The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-30

The Daring Revolutionist, Studious Col
lege Professor and Trained Diplomat
A Chess Player in Games in Which the
Kings and Queens Are Men and Women
His Attitude on the Cuban Question.
Don Praxedes Mateo SagasSa, after In
Unite ups and downs in political life'as
exciting and full of reverses and triumphs
as any that mark the last half of the
dying century, Is once more at the helm
OF the Spanish state, says the Chicago
Times-Herald.
Sagasta for years has played with kings
and queens like the true chess player that
he is. A shifting politician, changing
with the wind and causing all sorts of
surprises among his friends and foes;
now lighting for monarchy, now consplr-
Ing for its overthrow; a refugee from the
land OF his birth one day and a power in
the government the next; cautious, SUBJ
tie, diplomatic, intriguing, severe, liberal
reVengeful, forgiving; content as hum
BILE professor in a college or rising into
leadership on the flood tide of popular
vote-it may be truly said of Sagasta that
he is one Of the dozen political figures of
modern Europe who shine with fierce
light during life and who will be prompt
ly forgotten when dead and buried.
OF striking interest to Americans is
Sagasta just at present. being, as he is,
the head of the Spanish government at q
time when Cuba is lying in blood and
tears at our doors and the public press of
Spain and the United States are talking
of war. There are those who doubt that
Spain Will ever be carried away with
hot-headedness 30 long as the firm grip
and cool brain of the present premier
rule the fiery realm. Sagasta favored
home rule in Cuba, and perhaps 1t would
be better Tor Cuba that he was not tn ere
with his conciliatory measures. Liberty
often springs more fully armed from
tyranny than it rises from the delicate
but more binding web of tolerance. What
Sagasta will do for Cuba and how he will
treat with the United States are ques-
tions of supreme Importance.
The Spanish prime minister is now 70
years old. He was born at Torrecilla de
Cameros, in the province of Logrono, on
July "a, 1927. He was designed for a
civil engineer, and as boy he went to
Madrid and entered the engineering
school of that city. In 1854 he was elected
as delegate to the constitutional con-
vention from the town of Zamora. He
was then &c years old and he. allied him
self with the progressive party, in which
General Prim, the Duke de la Tore, and
other statesmen figured largely. The
young engineer had brains and the older
members of the party, seeing in him the
promise OF an able engineer and shreWd
student of men, readily made him one of
them. He was part of almost all the
conspiracies that were Matched at Ma drld
during the reign of the ill-starred second
Isabella. After the revolt of the artillery
at San Gil barracks in the Spanish capi-
tai, Sagasta was tried and condemned to
death. But men like Sagasta seldom
die on the block. He fled into France,
and, conscious that the wheel of fortune
would lift him again, he remained
patiently until an amnesty gave him the
privilege OF returning to Madrid with
safety
When he was once more secure in his
own country Sagasta sought employment
as professor in the same school from
which he had been graduated civil en-
gineer and secured tho place. He became
the editor chief of the principal organ!
OF the progressive Parry, La IBERIA His
career now began to attract even more
dUlOtItlOil UUdn D6IOTe, ana
the second time he was compelled to fly
into France to save his life and liberty
He did not return until after the fall of
Isabella. With that event came the rise
OF the progressists; and Sagasta went
back with flying colors to Madrid to ac-
cept the portfolio of minister of the in
terror in the very first cabinet formed by
Prlm. He became very close to that
statesman, who honored him more and
more with his confidence. Sagasta mean
while had become completely estranged
from his old friend Zorella. Nor did the
excessively rigorous measures against TIL :
Republican junta tend to make him very
popular with the Republican minority in
the cortes
The tide of sagasta' s power now began
TO how IN unchecked volume. In Janu-
airy of 1870 he was appointed minister of
state, and he began business by ordering
several cities to be besieged, among them
Barcelona. He came out flat in favor of
monarchy and ON Dec. II, 1870, he dis
solved the cortes, by order of the king.
When Amedee formed his first cabinet
sagasta was retained as minister of state
and of the interior. This was in Janu-
airy, 1871, and during that ephemeral ad-
mlnlstration he made a conspicuous
figure in several ministerial com binations
either as q member of the cabinet ofias
presiding officer of the council. When
oerrano came into power in 1874, SagaSta
was appointed minister of foreign affairs.
This was on Jan. a. On May 13, he YVES
made minister of the interior, and in
August president of the council. He re-
tired from public life after the coup that
restored the monarchy.
Not long, however, was Sagasta's light
under bushel. In June. 1875, he
rejoined Alfonso XII. and made an at
tempt to form liberal constitutional
party in the interest of the monarchy.
Next we find the volatile, yet shrewd.
5agasta, going over to the opposition
Then he brought all of his Machiavelian
skill to bear on Martinez Campos and
Canovas del Castillo, from both of whom
he stood apart on political opinions that
were not to be Teconciled. ALWAYS flqht.
ing and never forgetting that Vigilance
and patience are the price of political sue
cess, the year OF 1881 finds Sagasta again
president of the council of Spain. These
were troublous times for the Spanish
Sagasta, as prime minister,
met with the fiercest opposition against
his liberal programme, and heswent out
of power after the incidents that led to
the departure of the king into France in
1888.
Vicissitude seemed to have no effect
upon his spirit and when Serrano was