
rush upon the supperroom.
The Queen danced the first cOtillOR with the
Envoy OF Russia, which power concluded to recog-
nize her about year since, aud sent Prince Galltzn
az Minister to this Court last Spring ii. c. N.
aiterward dsuced with Gen. Narvsez, and again
with Gen. O'Donnell, aud with the Minister of Aus
tria 80 that the courtiers out of their wits to
determine on which side OF the political balance
the royal favor was inclinng. But II was remarked
by all that no member of the actual Cabinet was
honored with an invitation 10 dance with his SSyer
eign, though they were there Pendsnt npcn her
royal pleasure all the evening.