The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-05 00:00:00

MARSHAL RARVAEZ.

(Front a correspondent.)
Alas ! Spain has just lost her greatest man--
Isatel her not dest, truest subject. A brave soldier,
the wry soul of honour. Itarnoni Maria N,L.v.a,cz,
he son of an ancient house,. has been snatched awl
too soon from the affection of his friends, and,
will dare to say it, the grateful lover of his Queen
—he ;whom Fo many battles left unscathed—has
fallen a victim to a sudden illness—an attauk °n

the rungs.

Narvaez was the second son of Dr. Jose Narvacit
of Loxa, near to Grenada. His family are of the
oldest nobility, as those conversant with the his-
tory of Andalucia well know. His mother,
Donna Ramona Campos, was from the same toot
and equally noble. The hero of our present notice
was born at Loxa, about the beginning of this cen-
tury, so he was too young to have shared in the
great war of the Independence, which ended by the
expulsion of the French, and the return of
Ferdi-
nand I. iu 1813. He, however, entered the 102/8
Guard when very young, and served with
honour his King, showing great bravery, as
well as wan firmoOSS of character, en
certain trying occasions. Even when very young
he showed signs of his love for a Constitutiotim
form of Government when absolutism was rife in
Spain, and his after life never belied these first
instincts. Ile was always a loyal and faithful ser-
vant of the Queen, and from the beginning of the
Carlist war he bravely defended the Infant Queen.
Although something of a Martinet in service he was
liked by the soldiers and officers under him. Ile
was unflinching where duty was concerned. -Hi
tory will recount his glorious pursuit of the Calls"
General Gomez from one extremity of the Peninsula
to the other in 1836. Although as yet he meddled
i
little in polities he was always considered the head
of the party called Moderados, against the very
demoralising Liberals, with their chieftains EsPar:
tero, Mendizabel Wzago, and others. His first an"
on getting into political power on his return from
France in 1843, after the downfall of the Regent
and his clique, was to do his best to reorganise the
religious questions, by promoting a just arrangeraes,.
:
of the terrible violation of all right and justice which
had been practised wholesale against the Chloe"
and and the properties of the religious orders. No on°
can ever accuse Narvaez of being either a Zelot or
a Puritan ; but be knew his fellow-country people,
and this knowledge convinced him Spain could never
be aught but Catholic, so he placed these questions
as far as possible on a proper footing ; and when in
1846 the present Pontiff was elected a renewal Of
diplomatic relations between Rome and Madrid
followed. Pius the Ninth recognised the foot-lighis
of Isabel the 11. to her father's kingdom, which
;
her brave soldiers had defended in her name again°t
the usurping claims of her uncle, Don Carlos, during
the sad years of civil war, caused by the preten-
sions of the latter. Not even his greatest enemies
can accuse Isiarvaez of any of those acts of cruelty
which unfortunately stained the good name of some
of the Carlist and even the Christian generals;
will not specify any one nor any particular thing to
Avarice, paining the feelings of some yet living'
Fortunately for Spain Narvaez succeeded in 184'1
in establishing order both in Church and State'
and the battle at Arday, near the gates of Madrid'
confirmed him in his power; he then applied hill"-
self and his great talents to reorganising every
branch of the administration ; he happily succeeded
therein, and never can it be said of him, not even
in the most astonishing heights of his power, that
he ever forgot the duty and obedience he owed the
Queen ; never did he dare to place a foot on the
throne ; neither by a silly act of uneourtcousnoss
breaking through ancient palace etiqette drive
his carriage through the palace square, as di
Espartero when Regent; neither did Keever
himself to threaten his Sovereign, as did O'Donnell.
No, Narvaez was the Bayard of Spain in the 19t:
