The New York Herald Newspaper, June 18, 1873, Page 3

A Herald Correspondent’s Journey to the Capital. How Civil War is Waged on the High Road to Madrid. Stoppage of the Diligences by Carlist Bands. THE SPANIARDS CALUMNIATED, COLONEL G, 1. BUTLER AMONG THE CARLISTS Escotted Railway ‘Trains and ‘.. Burning Stations. The Grossly Exaggerated Reports of tho “Anarchy and Oivil War.” The Rising of National Guards on the 28d of April and the Coup d’Etat of Pi y Margall. Hunting After Monarchist Leaders. Marshal Serrano, the Duchess de la Torre and the Countess of Montijo, Mother of the Ex-Empress of the French, A Bull Fight Restoring Tranquil- lity and Order. MapRID, April 28, 1873, Though it may seem heartless to be jolly at other people's miseries, I must deciare that I have yet ween very little that was not thoroughly comical and burlesque in what.is everywhere described as the horrible state of anarchy and civil warinto ‘which Spain has fallen.” Aiter having spent about amonth in Navarra and Guipazcoa studying the Carlists and their leaders, 1 got the HERALD’s order to look at the other side of the medai—to go among the red republicans and to push down towards the Puerta del Sol, where armed “gentlemen of the pavement” are engaged 1p settling the so-called Bocial problem much in the same way as the armed peasants of the Basque provinces are settling the question of Spanish legitimacy. A diary kept dur- ing last week and embodying a journey from the Pyrenees‘down here and an account of the republi- can coup d’état of Wednesday last will, perhaps, present a pretty fair picture of the horrora of Spanish anarchy and civil war. APRIL 21.—Start from Bayonne at noon by ex- press to Trun, the first town on the Spanish side of the frontier. In about an hour and a half the train reaches Hendaye, where passports are care- fully inspected by the French police, and some en- couraging advice is given not to proceed further unless pressed by very important business, for the Toads are infested with Carlsts and the mail is missing always for “the last three days.” Afew persons are intimidated and remain at Hendaye with a view to reconsider the matter—a decision @pparently greatly approved by the two hotel keepers of the place—while the majority proceed over the Bidassoa bridge. The station of Trun turns out to be fortified by means of primitive earthworks and palisades, which could not present the slightest resistance even to a runaway horse, much less to an attack of armed men. Some of the windows are half walled up by means of an antediluvian kind of masonry, in which a few rifle embrasures are perforated, The whole is guarded by a few soldiers of the line and some militia men in rather ragged attire. No dificulty of any sort is put in the way of one’s CROSSING INTO SPAIN, fo passports asked for, nor even any questions put as to what are the traveller's intentions, viz., whether he intended going on the leit to the Carl- (sts or on the right to San Sebastian. But the lug- gage is mercilessly ransacked, and I had considera- ble diMculty in demonstrating to a batch of Custom House oMicials thata plaid which had served me for these last ten or twelve years, and was now fastened with a strap, was not a new article, sub- ject to duty. Several small omnibuses were in readiness to carry the passengers to San Sebastian, whence—said the cards distributed among the per- sons—a Sefior Ugalde had comfortable diligences running to Zamarraga at the piice of cighty reals a head. To all the inquiries as to the degree of salety Of the road, the answer was that sometimes there ‘were Carhsts and sometimes not, but that no pas- senger had been murdered yet. Concerning the integrity of the lugguge, however, and the time of arrival at its destination, the auswer was somewhat less distinct—namely, that the dili- gence administration could say nothing and would mot undertake any responsibility. As these little omnibuses numbered about half a dozen and the company was not numerous, we were all tolerably Well seated, and driven as fast a8 could well be | desired, the road being exceilent and the mules epparently quite fresh. San Sebastian, once the Gibraltar of Northern Spain, and now, after the fire and pillfe of 1813, a mere modern-looking watering place, was reached about four P.M, The little omnibuses deposited us at the office of Sefior Ugalde, where we were advised to secure the tickets at once, as the number of places was limited, and the evening train from Bayonne might bring more passengers. Concerning the time of our starting nothing eculd o* sald, however, before the diligence had arrived, We had thus to spend several hours in walking about a very dull, though picturesquely situated, town, and to have for ali recreation a complicated process by which our luggage was weighed and charged very nearly the same @mount 4s the transport of our own persons, A TRULY SPANISH DINNER, ull of rancid of! and garlic, of hares and partridges @bot out of season and thoroughly spoiled by an in- famous way of cooking, was another feature of the day. At last, when we al! got quite tired of wait- ing, We were told we could go to bed and would be called at our hotel when the diligence was ready to start. And so we were called at four A. M., but to Bo better purpose than that of learning thatva dili- @enee wullt to carry at the outside eight persons was now to take twelve inside and three outmide, As several unclean peasants were among the company desirous to get inside the car- riage I voted for the outside, and got a seat of sbout six square inches ona litte portable bench placed im tront of a mountain of luggage on the top Of the miserable vehicle. A commercial travelier and 4 curé were to share it with me. It would be quite useless to attempt to describe our posi- ions during that memorable journey of sixteen hours. Our legs were all the ‘time hanging down, as if we were sitting on the edge of a roof; the luggage mountain pushed us violently from beuind, together with the bench, each time the diligence was driving down bill, while the coachman whipped us mercilessly each time it went up hill, and he became excited over the re- e@pective efforts of bis seven mules, It was only on going up particularly sharp heights that we were occasionally relieved from these torments, for a walk along- don top of ABRIL 22.