New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-11

arms they would swarm over the Northern Mountains
and all across the line of Portugal There wonld be
an insurrecton every week; no province would be
qalet, commerce would languish, reform OF the
finances become impossible. No government, least
of all an experimental administration such as Re
public must be at first, could be firmly
established while they went on with the active
OF mischief incaculabe, and he would use every
one of them. A republic would be red flag Haired
IN his face Spain dare not enter ON such contest ut
this moment. She needs repOse. Her finances are III
disorder which nothing but settled government
can restore Any government will be intrigued
against but against republic al parties wond unite
backed tby such support from without, IL what no
man who knows Spain would attempt at this mo-
ment Numerous the Republicans are, they inclnde
few or accustomed to affairs. able to admins
ter departments, or whose names would command
respect ut home or abroad.
That ~ sketch OF the arguments by which Prim
and those who act with him convince each other that
Spain must endure one more monarchy. But only
one, they say and they defend their consistency
Republicans by saying they all accept the monarchy
an evil necessary for the hour, but also as the
essential step to republic. They declare they have
roy val family They would build kind of temporary
throne just strong enough to sustain one sovereign
and tumble to pieces when he dies-a throne that
shall be only scaffoldng for republic; an OminOus
suggestion. Prm says. his party they are all for
a Republic in the future, and if they think mon
archy inevitable to-day, 1T shall be monarchy 30
liberal AZ to differ from republic only in name
Free institutions for SpaInthey take that for their
motto. lido not understand that these mOnarchlcal
Republicans feel the stress of their alliance with the
Liberal Union-a union liberal in name Only--very
strongly. They don't expect that party. coalition,
or whateverjt is. to return more than 100 members
out of the more than 400 who will compose the COrtes
offices which has been assigned them, and if
they permitted TO retain those, may be counted
supporters rather than opponents of Prims policy
He expects to make n constitution genuinely Liberal
without much resistance from them, though they are
anything but Liberals at heart To that constitution
he looks his best defense against the criticism Of
those who charge him with DESERVING the Liberal
cause Between the Liberal MoDarchsts and the
pure Republicans there will be hot struggle in the
elections yet Prim insists 10 will be struggle for
shall the head of the State be called King or
PRESIDENT That point settled there will be no diff
ference between these two parties on the main prln
ciples of the new constitution. There shall be edu-
cation free speech, free press freedom Of meeting,
the right know, to settle, and to argue according to
conscience. 1--WE will sit OH two sides of table,
will write your constitution You shall write mine,
will take which you like" That is the prop
ostion they make 10 the Republicans. Whether the
Republicans quite 50 ready 10 accept 1t, cannot
Bnt suppose the Republicans carry the elections
and prove To be o majority IN tho Cortesf The an
swer was emphatic: :" If they have n majority Of
single vote for Republic. we go for IT.. We are
in the same boat, and must sink or swim together.
The will Of the people is to be the law henceforth IN
Spain. We mean TO obey it and help make Others
obey it, and if the Republicans and ourselves do not
agree on this there is hope for either And my
Castilian friend added without knowing that he was
making celebrated quotation " If we do not hang
together we shall hang separately Among the men
who have made or joined the revolution. let MS hope
the instinct of scf-preseryaon is strong enough TO
unite them in that sentiment. IL is most true pre-
dictiOn. Who does not know that II the cruel and
cowardly Gonzales Bravo came back 10 power he
would shoot every leader OF the revolution who had
not found time to fly !
have no wish To hazard a positive opinion based
on "a hours observation and inquiry IN SPAN. such
an opinion have value except so far rs II rests
upon the opinion of Others who do know the situa-
ton. Nearly all my Information comes tIom ami
Republican sources yet cannot resist tho impress
a.. -. ~ fhun
II is sad tonight that the great towns have gone
Republican IN the municipal elections: Barcelona
Seville, everywhere except Madrid. The English
speaking Staniarls with whom talked az came on
the railway described the Republican feeling III the
moro western PROV inccs as overwhelmlng One oil
them man of rather unusual Intelligence not "A
Republican, judged but his testimony was the
same II would not do, he said, Tor the Government
To undertake To keep down the Republicans: they
were too strong 10 be dealt with in that way. The
Cadiz affair exceptional but il showed what the
party would do, II pressed and the Government bad
Q unit not yet perfectly ofganizea
time enough before the Cortes election
complete their organization and get out their fnl
vote have since seen one Of their leading men III
Madrid. lie airms that Madrid Is Republican by a
great majority but that they were not permitted to
poll their real strength. They have an extraordinary
system OF registration under which man must re-
ceye certificate of qualification from the Govern
ment itself before he can vote If understand the
number correctly 5000 men, OF whose rlght 10 Note
there question failed To get their certificates
by one of those singua condolences which VIII oc
eur IN such matters The greater number oil tlOse
whom the Government had not time to supply with
the evidence of their right were Republicans; Ohe
may venture guess that this machinery VIII soon
got pulled 10 pieces, and system adopted that does
not actually invite the party in power TO perpetuae
its authority 10y Withholding the franchise from us
opponents. II the thing Sc ns incredible. can only
say nothing Is incredible IN Spain and tell the story
a. il was told TO me. AT any rate the kepuphcans
here do believe they are majority IN Madrid, anu
ought to have carried the elections ana promise
H., hon
pal contests are n convenient trial oil strength
and the Republicans themselves appear TO pe sur
prsed ut the numerical force they nave developed
You understand already that this party has ldentl
fed itself in the most public way with the polcy OF
Abolition. Between them and the LlbeTli monarch
lists of Prns pattern that is the essenIlal delynee
next after the great question OF President or Ming
They believe Prm himself is at heart Republican,
and that If he could but cut loose from the temper
ling and compromising influences that surround nm
he would risk everything and go for the Republic
first last and at all times. The French newspapers
and notably the Lbtrt amusing their leisure by
discussing what they call Pnms trcaehery. NJ de
Girardin desired to patr0nlze both Prlm ana the
Revolution, but somehow he did not ma Prlm q gOou
kind OF man To patrOni2e, and ~ he could not lean
him by softer arts, this ctcpteW p0hqHe resorts 10
vindictiyc denuncialion. don't think that either
will be successful. Prm seems To have n GOOD deal
of the Grant nature in him, silent, mucf-me
Eating, inieXible man. The Republicans who lament
his m0narchical policy still speak of him with re-
spect, and do not question his integrity arm NM
self. they say, would be glad to be free rom all
mark, which goes far, if true, TO justify
their opinions and hopes. You remember the bal
cOny scene the Puerta del SOL, soon AFTER
PTin,'s coming 10 Madrid. when no stepped out ana
embraced Serrano. THAT balcony" said Prim " Is
never out OF my mind" The meaning Is TINS that
Prim was at that moment master Oh tDe SITUATION
Never TO any man, said my Republican, was such u
reception given in Madrid as To Prim. Had he but
chosen to enter that balcony alone, he would have
left il the sole arber of Spain desinles DIVIDING
his mower ho kent faith with the men whose aid
had made the Revolution possible but he probably