The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-19
Who is Don CarIos2

festo TO his faithful followers. and thus
the world is reminded he stiIl lives. Don
Carlos has ever been frank in saying that
SPANS emergency was his opportunity
and now that he sees the dons beset on
all sides, both at home and abroad, he
remembers he may still have something
! TO do in making history, and revives his
old habit Of issuing bombastio NANTES
tos and DEGREES from the luxurious sur
roundings of his Venetian palace. There
is an air of quiet presumption and as
surance about this last manifesto that
is amusing to those unschooled in the
| ramifications OF monarchialism. After adj
monishing the Carlsts to stand solidly for
! Spain in the event of war with the Uni
| ted States, he concludes: IF the govern
ment will not take up the glove thrown
/ down by Washington, the king himself
! will come TO Spain. and if he cannot get
! soldiers he will get volunteers from the
| provinces to defend the honor Of the coun-
| try
| So. Don Carlos has not forgotten he is
king Of Spain, and in this fact lies the
! greatest menace to the dynasty represent
! ed today by the boy Alphonso. The reign
ing house is not unmindful of the i'm
mense power welded by the Carlists. nor
Of the more significant fact that the
than mere pretense. 1t remembers that
up till 1890 Don Carlos Count of Molina,
and brother of Ferdinand, was heir ap-
parent and that his rights were set aside
by an act clearly unconstitutional. The
| Don Carlos OF today has inherited this
right by virtue of direct descent and for
this reason his followers claim he is in
deed Charles VII, and Alphonso is
usurper. The story of Don Carlos is as ro-
mantle as any in history. The royal row
that has kept him banished from his ma
tive land for many years dated back to
the beginning of this century, when Fer
dinand VII. was closing a troubled reign.
Ferdinand had found small comfort in
his crown. II had just begun to press
lightly on his royal brow when Napoleon.
with that easy, persuasive way which dis
tinguished him, annexed the Spanish
kingdom and forced Ferdinand to resign
in favor Of Joseph Bonaparte. Ferdi-
nand remained prisoner in France I'M
till the downfall Of the first empire, when
he was restored to his throne. He found
Spain a hot-bed Of weak political intrigue,
and, being a man of weak mind, he was
banded back and forth between the crown
supporters and the popular parties.
But in one direction Ferdinand was in
defatigable. Within the space of twenty
eight years he married five wives in sue
cession. The last one, Princess Christina
of Naples, was strong in mind and comedy
of person. The result of this union was
a daughter. Had it been a son the his
tory of the Carlist uprisings would never
have been written. But because the child
was a girl, and Christina did not allow
such little matters as constitutional en-
actments to stand in the way of her am
IN
override the traditional law of the land
and disinherit his brother, Don Carlos, for
the baby Isabella. That was the begin
ming of the trouble, for Don Carlos did
not quietly submit 10 the loss of his birth
right. Soon after Ferdinand died, in 1880,
the baby princess was declared queen and
Christina was appointed queen regent.
Then the first Carlist war broke out in
all its fury and ragged for years with va
rying success, led and directed in person
by Don Carlos. In 1899 the royalists won
and Don Carlos, the original pretender,
left the country. This might have ended
the energies of the Carlists had the queen
regent been wise and prudent. But her
regency was disgraced by so many scan
dals that it was soon brought to a close
and the hopes of the Carlists found fresh
encouragement. In 1856 the original Don
son, entered into the plot with even more
vigor than his father had done. In 1869
he made an attempt to stir up Valentia
and, with his brother, was arrested. He
renowned his pretentions, was released
and the following year died.
Then came the third and present Don
Carlos, nephew of the second pretender. |
Again the Carlists rallied around a new
leader. In 1868, 1870 and 1872 there were
uprisings, but they were all speedily sup
pressed. In 1873, however, Don Carlos |
took the field in person, and this proved /
to be a more formidable affair. For three |
years the Basque provinces were kept in /
the greatest confusion, but in 1876 the re-
volt was finally crushed. Don Carlos took /
refuge in Paris, where he began issuing /
prOnunciamentoes of an exceedingly fiorid |
character. Being every inch a king, he /
slipped a clause into one of these express
ing sympathy with the French ligitimists |
and the people who had heard so much |
blood uprooting monarchy escorted him to /
the frontier and babe him look in some |
other country for an asylum. He went |
to London, spent some time in Vienna,
a court he has ever been anxious TO count /
as friendly, and during late years he has |
alternated between Venice and Viareggio, |
where he has magnificent establishments !
and lives as becomes one Of the richest |
and most luxuriously disposed princes in
Europe. All his wealth has come by mar
rage. Through his first wife the Prin-
TESS de Bourbon. he came into posses
sion. by the death of an uncle and aunt
IF the princess, Of an immense inheritance
out when the princess died few years
ago II was found Don Carlos had squan-
Tered it all. 1t 1894 he married the Prin-
L nh - -l-.- -
Empty purse. but adding to his claims TO
he Spanish throne the dignity OF becom-
ng the head OF the Bourbon descent He
nay thus be said to pose in a dual role
Is prctender not only 10 the throne Of
spain. but also to that Of France.
Although Don Carlos had just announc-
d himself as still Charles VII, Of
spain" there is a well-grounded belief
hat he will never again appear as active
lead Of the Carlists should they make
mother attempt 10 gain the ascendency.
Ie IS far too comfortably situated as be
:, and besides, IL is understood that the
Princess de ROhan would rather be known
Duchess Of Madrid than as the probable
aorganatic wife OF the King OF Spain. But
Jon Carlos has q son. Don Jaime, now
" the grace Of the car an officer In the
russian army. This son, Don Jaime Is not I
My ambitious. but he is daring and
rained leader IN war. He would make a !
lost formidable head for the Carlists. and ,
is whispered that Don Carlos would no- {
q averss 70 abdicating his imaginary /
hrone in favor OF this warlike son ,
To understand why the reigaing royal
ouse Of Spain should fear the Carlists ,
lance at what they are is necessary.
arlism is al this moment the principal
anger that threatens the fortunes of ;
ounE King AlphoHso- II Is q greater
eril than the trouble in Cuba The re-
eluon in the Philippines. or even the
threatened wa- with the United States 1