New-York tribune., 1872-02-01
BOURBON Plots.

The swarm of kings who descended from
Henri ". and Marie de Mcdcis filled half tho
thrones in Europe a century after the death of
the first and greatest Bourbon. There was
scarcely a nationality of Latin origin but
obcycd the rule of this greedy and prolific
family. France of course was theirs. Spain
fell into their hands by the testament of the
timid idiot, Charles the Bcwtchcd The mar
riage of Philip ", the first Spanish Bourbon,
with Elizabeth Fanese. flied the secondary
thrones of Italy with the riCkety scions OF The
decaying race. But not one has kept his crown.
In many different ways they managed to destroy
their thrones. One by Oae they made their
feeble and tyranncal rule 80 Odi0us that the
people rose against them and drove them out
of their places. AS n general thing, they fell
without dignity. 1t required three revolutions
to clear them out of France. One perished on
the scaffold. Another attempted to muZzle the
freedom Of the Press and produced the Three
Days of July. 1880. The last, after eighteen
years of a quasi constitutional reign, fell III
the effort TO prevent an extension of the suf-
frage and to suppress the right OF pubic
meeting In Italy their msfortunes are too
numerous and too commonplace to re-
count. There was a little squirt OF some
| thing like hcroism on the part of King
Bomba's German wife at Gaeta, which made
| the Empress Eugene, at time when that
lovely parvenue was on pleasant terms with
| imperial society, call her "a married Joan of
| "Arcr But there was certainly no pretense of
deccncy in the flight of Isabel ii. from her
paternal domains She crossed the Pyr6n6es
| in a railway car, in fear of an insurrectiOn a
| davis Journey distant, and by her side she
ratified away into exile sat Marfori and Con
| zalez Bravo. Since that time she has lived in
a sort of royal state at Paris and in Switzer-
land, giving the world from time to time
notice of her existence by loud and scandalOus
duarrels with her husband, abdicatiOns in favor
of her boy, and fruitless attempts 1T exciting
insurrectiOn in Spain. She was a bad Queen
and bad wife. AS a mOther-ln-law, she has
been so thorough and practical as to drive her
daughters husband, the Count of Girgenti, a
| Neapolitan Bourbon. into madness and suicide
| 1t is with this exemplary stateswoman that
the Duke of blontpenser, one of the most
decent members of the most decent branch of
the Bourbons is now reported to be forming
a family pact, by which her son ia to marry
| his daughter and be made King of Spain. and
| if this il accomplished within Che next eight
years the Duke himself is to be Regent during
Don Alphonso's minority. An actilal son -in-
law of Montpensier, the COmte de Paris, Sec
| ing no immediate prospect of his gaining the
crown of France by the unaided efforts of his
own faction, is announced as travelling through
Austria, on his way to Frohsdorf, the residence of
the Comte de Cbambord, to try to arrange
in personal interview with that singular
| ht,
part among them the vestments of the Repub-
lie. But NJ. de Chambord. who feels that bis
only strength is in being AZ absurd and un-
practical as are his bigOted rural supporters,
without waiting for the arrival of his cousin OF
Orleans, Eliminates another proclamation full
of Middle Age mysticism and Bourbon AFRO
gance, in which he keeps up that pretense of
royal authority which it has been the business
of his life to sustain in the mimic kingdom
incosed within the four walls of his castle.
All these people, Isabel, Chambord, Mont
pensier, and Paris, feel that they gained by
being born, an inaienabe right to govern
some millions of men, on the whole, better
than themselves. Nothing but determination
will ever eradicate that idea from the head of
any member of royal family. They may
pass through numborlcss revolutions Yhey
may read history for lifetime. If they
happen to be younger sons they may play at
Democracy themselves, and write little
Sophomore treatises on popular govern
ment and the rights of man. But
they never wholly lose the fantastic
pretension that the throne is theirs. and that
theft, perjury, and murder are right if they
are necessary TO gain it. If they arc clever
or enterprising men, they are dangerous in
themselves. If they are. IA it Oftener hap
pens, duh and feeble men. they are used by
uuDriuciDled adventurera They cannot h.