Year: 1869

POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE REVOLUTION.


correspondent long familiar with Spain writes as
follows from Madrid March q


"There is decided majority in the Committee to
draft Constitution which insists a complete sep
aration of Church and State unlimited freedom of
religious worship, and no sect to be maintained at
the expense of the Government. OlOzaga has come
10 reinforce the minority, and has been upon the
point of carrying his plan by which the Roman
Catholic religion is recognized the religion of the
State and maintained at the expense Of the Govern
ment while only quasi liberation is to be extended
TO other faiths so long as they external signs or
manifestations repugndHt to Catholics. Such tolera-
tion would soon be liberation at all In practice
The Cabinet has declared for it. The Bishops are
admitted TO the Committee room. IL has Deen on
the point of appearing triumphant as the Committees
article on that matter. All this week the struggle
has been going on There have been sessions of the
Committee all night till o'clock in the morning
The report on the Constitution has been announced
over and over again as being about to be presented
TO the Chamber They are not agreed yet. But the
Reaction has been gaining ground i'll the Committee
Will it in the Assembly


1.-THE people are getting very uneasy. lhe ques-
ton of the conscrpon Of soldiers for the army has
moved them all over Spain. They begin to see that
avery one of the promises made to them at the out
set Of the Revolution being broken by the men
now in power, and who have manipulated the elec-
tior of the majority of the Deputies. The Repub-
ran minority works hard-works manfully, and the
bonors of every debate theirs. They gain some
thing nv their outspOken boldness, and loyalty TO
tbe Revolution. They make many OF the members
of che majority shake. They shake ministers, and
are gradually wearing them away-destIoylng thell
prestige-getting the upper hand morally. ButpuDhc
opinion is not an organized entity. IL has no ma
chinery by which TO make itself felt and obeyed. 1
think the course of things is not altogether bad. L
think this glorious campaign OF tho Kepubhcan MI
nority in this Assembly is not lost upon the country
In one way or another its effects will appear not
vthstanding the present appearance OF the votes in
the Assembly do not exactly say that this minor
ity will eventually defeat ministers, convert half the
majority and make itself supreme in the Assembly,
+hough that result would not at all surprise and
should consider il logical and in order. But 90
saw that already notwithstanding the immense nn-
merical majority there is no monarchy Don Fer
pando of Portugal is tho coming man, but his coming
is already impossible. There is no throne IN Spain
Perhaps not more than 80 mon in that Assembly oi
800 are fully aware of the fact But 1t never
theIess, and controlling one. The thing VIII come
70 an armed struggle perhaps; indeed 1t may DC
leaked upon as almost inevitable. But no man, not
an angel from Heaven could be seated on throne
as King in Spain to-day. Meantime, while things 60
halting and fretting along great lesson is being
learned. Every month which passes thus opens the
eyes of multitude of robust SpanIards 10 the Iac'
that the sun will rise and set and that women IN the
provinces and in remote villages can give Dirth 'o
child without there being q king on thFone az
Madrid That practical teaching is worth more anu
IA doing more for the Spaniards than all the phllo
sophical theories and all the wise constitution
which were ever written. But the Clerical party
are waking up TO a comprehension Of that fact-the
Moparchists are getting desperate. Nobody attacks
them. Everything is tranquil, and the nation full
of hope. Well tranquility must be troubled, anC
hope dashed, or they are lost.


"Ihe Republicans have made great effort to re
duce the force of the army 10y denying the cOnscrp
tion Of the 25 900 men asked for by Prim. But Tho
aonduct Of Prim aud his followers. afraid, will