The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-07
The Spanish Revolution.


more light upon the origin and history of the
Spanish revolution, which seems TO have been
nipped in the bud, but little seems TO be known
as to the political object of the insurrect ton,
whether it is aimed only against the Cabinet
or against the Queen, against the dynasty, or
even against monarchy. All that is certain Is,
that our friend PRIM seems TO be in a bad way,
and the admirers Of that eminent soldier and
his principles now say Of him that he is q
"heedless person When men speak in that
style of their friends, we may conclude that
they are unfortunate, and if PRIM is lucky
enough TO escape capital punishment, it will be
because his heels are longer than his head.
There is in Spain q party called the Liberals,
which, in general, we take to signify liberal
appropriation by the Outs Of the power and
possessions of the Ins. Whether this is the
case in Spain, we cannot say Their own
account of themselves is favorable, and their
account of their political enemies is not bril-
liant. They give discouraging opinion OF
the morals of the queen and express themselves
much shocked by her abject subserviency 10 &" a
cunning man''-one Senor PATRoSICo. They in
form that they lost faith in the regular action
of Parliament ever since the change in the cleo
| toral franchise, and the illegal influence of
Government upon the electors. They there
fore abstained from the ballot-boX at the last
two general elections, which is supposed 10
indicate that their minds were bent upon more
violent measures for changing the policy of
the realm. Still, several causes repeatedly
baffled the schemes of the revolutionists.
O'DoSSRLL, who was himself, in former days,
revolutionist, and had put himself at the
head of 4 very desperate enterprise in 1853, now
got into power, and tried TO conciliate the
gentlemen who were still outside. The
"cunning man. Senor PATRoCISo, was re-
moved from immediate contact with the
Queen, and 1t is said that the expedition to
Peru and Chill was gotten up to give differ
ent turn to public opinion and divert peo-
pies minds from home politics. On the Libe-
raj side the traditional leaders would not
countenance any armed rising, and there was
great diversity of opinion in the party how to
reconstruct Spain when the Liberals should
triumph. In the absence of all unity OF opin-
ion there could be, Of course, no unity Of
action, and O'DoSNRLL governed the country
pretty much in his own way. A crisis, how
ever was hastened by the cowardly departure
of the Queen from Madrid at the approach of
the cholera for the Spanish nation, and the
arch, whoever he or she may be, should be n
representative person in the quality Of pluck.
The Queens conduct was contrasted with
that Of NAPOLEON and Victor EMMANUEL, who
visited the cholera hospitals at Paris and
Naples. The King and Queen OF Portugal,
whose amiable qualities have made them very
popular, on their return from Italy and
France had TO come home by Spain, and
though they left Madrid two hours after
their arrival, the people at the railway station
recognized them and cheered enthusiastically
the Liberal King and Queen" 1t became
every day clear that a rising was imminent,
and O'DoSSELL took measures to prevent 1t
by determining to give PKIH command in the
Canary Islands, and to put other revolution
ary generals out of the way. The Canary, not
desiring 10 be Gagged, gave, unexpectedly, the
signal for a rising when the preparations OF
the Liberalists were not yet completed This
is pretty much the whole history Of the affair,
which seems TO have been regular flash In
the pan. PRIA is in parts unknown, the
cunning man. is still in Spain, and the
revolutionists have not yet found out them
selves what they wanted by the revolution.
Some were in favor simply Of calling LiSe'
raj Cabinet into power; others OF forcing the
Q ueen TO abdicate and proclaiming her son, the
Prince of the Asturias, King of Spain others
of uniting the crowns of Spain and Portugal
under the King of Portugal, and some others
openly agitated for Republic. .PRIa, proba'
bly,, was in favor Of being Dictator, but is more
likely TO be shot.