Year: 1872

raised from one end OF the country to tn


other.


The disclosures made by Sagasta are Ger


tainly suggestive, as well as astonishing. TIL,


first inquiry that suggests itself is, what car


have been the object of the Minister in col


lecting this information, and for what purpose


can he have designed using it? AS we have


said, Sagasta is ambitious and unscrupulous


and it can be readily surmised that his jealousy


of other prominent and able leaders, joined


with the uncertainty of his relations with the


King, may have induced him to arm himself


with weapons against the former in case the


danger of their supplanting him should arise.


But why hunt up evidence of the monarch s


infdelity to the nation over which he rules


Was it for the purpose of obtaining the power


Of terrorism over Amadeus or could Sagasta
have contemplated coup Tftat ON his own
account, and have supplied himself to that
end with proofs that would seem to warrant


the arrest of ruler and leaders at one


swoop? Such man seldom moves


without an object, and it is scarcely probable


that the information he processes to possess


was gathered without design in the mere


ordinary working of q secret service system.


The disclosures now made seem to have


been precipitated by the loss of power


and the decided action of the Cortes,


and it would seem as if Sagasta, disap-


pointed and enraged had resolved to cast


the frebrand of these developments into
the midst of the opposing factions, in the
hope, it may be, that confagration would
follow, in the confusion of which he might
manage to secure prize for himself.


While the reports Of spies and informers are
notoriously unreliable for the reason that they
are compelled to make evidence if they can
procure none or to lose their employment, it
seems incredible that these charges could be
openly made by the Spanish Premier with
out having some foundation. It is evident
now that political dissaffection is general
throughout Spain and pervades oil parties.
The Italian King is a failure. The Carlists
are in arms, and although we hear constantly
Of their annihilation the next day brings infor-
nation Of new rlsings The republican fac
tions are all opposed to Amadeus, more or
less, and at best he is only tolerated by any
party. Even the leaders who were instrumental
in calling him to Madrid ore now set against
him. He has not brought peace and order to
the nation, and hence there is no compensa-
ton for that wounded pride which naturally
revolts against foreign ruler. In such state
Of affairs it is quite probable that the different
v,n1itica1 ohiafu ha haof;vo - IL,
cover where they can find strength enough to
enable them to bring about q change for their
own advantage or in the benefit of their own
particular views. Whatever personal objects
or designs Sagasta may have had in setting his
hounds upon the track Of his rivals and of
his King, it is more than likely that the
substance of the disclosures he has
so suddenly made is true. What will
follow? Can such accusations be suffered
to pass unnoticed? Can the indictment
against the young King be allowed to fall to
the ground? Assuredly not. The throne
must be protected against conspiracies if it is
to stand; the people must protect themselves
if their liberties are endangered by the mon
arch they have SO strangely placed on
n foreign throne If Amadeus contem-
plates calling Prussian generals to his
MD his next step may be to surround
his Spanish throne with Italian bayonets. He
is playing with treacherous and dangerous
people, and precedent warns him Of his peril
He must by this time have learned that Spain
is Castilian Mexico-let him avoid the fate
of Macmillan. In accepting the Spanish
throne he announced that he did so only to
promote the good of the country. That hope
Is destroyed, and he should now abdicate and
return to Italy. The disgrace Of failure rests
not upon him, but upon the unstable, unre-
liable people over whom he attempts to rule.
from his feet than that no should seek to
govern a foreign nation by the aid of
imported troops. When their throne is again
vacant upon the Spaniards themselves will
rest the responsibility of establishing govern
ment If they fail to do SO, and plunge into
anarchy, the fault and the sufferings will
be their own. If the republicans, or
the better portion of them, should
prove strong enough and firm enough to OBJ
tain control, they may yet make o good gov
ernment and bring peace and prosperity to the
nation. 1t is at least worth the effort, and to
secure such result the leaders should bury
jealousies and personal ambition in
common grave AT all events it
seems impossible that Amadeus can much
longer continue to rule over Spain after the
disclosures now made, and the uext news from
Madrid will be looked for with interest and
curiosity.


The British Parliament and the Race