Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-04
Premier Sagasta Of Spain.

The name or SaSaStd, premier ~
Spain. is one familiar at the present
time to every American, and yet most
of us know very little about the man
himself. 1t is Sagasta, not the Queen
Regent or the boy king Alphonso Kill.
who is the real head of the government,
the ruling spirit of the kingdom. and in
whose hands lies the question of peace
or war If his refusal to grant the just
and necessary demands of this country
brings war, as now seems inevitable,
he will be Spains leader in the strug
gle He knows we'll that whether it is
peace or war Cuba is lost to Spain and
that his kingdom must be humbled
Premier Sagasta is man past -
years of age. For almost half a cen
tury he has been conspicuous in Span
ish politics. He came into the Cortez
young men who combined literary
talents-he was a college professor
with strong taste for practical as wei,
as theoretical politics. While in the
main keeping sympathy with the liberal
aspirations of his youth, Sagasta has
not hesitated to adopt compromises
With his opponents either to maintain
himself or his party in power He has
known almost all the vicissitudes to
which an active Spanish politician can
he exposed. He has been ii conspira
tor; he has been fugitive and an exile.
escaped by flight from Queen Isabella'.'
vengeance. and returned to Spain in
time to take his share in that revolu-
ton which compelled her to give ap
her throne and take refuge in France.
So long as Spain was a republic
Sagasta served without any protest
though it is but justice to him to say
that his avowed preference is for con
stitutional monarchy Sagasta was IN
the ministry under King Amadeo, and
after the restoration Of the BourbonS
accepted the situation. He has in the
last 20 years been several times at the
head Of the ministry. either as premier
or as the power behind the combina-
ton. The politics of Spain for the last
decade, until the death of Canovas.
may be described as a see-saw between
that eminent conservative and Sagasta
The latter just now is the Spanish gov
eminent, for the acting appointment
given him last autumn by the queen
regent has been confirmed and eX
held last week. OF a man with Sagas-
tas record il may be said with safety
that he certainly knows the public
opinion of his country and does not
lack civic courage. for he has kept the
stage before an audience that was both
politically and personally hostile ioI
him.
1t is doubtful. however. if Sagasta
ever found himself in a position more
iull VI PEI II anu pei IlltAItS IMAM tiidl iiN
is now in, even when he was seeking in
disguise harbor of refuge in France
with Queen Isabella's agents in close
pursuit of him. The task before him
now is one that might daunt the most
deft deXterity of man who knows all
the shifts and turnings of Spanish
politics. If he maintains peace by
abandoning Cuba he may sacrifice him
self and the dynasty: if he provokes
war he is certain to lose the island.
Much as the Spaniards talk about their
dignity and preferrng defeat in war to
compromising it in peace it is doubt
full if they are as different from other
people as they consider themselves
to be
Doubtless between what Spanish
sentiment is today and what it will be-
come Sagasta is hating. With his pro-
found knowledge of his countryman
and Of Cuba. he beyond question re-
allies that the island is practically lost
to Spain. in the sense that all that is
left of Spanish power must crumble AT
the touch of the invader The task he
must set himself to, if he would avoid
war is how to cover the surrender IN
such a way as to maintain what his
countrymen regard as the dignity of
the nation. how to bow With Castilian
grace to the inevitable. That he should
make counter proposals to our govern
ment was to be expected. and the tenor
Of these is probably in the direction of
arranging retreat from the island
| with its stages SO graduated as toI
soothe as much possible the sensi-
bility of his people.
Already the dreamers and theorists