THE REVOLUTION IN SPAIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 178, 7 December 1868, Page 3

THE REVOLUTION IN SPAIN.

. : ■ — ■♦ — (From the Argus London Correspondent.) Another Bourbon has been dethroned Queen Isabella of Spain is an exile ; and with her, probably, terminates in Kurope the Bourbon race of sovereigns. She has fallen after a reign of exactly thirty-fire years, on the very anniversary of her accession. Her government has been a series of insurrections and intrigues, and now finds an appropriate termination in utter disgrace and ruin. The wave of revolution has swept suddenly over the country. The navy first, and then the army, declared against her, and the Spanish people everywhere have followed their example. The history of these events is soon told, though we have had slowly to unravel it from contradictory and perplexing telegrams. The Government of Gonzalez BraTo had reached the height of unpopularity, and could only maintain its authority by repressive measures and the wholesale exile of suspected adversaries. Meanwhile, a conspiracy was formed, which secretly spread its meshes through the country. In Madrid itself a large body of men, numbered by some at many thousands, were quietly organised and armed, through the agency of the Freemason societies, and awaited their opportunity. Outside of Spain, the exiles concerted a scheme of insurrection— how cautiously, yet with what foresight, is now abundantly shown. Towards the beginning of last month a steamer was chartered at Gravesend, and sailed for the Canary Islands, to bring back the generals there in exile. On the 17th of September, General Prim, whose disappearance from London had previously occasioned some comment, arrived at Cadiz, and was received on board the frigate Zarogoza. His name has long beea familiar in connexion with Spanish politics as that of one who has playe I no inconsiderable part in their troubled history. A council was held immediately on his arrival, and the next morn- ! ing the signal was given for insurrection by the flags ana guns of the frigate, while the crew sang in chorus a popular national hymn. Other ships joined in the movement, and the troops on shore presently took up the cry. At this crisis, the steamer bearing home the banished generals, hove in sight ; and they were with all due honours welcomed back. Then began the revolution. Seville declares! against the Government, and through the southern and eastern provinces the insurrection rapidly spread. The fleet appears to have carried disaffection from port to port ; and soon on all sides to have kindled the flame. A provisional Junta was constituted at Madrid, and another at Seville. In Andalusia the insurgents mustered in strength, and advanced with little opposition towards Cordova. At some points there wa9 a show pi resistance. Barcelona and Valencia held back ; at Hantander there was a sharp fight : Corunna and Carthagena yielded only to the threat of bombardment. The people, as a rule, moved slowly ; but where the troops pronounced, soon fraternised, while here and there isolated bands came forth, and helped to swell the gathering tide as it advanced round the capital. Marshal Serrano led the troops onward from Seville. In a proclamation issued from Cadiz, the leaders of the insurrection had expressed their desire to establish " % provisional Government, which should represent all portions of the country, and, by universal suffrage, to lay the foundations of social and political regeneration." The picture' they draw of the condition of the country is frightful indeed. "The fundamental law trodden under foot, used rather for espionage than the defence of the country; the suffrage corrupted, by menace and subornation ; individual right: depending no longer on common law, but on the irresponsible will ol any, authority; the municipalities dissolved; the administration and the finances gorged with immorality and jobbery; public education marked by tyranny; the press dumb, and the universal silence interrupted only by frequent intelligence of new fortunes acquired, of new scandals, of new jobs, of . new Royal orders which defraud the public treasury, the rule of disorder and of rice — such is Spain at the present time." On the other hand, the programme of the revolution, circulated by the Junta of Seville, anticipates " the absolute liberty of the press, freedom Of education, of religious belief, and of commerce and trade; a prudent and liberal reform of the tariff laws until the state of the country shall permit of the introduction of complete commercial liberty; the abolition of capital punishment; the inviolability of domicile and of letters; the repeal of the articles of the Constitution relating to the religion of the state and the reigning dynasty, and of the regulations respecting the succession to the throne ; the organisation of the army and navy on the basis of voluntary enlistment; the equnlisation of the taxes; the decrease r.f the excise duty upon salt and tobacco; ami, t lastly, the election of Cortes by direct uni versal suffrage." Such are the aspirations which the more sanguine spirits cherish. Yet it is evident that the movement has been chiefly directed against the dynasty.

