The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-03-16
ISABELLA II.
A Pen Sketch Of the Life and Habits Of the
Spanish Ex-Queen. :
ILondon Tru:h.1

@SAA SAA AAAAJ5 Sko%
frolicsome. As 8 child she may have
dreamed of happiness; as a woman she has
had to be content with amusement. To dc
her justice, neither pleasure nor dissappoint-
ment has succeeded in souring her temper.
She is q kindly soul, very kind indeed to those
she likes and not too spiteful to her enemies.
Ferdinand VII. rendered his daughter but
an i'll turn when he revoked the Saiic law,
which had been in force under the Bourbon
dynasty. AS a simple Infanta Of Spain, Isa-
bella would probably have enjoyed life more
than as Queen of that faction ridden country.
One may pass over the fact that Ferdinand
also bequeathed a couple of civil wars and q
standing pretext for rebellion to his unhappy
people, for Bourbon s%elfshness is proverbial.
This King, by the way, is famous for having
made almost as many matrimonial ventures
as our Henry VIII. During q life of forty
nine years he led five spouses to the altar,
marrying for the first time before he had
completed his seventeenth year. His fifth,
whom he married the year that his fourth
died, was Maria Christina, Of the Neapolitan
branch of the House Of Bourbon, and she
must share with her husband the response
bility for all the ills which followed the
change in the law of succession.
Ferdinand went to his account in the au-
Iumn of 80, Isabella being then three years
Old, and Christina. Of course, became Regent.
For the next seven years the Government Of
Spain may be said to have been a. stupid des-
potism tempered by Carlist insurrections
Then Espartero seized the reins of power,
with q fl I'm determination to hold them tightly
till the young Sovereign should be old enough
to take them into her own hands. Espartero
had his faults, but he Was q patriot among
Spaniards and 8 Liberal among bigots. He
entertained, moreover, a sentiment of chiyal-
rous devotion towards the child-Queen, and
took a pleasure in directing her political edu-
cation. When, after a term of office of un-
precedented length (more than two whole
years. he was turned out, Donna Isabella had
become a wonderfully wise little woman, and
could repeat the A B C Of Constitutionalism
as well as the Lord Chancellor's parrot. Then
she lacked a will of her own, SO was found
fully qualified to act as Queen egnant, and
proclaimed of age at thirteen. How little
authority the poor girl had was soon to ap-
appear, when she was forced into a marriage
she detested, and which produced not one
single benefit to Spain. A little irmness on
the part Of Isabella, and she might nave es-
capped the union which marred all her life,
both as sovereign and wife. She had not to
choose between the friendship of England
and that of France-in which case one can
easily understand q Spanish Queen perferring
the latter-but between the friendship of
England and that Of the Orleans dynasty. In
less than eighteen months from the date Of
the marriage Louis Philippe was in exile and
Guizot's political reputation gone. Lord Pal
merston remained the mostpopular statesman
in an England which never looked more
powerful than in '48; and Lord Palmerston
never forgot an injury. He protested, indeed
to be sincerely sorry for the young Queen.
Il pity her, ' he wrote to Sir Henry Bulwer.
But his anger against the Bourbons generally
for having outwitted him was afterwards to
produce important consequences. 1t is re-
garded by Mr.. Kinglake as one of the factors
in the situation which brought about the
Crimean war.
Bulwer considered that the best way to
serve bis country at the Court Of Spain was
to feign himself the devoted admlrer of her
Catholic Majesty. Unfortunately she disliked
him, and took the first opportunity Of picking
a q quarrel, which ended in Bulwer's being Or
dered to leave Madrid in forty-eight hours. 1t
was a spirited act, and the English Govern
Isturiz out Of London at the same time. The
Queen cordially dislikes our nation, which
helped to place her on the throne, as being
both heretical and Liberal. Then no good |
Gibraltar. Isabella once refused to sail past
the Rock, that she might not see q foreign
standard floating on Spanish soil.
During a troubled reign Of fye-and-tWenty
years Isabella was the victim Of successive
who combined the parts Of IA
vorite and party leader. Her husband, one
IF the most cruelty misrepresented men of
generation, could render her no assis-
Neither she nor the crew who were
Of the palace would suffer him to
aught Of authority. Prince Albert,
hough never styled-like Don Francisco
lie Assisting Consort, enjoyed far more
# regal power than his brother of Spain.
Don Francisco, for a prince, was rather q
traight-laced man, and, above all, a stickler