National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-08
DON CARLOS DE BOURBON.
A SKETCH OF THE PRETEEDER TO
THE THRONE OF SPAIN.

THE IahONS UT SFAAHs
PERSONAL APPEARANCE, MANNERS AND
POLITICAL OPINIONS OF DON CARLOS
INFLUENCE OF HIS WIFE PROSPECTS
FOR HIS sUcCEss-EFFECT OF HIS PRES
ENCE IN SPAIN.
The uresent nretender to the throne Of Spain,
STYLED BY his followers Charles VII, and by the
world at large Don Carlos de Bourbon, Duke Of
Madrid, is twenty-five years Of age, having been
born in Austria in March, ls4s. He Is powerful
looking dark-haired man, about six feet one, anu
OF frank, somewhat curt manner. HIS race, SINCE
he began to wear full beard, has become quite
handsome, though slightly SOLDERING aspect Of
his mouth, not being in harmony with his manly
physical appearance, spolls somewhat the nrst
pleasing impression. He is q man easy Of access,
without any trace OF haughtiness; and when seen
Oh horseback at o certain distance, especially
when saluting people, and frankly taking on his
Basque cap, has something picturesque about
him.
HIS WAYS N PRIVATE LIFE
reminder very much OF those Of younger son Of
an English nobleman's family; that is to say, he
would undergo for o while any amount Of hard.
ship with great serenity OF temper or the SOW
ereign. tie statesman or the warrior there is alb
solutely nothing in him. But he is very fond Of
playing the part Of prince; that is to say, Of
.lording 1t over everybody, in the old fashion Of
Spanish kings, not excluding even his counselors,
some Of whom are thrice his age, and OF surround
ing himself with large number Of chamberlains,
aidede-csmps, secretaries and similar people, all
OF whom have no other merit or duty, than that
of 1attering his pride. i saw, myself genuine
Spanish noblemen carrying away Stops after Don
Carlos had washed himself and busily engaged
In seeing that his top-boots and spurs were prop
erly polished. He is undoubtedly q religious
man, but there is much less bigotry about him
than is generally supposed, and for all I could
observe the Spanish clergy do not seem to exer-
else any undue influence on his mind. In fact, I
have seen him marching for weeks without hav-
ing single cure on his staff or at his table; but
in every village he comes to he goes first Of all to
the church, and pays . visit to the local priest.
Like the majority Of Spanisrds, he is a bad horse
man, and in about q months time saw him ruin
three excellent horses. At the same time he
likes very much to ride, and evidently thinks that
ne looks fine cavalier; and 80 he does with his
glistening black beard, his dark blue hussar uni
form, the stars his breast his red trousers his
high circus boots, and his red cap with the golden
tassel.
HIS POLITICAL NOTIONS
seem to be Of q very unsettled character. At all
events, each time happened to talk to him, or
listen when he talked to some else on political
subjects, was never able TO make out what was
the substance Of his views. Sometimes be seemed
quite commonplace LIBERAL Of our own time: at
other times his utterances seemed to be the pro-
duce Of the most old-fashioned traditions Of
Spanish sbsolutism. On the whole think he
would make a pretty fair constitutional king
were he properly restricted by law; for, having
been educated in Europe, and having lived con-
stantly under European influence, he has uncon-
sciously imbibed the political ideas Of our age.
