Year: 1873

1t Is now fully six weeks since Don Carlos
entered the land he hopes some day to reign over,
and the result OF his presence among his adher-
ents can be more or less fairly estimated In
Europeans well as In America, he was accused OF
cowardice for not entering Spain and placing him
Self at the head OF the volunteers who fought for
him; but, as had formerly an opportunity to re.
mark in the columns of the HERALD he was not the
guilty party in that case. He would have crossed
the frontier long before he did but his generals OBJ
Jected to 1t for various reasons and have enough
proofs now that they were quite right The only adj
vantage that has grown out OF his presence here s
that the populations of the Basque PROV
lnces have seen him, have acclaimed him;
that their enthusiasm has been carried to
the highest possible PITCH and that
they have consequently acquired some fresh
strength which was sadly wanted for their further
bearing the mseries Of the and the losses they
have been subjected to during these last eighteen
months. 1t is said in the country that as much as
eighty-eight per cent of the whole produce Of the
provisions is swallowed up by the Carlsts in the
form OF rations and various other contributions,
and not to give the peasants bearing such
purden even the satisfaction OF having steady
loQZ at the Prince for whom they sacrifice 30 much
would have been certainly hard upon them BY
appearing here Don Carlos has, therefore, made
good stroke both as to policy and Justice, and it
WOulu Oe uliHCulC 10 OVef-eStlmate the amount OF
progress his cause has made in that respect espe-
ciay we keep in view that the most absurd stories
had begun already to circulate here about him.
Persons were told, for instance that they were
running themselves and their families for ON
itallan cobbler, very similar to Don Carlos in face
and substituted for the Prince, who had oied three
years ago; that the whole affair was


sW.rrpLE,


conceIeH py Cabrera and carried out By some
French adyenturers who became acquainted with
Cariist chiefs eyied in France, and that the fact
that neither Don Carlos nor Cabrera dared to
come over was the best proof OF the fraudulent
character OF the business To this and similar
stories the appearance OF Don Carlos put an end,
and he is now nearly as fully master Of the Basque
provinces and OF Navarro as he could We'll wish to
be; but, in nearly all other respects, his entering
Spain has already rendered the progress OF Carlism
slower and will certainly continue TO do 80. 1t
has also considerably increased the bur-
dens to which the; exhausted provinces are
subjected. for the royal household and numerous
useless stafr and the escorts cost more in every
way than several battalons. Besides all that, even
the most valiant of the generals arc NOW thinking
more about how to secure absolute safety to the
person OF their King than to take advantage OF the
forces they possess and the weakness aud dsor-
ganization the enemy displays. since the day OF
the entry OF Don Carlos up to August 20 there
has been practically not single shot fred. End
less marches, showing the King all over the prov
inces were the only things we were engaged in, and
popular demonstrations and masses all we had to
witness.


TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND


well armed men spending in that way some six
weeks can certainly not be called vigorous
war-making, especially we keep III
view that from December last till July
they formed, organized and armed them
selves, almost without any pecuniaIy means
at their disposal, and had, besides end OF small
engagements in all parts of the provinces, and
several real battles, among which those Of Eraul
and Lecumberry were fought as bravely rs any
regular army could have done, and the werst of
the matter is that with these King-cXhibiting
marches even the drill OF the troops had TO De
given up, for the men were too worn out from
constant marching and parading.


This do-nothng sort Of business at length tired
everybody and one or two attempts to resume
active warfare were made in the Baztan. where
Dorregaray was sent with part Of his troops to at
tack Elzondy and san Estevan, the King, escorted
by some 5000 men, remaining far behind him.
But the republicans probably badly informed OF
the strength Of the Carlist force, took to flight and
the whole of the beautiful valley was cleared with
out a shot.


LIZARRAGA AND vELASCO


dad also been relieved from the tresome duty OF
marching behind us, and allowed to resume active
operations in their own provinces (Guipuzcoa and
Biscaya). One begins to think that one would
soon see some real work done. But this state OF
affairs did not last long. After some more prom
rnading the frontier OF Aragon We suddenly
turned to the south OF Pampeluna, marched through
Puenta la Rena and entered Estea, thorough
Carlist town, which the republicans hold in their
possession by means OF citadel they had cstab-
ushed there, taking advantage of a large and very
strongly-built ancient convent. The town OF Estela
being In Importance second only 10 Pampeluna in
the whole OF Navarro, Dorregaray has already
twice attempted to take possession OF IT, but never
carried out the plan. He entered The town
On both occasions exchanged a few thousand
harmless rifle shots with the embrasures
Of the citadel ana retired under the pre-
text OF not having sufficiently heavy artil-
cry. But about ten days ago General Elio
made up his mind to capture the place, which,
though OF no particular strategic importance, is
large, prosperous town, ana may well serve as
basis OF operations both in the direction OF PAM
peluna and vittorla. Yet above all considerations
the old commander.in-chcf was probably moved
by the failures of Dorregaray to capture 1t, and by
the general talk both in and outside OF Spain that
no actual progress was made by the Carlst forces.
The whole or the Navarro forces consisting then OF
Tour and nall battauons, with four caauons, were
accordingly marched in and abou.


EsTELLA.


and one OF them ordered to occupy the houses
around the citadel and to begin the siege A sum.
nous to surrender was, OF course, sent before fire
was opened, but the commander OF The garrison
Lieutenant Colonel SAM, met the bearer OF the
white nag in manner which left no doubt that he
strongly hoped to rcpulsc this attack he did the
former. Fire was consequently opened, and Don
Carlos pointed himself the hret cannon shot which
like the others, did bat little harm 10 the thick
walls OF the old convent. II would be utterly i'm.
possible TO give anythnQ IKE an approaching est
mate OF the quantity OF cartridges which had been
used on both sdes during tue week the siege
lasted.


THE FIRE WAS REALLY INTERNAL,
day and night vet very men were hit either In