New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-07
CasteIar's Opinion of Alfonso.

The special Spanish correspondent of the
London Nens gives the following account
of an interview he recently had with Senior
Castelar,:
The other night had very interesting
ana, IN soma sense, a pathetic interview
with SPANS most disinterested refCrmer
Bitter as has been his disappointment cruel
| as Is the consciousness that the present out
| come OF all his travail for the regeneration
of Spain is the Bourbon restoration, he is
able, like the ancient Roman, rq,,am me.
mcntO rebus IN drduis Se,rare menten,.
There were times when it seemed 10 me
that he Responded utterly; at the best his
hope is very feeble and Pickering. But he
had lost nothing of his wonted brilliancy
and felicity In conveying his meaning; IN
fortunately my power of reproducing his
utterances is very incommensurate, and the
best that can hope to do is to give a gen
eral summary OF his views.
His republic, he said had been the repub-
| lie OF order and legality-the reconstructive,
| developing, improving republic. But Spain
was not ripe tor this; everywhere he had
found selfish intrigue, greed, corruption,
and no soundness of elastic sprincboar,i
! whence to make an effort. His essay has
| failed by reason of the absolute and utter
| Reorganization of his party Some had
! gone one way, lapsed into red republican.
ism. and SO brought ridcule ON the cause;
others had struggled iuto Alfonsis IN,
and Others had cared only for themselves
| and were prepared to be anything SO tina:
| at least they might be something for their
own advantage. eyes, he owned. with
d sigh and shading of the eyes, ''my
party Is entirely broken up, wnistIel
down the wind. As to the future, Quien
S"be" The only policy was to wait and
watch; the chance might offer again
when least anticipated. Would his adj
flIf tLnn x1t-nc
sition and fight the liberal battle constifu,
nonaliy! .'ln what way was this possible!"
was the challenging reply. I'VE do not
know how it is possible TOR us to take the
oaths OF allegiance to bis reactionary regime,
and, granting our readiness for the good of
the cause, where is our field of action! The
Cortes ls closed to us. Robledo, the Minis.
ter OF the Interior, who has served his ap-
premiership to the work under Sagasta, and
who. by the way. has been all round the
political clock-been an Isabelist, an Anna
delst, Montpensierist, a Serranist everv-
thing bnt genuine repubicau-he will so
manipulate The elections as to keep every
one out who is not Of the true Air, nsist
cu.Dr."
asked Senior CASTELAR, if he were free T,
sp.ak OF the probabilities of the future.
"ihe tnture," said he, lis chaos. The
p'hticai situation lis deplorable; as bad ss
l. can De. Cariisrn is impossible; that ia
SohSOidtiUU. AlIUuSlSm is res
"Uctte. lis very essence is reaction. It's
ntanuing menace To every movement to-
ward liberty. 1t mepaces alike religious
liberty; civil freedom and public illstruc-
tinn. 1t blocks every wheel OF progress.
Alnhsism means the dominance Of priest
craft, the perpctuation of superstition. the
wlliinl Maintenance OF Ignorance. the ann
PRECISION OF the liberty of the press, freedom
OF thought, of instruction and of cu,tnr. in
on" academies and universities, general
darkness over the face of all the land. II
may last for time, but the same elements
ehat overthrow the dynasty before must in
q, operate toward and culminata IN
The ultimate upheayal In the meantima.
al mat | can sadly discern is that the
pOlItical situation is epoMraninbie.,