, 1876-03-24
Don Carlos and Alfonso XII.

Don Carlos has been driven beyond the
PyreAees. His late forces are disbanded
and the majority of them are suing fol
amnesty. The cause of the pretendel
looks hopeless, but not more so than that
OF his grand uncle did in 1886, when the
constituent Cortes confirmed the legisla-
tive decree that Don Carlos and his de-
scendants should be forever excluded
from the Spanish throne. This was ap-
parently the voice of. the whole nation,
speaking after bloody civil war, and
indorsing emphatically the action of
Ferdinand VII in repeating the Salic law
in favor of Isabella, daughter of his fourth
wife, Maria Christina, and to the exclu-
sion of his brother, Don Carlos. Isabella,
after the ministry of Mendizabel, the
flight into France of the Queen mother,
the instructions at Madrid and BARGE
Iona, and the regency of Espartero, as
cended the throne iu 1843-ten years
after she had been declared Queen, and
nearly a year before she attained her
majority. The story of her reign for a
quarter of century is a historical chap
ter full of bloody troubles, most of which
may be attributed to the existence Of the
descendants of the pretender and their
friends. At times her power was un-
questiOnably great and firmly established,
as when, in 1856, the O'Donnell coup
d'etdt failed, and the revolts in the south
ern provinces were suppressed; but at
other times she retained scarcely the
shadow of authority, being compelled
only five years afterwards to sell all the
crown property, excepting entailed estates
and the royal residences for the benefit
Of the nation. Under the influence of the
priests and the Naryaez Cabinet she placed
public instruction in the hands of the
clergy, and abolished freedom Of the press
in 1866. Prim began his practical bloody
protest at once. Gonzalez Bravo, the
successor Of Narvaez, outlined a policy
even more highhanded and repressive.
The result was the revolt at Cadizin 1868,
followed by The flight of Isabella, and
her lover Marfori, who took with them
her children and the good chaplain of
the court. In 1870 she formally abdi
Gated her claim to the Spanish throne in
favor of Alfonso, issuing the pronuncia-
mentO from the safe refuge of the castle
given to her by Napoleon III. Prim at
tempted a week later to place Prince
Leopold of Hohenzollern on the throne.
This attempt was one Of the causes of
the FrancO-German war, The grim
soldier then invited the Italian Prince to
accept the vacant place, and on the day
Amadeus landed in Spain was assassin
ated. Amadeus was nearly given the
same treatment two years afterwards,
and found it wise to abdicate in 1878.
Thereupon the Republic was declared,
aud since then war 1t home aud in Cuba
has nearly devastated Spain. The pres
ent phase Of her misfortunes is haltiHg
pIace-not the end As long as Don
Carlos or any of his male descendants
shall live, there will be pretender to the
Spanish throne under the Salic law. This
Don Carlos was born in 184S, and is
therefore nine years older than Alfonso,
now Alfonso XII, by the grace of God
and the success of his troops. He is the
nephew of the son of Don Carlos, who
was brother of Ferdinand VII, the son
of Charles the w. He claims the Spanish
throne upon the theory that a woman
never could rightfully stand in the line
Of succession; and he will always find
partisans and upporters.-S. r. Post.