The times., 1899-03-19

with dynastic and monarchical interest ap-
prove a policy, government, and coalition
whose principal avowed aims were 10
crush in the contemplated general cleo
ton, the very respectable political group
of stanch royalists, styled dissentient Lib
erals, of Senior GamaZo, and much less the
Conservatives of Silvela and the Ultra
montanes of General Polavie1a, whom Sa-
easta and his allies had branded with the
nickname of partisans of the Vatican In
Spain.
Papal Interests Remembered.
How could the mother of King Alfonso
XIII side with Liberals, Democrats, Re-
publicans, even against his godfather, the
head of his church, the Pope, who had for
thirteen long years kept in leash the Cath
olic prelates, the clergy, the Jesuits, the re-
ligious orders, nstructing them TO do their
best to check the Carlists and help the Al
fonsist monarchy? This was the opinion
of the Regent and all her surroundings
when the crisis became acute with the
defeat of the government of Sagasta In
the Senate on the bill for the cession of
the Philippines. The Queen undoubtedly
played her part with more ability and dis
stimulation than she is generally credited
with. For forty eight hours she persuaded
Senate and Congress, and most people not
in the secret OF the actual drift of events,
that she was really and truly endeavorine
TO seek some conciliatory, temporizlng,
middle course to prolong the existence OF
a Parliament elected only a year ago. and
TO secure the vote of the Peace Treaty
and other urgent bills with the assistance
of the present Cortes and OF the Lloeral
Cabinet and of Sagasta.
IL Iu rhnn
Presidents of the houses could not draw
from Her Majesty the positive assurance
that she would give the Liberal leader the
degree of dissolution if they assented TO
such a truce on dynastic and monarchical
considerations that they began to awaken
to u sense that something was brewing
in the background. They promptly ceased
to indulge in illusions, when almost imme-
diately they heard that the Queen Regent.
in her interviews with the Conservative
statesmen and generals, Silvela, Pidal,
Duke Tetuan. Marshal Campos, Generals
Azcarrazo Blanco and Polavieja, had
chiefly Insisted upon eliciting from them
the solemn promise that they would not
obstruct in any shape, or form transition
and Intermediary Cabinet provided by Sa-
gasta or Montero Rios, President OF the
Senate, or Marquis Armijo, President of
the Congress, on the understanding that
the Conservatives of every shade and dis
sentent Liberals were only expected TO
agree to such a solution with a view to get
the parliamentary authorization for the
cession of the Philippines, which the
Crown wanted, and the financial authori-
zation voted which would make the task
of the successor of Sagasta easier.
Eyes Open nt Last.
At once the old chief of the Liberal
party showed determination and a sense OF
the realities of the situation. When the
| Queen sent for him for the last time and
| pointed out that the opposition parties
| had all consented TO support her views
about a conciliatory and temporzng sou-
| tion in the interests of the dynasty and OF
the dispatch of public business, he replied
in a respectable but iniexible tone that
| neither he nor the Liberal party could
agree TO play into the hands OF and prepare
| the advent TO Office of their political ad-
versaries, and that by refusing to do so
| they did not consider they were acting
| contrary TO dynas,ic or national interests,
as they had proved during eighteen months
what they were disposed to do, and what
they were fully able TO do, in defence OF
both. The Queen made one last attempt,
and asked Sagasta not to prevent the Pres
idents of Senate and Congress undertaking