The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-12
SPANISH POLITICS.
The Cuban Question and Cuban Pcrtlss
TErom Blackrood,s Magazine, October, 1854

ciden,s "a were recorded In my July ana Augu1t
despai ches There has been no fighting, although
we were once on the brink Of it, and things have
gone pretty quietly, and, upon the whole, sAtisfac
torily After the fray comes the feast; aud just
my last letter went on, banquet was given Ct the
Theatre-Royal by the press Of Madrid, to the mi.
nsters and large number Of notable persons The
press tosk an important part In the recent move
ments here, and has not been unrewarded, several
OF its members having been appointed to high posts
under government After the dinner, at which
speeches and patriotism were plentiful, the next in
cdent OF note, was the return 20 Madrid OF the mall
division that first under ODoane and Du!ce, raised
the banner of revolt against the Sartorus TYRANNY
and fought the brief but saDguinary fight OF vical
varo. But the principal event OF the last thirty
days. the only one viii with It's conseqnences) Is
most say the escspe-of Queen Christina from Mad
rid ard fsom Spain.
In former letters have given you an idea Of the
dstesta alton with which Ferdiaand's widow, once so
beloved, has long been regarded. To those who re-
member .he affection and enthusiasm testified for
her during the early years Of her residence in this
country, the contrast with the storm Of hatred and
execI alton amidst which she has quilted it, il very
striking Then she was the hope Of Spain, the idol
Of the liberal party; her appearance abroad was
the signal for cheers as vehement and heartfelt as
any tn At have since been raised for Espartero Her
name WAS the soldiers battle.cry, when combating
amidst the rugged bills Of northern aud eastern
Spain the partsans Of ClaresV it was the burthen
of the songs with which he enlivened his brief In
tervals of repose, and beguiled the WEAKNESS OF
the malch As write, there recurs to my memory
the burthen Of one OF those cheerful dtes in which
Spania ds are called upon joyfully to exclaim Viva
Ia R1ina, Maria C,istna. she wac broke the chains
that bound and oppressed us'-and more to tha.
effect. Little more than 0 month ago, as / walked
through the Puerta del Sol--the heart Of Madrid,
which IS the centre of Spair-blind men and i'll
favored women shouted at every corner the titles
and cone nts of scurrous pamphlets that recounted
the misdeeds Of Mother Chris ina" 1t may truly
be sale that, of the fourteen millions that people
Spain, not one person (save her own ere aturcs)
could be found to raise his voice in her favor. The
charges brought against her are numerous, and but
too well founded She Is accused of gross and wilful
neglect Of her daughters education-neglect which
has been the main origin Of the scandal Isabella has
caused and Of the humbled aud perilous position in
which she now finds herself her crown tottering
on her he adj and her only chance Of not losing II
consisting in implicit obedience to her minister's
directions. She is accused II having betrayed the
liberties Of Spain wbi were intIusted to her keep
ing; of having trampled on the laws she had sworn
to maintain Of having built up colossal fortune
at the expense of nation of having, by her IN.
scrupulous greed and shameful politice iatrigues,
by her own conduct, and by her patronage Of and
completely with, some of e worst men in Spain,
destroyed all public morality, and augmented to an
lnconcelyable extent administrative corruption. On
all these charges, an immense jury composed of the
whole Spanish nation, has unanimousy found her
guilty. And, since her departure, the general hope
and prayer are tn 1t she may never again set foot In
the country she has SO deeply injured. :" May
the accused Italian" said newspaper the other
day never return hither to make traffic of all
that is most sacred aud holy upon earth"
But, before she had lefe, the feeling concerning her
was in one respect different. 1t was the opinion of
many chat it was neither safe nor just to allow her
TO leave the country. 1t was remembered how,
during her three years exile in France, she had in
trigued and manGuvIed, and lavished treasure,
until aided by the divisions ia the liberal camp and
by the incapacity of the liberal government, she
rooe into Madrid in the triumphal car of reaction.
