The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-10
The Projects and Troubles Of th
Spanish Republic.

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| Spanish Republic.
The discussion of the bill for the dissolution
or the National Assembly and the election and
convocation of the constituent Cortes pro-
ceeds, according to our latest dispatches from
Madrid. with considerable augury of success
to the project of the government. After o
long and animated. but by no means violent
debate, the Assembly. on Saturday, by q vote
of 1876 to 10. decided to take the bill into
consideration, which doubtless means that it
will ultimately pass into law, with. perhaps,
some amendments on minor details. This is
triumph for Sefior Figueras and his repub-
lican Ministry, and is highly creditable to the
patriotism of the radical majority in the As
sembly. The President Of the Chamber de-
scended from his chair and made manly
speech, in which he said that he should
not oppose the governmental determine
ton to dissolve the Assembly. 1t would
thus seem that the project of an
appeal to the people will be carried
out. With the weight which the logic Of
events mUst bring to the side Of the Republic,
we may hope that the Ministry will be enabled
to meet the law-gving power with working
majority in sympathy with it. The radicals
who represent the shade of liberalism that was
typifed in the revolution of 1868 and what
followed in the interregnum, and whose sup
port of Amadeus was 80 Mkewarm, accept the
Republic too much in the spirit that nothing
better is available to be counted on as reliable
supporters of those republican measures which
alone will give Spain permanent democratic
government.
Apart from the Carlists in the field, who are
estimated at from ten thousand to twelve
thousand men, one of the greatest difficulties
in the way of the Ministry is the division
among republicans themselves as to- whether
the government shall be centralized orfederal.-
The partisans Of either scheme are already
known as Federalists or Unitarians The for
mer are composed generally of the advanced
republicans in the great towns, and their plan
is 10 model the Spanish Republic on the Ameri-
can. The Unitarians count in their ranks
the more moderate republicans, some of the
present ministry and class who appeal to the
sentmentality of powerful, homogeneous
Spanish dream Of Conq4istddor mission
among the nations. The federalists propose
cheap government, local laws on the fashion
of our States, and the relegation of great
armies to the past in which they wrought such
misery for Spain. They further hope by the
division into federal States. to make the
chances of q reactionary coup less
likely to be successful 1t is cause
which the centralized imperial govern
ments of Europe would combat with energy,
because of the lesson it would give their con-
scripted and highly taxed subjects In one
point of view alone would it be to their inter-
est, namely, in that it would then be still less
formidable as fighting power out of its
boundaries than il has been. Considering
Spain's long feebleness for mischief in this
way, we can foresee that federalism in Spain
will meet with great deal Of insidious if not
open opposition from without. The report,
therefore, that the Federal Republic had
been proclaimed at Barcelona, well known
as possessing strong and sturdy republican
majority, is of great Importance at present
President Figueras has hurried from the capt.
tai to that city and may probably have suf-
fcient influence to control the federalists from
precipitating matters. If uncontrolled the
movement in Barcelona win interfere seriously
with the project Of the Ministry of an appeal
to the country through the elections. Itbrings
the matter, however, so strongly forward that
! it will in any case enter at once into the con-
ditions on which votes will be cast if the
| elections are reached in accordance with the
ministerial purpose. The difficulties surround
ing the position are very grave, yet we sim
cerely hope that the good fortune of blood
less victory, which came to the Republic in
the beginning, will be long continued.