New-York tribune., 1872-07-08
SPANISH POLITICS.
LETTER FROM EMILIO CASTELAR,


tIroW THE REGULAR CORBBSP BSPONpsET or THi TRBUNkl
MADRID. June 22.-Iha history of Spanish politics
m recent days is truly dramatic The Conservative
PARTY obtaius possession OF tae Government through
long series of palace conspraeies, snd from that
moment begin dstuJ Dances Of the public tranquil
lity vacilstion every hand, and at last Nio'c"'
revolution begins ~ fash out AGAIN IN our S'o'.u9
.ky ITis continual disorder. the Work "i 'io
rarfiee most decoted - establishing order pIolVN
The raaical change of ideas in cur sooiety' ""'e
1bc Conservatives ar in powei, they VINO aPPc"l
me- Gtted 70 establish social stability, pubhc oiuer
is sissurbed and whRe those most devoted 10 h'"u
ss ore ;n command the men who think least OF
tio,,aterial disturbances which accompany reforms
.rsnouillity is reastlbsheG. This proves rs hhM
result that the present generations, educSteu pl
liberty for liberty, place above every principle OF
snteres their rights the first interest ana 'ie ll''
principle Of their lives
Rpt refectioue are superluouS where facts abound.
The Crst Cortes of the Democratic monarchy were
-disselyed and the coalition Of opposition parties
s,rcceeded After that came violent elections afier
them an insurcection of Carlism, which had seemed
dead and buried in soil The Conservative party
,seemed to be isolated and smOthered lhen came
-eompromises like that of Amorevieta. in which the
,commander-n-chief Of the Conservatives abdicated
his authority. treating the rebels as boheerents'
After this compromise, the violent discussions on
the roactionary party disclosed and after these
discussions the fall of the Conservative party and
the retCn TO power of the Radicals, who had seemed
communicated by the religious prejudices OF the
Queen and prescribed by the arrogant spirit OF the
King.
deeplv regret that in speaking of the debates IN
tho Chambers have to speak somewhat OF myself.
Ygn win permit me to omit any judgment in regard
a. my own work in giving you merely the facts
4 6 .vnfo xraNtfG
Republican above everything, look at politics from
the Roint of view of my own ideas predicted the
instability of power from the fatal moment in which
the new monarch arrived. said what was inspired
by my conscience against the reyiying reaction l
drew a picture of the various violations of in
diyidual rights and universal suffrage. I criticised
with severity the theocratic military and foreign
influences which, forming as it were a second court
around the King, have wounded at once the patriotic
and national sentiment of people 20 Independent
in character ours.
The Chamber the majority the Government,
felt the electric shock, not of my own
words not of my ideas, but Of the words
and ideas which myself gathered from the public
conscience. The majority that had been returned
with such immense efforts ON the part OF the Gov
ernment and with such violation of the laws
showed by means Of or less prudent declara-
tf6ns that the idea of a restoration cherished by
,cuSsions on the Constitution maintained the
banner Of Prince Alpbonso constituted
himself the defender of the Serrano Cab
met. SerTano, inheTiting policy unpopular rs
tEat of SagasIa, undertaking to procure the con-
donation of the illegal transfer of two millions from
the treasury of the colonies 10 that of the secret
funds-two millions which the public believed en-
poyed in ooupting votes at the las election; his
authority completely lost by his unfortunate com
4I,a o1,,tto
donsing its power around him, and found no means
of eounteracting it but suspension Of the consti
tutional guarantees the liberty Of printing, the
security Of the reside, and the nights of the citizen
In the mean hile came distressing news from the
Carlist faction Far from diminishing they had in-
creased. The l,nency shown to their army by Cen
SerTanO had given them extraordinary encourage
ment. terrible scene had taken place in the Bis
cayan Mountains. The most odious name to all
Carliss is that of Iaroto the traitor Who delivered
up a numerous aud well-disciplined army TO the
mercy Of Gen. Espartero. The insurgents have stig
matized with the name of MarotO all those who con-
trIbuted TO the acceptance of the new compromise
Among the most notable of these were the chiefs
called La Gale father and Those who refused
90 sim the compromise, and who maintained
the civil in spite of it, Went one day
10 the solitary cottage inhabited by The two
chiefs. They came upOn them by sur
by the troops arriving, father and SOD turned pale
at the sound of that illusrious and powerful name
which had 80 often caused their hearts 10 leap
within their breasts full of religious aud IaOnaTchi
cal enthusiasm. The CarstS surrounded 1he house,
and called 10 the La Gales to come forth. They
derstood promptly what TO be their ineyi-
table tate The father was an Old man,
though still robust as a mountain oak. The
SOL was a young of some thirty years,
married and with q numerous family of
children. The father, With his grave Blscayan
severity said to the Carlists. Il know your ntcn-
-tion and have no defense 10 make. Shoot me, #
You please bat for Gods sake pardon my sou, whose
life is the ife also of large family" The saD,
he other hand threw himself at the feet Of his old
coDpanious in arms seizs1 their hands, kissed them
with eiusion and begged them 10 shoot him and
spare his father. Neither tears nor prayers had any
effect upon the inexorabe viii of the guerfl]as;
father and TcmOrelessly shot. such are the
'horrors of civil war
These regions Of the North preserve true Spanish
traditons. An immense labyrinth of mountains
appear to oppose the breath Of new ideas as cliffs
oppose the waves Of the The Spanish coasts Of
1he south have c1ened peninsula TO the Greeks,
tbe PhGnicans, the CarthageRisns and the Romans
whilc the northern coasts hove repulsed all inva-
5ions Ia this stIoJg and impassiye race il is plain
20 see that the.e has been no admixture
of any other blood, or that 1t has subjected
all others TO its physiological type
and ITS own tenauUis spirit IN like manner the
Basque language Is preserved = primitive tongue
which they iunocentY believe to be a lost echo of
paradise They preserve their municipal l1stitu
tiOns which rei0n al the character of the Middle
Anee tneif f.it vybi