Savannah morning news., 1885-12-03
TIE SPANISH THRONE.
An Account OF the Disputed Succession
and the Claims of Don Carlos.
Erom the PhNadelpAla Times.


From the PhtladslpAia Times.
The dispute over the Spanish success
sion, to which the death of Alfonso gives
fresh interest, had ITS origin in the aboli-
tion by Ferdinand VII. by the pragmatic
sanction OF March %. 1880, OF the Saliclaw
Of the Bourbon family. This was done at
the instgation of his wife, Maria Chris
tina, Neapolltan princess, and it's result
was to make their daughter. who was
porn In that year, the heir to the throne
IN place OF his brother, Don Carlos. The
latter entered a protest against his eX-
clusion from the throne, which was sus-
tained bv the BOurbonic courts OF Italy,
and on the death of Ferdinand VII. in
1888 he was proclaimed in the Basque
provinces as Charles v, being supported
by majority OF the clergy and the cOun-
try people throughout the kingdom.
The Salic law, it may be explained, was
the code established Ly the Salians or Sa-
lie Franks, who, under Clovis, founded
the French monarchy. Under the Salic
law females were prohibited from inherit
ing landed property, and this feature Of
their law continued to prevail in France
with respect to the inheritance of the
crown, and also in Spain, under the Bour-
bon line, until the date referred TO. The
transfer OF the crown, therefore, to the In
tanta Isabella, with the Queen Mother
Maria Christina as regent, was depart
ure from T. addition that was opposed by a
very large part OF the nation. The Car
lists were at first so successful that Chris
tina was compelled to obtain foreign re-
cruits for her army, but after the death of
Zumalacarreguy, the Carlist leader, the
royal troops, under command Of Espar-
terO, gradually gained the ascendancy. 1t
was mot hOWnVnr until 1890 thor tho q o
lists were finally 0verpowered and Don
Carlos fled to France, though the war was
not fully ded till year later.
This was not accomplished until the
government had made many concessions
to the Progressive party or ExaltadOs
and Radicals and had been compelled to
adopt the modified constitution of 1912
soon after this other agitatiOns arose
and in the autumn of 1S40 Maria Chris
tina resigned and left Spain with a num-
Der of the Conservative leaders, leaving
the government IN the hands Of the Pro-
gressive party. The Cortes appointed
EsparterO regent during the minority of
the Queen and under his administration
great advances were made in the internal
economy OF Spain, until an attempt to
seize upon church property provoked a
general insurrectiOn and in 1S45 Espar-
terO in his turn, embarked for England.
The Queen was in this year declared of
age, a moderate Ministry was formed,
Christina was recalled and soon after the
constitution Of 1915 was adopted.
The ups and downs of the reign of
Isabella III. have nothing to do with the
present subject. There were several Car
list outbreaks during this period in behalf
of Don Carlos, Count de MontemOln,
known as Charles VI, the son of the
brother Of Ferdinand VII, already spoken
of as Charles V, On his death. in 1861
his right devO'ved on his brother, Don
Juan, who, in October, 1868, abdicated in
favor of his son, the present Don Carlos,
the titular Charles VII. This was imme.
diateiy after the success of the insurrec-
ton in 1868 and the flight of Isabella from
Spain. Don Carlos did not make his entry
into Spain in assertion of his claim to the
| throne until 1873, the country having in
the meanwhile been passing through a
period of storm and stress with various
experimental governments. After the
failure of the attempt TO estab-
| lish Amadeus, son Of the King Oi
Italy, upon the throne, Marshal Serrano
whose death is just announced, and who
was elected President of the RePublic
became the virtual ruler, and devoted
himself to the suppression of the Carlists.
In this he succeeded, but seeing repub-
lie TO be impracticabe he made no OppO-
sition TO the restoration OF the other
branch of the royal family in the person
of Alfonso. In 1876 after long and gal
liant struggle, the CarlIsts received a final
defeat and Carlos withdrew from Spain.
In manifesto issued from Paris he said
Being desrOus of putting a stop to
blOOdshed, | fOrbear continuing q glO-
riOus. but at present fruitess struggle.
will never sign a cOnveni0. My flag re-
mans furled until the moment which
God shall fix as the supreme hour of re.
demption."
1t will be seen that the situation to-day
is almost Identical with that when the
grandfather of the present Don Carlos as.
serted his claim to the throne. The pro.
claimed heir is girl baby of 3 or 4 years
old, just as Isabella was, with her mother
as regent; the Queen mothers have even
the same name. The difference is that
Charles V. cOntended against an innova-
tiOn upon recognized tradition and the
claim of Isabella had to be asserted by
force of arms. She became de factO
Queen; her son has been a de factO King,
recognized as such by the laws OF the land
and the representatives of the nation
Charles VII. thus has the facts all against
him and the sentiment OF legitimacy has
not the power now tnat it had half a Gen.
tury ago. If Don Carlos were a little less
of a Bourbon he might very probably be
come the centre of conservative policy
but the course of this century is not to-
ward a Bourbon restoration, even in
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