The Spanish Troubles

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 25, 1873

The Spanish Troubles.

Spain appears to be entering upon the throes of another revolution, and this at a moment when she has two civil wars upon her hands—one the Carlist insurrection in Spain; the other, the insurrection in Cuba. Spain seems to be incapable of putting down either insurrection effectually, notwithstanding the insurgents are a mere handful in either case, while Spain has a moderately large regular army and navy.

At this inopportune moment, King Amadeus offers to resign the crown. He has had provocation and discouragement enough. Since he became king, there has been a constant succession of changes of the Cabinet, caused by quarrels, jealousies, and obstinate differences of opinion, often over trifles, among the Spanish statesmen. It seems impossible to get half a dozen Spanish politicians together who are able to agree with each other more than a few days. Then the Cabinet and the people are jealous of their king. They insist upon unwise and unpopular appointments for the sole reason that he desires to make wise and popular appointments; and, if he were allowed to have his way, he might become more popular than his ministers, and their master instead of their convenient instrument. The king also has reason to be disgusted with the absurdities of Spanish etiquette, which is a very important thing in that country. Since he ascended the throne, the wives of various grandees have “cut” the queen more or less, because the queen does not rigidly comply with Spanish notions of etiquette. She has actually—the vulgar foreigner!—ventured to shake hands with an ambassador, and to nod and smile at her husband right before the public gaze! Such “goings on” cannot be tolerated by the Spanish ladies. The queen might commit adultery in secret, lie, steal, and break all the commandments, and still be the very head and top of Spanish society, so long as her etiquette was faultless; but to violate Spanish etiquette is an unforgivable offense. The king has further cause to complain that the finances have been badly managed, that the army is not what it should be, that promised reforms, which he favors, are not carried out.

He might complain of other trifles, such as being shot at, hooted, stoned, etc.; but these are only minor troubles, compared with the fierce factions in the Cortes and Cabinet, the divisions among the monarchical party itself, and the perpetual quarrel going on around him, and making his life unhappy. The immediate cause which may prove the last feather to break the king’s back, is the fact that he nominated a popular and able general to command the Basque provinces; whereupon the Cabinet insisted upon appointing an unpopular general—a general so unpopular that, upon his appointment, all the honorable officers of the army in the provinces tendered their resignations rather than serve under him; and the Cortes, jealous of the king, sustained the Cabinet.

Meanwhile a new rebellion has broken out in Mexico. Another Congressional Committee is to go to the Rio Grande, to investigate Mexican raids there; and our army forces on the border are to be considerably reinforced. If the rebellion extends, as usual, there will be more trouble on the frontier. As usual, there are constant insurrections, revolutions, and difficulties in the Spanish American countries of South America. There seems to be a defect in the Spanish race, which makes it everywhere prone to insurrection, intrigue, anarchy, dissension, and instability.

Yet the Spanish troubles are, really, a hopeful sign. Agitation is better than the dull level of intolerant bigotry and haughty indifference. Tumult is not so bad as decay and non-progress. There must be a breaking up of the old before there can be a building up of the new. The throes of dissolution must precede the resurrection to any better life. The great question is whence and how will the better era come to Spain, and the Spanish race; and that enigma a few Spanish patriots are already trying to solve.—Sel.