New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-14
ALFONSO OF SPAIN.
MS roLLIEs AND TROUBLES AT HOME AND
ABROAD.

rorzV1t
al other subjects into the background. The most
.r+snsjve norton of the Fourth Estate is for
.nnbbing his Majesty, vino has long behaved with
;osoleuee toward the French Republic, and who
.bloomed out the other day a Uhlan colonel at
the mannuyres of q German army corps near HON.
burq. Having gone there to reyolye around the
Emperor of Austria, he could not possibly have
helped accepting the honorary military srade that
was offered to him. The error was in having
visited Germany in the present situation OF Europe
II was a blunder both as regards the nome
and foreign situation of the regning dynasty IN
SPAIN This move is interpreted here as an ACT OF
hostility toward France, which it probably Is ana
at Madrid as an act of defiance OF the fretorian
party, headed by Serrano.
with Germany behind me, whom need 1
fear ~ is Just now the motto OF Don AlIohSo'
Bismarck undertakes to support mo against
all NV enemies. may hurl defiance at the Spanish
marshals. and slap the French Ambassador IN the
face as often as feel Inclined
Alfonso for many reasons detests Republican
Franc. To begin with, he is Ring, and he feels
that {" eeei tRera oela7 If Republic strikes deep
root north of the Pyrenees It win throw out Vigor
ans ramifcatlons which will strike through that
range of mountains. His Majesty also an init
mate friend as we'll as a near relative, of the Comte
and Comtesse de Paris. and of the Due de Mont
nepser Nothing would personally be more graft
fying to him than to Philippe VII on the throne
of France He constantly asks aud follows the
advice of his wife's father. When the Orleans
Princes turned out of the army last spring, the
King of Spain to show how indifferent he was to
French Republican opinion, sent the Duc de Mont'
pensier to represent him at the coronation of the
Car at Moscow. Since Alfonso went
back to Madrid. he has done all that lay in
him to make himself dlsagreeable to those French
Ambassadors who were not avowed Orleanists- The
Comte &c Chaudordy-who owes his COuntshp 10
the Pope-made no secret at Madrid of his Royalist
homes aud desres He was put, and very properly,
on the retired list, and superseded by Admiral
Jaurez man of high character, gentlemanly bear
ing courteous manners and able TO sustain
conversation in Spanish. Alfonso was 80 insolent
to the Admiral that the latter refused to stay IN
Madrid. He is now in Russia. l told you on the
occasion of the Infanta Paz's marriage how Baron
and Baroness Micheles, the French Ambassador and
Ambassadress, were snubbed by the Royal family
and the courtiers.
To form Just estimate of the King of Spain one
should take into account hisintimate surroundings,
past and present. Normally by whom was he
brought upH BY the COmte de Morphyj but under
the eyes and subject so the direct influence
of series of Queen lsabella's favor
ties. The Due de Sesto, Marquis of
Acanices, took the most avowedy patsrnai interest
in Alfonso when he was Prince Of Asturias and
showed aside a handsome young engineer, Senior
PuIz Motto, who attempted TO assert a fatherIy
clam to direct the Royal youth. This Se5to Is
petrIiied old dandy. who was once upon a time
man of pleasure. Under the pretext of counting the
Empress Eugene when she was Nile. dc Montijo he
carried on an intrigue with a lady who was very
near relative of hers and the wife of another Span
ish Duke. Of jealous temperament. De Sesto was
m ., sT,.v IF fEa fret
Due de M0rny. and placed her son with Don Alfonso
as ms daily companion, or indeed youthful chum
The Royal lover Of Blanche Esprouceda and the
commcur for whose sake Mile. Feyghine committed
suicide were inscparabls for nearly four years
Alfonso breathed a healthier atmosphere at the
military schools of Vienna and Saudhurst. But az
both places he was, as scion Of very genuine
ROYALTY with a prospective throne, outrageous
" toadied to- Since the restoration OF the Mon
archy the Due de SestO has been Grand Master of
the Royal Household at Madrid. He Is charged by
FL Globo with having shown dishonOrable amount
of com placency in Ininstering to the Kings pleas
ures Though his whiskeTs are now snowy, he was
associated in the adventures of the Casa di Campo,
and 1t was of him that Queen Christina asked
"What does your master give you for the services
you render p
Alfonso was a rather nice looking youth when he
went back to Spain, although of poorly developed
frame. He lie now wretched looking dude"
friend who writes to Ine about the Royalties and
great bodies at Homburg tells me that he never saw
pair of crowned heads thoroughly despicable as
Milan OF seryia and Alfonso of Spain, on the day
on which they went together to pay their respects
at the old SchlOss to the Emperor of Germany. The
former King had just been Informed Of the result OF
the elections for the SkuptchIna. He has heavy
face and figure and was inert aud out of counte-
nance from sheer depression of spirits His obesity
units him for horseback. In his saddle and his
close fitting uniform he looked as unweldy a
porpoise out of its natural element. His Royal COM
pauion is small and has attenuated limbs. The
UhIan helmet seemed too weighty for him to bear
up As a drenching shower fell when he was riding
10 the Scbloss he was in a wretched plight The
long whiskers fell lank at the sides of his face.
But he held himself very erect. There was some
thing "cocky" in his bearing which cOntrasted
with the Raceidity of King Milan. The Prince OF
Wales so maneuVred not to be in position in
which Alfonso would manfestly take tine pas OF
him. For instance. at the theatre the Prince sat
opposite the box in which His Most Catholic
Majesty and Milan were with the Emperor of Ger
many. The Prince occupied seat in the box of the
Crown Princess He did not at the grand
banauet come in until Milan and Alfonso
had arrived some moments, aud kept aioof from
them Before His Most Catholic Majesty quilted
Homburg he and the Prince lunched en- tete-a-t6ts
at the hotel of the latter.
Inever remember greater unanimity than was
shown early in the week by the French press IN
attacking the Uhlan King. On Thursday there was
a fierce onslaught made on him by NJ. Edouard
Lockroy, Victor HugO's son-in.law He threw his
offences against the Republic full ia his face. One
of them was the countenance and protection given
to Bszane by Spanish Royalty. On Thursday
evening the efaryescenoe BEGAN TO subsde little.
To-day the tone is calmer, and the announcement
made by three morning papers that after all,
Gr6vy will 60 10 receive the King at the Northern
"A ,,r,,,,,,,e hos not called forth a storm of