The Portland daily press., 1866-01-08
PORTIANn
Monday Morning, January 8, 1856.
~ Reading Matter on all -Four Pages.
Spain.

faYeA.
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u .saT Tr Spain. .f..r
The condition of affairs in Spain would
seem to be such as a patriotic Spaniard can
hardly regard without anxiety. The priestly
and courtly cliques surrounding the queen are
cordially hated by the people, and Isabella
herself has greatly fallen off in popularity
within the last few years. Moreover the con-
dition OF her health is extremely precarious,
anu mtimations are not unfrequently to be
met with in the various public prints of what
might be expected to take place were death or
permanent ill-health to remove her from the
control Of affairs. There are even not want
ing those who hint that her mfavorable symp-
toms have been aggravated by the treatment of
her physicians, and do not hesitate to saw who
would be the gamers should she not survive
her approaching accOuehement. The heir of
the throne, Infant Alfonso, is only eight wears
old; and the King ConsoIt, his father, might in
such contingency count on the power and
honors of virtual royalty for many years.
Talk is also heard of such pressure being
brought to bear on Isabella as may compel
her TO abdicate and leave the power in the
hands of a regency. One of the most power
ful personages in Spain is undoubtedly the
Irish-Spanish statesman, Don Leopold O'Do--
nell. Hehas astrong party at his back, and
his position gives him the control of the ar
my which is devoted to him. ODonnell is
believed to be in the main loyal to the queen;
and it is said that he would not join in any
violent or unlawful scheme against her. Then,
too, the unpopularity which has of late years
been shown to attach to the Queen, extends in
far higher degree to all the members other fam
lily, 50 that Isabella II. could hardly be set
aside without imperlling the rights of the
Bourbon dynasty. 9l1 ls
The Madrid correspondent of the London
Times, shrewd and observant IL somewhat
prejudieed writer, commenting upon this sit
uation of affairs says: n t @
aShould the Queen live, and were it at the
same time deemed expedient or necessary
| that she should resign the Ieins of Govern
ment, this object might be attained with or
4 without her consent. To what ex. .ent it N ay
be supposed that she is weary OF her great. ess
and inclined to retirement, am not in po-
sition TO say. have been positively assu ed that
| the Queen has lately been logging large sums in
| the funds abroad, pcs IDLY wltn view to pro-
vide against rainy day, either for herself or
! hers. Were she willin .ly and cheerfuly to
retire from business, Spain could atiord her
/ such pensions as might make her comfortal g
for life, and in her private capacity she wcu.d
be allowed iRdulgere Qenio, without censure or
| comment. To an amicab.e trans action OF this
| nature, ODonnell is supposed, even by his
friends, to have no particular objection. and
could the thing be done legally and lcyaily, he
might and would undertake tnat orGer should
be maintained, and that Spain should, as it
were, fall on her feet. / fiLd that many en-
tertain no unfavorable opinion of O,DcnneI,
| pronounce him free from personal ambition,
ascribe to him upright intentions, and think
i him cool and firm enough tor any emergencT.
/ To any act which should compel the Queen to
/ abdicate or lead to an unlawful dec ion of
the vacanc2 of the throne, am told, he would
4 be noparty. Events, however, are often strong
| er than mans inciinations or designs, and
were the Queen removed, no matter by what
cause, O'Donnell might, even with the best
intentions, find it impossible to uphold the
rights OF either the King Consort as Regent, or
| the Prince of Asturias as heir. The removal
I of single stone, nay, OF the corner stone, Of
this rickety Bourbon edifiee, it is thought,
might determine the downfall of the whole; |;
\ and the question for ODonnell might be,
not be attended with all the disorders of pc
litical and social "cataclysm." aaiss-5l,
This writer has plainly little confidence in
the efficacy of constitutional forms for such
people as the Spaniards. His letter concludes
thus: ~ A3f9 eeoeA 7-- A
"Whatever the real bent of O'Donnelps
mind may be at this juncture, he must be
aware that States are not savel with rose-wa-
4 ter. Possession is nine-tenths OF the law a i'd
| it must be his fault ii he lets power slip tom
his hands. To separate the Queen fiCm her
priestly and courtly Clique is utterly imp. ac c.
able, at least without such vio.ence as would
be no less repugnant to ODonneli's feelings
than the Queens dethronization. To 1eep
the Queenon the throne with all those monks,
4 nuns, doctors, and lacqueys abouthe is equal
ly impossible. No doubt the Spa .iards, as all
other people, are ticke and apt to run from
one extreme into the opposite. The ret OFT of
the Queens sufferings has soitenel tLeir
hearts, and were she now able and vii in, to
trust herself among them the tears she la
bors under Of popular insults might prove to
be unfounded. Nay, more, were she to sue
cumb under her iniirmities there would be
4 compassionate and vindietive outcries not cas-
lily to be appeased. But ii she survives, her
downfall, however long put off, is not to be
averted. Those who viii not bend must break.
/ 10 StiCh W ueI COuleoSOfS Is IOf IL,
sooner or later, to lose her people. 1t is diff
cult for Spain to be rid OF her troubles other
4 wise than by the promptitude and eAergy of
\ one man. Ii ODonnell is up to the emer. en-
eies of the situation it would be vain for him
to show himself too great stickler Tor legal
forms. Legality in this country is more apt
to kill than cure. Constitutions, Salic laws,
and such contrivances have never proved to be
i anything better than waste paper in Spain in
the hour OF need. SUGGESTIONS TO the throne,
regelcies, ministerial crises, are never the
work of the law here, but Of intrigue and vi
olence The Spaniards are docie-nay, an
inert, sluggish people, in ordinary times, and
before their passions are fully aroused. With
1 decision and expedition, the dynastic ques-
1 ton might perhaps be settled before the null
titude We're well aware OF what is intended Oh
/ effected. The Consciousness ofrighteous aims
strengthens man in the use of his means
II the Queen is to be put aside, the dynasty
to be sent packing, and new Sovereign to be
sought out OF Portuguese, .Orieanese, Italian
| or German candidates, why sit Were best done
/ if done quickly" What O'Donnell might hes.
itate TO attempt, another soldier less scrupulous
! or more fal-sishted and patriotic may happily
accomplish. At all events, change brought
1 about by such hands would Re thousand
times pre- erable to an inaction which might
refer the dyRastic question to popular aFbitrs-
ton, letting loose extreme parties. and piung-
ing the country into all the horrors OF anarchy
and civil bloodshed. sol sc.r s..gsgg.yr
REBELs INVITED TO MExroo.-The traitor
M. r. Maury, WHO'S now imperial eommlss ION
er for iI.aximiian's Mexican bureau OF emigra-
ton, has published an appeal to Southern
4 planters, setting forth the Inducements toT
their emigration to Mexico. .,a. lneie are Zoo,-