NEWS OF THE WEEK.
TUE aspect of Spanish affairs grows as dark and troubled as intriguers and journalists can make it. Much of the turmoil is spurious; but it mischief do not ensue, it will not be the fault of those who magnify the disorder and prophecy worse. Divers journals aver that Spain is convulsed with anger at the Montpensier marriage ; but evidence in support of the assertion is by no means so palpable as it should be. It was predicted that a formidable opposition would be made in the Cortes : there has been none of much weight ,• and the predictors get out of that difficulty by declaring that the acquiescence is the effect of cor- ruption. The people of Madrid are described as being in a dan- gerous state of hostility ; and the specific evidence of that mood as, that a party of bullfighters hooted a tailor who was supposed to be like the Due de Glucksberg. Catalonia was reported to have risen against the project: it now turns out that the rising was not very different from the ordinary Carlist attempts of the past. In short, Spain is not a tranquil country ; which is no novelty. The most genuine disturbance no doubt exists in the breasts of certain Royal individuals, who conceive their personal rights and projects to be endangered by the match. The youthful pon Enrique finds the romance which he has been performing end not at all as it should ; and he carries his plaints to the Cortez, in the shape of a protest. The tale he tells, or rather insinuates, is curious. He was invited to Madrid, by his father, to negotiate a marriage between Queen Isabella ,and himself ; he was not com- plying on certain points, and was then dismissed fromthe country. At Paris he learned the reason : he had not been willing to ac- quiesce in the marriage of his younger cousin Luisa with the Due de Montpensier : if he would have done that, you are given to understand, he might have had Queen Isabella. His brother has been more complying; the younger son's magnanimity is frustrated, and he protests. This tale proves at least that the Montpensier match is no sudden affair; indeed, it was to be anti- cipated from the time that the two French Princes joined Queen Isabella on her tour in the provinces. The Count of Montemolin also conceives his rights to be in- fringed. Don Carlos " abdicated" in favour of his son ; which was very obliging in spirit, though the excellent Prince was really in possession of nothing to abdicate. However, Don Car- los Luis at once entered into possession of the said nullity, created himself Count of Montemolin, and signified that he was willing to marry the Queen of Spain ; a compact which seems to have been firmly concluded—in his own mind. Queen Isabella has broken it by marrying her other cousin Don Francisco ; and the Count thinks it due to himself to create a rebellion. He issues a manifesto inviting the Spanish nation to take his part, runs away from Bourges, and comes to London in search of aid. We per- ceive no sign that his mission will be very successful. The most Legitimist journals offer him cold support ; we do not hear that any Legitimist noble or M.P. has broken in upon his privacy.
However, all these cross purposes are meat and drink to a cer- tain Whig section of the Liberal party in London, for whom at present the Morning Chronicle and the Tinter utter duplicate " leading articles," of a very Palmerstonian stamp. Spain into take the place of Syria, and we are to be entertained once more with the official war-dance of 18401
