Year: 1873

| ienuing IL mucn al0, except such as were pro-
nounced Carlists. = Indeed 80 hostile was this
military class to the new order OF things that when
the news arrived in Cuba OF the proclamation OF
the Republic, some DAYS before I left for the In
surgent lines, 1t was openly stated that the army
would soon put down with strong hand all incon-
| venient popular aspirations after liberty. The
assassination OF Castelar, who seemed to be
looked on a. principally responsible Tor the
existence IN Spain OF subversive opinions,
was openly canvassed, and the same thing
happened on the voyage from Cuba. 1t was
of common Occurrence'on board for officers either
to proclaim the idea, assent to 1t when put for
ward by Others that the Minister OF State, Sehor
CASTELAR,, ought to be assasslnated. Had this oc-
Cured once In the heat OF political argument
would not have been inclined to pay much heed to
1t, but it wasOf frequent occurrence. and spok en-
by men whose past history proclaimed them quite
capable OF committing the crime. as well as imag-
thing it. 1t would be mistake to iner from this
that there are no honorable men In the Spanish
army, believe there are s0me but the majority
have peculiar notions as to what


POLITICAL MORALITY


consists in. II pressed on the point they would
probably admit that to ones party and ones
self at the same time was the greatest proof OF
virtue chat Christian gentleman could
give. at least the impression constantly
lett on my mind by conversation with
the military gentlemen has been that
their idea of pure morality consisted in killing
Oh every one who happened to be opposed to the
party that. for the moment owned their allegiance
by whatever means, and getting promoted as
quickly as possible. Add to this q profound con-
tempt for the people, from whom In the majority
OF cases, they have sprung; an invncible prejudice
against republican Institutions ana an astonishing
ignorance Of what constitutes liberty In well Or
dered state then 1t will be possible to understand
the attitude. Of the body OF the Spanish officers
towards the present republican government.
What renders the pretension OF the military to die
tate to the nation more insuppOrtabe Is the low
standard Of education among the officers as body.
Possibly in this respect the Spanish army ranks
lower than any other army in Europe, as large
proportion OF the officers belong to the cIose de
tropa, men who have risen from the ranks, and
the cadet class, whose education also is very i'm
perfect.


The system OF


PROMOTION FOR POLITICAL SERVICE


has also exercised very bad influence on the
character and standing Of the officers. People
who are very fond OF fnging stones at popular in
sttutiOns are accustomed to adduce the low char
aracter and imperfect education OF many who
climb to political power In republics as proof OF
the natural inerority of republican free insttu-
tions to despotlsm. But after an impartial ex-
animation Of the men who have exercised power
and influence on the royalist side IN Spain very
few would care to exchange even Boss Tweed for
General Prm. 1t is one Of the admirable features
OF monarchy that it Is capable not alone OF con-
cealing the moral disorders that are eating away
the base of society," but that by the inven-
ton Of fiction 1t can even make
vice appear virtue. Had General Prim
lived in America he would in all
probability have terminated his career In State
Prison. Even had an avenging bullet put an end to
his career though we should have reprObated the
crime, very little sympathy would have been
wasted on the victim. 1t requires certain amount
Of Indifference to public opinion to compare
''herO" like Prim to found-out politician like
Tweed who. If only half the charges brought
against him are true is certainly very disreputa-
BILE person; but an unpreludiced Judge would not
hesitate to give him better certificate OF charac-
ter than could be honestly accorded to the Spanish


hero." 1t Is quite true that the Spaniard was dra
matcaly the grander ruiian, but even the bitter
est OF the Committee OF Seventy would probably
| give Tweed vote OF thanks for not initiating too
closely the grandeur of his Spanish rival


PRIM AND TwEED--A COMPARISON.


| In the character and policy OF both these noto-
rieties there much that was similar. Both
were men born in the humber walks OF life, and
both were endowed by nature with strong will,
desire to rise above their fellow men, without car
ing much as to the means by which their advance.
ment was to be secured. Prim began to train him
self Tor position OF honor and responsibility under
the Spanish Crown by connecting himself with
party OF smugglers, and in y short time, owing to
his resolute, and, perhaps, little scrupuous char
acter, obtained immense influence among that
powerful and desperate community. In the civil
troubles he rose by the aid OF his companions to
the highest position in the state tor at the time
of his death he was the uncrowned King of Spain.
In his own pithy phrase-"He commanded the
army''-a fact which 1t was not permitted to ahy
l. OF his opponents to doubt. His authority was sus-
tanned by ali the desperate rascals in Spain with
out difference of political opinions, for, ike the
''boss," he far too wise TO trouble himself with
such recondte questions as q mans private
opinions so long as the man willing for a con-
sideration to obey bindly the instructions he re-
ceived. In this wayPrim controlled all the readiest
knives and 'blunderbusses in Spain, and If he did
not exterminate every one who happened to differ
with him 1t was because IL waS not good policy to
do so. But one thing is certain, that when the
would-be king-maker had an object to secure he
never hesitated to use both bayonet and bullet TO
secure it. His partlsans In the army were very
numerous, and quite large number of 'ilustriOus
swords" were a. absolutely a. his disposal as in
the good old times were che daggers OF the bravo
at the command Of the Venetian noble. 1t is one OF
the charms OF the 'moral order system that state
OF society so nearly approaching the barbarous
could exist in the enlightened nineteenth century,
and yet remain comparatively unknown 70 the
outside world. The Spaniards have become so
used to be governed in the same way since the adj
i vent OF the Bourbons that they naturally could not
see how disgraceiul TO nation it was to be gov
erned by a man ike Prm. On the contrary, l am
rather OF opinion that they liked him. He was
inclined to be despotic, but at least he was not
fool, and this was more than could be said for
many of his predecessors. So long as he could
direct the destinies OF the nation and live in Oren-
tai magnidcence he quite willing that the peo.
pie should enjoy so much liberty as he thought
good for them. ana he never thought OF interfering