The Portland daily press., 1866-12-28
The Last of the Bourbons.

The Bourbons belong to history. Proverb-
ially obstinate, narrow and superstitlous' they
have shrunk away before the advancing hsii'
of civilization like ghosts before the giini"oiT
ing light of day. The last of the race now
rules in Spain, and many signs Detoheh
sneedy and abrupt termination OF her reign.-
ouaan Isabella is a woman Of very limited
canacitv. gross in her propensities, capric ious,
insincere, and bigot. Her most trusted ad-
wiser was a few years ago, and perhaps now, q
nun, Sister Patrocin 10 by name, a devout per-
son whose under garments were reputed to
possess miraculous healing qualities. gar
ment which she had worn had more virtue
than dozen apothecary's shops; and the
Queen, having experienced the benefit to DE
derived from the clothing, naturally regarded
the weaver as very suitable person to con-
suit respecting affairs OF state.
Sister Patrocinio of course rendered just
such advice as the clergy suggested, and the
Church profted greatly by her influence
The Catholic Church is in Spain what it is
in Mexico, or in Paraguay, seeking first of
all its own interest, its own supremacy, and
unfolding with both hands the civil despotism
by which it is in turn supported. The divine
right ofkings it cheerfuuy maintains, so long as
the kings maintain the divine right of the
Church, and not moment longer. The ele-
walton of the people is not one of its objects.
Modern civilization is repugnant to its in
stincts. In 1861 Spain had but single rail-
rood oonnao+;ro, Mad,;d aud tho ncaan Thara
was no railway communication between Spain
and Portugal and the road from Madrid to
the Pyrenees, connecting Spain with France
and the rest of Europe had not been opened.
The railway system of the country has been
somewhat extended lsince that time, but is
still very imperfectly developed, The people
who inhabit peninsula thus shut out from
the rest of the world have no knowledge of
the comfort and refinements which modern
civilization brings within reach of all classes.
Glass windows are found only in towns. The
peasant still lives in a hut of mud or stone,
lighted and aired by the door and by plank
windows The floor is of hardened earth, and
a bed is an unheard-of luxury; the family
sleep upon the floor wrapped in sheepskins-
The agricultural implements, the carts, all
things connected with their daily life and labor,
are unchanged for centuries. Yet heavy taxes
have been wrung from these poor people, to
support a magnificent church and an extrava-
CANT court
The Liberal party in Spain aims to break
up this stagnation, to introduce modern ideas
and give Spain a..position among modern ma
tions. They declare, like the Mexican Liber-
ais, in favor of religious liberation, the sale of
the Church property, general system of pub
lie instruction and free press. They wrung
a constitution from the throne as long ago
as 1s12,.and have been struggling ever since
to make it operative. The last great levolu-
ton, in 1854, promised well for Spain. A Lib
eral ministry, headed by Espartero, came in
to power and inauguIated such measures as
would have restored the country to its former
rank. That ministry lasted just two yeaIs.-
The government became moderately Liber-
al under O'Donnell, the Absolutists and the
Church gaining steadily, until unmitigated
despotism returned under Narvaez. The
whole work OF education has recently been
tnned over to the priests; all Liberal news
papers have been suppressed, and all others
are subject to censorship; all local govern
ments have been broken up by the appoint
ment of successors designated at Madrid; all
Spain is declared in state of siege; arbitrary
arrests and banishments continually occur
Such is the present condition of the country.
When the expected revolution comes, as
come it must, it is believed that the Liberals
will no longer hope to secure any permanent
advantage under the Bourbon rule, but will
insist that Queen Isabella shall make way for
a less dangerously stupid successor