Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-03-09
PRIM.
Personal Impressions Of Gen. Prim-
His sincerity and Pat riotism.
BY PROF. c. f. STOWE.


BY PROF. c. E. STOWE.
desire, in few simple words to give
NV personal impressions in regard to
Gen. Prim, unmodiiied as far as possible
by anything ever heard or read respect
ing him.
| was in Spain during the months OF
September and October, 1868. At the
outbreak of the revolution I had lodg-
ings in the Alameda Hotel, at Malaga
The royal Governor General of Andalu-
sia had his headquarters in the same
hotel, and there were three regiments
of the Queens troops under his com
mand to quell the first appearance Of
instruction. Everything seemed per-
fectly quiet and secure. We heard
of the revolt in Cadiz. That evening at
twilight the Governor General paraded
his three regiments on the Almeda
near tie hotel, and began to address
them Quietly, and without uttering a
word. two of the regiments, with their
arms and music, but without single
horseback officer, marched off the
ground to the Plaza de Revolution, Il
think it was called) and offered their
services to the revolutionary junta.-
The Governor General saw at once the
hopelessness of the position, and with
the few soldiers who adhered to him,
and the leading royalists of the city,
withdrew to the old Moorish castle on
the summit of high hill overlooking
the city and the harbor. The next
morning the chief clerk of the hotel
whispered to me, g At 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning Marshal Serrana and
Gen. Prim will take breakfast here.
with so Of the leading revolutionists.
Early next morning a Spanih ship of
war was seen anchored III the harbor
and the streets were thronged with an
expectant crowd. At about s o, clock
a m there was procession ofcarriages
from the harbor approaching the hotel,
and Marshal Serrano and Gen. Prim
were seen sitting together in an open
barouche. Serrano was a tail, dark
grave looking Spaniard, the very ideal
of a Spanish grandee of the noblest
blood and most ancient line. Prim was
Comparatively short and slight, 1.-the as
an arrow, with a complexion less swar-
thy, and evidently all palpitating with
life from the crown of his head to the
sole of his foot, though he kept him
self perfectly self collected and quiet.
He was like a hanpsome music box lock
ed up and silent.
1t had obviously been arranged that
Terriano should be the pageant
and Prim be kept ID the background,
positions which respectively were adj
mirabiy suited to the physique of these
two distinguished men. There were
fugemen unnoticed all along the line,
who led the multitude to shout virid
.Scgrono, to which he gracefully re-
sponded with hat in hand and dignifed
bows. Prim sat by his side apparently
unnoticing and unnoticed, with his
arms folded across his breast, his eyes
fixed downward, and entirely motion
less. 1t was evident the multitude
were growing impatient, they We're
longing to shout for Prim. In spite of
all the preconcerted arrangements there
would he heard along the line here and
there. ViU0 General Prim, to which
he made no response, but persistently
maintained his unsympathetic position.
But as the barouche approached the
entrance of the hotel the multitude
could no longer be restrained. There
was a loud universal Ti-ud General
Pr-i-gn. Still not movement, on re-
cognition on the part of Prim. The
excitement became almost fearful. 1t
was Vi-5-ua General Pri-i-i-m. Prim
at length responded with two or three
short bobbing bows, cap III hand ; and
then the shout was terrific. The whole
atmosphere seemed filled with it, and
the earth seemed to vibrate from its
very center. had no idea that human
lungs could pour forth such volume
of sound. A dozen Niagaras would be
voiceless in the comparison, yet It was
not noisy. There was harmony and
majesty in it, as in the roaring OF the
sea 1t was voice from the very in
most heart OF the people, long sup
pressed and smothered under the
yilest and flthiest of tyranny both in
church and state.
When the barouche stopped, men
were seen Laundering over the wheels,
over the back of Me. carriage, over the
very horses, to seize Prim by the hand.
Not one of them succeeded. He per-
sistently refused to shake hands with
any one; not haughtily or supercilious-
lv, but with the calm determination of
a man who knew he must reserve his
strength for purposes more important
He arose to speak, and there was 81
lence of the tomb. am not an adept
in the Spanish tongue have never
been accustomed to speak it though I
read Don Qnixete in the original more
than 40 years ago. But Prim's voice
was so clear, his ideas so perfectly
distinct, his words so well chosen, so
compacted, so utterly free from every
a,.,..,,o., .bo4 sa.,no1