The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-31
spain-Chaos Continued and tho Pros
poet Still Doubtful.

pect still Doubtful.
Our news from Spain this morning, as will
be seen from our dispatches and graphic let
ters, is of the most unsatisfactory, if not
alarming character. The Cartagena affair is
still unsettled, and seems to have organized
into determined resistance. Provisional
Directory and government for the canton
has been formed by the Reds, with Oontreras
at its head Contrsrss has gone out with the
vessels seized by the insurgents and demands
the surrender Of Alperia. Yesterday sue
cesses were reported for the Carlists, and to-
day we have report of victory for the gov
eminent troops. Then there is . report OF
the intended cession to France of the terri
tory north of the Ebro. This is one day q
budget of the news from Spain, and it differs
little in the general outline from each morn
ing's story.
Away from the fact that we in this republi-
can country have deep interest in Spain-ln
Spain as she now is and as she soon must be-
we cannot call the news either very interest
ing or very instructive The fate of Spain is
still as dark and as doubtful as when, three
years ago, the throne OF Isabella crumbled.
Since that time how strange has been the his
tory of that now most unhappy country.
Prim, after the downfall of Isabella, was the
master of the situation. 1t was, as we think,
his honest desire to establish the Republic.
He did his best but his best in that direction
proved failure. Finding the Republic i'm
nd J,,N hat ob,,x
most in general favor, he bethought himself of
strong dynasty, and opened negotiations
with the powers at Berlin. Our readers are
all familiar with the Ems affair, with the
laundering of Benedict and with the unfortu-
nate and disastrous war which followed De-
feated again, Prim, still yielding to what he
thought was the dominant sentiment in Spain,
sought and found King in the person of
Amadeus, second son of the King of Italy.
We require not to recapitulate the events which
followed-how the young Amadeus, with his
amiable Princess, came to the land Of their
adoption and to the people who had chosen
them, and how in that dark Christmas season
the advent of the royal pair was made memoir
able by the butchery OF Prim. 1t was dark
deed, that murder Of Prim Spain was to
blame for it; and as Spain was guilty, so has
Spain suffered. The death of Prm was in
itself enough to frighten brave spirit. But
Amadeus, over these frightful blood marks,
moved on to his place, and, in spite of much
kind advice to the contrary, accepted the
throne and the crown. The terrors of the
situation did not dismay him, and even after
the cowardly attempt made on his own life and
on that of his Queen he chung to his position
and strove to do his best Long after
he had found that life was in peril, he
found that labor was in vain; and even
then he reluctantly resigned place and
power. The reluctance was not that
he was either afraid or tired, but that he
found Cancellation of the factions impossible.
The resignation and retirement of Amadeus
how these were hailed as republican triumphs |
The peaceful and bloodless proclamation of
the Republic was, the wide world over, re-
garded as proof that the Savoyard King was a
legacy of the folly of Prim, and the general
conviction was that Spain had at last found
her liberty and her proper sphere of action.
How the world has been deceived! Ministry
has followed Ministry, President has followed
President in almost alarming succession, and
since the retirement of Amadeus popular talk
has it that no Spanish Cabinet has enjoyed
for more than two weeks the sweets of au-
thority. Figueras ri y Margall, Salmeron,
each has inspired hopes, but all have failed
And after three years Spain is not without
reason to regret the steps which were
taken to bring about the fall of Isabella
1t has been a sad three years history; but
the end is not yet.
Instruction at Cartagena, instruction at
Valencia, the greater part of the North in the
hands of Don Carlos and his friends, the army
demoralized, mutiny in the navy, foreign
to be the result? Who can tell? Most GER
tainly the Republic ought to win; but the re-
publicans are divided; and, if there is any
truth in the old proverb, o house divided
cannot stand. Since the fall of Isabella and
her favorites the worlds ears have been
dinned with the words ''that federal repub-
lie was the one thing needed to give Spain
prosperity happiness and peace )" but the
proclamation of the federal Republic has
begotten license; and in all the great centres
of population the Communists, as the Com
munists were known in the late dark days in
Paris, have prominently come to the surface.
Salmeron, who is now in power, is evidently
doing his best to re-establish authority and to
restore order; but what proof have we that he
will be more successful than were Figueras and
Pi y Margall both of whom have retired in
disgust? Don Carlos, who is now on Spanish
SOIL and who-according to the authority of
British Minister speaking in the British
House of Commons, is most unquestionably
making progress-may be able to make his
way to Madrid; but what thinking man, who