The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-21


Next I'm the story ~ spanish DIE
o0rdsy
Has Spain, that proud and naughty nation
which, in the day Of her imperial power
and glory boldly undertook with her 'Tn-
vincibls Armada" the invasion and subjuga-
ton Of England-has this once powerful and
dictatorial Spain fallen so low as to be inca
pable of self government? Is her decline from
strength to impotency, from chivalry to
revolutionary discords and brigandage. due
to that general degradation Of the Spanish race
which il marked in the anarchy Of Mexico,
the intestine wars Of the Central and South
American republics and in the island Of Cuba
or is it due to the chapter Of accidents which
shapes 30 often the destinies Of men and
nations? Whatever may be the causes, the
fact appears to be established that Spain has
reached that downward point ON the road to
anarchy and dissolution from which, in fur
ther descent she can be rescued only
through bloody war of her fighting factions
or by foreign protectorate
The attempted assassination on Thursday
night last of the King and Queen Of Spain, at
Madrid, as they were returning in their car
riage from the palace garden to the palace,
was, fortunately for the intended victims,
and fortunately, no doubt, for Spain, a
complete failure. The intended victims
escaped unhurt, and of their would-be
murderers on the ground one was imme-
diately killed and four others we're captured
and carried off to prison This was at mid
night, and yet before daybreak all Madrid,
appraised of the affair, was in active commo-
ton, and the people en- Dsdsse, to an extraor-
binary degree, were manifesting their loyalty
and their patriotic Indignation against the
miserable wretches who had aimed to take
away the precious lives of their much-loved
King and Queen. Yesterday these enthusiastic
demonstrations OF loyalty were extended to
great spontaneous ovation to King and Queen,
hardly surpassed by the enthusiasm of the
the war with Germany The King and Queen
are precious in the eyes Of the loyal people Of
Madrid. But suppose these precious lives had
been sacrificed, what shape would have been
assumed by this cheering loyalty of the
Spanish capital? A revolutionary uprising
= most likely, raging, blood-thirsty mob
drifting through the streets, with shouts of the
prince of Asturias - or don Carlos - or
''rhe Republic, social and universal"
1t appears from the testimony of two of the
prisoners concerned in it that this attempt
upon the life of Amadeus was not limited to
the conspirators on the spot We cannot
doubt that they were only the hired instru-
ments of a greater conspiracy in the back
ground and we suspect; too, that this is the
same conspiracy by which, after the landing
of King Amadeus in Spain, the life of General
Prim, who introduced this King, was CON-
passed and sacrificed, and that in both cases
the object was the same-the removal of King
Amadeus. With the assassination Of Prm
the conspirators doubtless imagined that their
young King would be frightened back to Italy,
that the army would be demoralized, and that
by few bold and daring blows in the midst
Of the general confusion a complete revolution
might be achieved while in the assassination
Of Amadeus the party preparing the event and
prepared to act upon it, not without reason
calculated npon seizing and holding the gov
ernment The trial of the conspirators, ar
rested in the very act of this attempted assas-
sination, can hardly fail to disclose the parties
and purposes of great conspiracy for it is
already confessed that in this case the plot is
not like the attempt upon Louis Napoleon by
Orsini and his associates plot of a few
reckless, revolutionary fanatics--but that here
is an extensive league of assassins.
Our attention has been called upon this sub
iect to that remarkable letter published in
Mexico in February. 1871. and in the New
YORK HERALD of March following, written rs
a solemn warning from the Empress Carlota to
Maria Victoria, the wife of Amadeus, against
consenting to her husbands acceptance of the
crown of Spain. The style of the letter was
! thought at the time to fix its authorship upon
the eloquent CASTELAR,, and certainly, as a lite
rary production it might well be claimed ms
the work of this fiery republican orator. The
letter gives graphic picture of the high and
fascinating hopes and the terrible and crush
ing disappontments of Macmillan and Car
lota in their imperial adventure to Mexico. and
the writer had evidently in advance carefully
stndied oil the personal incidents required TO
| give the narrative the appearance of veritable
confession and warning from the unhappy
Empress. In her warning she is made to speak
of the dethroned Sophia, Queen of Naples
! Carlota, Empress of Mexico; Isabella the Sec
ond, Queen of Spain, and Eugenie, Empress
of France, and thus she closes it: -''Oh child
OF my heart do not leave Turin; do not leave
Florence: do not leave Rome. See that they
do not deceive you they did me; see that
they do no, sell You as they sold me; see that
you do not have to suffer what suffer- see
that time does not come when your hope will
: conceive no other fortune than the horrible