The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-07
oAsTELAR's CONCLUSIONS.
A Brilliant Pen Picture Of the Situa.
ton in Europe.


A READABLE REVIEW OF THE CONDITION OF
AFFAIRS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
OCEAN. a 4
The New York Herald of Tuesday pub
iisEes long letter from Castelar, concerning
the situation in Europe and editorislly
refers to it as follows: The election of the
brilliant and illustrious CASTELAR, to the
Cortes from Barcelona gives hima new
prominence in the politics Of Spain. A little
more than two years ago and he was the
chief OF the Spain republic, the leader of
the liberal party in Spanish, the first orator
of the nation and among the first orators OF
the world. A young man-orator, journal
ist, university professor, revolutionist-l
whose eloquence had contributed to the |
downfall OF Amadeus and the emancipation |
of slavery in Porto Rico, his influence.
which seemed absolute, began to wsne when
he really attained power. For a short |
time he was president OF the Spanish |
republic. There was everything in his |
presidency but strength. The extreme re- |
public ms, who had followed him with affec- |
tionste adulation, rebelled because he would |
not overturn society In a day, because he |
asked all Spaniards to return to Spain; be- |
cause he was willing to deal with the army
/ and the church as established institutions,
pillars of the state and necessary to its
safety. Castelar's dream Of a republic was
too bright TO last. His presidency had the
splendOr and, we regret to say, the evsnes-
cence of Mediterranean sunset. The re-
publican party qusrrelled and dissolved.
The church, the army and the aristocracy
waited their time, and one morning mill
tary detachment expelled the cortes, took
possession of the capital and
CALLED TO THE THRONE THE BOY ALFONSO,
now king of Spain. While all who believed
in liberty and republican institutions
mourned over the fall of the republic, and
while stern NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF the
school of Ply MargaElooked with con-
| tempt upon the beautiful and brief expert
ment, CASTELAR, carried from his presidency
the respect of the, world. He had sought to
found practical republic; to adapt the new
ideas to old conditions; TO make possible
even to narrow, torpid, moss-covered Spain
= with traditions that had become
laws, with laws that represented the
power of al absolute church and an arrogant,
proud sristocracy-a law-sbiding republic.
How difficult this problem we can not
imagine in our free and fresh America,
where we had but to throw the seed into
the virgin soil and leave the fruit to time
and the seasons. The repu blican problem
in Europe, and more especially in Spain, is
surrounded with the hardest conditions.
There are old and powerful and respected
institutions to be considered-the army, the
church, the peerage. These institu-
tons represent the valor, the patriot
ism, the religious faith, the pride of the
people. To found republic, which strips
the army of its honors and the church of its
! subventions and political authority and
makes no sristocracy possible, is the sorest
task that has ever been imposed upon legis-
lstor. We see how far France is from the
end; and yet, for the better part of GEN.
tury, Frenchmcn, from Mirabeau to Theirs,
, Frenchmen of eminent genius and patriot
ism, have tried again and again, only again
and again to fail. The fact that CASTELAR, was
, an unsuccessful president only means that
be failed where Mirabeau and Roland,
Vergniaud and Lsmartine had failed before;
that it was for him 10 plant the seed, Tor
OTHERS TO REAP TIE HARVEST.
Republicanism is stronger in Europe,
,, stronger in Spain, because of the brief
; poetical administration of CASTELAR,. He
shed no blood. He brought no dishonor
upon his native land, no scandal upon
liberty. He might have been the Robes
pierre of Spain if he had led the irrecon-
cilsbles, or its Bonspsrte If he had given
way to the military spirit-a spirit always
. glad to make terms with whoever will Sc
cure its pensions and its rank. He ruled
with honor and withdrew with reaown. He
returns to the cortes one of the three repub-
licau delegates representing shrewd and
patient Catalonia, the New England of
Spain. The return of CASTELAR, to public
J life gives new value to the elo-
which takes so much OF our space
this morning. This letter, written in Paris,
is areview OF the whole situation of Europe
, We see what Europe presents to the mind
, CASTELAR, ct the outset of our new year, and
our readers VIII, we are sure, regard it as a
remarkable and instructive contribution to
the literature OF the hour. The gorgeous
rhetoric of CASTELAR, suffers somewhat when
translated from the luxuriant, ripe Cas-
lillian into our colder and tanner Saxon, but
, there are passages in this letter which more
than justify its authors world wide and en-
during fame. He begins with a glance at
Asia, the continent OF monarchies; Amer
lea, the continent of republics, and Europe,
between them, representing various phases
of constitutional systems
\, HE SHOWS THE POWER OF THE sLAv
and the Saxon in the politics OF the con-
tinent, and apostrophizes the Latin spirit,
which predominstes in Italy and Spain,
and which, with Greece, have contributed
, most to human culture. He shows that in
; Russia there is something else besides a
, Car on the throne and the people in the dust
the rise OF a communistic spirit, which has
taken deep hold on the empire, and may
in time menace the seeming invipciple
power of the Cars. The attitude of Russia
and England in Asia, the conflicts
, of rival ambition in that vast and wonder
ful continent, are sketched as boding events
, of paramount importance. The religion of
: Russia, completely oriental in its poetry
; and expression of the marvellous, is more
calculated to win the East than the mercan-
; tile dominion Of England. The Eastern
question now absorDs the minds of Eu-
ropean statesmen, as twenty years ago they
were interested in the fail of the republic
: and the rise OF the Napoleonic empire.
A2ied with this is the lawful
question of the SlavoRic race, more
fruitful yet OF wars and cstastrophes
than the unity of the German racer This
J question, comparatively new as il is to us,
Castelar, sketches with brilliant and daring
rhetoric. In It Is involved the fall of the
Turkish empire. The insurrection In the
nrincipalitias Ia only q nhasa LInlika i ord