New-York tribune., 1869-01-16
THE SPANISH REVOLUTION
THE REPUBLIC AND IT'S FOES.
IRON OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

be explained by considering IL merely as party
desiring to substitute Republic for a Monarcby-tO
put President over Spain instead of King. Spain
might not be ruined by one more King, neither can
she be saved bya President only. The Republican
party is logical organization with very practical
views and policy not limited by political traditions
In demanding Republic, it means to secure real
and not titular freedom, and to sweep away what
ever institutions stand in the way of the enjoyment
OF liberty, as well as Of its theoretical development
Now liberty in Spain has enemies elsewhere than in
the Royal Palace, and the Republicans have laid
siege to more than citadel where an enemy is
intrenched andfhey menace such fortresses as they
are not yet strong enough to attack. The strong
holds Of despotsm in Spain are the Kingly power,
the Army, and the Church, and the Republican
movement is directed at this moment somewhat less
openly against the last two than against the Mon
archy, but with purpose not less decisive That
the Church hates everything liberal we all under
stand but we must understand also that the army is
foe to the republic, and civil authority under any
form. am not sure but Liberal Monarchy, with
the army abolished would give Spain freer govern
ment than any possible Republic wherein the potl-
cal power of the army was left substantially I'M
tOucheds Therefore the present struggle of parties
must be regarded struggle of the civil power to
assert its proper supremacy the military power.
The administration Of Spain is centralized to de-
gree perhaps exceeding even that OF France. The
Empire of France rests upon the army, but the Gov
ernment of Spain is the army The high function
aries are either soldiers obedent to the sodIery
spirit and the officers of the army the servants
of one idea that the nation exists for the army, not
the army for the nation That it is the army which
has made each revolution has been well understood.
Such fact cannot be arbitrarily explained nor is it
accounted for by the wrangling ambition Of rival
military chiefs. II is the symbol of a system which
includes the whole political and military power Of
Span and subordnates the citizen to the soldier tho
whole civil authority to the arbitrary will OF
the controlling opinion of the army. It is
as much social as political l remember being
told in Berlin two years ago that an officer who al
lowed himself TO be struck by civilian must resign
from the army. lie might shoot the offender on the
spot or kill him afterward in duel, but the ven.
geance did not wipe out the disgrace Of the blow.
The victim had no alternative but to abandon lis
profession know not whether so stern rule could
be enforced in Spain, but il is an apsiustraton o'
the sentiment of social superiority which will be sat
isfed with nothing less than an undsputed control
over the kingdom. While it exists true Republic
is possible but it will exist as long the army
lists; and the success of the Republic will be tha
signal for such reduction of the army shall leave
il no longer political machine. If the Republicans
carry majority of the Cortes in January, their first
struggle will be for the concession of the principle
Of republican organization. That ganed time must
still be granted for the consolidation of their power
but the first administrative act of strong ministry
Will be the disbandment of the army. The officers
will be put half pay. the sent to their homes.
a skeleton organization, staff, or national guard,
oficered by the people themselves, will be the sub
stitute for the existing hierarchy of the
sword. No such policy can yet be avowed,
for the jealousy of the army leaders would
be sung into madness and they would revolt against
any civil authority sooner than see the power pass
out of their hands. They may tolerate the establish
ment of Republic by the COrtes expecting to rule 10
rs they have ruled the monarchy. The moment theY
found it, as they will find ii. infexible maste,
recurring obedience instead Of puppet whose strings
are pulled from the barracks conflict would be in'
evitabe and the sole safety of the new government
would be in suppressng its rival before 1t suspected
its danger While it would have every officer against
it in such a struggle. it might count on sluggish
support from portion of the soldiers, because with
the soldiers the service unpopular The Spanards
of the lower orders detest the cOnscription. More
than one government has sought popularity by SUBJ
stituting system of enlistment but no temptation
of pay was found to seduce the peasant from bis love
of peaceful pursuits As the nation is made the yassal
of the army so the rank and file Of the army ara
mere servants to the ambition of the officers. In
this aversion of the private TO the service the Repub-
lican purpose Of abolition must find what help 1t can
but passive rather than active. The consent OF gnor
ant masses to the suppression of the system will be
weak defense against the ferocious determination
which such crisis will make among the officers
There has been some hope of coalition between tia
Republicans and Gen. Prim. They have good
many interests in common. and Gen. Prim has ln'
stincts of patriotism which may be stronger than tie
selfish suggestions of ambition but will never ba
strong enough to induce him to listen to any pro-
posal for reducing the prestige of the army o Is
soldier more than anything else his fame is that OF
soldier his popularity sprung from daring exploits
in the field, he is identified with the army bound 10
il by hundred ties Of interest fgratitude, and thu
hope of future career dependent on its continued
GOOD will. If Prim should coaesce with the Repub'
licans in forming constitution he will break with
! them the moment they lay hands on the existing
army organization, and in that inevitable division
bctween the party and the whose alliance migha
secnre free government lies one great peril of tho
! future.
On the coming conflict with the Church need noi
| say much. Rome and the Republic more 10
reconciled in SPAN than in Italy The doeful voice
of the Pope intonng his pOssamus will he heard
| in Madrid as in Florence The world has long been
taught that Spain was Catholic above all things but
| il seems as if nothing that was true OF Spain six
months ago is true to-day. There many Spaniards
who do not hesitate to tell you that the kndlng love
of freedom has become stronger passion than tho
old fanatcal devotion TO the Church. fortnight
since the eloquent CASTELAR, delivered Republican
address to COCO citizens of Madrid. 1--WE cannot,
he said affect to be ignorant of the conflict between
our hereditary religion and the Republic we hope TO
build, but my mind is made up. II the Church VIII
10 L..