702 



SPAIN. 



clusively of members of the Conservative 

 (Moderados) and Neo-Catholic parties, as all 

 the Liberal parties abstained, in March, 1867, 

 from taking part in their election (see AN- 

 NUAL AMERICAN CYCLOPEDIA for 1867). The 

 only opposition made to the ministry pro- 

 ceeded from the Senate, in which from 30 to 

 40 members belonged to the Liberal parties. 

 On the 2d of January, the Chamber of Depu- 

 ties unanimously passed the draft of an address, 

 in reply to the speech of the throne on the 

 reassembling of the Cortes in December, 1867. 

 The most important passage of this address is 

 the following, in which the Chamber refers to 

 the position of Spain with regard to the Koman 

 question : 



The deputies may be permitted to express their 

 satisfaction at the flattering and pacific state of our 

 relations with friendly powers, and to render them- 

 selves the interpreters of the extreme joy that has 

 been produced in all truly Spanish, and consequently 

 Catholic hearts, by your Majesty's magnificent words 

 relative to the rontifi cial power, and favorable to the 

 independence and stability of the legitimate power 

 and the incontestable rights of the Holy See. 



While making use of the initiative, and taking up 

 the attitude suitable to an eminently Catholic nation, 

 and while oifering to the Emperor of the French, a 

 friend and ally of Spain, the support of our moral co- 

 operation, and even of our forces in case it should be 

 thought necessary to employ them in the defence of 

 the legitimate rights of the Holy See, the Government 

 has deserved well of the nation, has shown itself 

 worthy of the Queen who happily occupies the throne 

 of Isabella I. , and worthy also of the nation which has 

 combated for the integrity of its faith during seven 

 centuries. In the horrible struggle of the revolution 

 against legitimacy of force against right, the Holy See 

 symbolizes the cause of right and of legitimacy. By 

 her filial love toward this Holy Father, by the moral 

 influence of her opinion, by her language and her 

 vote, if the European Conference came to be realized, 

 Spain must assume the post of honor and of justice 

 at the right of the Sovereign Pontiff, who is the most 

 august, the calmest, and the most venerable figure of 

 contemporary history. 



Conformably to these sentiments, the Span- 

 ish Minister of Foreign Affairs, on January 22d, 

 informed the Italian Government that Spain 

 was determined to uphold the temporal power 

 of the Pope. A brigade of volunteers was also 

 formed for the support of the Pope, but it was 

 dissolved before starting for Rome, owing to 

 the remonstrances of France. 



The proceeding of the Cortes did not present 

 many points of interest. On March llth the 

 Minister of Finance was authorized to contract 

 a loan of fifty-five millions of francs. The diffi- 

 culty with England, arising out of the seizure 

 of the British ship Queen Victoria, was settled 

 by the payment of an indemnity to England. 

 A treaty of commerce was concluded with the 

 North-German Confederation. The formation 

 of a new ministry, after the death of Marshal 

 Narvaez, produced no change of policy. The 

 Cortes were adjourned on May 20th. 



During all this time, Spain was comparative- 

 ly quiet.- The Carlists had made preparations 

 for a rising in February, but the scheme utterly 

 failed. There were slight tumults in Cata- 

 lonia in April, and the province was placed 



under martial law; but no serious outbreak 

 occurred. 



But the situation became very grave in July. 

 The Government claimed to have satisfactory 

 evidence that the three great sections of the 

 Liberal opposition, namely the "Liberal 

 Union," of which the late Marshal O'Donnell 

 had been the chief; the " Progressists," to which 

 belonged Espartero, Prim, Olozaga, and Madoz ; 

 and the Democrats, who embraced a large re- 

 publican element had united in a more exten- 

 sive revolutionary scheme than any that had 

 yet threatened the reign of Isabella. On the 

 7th of June, Generals Serrano, Cordova, Dulce, 

 Bedoya, Latore, Letona, and Zabula were ar- 

 rested at Madrid, and lodged in prison. Simul- 

 taneously with the arrest of the generals, the 

 Government requested the Duke and the Duch- 

 ess de Montpensier, who were likewise suspected 

 of being implicated in the conspiracy, to leave 

 the country. The ministerial papers announced 

 that this measure had become necessary, in 

 order " that the Duke might not be used as a 

 flag by the enemies of Spanish institutions." 

 Previous to their exile, the Duke and Duchess 

 de Montpensier refused to comply with the 

 orders of the Spanish Government, on the 

 ground that an Infanta of Spain could only re- 

 ceive orders direct from the sovereign. Isa- 

 bella thereupon signed the decree exiling them 

 from Spain. After this step had been taken, 

 the generals belonging to the Liberal Union 

 party were also all exiled without exception. In- 

 surrectionary attempts were at once made in 

 Barcelona, Valencia, and Saragossa, but they 

 were suppressed. Dissatisfaction with the 

 Government increased, however, rapidly in all 

 the provinces, and a number of prominent 

 generals, among them the Captain-Generals of 

 Madrid and Barcelona, tendered their resigna- 

 tions. Preparations for a great rising were 

 made in all the provinces, and a perfect accord 

 between all the oppositional parties secured. 



The expected revolution began on the 17th 

 of September, with an insurrectionary move- 

 ment in Cadiz, and assumed at once formidable 

 dimensions, when the commander of the naval 

 force off Cadiz, Topete, declared in favor of 

 the insurrection. Within a few days, pronun- 

 ciamientos were made in almost every province. 

 Local and provisional juntas were formed 

 everywhere, to assume the control of the 

 movement, and all the generals, exiled in June, 

 as well as General Prim, appeared upon the 

 scene, to place themselves at its head. Serrano 

 and Prim were at Cadiz as early as the 19th of 

 September. On the 21st the city of Santan- 

 der fell into the hands of the insurgents, but it 

 was recaptured on the 24th by General Calonge, 

 after a sharp fight with the insurgents, who 

 numbered about 1,800. The general reported 

 a loss of 600 killed and wounded on the royal 

 side, and 300 on that of the insurgents. After 

 the reoccupation of the city, a number of citi- 

 zens, who were found with arms in their hands, 

 were tried by court-martial and immediately 



