Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-06
MEMPHIS TENN. THURSDAY EVENING MARCH g. 1873.
AMADEUS ABDIcArroN.
behind the scenes At Madrid =
scraps OF secret History.
London cor. Nav York World.1

Lohuoh ovF. NOW lOfh NOrll.l
LoSDoS. February is.
An extraordinary story concerning
the abdication Of King Amadeus come,
TO me from so high source that an
constrained 10 believe il. II is TO thil
effect. The Queen, as every one will
remember, was the Princess Mary, the
daughter of Prince Charles Emmanuel
dal Pozzo della Cisterna; she is only
twenty-five years OF age; she is very
devout Catholic; and she is the mother
OF three children, the youngest Of whom,
prince, was born at Madrid only few
days ago. Immediately before the birth
Of this child, the young Queen was in
great distress Of mind, and in very
alarming physical pain; and in her
agony OF mind and body she made q
vow to the Blessed Virgin that il, through
the mercy Of God, she was brought safely
through the perils that then environed
her, she would beg her husband on her
bended knees to resign the throne OF
Spain and TO hasten back to Italy. Her
husband was present when-perhaps in
delirium - she made this vow, and
he uttered no remonstrance against
it. There is no doubt that he
has been growing more aud more
weary Of Spain for several months, and
the distress and anguish of his young
wife, to whom he is tenderly attached,
probably strengthened his desire to get
rid of his thankless task Events which
happened after the birth Of the child
who, in the opinion of its mother, was
given her only as hostage for the per-
formance of her vow = doubtless re-
moved all hesitation which he might
have still felt He and his wife--despite
all his noble qualities and all her grace
and beauty-had never been able to win
over to their side the proud mobiles of
Spain. jest as in Rome the nobility of
the highest rank, with one or two excep-
tions, side with the Pope, and refuse to
attend the Court of Victor Emmanuel
or to give any countenance to his Gov
ernment, so in Madrid the grandees held
aloof from "t the foreign adventurer" as
they called King Amadeo, while their
wives could not be induced to appear in
the train of his wife, This alarmed and
irritated both of them-not without rea-
son; but they continued to hope that in
time the nobility could be won
over to their side. The King made a
last effort to do this on the occasion
of the christening of the new born
child. he asked the Duchess de la
Tore, the wife of Serrano, to present the
royal infant at the baptismal ceremony
She refused with seorn, and the poor
baby would have probably had to suffer
the ignominy of being presented by
lady of low rank had not the widow of
Marshal Prim, herself duchess, con-
sented to leave her mourning retirement
and perform the function. | am told
there was terrible scene in the palace
that day. and it was then that the King
finally yielded to the prayers and tears
of his wife, and made to her the promise
of abdication, which, as you know, he
fulfilled on the lth of this month. 1t
is . great honor" said the King, in his
message to the Cortes announcing his
abdication, " to preside over the desti-
nies of country, however disturbed. /
bad resolved to keep my oath and re-
spect the Constitution, for believed that
my loyalty to Spain would compensate
for whatever errors might be caused by
my youth and inexperience. But my
good wishes have deceived me, for Spain
lives in the midst of perpetual contest.
If my enemies had been foreigners,
would not abandon the task, but they
are Spaniards. wish neither to be the
King Of party nor to act illegally; but,
hs.;cying all my efforts to be sterile, |
renogncs the crown for myself, my sons
and heirs,
These are plain, sad and bold words;
but the Cortes listened to them with
scarcely concealed joy, and the abdica-
tiqn was unanimously accepted. There
are wheels Eithin Yheels-and had the
Cortes known all that vas yithln the
Kings mind they probably would have
listened to his message with emotions of
a very mixed character. For have as
yet told only half Of my story. The
King has abdicated. it lis true, to please
his wife; but if my informants are cor
psnt, he did this all the more willingly,
because ne believed that by giving up
The insecure throne Of Spain he makes a
stride toward the throne of Italy. Victor
health is extremely preca
riops, spd his death at any moment
would surprise no one who knows him;
be Crown Pripee HuWbert is the victim
If O disease which makes bis life . bur
len, and from which death may soon
.elieve him; and his san-the four-year
Did Prince of Naples-is In such o CON
lition that his lie can be protraoted |
,nly by something like 4 miracle.
These three preoarious lives are all that
itand between Amadeo and the Italian
,rovH: aud even should Victor EN-
nanual and Humbert die before the
,nby Prince Of Naples expires, Amadeo
gonld have claim to a regency which |
would be, IA fact, a sovereignty.