New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10
DIC,TATORS.
vp,NrE AND ITALY THEY ARE
VOW DEMANDED BY THE CLASSES
AN OLD ROMAN FORM OF DIES
poT1sM CONCERNING WHICH
LITTLE IS KIN OWN IN THE
limited STATES.

D., ,vords on the subject may he OF timely
.,s, especially as the establishment or a
,.,.,rsbip is declared to he imminent not on!
so,in hut likewise in France and ltaly, ana
,,,,ua,ly in existence already in Austria the
.,,i, NJ this particular embodiment OF execu-
go, mower dates back to ne days OF ancient
n.,, the first dictator mentioned in history
-, been Titus Flavius. who was appointed
.,. ave hundred years before Christ as Su-
MAGISTRATE at Rome. with absolute
p :, CONSEQUENCE Of the dangers which
,t-sat.ned 10 overwh helm the Republic. The
.s,ce however became so odious on account
- III. misuse made thereof by various OF its
.o,d.,s that after the death OF Julius Caesar
-, p,ran Senate passed a law fOrbidding any
n,,,a, citizen. under the penalty of death. ever
again 70 assume or usurp the dictatorship.
- i easy TO understand that it should have
,,co,,, dstasteful to the old Romans; and to
Americans who possess keen sense Of their
native dignity. ami OF their prerogatives as
vo,e,s and electors Il a share in the govern
mont II their native land. II must certainly APP
,.ar N an equally offensive light. For dicta-
torship means nothing more nor less than the
snspenson Of all popular rights and privileges
a. veil as Of the ordinary administration o;
iustice and government. the sole power being
either vested IN usurped by one man. who
unchecked by either Parliament or any other
constitutional restrictions. such as the courts Of
Justice and the laws OF the land rules the ma
ton according To his own caprice and viii with
out any responsibility save 10 history.
LATIN ORIGIN OF DiCTATORsUIPS
It's perhaps in keeping With the origin Of the
system Of relationships that save with few cx-
ceptions only countries inhabited by the Latin
race, should have been called upon 10 submit 10
this particular sreceS Of dospotisn III modern
times Dc;atOrships are frequent in the repuh-
les NJ Central and South America where in the
words Of one If the most eminent historians Of
our day. their tyranny is tempered By asSaSSi-
nation" The fear Of which constitutes The sole
restraining influence on their actions. spain. too.
has croanad under The rule Il several dicta;ors
during the present century. And so. too. has
Portugal while the coup d"t1t ~ means u
which Louis NAPOLEON transformed himself first
OF az from temporary into a permanent fr"si-
dent " th- French Republic aad then into an
Emperor in defiance 81 the Legislature and II
the institution. both Of which he suspended
must likewise he regarded a. having cons ltuted
the acts " a Dictator Al any rate from The
time that Louis Napoleon ceased 10 ne a consu-
tutional President Of the French Republic until
the moment when h. blossoricd forth as full
Aedsed Emperor he MAS dictator in every thing
but ranc.
Will his dictatorship was entirely without
excusa it must be confessed that there was some
pretext IF a plausibl. character for he regime
Of dictatOrs in Spain during the disastrous years
Of the minority OF Queen Isabella when the re-
gency vas administered by her iSnOblc mother.
Queen Christina. The Latter Neapoitan prin-
cess 10y birth was of the most dissolute
women Of modern times and made use Of her
power as Regent to enrich her unworthy favor
les and to foist them upon the unhappy nation
as Cabinet Ministers and great dignitarirS o.
tn. realm In fact one man named MunoZ VINO
had nothing to recommend him save his good
looks and who was actually unable 20 read or
write vas raised by her from the rank OF 4
mere corporal Of the Royal Palace Guard 10 u.
position Of Captan-G ,neral. duke. grandee and
even Minister OF War OF course. this excited
fierce Indignation among the Spaniards. who
might have tolerated such moral shortcomings
on ne part Of a princess o: Spanish birth.
but declined to countenance conduct or
his kind on the part OF foreigner.
Consequently as the Regents power 10
,nlsrlIl. Spain was thus based on cOnsti-
tu,ional right such men as Narvaez Serrano.
Espartero and otherj were found who made use
Of their personal popularity with the army TO
organize coups d'etat. to suspend the consttu-
ton as welI as the regency. and. banishing both
Christina and her favorites to establish them
selyes as dctators in her place. In every in
stance however these military men misused
heir powers Of dictator to such an extent that
the people in the end decided that OF the two
evils Queen Christmas regency was the lesser.