The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-26
Spain and tho Revolutionary Elements Of
Europe.

lutonary elements now existing in Europe
Whether Spain shall or shall not be successful
in her present struggle, whether, as the result
of that struggle, she will settle down in the
form of republic or in the form of well
guarded constitutional monarchy, are undoubt-
eddy important questions; but they are, after ALL
only secondary to this other question: What
is likely to be the effect of this movement on
the rest of Europe? 1t is notorious that Spain
for the last forty five or fifty years has been
the object of the solcitude of all the liberal
centres of Europe. Nor is this much to be
wondered at. Spain, while she suffered more
from the great French revolution, has reaped
from it less benefit than any other nation on
that Continent From causes into which we
cannot now enter Spain came out of the ordeal
of those years of blood and sorrow which fol-
lowed the revolutionary movement in France
not only not in better but in worse and
weaker state than she entered it. Blood, trea-
self more hopelessly than ever under
the heel of despotism. That Spain was
herself largely to blame for such result
no one can deny; but the fact remains
as warning to all future time. What Spain
by little more wisdom might have secured at
the restoration of the kingdom in 1914 all
her efforts, all her struggles, all her
sacrifices have failed to secure for her since
1880 came and went, leaving her no residue Of
benefit It was the same with 1S4S, which
for hrso Fri,
over the greater part Of Europe. Let us hope,
now that Carlists and Christmas no longer
divide the kingdom, that on this occasion
Spain will have better fate
The history of modern Europe, If it has read
us any lesson, has certainly read us this one
that the liberal and revolutionary spirit is
subject to periodic outbursts. Nor are these
outbursts local, but general and as u rule
almost simultaneous. Not to go too far back,
il was so in 1882 The fall of the Bastle in
Paris awoke responsive echoes in every capital
in Europe, St. Petersburg and Constantiuople
alone excepted. Joy was scarcely less in
London than in Paris. IL was quite as great
in Vienna and Berlin as in either. 1t s not
too much to say that but for the excuses of
the French revolutionists at that time Europe
might have been emancipated some eighty
years ago. In spite of all these excesses--and
they ought never to be forgotten-it was the
sympathy of the peoples with that lib
erty of which France was supposed to be
the exponent that made the victories of
the First Napoleon not only possible but easy.
The same may be said, though with less en-
phasis. of the revolution of 1880 Had the
dethronement of Charles the Tenth and the ap-
poinlment Of his successor been less adroitly
managed-in other words, had the struggle
assumed more gigantic proportions or been for
any length of time protracted, the uprising all
| over Europe might have been scarcely less
serious than the uprising in 1889 and immedi-
ately subsequent years AS IL was the revolu-
tionary impulse was felt far beyond the con-
fines of France. II FASTENED the settlement of
the reform question in England and encour-
! aged the Poles to make another determined.
but unfortunately fruitlcss. effort. IL il
scarcely necessary TO remind our readers of
that ''year of revolutions" 1878. The pent-
up fires beneath the crust of the social and DO
! litical fabrics burst forth simultaneously all
over the Continent. Not throne in Europe
but shook 20 its foundation. Everywhere the
peoples were triumphant, and If the monarch
! fled from Paris monarcbs were on their knees
in Vienna and Berlin. II will rebound to the
lasting disgrace of the dynosties that the mercy
then shown them by the people was shamefully
requted, that the trust then reposed in them
was heartlessly betrayed
Have we reached another of those reyolu-
| tionary epochs? Is this Spanish uprising but
the premonitory symptom OF a general up
hcaving all over the Continentt II il is SO.
what are the chances of the pcoplcsg Is the
attempt again to prove abortive, or IL il to be
crowned with lasting success? No one can
say the populations of Europe are contented.
No one can say that general uprising is i'm
probable. II is not TO be denied. however.
that the events which have taken place within
the last few years in the South aud in the
centre OF Europe have let of large amount
of revolutionary steam. When governments
have become reasonably responsive to the will
of the people the probability of revolution is
considerably lesseued. Although matters are
not quite what they ought to be in Italy. in
France, in Austria. in Prussia, the people
have become conscious of their growing i'm
portance and power. OF late years they
have gained something and the tendency
il still in their favor. Considering all these
things, the chances are less than they would
have been some years ago that this Spanish
spark will set Europe ablaze. II, however, the
conaagration should become general the
chances are greater that the people will remain
permanent nas.srs Of The situation. Iua crisis