The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-24
PrOelaIs xtIon orthe Provisional Government
no the spanish Nation
MADRID. january 20, 1863.

MADRID, January 70, 1863.
The Madrid Gazette publishes the following pro
clamatiou, addressed by the provisional govern
ment TO tIe Spanish nation:
Observation-Disclosures of whom public opinion is
the supreme judge, have to address themselves 10
critical periods to that same public opinion. and
10 avoid e dispeasure Of the country, to alter moi
only theiEHcts, but also their intentions.
The pltRisi0nal government has acted thus on
several oeSthsiOns. Again it will do 30 to-day, an
unheard u; crime having aroused all the generous
sentimenih and revealed the kind of weapons,
schemes ard tendencies which the enemies of lib
erty and zeal order set in action in order that
merely the,shadow of liberty alone should be sus.
tanned.
The assassination of the governor of Burgos,
horrible Bf reason Of its Accomplishments. and
sscregioas on account Of the solemn occasion and
the holypis where it was committed, and of the
false and berfdious pretext employed TO provoke
it, will belen indelible stain upon the Spanish
ton if upbn it should rebound the opprobrIum
aroused W those who, TO carry out their sinister
desires, lid not hesitate al seeking to arouse the
troubles Of civil war, nor shrink from changing
the words of charity and liberty. which are por.
tons OF Christianity, into deeds of blood and ex-
Termination even as was done In the ages gone BY
The gOfernment has seen and observed in 81.
lence, bltnot unheedingly, q development of con-
spiracy, formidable not on account of the number
valor % is author but by its evident object TO
rekiDdle religious fanaticism, and to stir up one of
those frsnlcidal wars Of which history has drawn
30 sad picture, and in which cstastrophes similar
to that at Burgos are but as episodes. The gov.
eminent guOng in the certainty OF It's ustce. and
tranquil before IFS detractors, while supported by
the immense liberal majority of the nation, has
without hesitation followed out the course which
1t had proposed, carrying to the extreme its
respect for the rights OF ALL
The prObf of this statement is that 10 the cleo
tons universal suffrage opened the gates OF Par.
lament to- representatives oil every party, inclu'
ding even that party which abjures liberty and
parliamentary institutions.
a. rvffk ov1nf~o 4ha Iov
for which the government processes the greatest
respect, n believes that it can calm the public
indgnauob, so justly aroused, by assuring the ma
ton thctl the crime OF BurgOs will receive a
prompt gDd exemplary chastisement. let the
authors gIereof, or those who have melted or
been sccqnplices in il, be whom they may.
At the fine when the crime and the perpotrs-
tors are ID the hands of justice the government
can tatas no further steps in the matter. The
whole country calls out for energetic repression,
and the government will display that energy at all
price.
In the midst of the troubles naturally arising
after revolution so radical that of Spain, and
in the midst of those troubles which have been
violently melted. and have tended to arouse the
activity CT the reacti0nary agents, encouraged
thereto by the generosity fitting to liberal minds
the government has never yet ceased 10 uphold
all The tights of its citizens. The liberties of
meeting, OF association of the press of public edn
cation and Of universal suffrage, will form to-
gether the most complete code OF rights of which
spain may well be proud among the nations Of
Europe. These are essential things, and which
must greatly tend to raise the dignity of tue eoun-
try. Religious liberty, which wall hereafter be
adopted by all the nations of the world, and
which, fer from weakening the faith of the iu-
mense minority Of Spanisrds, will rather tend to
revive and strengthen it, is Ia restyre.estabshed.
The government has proclaimed it in important
documents and has authorized its exercise in
every case where such authorization has been
demanded.
nl Il 4
ly setl6c is the complicated question springing
from the establishment Of religious ioerty-of the
relations which shall exist between Church aud
State That point it is thought best TO reserve for
the decision OF the constituent cortes; and, the
time Of the meeting of that body being now so
near, il would not have been easy to Justify the
precipitation which would have occurred in deter
mining that which was not urgent, and that which,
Oh the other hand, ought not to have been de.
cided without an appeal TO the cortes.
As the time approaches for GROWING all the
conquesis Of liberalism it is easy to foresee that
the re8ctionists Of all kinds aud opinions will re-
double their last Efforts and their perfidious ma
cbiDatiOns.
The government does not fear Them it is Ger.
tain 70 put them down wherever they may raise
their heads and il reckOns for that purpose upon
the support of the army and the navy, which has
once more preserved the public liberties, upon
the citizen militia and upon the irresistible sup
port Of the liberal spirit which has at times been
held In check by the most tyrannical repression,
but been extinguished in the Spanish nation.
If the rtsctionists should appeal 10 force. if the
crime of Burgos is a challenge. the government,
In the .narle of the nation, will raise the glove.
Relying, then, we repeat. upon our power. and
having the mission to preserve that liberty which
we have conquered at so great price, the gov.
eminent will not diminish the rights of the citizens
blythe preventive measures they employ. 1t will be
sufficient for it to follow step by step the menaces
of the enemies Of the reVolution-to prepare ener.
getically to crush them, once aud for all, when
they may be able to arouse well founded fears for
the public tranquility and really imperil our
liberties.
This il what the government promises and what
IL Will perform, with the support and confidence
which will not be refused by the nation at this
critical time. The government will guard the high
interests intrusted TO il by the revolution and if
any serious peril should menace the country it
will be the first to raise the cry Of alarm, aud will
call 10 It's aid all the liberals determined TO fight
and SURF OF the victory.
FRANCISCO SERRANo
and the biher members OF the provisional gov
ernHlent.
MADBsD, Jan. %, 1869.