—After a-seven hours’ drive of this deserip\ion we arrived at ten A. M. at Zumarraga, & prosperous little town, about Malf'way between San Sebastian and Vittoria, A h yn of the same description as the dinner of the previous day, another charge of eighty reals for ourseats and of 48 much for our luggage, were what awited us here. | The mules were changed oncemore, ‘but th diligence was to remain the same, and every at- tempt to improve our position on it was to be given up. Atadistance of about ten miles we were to meet Carlists, we were told, but had t0 apprehend no danger, so long as we had no egtortand car- ried “no official mail, and tne iuformation turned out to by- quite correct. Of the six villages situated between Zumarraga and Vittoria three were in the hande ofthe Cariists and tnree in those of the republicans; Somehow or other they were, however, so distributed among the rival forces that the first village from Zumar- raga was Cari the second republi the third Carlist again, the fourth republican in, and 60 on alternately. No attempt to disiodge each other seems ever to have been made on either side. PALISADES AND FORTIFIED BALCONIES and windows were to be seen in every One of the towns and villages, but no occasion for using these fortifications seemed yet to have presented itself, ‘There was also no perceptible change of the pas- times of the respective garrisons, Part was inva- riably tobe found playing ball in thé square in front of the town hall, while ‘others ‘were chatter- Ing at the doors of the posada (Inn). Carllats had at least sentries posted outside the Boroughs, but republicans did not deem it necessary to take even that trouble. I tried to inquire in every village what was the reason of this inexplicable peaceful- ness of the rival forces and of the apparent want of any desire either to give up wartare at all or to carry it ona little more seriously, and the answers were invariably the same. The Carlists told me they coula not attack the enemy because they were not strong enough and had no artillery, while the republicans said there was no use attempting to attack the Carlists, for they wouldn’t fight, and, occupying, as they always do, the hills, they saw every movement of the troops, and flew to some new and unexpected spot as soon as the troops started. In fact, they could never be caught, though it was always weil known where and how many of them were on hand at a given moment, Of course we expected the worst when leaving Zumarraga; and though but a week ago a great friend among the Carlists and a bearer of all sorts of safe-conducta I had absolutely nothing of the sort in my possession now. It was not safe to carry proofs of Carlist acquaintances when going to the republicans. Sol left every document of this description at Bayonne, and was now fully prepared to be treated on a footing of perfect equality with the rest of the travellers. But great was our astonishment when we actually reached the first village occupfed by the Carl- ists, and saw that,except stopping us to see whether we were not armed and did not carry the government’s mail bag, they seemed in no way in- clined to interfere with us, The coachman paid quite, a8 a matter of course, 100 reals ($5) toll to the Carlist oMfcer, and gave him some newspapers he had previously read himself on the way from San Sebastian, where oxen were tugging us up Dill and when he was thus off his whipping duty, The curé, my neighbor on the bench, assured me he had seen how the coachman abstracted several newspapers from the mall bag we had carried from San Sebastian to Zumarraga, and said that this Was the usual way of newspaper supply to the Carlists. There is no need to say that, as we tra- velled through Ala ind Guipazcoa, ALL THE SYMPATHIES SEEMED TO BE WITH THE CARLISTS, and the coachman, though paying the toll, to which the travellers had, of course, to contribute, ‘was on most intimate terms with every man in the bands we met. In all the three villages occupicd by the Cartists we had the same quiet sort of test togo through, Pay your one hundred reals, show that you have no official despatches and no arms and you can pass quite freely. So that, from what I have, seen, I must conclude the reports about pillaging and murdering the travel- lers to be very much exaggerated. The whole thing is @ mere stupid comedy, the performance of which one sees irom a most uncomfortable scat, and which one is compelled to witness for sixtcen hours without interruption. As to danger, there is none beyoad that of being at the mercy of very good-natured mountain rumMans, wrapped in rags and armed with all sorts of arms, including even old trabucos. The consciousness of the fact that one is at such people’s mercy has, probably, in- duced peopie to compose all sorts of dreadful stories of events which seem never to have taken Place, Our lives were much more jeopardized by the thieving proprietor of the diligence, and our luggage much More damaged by the endless ran- sacking of the Custom House omiciais than by any of the “brigands” we met on that occasion at least. APRIL 23.