The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-08
the Republic OF Thiers Bctrays the
Republic OF spain-European Rcac-
tiOnary COalitfon

The progress among the civilized peoples of
the world toward republican institutions, on
which President Grant felcitated America last
Tuesday, has many an obstacle in its march.
From the day when Bonaparte drowned the
first French Republic under the glittering
tide of his military genius and built an empire
OF which bayonets were the spiles republican
SIN in Europe has furnished traitors to the
people with stepstones to absolute power
The news that the willy little man now call I'd
President Of the French Republic has accorded
belligerent rights to the Carlists in Spain
is strong evidence that he is to be added to
the number of those traitors When Amadeus
fled from his throne the Spanish Republic
arose bloodlessly in his place. It was grand
moment for France, rid of her Empire, to give
an example of the coming day of the peoples
by extending welcoming hand to the young
Republic of Spain. But Theirs folded his
arms in servile imitation of the kings
and emperors of Europe The fossil
elements of the French Assembly were
in fever of anxiety lest republican
France should speak its mind Even the
sometimes fiery Left looked on coldly at the
spectacle and resolved to leave Spain to her
fate without one word of cheer. 1t had always
been mystery how Theirs, the lifelong mon
archist could ever have favored republic
in France; it was now visible that he had not
forgotten his old affection for sitting on the
steps of throne. The recognition of the
Carlists as belligerents has definitely shown
where he stands-the foe of the people and the
champion of the doctrine of s'divine right"
which can never be mentioned among intelli-
gent men without laughter or loathing.
The position is full of anomalies. The Don
Carlos faction, which is playing its bloody
pranks in the name of God and the King,
represents in Spain what the Count de Cham
bords fossil partisans represent in France.
1t represents absolutism, reaction, superst-
ton, ignorance and the negation of popular
right It's success in Spain would be an event
to be deplored by the lovers of freedom
throughout the world. For France that sue
cess might be made to pave the way for a
monarchy, with Chambord, his fossils and his
clerics at its head. France is nominally a
Republic, and yet it clothes the ragged, igno-
rant, priest-led guerillas of the Basque coun-
tries with belligerent rights. 1t arms the
semi-organized cutthroats of the young sister
Republic with weapon to accomplish their
work. So far as France is automatically
concerned the Spanish Republic does not exist;
yet France makes the meanest section OF its
enemies power to'crush it. It will be said
fhot Tb;arc 10 not Er,rca. Int who ouopu
the French republicans has risen to say him
nay?
We can happily turn away from this ex-
ample of treachery and cowardice to point in
our own history that is lesson of shame to
France. When France, Spain and England
conspired against the Republic of Mexico the
Republic of the United States gave them no
word Of encouragement When, in the midst
of our gigantic civil war, the troops of Ma
poleon overran Mexico, our Republic never
gave them a particle of cheer. When the
Austrian Archduke Maxipilian was crowned
Emperor We sent no Minister to his court
The sympathy of our then struggling Republic
was with the struggling Republic of Mexico.
Our Minister was with the patriots who,
under Juarez, fought the usurper until,
when deserted by the false Napoleon,
he fell victim to his ambition at
Queretaro-a holocaust to the outraged rights
of the Mexican people. What aid we could
give was rendered to the Mexican people, and
our stand upon the question, much more than
the patriots in the field, caused Napoleon to
decide on the treachery to Macmillan, with
which he supplemented his first great crime
against an American republic. By us the right
of the people to govern was respected and
supported. France letting Theirs speak for
her, to-day pledges her power to support a
royal vulture in tearing out the heart of the
Republic in Spain. Let republican France
take what comfort it can in the comparison be-
tween our manliness and its cowardice.
Accompanying the announcement of which
we have spoken came o curious piece of news
which, true or false, has its moral It was to
the effect that all the representatives of Euro
pean powers at the French capital were about
to unite in note to the republican govern
ment in Spain. Therein they were to say that
their respective governments would not recog-
nize the establishment Of federal repub-
lie in Spain. The story had the appearance
of q canard upon its face, but it had its
meaning nevertheless. We had no need
of this fabrication to assure us that the GEN.
tralized empires and kingdoms of Europe
would strongly object to the formation of
a republic in Spain or elsewhere. We may
be assured that they would not hesitate to use
any safe means that would endanger its ex-
istence To the. greed that looked to the
value of French paper we may attribute their
acquiescence in the German recognition of
the republican government in France, such as
it is, that pledged itself to pay the mlliards of
the war indemnity. With France it was
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