$h"i^£ie/60rdtiiBn, as #ell kk qußOT.lias been disgraced by Isabella! Common Spanish I talk will have it that" each of her children has &' different father, and her court has been pointed at by scandal as the most profligate in Europe. At sixteen she was married against her will, through a French intrigue, I to her cousin, Don Francisco D'Assis; and from that early time her misfortunes may be said to have begun. Through all her later chang"*) of Cabinet, she is said to have remains! undir the iufluence of her confessor, Father Claret, and " the bleeding nun," Sor Patrocinio, who pretended to carry about with her the wounds of the Saviour, but was condemned for imposture, and has since been constantly visited' by the Queen in the coriv.ent where she lives. When the new 3of this outbreak arrived Queen Isabella was at St Sebastian, near the frontier, vainly trying to tempt the Emperor Napoleon across from Biarritz. Her first step was to dismiss the reactionary Ministry of Senor Bravo, and appoint in his plnce Marshal Concha, a moderado of the Narvaez school, who once held the office of ambassador in France. The Count Girgenti. fresh from the festivities of Fpntainbleau, went rapidly forward to Madrid. The Queen proposed to follow, but does not appear to have got much beyond the door of the railway carriage. She was excited and irritable to the last degree, and stormed at her attendants. Clutching the skirt of her dress, she is reported to have said, "Ah I were this a pair of pantaloons, I should have been long since at Madrid, and all would baover." But, though not deficient in personal courage, the news of fresh risings detained her ; and when General Concha telegraphed to her to return, but " without her companion," Marfori, her unpopular inlendante, she refused to surrender her favourite, and broke into a violent passion. She then ordered General Pezuela to form a Cabinet and call a State council at St Sebastian ; but it was too late — the North as well as the south of Spain had caught the infection, and her cause was hopel.'ss. ' Meanwhile, General Novaliches 'had advanced from Madrid to meat the insurgents, but soon found that his troops were not to be relied on. Urged on by General Concha, he attacked them at the bridge of Alcolea, near Cordova. There appears to have been but little hard fighting, and he was easily defeated the most notable incident of the battle being that he was himself wounded — so severely that his death has since been reported, though this is now denied. When the news of his defeat reached Madrid, the secret societies came out in their strength, and formed a new national guard. The population declared for the revolution, : and the troops joined in proclaiming the sovereignty of the people. On the 29th of September Concha resigned, and a provisional Government was formed. The Royal arms were removed from the public buildings, busts of the Queen were dragged along the streets, and the city cave itself up to rejoicing. The next day the Queen crossed the French frontier, a helpless refugee, and proceeded to Biarritz, where she had a short interview with the Emperor and Empress of che French. Hue has since taken up her abode at Pau, in an old Palace of Henri IV., hospitably placed at her disposal, and is said to have carried away with her the Crown jewels of Spain, and other treasures. It looks as if she had had forebodings of the storm about to break, and had taken all precautions to secure a safe retreat. Marshal Serrano has been nominated by the Central Junta at Madrid to exercise supreme power, and to appoint a Ministry until the meeting of a constituent Cortes. j His entry into the city, on the 3rd of October, was made the occasion of a grand ovation, amidst almost frantic demonstrations of delight. He is an old soldier of the War of Independence, and not far from his seventieth year. Atone time he stood in high favour with the Queen, and though he has taken his part in successive revolutions, he has of late years been consistently liberal. His speech in the public square was addressed to all parties. He declared '* that among all the important men belonging to the three great sections of the Liberal party, there at present exists the most complete and perfect union, and that they are determined to abstain from all separate or personal action, or from the formation or encouragement of committees having for their object the promotion of individual or selfish interests, and to march energetically and decidedly towards the regeneration of their country. In proof of the sincerity of these intentions, he mentioned that himself aud General Prim, acting in the name of all the generals and officers of the army of liberation, had telegraphed to the Duke of Vittoria, " that illustrious veteran of Liberals," placing themselves entirely at bis disposal, despatches to which they had up to that moment received no answer. General Prim reached the capital on the*. 7th of October, and was received with, like demonstrations of popular favour. Immense^ crowds turned out to welcome him, and several persons were crushed to death in the streets. From the balcony of the office of Ministry the General made a speech. He laid stress upon the intimate unity existing between Marshal Serrano and himself, and urged the necessity for Liberals of all shades, for the people and for the army, to preserve concord. " The victory of revolution," he said, " wag due to the joint action of the fleet, Marshal Serrano, and the exiled generals." At the conclusion of the speech General Prim embraced Serrano, exclaiming, " Down with the Bourbons " This was re« ceived by all the people with unanimous applause. In tho evening Madrid was magnificently illuminated What next? is now the question. The difficulties of the Spanish Revolution are but beginning. There is a strong party in favour of an Iberian kingdom, uniting the whole peninsula under the King of Portugal; but this idea is not popular in the latter country. Will the Emperor of the French allow a Republic ?