Year: 1873

Everywhere.


Republicanism is the refuge of nations in
| these modern times. When the failure and
| calamity of war crushed France as she had
never been crushed before the people hailed
the Republic as the hope of national preserva-
ton and restoration. And now, Spain again,
after having made brief trial of monarchy
and failing to establish it, returns to the he-
public Our telegraphic dispatches from
Madrid, published in another part OF tne
paper, give the details of how this was brought
about. The news is at once graphic, slgnih-
cant and suggestive. What wonderful age
we live in! Crowns 60 begging for adven-
turous scions of royal blood to wear them !;
the mightiest monarchs are hurled from their
thrones as useless domestics are dismissed
from service even the crown is cast aside by
the wearer as an unendurable burden. There
is no moro divine right of kings Divine
right now rests in the people. True enough
has the voice of the people become the voice
of God in these latter days.


There is an epic in the adventure of young
Amadeas, King Of Spain for few months
Son Of the King of Italy, prince OF the an
cient royal house of Savoy. a chivalrous and
ambitious youth, full of noble impulses and
an honest purpose, he was called by tho reac-
tionists and monnrchists of Spain to rule over
the Spanish people. He believed it was the
| call of the people. 1t had been 80 represented
to him. Born a royalist, and at the same time
having his mind imbued with the liberal ideas
and tendencies of the age, he thought he could
reconcile monarchy with liberty and democ-
racy. He endeavored to do SO when he ac-
cepted the Spanish crown. He found that to
be impossible. Rather than shed blood in
doubtful civil war to maintain his authority,
as an older and more selfish man, or some
booted and spurred despot might, he resigns
his crown and leaves Spain to her fate His
language in doing SO will be memorable. After
maturely considering the question as to what
course he ought to pursue, and resolving to
abdicate, Amadeus says:-''When he accepted
the crown he did SO under the belief that the
loyalty of the people who had called him
would compensate for the inexperience
which he brought to the task He had
found that he was deceived in this. If
the enemies who have beset his path had been
foreigners he would not have taken the course
now determined upon but they were
Spaniards. By them Spain has been kept in
perpetual disquiet. All his efforts to quiet
her, or put an end to the intrigues which
were the source of her agitation, had proved
unavailing. It was not enough that he had q
partisan support He had no wish to remain
on the throne as the king of a party. He
| ~ 4 IL .~h oho1r
of himself and his heirs" Here, then, the
curtain falls on the last act of this last drama
of Spanish monarchy.


The Ulysses of Rome need not go after this
young Telemachus he returns voluntarily to
| his fathers home, and no syren can detain
him. How his heart and the heart of his
youthful queen must have swelled with joy
and pride when he and she were borne, under
the proud flag of CASTLE, amidst blaze Of
glory, from the sunny land of Italy to the
throne of Ferdinand and Isabella What an
ovation was that! There was no opposition
from foreign monarchs. All seemed well
pleased, thinking, doubtless that his installa-
ton as King of Spain would tend to strengthen
monarchy and check republicanism in Europe.
He was the young royalty of the age per-
sonifed. But monarchy has really no youth
it is decrepit from age and crime
it is in the lean and slippered panta-
loon. There is no youth in any form
of government but that of and by the
people, which is republicanism But let us
glance for moment at this romance of
royalism before we leave Amadeus We have
briefly noticed the glory and promise of his
accession to the throne. See the contrast
There are no weeping adherents, no sword
drawn to maintain his authority or to avenge
the wrong done him nothing in the least SEN
timental or dramatic, as when he went to
Madrid; all is cool and tame. Madrid, or
Spain, was not dsquieted; the Republic was
Immediately voted in the Cortes by two hun
dred and 6fty-six yeas to only thirty-two in
opposition, and it was unanimously resolved
as an act Of courtesy, but really in whitening
sarcasm, that q commission be appointed to
accompany the King to the frontier and to
bow him out of Spain. That may be called
supplementary act of the drama. But what
volume of meaning there is in this finale,
though not so much with regard to Amadeus
personallya as to the whole monarchcal system!
We now leave the honest young Prince and
wish him happier future.


The question now is, What of Spainp What
will be the result of this revolution, for a
peaceful revolution it is? There was no dis
turbance in Madrid, and only sort of curious
excitement, which was natural. The Cortes
remains intact, and has assumed supreme
power. Sefor Rivero, the President of that
body, declared himself ready to answer for the
preservation of order and the execution of the
DEGREES of the Assembly The populace, too,
appears to be contented and not disposed to