New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-21
TIE DILEMMA or CASTELAR,.

The late dispatches from Madrid indicate
with sufficient clcarncss the straits to which
the Republican government Is brought III the
Virgnius affair Besides tho Carlists in
Navarro and the Federalists in Murcia, it sees
itself confronted by England, the United
States, the Cuban Republic, and the Casino
Espahol, all presenting the most exacting and
contradictory demands IL might make some
reasonable disposition of the subject if it were
cordially supported at home by the masses of
the nation. But although the Spaniards are
the most patriotic people in the world, they
are never so happy as when they can make
their patriotism pretext for attacking the
opposite party among their own cOuntrymen.
Nothing plcasCs them more than to boast
of their own ESpGR0lismO, unless it is the
opportunity of accusing an opponent of not
being sufficiently Spanish. From two points
of attack this is the charge now hurled at
Senior CASTELAR,. The Alfonsist organs, who
imagine they see in this complication a
chance to destroy the Republic and to restore
tho monarchy, already begin to accuse the
President of undue friendliness to the United
States, and demand that ne shall send Gen.
Sickles his passports without moments de-
lay. From the other side OF the field the
Republican minority, who are in sympathy
with the Intransigentes, also denounce the
Government for its loose grasp OF the foreign
relations, in the hope that if the CASTELAR,
Ministry is OverthrOwn there may be chance
for the radical socialist leaders to seize the
reins of power.
No one can doubt the disposition Of Don
Emilio Castelar, to do everything IN his power
to satisfy the Just claims OF the United States
in this depOrable affair. But the attitude of
parties in Spain shows how little hope there
is that the representative assembly will sane
ton any resOlute measures of repression exer-
cised upon the officers in the Antilles who
seized the Virginus and murdered her passen-
gers and crew. If the PenInsular authorities
in Cuba should refuse to obey his orders in
such sense, there is every reason to believe
that the vast majority III Spain would side
with them instead Of with CASTELAR,, and that
the result would be the fail of his
Ministry if not the failure of the
Republican experiment in Spain. There
is, we think. serious question as to
whether they would obey such orders as, for
instance, to restore the Virginius, and to
-
tiago The first mails from Cuba showed
what serene joy and assurance of having done
a noble and beautiful thing, informed every
uterance, official and private, of the Span
iards in the Island. The City of Havana
was given up to rejoicing; the bizarre ma
"rines of the Tornado were called the
saviors of the nation. A bull-fight Of unusual
spcndor and ferocity was set on foot in their
honor and the last tost OF Peninsular enthu
siasm, q subscription of coin, was begun for
their benefit They could not imagine the
possibility of different view being entertained,
or AT least labOred to make themselves believe
so. Ii is true that the news we print this morning
would seem to indicate that the pale cast of
thought was beginning to take some of the
lively color from these self-satisfed reioicings.
But there are rs yet not signs enough of re-
turning sanity to convince us that any measures
of PREPARATION ordered from Madrid could be
carried into effect in Cuba without our assist
ance, which, as we have before said, would
inevitably destroy the CASTELAR, Government
in Spain.
We do not pretend that this is an encourag-
ing view TO take of the situation. We have
not seen from the beginning, and do not yet
see, anything to presage peaceful and honor
able solution of the difficulty raised by the
brutal massacre at Santiago. 1t was one of
those outrageous crimes which can never be
fully stoncd and repaired, and the cOnse-
quences Of which light equally upon the per-
Detrator and the sufferer. 1t is true that the
dispatches from Washington to-day, especially
those inspired by the Government, hold
different and as far as may be guessed through
through their Delphic vagueness, more
cheering language. We can only say the Adj
ministration has our warmest sympathy in any
efforts it may make to save the national honor
aud interests without boodshed, and our
wishes in that direction are none the less cor
dial for the weakness Of our faith.
BROOKLYNS OPPORTUNITY