, 1874-08-29
THE SPECTATOR ON INTER
VENTION IN SPAIN.

oAtoL l. al IIdul0uU q UO0n PIOAOSNON1 "nO ~
~sistance is impossible for six months, Her Ma
jesty's Government intend to intervene or
sanction an Intervention in the internal affairs
of Spain We should have said that, with
Lord Derby at the Foreign Office, such a pro-
ceeding was impossible, but this Government
has done 50 many unexpected things, that it
becomes very difficult TO predict, or even ina
CINE its action, more especially when, to use a
phrase first circulated by Lord Derby, action
can be made to look very vigorous, and yet as
its worst result, to Involve only a ".war with
limited liability" When q Tory Ministry
begins a Session by exempting a State Church
from lay control, and ends a Session by DELHI
erately placing Bishops above the law, almost
anything may happen, and a good many indl-
cations help to suggest that something is gong
to happen IN Spain. Mr.. DlsraellS speech at
the Mansion House attracted no attention, but
its single important sentence, the one on tor
eign politics, may have been seriously intended,
and if so, there is a large probability that it
referred to Spain. Mr.. Disraeli said -" In
saying this [ do not wish you for a moment to
suppose that we shall content ourselves on
every occasion by merely offering empty words
to those who seek to be allies and court our
friendship. We do not for a moment lay
down the principle that we are not responsible
to the countries of Europe on many OF the
questions which may arise, and which may
affect the fortunes of The world; but we be-
lieve that, in the present condition OF affairs,
The influence of England may by exercised, and
exercised with great effect, not only to preserve
peace, but to assist, by our sympathy and by
our c~ounselS, States and countries now distract
ed and distressed in resuming a position Wor-
thier of their former fame and fortunes, and
may reconcile interests which, now discordant
and distressful, seem to be exhausting the en-
ergies of some of the fairest countries IN the
world" That phrase is very enigmatical, II
we persist in supposing that it was intended
to be an enigma; but if it was not, if Mr.. Dis
raeli knew that nothing would conceal his inten-
ton like an open statement Of it, then it be-
comes clear enough, and it means that, il tho
Spanish Government should ask assistance,
assistance will be rendered, and that not in
words alone. We do not expect anybody to
believe it, and do not believe it ourselves, but
that is one clear Interpretation of the speech,
and is not contradicted by Lord Derby's guard
ed reply on the 23rd to Earl Russell's guarded
demand for information as to the treatment of
the Carlists by France. The old Wing lead
err hears a good deal Of what is going on, and
he evidently believed that France was assist
Ing the Carlists, and Lord Derby as evidently
believed it too, and was very much inclined to
Llub Uudb CldG hllu Vi lLluS COulu uOb 90 Ou IOC
ever. The irritation in Madrid against France
is also very high strong circumstances have
been addressed to Paris, and the journals have
been instructed to say that if France Will aid
the instruction, and so keep open a perpetual
sore in Spain, Spain will forget her Latin SYM
pathies, and seek in other countries the friend
ly alliance she has a right to expect from her
nearest neighbour. Finally, it is evident that
the German Government is by no means dis
inclined either to take a very decisive attitude
in regard to Spanish affairs, or, at all events,
to be believed by the world to be ready to
take one. Don Carlos, to begin with, has COM
mitted himself to the support of the extreme
Ultramontane party, that party which is some
times more Romanist than ROme-where the
ruling prelates are believed to favour the AL
phonsists rather than the CarIists-and Prince
Bismarck is waging in every country a deadly
war with the influence of that party, which,
as he believes, will never rest until the
ascendancy of Germany is broken down. The
execution of Captain Schmidt-an act which,
if an Englishman had been the victim,
would have reused the whole country to pro-
test-has greatly and justly irritated Germans,
and has enabled the Government to do a thing
it greatly longs to do,-to show to lis subjects
the Ualue, the direct and world, wide value.
of the new Imperial power to them.
And above all, no German Emperor who re-
+oiuo A1oooo ou1 ,rrnioo oon bo ;rd;Govoct -