The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16 00:00:00

THE KING OF SPAIN.

The Special Correspondent of The Times has had an
Interview with the King and Queen of Spain, and sends an
Interesting account of it to that journal. We make the
following extracts therefrom :

"I went up the staircase, which I had made acquaint-
ance with during the general reception. A Halberdier
stopped me. I gave him my name. He consulted a
piece of paper he held in his band and let me pass.
This process we went through a second and a third
time till we (altered an immense hall, where a valet,
after having taken our names and likewise exa-
mined a slip of paper in his hand, asked us to wait.
The King was at breakfast. The audience assigned
to me was the third or fourth, and the King was
afterwards to receive General Sonnaz, Envoy-Extra-
ordinary of the King of Italy, who had•come to notify
the accession of Humbert IV. and to bring the King
the Collar of the Annonciada in return for the Golden
Fleece presented to the Crown Prince of Italy. Soon
after the door opened and two chamberlains appeared
who were in waiting on the King. Both were in uni-
form and adorned with several Orders. Before receiv-
ing me the King gave audience to the Duke of San-
tonia, whose white and blue carriage some days ago
had excited both the admiration and the malignity
of the Spaniards, for Santonia's very recent
highest ducal creatiou is a cause of jealousy in the
society of Madrid, which his colossal fortune cannot
overcome. After the Duke of Santonia came the
Marchioness of Santa Cruz, La Camerera Major, a
lady with gray hair, who acc )mpanies their Majesties.
The King then received the Marquis de Moline, in all
the splendour of his Ambassador's costume, heigh-
teued by the Golden Fleece and the Grand Order of
Charles 111. Then, after a few minutes, the Marquis
came back, followed by the two chamberlains in
waiting, and I was hastily led by them through
two drawing-rooms to where the King was waiting for
me.

The young monarch and his amiable bride were
standing at the entrance of a third room, the King
with extended fltnd and affable smile on his lips and in
a gray countrytsuit, the Queen in a dark green velvet
brocaded dress' 'I beg your pardon,' said the King,
for having kept you waiting, but you see I have to
receive General Sonnaz and I have not yet had time
to put on my uniform. Sit down, however, that we
may have a little talk.' The Queen seated herself on
a sofa, the King on a chair: the friend I had presented
to him took a chair near the Queen, and I the other
end of the sofa near the King. During the whole in-
terview the King did not utter a sentence without
looking at the Queen, as if to ask her approval, and
my friend tells me that the Queen, to whom my back
was necessarily turned, listened with admiration to
her husband's words. I have noticed you several
times,' said the King, during these grand Spanish
fetes; but they have not been so fatiguing for you as
for those who have constantly had to figure in them.
You have witnessed the two greatest events of my
life—my accession to the Throne and my marriage.
As to my marriage, all I now ask for is to remain
quiet with my wife; and as to my accession, I per-
fectly recollect the long conversation we had together.
I then told you, "If you wish to know my policy, read
my December proclamation. I shall act up to it. I
shall try to become a really Constitutional King, and,
above all, to abolish the fatal fashion of dismissing
every body, even down to the porters, at the Ministries
on every change of Cabinet." Well, I have followed as
far as possible the policy marked out in my procla-
mation. You then thought I did not fully under-
stand how matters stood, but that was a mistake. I
have tried to give Spain a taste for stability. I wish
Cabinets to last, Parliaments to run out their full
term, functionaries to be certain of the morrow.
This is the more urgent because it depends on me, and
lam doing it. I do not want a policy of stagnation,
but a stable policy, one which may undergo modifica.
tion without being entirely transformed; but I assure
you that, as far as depends on myself, I have the firm
resolve to be a Constitutional King; and as long as I
remain here'—here the King looked at the Queen
with mingled tenderness and sadness—' as long as I
am here no Cabinet will be overturned by a palace in-
trigue, nor, if pleases God, by extra Parliamentary
events, but as far as possible by the working of Par-
liamenta7 majorities, to whose policy I shall loyally
conform. Then, changing his tone a little, the King
added, You can speak to me frankly; you know
that lam capable of listening.' . • .
On my asking whether he intended visiting the
Paris Exhibition, the King replied, I do not
altogether desire it. If many Sovereigns go, I will
willingly do so; if not I shall remain at home.
Where I should now like to be is at Sandhurst. All
my friends there have already gained commissions
in the army. I cherish a pleasing recollection of
England, and I have formed a great affection for
it.'

"At this moment a valet entered with a large docu-
ment bearing the Royal arms. The young King took
it without opening it. I felt that those outside were
getting impatient and that the object of bringing the
letter was to remind the King that he was pressed for
time, having to receive General Sonnaz. Not pre-
suming to rise without a signal from the King, I
turned to the young Queen, who smilingly said, 'I
remember how you and I beat my brother Antony
in a game of croquet.' The King burst out laughing.
'You beat a child; that was an easy victory, I should
think;' and he added, "I must be quick in dressing.
A vous revoir ; I hope next time to be less engaged.'
Accompanying us to the door he cordially took leave
of us, while the Queen stood and graciously waved
ller hand

t' If good intentions, firm resolution, and sincere
patriotism can save a country, Spain has solid chances
of tranquility; but the young King himself knows
that this unhappy country is afflicted by a constant
restlessness, for which no remedy seems discoverable.
It lives on accidents, and accidents are what kill it.
It has an excellent King, but monarchy has no firm
root, for there is a wide gulf between its supporters
and the people who should be its real basis. The
two social extremes of the nation have a diffi-
culty in meeting, because the other classes who
should hold the balance at the first shock rush to the
extreme right or left. Yet it is impossible to
leave the young King without hopefulness. He is
firm, thoughtful, and loyal, and has strength of will
to rid himself of any one who might cast a shadow
between him and the nation. His father-in-law is such
an one, and he is leaving Spain at this momNnt. Just
as the King wished for the Princess Mercedes and won
her, so he does not wish at present for the Duke, his
father-in-law, who has gone. When some months
ago the Russian Ambassador, in a private conversa-
tion, gave him to understand that the Czar had no
marked predilection for the father of Princess
Mercedes, 'You may say,' said the young King, 'that,
whatever may happen, it will be Princess Mercedes
I marry, and not the Duc de Montpensier.' When
some time ago he signed the document by which he
asked the Cortes, not for any allowance for his
wife, but simply for a donation in case of widowhood,
the King, putting down his pen, said, turning with a
smile to those around him, People will not say that
even this act was inspired by the Duo de Mont-
pensier.' When he was at Barcelona a working
tailor commenced his harangue with these words,—
'lf a workman may address a King.' Alfonso XII.,
interrupting him, said, 'Why not? we are both work-
men; you make clothes, and I make order; but do
not forget that my work permits you to enjoy the
fruit of yours.' I quote all this from authentic wit-
nesses, and I quote it to. show that Spain and Alfonso
XII. might live long together if Royal qualities
sufficed to govern a country which is neither able to
govern itself nor willing to let itself be governed by
others."