The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-04

| outward habits, the nation was changing its
ideas. When the hour of ripeness came to
| the court corruption, the people, and even
the army, were ready for the change, and the
thin shell Of royalty was found as fragile as
that Of an egg. But, though Spain was all
agreed to throw off its old forms, 1t was far
from being agreed upon the new.
In this condition Of things the provisional
government was constituted of the three an
tagonistic elements which it comprises. The
monarohical party claimed and obtained the
first place in the person OF General Serrano.
The advocates of a radical change, which
might become republican or mOnarohical, as
circumstances should warrant, received the
command of the army for General Prm, and
the Judiciary was assigned to the advocates Of
a still more liberal class of ideas. Toe Gov
ernment is constituted OF Zine members,
equally divided between the foregoing men
toned theorists. Outside of government
which has not majority for any policy, lie
the advanced republicans, weak in organiza-
tion but strong in propsgandism, and the re-
dictionary or Church party, always we'll organ
lied for action, but unpopular in its political
tendencies and prOclivities. TO these conflict
ing elements in Spanish politics of to-day
must be added others, which are the personal
interest of the astute ruler of France, the rem
nant of the elder party of the house of Bour-
bon, and the new partisans of the younger or
Montpensier branch. Under the new law of
a free press in the peninsula each of these
has its journals, and is at this moment
actively engaged in the promulgation of its
ideas.
Surrounded by this state of intrigue and
e1ervescenee, the Cortes is called to mset
during the present month to determine the
new constitution of government and to nomi-
nate its head. From time to time it is stated,
with an air of official sanction, that the pro-
visional government is a unit on the question
of monarchy, and even on that of the caudi-
date for the throne, though the name of this
parsonage is kept sedulously in the dark.
But it is well known that new combinations
are continually showing themselves within the
several parties represented in the provisional
Cabinet, and new intrigues are put in play.
In this condition of affairs and in view of the
sturdy temper OF the people, harassed as they
have long been by miSgovernment, and pressed
to-day by destitution and hunger, it is scarcely
probable that any party which may obtain
control of the proposed new organization of
government can be anything more than a
fractional part Of the nation at large. 1t will
be surrounded by hostile elements, all inte-
rested in its early overthrow, and the history
OF the Spanish nation shows that it has never
been slow to listen to an appeal to arms.
With this prospect in the early future, our
| Government need be in no haste to make ne
gotiations in reference to Cuba, nor need the
| partissns of independence within the island
fear that the opportunity will slip from their
grasp. Spain will soon have her hands toe
full of her own affairs to be able to devote
much blood or treasure to the defense of the
sever faithful isle;" and, like ripe pear, i
will fall of its own weight, through the natu
raj line of independence, into the system o
the Union. Ii Europe escapes unscathed from
the dangers which general confagration @
ideas in Spain will bring to her, her monarch
and her Cabinets will be too happy in thei
own safety to care much which way Cuba fall
or what becomes of it.