Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-12-17
Vermont Daily Transcript.
ST. ALBANS. VT.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER IL, 1868.
European Correspondence.

this country, has remarked, almost Ill
tone of complaint, that Englishmen APP
pear to regard the Spanish Revolution
with no warmer feeling thnn curiosity.
'rhe observation is Lot correct, but II 1T
were, we do not see that we were much
to blame. The Revolution in spain
las given us no cause for alarm, COIN
passion or anxiety. The Instruction
itself was accomplished without Blood
shed or disturbance The Queen ana
her followers removed themselves quiet
ly from the scene, and a CONFUSION
which i'm most cases would have been
attended by gricvous suffering is passing
AWAY harmlessly. We are by no means
without q sympathetic interest in the
fortunes of Spaniards, but, as far as we
can discover, the dcstinies before them
need give their friends no concern.
Whether The Government of the Coun-
try is to be monarchical or Republican
seems entirely uncertain, but the uncer-
tainty threatens no trout lie either way.
1T is true we do not contemplate the pos
sble adoption Of n RepIblic with the
all-engrossing interest experienced by
those who think Republicanism the
test of political perfectbilityG but neith-
err, on the other hand, should we regard
that phenomenon with ave sion or ter
ror if tae inclinatons or necessities OF
the Spanish people should be found to
take that direction. We do not believe,
in short, that the choice of Republic
instead of a Monarchy would necessari-
ly imply any extraordinary blessings
either to Spain itself or the human race
generally; but the Spaniards are free to
choose, and, as the period of election
seems characterized by perfect tram
guilty, we are content to await the re-
suit with good wishes to The cleo
tons.
The time has gone by when the spec
tacle of a Republic or European territory
would alarm Monarchal States for the
safety of their institutions. The time
has not come for hailing such a specta-
Gle with jubilation and confidence as a
N anifest step in human progress. Spain
may or may not be the better for dispen-
sing with a Throne, bu. the actual eX-
pertinent is conducted under such
strange conditions that curiosity must
needs enter little into the feelings Of
all observers. 1t appears exceedingly
probable that if Republic should be
D ,oclaimed i'm Madrid it will be simply
from waut-we will not say anything
better, but of any available alternative.
The Spanish Monarchy cannot be re-es-
tablished without Il Monarch, and,
after more than two months of suspense
and expectation, there is no Monarch
forthcoming. Perhaps, indeed, the in
quiry has proved it almost useless to in
quire, for there is hardly a possible cam
ddatc whose pretensions have not al
ready been set aside. All this time, too,
by the inevitable influence of events,
the Spaniards have been gradually hab-
ituating themselves to the political con-
ditions of Republican Government.
Since the flight of Isabella, H., Spaia to
all practical intents, has been actually
Republic, for its administration has
been conducted without q SOVEREIGN by
citizens deriving their authority f ON
popular nomination. Nor istLere to all
appearance, any risk involved il tie
prolongation of these provisional ar
engagements. On the contrary, we
should rather expect that things would
settle themselves all the more steadly
if left to gravitate their natural level.
sists in this-that of the only two visible
solutions one seems no less unattainable
than the 9th r. "How can you have a
Republic" said Prih, without Repub-
licans ?" To which it is obvious to re-
ply. "How can you have a Monarchy,
without King?'
We may assume as beyond doubt
that when the Spanish Throne was
overturned and the Queen driver into
exile, there really were Republicans in
Spail. We do not mean, of course, that
among thinking Spaniards there were
no men impressed with speculative
opinions in favor of Republican form
of Government, but these men favored
no appreciable proportion ofthe Spanish
people. In the seventeen millions of the
Spanish population they counted for
nothing; but the tendency of the events
has been to increase their number, and
such men have always claimed, and &C.
casionally exerted, an influence out OF
all p Oport.on to their hume cal
strength. France was, probably, not
Republican a. heart even in 1893 it was
not so certainly in 1s4s, and yet at both
periods the Republic was proclaimed,