No. 504.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Madrid, August 22, 1883. (Received September 8.)
Sir: This country has very suddenly and unexpectedly been thrown into an excitement unprecedented in the past eight years, by three successive attempts at revolution, which occurred between the 4th and 9th instants in localities disconnected and distant from each other. The first of these events took place at Badajoz, in Estremadura, near the Portuguese frontier. The greater part of the garrison, under the lead of a lieutenant-colonel, and mainly seconded by non-commissioned officers, quietly rose in the dead of night, and without a struggle took possession of this strongly fortified military post, with a large supply of arms and other war equipments, deposed and imprisoned the civil authorities, and substituted others in their places, and proclaimed the republic.
So quietly and effectually was this accomplished that the Government at Madrid was not advised of the event till more than twenty-four hours after it transpired, its first intelligence being received through the authorities of the neighboring nation, via Lisbon.
[Page 790]The Government and the country were completely taken by surprise. It being the time of the usual summer vacation, the King and the majority of the members of his cabinet were absent from the capital, the president of the ministry, Señor Sagasta, being at a French watering-. place. The gravity of the situation, in the estimation of the Government, was not concealed. Large bodies of troops were at once set in motion to operate against the rebels. The official announcement of the revolt was immediately followed by a royal decree, suspending the personal guarantees of the constitution throughout the Kingdom and the proclamation of martial law not only in Estremadura, but in other suspected provinces, and especially where republican principles are most prevalent.
A system of repression, censorship of the press, and the arrest or espionage of suspected persons were adopted. The members of the cabinet were hastily recalled to Madrid, and were joined by the King from his summer residence at La Granja.
It appeared, however, that the garrison at Badajoz had no sooner “pronounced” than they took steps to abandon the fortress of which they had so easily possessed the control, and before the Government troops came within striking distance, and before they had an opportunity to learn whether any part of the nation would respond to their movement, they ran away from their own victory, carrying with them the funds belonging to the garrison and the municipality, and took refuge acrsos the frontier, where they were interned by the Portuguese authorities.
Meanwhile, on the 7th instant, a regiment of cavalry at Santo Domingo, in the province of Lagrono, headed entirely by non-commissioned officers, revolted, and, under the command of a lieutenant not in active service and having no connection with the regiment itself, abandoned its barracks and sought refuge in the mountains, where it was actively pursued and recaptured or scattered.
The third attempt at revolution occurred on the 9th instant at Urgel, a fortified post in the recesses of the Pyrenees Mountains of Catalonia, and, as at Badajoz, was at first completely successful in the undisputed occupation of the fortress, thus affording a strong basis of operations if the movement was likely to be seconded in that or other localities. But scarcely was the revolt announced before the public was informed that the garrison had abandoned the place and fled, before a blow had been struck, in the direction of the French frontier, across which a portion took refuge, but the greater part are reported to have returned and surrendered to the authorities.
Thus, just as the whole country was being thrown into consternation, public funds threatened with a panic, and the Government had taken every precaution and set on foot measures to make head against a widespread and formidable revolution, the movement was found to be a miserable failure. The general sentiment is that the event has demonstrated that the country desires peace and is opposed to any revolutionary change of the existing order of affairs. At the three points named the rebels declared in favor of the republican form of “government, and especially at Badajoz, proclaimed Ruiz Zorrilla as chief of the executive power, and he is generally regarded as the person who has inspired these attempts at revolution.
Since Don Alfonso has been on the throne Zorrilla has made his residence in France. It is to be noted that the attempted insurrection was not responded to by any movement in the strong republican localities of the nation, and Castelar and other prominent leaders of the party in [Page 791] Spain have declared against a change of government by force of arms. The marked features of the late movement have been that it was exclusively confined to the army and that it was managed almost entirely by non-commissioned officers.
While it has so speedily collapsed and apparently come to naught, it is plain from the action of the Government that the King’s ministers have regarded the situation as one of serious gravity.
* * * * * * *
During the eight years’ reign of Alfonso XII, the country has enjoyed an unprecedented era of prosperity and advancement, and no inconsiderable share of the credit for this happy state of affairs is due to the wisdom and prudence of the young King himself.* * * He has steadily shown thus far a tendency towards liberal and progressive principles and practices of government, which has had a marked influence in reconciling the commercial, industrial and property interests of the country to his reign; and it would prove a public calamity of no ordinary moment to Spain, if the premature and futile attempts of extreme republicans should lead him to reverse his policy and throw himself into the hands of the conservatives or retrograde elements of the country.
I am, &c.,