30 AUGUST 1873, Page 2

S. Castelar, on his re-election as President of the Cortes,

has made a brilliant speech, in which he says he postpones Federalism. With all nations drawing their bonds closer, 'Spain must not be dis- united. There is need for much authority, much government, much order, for when the choice lies between dictatorship and anarchy, sociebrinvariably chooses the dictatorship, lie speaks thus be- cause an Opposition seeks an ideal, but Government is a sad reality. S. Castelar has learned his lesson early, and it may be in time, but there is a sad addition to be made to his statement. Not only does society always choose the dictator in preference to anarchy, but she chooses him always among princes or soldiers, two classes seldom competent to govern without tyranny. We can hardly remember an exception to this in modern European history, though Cavour was in all but name Dictator, and Gam- betta would have been, had Metz held out ten days.