The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-06-19

| Signing It-"Swinging Round the Circles-
ELL for Reducing the Army Defeated-A
| Whole Town in the Philippine Islands De-
| stroyed by Fire-Loss of Lives-Fearfui
| Morality Among the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
MADRID, June p 1869.
The project OF the constitution is longer pro-
ject; il has become real consttution-the funda-
| menda law of the land to which king and subject
must submit. 1t has been debated upon in lis
former bizarre toalty by youthful republican plea
| dores who went at it full tt but with blunted
lances; by Caristic banderil,os, who. with Jesuc
| adroitness, plunged at 1t from all points, and
| by experienced republican matadors, men
who could the projected constitution have been
slain had surely slain it tn ere then; but this old
bull was of a tougher nature than the bulls OF the
| Plaza de Toros. This one was OF impenetrabe
| parchment fenced round and guarded mastery by
| wre-tongued monarchists. unassalable IN its en-
tirety picadores, banderillos and matadors at
! tackled lt inch by inch commencing at the nose,
ending at the TAIL beginning from article No. to ar
tice I12, in which way they succeeded IN wounding
il here and there, smearlng IL rghtfuy by daubs OF
| fifth making huge sores in it, hamsringng 1t, blunt
| ing its horns, and making the old bull almost un-
recognizable even to It's defenders but the vital
points were never touched by deadly steel; there
was 1t invunerable. Lo its antagonists having at
tackled it In all ways, having thoroughly wasted
their strength in trying to despatch it, having walked
over its body from nose to tail, the bull
astonishes them by appearing in all his former
strength and beauty, with wounds scientifically
dressed, patches sewed up, gaps filled artfcialy,
limbs perfect, horns pointed and steel tipped this
time; ana in just such manner has the constitution
appeared, to the surprise OF youthful republicans
10 the dismay Of banderlo Carlists and veteran re-
publican matadors.
Yesterday the process was gone through of voting
upon it in its toality. The republicans made two or
three dead-ift efforts to crush it TO the earth by
startling declarations, but 1t OF no use Resign
eddy they sat down; hopelessy they listened to the
monotonous voice OF the Secretary, whom the re-
publicans evidently wished would be strangled de.
spairngly they shrleked their No. and 1t is mar
vel to your correspondent that the roof of the Cortes
chamber did not expand TO give vent to the over
whelmlng sigh OF despair that republican bosoms
emitted when the same monotonous voice OF the
hateful Secretary pronounced the votes 2l4 81, con-
ira So non The constitution OF spain had become
TACT.
From this time forth we must amuse ourselves In
noting its progress watching its conduct under
difculties-in Short see whether it walk. 1t is
a very easy matter TO make constitution-any Pine
street lawyer can make one--even Ben Butler can
manufacture one-but the most difficult part is TO
put the breath OF life into it, make it march to the
to the readers OF history and those who trace pot
cal events that here is the essential thing the nfu
sion OF life iDto dead parchment. Without the
breath which Is the soul OF it, the dead parchment
IS so much clean parchment solled and blurred rem
dered useless. Unless ''Ben Butler ana any Pine
street lawyer can infuse life INTO this parchment
they cannot be said To have made u constitution or
to be any smarter than their fellows, and unless the
Spanish constitution has the essential essence In 1t
neither can it be sad to be one.
Decrers or republics and republican institutions
may say what they VIII against them ana may hope
fully cry out that tas Spanish constitution provides
everything necessary i0r the welfare OF Spanards
because IL has provided literally Tor individual
rights OF natives and strangers who may reside In
this country; bur this one thing Is evident-and 1t Is
what your correspondent must take note oi-the
Spanish constitution has left the republicans out in
the cold. Almost four entire states provinces
| the Baearlc Isles, Catalonia Valencia and ARA
! gon-have been left unprovded Tor. When the in
| habitants OF these States or provinces number at
| least one-thrd OF the whole Spanish population who
| added TO those OF Cuba. Porto Rico, the repuDi-
| cans of CASTLE and Andalusia will swell their num-
Der 10 over hail. the spanish constitution cannot
be said TO have the neeaIul essence In IT. Sooner or
later, then, this defect will work Its death.
Two obnoxious articles are contained in the con-
stltutlon-arcle twenty, relating to the support OF
the Catholic religion by the state and article thirty
four, which makes spain monarchy. 10 must be
remembered that these articles are obnoxious not
to small minority, but to Just one-nalf OF the entire
spanish people. This onehalf Is not an OLD party des-
tined die shortly from premature birth or or chronic
hamilton, but 1t has been growing daily stronger
since the French and American revolutions, unul
to-day requires three united parties-the progre.
sistas, uniOnstas and democrats-to defeat 1t. II
finds Itself to-day in much the same position that
the American republicans found themselves during
the election OF 1850. III the democrats OF Americafad
not split Tor splat, as some grammatical purlsts
| A. Douglas John Bell and John c. Breckinridge-
there had been no war; neither had the republicans
been 10 day In power, and doubtless there had been
| 500. coo warriors now dead marching to the polls
with democratic votes In their hands and the coun
| try would now be without Its two billions OF national
debt. II Is obvious, then. that the monarchiss, de-
pending only upon the union OF three great parties
| have but a slight tenure OF power, and that the
| fundamental
Spain, cannot march very far or for long period OF
| time Even now its tenure OF power Is threatened.
| Prm, the progressta leader, and Serrano the
unionista leader are at "ioggerheads.h Serrano Is
10 be Regent but PPM is the President OF the Coun-
Gil OF Ministers. and wants 20 appoint his own min
listers irrespective OF the claims VI unlonistas or of
| democrats.
mating each other The prOgre5ista papers say that
Offices should be gwen IN proportion To their mum.
| bers-viZ that as there are eight ministerial
offices that the progresistas should hold five; the
| unIOnfstas three AMI the democrats but one. The
unlonista Journals sarcasucally say That tue pro-
gresstas very generous m the distribution OF the
spoil: that their party should rave at least four The
democratic papers, not 10 be behndhand proceed on
the same strain, calming "a their right three oces.
Bat Prlm, President Ol tle Council OF Ministers and
| Minister OF War, with $4,000 men at ms beck and
call remembering at the time that he ~ OF the
buest blood OF the Cuznans, says, "Come, now,
gentlemen diputad0s, you NAV talk as much as you
please about this distribution OF offices, but
as 1 am a Guzman ] mean 10 appoint my
own Minister'S From these facts, them daily be.
coming more distinct more evident he would be q
bold Speculation who could predicate a long life TO
the Spanish constitution. The example OF America
is before the growing party Talleyrand Will prove
a correct prophet yet. Many years have passed
since he said that American democracy would over
turn European monarchies. Though not IN the ex-
act way that he imagined American democracy has
already overturned more tnan one throne. The
Spanish republicans, though English newspapers
may ignore the fact, have their lessons by heart:
the speeches Of their deputies In the Cortes prove
individually the ability OF their ntellects and the
tention Of their memory. The frequent citations Of
American examples, OF CromweIlian spirit Pitt diplo.
macy and Bright oratory indicate TO us the way they
are going, no less than admonsh the monarchists
Of spain how very far they poehind IN history and
the spirit OF the age. The monarchists have cited
for sefconsoatlon the power and splendor OF Spain
In the reigns OF Charles " and Philip H. but this IL
plainly indicative that they do not perceive, or shat
they wish 70 forget the extreme debility into which
spain subsequently fell. There be no COM
| parison whatever between the present condi-
ton or Spain and Its state under the last OF the
Austrian kings. The monarchists would do well TO