Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-23
France and Spain.

The two great republics Of Europe do not
seem to be prog essing in their republicanism
as its friends could wish. What of their
troubles is seemi g and what reality time
will tell. Certainly the evils that beset them
do not present the same phases in each case
though they point always to reaction in favor
of the mJnarchc'al form.
France is at peace. The government as at
presene constituted is certainly as strong as
could be desired, though how long the un-
natural union between Bonapartists, Orlean-
lists and Bourbonists will remain intact Is
matter of conjecture. The various elements
are DOW kept well in hand by the Duke
de Broglies administration under MacMa-
hons presidency. The attack upon the gov
ernmeut this week from the Republicans in
the Assembly headed by Favre, resulted in a
vote of confidence in the ministry, by l3)
majority instead of the bare dozen by which
it supplanted the Theirs administration two
months ago.
The disposition of MacMabon himself Will
tell greatly upon the final question of whether
the government shall become permanently
republican in form or not when the day
comes for its solution. On the one hand his
training under the Empire and his military
love for 90 order - may incline him to aid the
monarchists, while on the other his personal
ambiti N may have weight to keep himself
at the head of France which can be done
only so long as the Republic LISTS. The great
triumph OF France is her remarkable finan-
cial success in payment of the German in
demnity. The last franc will soon find its
way to the German Golfers and France be
once more relieved from the presence of for
eign troops. This great success is due to an
honest administration and to the total ignor-
ance of the French of any form of repudia-
ton of promises made to pay money. In
all the changing scenes, whether the curtain
rises upon tie kingdom, upon the empire or
upon the republic, the government pays what
it has promised. The republic does not repu-
date the debts of the empire for the empire
the republic fade and the empire return there
is no fear of the betrayal of promises made
now. America can learn wholesome lesson
in finance from her vesatile neighbors.
Spain is beset, not by rulers who suffer the
republic while they hate it, but by hordes OF
insurgents who aim to set Don Carlos on the
throne and by uneasy radicals who want
they know not what. Within the last week
PI Margall has been succeeded by Salmer-
on as President, while CASTELAR, still remains
the real soul OF the effort toward free gov
eminent. Meantime Don Carlos has himself
entered Spain and his bands have increased
to quite an army.
The Carlists occupy the country bordering
the Pyrenees in the Northeastern part oil
Spain, and are gradually extending their &C
cupation of territory. A bloody battle OF
considerable magnitude has been fought at
Igualada, which place the Carlists succeeded
in taking after considerable slaughter. Still
the danger to the government is in its OWL
weakness, ioundt d as it is on people unused
to thoughtful and persistent action, rather
than from the strength of it's enemies. Fol
tie most important battle yet fought, thai
at Iguaiada, won by less than 1000 Car
lists, and the belt of territory occupied by
the insurgents is limited and in itself not
greatly important. The troops of the gov
eminent are not in all cases to be depended
on and the latest demonstration of disloyalty
is the mutlny of the crews of four or five
men-ot-w war. The mutineers have been d
clared pirates by the government, which il
certainly mneh less satisfactory way o
dealing with tt EN- than would be their sum
mary overthrow.
For he present we are obliged to trust t
declalat ons rather than to acts, and Will
hoping for the bert it is now as always evl
dent that government by the people need
intelligence and morality as its basis before
it can hope to overcome easily the rude as
saults of reactionists or the still more reck
less attacks of those who carry its theOrits
to wild excess.