248 



EUEOPE. 



the "Liberal Union," the "Progresistas," and 

 the "Democrats." The determination of the 

 future government of Spain was referred to 

 the Constituent Cortes, to be elected by uni- 

 versal suffrage, in January, 1869. Hardly any 

 opposition was made to the Provisional Govern- 

 ment by the few partisans of the ex-Queen, or 

 the Absolutists (partisans of the family of Don 

 Carlos) ; but serious dissensions arose in ^ the 

 last weeks of the year between the Eepublican 

 party and the Provisional Government. The 

 latter, instead of awaiting the decision of the 

 Constituent Cortes on the form of government, 

 used their whole influence in behalf of the re- 

 establishment of a monarchy. This led to 

 bloody conflicts in Cadiz and Malaga, and 

 threatened more disturbances during the com- 

 ing year. The strength of the Eepublican 

 party was a surprise to the entire world, and 

 even appeared to be greater than in any other 

 monarchical country of Europe. (See SPAIN-.) 

 Soon after the beginning of the Spanish revo- 

 lution, insurrectionary movements broke out 

 in Cuba. Being at first somewhat undefined, 

 and directed partly against the reestablishment 

 of a monarchical government in the Spanish 

 dominions, and partly for severing the connec- 

 tion of Cuba with Spain, they soon became 

 entirely a war of independence. The great 

 majority of the population in Cuba showed it- 

 self in sympathy with the insurrection, and at 

 the close of the year still held out against the 

 Spanish forces. (See SPAIN.) 



England, at the beginning of the year, found 

 herself at war with Abyssinia. The landing of 

 the troops had begun in October, 1867, but a 

 real advance did not take place until January, 

 1868. Hardly any resistance was offered by 

 King Theodore until the arrival of the English, 

 in April, 1868, before his stronghold, Magdala, 

 where he made a desperate fight, and, after the 

 capture of the fort, fell by his own hand. The 

 English troops at once evacuated the country. 

 (See ABYSSINIA.) 



Eussia is steadily advancing in Central Asia, 

 and, during the past year, conquered the whole 

 country of the Emir of Bokhara. The Eus- 

 sian Government disclaims any intention of 

 annexing, for the present, additional territory ; 

 but, at all events, she is steadily increasing her 

 power and influence in Asia. Eussian writers 

 claim that Eussia is, and England and France 

 are not, Asiatic powers, and that the time will 

 come when European powers like England 

 and France will receive notice to quit Asia. 

 (See EUSSIA.) 



The insurgents in Candia continued through- 

 put the year to defy the authority of the Turk- 

 ish Government, being encouraged by the 

 frequent arrival of men and ammunition from 

 Greece, and by the sympathy of Eussia and 

 the United States. In December, the Turkish 

 Government presented to that of Greece an 

 ultimatum, demanding a pledge that no further 

 aid should be given to Candia. The ultimatum 

 .was rejected by the Greek Government, the 



Turkish ambassador left Athens, and the 

 Greek ambassador Constantinople, and the 

 relations between the two countries became so 

 unfriendly that, for some days, a war was re- 

 garded as inevitable. But the great powers of 

 Europe promptly interfered, and agreed upon 

 a European Conference, to be held in Paris in 

 January. (See CANDIA, GREECE, TURKEY.) 



No agitation at all was caused during the 

 year by the question of the annexation of 

 Eome to Italy, or by the efforts made in Ger- 

 many for the consummation of German unity. 

 The Eoman question again formed the subject 

 of a diplomatic correspondence between the 

 Governments of Italy and France; but the 

 Italian party of action took no steps toward 

 another expedition against the temporal pow- 

 er, and the Italian Government put off to the 

 future all its hopes for consummating the unity 

 of the kingdom. Prussia expressly vindicated 

 her right to comply with the application of 

 any of the South-German States for admission 

 into the North-German Confederation; and 

 the Government and people of Baden expressed 

 a great desire to enter the Confederation at 

 once, but practically no step was taken in ad- 

 vance, and, this being so, France appeared very 

 anxious to avoid any quarrel with Prussia. 

 (See FEANCE, GERMANY, ITALY.) 



The party of progress in Europe, which 

 aims at narrowing the prerogatives of royalty 

 and of aristocracy, and of reconstructing the 

 states on the principles of popular sovereignty 

 and universal suffrage, gained several impor- 

 tant victories during the past year. In Spain 

 the Provisional Government ordered the muni- 

 cipal elections and the election for the Con- 

 stituent Cortes to take place, on the basis 

 of universal suffrage ; and as three of the polit- 

 ical parties the Eepublicans, the monarchical 

 Democrats, and the Progressists are in favor 

 of universal suffrage, it was expected that, 

 whatever form of government may be decided 

 upon by the Constituent Cortes, universal suf- 

 frage will be engrafted upon the new Spanish 

 Constitution. Next in importance was the 

 great victory of the Liberal party in England. 

 They had, in 1867, compelled the Tories to 

 consent to a considerable enlargement of the 

 law of suffrage. This year the majority of the 

 House of Commons, under the leadership of 

 Mr. Gladstone, passed resolutions in favor of 

 disestablishing the State Church of Ireland, 

 and when thereupon Parliament was dissolved 

 and an appeal made to the people, the new 

 election largely increased the Liberal majority 

 in the House of Commons, and led to- the for- 

 mation of a Liberal Cabinet, under the leader- 

 ship of Mr. Gladstone. The Liberal ministry in 

 Austria, which was appointed in December, 

 1867, maintained itself, notwithstanding all the 

 violent attacks upon it on the part of the priest- 

 hood. The Concordat of 1855 was abolished, 

 and the principles of religious and civil liberty 

 struck deep root throughout the land. 



In France the Liberal party remained de- 



