Year: 1873

from the terrible visitation of popular govern
ment


o'DoNNELL


was dying and, like agood Christian, was attended
by the clergy. His confessor. having some know
ledge OF his somewhat stormy political life, exnorted
him. now that be was in his last hour to forgive
his enemies. my enemies" replied the General.
with Christian resignation, 81 have got none.
shot them alfn and yet O'Donnen was by no
means the worst Of the military satraps who ruled
Spain at their good pleasure. -


In estimating any regrettable acts that may be
committed by the people In their efforts to secure
their new-found liberty 1t will be well to keep in
mind the terrible provocations they have received.
1t Will then appear more wonderful that so few
excesses have been committed by a people who
have been cruelty and savagely oppressed. Most
OF the outrages so far reported have, believe,
been committed by che soldiers against their OH
eers This has not surprised me, for the state OF
feeling in the ranks OF the army OF Cuba Is certainly
far from resssurng, and would not he at all
prised If similar scenes to those OF Igualada occur
red IN Cuba During my Imprisonment had
good deal Of communication with the common
soldiers, rs found them more manly and more reli-
able than their superiors.


THE COMMON SOLDIER


In conversation they always spoke OF the officers



man expressed fervent wish that the day was
not far distant when the troops could legally and
constitutionally cut the throats Of the tirdnos.
II this same amiable desire exists among the com
mon soldiera in Spain there are some pleasant ex-
periences in store for los sedOres ODctaIes, unless
they heartily throw themselves into the work of
consolidating the Republic, and this, from wharf
know Of them, they are very unwilling to do. In
my opinion the best thing the republicans could do
would be TO dismiss all the superior officers who
were not tried republicans and give the command
to distinguished foreign republican officers ana such
young men in the lower grades as showed aptitude
for command In the Vascondadas there are fifty
battalions OF infantry and thirty-eight squadrons
OF cavalry with numerous artillery. who pretend
to be making war against the Carists, but VINO are
IN reality only covering their operations. 1t is
needless to say that this large army could destroy
in week the five or six thousand peasants who
are disturbing the country. If 1t were not for the
treacherous inactivity Of the Of11cers in command
or course the object OF all this is TO disgust the
country with the Republic and promote return to
the old military government when the military
iulbeciity Of the present moment would be changed
for massacres in the streets and policy
OF terror that would leave no doubt on
the minds OF any one that a ''strong gov
ernment" had been re-established. Then,
while the streets running with blood, we shall
have the usual "Te Deums" for the re-establlsh-
ment of order, and "peace will reign in Warsaw''-
for while Should the reactlOnary movement be
successful it will be a sad misfortune, not alone for
Spain, but for Europe, as 1t would inevitably drag
in it's train the restoration Of the monarchy in
France. This Is not cOnsummatiOn to be wished
for as it will only have the effect of causing simi-
lar trouble and bloodshed again few years later.
In the South OF Europe the popular desire for the
establishment Of republic has been gaining
strength year by year. and 1t is, there
fore, only on a republican basis that liberty
and order can be permanently established.
Whatever the privileged classes may say or how
muchsoever they may attempt to misrepresent the
will OF the people by the aid of corrupt press, the
depth and intensity OF the republican feeling
among the masses in the South Of Europe cannot
be denied. CASTELAR, says in his "History OF Christi
anity," that IN the first centuries the eyes OF the
Christian world turned naturally to Rome, and for
the first time mankind, with one impulse, acknowl-
edged the force OF q unifying idea. Well that
unity Of religious belief is broken and man now, in
more fully developed period OF intelligence, seeks
for


POLITICAL AND SOCIAL REGENERATION,
but Ne no longer turns his eyes to Rome, but to
washington. For the first time, I believe. IN
American history, President Grant spoke words Of
hope and encouragement to the millions scattered
over the world who turn with love and admiration
to America as the haven OF refuge OF the miserable
and the oppressed. Rome conquered the world
with her legons but America, greater than Rome,
will impose her institutions on mankind by the
irresistible force OF an idea II would be well If
American statesmen and pubcists recognized
more fully the magnificent destiny marked out for
their country by the Creator, and lifted up their
voices to protect the oppressed millions who hail
the nag Of Washington as their guiding star IN
their passage through the gloom OF social and poll
tical bondage to the confines of liberty


JAMES j. O'KELLY.