Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-12-10
Sketch of the Life ofthe Late Spanish King.

Alfonso NH (Alfonso Francisco de AS
sis Ferdinand Pho Junan Mario-de in Con-
ception Gregorio Pelayo) was born in Mad
rid, November 2S, 1857. After the down
fall of his mother, in 1868, he followed her
to Paris, whence he went early in 1870
to Vienna, entering the Theresianum, a
college designed for youth of noble birth,
but only remaining there three months,
then returning to Paris to continue his stud
les. 1t was on the 25th of June, 1870, at
the Basilewski mansion, that his mother
formally renOunced her pretensOns to the
crown of Spain in his favor. 1t was not
till nearly five years afterwards that he
ascended the throne. In November, 1870,
Amadeus, the Duke of Aosta, was elected
King, Alfonso receiving two votes of 3ll,
the Offering of the crown to Prince Leopold,
of HohenzOllern Sigmaringe, having mean
while precipitated the Franco Prussian war
and brought about the downfall of the Ma
poeonic dynasty. King Amadeus landed in
Spain on the 30th of December, the day on
which Prim the only man who might per-
haps have made reign possible, died the VIC
| tim of cOWardly assassination. Earnestly
as the amiable Prince of the House of
Savoy strore to render himself popular with
his subjects, he utterly failed to capture the
confidence Of the Spaniards, who have an
oriental distrust Of the foreigner. Early in
1872 the Carlists rose in the north at the
same time the sailors and artisans of the
Ferrol Arsenal revolted, hosting the red
flag On the 10th of July the King and his
wife were fired upon in the streets of Madrid
by party Oftve assassins, two of whom es.
capped, while the others were killed. One of
the two prisoners, Pastor, was tried and
sentenced to death, but the Court of Cassa-
ton did not order his execution till April,
1878, by which time he had escaped. FL
naly, on the llth of February, 1873, King
Amadeus addressed a dignited message to
the Cortes, declaring that in presence of
the fierce party strifes which prevented him
contributing to the welfare of the people,
he deemed it his duty to resign. The next
morning he left Madrid making his way to
| Portugal with his wife, then an invalid, in
circumstances far from creditable to the
chivalry of the Spanish people. At once
the Spanish republic was proclaimed. En-
lilo CASTELAR, in August was elected Pres-
dent Of the Cortes, and on the 9th of Sep
tember he was charged with the executive
power. He had the courage to attempt to
quell at once the communist revolution, and
the Carlist rising now became serious.
The young Pretender, styling himself Char
les VII, called a council Of his adherents at
London, the outcome of which was noti-
tication to the cabinets of Europe Of his
claims and on April 81, 1872, the Preten-
der's standard was raised among the faith
full Basuues. On the 18th of July, 1873,
Don Carlos himself took the field, and the
insurrection became formidable. CASTELAR,
made vigorous efforts to put it down and. to
restore peace to Cuba, assuming even the
dictatorial powers. This assumption the
Cortes refused, January ., 1871, to sanction,
whereon CASTELAR, resigned. The Cortes
were then resoutely dispersed by Pavia,
and month later Marshal SerranO assumed
the executive power. He and Concha
headed the army for the relief of Bilbao,
menaced by the CarlstS, and were success
full. In December Serrano revisited the
army with view of feeling its pulse on the
subject of restoration of constitutional
monarchy, but at that very moment, De-
cember 80, 1874, the Drawer, rasher, more
impulsive or more sagacous Martinez Cam
pos actually proclaimed Alfonso Mi at
Valencia. The action took the young
Kings staunchest friends and wisest advis-
ers by surprise, and was thought to be pre-
mature. Alfonso, who had been pursuing
his military studies at Woolwich, in Eng
land, under the title of Marquis of Conva-
donga, had just returned 70 Paris to spend
the holiday season with his mother, in her
Hotel Basiewski, in the avenue Rol de
Rome. The army everywhere hailing his
name with acclamations, he sat out for
Spain by way of Marseilles, landed at BARGE
Iona amid the shouts of the people, and on
the 14th of January, 1873, entered Madrid
amid the literally delirious joys of the mul-
titude. He summoned Senor Canovas del
Castillo to form a ministry, and, though
the liberals and moderates had at first
some scruples about serving under his
leadership, the prime minister ended by
rallying around the throne all the true lib