SPANISH AFFAIRS.

Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2493, 1 August 1873, Page 3

SPANISH AFFAIRS.

Azamafc Batuk writes to the "Argus'" from Madrid under date May 9, as follows: — The events which will be henceforth described in Spanish history as the Federalist coup (Vetat of April 23 were very simple in their nature. When King Amadeo abdicated and retired from Spain, he left behind him a Parliament sitting, which, elected under a monarchy, was of course composed mainly of Monarchists. But some of the seats on the Opposition benches were occupied by gentlemen of great attainments and very high reputation for integrity, but strongly inclined towards republican theories. Among them Senor Estanislao Figueras and Senor Eniilio Castolar were the beat knnwn abroad, especially the latter, who used to write a good deal in the '' Fortnightly Review," chiefly on questions connected with the republican movemeut in Europe. The Monarchists of this Parliament were, as they invariably are in Spain, very much out of tune with each other ; everyone of them wanted something different from what his nest neighbor wanted, and so no sort of agreement or common action could ever have been expected from them in a critical moment. When Amadeo. annoyed by constant party struggles and endless impediments put in the way of honest constitutional rule, deposited his crown, the Monarchists were utterly unable to agree as to any line of action. They were hesitating, quarrelling, and losing their time, for no better purpose than lhat of allowing the Republican fraction to jump at the tribune, and proclaim the Republic, which, as it turned out, did not. find any actual opposition in the mass of the people outside the. Assembly, and was therefore naturally considered as established. A Republican Ministry was at once formed, and Senor Fijrueras appointed president of the Executive Power. The new Spanish Republic had a luck which few republics ever had—that of being able to compose a Ministry against the members of which absolutely nothing detrimental could be said. Every one of the men called to power were known as men of high integrity and irreproachable morals, and some were, besides, known as very able men, especially so Senor Figueras (the President), Senor Nicolas Salmeroa (Minister of Justice), Senor Francisco Pi y Margall (Home Minister), and Renor Eduardo Chas (Minister of the Foraeuto, or Progress, which includes commerce, public instruction, &c.) The remainder were men who had. still to show whether they had statesmen's abilities, but who were one way or the other most favourably known to the nation. Senor Emilio Castelar (Foreign Affairs), was a fine writer and poet ; Senor Juan Tutan (Finances), was supposed to be an excellent authority in political economy ; while Senor Juan Acoata (War), and Senor Jacobo Orevro (Marine), were considered experienced superior officers in their respective branches. Whatever success the Spanish Republic has had as yet is entirely due to the "personal character of the men composing thp. new Cabinet, and I have not seen yet a single person, however hostile to tho Republic, who would have said anything against any of the Ministers. This is a fact of almost incalculable importance in a country where governmental circles are most corrupted, where scandalous gossip is veiy much liked, and personal life very much open and very much inquired into. The now Ministry had also another and rare advantage—that of being very homogeneous. The Ministers seem never to quarrel with each other, and, with the exception of Senor Acosta's leaving the War Office to give room to Senor Nouvilas, there has been no change in the Ministry, nor is any in prospect yet. Parliament waa of course dissolved, and new elections were to take place for a constituent Assembly, which was to frame a new constitution for the country. But a permanent committee, with rather indistinctlylimited powers, was left sitting until the new elections were over. Its duties were supposed to consist of a general superintendence of the affairs of the country and of the dealings of the Ministers. This committee turned out to be thoroughly hostile to the republic, and consequently no harmony between it and the Ministry could have been expected from the outset. They interfered with every measure of the Executive power, made several attempts to postpone the elections, and to reconvoke the old Assembly, and the quarrels grew more and more threatening everyday. At the same time, rumors began to circulate that the committee had oome to an agreement with Marshal Serrano (Duke de la Torre), the late Regent of Spain and celebrated paramour of Queen Isabella, and several other generals, to upset the Government by means of a military en up d'etat, and to bring Serrano once more to power. A pretext only was sought for. and this was soon found. Senor Figueras' wife having died, the President expressed his desire to retire for a short time from office, and the Ministry appointed Senor Pi y Margall as President 2>ro tcyipo. The committee at once interfered, saying it was not the Minister's, but the committee's business, to select a president in such a case. Hence a fresh row, and all at once some 11 battalions of the old monarchical national guards (about 4000 men strong), turned out to be assembled at the Plaza de Toros, under pretence of a review. The prefect of Madrid, Senor Estevanea, a very shrewd man and a staunch Republican, knowing what this review meant, and aware that Marshall Serrano's house was day and night full of generals holding commands in the regular army, ordered in the first place all the republican battalions to assemble, also for a review, and in the second, rushed to Senor Pi y Margall, and induced him to dismiss at once all its conspiring generals, and to appoint other ones, so as to put the regular troops in safer hands. In that way, at noon on the 23rd, Madrid found itself divided between two armed forces, of which one was incomparably less strong than the other. The eleven monarchical battalions took refage in the vast building of the bull-ring, and were disarmed there by the republican forces without scarcely a single shot having been fired. The victory was as complete as it could possibly be, and, taking full advantage of it, Senor Pi y Margall went, on the same night, a little beyond the strictly legal limits of his position : he issued a decree dissolving both the permanent committee and the refractory battalions, adding that he would justify these acts before the new Assembly when it met on the Ist of June. Theoretically, the young Minister of the Interior was now as fully a master of Spain as any dictator ever was in any country; but practically he had over him the will of an armed and victorious mob, and Allah knows alone what would have happened under similar circumstances in any other country. Here, however, everything passed off in a curiously quiet manner. All the ringleaders of the reactionary movement took to flight, in-, eluding Marshal Serrarjo and the members of the Permanent Committee, and those who had managed to win the day were left to do what they pleased. When I reached Madrid early on the 24th, the whole town was in arms. The Puerta del Sol, that celebrated central spot of all Spanish revolutions, j was covered with vociferating and demonstrative, human beings, most of whom had loaded guns in their hands, but I in vain wated the whole day at my window for a fight to take place. The only objectionable thing a portion of this armed mob did was to go to the houses of the ringleaders of the reactionary party, and to make there a starch.

