The San Francisco call., 1897-06-13
CF4RISTINE'S ENEMIES.
Prime Minister Canovas and His Cabinet
Handicapped the Queen in Her
Dealings With Cuba.

Just at the present moment when Spain,
as the outcome of the recent Cabinet crisis
at Madrid, is about TO inaugurate an
altogether new policy with regard 10 her
colonies, and particularly in Cuba, it may
be OF timely interest 10 utter a few words
win the object OF explaining the position
OF Queen Regent Christine, not only in
connection with the resignation of the
CanOYas Cabinet, but also in regard TO the
entire policy OF that administration toward
the Philippine Islands and the Antilles
1t is position which is tho roughly mis-
understood and misinterpreled in the
United States, where she has been held
responsible for much that should not be
laid at her door and where she has been
considered accountable for matters which
she was first 10 depIore and oppose. Pos
slbly the following remarks may derive
additional weight from the fact of their
having been written by one who is well
acquainted with the court of Spain, and
Who not for services rendered nor yet as
mere diplomatic plment, but on the
contrary as a token OF personal friend ship.
received from the hands of Queen Chris
tines husband the late King, the star of
his Royal Order of Charles III.
In the first place it is necessary that it
should be realized that Queen Christine
has been throughout the term OF office of
the ow happily defunct Canovas Cabinet
so adverse to its policy, both at home and
abroad, that had its leaders dared they
would have endeavored to put into execu-
ton their frequently and even publicly
discussed pet project of deprivIng her of
the regency, and of transferring it to her
sIster-in-law, the Infanta Isabella, who is
Just as much of an ultra-Conservative
as her Majesty is an advanced Liberal.
The ground taken by Canovas and by
his adherents in the matter was that arti-
Gle LXXVIII of the Spanish constitution
declares that 'in he event OF the minority
of the sovereign the regency must be
held by the nearest mem bef of the reign
ing family of Spanish nationality" Now
if the term nationality means Spanish
blood, as Senor Canovas and other Span-
ish statesmen declare, it is evident
that the regency should be held, not by
Queen Christine, who is a member of the
imperial family of Austria, and as such
foreigner, but by the Infanta Isabella, who
is the young Kin's nearest relative of
Spanish birth.
At one moment the Princess apparently
gave consent to these views. She actually
took part in a carefully organized cam
paiGn which was destined to prepare the
ground for the change, and which COM
prised a series of provincial tours for the
purpose OF arousng enthusiasm in her
behalf. Indeed, the plot might have sue
ceeded had 1t not been for Senor Siivelas
at that time Minister of the Interior who
decl ned to be Il party 10 the plot. went to
the Queen and laid bare the entire
maneuvers of Canovas and the true object
OF his attempt 10 remove from the 1ost
of Military Governor OF Madrid General
Pavia. who is known to be devoted to the
Regent.
This incident brought about the final
split-up of the Conservative party, the
minority of which under Silvelas with
drew its support from the Cabinet and
voted on nearly all occasions with the
Liberals especially in the debates relat-
ing to Cuba and to the Philippine Islands.
Indeed, Senior Silvelas and his followers
have contri buted in no small measure to
bring about the recent Cabinet crisis, and
nave enjoyed throughout the good will of
the Regent, which has been shown to
them in many ways. Let me add that 1t
is to this section of he Conservatives that
belong Marshal Martinez Campos and
Generals PolaviejI ard Blanco, the three
most honest soldiers of the Spanish army,
distinguished above all others by their
stainless integrity in money matters and
by their unsweIving loyalty to the throne.
The other branch of the Conservative
party, namely, the ones which constituted
the ministerial party until the resignation
OF Canovas the other day, was what may
ba daecrihad &c tho Tim ryatiye m achine
and exceeded in corruption, malfeasance,
in perversion OF justice and in shameless
ness every other political machine in ex-
istence. Not content with administering