—We reached Vittoria last night at about six o’clock. On approaching the town we met a republican column, composed of infantry, cavalry and a couple of cannons. The colamn was about eight hundred strong, and went out in pur- sult of Carlists. The way in which it marched was something quite Spanish, indeed. There was neither a rear nor @ vanguard. The detachment looked like a mob dregsed in uniforms and headed by @ colonel dozing on horseback, Yet the soldiers were all fine-looking men, brilliantly dressed and armed, and the horses all excellent. A few dozen men ambuscaded on the road could very easily disperse a column like this, and it ia impos- sible that the Spanish officers should not know it. But it seems that they are utterly unable to enforce anything like discipline oreven mere soldier like manners in their tréops, The column assumed @ little more warlike aspect on tils afternoon when it returned to town with something like sixty Car- list prisoners they had caught, The Military Gov- erner and Commander-in-Chief of Vittoria, Briga- dier General Gonzalez, rode out with a numerous suite of GLITTERING OFFICERS of all ranks to meet the conquerors at the out- skirt of the town, and presented a most curious sight, dressed as he was in @ light gray overcoat and a chimney-pot hat. He did got seem to think it worth while to put on @ uniform, even in per- forming a military ceremony to which, from the appearance of his staff, considerable impor- tance was attached. Yet at Madrid the General is supposed to be a good disciplinarian. The prisoners were of course disarmed and locked up in the town jail, where a couple of dozen Carlists were lodged already, and where they were received with tremendous cheering by their old companions in arms. And scarcely had the troops retired to the barracks than local sympathizers with Cariism began to congregate around the walls ot the prison to salute the new comers, leaning on the railings of the prison windows. Of course, there was again no train from Vit torta, Carlists were close to Miranda, it was said, and we must see what sort of news would come to- morrow. At the Fonda de Pallares, where I had to stay over night, I feund THE LATE UNITED STATES CONSUL GENERAL IN EGYPT, Colone! G. H. Butier,in company of Major J. R. Wadieigh and of an English journalist, who served them as interpreter. The company were to join the Carlists as amateurs, and had ai- ready an interview at Vera with Dorre- garay, who, seeing himself just tien rather heavily pressed by the republicans, advised Colonel Butler to go to Vittoria to await there jurther news from him, meanwhile fitting himself and company out for the forthcoming campaign. And so I found the company busily engaged buying horses, saddles and provisions without the repub- lican authorities showing the slightest attempt to interfere with these after all hostile preparations against them. The Fonda de Pallares being situated in the leading street of the town, opposite the cavairy barracks, every one would see what the foreigners had come for, yet no one seemed to be the least inclined to oppose the free exer- cise of the will of Colonel Butler’s party. Fancy @ similar enterprise being attempted at Paris or Versailles during the Commune! Where would have been the bold amatear now? And yet people talk constantly about the savagery of the Spaniards and tae a i tla lin thine NEW YORK HERALD, . WEDNESDAY,, JU TURBULENT SPAIN,(=="=="== throughout the country, Those who see om the spot how things-are going on here are rewlly puzzled at the peaceful and unconcerned way Ly! which people live... No one would believe there civil war going on at ail, » Im fact, I have aten seen nothing in., the.» way’ of ont actdal diserder yet, though; of ,f conrse, I cannot say I have. seen. ike safety. or order, as these are unders: 1m civilized countries. Itseems to be quite a iter state of a@airs—chaotic yet tranquil, yet peaceful, peaayless yet without any ap} nt misery and with puaty of leisure @nd pleasure, sad yet in- tensely comical—a state of affairs which could not be better descriaed vnan by saying it is “Spanish,” im the sense in which “Dutch” ig used by the com- mon folk when expressing something particularly queer, Colonel Butler had one rather characteristicex- perience at Dorregaray’s headquarters. The Car- list General and the American Colonel discussed the possibility of the latter remaining at once with the former, without going to Vittoria, ‘The ques- tion was, where to get horses. The town of Vera seemed not to possess a single four-legged beast, except @ jew sheep and dogs. But the General said that perhaps something else could be found, and ordered his sid-de-camp at once to proceed with” & ° search “and -requi- sition. The company meanwhile went on discuss- ing other details, when, much to the general as- tonishment, the officer returned with a radiant face, saying he had found already two beautiful horses, and every one rushed to the window to have @look at them. But what must have been Colone! Butler's surprise when he saw hig own car- riage horses requisitioned for bim and marched with triumph into the courtyard. -He had@ hired at St. Jean de Luz a carriage and pair to bring him across to Vera, and had, \of course, to take full re- sponsibiity for its safets consequently this successful requisition could not suit him in any ‘Way, and the party had to give up all hope of join. ing Dorregaray's staff and to proceed to Vittoria for purchasing the necessary outtt. I found them at the Fonda de Pallares, busily engaged buying horses, saddies apd other war material, and al- though in a little provisional town like that every- thing becomes known at once, and consequently every one knew immediately what the extranjeros Were about, no one seemed inclined to interfere with their evidently hostile intentions to the Re- public. These little facts show the business-like way in which things are done on both sides, and how the popnlation: is' favorable to the Carlists in the whole north of Spain. My prospect of going beyond Vittoria was’ by nO means particularly fair on my reaching that town in the evening of the 22d. No train had ar rived on that day irom Madrid, and the news was that A NEW CURE OF SANTA CRUZ had appeared close to Miranda and was burning the stations and tearing up the rails, The whole of the next morning and afternoon were spentin inquiries ag to whether there was any hope foratrain, Of course no official was to.be found knowing any- thing, and the whole town seemed to have given itself a general rendezvous on the platform of the station, in the hope to learn something new from the capital and from the ravaged neighbor- hood of Miranda. It was only about four o’clock P. M. that @ distant whistling of the engine g@ave us hope of improving our. position, and within a few minutes afterwards, a rather long train drew to the piatform, and, much to my as tonishment, poured out no end of cazadores and