712 



SPAIN. 



ceeded in completely dispersing the last rem- 

 nants of the Carlists. In October the Oarlists 

 again bombarded San Sebastian, doing great 

 damage. Toward the close of the year the 

 defection from the Carlist ranks increased to 

 an alarming extent. Every day brought new 

 reports of whole bands of Oarlists who had 

 crossed over into France, or submitted to the 

 King's officers. The dissensions in the Oarlist 

 army also gained ground. Thus, Generals Dor- 

 regaray and Saballs were arrested and tried by 

 a court-martial for compromising the Oarlist 

 position in Catalonia. 



In the early part of November Don Carlos 

 wrote a letter to King Alfonso, offering his 

 services in case of a war with the United 

 States. The letter was as follows : 



The attitude of President Gr,ant is a prelude to 

 war between Spain and the United States if you do 

 not recognize the independence of Cuba. The revo- 

 lution which you represent is responsible for this 

 parricidal rebellion. Had I reigned, it would not 

 have occurred; at least, not gained strength. Now, 

 however, the integrity of the country is at stake, 

 and all her children are bound to defend it. Should 

 war break out, I offer you a truce as long as the con- 

 test lasts ; but maintain my rights to the crown, as I 

 retain the conviction that I shall one day wear it. I 

 cannot send my loyal volunteers to Cuba, but I will 

 defend these provinces and the Cantabrian coast, 

 and will send out privateers manned by the indom- 

 itable population of that coast, which will pursue the 

 merchant-ships of our enemies, and perhaps chase 

 them into their own harbors. If you accept the 

 truce, let us appoint representatives to settle the 

 conditions. If you refuse, the world will be the 

 witness that Catholic Spain has nobly done her 

 duty. 



In November General Quesada, after estab- 

 lishing a line of fortifications between Vittoria 

 and Logrofio, and driving the Oarlists from 

 the entire district of Kioja, marched toward 

 Pampeluna. Having captured San Cristobal 

 and all the Carlist positions in the neighbor- 

 hood of Pampeluna, he succeeded in relieving 

 that city after three days' hard fighting, in 

 which twelve battalions of Carlists were routed 

 with heavy loss. In the latter part of Novem- 

 ber the Oarlists again began to bombard San 

 Sebastian. A cabinet council on December 2d 

 decided upon the formation of two armies of 

 five divisions each; one in Navarre, to be com- 

 manded by General Martinez Campos ; and the 

 other in the Basque provinces, to be commanded 

 by General Quesada. On December 14th Gen- 

 eral Moriones, with 3,000 men, relieved San Se- 

 bastian, and immediately set to work to clear 

 Guipuzcoa of the Carlists. Shortly after, a large 

 number of troops was sent to Hernani, which 

 was very hard pressed by the Carlists. The 

 question of the policy to be observed as to the 

 return of Queen Isabella loomed up in March. 

 On March 29th the Duke de Montpensier, hav- 

 ing applied to the Marquis de Molino, the 

 Spanish embassador in Paris, for a passport 

 to Spain, the marquis declined to grant it. 

 The reason alleged for the refusal was, that if a 

 passport were given to the Duke de Montpen- 

 sier, ex-Queen Isabella would deem herself 



equally entitled to one, and he added that the 

 Madrid Government " considered her return to 

 Spain inopportune." 



Toward the close of March General Concha 

 made charges against General Jovellar, in his 

 capacity of Minister of War, stating that, dur- 

 ing his governorship of Cuba,, General Concha 

 was compelled to exile General Riguelme for 

 an act of insubordination. The Minister of 

 War approved this measure ; but, nevertheless, 

 a few days afterward, promoted General Ri- 

 guelme. General Concha pointed out that the 

 principle of authority thus lost prestige in 

 Cuba, owing to the personal policy of General 

 Jovellar. The Government found it difficult 

 to defend Jovellar from these accusations. An 

 old Spanish law prohibits the appointment of 

 an ex-governor of a colony to any public post 

 until formal inquiry has been had into his past 

 administration. It was understood that, in 

 General Jovellar's case, no such inquiry had 

 taken place since his return from Cuba. 



On February 27th the indemnity to be paid to 

 the United States Government for the families 

 of the men of the Virginius, shot by the Cuban 

 authorities, was fixed at $80,000, and the rati- 

 fication of the agreement was signed on March 

 llth. Of this sum $45,000 was paid on April 

 17th, and the remaining $35,000 on May 5th. 



In April the difficulties with Germany with 

 regard to the ship Gustav, fired upon by the 

 Carlists, were definitely settled by the pay- 

 ment of 85,000 pesetas. 



On February 26th the King issued a decree 

 revoking the educational law of October 21, 

 1868. By this decree the exclusive use of the 

 text-books and prospectuses in use in the 

 schools and colleges during Queen Isabella's 

 time was prescribed, the independence of the 

 professors curtailed, and the manner of public 

 instruction was otherwise changed on a strictly 

 reactionary basis. In consequence of this de- 

 cree, Oastelar resigned his position in the Uni- 

 versity of Madrid toward the close of March, 

 while soon after the Professors Giner de los 

 Rios, Salmeron, the former President of the 

 Republic, Azcarate, and Gonzalez Serrano 

 issued protests against the action of the Gov- 

 ernment. In consequence of these protests, 

 the professors were deprived of their position 

 and arrested, and Professor Giner was exiled. 

 The rector, Sefior Pisa Pajures, who had also 

 resigned, was replaced by Sefior La Fuente, 

 formerly editor of a Carlist newspaper. No 

 Liberal professor would accept the post. Much 

 dissatisfaction was expressed at the appoint- 

 ment of Sefior La Fuente, even the students 

 signing a protest against it, which was pre- 

 sented to the Government. A large number 

 of teachers in the provinces soon followed the 

 example of the Madrid professors in protest- 

 ing against the decree, and were mostly ban- 

 ished. 



The insurrection in Cuba continued during 

 the year with varying successes. Few engage- 

 ments of any account were fought. The ad- 