century. His energy was seen during the sad daY
of 1848, when all Europe was in confusion; and whel3
revolution stalked abroad, he boldly decided ea
obliging the English Minister, then at .Madrid
Sir Lytton Bulwer—to take his passports and Pas.
the frontiers in 24 hours, thereby securing Pah1.,,10
tranquillity, and the English Government 'Oe'
obliged to silently accept his decision. But after
an interval of about two years Lord Howden
A
came to Madrid, where, by his tact. and
judgment, he soothed all difficulties. Narvael'
during the periods of his not being in power, lived
mostly in Paris, where he was universally esteeineu
for his kindliness and hospitality, to say nothing °f
the splendid way in which he represented his
Go-
vernment when employed as ambassador. . di.'
interestedness was proverbial : ever ready to lend
helping hand to old friends, he did not dispose of
the Government influence in favour of his family
.0r
0
relations. His tact and clear-sightedness in affair
at
was very peculiar, nor did he seem less
home in his place hi the Senate than in the earaP‘
He was a real genuine Spaniard, with all the im-
petuous warm-heartedness of the Andalay, free from
all affectation and restraint, beloved by all.
He married, just before the events of 1843 place
erci
him on the pinnacle of power, Mademoiselle Taseho
de la Pagerie, but it was an ill-assorted union, an
after the birth of a son, who only survived a 513.0 g
time, a mutual separation took place, he behsvibis
nobly by allowing his wife the full amount of
re
pay as captain-general—about twelve bun
pounds a •year. She resided chiefly in ae
alr
t
many. Narvaez in his person was rather of 00%4
stature, very marked expression of features, 110
clear, piercing eyes, not certainly handsome, 0g
still a face once seen not easily forgotten. Ovfej
to a sabre wound in the head he had been tablet
to wear a wig, not an advantage to personeof eit
co,
sex. He was very neat in his personal appeara°oo
but nothing of a dandy. No one seeing him c°,lo,
ever mistake him for else than a perfect gen"_o3
man. In general society he was_
and gallant, although very fond of
~0,
own opinions. He was never rude or
st
mindful of the feelings of others. For the
.1 i 0
blle
twenty-four years he has been before the pa
different positions, but he always acted as a 13°..0.
v '
gallant soldier ; he had his share in the many coo
nunciamientos of the time, still no one can aer his
him of deceit or treachery. Some will remember courteopo
noble behaviour when his own friend and favnablia
Juan Prim basely attempted his life in the P
113
ve
streets of Madrid ; indeed few men would 1400
acted as he then did. During his litraost
Administrations he bad as colleagues .
ans
of the most noted men of the time, both e.- 00-
and military men ; some often varied from Ilia cite
nions and separated from him. We will onlYos de
1.3 the names of the Conches, the Cordovast roof
Olano, Lersundi, O'Donnell, Prim, Ser., the
Seeane, Calonge, and others, all good soldiers' ono
diplomatic circle ; Mon, Pidal, Sartorius, D°bilerS.
Cortes, Arrazola, Nocedal, Zaragoza, and °t
He was always the declared friend of C°,•,llsarlia-
tutional Government, and spoke well in 'sitioa
merit. We believe few men in his P°
will have been more sincerely regretted liY and
parties ; iu him Ysabel loses a trieunobies,
faithful friend and servant, p
Spain one of lierolo of
sons. Although honoared with the title of friend
as
Valencia he was best known to his file° his'
Ramona 'Maria Narvaez. Ilis name belongsall the
tory, and at a future date will be linked to
eigu of
many staring incidents connected with t.heties, 05.
Isabella 11. ; and we trust his spirit of ins
ion and
tarnished loyalty, and devotion to his Snve_ra:rh 00'0
a constitutional monarchy, will meet the re onto, W
deserve, and if not a second Hernan tau
may well style him the Bayard of Spain.

TIIE TEA TRADE,• 4 ill
Londonßr
'
estimated for theweek 1 433 462113•1
wero , was
is a decrease of 1,875,7291 b. compared with the
statement. play deliverlvre-hieb