for their proprietors, none of whom they could find of course. And during theee domiciliary visits, th<'y did nowhere cause any destruction of property. The searches were rr.ade in the most orderly way. and except nnr.s! of which some of the disaffected generals had rather large collections', nothing was carried r.wny from the houses. On look-i'-.g nt thi , proceedings of that ra<re>ed ma«s of what seemed really t? l>o most ferocionsl<~oking ruffians, I remembered the days of the Paris Commune. A comparison naturally srgerested itself to my mind, and I felt a drop respect for the i:nlucky and so much abused Spanish peonK , . Tt is now fully a fortnight since the rcob was full master of the city, yet property was never more secure nor life more safe. I make this assertion not only on the ground of no robberies or murders being heard of, aud strangers perambulating , the streets long f»fter midnight much more safely than they could in some of the London and Paris quarters, but also on the testimony of Englishmen of whom a large number reside here for business purposes. All of them are in great rage against the Spaniards for their making revolutions, and thus interfering with the due course of business transactions ; but all of them at the same time acknowledge that personal safety has only increased since the establishment of the Republic. One of these gentlemen, of a rather sceptical turn of mind, said to mc it was quite natural. "They get in employment all the ruffians ; they give them arms, pay them a salary, and so there is no one left to rob or murder us." "What is to come no one knows. The reactionary party will certainly not remain quiet. All its leading members have already safely reached French territory, and are reported to be organising a sitting of the Permanent Committee at Biarritz or Bayonne to pass there their resolutions with reference to the proceedings of the existing Government. They also urge their adherents to abstain from voting at the elections, which arc to begin to-morrow. Abstention in this case implies that they do not acknowledge the legality of the electious, and this is, of course, an affair involving the whole future. For the time being, however, the proclamation of a Federal Republic within a very few days is as sure as possible, and that is all that can be said at. present.