The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-03
A ROYAL DUEL.
THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO UN-
Giles OF THE KING OF SPAIN.
A Duel That Lost the Duke Of M0ntpen-
sier the Throne of spain and Precipi-
tated the Franco-pr,issian War.

sier the Throne of spain and Precipi-
tated the Franco-Prussian War.
The history OF the reign OF Isabella,
mother OF Alfonso, the present King of
Spain, can be briefly told. 1t was storm
and scandal from the very beginning.
Ministry after sninistry followed each
other, one, the conservative ministry Of
1853, continuing in power only forty
hours. In 1868 the troubles grew worse,
and a serious revolution was threatened
The Queen suspected her brother. in
law, the Duke de Montpensier, and one
of the claimants to the throne in the
right OF his wife, and a great intriguer
with having aroused this revolution, and
one Of her last acts was to "invite :"
him to leave Spain. It WAS too late, for.
IL popular rumor Ia to be trusted, the
Duke had already from his ample funds
placed Prim and Topete in a position to
make their demonstration successful.
With the Queen safely out of tho coun-
try, and her return made q moral i'm.
possibility, the Duke, who had given in
his adhesion to the provisional govern
ment and been allowed to return to
Seville, began an active canvass for the
vacant throne. At one time 1t gave
every promise Of being successful, SO
strongly was it supported by almost the
whole OF the Liberal party.
THE FATAL DUEL OF PRrNCELY COUSINS.
But destiny had not done with the
too clever house of Orleans. A tragicaI
incident supervened upon his candidacy
and put him as thoroughly out Of the
race as he had helped to put his royal
sister-in. law. On The 14th of January,
1870, the brother of the nominal King.
Don Francis, Don Henry de Bourbon.
N,r1r - Co. u ~
OF Montpensier, in letter addressed to
SO abusive that a hostile meeting was
expected at once to result from it.
Montpensier, however, allowed it to 20
unchallenged. On the 7th OF March, in
Letter to the Montpensiersts,
Don Henry repeated the insult in a
more aggravated form, calling the
French Duke Jesuit conspirator I"
against the peace of the country and
the happiness OF the people, and
"bloated French pastry cook" Mont
pensier had now no issue left Ia such a
country but to fight, and on the 18th of
! March, 1870, the royal cousins met at
Dehese de Carabanchel almost at high
noon. Don Henry won the choice of
pistols and ground. and the first shot
Montpensier's second bullet struck the
princes pistol, and breaking it to
pieces, tore his coat. Montpensier's
seconds thought the duel might end
here, but those Of Don Henry, Senior
Rubio and another Republican deputy
thought otherwise. He has got my
range" said Don Henry, quietly, as
they faced each other for the third time.
The Spanish princes bullet missed,
but Montpensier's struck him in the
head, and he fell dead. my God, what
have done? exclaimed the Duke. as
he bent over the dead man, and he NUT
tered in French some incoherent words
about protecting the family" Though
the duel had undoubtedly been forced
upon the Duke Of Montpensier, rumor
limited that the imperial diplomatists of
the Tuileries had helped to foment the
quarrel in order to destroy Montpen-
sler's chances for the crown. IT so,
they merely helped to draw upon the
Tuileries the awful catastrophe of the
German invasion
SO strong was the feeling awakened
against the French duke who had
killed Spanish prince. and who fur
thermore was the representative Of
Gulzot's unforgotten intrigue, that the |
son OF Louis Philippe instantly became
the best hated man in Spain. Popular
he never had been. He was accused of
parsimony. though he had immense
WedtIH, Oh alIernate arrogance and SUBJ
serviency, OF an incorrigible passion for
plots and OF an unmanly hereditary
trick OF deserving his associates at q
pinch. His chances for the throne end
ed with the shot which slew his cousin.
What prospects there may have
been OF the elevation OF the German
Prince Leopold Of Hohenzo!lern. it ia
idle now to discuss. They are wrapt in
the war clouds Of 1901. On the six
teenth Of November, 1870, the Duke OF
Aosta, the second son Of Victor Eman-
uel, King Of Italy, obtained 1911 out Of
81 votes, Montpensier receiving only
twenty-five. Immediately after the
fatal duel with the Duke of Seville.
Montpensier had left Spain, court.
martial having sentenced him to a
Punishment from the capital
and to pay q fine Of 81, 600 francs to the