Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-11
NEEDS A GUARDIAN.

Alfonso, the King of Spain, is degener-
ating. At the time of his accession he was
thought TO be very modest youth. Now
he is decidedly silly. 1t is not mere prig-
gishness, but what the Yankee nation
most appropriately terms "big -headed.
ness" We have saying here that when
one gets the big head the best thing he
can do is 80 go off and die" OF course
this Is slangy and vulgar but there are
times when slang alone will meet the emer-
gency of utteranoe, and the pressure of
feeling. For instance, it was sign of lack
of brains when Alfonso so bemeaned him.
self with waiting lady of the chamber of
the Queen that he gave his beautiful and
afectionate wife cause for grief, and the
world occasion for the rolling under its
tongue of precious bit of scandal a
King should manage his amours with
greater discretion. This one has not the
{" excuse of an unfaithful wife. Next
the young King made an ass of himself by
entering France as he did, and inviting
public insult. Any one with an ounce of
brains would have hesitated to stir up the
French wolf by marching in with Uhlan
decorations glittering on his breast, and
German commission in his pocket In fact,
some of the Kings counselors have had
the courage TO confess that his act was un-
wise. The next evidence that was made
public testifying to the fact that Alfonso is
growing too fast for bis crown, was his dec
laration that he hoped to see his dear
friend, the half-breed Bourbon Prince, upon
the throne of France some day, and
that if France did not cease to
be stirrer up of discord, he
and the other kings of Europe would sup
press the infant republic. That utterance
few years ago would have been sufficient
cause for war, and to say the least was
positive affront to power to which Spain
had Just sent one of her most distinguished
men on an errand of peace and good will.
The latest evidence of big-headedness
In the youthful monarch is found in the
last foreign dispatches, which credit to
Alfonso the fopish remark, on being con-
graduated in recent address by some
time.serving courtiers 81 know that l
have a natural gift for speaking with frank
ness and assurance. When l landed at
Barcelona IN my seventeenth year had to
deliver on address while in the saddle, and
that was my first speech" We certainly
will not take issue with Alfonso regarding
his claim to assurance" He has full
complement of that qualification. But it
is safe to say that any one Of half dozen of
college boys In California, picked at random,
can put his oratory to shame on fair COM
petitive trial. And we will wager a pros
pective fortune that any one of dozen
well-bred American youths, taken as they
come, would be more modest than Alfonso
under like circumstances, not to say more
discreet. Where is there a downy youth
in this land who, if he were King of Spain,
aad had sent to the Republic of France a
Minister Plenipotentiary bearing an olive
branch, would, in public at least, on re-
ceiving German Prince, and while wear
Ing the identical uniform that gave occa-
sion for a public insult in the streets of
Paris, exclaim, 81 have France to thank
for thistle French have rendered me a
great service. Really, Alfonso needs a
guardian; for the blood Of the indiscreet
Isabella is giving evidence of its presence
in the veins of her son.