carabineros. This was the escort, The Carlists having over and over again declared that they would fire at any train conveying soldiérs, an ex- pedient seems to have been found in almost her- metically locking up the escort in luggage vans, 80 that it might protect the train in case of need, and not expose it to danger. THE PASSENGERS AND SOLDIERS arrived brought us some news which showed that all the rumors were exaggerated, as is always the case. A Carlist band, under the command of the Curé of Alaya, had set the second station beyond Miranda on fire, consequent on a “misunderstand- ing’? between the Curé and the station master, and this was the cause of the previous day’s trains not coming through; but now the ban was being pur- sued and the line clear, Sti'l this did not seem to satisty the railway authorities, and a good deal of hot discussion was necessary before the engine was ordered to be put the other way and tickets for Madrid began to be distributed. In about an hours’ time the same escort was again locked up in the lug- gage vans; the travellers “iortified” their carriage witn cushions and similar things put against the windows, and the train cautiously started forward ata rate of not more than eight or ten miles an hour. Towards ten at night we reached Miranda, and in about haltan hour afterwards passed the station, which was still burning. But beyond this little amusing sight we met with absolutely noth- ing capable of varying the monotony of a slow and tedious journey. By and by everybody went to sleep without, apparently, taking any contemplative interest of the sights which old cities like Burgos and Valladolid presented in a Moonlight night. And it was only at the station of Escorial, the next morning at six o'clock, that pas- sengers were awakened by the agreeable informa- tion that they would probably not be able to enter the capital, as @ revolution had broken out there on the previous day. The station-master was now awaiting instructions by telegraph irom Madrid as to whether the train was to be despatched, APRIL 24.—There 1s no need to repeatiall the ru- mors which comforted us at Escorial, The up- train of the previous night had brought the news that all important buildings, including the sta- tion, were occupied by the federals, who shot at everybody who did not join them; the army had partly mutinied, purtly fled; Serrano and Pi y Margall had fought a duel and so on. Happily enough, an order to proceed further was soon received, and at about ten A. M. we entered the Northern station of Madrid, on the platform of which rag- ged national guards were {raternizing with gendarmes. Everything seemed to have been settied, and though the streets were crowded with @ vociferous and gesticulating mob, a considerable portion of which bore arms, there were no shots to be heard, nor anything to be seen suggestive of their possivie coming by and by. The umnibuses and carriages from the railway station had great diMculty in passing through the streets, but de- posited all of us quite safely at our respective hotels. The story of the unsanguinary revolution, on the morrow of which I thus reached the capital of Spain, can be given ina very few words. When the As- sembly Was dissolved a Permanent Committee, with rather indistinctly limited powers, was left sitting till the new e’ections should be over, it was eupposed partly to watch over, partly to co-operate with the Executive, But a# it tarned out to be thoroughly Monarchical ip its tendencies co-opera- tion became out of the question and watching was transfornged into a reguiar party fight. The com- mittee infisted upon the elections being postponed and the old Assembly reconvoked, to which the re- publican (alinet would, of course, never agree. Thence OPEN HOSTILITY which wi only @ pretext for being changed into a fight. ich @ pretext was soon found. The wife of Sefior Figueras having died, the President of the Executiw: expressed his desire to retire for a few days sofa basiness, and the Ministry appointed Sefior Pi y Margall to fill the President's post pro tempore,’ The Permanent Committee objected to this appointment, saying it was its (she commit- tee’s) business, not the Cabinet's, to make the appointment under such circumstances. Some forty-elght. hours were spent in bitter discussionsy and at the same time & rumor Was spread that a number of old generals and all the members of the committee were hold- ing conferences at Marshal Serrano’s house, which ‘Was full day and night of all sorts of leading men of the former monarchies, SENOR ESTEVANEZ, THE PREFECT OF MADRID, was the man who smelt out everything. He seamed in the beginning to listen to some overtures, made to him, took advantage of them for inquiting into the nature of the proposed arrangements, and when he had learned that a humber of commanding officers of the regular army had aided with Marshal others more reliable appointed in their place, ie army Was thus practically neutralised, and for ‘still greater safety part of it sent out of town un- wer some/pretext or other. The government had ewisely and shrewdly decidea that the contest, if any, should be,” as far’ as possible, limited to the national guards. They knew they would tnumber the old monarchical battalions; and h in reality was the case. The monarchical Jantaassembled at Serrano’s house, not yet know- ing thatthe commanding officers upon which it reckoned were already dismissed, ordered eleven battalions of the old Amadeo’s national guards to assemble, under the pretext of a review on the Plaza de Toros, and expected that at @ given moment the several regiments would join thege battalions, numbering something like four thousand men. wut ‘Seflor Estevanez, watching every movement of the opposite party, ordered the republican battalions also to assemble for a review on the same spot, and got the whole artillery of Madrid to join them, The command wad entrusted to General Contreras, the only man shot at on that day, when he marched to the Puerta de Alcala with bis republican forces, Otherwise there was no end of noise, but no blood- shed of any sort. The ringleaders