New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-06
An UNPLEASANT PARALLEL.

Our Geographic columns, yesterday, con-
tanned two dispatches in which there was q
family likeness calculated TO excite serious
thought in those readers who are accustomed
to think. One stated that a regiment of
Spanish troops at Manresa had fired upon
their colonel, and that another regiment at
the same place had dismissed its officers
This certainly indicates wretched state of
affairs. Even in the most peaceful countries,
where the large majority of the citizens are
men of good WILL it is the law which is obeyed
after all, and the agent who in the last resort
causes the law to be respected is found with
some sort of weapon in his hand, a club ora mus
ket, and with some idea of discipline and sub
ordination in his head. That society has little
to distinguish it from barbarism, where this
safeguard fails, where the Waterman
must be watched, and the soldier
becomes dangerous to the public tranquility.
There are strong indications in the news from
Spain that the army has been attacked by this
grave moral disease. The soldiers have shown
in several instances a disposition to obey their
officers just so long as that course is agreeable
to them, and to send them promenading when
ever a difference of opinion declares itself.
This destructive disposition is of course far
from universal. If it were general, there would
be no government whatever in Spain. The
Cabinet of Madrid is exerting itself to the
utmost against those forces of disintegratiOn
which threaten the very existence of the social
fabric. 1t is too early yet to give up the fight.
But one of the most serious difficulties in their
way is this disposition of the troops to make
their own caprices, instead of the orders of
their commanders, the rule of their conduct.
Most of us, when we read such news as this,
have a comfortable feeling that nothing of the
kind can ever happen to us. We say some
thing sweeping and silly about "Latin races
and pass on, after condemning with that word
about half the civilized world e perpetual
failure. But the other dispatch we have re-
ferred to should have a tendency to disturb
this easy self-complacency. 1t seems that one
Captain Toby of San Antonio, Texas, regard
ing his daughter as having been insuted by
a negro soldier, chastsed the offender. His
associates took up his quarrel, and riot was
apprehended. "The officers,n says the dis
patch, commanding the coloted troops sent
" word to the city officials that they could not
control their men," After this disgraceful
avowal the citizens turned out in force, the
colored soldiers were marched out of town,
and quiet was restored "by the influence of
I" the military authorities" How much better
is this, 80 far as it goes, than the state of dis
cipline in Spaini In country where
the laws are in full force and vigor,q
n personal squabble of one disorderly
soldier is sufficient to excite his comrades
to such an extent "a to destroy among them
the instinct of obedience. If it be true that
those officers sent word to the city authori-
ties that they could not control their men, it
should not be long before they are relieved
from duties evidently beyond their strength.
1t must be said to the credit of the Spanish
officers that when their troops decline to obey
them they are usually logical enough to shoot
them also. The officers who acted such
craven part before the mutinous troops in
San Antonio seem to think that state of
peace relieves them from all serious respon-
sibilty of command. 1t wOuld have been
much less damaging to discipline that q few
of them should have been killed in bringing
their troops to their duty, than that they
should have yielded to the mutiny and called
upon the civil arm for protection. But per-
haps they are interested in the question of
longevity.
AT all events. IL there ID enough Of tho