The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-16
A LUNCH wTrH DON CARLOS.

los In the arid Rorges OF Navarro. He YVES then
q brilliant looking Prince, at the head OF large
| guerilla army. This morning met the SINE
man at No. 119 Continental Hotel, Phila-
deiphia; and the changes which have taken
place since have altered the SURROUNDINGS al
| most az much as they have his personal appear
| aDce. He has grown thinner, has reduced his
full beard to the size OF an Insignificant imp pc
rial, and the plain clothes he wears instead OF
| the Raudy Spanish uniform make 1t almost dif-
| 1cult to recognize him. but the moment we
had exoh anged few words all uncertainty dis
| appeared, for we have c8mped together, eaten
together, and slept under the same roof for
nearly eighteen months. Whatever may be
| thought Of his political views and his preten-
sions to the throne OF Spain. one thing Is GER
tain, and that Is that Don Carlos Ia one OF the
most amiabe and pleasant gentlemen one could
| wish TO know. There is not tho slightest trace
OF princeiy hsughtiness about him. and from
| the moment we met this morning he made me
| feel that he was the comrade OF olden days.
IL was too hot to stay In Philadelphia. so we
| took carriage and drove down 10 the Exhibit
| ton grounds, accompanied by one OF his aids
| de camp, the Viscount de Montcerat.
| Old associations made It quite natural that
| while we were driving and strolling aoout the
Exhibition the conversation should run on the
| details Of the Carlist struggle, which has been
brought TO such an abrupt conclusion, and
which 10 the beginning Of 1874, when left
| Spain, had very fair chance OF success.
Don Carlos dwelt at great length on the cir
cumstances under which the Carlist army had
been placed, and the minute details OF which
would be wearisome to American readers. But
the most salient points Of his narration arc GER
| tainiy interesting.
According to the Pretender's statement Carl
ism was defeated chiefly through the two great
Developments It received. As long as his fol-
lowers In the north Of Spain consisted Of indie
pendent pdrttdds or bands. they remained inva-
riably successful; but tho moment they grew to
be an organized army OF 10000 men, with i'm
ported English breech-loaders and steel can
mons, with alarge stan OF Generals, and Cabi-
net OF Ministers, the whole business began to 90
TO pieces. The mountaineers Of the Basque
provinces and Navarro were not nt for regular
warfare, ana the country itself, perfectly will
ling and able to victual detached bands formed
from among Its own sons. was inadequate
to support n large army composed OF men
from all provinces. Rations began frequently
to be missing. discomfort was brought into the
ranks. and with It discipline vanished.
The Cabinet Of Don Carlos took good care to
prevent the export OF cattle into France, the
southern departments Of which live almost ex-
olusively on the oxen and sheep bred In the
Spanish Pyrenees. This prevention OF the OK
portation OF cattle considerably helped the Car
lists; but the Government OF Madrid, having
discovered the vulnerable point, invented q
trick which counterb bal need all the advantage
which the Carlsts derived from the measures
taken by their leaders. Step by step, as Carlism
was spreading itself throughout the Peninsula.
the Government ordered the banisnment to the
region beyond the Eoro Of all families who
I'm tr ha OF E.,i md vhn
had members engaged In the Carlist ranks.
Thousands Of women and children from Anda-
lusia. Valencia, Aragon, ana other provinces
were In this way expelled to the north, and had
to be taken care OF by the Carlists. They had
TO be provided with quarters and rations, and
the already heavily taxed villages OF Navarro and
the Basque provinces now had to supply vic
tuals not only for the Cariist army, but for thou
sands OF useless mouths" This was one Of
the first and the most efficient causes Of the col
lapse Of Carlism.
Another cause, not less powerful, was OF a
different nature. When Alfonso was established
on the throne OF Spain and the country finally
got rid OF the intransigeDte-, the Government
OF Madrid was enabled to concentrate all its
troops on the Ebro. and some 10000 men, re-
formed and resquipped, were brought to bear
on the exhausted 10000 Carlists. Instructions
were given to the Aifonsist commander to
destroy and burn everything on their route,
ample ammunition and ratons being applied TO
the army, so that II should not be In want of
anything, and thus be enabled to go thoroughly
on with this work Of destruction. Don Carlos
says that the northern provinces present at this
moment a perfect wilderness. with only few
towns like Pampeluna, Durango, and Estella
standing unimpaired.
One more reason OF the Carlist failure had
,t,.sha - ha ,f
consisted In the loss OF the best superior officers
Don Carlos had. The fatigues OF the campaign
having too heavily taxed tho constitution OF the
old commander-n-chief,G Gen. Eiio, carried him
TO his grave. During the siege OF Bilbao. at the
battle known under the name Of Somorostro, q
shell fell among group OF generals, carrying
| six OF them away at one blow. Among them
were ollo and Radica,the two Navarro cheftains
| whose influence had kept the wild Navarrose
In due subsection. With their death. disorder
set among the Navarro battalions and interior
discords we're added to the disad vantage Of an
unequal war
| The failure OF Don Carlos does not, however
seem TO discourage him. He maintains that his
time Is sure to come around again. He does not
| give his cousin. Alfonso XII, more than two
years TO cit On the throne Of Spain. His failure
| he thinks, will be greatly precpitated by the
approaching removal Of the young Kings moth
| er, Isabella, from Paris to Madrid. To the mi s.
management Of the finances and ad ninlstration
will now be added party struggles arising from
the pretensions Of the ex-Queen and her sup
porters on one side and tho hatred which the
patton entertains for her on the other.
All the rumors that have been circulated In
this country, as well as In Europe, with refer
ence TO the object OF Don Carlos's visit to
America, are utterly destitute OF foundation,
| Don Carlos Is young man OF twenty eight years
OF ace, and has never travelled except
outside Of Europe. lie is OF the opinion that
no mans education, stll less that Of a prince,
Ia completed unless he has visited the New
World and studied Its manners and Institutions.
| Thinking that he has now at least two years IN
| which no political activity on his part will be
! required, he took the resolution to invest this
| time In travel. and began his expedition by
visiting the United States and Mexico. lie
landed at Halifax, went TO Boston, Chicago, the en-
| down the Valley Of the Mississippi TO New Or
! le ms, where he took the steamer to Vera Cruz
| lie remained six weeks In Mexico. and is quite
delighted with his visit HIS residence there
seems TO have been series OF most brilliant fes-
tivities given TO him 10y all parties and classes Of
that republic. He met there also IA number Of