of the move- mente including Marshal Serrano, took at once to fight when the republican victory became evident, and, as @ matter of course, the government, having crushed this monarchical conspiracy, took ad- vantage of its victory for dissolving | THE OBNOXIOUS PERMANENT COMMITTEE, justly supposed to be the source of the abortive at- vempt at creating disturbance. Tne decree dis- solving the committee, and published in the oficial Gaceta de Madrid, may be abbreviated thus:— “Whereas the Permanent Committee of the Assem- bly has been, by ite conduct, acause of perturbation and disorder, &0.;, whereas it occasioned the cen- flict of yesterday, &c., itis decreed that the said Permanent Committee be dissolved and the goy- ernment will be answerable for the promulgation of this act to the constituent Cortes,” The affair is quite clear, The conservatives and the reactionaries attempted to make a coup d'état toseize the power and to hand it over to Marshal Serrano, but failed, and the republicans paid them back in the same coup. d'état coin. At the present moment Ply Margall fe perfect master of every- thing until Sefior Figueras recovers trom his grief. Armed pands afe running all over the town in search of the leaders of the reactionary move- ment, who are, of course, nowhere to be tound, notwithstanding a mumber of houses having been ransacked. Marshal Serrano’s residence Was among the ‘first invaded, his large collection of arms was taken away and some other damage done; and long after midnight the Puerta el So] and all the cafés were thronged with an ex- cited, vociferating and gesticulating mass of peo- ple. My landlord, whois a monarchist, rushed into my room quite pale and feverish, saying I had bet- ter pack my luggage again, as we were at the full mercy of the mob and were sure to have our throat out by to-morrow morning. APRIL 25.—But the next morning brougnt no increase of danger; all seems to goon as harm- lessly as on the previous day, and the crowd cov- ering the square in tront of the Palacio Jel Gober- nacion seemed to be as large as yesterday and composed of the same persons. The nation so much accused of sayagery and blood-thirstiness showed once more how false were those accusa- sions. Not @ quarrel was to be seen; not a violence committed; and a new decree cen- suring the invasion of private houses, made on the previons day, was placarded everywhere, warning the National Guards against any new attempt of the sort, which would bring the culprits before the tribunals. Having wit- nessed revolutionary movements in other coun- tries, and especially in France, I was quite amazed at seeing the: moderation of Spaniards, who have everywhere such high reputation for violence and lawlessness, and who look, as a rule, so dreadfully flerce from under ®hetr sombrero and their capa. This apparently pacific disposition of the victo- Jious republicans caused me to believe that if Mar- shal Serrano might have had to apprehend some danger in the first movement he would have known his countrymen well enough not to fear anything when the first excitement had passed over, and that he was probably still to be found somewhere in or about Madri, the more so as he could plead having taken no part in the attempt, General Letona and the Marquis de Sardoal having been the men who organized the monarchist battalions in the Bull Ring, ana consequently remaining, trom a legal point of view, the only answerable persons. 1 went, accordingly, in search of the Marshal, de- sirous to hear what he had tosay concerning the movement, and having a letter to him from his wife. Before leaving Bayonne I called upon THE DUCHESS DE LA TORRE (for such is the title of the beautiful lady who was once the wife of the Regent and almost full mis- tress of Spam) at her villa at Biarritz, and asked the favor of being introduced to her husband. “What for,” said she, with almost a sad smile, “My husband ts nobody now after all he has done for Spain. Quite lately he tried again to be useful to nis country, and was about to settle the artillery question. The gentlemen who now call themselves Ministers at Madrid gave him full powers, and said they accepted beforehand all his conditions. Yet yesterday I got a letter from him saying that all his efforts were in vain, and that the Madrid government had behaved with him like men with- out honor. You know how moderate the Duke is in his language, and therefore you will believe that the case must have been a very hard one, indeed, if he speaks that way. Yet every one knows that he is the only man that could help our poor coun- try out of its diMcuities. I received, quite re- cently, @ telegram from Monsieur Thiers assuring me that, should my husband come to power, the Republic would be immediately acknowledged by France, and he belleved by other Powers, too.’’ And while telling me this little underhand es- capade of the shrewd old ruler of France, the Duchess handed me an almost microscopical note, bearing the address of “‘Bxcelentisimo Sefior Duque dela Torre,” written in a handwriting as fine and small as only @ Spanish lady is capable of writing. “But you must send me the Hera If you write anything about my husband. Though I don’t know English, I understand it sufficiently to see whether you have abused us and whether you deserve a scolding when I see you again.” Yet, notwithstanding my being armed with this little but highly effective pags, I have to give up all hopes of discovering the whereabouts of the Marshal at Madrid, though I spent the whole of to- day in search of hi His most intimate friends firmly believe he has already escaped from the capital and ison bis way to France. “If anyone knows anything positive about him,’ said one of his late alds-de-camp, “it can only be the old Courtess of Montijo. But he is not with her, for her house was ransacked yesterday by a band of our present masters—la canaille.” As the Countess had fay- ored me with an invitation to cali upon her when I visited Madrid, and as I knew that her house was the best imaginable place for taking a view behind the scenes of Spanish politics, I resolved to call without any further delay at the splendid mansion of the Piaza del Angel, APRIL 26.