The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-07
The spanish ThtOuo Question in Paris
Signs Of Life and s0me Hope.

Signs OF Life and S0me Hope.
Our cable dispatches this morning show
very conclu svely that the Spanish throne
question has become quite as much a cause OF
enthusiasm in Paris as it Is in Madrid. Whatever
be the object of springing upon the world at
| this late hour the name Of Prince Leopold, Of
Hohenzollern-S igmaringen, it is no longer to
| be denied that the new name has made the Span
! ish throne question the European question OF
the hour. From London to st. Petersburg,
from Stockholm to Constantinople, nothing
| else is talked Of. Prince Leopold, who other
wise might have lived and died unknown, has
become famous; and, whether he does or does
not become King of Spain, his name will find
some little place in the history of Europe.
AT a late hour last night we received cable
kilograms stating that the French Minister to
Berlin had been recalled, that the Parisians
demanded war with Germany, that the Span
ish Minister in Paris had been cioseted with
Napoleon, and that the French newspaper cry
was, in some quarters at least, ''as at Jena
and to Berlin"
The novelty of our lates. news centres in the
Olivier banquet. We do not belittle the state
ment of the Constituts0nneS or the demand OF
lie Pdys or the Bourse excitement or the
announcement of the ''well informed" London
correspondent, when we say this. 1t is a singu-
lar fact that, all of sudden and all over, and so
soon after the adjournment of the Cortes, the
Spanish throne question, connected with the
name Of German prince, should become the
all-absorbing question in European poll
the British government, which is indifferent
about Spain except on one polnt-that the
King of Spain be not a Bonaparte-should be
well disposed towards this new German star.
1t does not surprise us that Spain and France
are both wildly opposed to this new and some
what unexpected point of departure We do
not wonder that the Bourse balance trembled
We wonder not at all that Baron Werther felt
it necessary to leave Paris in haste and rush
to his master at Ems But the Olivier ban
quet, with Prim as the idol of the hour, is to us
somewhat of a mystery. Was it pre-arranged?
Was it intended to be surprise! Is NJ. Olli-
vier himself taken in and done for? In present
circumstances why was Prim so prominent
figure?
These questions, after all, are not impertinent.
The presence OF Prim at the banquet of the
Prime Minister of France could scarcely be on
accident. 1t was announced some days ago
that Prim was on his way to Ems. His visit
to Ems was, therefore, no secret to the French
government. Wherefore he was going to Ems
was no mystery. Napoleon knew all about it;
and NJ. Olivier was not ignorant Looking at
all the facts Of the case, we dare not say that
this Hohenzollern business has been surprise
to any man now in the confidence of Napoleon.
Prim did not come to Paris to announce his
doings in this Hohenzollern business. The
announcement had preceded him. Prim knows
1t is safe, 30 far as we can see, to
conclude that Prim up to the present
is in the confidence of the Emperor Napoleon.
The appearance of Prim, therefore, at the
Olivier banquet was part of well conceived
plan. 1t happened in good time. 1t was
neither too early nor too late. Without Prim
there could have been no such explosion.
Prim in Paris and the honored guest of Napo-
Icons Prime Minister, the Hohenzollern explo-
sion was not premature.
With full knowledge Of all the latest de-
tails regarding this new movement to provide
changed? Not whit. We must repeat what
we said yesterday Prussian Prince on the
Spanish throne is an impossibilty, things being
as they are. But the complications produced
by this new candidate are richly suggestive.
We must admit that the Spanish crown has
actually been offered to this young German
lairdy' We must also admit that the offer
has not been spurned. 1t is difficult to think
that King William and Bismarck have not
both thought over this matter; that they have
not been in some sense consulted, and that they
have not in some sense also consented. A
HohenzoIlcrn on the Spanish throne, in spite of
his mixed blood, would be a gain to Prussia.
Portugal is already half German, SO far as the
throne goes. With two German kings in the
peninsula where would France be if she
Prussia? The appreciation Of Prussia,
therefore, proves nothing 1t only
proves that the Prussian government
is fully alive to her own interests. If Prussia
has been hoodwinked, she can afford it in
such cause. If she does not gain, she does
not lose. 1t is vain, however, to speculate.
The fruit is before us. France will not have
it. France already feels insulted France is
prepared to fight. The difficulties in the way
of settling the Spanish throne question are
greater than ever. The complications involve
many dynasties and several nations. The
French government speaks of European
Congress--the undying dream of Napoleon.
If European Congress should grow out of
this thing we shall not be surprised But we
.l,a h.,u Rrirnnn Of iha Aaf,i