Then, Il is true, she had staunch and interested
ally in the willy and INSCRIPTIONS chief of the house
OF Orleans. Deprived of his powerful aid and CO.
operation she is maniestly much less to be dreaded
But portion of the Spanish nation, and especially
of the inhabitants Of the capital, well acquainted
with her great cunning and skill in intrigue, and
oVerratIg, perhaps, the elements and resources
she can command in foreign country for the
purpose Of again DISTURBING SPANS tranquil.
ity, insisted that she should be Gagged and
not expelled, and moreover that she should
be brought to account before the Cortes for the
peoulasions and robbees attributed to her by the
voice Of The entire nation. You will remember the
scenes th occurred at the palace soon after Espar
teros arrival Lere, and the vain attempts then
made 80 get her off in safety. whilst armed and me-
nacag crowds were ygilant to prevent her passage,
AID ceuld be induced to abandon their watch over
their sovefegns palace, end their stations upon the
roads ON Madrid, only by promise from the gov.
ernmsnt that the object of the popular wrath should
not be allowed clandetinely TO depart. But it soon
was found that if there was probability fof her
being dangerous abroad, there WAS a certainty Of
her being so at home. Her daughters residence
knows, tie rea ,tionary party encouraged by bav.
ing tier old protectress 10 lean upon, 'were so
active, and symptoms ere observed 80 dangerous
to public qulity, that the chiefs Of the national
guard seut deputati0n to the government, urging
strongly the removal OF Christina from the palace.
AS the national guard OF Madrid now consists
OF upwcros Of twenty thousand men, and as they
elect their own ohiefs, who must therefore be con-
sdered TO represent the opinions and enjoy the con-
fdence Of the majority, the prayer Of such depu-
tation naturally had weight; and at cabinet councils
tion discussed was-What is 10 be done With the
Queen mcther? The imposs ibility of preventing
her intgues should che remain in Spain, except by
confinement too rigorous to be legal determined the
council TO expe her from the country, attaching her
property until the Cortes should have investigated
her conduct, and decided concerning the charges
brought against her. This plan resolved upon, it
WAS imut diately put into execution. The deter
minatior was come to on the evening of the twenty
seventh August. On the twenty eighth, at seven
in the morning the ministers were at the palace
to witness the Queenmother's departure. The
ton a. parting from her daughter, WHO, on her
part dropped few decorous tears but was not very
greatly afflicted There has never boon much afiec.
ton between the two queens although the elder OF
them, by her astuteness and superior strength OF
char Setsr, has exercised great influence over the
Younger. The Queen mother then took leave Of the
ministers, whom she must heartily deteet: recon-
mended Ter daughter to the care and watc 1ul
guardianship Of EspNtero, and entered large ira
veling vehicle, accompanied by her husband, VINO
looked griey ousy detected, and attended by an &C.
clesiastc of high rank, and by several persons OF
her household. Her children's departure had PIE.
ceded hers. Some were in Portugal, others in France.
Escorted by two squadrons OF cavalry, under the
command of the wellknown General Garrigo, she
reached, by short stages, and without mclestaton,
the froater of the for uer country.
Few persons were present at Christmas depar'
ture, although It was stated in the French papers
whose blur ders concerning Spanish affairs are inces
SAINT amusing that the windows Of the palace were
filled with ladies' waving ha1dkerchiefs, and that its
roof was crowded with national guards. The truth
ls that hardly anybody ia Madrid knew Of the
queez me theirs going until she had actually gone.
As the news spread, "a certain excitement was mani.
tested, and towards eleven o'clock crowd Of men,
many Of them armed thronged tie small square in
front OF Espa-eros residence, with menaciug shouts
of "doun With the ministry" aud loud demands for
the return of Christina. An aioe-de-camp present
ing hmself at window TO address them, frcarm
we're leyelled ct him, and he was compelled to re.
al. nonf inAr naad