The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-08-12
LIFE OF CANOVAS.
How He Rose from the Masses to Head
of the Ministry.

VI of the Ministry.
Senior Antonio Canovas del Castillo was
born Of humble parents at Malaga,
February 8. 1928. He took the course in
philosophy and law in the university at
Madrid and began his career as journal
list: In 1851 he made his debut under the
patronage of Sonora Rios, Rosas and Pa
checo, as chief editor of the Patria, in
which he defended conservative ideas.
About this time he published a volume of
lyric poems and series of historical pa
pers. He was in doubt whether to follow
a literary or a political career, but soon
found himself turned to politics by the
deputy for Malaga, and from that time to
his death had never ceased to occopy q
seat in the cortes. In 1856 he was charge
d'affaires at Rome and prepared the his
torical memorandum on the relations or
Spain with the holy see which served as
a basis for the concordat.
After serving the crown as governor OF
Cadiz in 1856, director-general of the ad-
iministration from 1858 to 1861, and lastly,
In that same year, as under-secretary OF
state for the interior, the queen called him
to the ministry as member of the Mon
cabinet. In 1865 he held the portfolios of
finance and the colonies in the O'Donnell
cabinet, and it devolved upon him to draw
up the law for the abolition of the slave
trade. Shortly before the revolution of
1868 he became especially conspicuous as
one Of the last to defend with energy in the
cortes the principle of blending liberal and
conciliatory ideas with the constitutional
monarchy. when all the parties that had
supported this political doctrine had de-
serted the parliament.
=: His Title to Fame.
He was banished short time before the
revolution occurred, and took no part in it.
In the face Of the triumphant revolution,
a evil nd tn fha f1311
constituent assembly of 1865 supported by
Seniors Elduayem. yBugallel and" two
others, he hoisted the standard of legiti-
mate and constitutional monarchy. This
is his greatest title to fame. His fidelity
and ability finally secured for him the su-
preme direction, of the Alfonsist party;
and on the proclamation of Alfonso XII.
as king on December 81, 1874, Senior Can
oVas del Castillo became president of the
council and chief of the new cabinet, called
the cabinet of Cancellation. He retired in
September, 1875. because of the demands
Of the extreme conservative party, but he
was called back to the presidency of the
council on December of the same year
charged particularly with the direction
Of the first legislative elections of the new
regime. He was himself elected to the
cortes from the city of Madrid in Janu-
airy, 1876. 1t devolved upon him then to
repress the second attempt Of the Carlists
to bring on a civil war and to deal with the
first insurrection in Cuba. -E*{2 !.
With the execution Of an interval OF a
few months he continued to hold the pre-
miership down to, 1879. when. on the re-
turn of Marshal Martinez Campos from
Cuba. he retired from the premiership.sa and
was succeeded by Campos, who accepted
as his COLLEAGUES the principal associates
of Senior CanoVas. The opposition raised to
the; policy of Campos soon forced him to
retire. Senior Canovas skillfully resisted,
delayed and finally defeated the free trade
and emancipation projects Of Campos. On
the reassembling of the cortes in Decem-
Der, 1879, Campos gave up the attempt to
conduct the governn emf, and Senior Can
ovas formed new cabinet on December
10, with a second Cuban Instruction to
be dealt with. He charged Gen. Blanco
with this task, but the reactionary tendency
of hts home policy became more and more
marked until the financial projects in
which he wished to embark drew upon him
the bitter attacks not only of CASTELAR, and
the republicans, but also those of Cam
pos and Sagasta, and he was compelled
to: resign. In 1881 he returned again to
power, but his conservative cabinet was
speedily overthrown and coalition gov
eminent with Sagasta and Campos at its
head took the reins of affairs.
Returned to Power Again.
At the general election Of the same year
he was returned to the court and from
Madrid and became the chief and, spokes-
man of the intermediate party, known as
the party of conservative liberals. On jan
uary 10, 1884, he was called upon to form q
conservative ministry. -. In order to secure
Of order and of liberty, in harmony with
the monarchical principle, he dissolved the
cortes, and the new elections resulted IA
vorably. But on November 26 1885, on the
question of the occupation Of the Caroline
Islands by Germany, he was again COM
Ia IN Ioo{~o 1l4l I~~
Sagasta. The same day he was elected
president of the chamber by 222 votes
against lip cast for Senior Romero Robledo,
and he signalized his entrance upon his
new functions by funeral eulogy of King
Alfonso XIII, who had died the previous
back into power. and on July he took the
presidency Of a conservative cabinet. re-
placing the liberal ministry of Sagasta.
Two years later the pendulum swung to the
opposite extreme, and the liberals, under
Senior Sagasta. won the general: elections,
greements in the Sagasta cabinet led the
queen to summon Canovas again to the
premiership.
His Last Recall.
Canovas came last into power on Febru-
airy z, 1895. A number of officers had broken
and pillaged!the offices Of various newspa-
pers which had made destinations against
ing the Cuban revolt. The war minister
seemed to support the officers, whereas the
premier, Senior Sagasta, ordered the jour-
nalists to be, protected. This led to the re-
5tirement Of the ministry. Marshal Cam
pos was temporarily made captain general
OF Madrid; and the greatest excitement
prevailed. Finally Senior NCanovas formed
g. ministry, although he lacked the support
OF section of the conservative party. 4,
The government was defeated on a vote
OF censure on June 8, 1886. but did not re-
sign. The general elections Of April, 1896.
returned an Overwhelming majority to the
cortes In favor Of the policy of the Can
sovas cabinet, though the, opposition
charged that the ministerialists carried
many Of the election districts by gross
frauds. June 2 last Senior Canovas ten
sdered the resignation of the cabinet, ow-
ing to the difficulty the ministers expert
enced in carrying on the government in
view of the parliamentary situation caused
by the refusal OF the liberalssto take.parts
IN