— THE MOTHER OF THE BX-EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH is almost blind now, but her mind is as fresh and bright as ever, and her house remains still the centre of everything influential in Spain. I called early in the afternoon, and found the Countess alone, seated in her favorite, artificially darkened corner of @ vast saloon transformed into something like @ Winter garden, The conversation fell quite naturally on the events of the day, and the old lady, at all times a capital talker, was more ani- mated than ever, “SERRANO was not here,” said she, “and I sincerely regret that he did mot ask for my hospitality; I should have been most happy tobe of any assistance to him, He is 4 man of eminent capacities and great energy, though I dom’t believe him to be fit foran actual leader. He must work under some one, or at least in the name of some one; then he is ‘forth any price. But when he is to be the man he is inelined to hesitate, and I know that this time my estimate of him has perfectiy Justitiéd itself. If they did not succeed on Wednes- Serrano rushed to Piy Margall and made him sign Ath nih, 6p och Anihlidicem emitier nated day it was his, fault. Every one came “fer pomne °C w00 Ne. Doggy ‘X873.—TRIPLE. SHEET. A He caused himself to be outdone by Estevanes. ‘That is a man; @ brigand, but really a man. With- out him all the literati ruling over our destinies Would have lost aday or two more, and Serrano might perhaps have taken some resolution, But Estevanez spied out everything, caused all the commanding oMcers to be changed at a few min- utes’ notice and not only defeated Serrano, but cut off very nearly all his chances of escape. If we were @ revengeful people, the poor Marshal might have been shot already. But happily enough we are not 80; we always help each other out of difiiculties, and Serrano was protected by the very same men against whom he fought. kvery one of the vanquished party has escaped with the full knowledge of the government. Sefior Cas- telar did his best to place all the leaders of the; movement under the protection of some foreign embassy, and tuey are all on their Way to Biarritz now. We are, don’t you see, so accustomed to revolutions, and are se little @ure of net wanting some one's help to- morrow, that we instinctively protect everybody to-day. This personal kindness of feeling, going alongside with great political harshness, is quite characteristic of the Spaniards of all classes. It has got into their blood. Look how the Carlists are protectedeverywnere, Look at the mob itself that is now full master of every one of us. Do they do any harm toanyone? Personal safety was never greater in'Madrid than it is now. All the rufians get a gun, are supposed to be something, and are quite satisfied, They watch. over that very property they wouid have otherwise stolen and protect thoge very lives they would have otherwise taken, perhaps, Ibegin to like republican arrange- ments. Turn al) the thieves and brigands into guardians of peace and order, and all the difficul- Ues of the so-called big agglomerations of modern cities are gotover. Is it not nice? And I can as- sure you that in a fortnight—uniess something quite new happens again—Serrano can drive daily on the Prado as comfortably as if nothing had hap- pened, But what do I say?—a fortnight! To- Morrow every danger will be over, especially if there isa bull fignt, You will see it yourself. But you might see also many new rows and, perhaps, actual bloodshed should the weather get hot and our blood begin to boil a little. As long as the Weather remains so cold 1 do not apprehend any serious disturbances,” I could not help laughing at the picture tre Countess drew here of the temperament and pe- culiarities of her countrymen, “You laugh,” said she, “but I am really telling you the truth, althoughI may seem as if I was joking. We are a strange people, not like every- body else. But, all plaisanteries aside, I must avow Iam amazed at the behavior of what we call our canaile, I begin deeply to respect this semi- Savage mob, They behave themselves really won- derfully, and I believe nowhere could a similar sight be seen—certainly not in our beloved France. Mind you that they are absolute masters to do what they please with every one of us, and what have they done? [ have, to quote only one instance, large estates in the province of Valladolid. ‘The peasants got the notion that “republic? meant breaking up of all large es- tates and distribution of land among them. And so they came to my steward to inquire when and how the partition was to be effected. They said they knew for certain the Republic meant such a parti- tion, The steward, who is@ clever eld man and knows his people well, did not make any noise and did not contradict them, but said he was quite sure they were right and was very glud their position Would beso much better now, but added that be- fore proceeding with any new arrangement both himself and the peasants ought to recetve orders from Madrid, so as to avoid any chance of getting into legal troubles. They quite agreed with him that such was the wisest course, and, though the explanation took place three months ago, they never appeared again since that time. And even here in Madrid, where the mob 1s sup- posed to be much more impudent than in the provinces, it seems to me to be very good-natured, You know that a band invaded my house yesterday in search of Serrano. I was at dinner with a few friends, and on the footman’s announcement of the unexpected visit I ordered him to say to the man in command of the band that as I had no material force to oppose him he was at liberty to do what he liked, and that I would not disturb my- self from the dinner. I gave also orders to throw everything open. Well, what was the re- sult? Five men only came up stairs, the body of the band remaining outside. ‘hey searched every coruer of the house, but in @ manner as proper and business-like as the best police would have done. And when they reached the dining room and I offered them, according