The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-26

III
all my wishes and hopes for the Republic.
shared as l know they must be by all
reasonable people In America and England can
not overlook or undertake the difficulties that lie
before the new Cabinet. And the question arises
Are these the men who can command state. ana
build It to rise up from Its misfortune ana shame
BILE and gifted men. No one, how much he dishkes
the Republic, denies the ability OF Figueras, the
they men to WIN in this work Or do they
belong 70 the race OF men like Vergniaud Roland
apa Balily who were swept awayin the high hoods
out some Cromwell or Napoleon. or Bismarck to
take command and build a republic by policy OF
vive the cruel ptless policy OF isolation~to which
referred In another letter-and which Is the re-
Iurn Inc monarchs Of Europe are making to the
THE EVILS OF THE SPANISH SYSTEM
hnec,uhrng again to this question: let me say also
wSn are are Wse men IN the republican party
They contend that nothing will benefit
spain more clearly in the end than . period OF
Pyrenees.n There Is another phrase that .sthe
voice OF Spain is drowned by the Pyreneesn
s S Europe Sp ACTIVITY III the
restore the prestige OF Charles v. and Philip H.,
without their power. AS In America we have
statesmen who can never forget that the slave
holder once held the government under his whip,
SO there are spaniards who dream about the days
the most powerful In the world-when her King
was master OF the Low Countries and had his
oSer dsv s Of nese said
that until America began her usurpati0ns there
was no part OF the world where Spanish seaman nan
II Spain were only true to herself, in
spite Of America. that glory would come
again. Wise men say, and say well. that Tor
herself demands the undivided attention OF
Spaniards that before expecting consideration
without its people must check decay within. The
aQl vyQa ~ a n a
people the more this impresses the observer.
Spain needs the undivided attention OF Spaniards.
the bosom Of the earth teeming with mineral wealth
and Its fields Offering the glad harvests OF corn
and Oil and wine to all who will come and
and agriculture introduced. This protective sys-
tenn which paralyzes the industry and ambition Of
the people must be rooted out and cast away. A
thousand remnants OF the old period OF caste and
privilege must be destroyed-privileges for the
of LANDS and exacting franchises. The spirit Of
gambling, which comes naturally from the pr0tec-
tive system, and Is the sure precursor Of national
vades every class in Spain, must be ex-
terminated. Capitalization must be abolished,
monopoly OF tobacco. AS brgandage Is another
result OF these baneiul causes with their suppress
sion 1t may pass away; but II not, then 1t must
army the Church and among the nobility-reforms
SO evident that can well understand the bravest
spaniard shrinking from the attempt but no less
necessary to the regeneration Of the country.
Some men, like the bold and original Garrido.
think that Spain should abandon her colonies; but
OF this cannot say nor as q foreigner and an
American Is 1t well for me to speak.
THE DECENTRALIZATION OF THE ARMY.
For instance, take the army spain Is country
army There is no complaint more frequent than
ts 81 hs s
Is no discipline among the troops See in Catalonia,
they are all going home, and they will not obey
peited General Contrsfas with oranges, be-
cause he did mott assent to their plum
dering an orange grove" Without an army
wealth would be In sad way. But what Is the
truth about the Spanish armyf In the first place,
the @ tine
assertion is the Duke OF Wellington. "The British
soldier" says the Duke III you treat him well, il
and hgnt anybody; but the Spanish soldier,
II you don't treat him Well. II you don't
feed him, II you dent clotAe him, win do the
samel" This army may be summed up as con-
slsting OF about one hundred and fifty thousand
men, and yet there are 600 generals to command
It'll There has never been q time, for century at
the troops an example Of mutiny and treason. To
begin, every officer Is a politician. When new
On half pay and party officers placed in COM
mand. When an oiiicer is retired his duty Is to
conspire. Thus we find Espartero conspiring until
conspiring against Esparters and Narvaez conspir-
ing against O'Donnell, who in turn overthrow Mar
who was expelled by Prim and serrano each OF
them generals OF the army and noblemen OF Spain.
Not long ago there was an insurrection in the
Instead Of shooting Contreras for treason he was
sent to the North as Captain General OF
evepy oeer ss you ano states s IT sss
American regular army throwing up his command
because General Hancock, democrat, was as
signed to that departments Can you fancy what
the response Of General Grant would 6e-how
swiftly these protesting officers would be cashieredS
WE'LL we had parallel case In Spain. general
the Carlists He was politically unpopular, and at
once 600 ofilcers OF the artillery retired. or course
the effect was to disman the army. TO en-
courage them In this treason the partsans
OF the monarchs subscribed large fund,
one .,a no1eman ~ alone ,Sas. giving $1,000 to
In mutiny. And here they are to-day swarmng
around Madrid, being what vulgar, british work.
men would call "en STRIKE" with the enemy in
arrangements" will be made to enable these gen.
tlemen to return to their commands, for abandon
ing which,, in the presence of the enemy, many Of
them would have been shot in twenty-four hours
by an English or American court martial.
THE REASON FOR THE DECAY OF THE ARMY.
And yet the enemies OF the Republic mourn the
absence of discipline in the army. The reply is
that discipline Is destroyed by the men whom
Spain charges to command her forces. II you ask
why II is that this mutinous spirit exists you will
find 1t In the constitution OF the army. There is an
ancient regulation giving any officer who cares SO
to do the right to withdraw from his command, to
remain in retirement as long as he pleases half
pay, and then to return when it suits his fancy.
This Is privilege that has long been inherent to
the Spanish officers, and 1t is one OF that class
OF privileges to which recently referred as
burdening the State and needing extirpation. II
an officer is Carlist, Tor instance and his regiment
is ordered to march against Don Carlos, he has
simply to withdraw until the campaign Is over. II
Don Carlos loses, he resumes his command. II he
wins, he gains honor and wealth. With these ex-
A1nneS pefNre at n tpry
OF Spain since the time OF Chhrles W., who aban-
doned his army, his annuity and his crown and
sold them all to Bonaparte, Is 1t any wonder that
discipline should be lax among the troops,
and that under Republic the soldier
should feel that he is entitled to the
privilege OF desertion, just as much as the
offlcer2 My only surprise is-reasonng from Saxon
principles OF human nature, which we all know to
be so much higher and more rigid than those of
any miserable Latin country like Spain-that there
Is an army At all. AS IL now exists it IL q great
evil combining the evils OF an army and OF mob,
and 1t needs regeneration. But you cannot slape
1t upon the Republic although the Republic, in the
minds of the reactonists, must assume It all.