Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-09-26
SAGASTA


minister, is stif1y built frog faced
man, with strong jaw, wide, insln-
cere smile, and black, filmy eyes, as of
an Arab or gypsy. He has the glib
word, the expansive manner and the
exuberant gesture of thesouth. There
is one charge which his most embit-
tered enemies dare not bring against
him-that of cowardice. His convic-
tions may be centered upon himself,
but most emphatically he has the
courage of them. Over and above
his vast astuteness Of thought, he is
man of action. III for many years he
has proven himself as subtle as a SER
pent, his earlier history showed him
to be as brave as lion. He fought
against O'Donnel in the streets of
Madrid in 1856 at the head Of regi-
ment of militia. Before that, as lad
of IS, when student at college Of en-
gineers at Logrono, his native place,
he hesitated not to withstand the be-
hests of the dreaded Nervaez. When
ever lifetime came for fighting he was
ready to take his share, yet, without
impeaching that undeniable physical
pluck Of which he has given many
proofs It is not surprising to find that
he made it his first duty as a soldier
to prevent himself from being unnec-
essarily killed. Hence, in the summer
of 1866, while many of his colleagues
stuck to their barbados in the streets
of Madrid and were massacred, Sagasta
underwent the much more convenient
fate Of being condemned to the un-
comfortable death of the garotte-in
his absence.
Thenceforward, for two years, Lon
don, Paris and Ostend were the CEN
tiers Of his activity, and if walls could
speak certain restaurant Of Bishop
gate street could tell some stories.
He engineered the revolution of 1866
and drove Isabella Ii from the throne,
aud this time fortune favored him.
When Topete and the fleet had been
won over and most of the army was
squared the signal was given. Sagasta
and Gorilla Gas pure patriot as ever
lived, but too honest and consistent to |
be successful modern politician with
Prim as a servant in livery, sailed I'M
der assumed names on the steamer
Delta from London to Gibraltar,
early in the September of thirty
years ago
cannot be- surprised at our Ameri-
can cousins loathing the very name Of |
Sagasta with the keenest Of hatred
second only to that which we have for
Weyler. It was because of |
his direct action in 1878 that the in
famous General Burriil shot eight |
in one day, and four
shot Captain Fry, General
Ryan and fifty eight more. Indeed, !
of all prime ministers that Spain has
ever had, Sagasta has been the most
merciless and unreliable. He is as
Bismarck, with a strong
flavor of rquemada.
Even now the old mans astounding
good luck may be depended upon to
bring him to the surface again, al
though he has just exceeded mans
allotted span. But therei is more pa
tient and logged enemy than the pal
try politicians who are in opposition
to Sagasta. This is no less person |
than Gen. Weyler himself The two
men have clashed for years, and when
Sagasta dismissed his enemy and put
R1apoO in his Mace az oantain general
Of Cuba he made a most unwise move
for his own interest and for the peace
of his closing years. Weyler has too
much of the slowmoving Dutch blood
of his father to act without discretion.
So he wat ches and waits