Year: 1872

/
garaing Cuba.


The insurrection which has just taken place
in Spain under so-oalled republican auspices
and the freshly-announced policy Of the zor-
rilla administration regarding the Spanish
colonies, compel us to look to the Derian Pc
ninsula as the probable centre of serious
trouble to Europe and the world While we
write the insurrection at Terrol is still in exist
ence. Troops are marching from all quarters
towards the centre Of disturbance and there
is every reason to take it for granted that in
few hours the local instruction will be dead.
The entrance to the harbor is blockaded by
vessels Of war, and the foiled insurrectionsts
cannot escape. The insurgents are already
demoralized, and large numbers have deserted
and surrendered themselves to the govern
ment. 1t is not possible for any assistance
to reach the insurgents by land, and the
one fort which commands the entrance TO the
harbor, Fort Phiippi, is in the hands Of the
government. We are quite willing to believe
that the Ferrol insurreotion must come to q
speedy and somewhat diseraceful end; but
when we look at the announcement of Zorrilla,
made to the Cortes Oh Saturday that no re-
form would be introduced in Cuba so long al
single man remained in arms against the
government, we cannot-get over the idea that
Spain, in spite of certain signs of progress, is
welded to her ancient policy-a policy which
has been and which promises more and more
to be her ruin.


The situation of Spain to-day. which most
Enthusiastically commands worldwide attention,
to be properly understood must be looked at
from two different points Of view. 1t
must be looked at with . special regard
to its internal condition and also with
a special regard to its foreign policy
Each point Of view opens mp large deld
Of observation. For the present we must con-
tent ourselves with CHANGING cursorily at the
one and the othsr 1t is now more than three
years since the world was startled by the an
| nouncement that a revolution had taken place
in Spain; that the army and navy were a unit
against the government Of the day, and that
Queen Isabella and her fsvorite adviser had
deemed ii advisable to cross the frontiers and
take refuge in France. II is not too much to
say that the news occasioned thrill Of joy to
thousands of hearts in every section Of the
civilized world It was felt and believed that
grand despotism had been struck down;
that weighty obstruction to the progress of
civilization and to the general welfare Of hui
manity had been removed out of the way, and
that Spain, once the proudest and most pow
erful of the kingdoms Of the earth, but for
generations degenerating and sinking into CON-
tempt, might yet revive and take a respectable
position among the great nations Of the earth.
For a time the promise was good, although
there were many who, remembering the past
history of Spain, believing they knew the
secrets Of the national weakness Of the Spanish
people, and having lively recollection of
many revolutionary failures, doubted whether
even this promising effort should not also
come to naught. Our readers all remember
the reign of Prim-his power over the army;


the coalitions which he effected; the testing
Of public sentiment which resulted in favor of
monarchical form of government; the search
| for king, the immediate fruits of which
were the war between France and Germany,
the destruction Of the temporal power Of the
Pope, the occupation OF Rome by the Italians,
the fall of the Bonapate dynasty and the
humiliation of France; the acceptance Of the
offered crown to Amadeus of Savoy; his
arrival in the country. which after much per-
suasion he had consented to adopt as his own,
and the tragic death of the great dictator in
what seemed the hour Of his victory. All this
is familiar to our readers, and so also is the
history Of the interval which has elapsed since
the enthusiastic reception given to the
Savoyard King and the present moment.
Serrano, Sagasta, Zorrilla, each in succession,
has tried to rule Spain and it is not unfair to
say, although Zorrilla has scarcely been fully
tested, that each has failed. The unionists
had the first chance then the unionists and
the progresistas united and now the govern
ing power of Spain is in the hands Of Zorrilla
and the radicals. 1t cannot be said that King
Amadeus is unpopular, although it must be
admitted that he has some bitter and ap-
parently irreconcilable enemies. Once
most wicked attempt was made upon his life,
and also upon that Of his young Queen.
Once, also, he was most wantonly insulted.
But after the attempt made upon his life he
made tour through the Northern provinces
and was everywhere well received. He has
put down powerful and most threatening
insurrection of the adherents Of Don
Carlos and at the last general election the
Spanish people gave him and his chosen min
lister clear two-thirds majority Of the Lower
House Of the Cortes. In spite of all this, how
ever, we have this fresh insurrection in the
name and professedly in the interest of the
Republic; and we have Spain on the money
market OF the world asking heavy loan for
the purpose OF maintaining her separate and
independent existence. 1t is pitiful state Of
things, and one which more than iustifes the