The evening times., 1898-08-17
DON CARLOS.
The CarIist War and the Present
Outlook in Spain.

The CarIist War and the Present
Outlook I'm spain.
What Sagasta Is said to fear at this
moment most Of all is an attempt of
Don Carlos to stir up a revolution and
seize the crown. While 1t Is not thought
1t could succeed, the premier has taken
steps to learn promptly Of any conspiracy
and to stamp 1t out. The situation makes
this sketch in the New York Tribune of
timely interest:
Spanish marriages and the Spanish
succession are household words In his
tory. For four centuries and more they
have marked the crucial issues in the
progress or retrogression of the Iberian
Kingdom. Away back in the days Of
the Black Prince. CASTLE was cOnvulsed
with disputes over the succession to
the crown. After both Pedro the Cruel
there arose a new .ivalry between the
latter's sister and daughter. The sister
Isabella, won. and by her marriage with
Ferdinand of Aragon founded the real
Spanish kingdom. Another marriage, that
OF Maria Theresa to Louis XIV uf
France, marked the end of the Kingdom 8
independence; 1t was thenceforward the
puppet and the tool of France. Half a
century later Europe was convulsed with
the war of the Spanish succession, and
the once world-mastering Kingdom saw
Its empire divided among its foes, and
its sovereign dependent upon alien favor
FOR his crown. Then in hope of avert
ing further troubles, the French version
OF the Salic law was adopted in Spain,
only TO provoke more serious troubles
than before. In the first place. 1t bound
Spain still more closely to France. and
thus involved her the more deeply in the
catastrophe of the Napoleonic era and
In the second it led to She Carlist con-
troversy, which has now for three gem
erations been the curse of Spain.
When the third wife of the wre;ched
Ferdinand VII died. leaving that mon
arch still childless, his next brother. Don
Carlos, reckoned himself certainly his
feir. But Ferdinand took a fourth wife,
and then, as If in anticipation OF what
actually occurred. revoked the Salic law
and restored the old pragmat!c law of
succession, 30 that if only a daughter
should be born to him she might inherit
the crown. A few months later he undfd
that work and restored the Salic law A
aDroga,ed the Sale law, restored the
pragmatic and banished his brother Car
los to Portugal Then he died. leaving
his infant daughter Isabella to be queen,
under the regency of her mother, an ar
rapgement which the Cortes approved.
but which Don Carlos resisted with force
and arms. half of Spain siding with him.
He claimed that Ferdinand's revoca;ions
and coun;er-revocations were all Illegal.
and that the ancient law of succession of
the kingdoms of Aragon, Castle and
Navarro was still in force. under which
a woman could inherit the crown only in
iefaul; of any male heir. Thus came on
the first Carlist war, with all the infa-
mics of Cabrera on the one side. the mas
,erful seventies of Espartero on the 9TH
er, the weakness and cowardice of the
Pre.ender and the debaucheries of the
Queen Regent-a scene OF unreiievei
horror. Don Car'os was beaten, chiefly !
Dy the moral influence of Europe, and |
hen Isabella. HAVING reached mature |
years and assumed the crown. set out to I
;urpass the iuImoralities of her mother. |
md did so. BY her scandalously devised |
with her cousin, Don Francis. !
he son of Don FRANCIS, youngest broth |
II of Don Carlos and Ferdinand VII. the I
irst and third lines of descent from
,arios " were united leaving the sec
md the Carist. out in the cod.
THE second Carlist war came on at the |
md of Isabella's infamous reign. The
irst pre;ender. Carlos V. was dead. So
vas his eldest son. Carlos VI. The latter
lad left the succession 10 his younger
brother, Juan III. and he had in turn abb
Heated in favor of his eldest son. the
,resen, Don Carlos. or Carlos VII. When
he last-named prince, then young and
lrdent. decided 10 enter Spain to seize
no o 20 Cabrera who had 2
,egun life as fishermans boy and had
become one of the a ablest soldiers and the
nos, bloodthirs,y of his time. To him
le intrusted the leadership OF the Carlist
ause as his grandfather and his uncle
lad done before him. But the old soldier.
Who used TO say he had no appetite for
Inner until ne had killed a man. proved
IS treacherous as he had been cruel. He
betrayed the Carlist cause to that of AL
onso MI. and Don Carlos fled from the
in despair. Since then the pre-
ender has Travelled round the world, and
las fought-,hey say. with valor-under
he Russian flag at Plevna. Now he
eems the time ripe for another attempt
o seize the crown, finding in his coun-
ry's distress his opportunity for self
ggrandizement. As of old. the attack
to be made against a minor sovereign
nd Queen Regent. But Christina of
.ustria is different woman from Chris
Ina of Naples and while Campos might
e Il second Espartero in his valor and
is virtues Weyler could emulate Cab
era only in his crimes. Besides. the
loral influence of Europe is against Don
arlos as much as it was against his
In such circumstances it is
to be expected that he will win
he crown