Year: 1872

| The Spanish Elections.


The triumph Of the radicals at the polls in


Spain gives evidence of the growth of SEN


timent there that may yet be fraught with


important consequences to the peace OF


Europe. So many interests have coalesced


for the achievement of temporary aim that


we cannot accept the victory as conclusive Of


strength in the government, though the crush


ing defeat inflicted on the hostile monarchical


cliques will go far to remove q source Of dan
ger to the stability of King Amadeus throne


The maintenance Of peace in the Peninsula is
at once the most difficult and most necessary
condition to the development Of rational
liberty in Spain. This fact has been recog-
nized by the enlightened leaders of the liberal
party, who are prepared for the moment to
discourage appeals to arms as solution Of
political disputes. While the republicans are
inclined to look on the practice of fighting in
the streets as demoralizing and leading to no
useful results, unfortunately the supporters of
divine right are ready to plunge their country
into the horrors Of civil war in order to pro-
cure the elevation of an individual to the
throne .te ae.-ts-s s,rl asfsif


The Spanish people are bold and somewhat
RESTLESS with strong craving for the enjoy
ment of the fullest liberty They have not by
any means forgotten that at one time Spain en-
joyed freedom almost unknown to the rest
of Europe, and in many instances the old
municipal privileges have survived the
assaults Of tyrannical power and national
degradation. Nor have the efforts to awaken
the old spirit of the people been without
result in spite of the ignorance and slavish
submission to which monarchical oppression
has reduced them. If in their struggle
against corrupt government the people have
shown turbulence and sometimes even dis
played ferocity out of keeping with the watch
words of liberty to which they rallied, may we
not justly lay much of the blame on the system
that brutalized the masses and could find no
means of government but the sword? -


Between the violence of military chiefs and
the whole framework Of Spanish society had
been shaken, until the shameful career of Isa-
bella rendered further submission impossible.
The prophets who saw in that event the in
auguration of reign. of anarchy have been
disappointed by the result Spain entered on
the path of political progress with uncertain
steps, it is true, but has persevered with
courage that was little expected even by her
friends. NAH


The overthrow Of the provisional govern
ment though it led to the killing of Prim, was
effected by legal formality and was in all prob
ability acceptable to the majority of the na-
ton. While protesting against the introduc-
ton Of o king the republican party accepted
the inevitable, and set themselves to the work
of disseminating their opinions with energy
and success. When Isabella was driven from
the throne there seemed something grotesque
in the proposition to establish Spanish Re-
public, because tha world held on resolutely to
the idea that Spain was the stronghold of oil
that was narrow, prejudiced and reaction
ary. But the events passing to-day in
Spain must convince even the most
sceptical that the Spanish people are pre-
pairing to move forward. In perhaps no other
country in the world has there occurred such a
revulsion from conservative ideas as is evi-
denced in the result Of the recent Spanish cleo
tons. The various shades of liberalism have
absolutely swept the country, leaving the old
monarchical parties n an absurdly infnitesi-
NAL minority, while the pronounced republi-
cans make formidable show. No doubt the
fortunes of the liberal cause have been fa-
vorably influenced By the success Of the repub-
lican movement in France, and there oan be
no telling how fSr The spirit Of imitation may
yet carry the people. With the Carlists beaten
at the polls 80 as to leave them no hope but in
the fanaticism of their Basque followers, there
is reason to fear that the present lull in the
affairs of Spain will be but short-lived unless
we may take the result of the elections
as o declaration of the resolve of the
nation to support the existing government in
the preservation of that : order so essential to
the well-being Of Spain. At the same time it
which Amadeus finds himself between two ir-
reconcilable enemies-the Carlists and the
revolution. So far as may be judged from the
present aspect Of affairs, the real danger is from
the latter. The whole tone Of modern thought
in Europe is strongly colored by radicalism,
and the ideas grouped under that term seem
to gather increasing strength in face of oppo-
sition. Whether or not the threatened revolu-
ton may be effected peaceably or at the barri-
cades will depend on the nature of events and
the temper and skill of the leaders; but it
seems impossible that the opposing forces
should long continue in presence of each other
without engaging in conflict. In case of
struggle it is easy to see that the monarchy
which exists by compromise, and cannot count
on its supporters for day, will fight at dis
advantage against that revolution whose ad-
herents are terribly in earnest and whose
doctrines appeal to the pride and prejudices