Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-02
Maria Christina
New York Times.)


All Americans who have read 1t must
have been touched by the personal appear
which the Queen Regent of Spain mas
made to several OF the soverelgns OF fsu-
rope to ntercede for her at washington;
No American, we may be sure. mas read
IL with more complete sympathy and APP
probation than the President Oh the
United States.
The life of Maria Christina cannot
have been happy. She entered upon pun
lie cares on her weddlng-day' now aithosI
twenty years ago. During her WIDOW
hood of twelve years the whole RESPONSE
bility of sovereignty, as yet more SUD
stantial I'm Spain than i'm more modern
countries, has devolved upon her, anu her
put,lic cares have thickened and multi
piled At home the discomfort or power
Nv has found expression i'm an anarchism
even more fierce and cruel than the MANI
festations of the like spirit In other coun-
tries. for there has been less OF the spirit
of bravado I'm It and more OF bitter ha-
tired of the human race. On her horizon
has doomed, from time to time, the spec
ire of a rivalry for the succession ana
the spectre of a republic, which in Spain
could onlG be as the old Republican ieao-
ers have clearly seen, an organized an
archy Abroad. the clutch that spain
held upon her remaining possessions has
been steadily relaxing. Rebellion In CUBA
and rebellion in the, philippines nave
threatened what was left of her colonial
empire. Her efforts to retain them have
been far beyond her strength, and her
sacrifices have been nullified not only
by the determined resistance of her
estranged subjects. but by the depreda,
lions OF her own thievish Viceroys and
unfaithfu officials. All these things
have contributed to the impoverishment
OF nation in recent times always poor,
until the spectre OF national bankruptcy
looms larger and nearer than any OF the
other national dangers, real and forml-
dable though they are. that have attend
ed the regency of the unhappy Queen.
And to this is now added the imminence
of Intervention on the part OF 'ar richer
| and more powerful nation.
Through all these mischRnces Maria
Christina has borne herself like brave
| and conscientious woman. Douptless she
! would long ago have abandoned so trou-
blesome and thankless an Office as the
! regency of Spain If she were not bound to
| It by duty to the memory OF her husband
and the future OF her son. We can read
| lily believe the report which represents
| her as saying that she deems herselI
! bound TO pass on TO her son MS patrlIhony
| unimpaired. and that that is her only mo-
| tive for remaining where she is. For not
| one OF the misdeeds or misfortunes which
| have defeated the Accomplishment OF TINS
! purpose Is she answerable. she mas no'
| even that hereditary share or RESPONSE
| bility that would fall TO her II she were a
| born Spaniard. The crimes Of the Spa
| nish Viceroys are not part nf her blrth'
| right, and she has no more real snare u
| those that Weyler has committed In hei
| name than in those of Cortez anc
| Pizarro. The starvation OF the reconcen
| trados Is no more to be imputed - bel
| than the murder Of Atahnallpa or the tor
| ture of Guatmozin. y d yet 4 IS she
whose life-work is TO be defelred becaus,
fhe measure of SPANS inquiries IS full
| and who must bear the brun. OF the hor
| rors of Spanish rule. accumulated I'LL III
world will endure them no longer. 1t i
| pitiful ana pathetic.