Year: 1869

THE REGIME AT MADRID. . ID


That was a happy inspiration of Punch's
Shakespeare when he wrote, doubtless in
memory Of the Bourbon establishment "The
"labor we delight in physics SPAIN" Don
Gonzales Bravo, once the keenest executive of
Queen Isabea's wrOngheadedness, as inspired
by his own iniquity as politician, has again
come to light as an adviser in the house OF
Bourbon. The more liberal of his cOuntrymen
seem to estimate him as the personal quintes-
sence of whatever is adrOit and dissolute in
Spanish statecraft He is now, if anything, a
delighted laborer in the Icause of secret and
open mischief against the present regime of
Madrid. Queen Isabella promises to abdicate if
the COrtes will be rash enough to recognize
her son, the Prince of Asturias as King. The
proposed abdicatiOn might be something more
than pOwerless resignation sent in
after rout and disaster The Queen means
to say that il the Spanards will set up the
house of Bourbon once more, she may not be
eager TO urge the invasion of her country by
her adherents under Gasset in the South OF
France. Her secret agents may cease trying to
excite revolt among the more bigoted and incor-
rgble portions of the Kingdom. She may en-
deavor to refrain from keeping it in that
chronic condition of fever excited by the witch
craft of royalty, even when discrowned, dis
graced, and bedraggled Some might think
that with such self-denial Spain could be saved
war at home and an island abroad-this, too,
though the Queens ex-Captain- General, Concha,
is almost in despair about it, and the Queens
organ, the GduIOiS, surrendered the case of Cuba
three months ago. Gonzalez Bravo, on his part,
views the situation more hopefully for his royal
mistress In short he vetOes the abdicatiOn, if
that be possible. We suppose then, there is
still a fair-seeming field for intrigue in Spain,
and mass Of corrupt material fit for the infusion
of the poisons of Bourbonism else so cunning
a politician as Bravo would not count upon the
shreds and patches of power which are left to
Isabella We cannot believe that the Spanish
revolution will go backward but the talent for
retrogression which such men as Bravo possess
is both malgn and earnest.


While the Cortes has debated upon monarchy
and the church, we are glad that its tendencies
and feelings as to the need of decided gov
ernment have so far consolidated as to make
it probable that Marshal SerranO will be made
Regent This is, at any rate, one step toward
decision. The COrtes, after voting the national
sovereignty as a fixed principle OF the Spanish
Constitution, elected the monarchy as its form
of government, and now all that remains Is to
choose king. Whether a king shall be made
out of native clay, as Garibaldi suggests to
the Republicans, or whether he shall be bought
from among foreign wares, is the Spanish
problem The declination Of Fernando OF
Portugal discouraged the king makers, and the
candidature of the Duke of Aosta was likewise a
| failure. OF all those who were nominated for
the throne, the Duke of Montpenser alone
holds ont with any vitality of claim. Since
one of his relatives has publicly described him
! as a cold hearted and ndrrow- minded man, and
the Liberals of Spain appear to have no love for
one undistinguished for provinces or talent,
Montpensier hardly offers the material out of
which soyereigs of popularity are made. A
| large and influential element will resist the
| fatality of his imposition on Spain. 1t may be
| as easy in time TO make king out OF the
| Regent, the Duke de In Tore, as Of one who
has never been Regent, and has never been
military, or statesmanke, or popular, or Span
ish-the Duke of Moutpenser. Logically,
| Serrano's chances for the sovereignty ought TO
| be as good as those Of Montpensier. We are
aware that the latter is powerfully favored
| by Admiral Topetc, whom some call the Far
ragut of Spain-a very Spanish Faragut at
that but Montpcnsier, if chosen by the Cortes,
WILL it seems, be forced upon it. The lntest
dates, however, point to the possible choice of
Of a son Of Don Fernando of Portugal who is
to connect himself by marriage with the house
of Montpensier In any issue it is important
that the Spaniards shall decide themselves out
of all danger of anarchy.


Abelard Lopez dc Ayala has resigned from
the Spanish Cabinet wherein he was Colonial
Minister. We are rather glad of that. Ayala
promulgated the unjust and deceptive law by
which the Cubans were TO be cheated of a
great part of the franchise due them. He was
also accused of having retarded all patriotic
effort respecting the abolition of Slavery, and
of having been an instrument Of the more in
yeterate and powerful class of shareholders in
Cuba All that we know of him is that the
laws which he has issued to the Cubans have
only added fuel to their fire.