NARVAEZ, RAMON M. 



523 



his house near Louisville, at night, and taken 

 to Fort Lafayette, New York Harbor, where for 

 many months he was subjected to close im- 

 prisonment. This treatment elioited the sym- 

 pathies of his friends to such a degree as finally 

 to secure his release. Shortly after his dis- 

 charge, he went to England, and continued to 

 reside there during the remainder of the war. 

 Upon the termination of hostilities he returned 

 to the United States, and addressed himself 

 with characteristic energy to his business, 



which had suffered terribly by tho war. For 

 this purpose he removed from Kentucky to his 

 plantation near Greenville, and, while ho gave 

 his personal attention to its management, 

 engaged also in the practice of law. His health 

 failed under the hot and unhealthy climate, 

 and, coming North, he was attacked with that 

 long and severe illness to which we have 

 already referred. After his recovery he re- 

 turned again to Mississippi, where he died of 

 heart-disease. 



N 



NARVAEZ, Don RAMON MAEIA, Duke of 

 Valencia, Marshal of Spain, a Spanish general 

 and statesman, born at Loja, in Andalusia, Au- 

 gust 4, 1800 ; died at Madrid, April 23, 1868. 

 He entered the army at an early age, serving 

 first, for some years, as a cadet in the Walloon 

 Guards. He received his first commission as 

 an officer at the age of twenty, and rose from 

 that time rapidly, commending himself to his 

 superiors both by his daring and skill. In 1820, 

 when constitutional government was estab- 

 lished in Spain, young Narvaez sided with the 

 Liberal or Constitutional party ; and when in 

 1822 an effort was made by a reactionary party 

 of the royal guard to subvert the Constitution 

 and restore the old despotism, he led the Lib- 

 erals in the suppression of the mutiny. In the 

 capture of Castelfollit at this time he was 

 seriously wounded. Shortly after, having re- 

 covered from his wounds, he made the cam- 

 paign of Catalonia, under Mina, against the 

 guerrillas, who were assisted by the monks. 

 In 1823 the imbecile Bourbon having invited a 

 French army of intervention to enter Spain, 

 Narvaez retired from active life, and withdrew 

 to Loja, where he lived in obscurity until the 

 death of Ferdinand VII., in 1832, when he 

 returned to the army. In 1834, as captain of 

 chasseurs, he maintained a hot struggle against 

 the Carlists in the Basque provinces, and 

 signalized himself in several engagements ; be- 

 ing again wounded in the battle of Mendigor- 

 ria. For his gallantry in this campaign he was 

 promoted to be colonel of chasseurs, and, soon 

 after to be brigadier - general. In 1836 he 

 commanded a division under Espartero, and on 

 the 25th of November of that year completely 

 routed the Carlist leader, Gomez, at Majaceite, 

 near Arcos. This was the turning-point in his 

 career. He became very popular, aspired to 

 the highest offices of the state, and was re- 

 garded as the rival of Espartero. In 1838, by 

 measures of the most vigorous severity, he 

 cleared the district of La Mancha of brigands, 

 and restored tranquillity in that part of Spain. 

 In 1840 he was appointed Captain-General of 

 Old Castile, and general-in-chief of the army 

 of reserve. When Espartero gave General 

 Alaix a place in the ministry, Narvaez, who 

 was a member of the Cortes for Seville, re- 



signed his command. On the formation of a 

 revolutionary junta at Seville by Cordova in 

 the summer of 1840, he repaired thither, and 

 took part in the insurrection against Espar- 

 tero; but, this attempt at revolution having 

 been suppressed, he was compelled to fly, and 

 found refuge in France, where he was shortly 

 after joined by the Queen Maria Christina, 

 who had been forced to abdicate in favor of 

 the Infanta Isabella. In France Narvaez com- 

 menced, in conjunction with the ex-Queen, 

 those plots against Espartero, who was then 

 regent, which in July, 1843, culminated in his 

 overthrow and escape to England. Narvaez 

 hereupon returned, and, after depriving Espar- 

 tero of all his titles, procured from the new 

 Cortes a declaration that the Infanta Isabella 

 II. was of age, and was himself appointed, 

 November 8, 1843, Lieutenant-General of the 

 kingdom. In March, 1844, the Queen-Dowager, 

 Christina, returned to Spain, and the same 

 year Narvaez was made president of the Coun- 

 cil, and created Duke of Valencia. His whole 

 course was reactionary; he restored the old 

 despotism and abuses, and revised in the 

 interest of absolutism the liberal Constitution 

 of 183Y. The party of progress was dissatis- 

 fied, and petty insurrections broke out, which 

 he crushed with the iron hand. But his dictato- 

 rial manners finally alienated even his personal 

 friends, and on the 10th of February, 1846, 

 his ministry was overthrown. After a brief 

 exile, as special ambassador at the French 

 court, he returned to power in 1847, but was 

 soon again dismissed, in consequence of his 

 constant quarrels with Maria Christina. On 

 the 20th of October, 1849, he was once more 

 recalled and reinstated as president of the 

 Council, his power being confirmed in 1850 by 

 a popular vote. On the 10th of January, 1851, 

 however, he was compelled by the Queen- 

 mother again to resign, and accept the ap- 

 pointment of ambassador to Vienna. In Octo- 

 ber, 1856, after Espartero's withdrawal from 

 office and the overthrow of the brief O'Don- 

 nell ministry, Narvaez was again called to pre- 

 side over the Cabinet, but without special 

 office. He immediately began to use his power 

 to strengthen the royal authority, and to re- 

 strict the liberty of the press. He also re- 



