Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-06-21
THE SPANISH ROYAL FAMILY.

As lneal descendants of the noble
Queen Isabella to whom Columbus
owed his chance to discover the new
world, America is naturally interested
in the groups whose presentments we
show to our readers to-day, and one OF
whom the Nation has for several weeks
been "delighting to honor" by what
has been characterized as "a persecu.
tion of attentions.
The Infanta Fulalia is thirteenth in
direct descent from the Ferdinand and
Isabella under whose rule-a rule
which on the whole proved rather bet
ter than the average-Spain n became a
united kingdom, in the latter fourth OF
the fifteenth century. The geneaIogy
is too long for rs to follow, but it en-
braces many marriages with Austrian,
French and English princes and prin-
cesseg, so that the present Infanta is
by race only taree-fourteenths of a
Spaniard. This accounts for her
fair complexion, abundant light hair
and blue eyes. She has made q de-
cidedly pleasant impression upon
Americans from the womanly gracious
ness, as we'll as queenly dignity, and
quick wit which she has continually
manifested, while submitting to be
bored by the round of wearisome social
festivities with which our political
fu nctionaries have seen fit to burden
her visit.
With at least one of our customs the
Princess is said to have been genuinely
charmed. With cordial feeling she is said
to have remarked that the most beauti-
fully poetic custom among any people
is that of setting apart day to decor
ate the graves and preserve the men,
ories of the dead who fought for their
country. With her own hands she LAID
beautiful wreath upon the tomb of
General Grant whose history she well
knows, and whom she had seen when a
child, when the great soldier was trav-
cling in Spain.
The Infanta is married to her first
cousin the Prince Antonio de Bourbon
dOrleans, now travelling with her, and
known as the Infante. This pair are
now enjoying the adulation, the fetes,
the show, which are the attendants of
royalty and are supposed to make its
possessors happy. But history is full
of instanced wnere the feasted of to-
day, are the prosecuted of tomorrow.
Let us hope the fates of this pair may
prove more kindly.
The Queen Regent of Spain finds
her place no sinecure. Austrian by
birth and therefore alien to Spain, she
must have found it no easy task when
after few years of married happiness
she was left to bear alone the burden
OF the government of great country
in the name of her son, the little King
Alfonso. As the latter was not born
until after the death of his father he
was literally born a king, and We be-
lieve is the only instance in history.
Poor child He has a mother who
seems to be a really good woman and
devoted to the best interests of the
kingdom as we'll as of her son, But to
be born to the purple is to be born to
tlattery and blindness. By all sorts
of influences Intentionally or other
wise, 1t seems that the plain, unvarn-
ished truth is ever kept from the eyes
of princes. That the majority of mon
archs have been men whose characters
in private life would have been ac-
counted dIsgraceful is true but not
wonderful. That any OF them have
sufficiently triumphed over the force
of circumstances to become reasonably
respectable citizens is truly matter
for marvel.
We read that 'ft is pretty sight
during the summer to see the boy
sovereign and his sisters on the sands
at St Sebastian, for he is regular
romp, although his young Majesty has
an opinion of his power, and orders his
playmates about with pretty au-
hority." We have italicised the
phrase, wishing to call attention to
the fact that the authority which is
pretty in the child is apt to become
tyranny in the man. If 1t does in the
case Of the child-king it will be quite
safe to predict that his crown will fall
from his brow. The spirit of Liberty
is abroad in the earth.