The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-09
For the National Era.
Sketch of the Political History of Europe,
THE CAPITULATI0N OF PARIS, In 1911,
THE PRESENT TIME.
BY A FRIEND OF LIBERTY
CHAPTER XI.

BY FRIEND OF LIBERTY
CHAPTER XI
The Democratic party increased rapidly in
strength in Portugal, compelling the Queen
Donna Maria to accept the Portuguese consti-
tuition of the 22d September, 1922. Consequent
ly, Don Pedro's Charter was abolished, together
with the Chamber of Peers, and Pamela, Sal
danha, and their colleagues, were replaced by
Ministers lavoring republican sentiments, among
whom Manuel Passos held an eminent place.
Two months after this change had taken place,
the Queen and her consort made an attempt at
enlarging the royal authority, but without meet
ing with success. The adherents of the Charter
of Don Pedro, and among these Pamela and
Terceira, had to seek for refuge on board OF
the English ships of the line in the Tagus.
But the Cortes which assembled on the 18th
of January, 1881, manifested more monarch
cal sentiments, and decreed the restitution of
the Chamber of Peers and of the royal reto.
In the month of July there was made new
attempt at re-establishing the Charter of Don
Pedro; but the troops, commanded by Don An
tos, were recalled from Spain, and, supporting
the Cortes, defeated the Chartists on the 8th
September, at Ruiraes, in the vicinity of Braga.
Pamela, Saldanha, and the Duke of Terceira,
were now exiled.
Since that time, several changes in the Con-
stituton as we'll as of Ministers have taken place
in Portugal, without, on the whole, enlarging its
freedom, but rather with reactionary tendency.
Still the people of that kingdom have had the
fortune TO preserve its constitutional rights,
without any permanent violation of the same
having succeeded-thus being made more for
tunate than the Spanards, whose Constitution
has been subject, even after the death of Ferdi-
nand VII, to many periodical suspensions and
violations Of rather long duration.
Ferdinand VII of Spain died on the 10Th of
September, 1888, and his daughter, who was
then only about three years old, was proclaim
ed throughout Spain as his successor under the
name of Isabella H. during whose minority the
Queen Dowager Christina was to govern the
kingdom, with the aid of Council of Regency,
in which Yea Bermudez was the most inAu-
entail individual.
But the very persons who had been in the
habit of preaching passive obedience to princes,
showed again that they were not ready to sub
nit to this doctrine, when in opposition TO their
own interests and passions. Consequently, devil
ating from their usually avowed principles, they
declared publicly that the Spanish nation was
not obliged nor ought to submit to the unlaw-
full will of Ferdinand VII, by which a change
in the order of succession was demanded for the
benefit of his infant daughter. The Liberals, on
the contrary, uniting with that faction of the
Absolutists that had remained faithful to the
deceased King, insisted upon the validity Of this
disposition of the crown. Thus it happened,
that the usual adherents of absolute power dis
carded the royal presumption to dispose of the
Spanish Kingdom, while the Liberals, the steady
opponents to arbitrary authority, stood forth as
supporters of the illegality prescribed in the will
of Ferdinand VII.
But each of these parties pursued the course
dictated by their respective interests. The
Absolutists opposed the royal will, in order to
advance the claims of the bigoted and sangui-
nary Don Carlos to the throne; while the LIB
erals supported it, illegal as 1t was, because, by
transferring the crown to the infant Isabella,
it held out the hope of giving them the OPP
portunity of firmly establishing constitutional
freedom in Spain. Consequently, though In
point of absolute legal right the Absolutists
had Justice on their side, j think, in consdera-
ton that all laws ought to have for their object
the general welfare of the nation, and if pro-
ducing different result ought to be abrogated,
that we will be ready to admit that the Liber-
ais we're warranted in acting as they did.
Some months after Ferdinand's death, the
Queen Regent was forced by the Liberals to
acknowledge the Constitution Of 1912, which
left her but the shadow of power. According
to it, all citizens who could read and write were
to choose electors in their respective districts
but these were to choose other electors, who
were to consumnate the elections of deputies
in the capital of each province. These depu-
ties were to assemble on the lst of March every
year, without being convoked by the King, and
to form only one Chamber. But this Constitu-
ton was afterwards discarded, and one more
favorable to the aristocracy and the monarchy
was adopted by the Cortes on the 9th of April,
1887, and sworn to by the Regent on the 18th
of June.
But most bloody struggle had been mean
while going on between the adherents OF des-
potism, bigotry, and Don Carlos, on the one
side, and the champions Of constitutional free
dom and the infant Queen, on the other.
The Governments of France and England
lent at least some moral support to the better
cause, which was also that of the great major
ty of the Spanish people, who showed them
selves friendly to constitutional liberty and TO
The succession of Isabella to the throne. The
Queen Regent, a woman of great energy, of
manly courage, and Of no mean abilities, but
Of a very imperious character, conducted the
affairs of her daughter with great skill and toll
cradle success. Still, she could not prevent
tyranny and fanaticism from spreading desola-
ton and inexpressibe misery over unhappy
Spain for period of six years.
But much condemnation as Don Carlos and
his principal instruments deserved, they coun-
erbalanced, at least the latter, in part, their
criminal and detestable deeds, by exposing
themselves TO the dangers of the contest; but
What language is powerful enough to paint in
rue colors the baseness and atrocity OF the
,allous statesmen, who, secure in their splendid
palaces in st. Petersburgh, in Vienna, in Rome,
md in Naples, instigated, exhorted, and fur !