The Spanish military risings have come to nothing,—though it is
said that they have occurred at many more places than have been reported,—and it is now asserted that they were the consequences of a hybrid plot in France,— half Republican, half Stock-Exchange,—which was got up for the purpose of combining Stock-Exchange gambling with Republican propagandism. What some of the Spanish journals assert is that £30,000 sterling was subscribed in Paris for the purpose of tampering with Spanish regiments supposed to be disaffected, and so creating a pronunciamiento against the Alfonsist dynasty. Senor Ruiz Zorrilla, whose name was used for the purpose of exciting Republican feeling, has, it is declared, been made a tool of by the Stock-Exchange gamblers of the neighbouring Republic, and the opposition journals in Spain are very indignant with the Ministry for their want of vigilance in the matter, and their failure to denounce the French meddlers. As yet, these rumours are vague and unveri- fied; but certainly the sporadic military risings, destitute, as they have been, of tenacity and zeal, do look more like a bribed and spurious disaffection than genuine sedition, —though it is clear enough that Alfonso has as yet obtained no strong hold on the loyalty of his army. Pro- bably there is a good deal of semi-brigandage still prevalent in Spain. We observe that a train between Barcelona and Granoller was stopped and pillaged on Tuesday by only thirty armed men. That does not look like a political rising, but does look like a fresh access of craving for the old, loose, adventurous brigandage.
