The Weekly Arizonian., 1871-02-25
4 Boston Girl the Cause of the War.
From the Washington Patriot.1

His Majesty Don Fernando, father of the
 King of Portugal, somewhat surprised Euro
 pean Courts, as well as his immediate friends, by sudden marriage eighteen monhts ago
 with Miss E. Hensler, 10 whom he had been
 much attached during nine previous years
 She was born in Boston, of respectable Ger
 man parents in humble life and educated in Italy for lhe operatic stage by the aid of a few liberal patrons of art who had discovered
 her precocious talent for music and her fine
 voice After completing her studies abroad l she returned to the United States, but faled 10 reach the eminence of which her early youth
 had given cheerful promise Seeking another field for professional success she went again
 tn Europe and in 1860 became attached to the opera at Lisbon where the widowed King Consort was first attracted by her bea uty, viva city and other charms.
 Then began the acquaintance which ter~
 minated in her becoming the wife ofa Co5urg, who had shared the throne of Portugal with
 Donna Maria II. Just previous to the mar
 riage, the Duke of saxe- Coburg conferred
 upon her the title of Countess 'Edla, so as to
 obliterate even non inal connection with the
 part, or with her American nativity. Although
 the Court and society of Lisbon were at first
 inclined to rebel against this Mesalance, as it
 was called, they have since become fully re-
 conciled, and the Countess to-day occupies a
 position only second to that of the actual
 Queen. Her husband, naturally enough. ex- erted all his influence to accomplish this re- suit. and he has been well seconded by the tact and talent of the erson most immediately concerned in establishing social distinction. That repeated overtures were made by Prim and his colleagues, 10 induce Don Fernando to accept the throne of Spain is no secret. They were urged with unusual zeal, and were seconded by the support of the British and and French Governments He refused to give any encouragement to these proposals, and an effort in that direction, made ill the early part of 1869, orly few months before hIs marriage, was repeled with so much decision as to De considered even rude to the Spanish people There Is the best req son for believ- ing that his decision on this subject coincded with the oplniou if not with the direct counsel of the present Countess, His connection with the Spanish throne was considered concluded by that emphatic refusal. But after the mar riage came social embarrassment and new ideas which the Government at Madrid was prompt to seize upon, in the hope of ogercom- ing the prejudice of Don Fernando, by the temptation of rich honors for his wife, who, by by a transition to the court of Madrid, would become the equal, if not the superior, of those from choice, The Spanish Minister at Lisbon was instrusted to approach his Majest with delicate suggestions, and found him willing to entertain the subject so that informal nego- tiations were opened, and made considerable last spring, Don Fernando proposed certain conditions, perhaps with view of ul- timatey dlctating the terms for matter which was much nearer his hearth, as will appear in the sequel. For example, he required that the crowns of Spain and Portugal should never be united on the same head, seeking by this means to preserve the throne of Portugal for his son and his descendant ts.
 After some discussion, the Government ac- cepted the condition, with this modification Except, if in the course of time the two na- lions should spontaneously agreeIupon sov- sreign," etc. Don Fernando refused to adopt any reservation on that point He also de- manded that certain amendments should be made to the Spanish constitution accepting the throne; but the Government at Madrid objected to submitting that question 10 the Cortes until after his election as King. These negotiations occupied several months, and were once or twice suspended entirely as hos l