The New York herald., 1867-04-03
S sPAIN n
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE Of THE HERALD,

The General Elections for Members Of Cor.
tes---Indinerence Of the People to the Poiiti-
cal SitmatiOn---A spiritiess Aristocracy.--
The Queens Position and Ominous
Warming from Frnnce---FamiIy Jars of the
Inst BOurb0ns.
MADRID, March H. 1867
The general electons-ir farce can be dig
nded with such name-began yesterday throughout the
Spanish part Of tho peninsula The OF the elements
which has been raging fearfuly throughout the country,
causing nundaons interruption of railway and teegra-
phic communication shipwrecks other disasters will
probably in many places delay the elections for the want
of roads is remarkable in Spain that few
days of bad weather enough intercept the commu-
ncatons of the agricultural voters with the electoral
eges.
Yesterday the first election formai.ies took place in
Madrid and like all Spanish formalities lengthy
and wearisome in the extreme To-day the voting will
begin and will, ought to last two days Nobody ap
pears take the slightest interest in the proceedings
any men Of political importance present, unless
fcw heads of departments, officials and
FORTH may deserve the name The two most important
parties in the nation, namely the progresistas.
who form tho great majority, and the partsans OF
General O'DonneI, have abstancd to q man from
taking any part in the election. having agreed
beforehand to offer that silent but eloquent
protest Of their nonconformity with the unconsttu-
tiona tendencies of the Queen and her unscrupuous
advisers II will be small difficulty for the govern.
ment to get together decent number OF voters to 60
through their electoral farce here Madrid and the
great centres Of popuation and In the agricultural dis
trcts assured that few will except the person.
al dependents OF the great landed arstocracy-an
tocracy which In Spain has preferred 70 remain in gno
and ideness around the taking any hon.
orabe and independent part tho affairs OF nation
Even that thcy called upon their dependents
and clients support the il is thnt they
wish to take part In the political organization Of the
Kingdom but that they hope that the Cortes which,
may judge by the candidates put In nomination.
will be OF the most shamelessly servic will vote
away the few remaining forms which distinguish this
hap,ess nation from the despotcaly governe in
Europe
In almost every other country Of Europe The great
territorial aristocracy have always shown disposition
TO obtain, whenever favorable opportunity offered
portion OF political power either alliance with
the people or the monarch: but century Of political
nulity aud useless, e1cte life has deuoraxed the
Spanish nobility in mind and person. and has 70 reed
upon them the consciousness OF their nothinencss that
they have often refused that share OF political power
which has been thrust upon them In the dozen "consti
tuiions /" which the false and nckle B0ur-
bcns have successvely sworn to and trampled on.
The result OF the elections il is easy TO forescc They
will be unanimous In favor OF the government: nrs
because there are no opposition Candidates FOR the few
supported BY different Minister'S Every candidate for
the deputyshp has sent las rcqcired TO the Minister
cordng to his Exceencys pleasure verbal promises Of
the kind having before broken and impudcntIy
denied II will be collection OF autographs for
some curious collector. these promissory notes Of
political serfdom
the already very limited powers Of Parliament Is openly
averred by the officials; that the Queen intent upon
doing away with them altogether II not by this Cabinet
by another horoughgoing fact that couriiers
do not deny She aters herself that the serve homage
of the peasants offered to her bended knee all along
the road when she last went to Portugal land Of which
have been assured by some OF fellow countrymeu
who W is earnest that they would battle for her
divine rights-for such her Jesuit advisers have pro-
nounced them to be- she relies also The army, which
General san Roman has carefully weeded for her.
Till now therefore, all seems here at least in her favor.
There are however some omnous clouds rolling
her from the French frontier. Louis Napoleon, who
permits no French newspaper 10 make personal remarks
upon his own private life or that Of any foreign
ereign whose friendship is aim and attainment,
has permitted his Jerome NapoIeons newspaper
the Opnione Notiondte TO publish 1iaribes
cernng Queen sabellas frates, aud when the over
Jealous and laundering Don Alexandra Moro the spanish
Establishments, demanded the punishment Of her
Maiesty's detractos, the French Cesar twirled his
musachc and told him smilingiy that French news
paper must talk about something, and advised him ie
terfdc) TO bring the editors before the tribunals.
Imagine Queen Isabes oft side Of the heart disseced
by witty French advocates scalpe To that consum-
marion the obtusc Asturian was about TO expose the
Queen he represents at Louis Napolcon's ilcenfous
court. Luckily he was stopped in time. or Europe's
cheeks might even now be expanded with laughter at
the sovereign lady's expense.
This symptom OF enmy among the B0naparses Is
looked here fraught with serious consequences
The Madrid Go-efte OF this morning contains royal
decree publication OF which affords another meIan-
choy proof OF those family wrangngs which the
bane of the Bourbons Scarcely month ago the
Queen in sharp letter. written doubtless by the Minis
ter Gonzalez Bravo, personal enemy OF the Duke of
Montponsier upbraided the latter with countenancing
the rumors Of what she would call her fair fame, and
now to-day example is made Of the King Consort's
brother, the lnfane Don Henrquc de Bourbon, who Is
deprived OF his rank Of Spanish Prince and OF his PEN
sions military rank and orders of knighthood His
Royal Highness though personally insignificant that
no public man will have anything TO do with him, has
been publishing his weak illusions in the French
newspapers and trying call public attention alb
surdities II must be gall and bitterness to the Spanish
QueeR that there Is not single member OF her family
who does not directly indirectly add his contr
button TO the oboquy closing round her.