But, on the other hand, being in his private life
under the influence Of family traditions, and
basing his rights upon worn-out ideas he has nat
urally conceived, with modern notions others
which would better suit the seventeenth than the
nineteenth century. In the etiquette he likes to
observe at his wandering court, and IN the titles
and court charges he distributes, these weak
nesses of his come very clearly to light. AS an
Individual he is very brave, very kind-hearted;
ihe is excellent father he is polite and amiabIe
with everybody. He likes to sleep much, and to
smoke much, and he is rather
''HENPBcKED'' By DONNA MAReARrTA,
Princess Of Parma, whom he married in Feb
ruary, 1857, and by whom he has two daughters
and son, the eldest Infants Blanca, being five
years old, and the youngest Infanta Elvira, two
years. His son, infsnta Jaime Charles, who, &C
cording to his parents belief, will have some day
to play the role of Charles VIII, was born on the
9th Of June, 1870. Donna Margarita has the repu-
tation Of being very clever woman; handsome
she is certainly not, although in her stature fair
hair and blue eyes there is, on the whole, some
thing rather attractive; but no one would GER
tainly take her for Queen Of Spain. She looks
much like q German or IN English middle-class
lady Of one Of those slight and delicate constitu-
lions which are often to be met with in northern
countries among women who marry at an early
age, and have more children than they ought to
have Being year older, and much richer than
her husband, and Of q much more settled turn Of
mind, she exercises, undoubtedly, great influence
over Don Carlos, and If she had not been herself
at times under the influence Of q number Of
Jesuits and petty courtiers, her advice and views
would probably have had upon Don Carlos salu-
tory influence. At all events she reads much
moro than her husband, and is far more accom-
plished.
Up to about year ago she was almost invaris-
bly, living near Geneva, in the chateau called b.
cage, but some Of the over-zealouG Carlists haV-
ing compromised her by the storing Of arms in her
residence, she was ordered by the Swiss authori-
ties to leave the country and had to seek refuge
In France. When Don Carlos entered Spain she
took up her residence at Bordeaux, and sill the
reports about her having crossed the frontier
were utterly destitute Of foundation. On her
mere intention TO remove to Pau, where she took
. house short time since, the French Govern
ment intimated TO her that she could not be al
lowed to reside in the vicinity Of the Spanish
fr OntieT.
OPINIONS OF DON CARLOS.
1t was in the isolated chateau OF St. Lon, in the
Landes. that 1 first saw Don Carlos, in April.
1878. He was then hiding himself and family
from the French police, and changing his abode
every week, under the protection of the Legitimst
landed proprietors OF the south of France. had
then an opportunity to talk politics with him.
and the opinions he expressed seemed to be differ
ent from those which are usually attributed to
him.
He assured me that he never intended to carry
out absolutIst theories That, If he came to reign
he would reign only with the advice Of freely
elected Cortes; that though he greatly respected
the clergy he did not like their interfering in lay
or political matters; that the solemn promises he
made to the northern provinces Of Spain Of re-
establishing their ancient fEeToS, was the best
proof that he meant TO revive decentralization
and ancient provincial and municipal liberties
and this he said he had declared in several Of his
maniiestoes. But do not believe that some Of
his most influential sdherents will, when they
once come into power, allow him to carry out all
OF these brilliant intentions.
AS with every young man who finds himselfin
position like that Of Don Carlos he is very san
gUine about
THE CHANCES OF HIS SUCCESS.
and when he crossed the frontier into Spain in the
middle Of July he was quite oEerpowefed by the
Joys and hopes that rose within him. Orthe man
ner in which he was received no one can form an
idea, unless he knows the temperament Of the
Basque people. Not only were me houses deco
rated in every village he passed through, and
thousands and thousands of people assembled
everywhere on the high road; not only did cries Of
sylvia ell Rey!' and viva Donna Marguerite ~
give headache to every one who had to pass
through the ordeal Of listening to them; not only
every man, woman, and child got perfectly mad
in attempting to kiss anything belonging to Car
los Setimo from his hands down to the tail of his
horse; bat az he crossed the frontier there
remained scarcely an sble-bodied man in the
whole Of the northern provinces who had not
Joined the Carlist forces implorlng fol some sort
Of arms to make him able to defend "the beloved
king" And in this way, within . few months,
had been formed over thirty battalions out of the
few bands which were scattered about the Ma
Varre mountains in the spring of Is73
HIS PRESENCE IN SPAIN.
From the point Of view of military operations,
the presence Of Don Carlos in Spain is rather
drawback than otherwise, and that is the reason
why his generals objected to his entering Spain
before the army was quite organized. HIS pres
ence with 9 large-a ridiculously large-staff, in
creases the expenses and paralyzes the military
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