626 



PRIM, DON JUAN. 



PRUSSIA. 



tent with Queen Isabella's Government culmi- 

 nated in the revolution of September 17, 1868, 

 and two days later Prim and Serrano were at 

 Cadiz, ready to sustain the insurgents. The 

 scenes of this memorable uprising followed in 

 rapid succession; the defection of the royal 

 troops became general, and Serrano entered 

 Madrid on the 3d of October, and was received 

 with enthusiasm. Another ovation awaited 

 Prim. On the 7th he entered the city escorted 

 by deputations from all parts, together with 

 the troops, sailors, and civic bodies. The 

 crowds in the streets were immense, and it 

 took upward of four hours for the procession 

 to pass through the streets. General Prim 

 made a speech from the balcony of the office 

 of the ministry, and laid stress upon the inti- 

 mate unity existing between him and Serrano, 

 and urged the necessity of union and tran- 

 quillity. At the conclusion of the speech, 

 General Prim embraced Serrano, exclaiming 

 aloud, "Down with the Bourbons!" This 

 was received by all the people with unanimous 

 applause. In the evening Madrid was mag- 

 nificently illuminated. 



Immediately after the success of the revolu- 

 tion a Central Junta was elected, which called 

 upon Marshal Serrano to organize a ministry. 

 General Prim was made Minister of "War, and 

 was the leading character in the negotiations 

 for recognition abroad, and the arduous -duties 

 attending the establishment of order at home. 

 Every important occurrence in the political 

 history of Spain since the triumph of the rev- 

 olution might be recited as part of General 

 Prim's career. His authority was virtually 

 absolute in all the important affairs which de- 

 volved upon the new Government. Revolts 

 took place in December, 1868, in Cadiz and 

 Malaga, but were speedily suppressed by the 

 Government troops. On the 18th of that 

 month Spain elected members of the Cortes by 

 universal suffrage, and soon all claimants to 

 the Spanish crown were earnestly assuring the 

 Spaniards of their readiness to accept it. The 

 revolt in Cuba, which immediately followed 

 the triumph of the revolution at home, proved 

 also a source of embarrassment to the Minister 

 of War and his associates. The restoration of 

 order at home, however, proceeded success- 

 fully, and on February 13, 1869, the Constitu- 

 ent Cortes assembled. It adopted the Consti- 

 tution now in force, by which, with Prim's 

 earnest acquiescence, an hereditary monarchy 

 was declared to be the permanent form of 

 government. This was followed by Republican 

 demonstrations, and a plot for the assassination 

 of Prim and Serrano. The suppression of the 

 domestic disturbances and negotiations for a 

 king occupied the Council of Ministers the 

 greater part of 1869. In September, General 

 Prim had an interview with Napoleon III. 

 The claims of various candidates for the throne 

 continued to be the leading subject of interest 

 at the commencement of the past year. Gen- 

 eral Prim, who was regarded as dictator in 



the matter, at length gave encouragement to 

 the candidature of Prince Leopold of Hohen- 

 zollern. This step, which precipitated the 

 Franco-German War, failed by the withdrawal 

 of the prince, and Spain became tranquil and 

 passive in presence of the remarkable events 

 occurring around her. Prim continued to dis- 

 play great energy in sending reinforcements 

 to Cuba, and steadily opposed all propositions 

 involving the surrender of that island. In the 

 autumn of 1870 he succeeded in securing the 

 acceptance by the Duke of Aosta of the crown 

 of Spain, and procured the approval of the 

 Cortes for that measure. But the good for- 

 tune which had attended him through so 

 many dangers failed him. While proceeding 

 from .the Cortes to his residence, some indi- 

 viduals in the Calle Alcala (subsequently ascer- 

 tained to have been bravos or assassins hired 

 by the Carlist leaders) fired into his carriage, 

 wounding both the general and his adjutant. 

 Seven of the eight balls embedded in his 

 shoulder were extracted, and he suffered the 

 loss of two fingers. But his nervous system 

 proved unequal to the shock, and his death 

 speedily ensued. 



PRUSSIA,* a kingdom in Europe. King, 

 William I., born March 22, 1797; succeeded 

 his brother Frederick William IV., on Feb- 

 ruary 2, 1861. Heir-apparent, Frederick Wil- 

 liam, born October 18, 1831. The ministry, 

 in 1870, was composed as follows: Count Otto 

 von Bismarck-Schonhausen, Presidency and 

 Foreign Affairs (appointed in 1862).; Camp- 

 hausen, Finance (1869) ; General von Roon, 

 War (1859) and Navy (1861) ; Von Itzenplitz, 

 Commerce and Public Works (1862) ; Dr. von 

 Muhler, Worship, Instruction, and Medical 

 Affairs (1862) ; Dr. Leonhardt, Justice (1867) ; 

 Von Selchow, Agriculture (1862); F. Count 

 zu Eulenburg, Interior (1862). Ambassador of 

 the United States at Berlin, George Bancroft 

 (1867) ; Prussian ambassador in Washington, 

 Baron von Gerolt. Area, 135,806 square miles ; 

 population, in 1867, 24,039,668. 



According to the budget for the year 1870, 

 the revenue consisted of: 



Thalers. 



Receipts from State domains 9,580.820 



" " " forests 13,805,400 



Direct taxes 42,889,000 



Indirect taxes 18,205,040 



Lottery 1,339,500 



Institute of Maritime Commerce 700,000 



Bank of Prussia 1,400,000 



Mint 321,097 



State printing establishment 293,000 



General Treasury administration 793,167 



" extraordinary 6,681,633 



1. Total Ministry of Finance 96,008,657 



Mines and salt-works 22,669,455 



Administration of railroads 35,372,614 



China-factory in Berlin 150,000 



Various 303,166 



2. Total Ministry of Commerce and Industry. . 58,495,235 



* For ecclesiastical statistics and details of commerce 

 and industry, see AMERICAN ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 1868 

 and 1869. ' 