to our national custom, to partake of my meal, they all blushea as school girls, and were only anxious to get away as quickly as possible.” The Countess spoke on this theme of the inoffen- siveness of Spanish character for more than an hour, and advised me once more to go on the next day to the very same bull-ring where the new revolution was intended to take place but @ few days ago. “You will see your- self that everything will be forgetten by to-morrow.” And so I went the next afternoon to the bull fight. It was the thira fight of this season. The ring, said to be capable of accom- modating nearly fifteen thousand spectators, was THE POLARIS. Mrs. Hall’s Presentiment of Her Gallant Husband's Death, CAPTAIN BUDDINGTON ‘AND HIS CHIEF, Preparations for the Search Expedition. Arctid WASHINGTON, June 17, 1873. Mrs. Hall, the widow of Captain Halli, who is still in Washington, did not come here to represent her needy condition to the Secretary of the Navy, as has been stated, but to see the Esquimaux, Joe and Hannah, to learn from their lips the sad par- ticulars of her husband's death. But in this she Was disappointed, as they had been sent to Maine. On bis previous expeditions Mrs, Hall always con- fidently looked for his safe return, but on his last voyage she had a presentiment that he would never come back, CAPTAIN HALL AND BUDDINGTON, An evening paper says the following statement may be relied upon as strictly accurate. Captain Hall hims If was sanguine not only of accomplish- ing glorious results in behalf of science and of reaching the North Pole, but seemed confident of @ safe return. He was especially pleased with the selection of Captain Buddington as his sailing master, and 80 expressed himself to many friends before his departure, Captain Buddington’ was his old sailing master tn 1860, twelve years be- fore, and he seemed to have great confidence im his ability and experience ag a seaman, especially’ in the Northern latitudes. He had manuscripts) sufficient to make several large volumes, and he told his friends that when he returned he INTENDED TO SETTLE DOWN and devote several years to the careful prepara< tion of the data he had obtained tn his vartou polar expeditions, It may be mentioned as a mat~ ter of rumor that while Captain Hall was pleased with the Selection of Buddington, he dislikedTy- son, the mate, but it does not appear, if such hued the case, that he ever formally }. otested against his occupying an official position on the Polaris, THE JUNIATA. —_——-. The Arctic Search Expedition—Preparas tions for the Relief of the Crew of thea Polaris—Red Tape Again. Looking through the wrong end of the telescope may be all very well in the way of a joke, but when necessary to take prompt and important action. things should be seen in their proper light. It seems that the Secretary of the Navy has done everything to facilitate the preparations for the rescue of the Polaris’ crew. The Juniata, a third rate screw of 827 tons, has been ordered to proceed to Disco, there to await intelligence of the missing parties, while the sealer Tigress is to be got in readiness and start from tms port about the 4th proximo to prosecute the search. The first mentioned vessel 1s to be laden with coal and provisions and otherwise fitted out tor the voyage, and je wiseacres at Washington, with characteristic foresight, were of opinion that all this could be accomplished in a day's notice. It must be borne in mind, however, that while the commander and officers of the Juniata may be active and energetic in carrying out orders the circumlocution ofice of the Navy Yard is an insti+ tution that must not be hurried in hot weather. Its dignified members require their regular meals and their doze, and, no matter how great the emergency, it is hopeless to expect anything from the Messrs, Barnacle in the shape of progress or spirit, When the orders were received by the Juniata to jand her shot and shell no time was lost in doing’ 80, and the vessel, which had been at anchor off the Battery, reached the Na Yard on Monday evening at hali-past five o’clock. Commander Braine, 80 soon as the Juniata arrived at the ordnance dock, ordered the battery to be landed, including an eleven-inch pivot and carriage, sev eral nine-inch guns, with shot, grape and canister, retaining on board two nine-inch guns. The mem under vigilant supervision worked like beavers, and all the orders received from the Department up to noon yesterday were rapidly executed. The vessel will to-day proceed to the Navy Yard and prepare for the cruise, and, should there be less rea tape and drowsiness exhibited on the part of some ofthe somnoient officials, she may be got read: in reasonable time. From all appearances the offl- cers of the ship are unremitting in their attention and merit encouragement from the proper source. But tn view of the importance of the task allotted to the Juniata it may be just as well to state thas this overtaxing of her ca} ty will hardly prove a successful enterprise. She is @ comparatively small vessel, and the removal of her and ammuni- tion will scarcely leave sufficient space for the re- quired supplies, however heavily laden. An arctio explorer and an officer of experience made an ad- mirable suggestion in the Navy Yard yesterday afternoon to the effect that the Juniata be de- spatched to St. Johns, Newfoundland, there to meet siarge sized schooner of three or four pt 8, able to carry @ good sup, o' rovisions. The Juniata could convoy her to isco, or wherever else the Secretary of the Navy Might deem advisable. A depot of refuge could be established to which the Tigress could resort, the Juniata meanwhile maintaining communication crowded to excess, and the excitement was so great and all the approaches to the Plaza de Toros so thronged with gaily dressed crowds that I could not help sharing, at least for the moment, the optimist views of the old Countess of Montijo. “QUT OF THE DEPTHS.” A Seven Months’ Mystery Solved—Start- Mng Story of Land and Sea—Great Re- jotcing in Several Jersey Families=A Lost Son, Husband and Father Found. Last November, at the time of the