THE LAST REVOLUTION IN MADRID

Dunstan Times, Issue 626, 17 April 1874, Page 3

T HE LAST REVOLUTION IN MADRID

■I (UICAPHIO.) |

■ r f , —o—- ' ' Spain, following in the wake of France has recently, as far as the Government is concerned, undergone a re-action in the direction of Conservatism. When the Cortes met, the proposed vote of confidence in Senor Castelar Was rejected, and that gen-, tleman resigned, as Mr Gladstone ought have done under similar circumstances,; But m this country, unless it was perfectly clear that the Parliament and the electors were of the same mind, a general re-choos-ing would have followed. In Spain they settle such matters more summarily. The Cortes, being of an ultra-Bad ical complexion, and being expected to elect as President some Intransigents sympathiser, such as Margall, a lot of energetic reactionaries determined to cut the Gordion knot with the soldier’s sword ; they applied the old remedy used by Cromwell and the Napoleons, and frightened away the M. p.’s by a display of military force. If the mass of Spaniards were really patriotic, if they; took an earnest, intelligent interest in politics, such violent changes would be unnecessary and unavailing, No brute for ce could permanently siltnee a Parliament which really represented thej nation. But in .Spain it is vex - y difficult to get thenation represented, and consequently each of the factions in its turn jumps on its hack, and rides for a while triumphant. Here is our special artist’s account of “Pavia’s Purge” At 7.31), a. m., the deputies were engaged in business, when an aid-de-eamp of General Pavia, the commander of the military district of New Castile, walked in, and handed to the Speaker, Senor Salmeron, an order for theplissolution of the Cortes. The Cortes felt that this was a most impudent message, and with one accord voted that General Pavia was guilty of high treason. The Minister of War was engaged in registering this decree, when it was found that the House was surrounded by a body of cawalry. For awhile they were repelled by, the members and officers of the House, hut being aided by the Constabulary, they forced their way in. The soldiers discharged their '.pieces in the air, whereupon the alarmed deputies took to their'heels, and the “ Paviour of Society ” as Punch calls him, had accomplished his object. All had been carefully arranged. There was a Krtxpp buttery and 2,0011 men before the House, and the muzzles of the guns were pointed at the portico and at the windows. Nor had the Madrid garrison been idle meanwhile, for they hail occupied every point of stragetic importance in the city, and so, at any lato in the metropolis, the revolution was . accomplished Without bloodshed.