The New York herald., 1869-07-04


late hours black coffee ana political club but the
| early part OF last week could hardly tell what
hours they weat 20 bed whether they retired at
! ALL "lt was ali very curiOusr" And yet there was
good cause for this curiosity. child was TO be
| born who had been falhered by the nation on the
Goth OF September last year. This cnild over whose
birth no Bethlehem star shOne was no other than the
Spanish constitution. Wednesday night the 2d the
! great event took place Friday, all the members
signed the constitution by ALL meant
| all those who advocate the monarchcal democratcal
doctrines. TINS signing was stately affair also, as
well as everything connected with the emission OF
the constitution The Dputados were divided
into four groups, each group sat upon separate
division of benches. The first group composed OF
| the deputies from Alaya, Albacete, Alicante,
| Almeria, Avila, Balajoz. Baleares, Barcelona,
Burgos, Caceres, Cadiz, Canary Isles and Castelen
| numbering eighty-six men. were those first called
upon TO sign during the hour between two =. M and
| three p NJ. The second group, composed OF the
| deputies from Ciudad Real. Cordoba, Coruna
Cuenca, Corona, Granada, Guadalajara, Guipuzcoa.
Huelva, Huesca, Jaen ana Leon, numbering eighty
| one men, occupied the hour from three to four P.
| M. Tne third group of deputies from Lerida
| Lorrona, Lugo, Madrid Malaga, Murcia, Navarro,
Ureuse Oviedo, Palencia, lonievedra, consisting OF
eighty seven men, occupied the hour from four to
i've 2. NJ, and the fourth and last group OF Deputies
IRON Sa amanca, Santander, Segovia Sevilla Sora,
| Tarragona, reruel, Toledo, Valencia, yalla-
| dolid, vizcaya, Zamora and Zaragoza,
| composed of seventy-seven men, signed during
| the hoar from five to SIX p NJ. A table covered
with purpe velvet, god ringed, had been placed IN
the centre o. The chamber. 1t contained lengthy
| sheets OF paper. silver inkstands and two trays
around when were ranged four hundred silver pens,
| placed in as many ivory penhoders Each member,
as he was about TO sign chose one or these pens,
| and, after writing his name three times, was al
lowed TO retain 1t 10 exhibit 10 his friends as the
instrument with which he endorsed the constitu-
tion and TO present to his children or family as
memento to be hed sacred One-half OF the slgners
OF the constitution evidently regarded the lux as
sacred also, and therefore allowed IL to dry the
pen; but the otaer half, having an eye to beauty,
carefully wiped IL on penwipers ofllcously held
ready by the llvered pages OF the Cores. Thus was
the ceremony OF signing the constitution gone
through. There was nothing very solemn In 1t that
your correspondent could see. The most solemn
faces were worn by the solemn old heroes who had
managed to live through ten signing epochs. Some
thing like ten constitutions have been signed and
sworn to within the memory of man, and our vene-
rabe grayheads seem quite used TO call that
swear that old Alvarez (od bigot) and old Olozaga
fold humbug) to be able to do all TINS must have
pretty elastic consciences, and that for dong they
will find snug elbow room within Abraham's capa-
cious bosom. But week has elapsed since heard
them both spoutlng grandi0se effusons about 'acts
OF the falth,n Alvarez with his shrl treble voice
quiver1ng in unison with his palsled limbs, and
belly, and honestly they gave no idea OF oratory
style, sense or progress rather TO my mind the
articulation of exploded antiquity Well, much
for the solemn act OF sianing the constitution
Sunday the 5th was The day fixed by the Oortes for
the solemn act OF promugatin the constltutionthat
Is, OF having grand banquets civic professions, viva
ing until lungs cracked, military marches past
speeches. reading the constitution while all heaven
and earth contributed something to make the pro-
mugation as solemn as posslble-the solemner the
better
Early Sunday morning your special correspondent
at Madrid received ticket from General Melaus
del Bosch with small note written in very bad
English The ticket was worded thus
The President OF the Cortes CONSTITUENCIES and the
bers of the Commission of the Government OF the Interior
invite to witness the solemn act of the promugaon of
the Of sunday proymo june lo in the psrstye
In uniform, court or full dress SUITS
Sunday morning, at earlier hour than usual,
sailed from my rooms TO see what had been done,
and 10 behold Madrid at mine ease as it was decked
out In gala dress for this denouement OF a consutu
tion. mound erected by royal money In the Buen
Retro bears on IT an observatory built in Moorish
style. From tins height looked down upon Madrid,
the consummated desire OF Philip II. stately
mass OF granite. brick and mortar, OF solid substan-
tal lesser Escuras OF ducal palaces, churches and
mansions presented ITSELF above which lowered the
dome OF the future Pantheon the Flemish spires OF no.
