The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-12
Catalonia Still Threatening
Secession.
WHY TEEIS is THUS.
The Carlist Campaign in the
Northern Provinces.
GOVERNMENTAL MISREPRESENTATION.
federalism and the Disposition to Hold Office
Without Qualification.

BARCELONA March %, 1873.
Since the sudden and somewhat mysterious de-
parture OF President Figueras and Captain Gen.
erai Lagunero at midnight and on board the war
steamer Ulloa. instead of taking special train to
Madnd as Mt first Intended there is certain
ness felt here. An hour or before leaving, the
former called meeting OF certain leading men of
the federalist and anti-federaist parties and OBJ
tanned from the former promise that the pro-
jected secession of Catalonia should be further
postponed, while TO both parties he recommended
the cultivation OF more fraternal feelings. Every
knows that the project OF the federasts is not
abandoned and the fears here are attributable to
the unstable condition OF the government at Mad
rid. Ii the measures Of the persons composing that
government should suffer defeat in the Assembly
and acOnsequent,change OF government ensue, it
is supposed the federasts here will Immediately
act in the hope, Of course, that other provinces
will follow the example.
THE SECRET OF THE FEDERALIsT MOVEMENT
lies in the mania for office, which appears to be
one OF the great defects in all quasi-democratc
forms Of government, with possibly, the
single exception OF Switzerland. In Spain
1t has worked incaculable mischief, at
home and In the colonies, and If not tie
sole cause Of national dissolution, it is certainly
one Of the chelest The men in Office here, with
cannot justly claim to be considered the flower OF
the province. For certain private reasons they
are anxious to hold all the provincial patronage,
and prevent outside interference. Here they are
at home. surrounded by their friends and famials,
all nicely organized for mutual protection, and
so forth, and they want things to remain
SO. They tell the armed citizens to draw
two francs a day, and advise the soldiers
to strike for the same allowance. In this way they
secure to themselves much popularity among GER
tain classes, while inspiring quite an opposite
sentiment in Others For the present every thing
goes swimmingly for them but they are not yet
secure from the interference OF central control
at Madrid, and they are resolved to put in such
security the last touch to their work. In the mean
time, while awaiting an opportunity, the arming
Of the working classes is pushed forward. Yester-
day. eight hundred stands of arms were delivered
of which about three hundred are In need OF re-
Iepairs.
MILITARY INSTRUMENTATION.
Is likewise on the increase, and has infected the
gendarmerie OF this city, owing however, in the
case or this latter force more to the unwise con-
duct OF the authorities than to any other cause.
Yesterday and to-day large proportion of gen.
darmerie officers have withdrawn. In the interior
OF the province the columns OF government troops
have all rev0lted with single exception.
General Hidalgo, OF artillery notoriety, has been
Obliged to nv in disguise, his men having threat
ened openly to shoot him. General Cabrinetti
Notwithstanding his popularity among his soldiers
is unable to control them, and his operations are
completely paralyzed. In Tortosa the republican
volunteers sent from Barcelona are behaving so
badly that the Carlist Chief Wales, has sent word
to the republican authorities that in case they
cannot preserve order ne Is willing to lend them
the aid OF the force at his disposal order to hold
I'm fbn furt1n
promising, on the restoration of order, to leave
the town. The incident is quite curious, and is
itself an eloquent commentary on the weakness Of
the government authorities of Catalonia. No one
has as yet been appointed to succeed Captan
General Lagunero, who went away with Fgueras
leaving everything in rremedable confusion
General Nouvilasss again spoken OF in this
ton, and is General Contreras; hut 1t looks as If
no one wanted the vacant post. The natural con-
sequence Is that the Carlists have 1t all their own
way, and are rapidly getting complete control Of
all the territory Of Catalonia. We fully expect to
have all means OF communication intercepted be-
tween this city and the rest OF Spain, except by
sea- Any morning we may ind all the railroads
cut and telegraphs destroyed. And then concerning
THE CIVIL WAR IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES.
There Is something very puerle IN those de-
spatches furnished 10 the word by the 0ncidl
Gazette in regard to the carlists. Take the de-
spatches of the 10Th, for example, wherein we find
that Dorregary ana all the rest have been COM
pletely routed and dispersed to the four Winds and
compare them with what was actually occurring in
Navarro on the 18th. on that day the Carlists who
were victorious at Montreal were quietly destroy
ing the railroad from Pampeluna TO vittoris. They
blew up three railroad bridges between Ecaarri and
Huarte, burned the stations for many miles, tore
up every rail and kept large force watching Pam
tobacco "a
within cannon range, for the garrison sent them
few harmless roundshot. Since the battle at Mon
real Nouvilas has not ventured outside the fortin
cations OF Parnpeluna, anu the Gdzette informs us
that General Maldonado has been appointed to
take his place as Commander-in- chief in Navarro
One has only to glance at the news columns OF
any non-offlcia Madrid paper in order TO be con-
WINGED that the Carlists are rising everywhere. In
Alava and in the famous Maestrazgo the number
OF Carlists In the field already is considerable. The
people of the former province are the proudest in
all Spain and move slowly. Those Of the latter
awaiting Cabrera, as have explained In former
letter. and most OF the Madrid papers agree that
his presence In the country Ii looked for positively
II Don Carlos has been In Spain-a question still
contested-ti Is certain he has once mere recrossed
into France His friends. II Is reported here, would
rather have him absent for the present II ever
mis- army should obtain possession OF a
strong place like Pampeluna he will be
invited to hold his court there; but, just now,
when that same army is occupied in the violent
exercise OF running mp and down the rugged sides
OF steep mountains dashng across valleys, disap-
pearing in forests, reappearing up to their chIns
in some river, they would consider 1t hardship to
lie encountered with their King. on the other
hand, government people say that his absence is
rapidly chilling the enthusiasm OF the rank and ne
a 4 that II he should continue to absent himself
the leaders In the field Will throw him overheard
aad proclaim his brother, Don Alfonso. This idea
must be set down exclusively TO the credit OF
newspaper ingenuity, fer the people who are in
the field In Navarro, Biscay and the Vascongades