New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-15


force of the Kingdom.
CAUSES OF THE FALL OF THE SAGASTA MIN
ISTRY.
OBJECTIONS TO THE RETURN OF THE CoNsERvA-
TIvEs TO POWER.
FRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
MADRID, May 29-They do injustice to the Spanish
nation who hold it incapable of selfgovernment
The most brilliant periods of its modern history
have been those in which Spain took the direction
of her policy into her own hands, without consent
ing that any Power superior to hers should direct OF
govemher. We still living as selfgoveningpeo-
pie upon the great moral impression which we made
on the world in our war Of independence. Sold by
the kings and delivered over to the direction OF
those illustTious deputies who came together in
Cadiz like shipwrecked men on solitary rock, we
contracted valuable alliances in Europe; we re-
pulsed foreign invasion from our soil; and when we
appeared most thoroughly enslaved, we founded de-
finitely our liberties; and when we appeared most
degenerate we gave an immortal lesson to the peo-
pies how to conquer apparently nyincible conquer
ors and how to die for home and country.
We have encountered less material difficulties, but
perhaps greater moral ones, during the late revou
tionary PERIOD in which the nation has governed
itself We do not now see the foreigner taking pos
session of our homes through treason; but, on the
other hand, we do not possess that unity of sent-
ment and ideas which were our security in the war
of independence. The continual combat which
runs through history between the interests Of the
present and the noble aspirations Of the future have
burst out with new force, and opposed almost in
superabe obstacles to the action of the Government
But we returned to the form of government by sim
Gle Assembly and that Assembly, taking its inspira
ton in great modern principles founded liberty anew
upon this soil covered with theocratic ruins, and
brought back democracy into this society, ruled 80
long by priests and kings.
In 1914 came the first monarchica reaction against
the government Of the people by the people, and
brought long series of scandals which destroyed
our liberties and tarnished our history In 1871,
with greater hypocrisy but with not less fatal infu
ence, returned the monarchica reaction. From the
day in which il the Palace has been substituted
for the Assembly tho intrgues Of Camarlas for the
discussions of the tribune Liberty lost vigor with
out power acquiring stability or force.
Compare in respect of its storms and tumults, the
period of interegnum with the present period, with
these governments without prestige, these assem-
blies without discipline, these parties without hope
this eruption of violent passions below and
appearance of ancient above; and then say if
it were not fatal day in which the Spanish nation
ont of want Of confidence in its own strength, re-
nounced the regular exercise of its sovereignty.
Twice since then the appeal has been made to uni
yersal suffrage and twice has resulted, after cleo
tions completely anarchcal, an Assembly CON-
pletely impossible. The two Governments which
rought in the last Assembly and the present AS
sembly have both died at the foot of their unfortu-
nate work And why is this Because tho two last
elections have not been real elections of the Legs
latiye Assembly. They have been solemn and genu-
inc plebiscitums The electors have thought very
tbaf of and
ideas of candidates. but they have thought
| exclusively of their dynastio or antidynastic
| compromises of their relations to the most
fundamental institutions in our politics, and the
| Governments at each election, at each electoral
period seeing the foundation Of all our polioy-the
monarchy-put at stake, have thought that any
violence was allowable for the purpose Of saving
society as they express it in their peculiar language
and they have not that since 1871, that patri
otto feeling which, like the moving impulse in all
the great acts in our history, has in every election
been profoundly wounded
One of the electoral instruments which have most
excited public attention has been that of the dele
gated emissaries of the Civil Governments Large
numbers Of these employees had official character
no legal standing salaries voted in the Budget.
Whence have come the wages which have supported
this new cloud Of bureaucratic lQcusts which have
fallen upon the plundered provincesf When every
body was asking this question the Opposition brought
the fact to light that 900 of reals had been trans
ferred without authorization from the Chapter of
the Treasury of the Colonies to the Chapter of Secret
Expenses In other circumstances, when the elections
have not been so recent, ii has usually been enough
TO say to justify these expenses, that the Govern
ment was engaged in war in the provinces OF the
North and another war in the Provinces of Ultra
mar but the public mind was now fixed upon the
question of the elections War in the Northern prov
inces! Everybody knows that that instruction
would never have been kindled, nor would the Pre-
tender have dared to join it, had it not been for the
abuses of the election, which reused indignation
in all quarters and drove men to the supreme
and desperate resort Of force. Thus puo-
lilo opinion insisted in attributing to the
electoral system this same civil war winch
afficts us, and which the Government would nave
had no necessity to que if it had not senseiessly
provoked it and it, therefore, continued every DAY
and every hour to demand an account from the
Government of the time and the manner In which
these 100000 of reals were withdrawn from the
Treasury Of the Colonies The Minister brought to
the Chamber at last bill demanding indemnity for
transferring the credit and document containing
Of he secret reports which pretended TO justify
this transfer The document the ruin of the Gov
o,pmcnt for the secret reports TO the last de-
gree imnrobable and absurd. They were q series of
a,onvnous accusations against all the most promi-
neat persons in Spain. The Republican Directory,
;ns,sad Of working for the Republic was plotting to
rob the Bank Thechiefs of the Radical party were