The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-05 00:00:00

every affair with the French, and in an engagement
with the enemy's cavalry in 1826 ho received a.
sabre cut in the head so deep that it astonished
those who saw it many years afterwards how any
one could have survived it. He was taken pri-
soner, and soon after released, on condition of
quitting Spain. The home that the gallant exile
sought was England ; and in England, where he
maintained himself by his daily toil, he resided
until 1834, when the amnesty promulgated by the
Queen Regent, Maria Christina, who required the
support of the Liberals for her daughter's throne
against the assaults of the Carlists, enabled him
and others in the same circumstances to return
to their native country.
He was some time after named by the Queen
Captain-General of Aragon, and was elected deputy
to the Cortes. He continued to be the warmest
supporter of liberal monarchial Government, and
of the dynasty of Queen Isabella. He was appointed
Captain-General of the Basque Provinces in 1842,
under the regency of Espartero.
After the fall of the Regent in 1843, and the
triumph of the Moderados, 'ne retired into private
life, and resided chiefly in Madrid, unmolested, I
believe, even during the violent reaction which Lad
set in against the Progresistas ; for San Miguel was
respected by all parties, and his exceptional popu-
larity, vived all
neverpolitical cha Won by
i modest
ed him with:
supp
hylluenwlivoerdthyinmetah mnes,
manner, with no resources beyondli
what his
half-pay as Lieutenant-General
he employed his time in writing the." History of
which he published in 1847, and Which,
He took no prominent part n public affairs ;
tPhhoiulgiphinio"t"remarkable for any very deep research,
is still a work of considerable merit.
The revolution of 1854 called him once more from
his retirement. When, after a fierce struggle for
existence, the Sartorius Ministry
was overthrown,
and Madrid left without
Queen, knowing she could conafide
honour and loyalty of the veteran
ofjomvi Gee,pibri niecrmittyiyn,tni nal
named
San Miguel Captain-General of Madrid and Minis-
ter of War, or, more properly speaking, Universal
Minister, until such time as Espartero, who had
been summoned from Logrono, arrived in the ca-
pital. San Miguel, on the first breaking out of
the Vicalvarist movement in July, had been named
President of the Junta that met.in Madrid to aid,
and at the same time control O'Donnell, in case of
success. Himself a soldier, no man was more averse
from military rule than San Miguel, and both
O'Donnell and Espartero were held in check by the
Junta, which was the nucleus of the Union Liberal.
On the success of the revolution, San Miguel was
raised to the rank of Field-Marshal, and named In-
spector-General of the National Militia. He was
elected deputy to the Constitutional Cortes, of which
he was for some time President ; and:he recorded
his vote for the maintenance of monarchical govern-
ment in Spain. O'Donnell, who had long been
trying to get rid of Espartero and keep the supreme
d'etat
authority in his own hands, effected h
in 1856 ; and Espartero once more,
By anrevious Go-
for ever, retired to Logrono.
the
Pointed Com-
vernment San Miguel had been
°PoPr the House-
mandant-General of the Halberdiers, isde°purPobably
Post could net be
hold Guard. By old
usageh'etbfierst class; and San
held but by a grandee of the Queen did not hesi-
tate was a plebeian. The
indispensable qualifica-
tion.tate to confer on
htnstaonthe rank of grandee, with
Miguel, and maintained
Duke de
As a grandee and Field Marshal
him in the post.
Senate, where the he supported
he sat by right in
th title She
hoef
Governments to the last.
Liberal
raised
Whatever may have been the faults of the Pro-
.
greenn. „as as a political party, and their faults were
many, their bitterest enemies never denied them
the merit of probity, and of those who were most
noted for a virtue so rare in revolutionary periods,
San Miguel stood among the foremost. In private
life he was one of the most modest of men, tolerant,
gentle, courteous, and affectionate.

The new volume of " Once a Week " will com-
mence With a new story by Mrs. Henry Wood? the au-
thoress of East Lynne, with illustrations by Charles Keane ;
and a new Historette, by Harriet Martineau, is in hype► and
Will appear very shortly, illustrated by J. E. gaiwo.