great Boston fire, a good deal of excitement was occasioned in Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey in conse- quence of the very mysterious and unaccountable disappearance froin his haunts and home of Mr. J. E. Van Doren, an attaché of a New York newspaper. and the son of an esteemed clergyman of Boonton N. J.,.Rev. L. H. Van Doren. Young Van Doren had peen living happily with his wife and two children in Brooklyn. He went off one day with one hundred and fifty dollars or so in his pocket, for a day’s shooting, in company with a male acquaintance. His failure to return after a reason- able time agitated his friends, but as time wore on the mystery of his fate deepened, if any- thing. The very clever and capable police authorities of Brooklyn bent themselves en ergetically to ferret out the mystery, but they were no more successful than less clever people—than they were themselves in the Good- rich case. The Chief scouted the story of Van Doren having gone Lda toy | He insisted that he was murdered. Mrs. Van Doren, who, at the time, was visiting her father, Sherif Applegate, of Middlesex county, New Jersey, became sick over the matter, and {t was feared she would die. As time wore on the relatives of the missing man settie down to the conviction that he was dead, although, when & youngster in college, he ran of to sea one time,and was never heard of for three years, INTENSE JOY SUPPLANTING GREAT GRIEF. The houses whicn have for so many months been in pourine over two missing men have cast aside their sackcloth and ashes and are now radiant with joy and happy expectancy. The cause for this transformation Was the receipt the other day of a letter postmarked Rotterdam, Holland, date of May, 21, 1873, which solved the mystery and ran as follows :— My Deat Fataer—This is the first opportunity since leaving home I take to write to you toexplatn my absence | and to let you know my whereabouts. On tl ry t Wrote co you t started on a ducking expedition on t near Fire Leland. Sailing in a bout belonging to a scnoon lying near, and in com with one of her crew, ‘2 | npany were capsized, and with great difficulty [ managed to boat, — im} Bela tose, “he “Mnot being,” apparentiy.? alte ng lost e not ‘ ab to swim, Unable to right anor? boat, Yor was compelled to cling to the bottom and was drifted with the wind and tide out to sea, being nearly out of sight of land by day light the next morn uni le. bound to Buenos Ayres, South Ai cued and carried on board in @ Unconscious just as fever kept me insensidble for five days, and when I was again conscious we were faraway at sea. I could do nothing towards my return witil after being fifty-tou a ari! calm we boarded an between the depot and St. Johns. As itis, the Juniata is not competent to convey a much greater quantity of supplles than necessary for her own use. All orders received up to last evening, how- ever, Were*promptly executed. She will, of course, be equipped in a somewhat similar manner to that of the Congress, and should the Navy Yard people wake up alter the final orders are recetved no un- necessary delay need be apprehended. Tne Juniata has a crew of 200 men, but only half that number will be required for the cruise, The following is @ list Of the ofticers :— Commander—D. L. Braine, commanding. Executive Oficer—E. ©. Merriman. Navigator—G, W. De ae Lieutenants—George E. ide, E. P. McClelland Charies W. Chipp. Master—Frederick E, Upton. Ensigns—Wiliiam F, Bulkley, Samuel k, Comley, Sidney H. May, John D. Keeler, Altashi; ipman—J. J. Hunker. Surgeons—T. C. Walton, Assistant Surgeon B. Fe Rogers. Passed Assistant Paymaster—T. 8. Thompson. H, B. Howes; First Assistant, Engineers—Chief, J. J. Barry; Second Assistant, W. E. Roades, Acting Boatswain—P. Huckins. Gunner—M. K. Henderson. rpente » L. Martin, Sailmaker—G. M. Van Mater. MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC NOTES, Miss Neiison went to Long Branch yesterday for rest. Edwin F. Thorne plays this Summer at the Olympic and goes next Fall to Providence. The premiere danseuse, Mile. Tuesa Antonio, are rived in this city yesterday from Havana. Mr. Neil Bryant obtains a matinée benefit at Bryant's Opera House to-day. He will be assisted by Bryant's Minstrels and a number of his profes sional friends, Miss Emily Mestayer, of the Union Square Thea tre, starts for San Francisco on Thursday (to-mor- row), and will act there for a month, returning ta the Union Square in the Fal:. In reminding our readers of the fact that Mrs. James Lewis’ benefit takes place this even- ing at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, we are con- Strained to say that this ousiness of theatrical benefits is a mistake. We, of course, hope that Mr. Lewis’ friends will give him an overflowing house, but we see no reason why actors receiving good salaries should tax their friends on these special occasions, and we hope the custom will expire with this season. HONORS T0 THE CONFEDERATE DEAD, BaitrMors, Md., June 17, 1873. The graves of the Confederate soldiers at Loudom Park Cemetery were profusely decorated with flowers today. A formal address was made by James Franklin, of Annapolis, after which ex-Sen- ator Wigfall, of Texas, delivered a characteristia speech, During the ceremonies the statue of Con- federate soldiers, by Voick, standing in the centre of the Confederate graves, was unveiled. Gen- erals George H. Stuart and Trimble and Commo- dore Hollins, of the Canfederate service, took am active part tn th mon Engi rk, rom the Pacifie to Rotterdam, and knowing [could dud here and being pap nas tad sins ih i to do through the kindness of the captain. Mr. Van Doren arrived safe in Rotterdam and expects to be in the midst of his friends once more jn about forty days’ time. ne JF of Rey. Mr. Van Doren at the receipt of this intelligence, a3 cheer. Bias Side ts ad 3s lon! !s, t h PERJURY IN THE JUMBL OASE. Provipencs, R. I, June 17, 187%, In the United States Circuit Court, to-day, Joseph Perry was arraigned and led guilty to th indictments for perjury 1 Madame Jumei est case. Sentence wae noatooned at the request fe et aa a cu TEN Pie a a TO ree