BILE palaces and churches with here and there Italian
towers lording 1t over minister's OF ponderous pro-
through street after street, and massed in many
plazas like groves Such is Madrid, The Buen Retro,
Park OF Madrid at my feet, nled with the choicest
exotics and tropical trees, exhaled the perfume OF
rare 1owers over and among which the feathered
songsters warbled their lively hosannahs TO the
Highest All the senses were satiated with the vision
The profound silence OF the Retire. unbroken save by
the chorsters OF the grove, the soft now OF foliage
before the loomgae, and the purple sea OF hills to-
wards the NORTH and spread OF plain and mound to
the south and east OF the capital called forth warm
est admiration Descending the mound and tread
ing the abyrinths of avenues in the Park, came to
the lake, where 1otilla OF small boats were moored
to the jetties whereon triumphal arches had been
erected bearing notices, Live the National Sove-
regnty," "Live the Monarchy Democratic" ''Llve
the Country's Heroes, viva la Espanan Each boat
OF yellow and red Here were the first indications
that great day for distressed Spain was at hand.
From the lake ctywards my way lay through
"crsped shades and bowersn through avenues
darkened by the masses OF foliage from tropical
trees from nutterng ASH ana Dlrcn until the PradO
was reached. The Prado promenade OF the elite of
the city was decked out In style be6tting its i'm
poiance 10 MAJ M w ontba S ce1 I mas
corners fest0oned with flowers and floor carpeted,
while around were ranged seats for 5000 people.
Each lamppost was garanded, and made gay with
varcoored silk ribbons; arches snot up at intervals
along the Prado's whole length noticed by vivas
innumerable to every suggestive name and patriotic
sentiment. From the Prado up through Gale de
San Geronimo until j stood before the Palace of the
Cortes The peristye of it never since It's erec
ton dressed out as on this day. platform had
been extended from the great portals of the palace
into the , middle OF a edn san h Geronimo and
sufficient to contain 5000 OF the noblest
Castellanos. Looking up along san Geronimo ,e one
and white-nags and streamers of ali coors being
pendant from the iron railing, wreaths OF orange
"Viva In Soberanla Nae ional.r In front OF the
Cortes, those who have been TO Madrid VIII recolect
a triangular called Plaza de los Cortes. Four
streets here circular centre Is planted with
orange shrubbery and genlmed by flower beds, liacs
and delicious aZaleaS Wnlcn surround tfe bronze
statue OF the Spanish Shakespeare, Cervantes. on
the other side OF this triangular plaza is small con-
vent OF the Ursulines attached to which ana FORM
Ing the boundary OF San Geronimo, as far as the
Prado, is the palace Of the Duke MedlnaCeli. This
palace and this dminutive Ursullne convent, oppo-
site to this perstye or the Cortes, whereon was to
be enacted this first sunday In June the promuga-
tlon have borne witness to strange things.
Gale de san Geronimo was in gayer dress than
any other part OF Madrid because the imposing front
and peristyle OF the Congreso laced on this street.
1t was on San Geronimo the people would crowd TO
witness the promulgation; II was on this street
where Madrid and the provincial Deputies would
shout their epopees towards apostrophlzing their
deity.
Puerto del Sol was very animated about noon.
Gale Acaa showed symptoms OF being ready TO do
its best for the celebration of the day. Gale Mayor
was exuberant Gale Carretas and the Palace OF
the Gobernacion were festive. Every window door,
balcony and terrace presented new aspect Our
old friends the pOpdCh0 loungers OF the Puerto del
SOL formerly out at elbows, yet exhibiting stoutly IN
the teeth of all strangers their stiff Castian spirit,