Year: 1874

There Is nOtnlDS LO SllOH tuto ohO oahSuih"if
provisional situation now existing IN Spain
promises to change into anything permanent.
II is true that most of the great European
Powers, under the peremptory exhOrtation and
example of Germany, have recognized the
Serrano Government and entered into full
diplomatic relations with it. Russia alone has
had the independence to stand aloof, refusing
TO extend the night hand of fellowship to the
nation which has driven out its sovereign and
has not yet accomplished its self-control.
While the SerranO Regency lasted, the Cabinet
of st. Petersburg preserved the same attitude
of suspicious observation, withdrawing their
Minister and leaving the archives of their Lega-
ton in the hands Of quick-witted Secretary.
They recognized the short-lived Government OF
Amadeus of Savoy, but do not propose to
waste clean sheet of parchment in accrediting
AN Envoy to Serrano, who may need new
credentials next week. There is a sort of
dignity about this brutal reserve of the Rus
sians A Russian diplomatst recently said
to an American, "There are but two forms of
government now possible-despotism for us,
"the republic for you. The Spaniards are tit
"for neither.n The German sentiment is
equally decided, though motives of policy have
induced the Berlin Ministry to assume the
position of guardian to an infant whom they
do not consider viable but whose effects may
be worth administering.


1t is not likely, however, that the protecting
fleet of Germany off the coast of Biscay, or
the headlong haste with which France and
England have followed the injunctiOns OF
Bismarck in their recognition of Serrano, will
contribute greatly to the consolidation of his
power. The MacMahOn Government may, it
is true, guard its Pyrenean frontier more con-
scentiOusly against the Carlist bands in future,
and may prevent the organs of Don Carlos
from too furious denunciation of the PreSi-
dent The Carlist Clubs in London may not
find it so easy to organize and transmit mate
rial aid to the army of the pretender as it
has been for the last year or two But these
slight external advantages will not assist the
Duke de Ia Tore in his necessary work of
providing his Government with some regu-
larly constituted parliamentary support. He
has taken other means for the accomplishment
of this end. A short time ago there was
widely circulated rumor, generally accepted in
Spain and so far credited in Cuba as to cause
a serious financial disturbance, that Serrano
was seeking a coalition with the liberal repub-
lcans aud democrats and intended to base
his parliamentary majority upon that section OF
the Assembly. This report seemed improbable
from the beginning, and the result of the recent
crisis shows how entirely unfounded it was.
The new Cabinet is as purely reactionary as
any commissioned by Dona Isabel herself. To
show how utterly vain were the real or SIM
ulated fears of the Casino Espanol in Cuba
that a liberal policy was to be initiated in
colonial affairs, we need only refer to the
nomination of Romero Ortiz as Minister of
Ultramar. The Marshal-President appears to
have made up his mind to rely upon his per-
sonal following, and upon the professional
politicians of the reactOnary party, to carry
the elections in the old-iashoned way by
direct official influence. For this purpose he
could have no better man in Spain at the
head of the Council of Ministers and the De-
partment of the Interior than the able, ener
getic, and unscrupulous Senior Sagasta.


1t remains to be seen whether the political
skill and energy Of these leaders can sustain
them in face of continual unsuccess. The
Carlist insurrection, if no stronger, is no
weaker, to all appearance. The Cuban troubles
show no signs of ending. There are not
enough soldiers in Spain to put down domes-
tic rebellion, and yet Serrano has promised
1900 troops to the Captain General of Cuba,
and has already sent out one-ffth of that
number. 1t is by no means sure that he
wishes to establish a strong personal govern
ment in the Peninsula but if such be his in
tention he is certainly gaining very little per-
sonal prestige for such purpose.