A MAKER OF KINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12540, 29 June 1901, Page 9

A MAKER OF KINGS.

(Pea man's Weekly,} j Few people know thgt the present King of Spain owes his throne to an American. Probably little Alfonso XIII.. does not know it himself, but it is a fact, nevertheless. The, man was James M’Henry, a' speculator and promoter of large enterprises—a. mail pf extensive experience in the money yrprld, both pf Europe and America. M’Hehry it was who undertook and carried to a successful issue the fight which ousted Jay Gould from the control of the Erijwrailroad in the palmy days of the Wizards boldest enterprise. M’Henry, at that time, was an intimate friend of the Duke of Salamanca, who acted as the financial adviser of Isabella 11. Much of the Queen’s money was invested at M’Henry’s suggestion,, in the Erie properties, and a town in Western New York was named after the Duke, in token of M’Henry’s regard. It was in this manner that the American became acquainted with the exiled Queen, and finally induced her to counterbalance a bold and original plan for the restoration of her son to the throne. Isabella had been dethroned in 1868. After her flight from Spain, the. Government was administered by a “junta” of generals, who fought among themselves and made a fine mess of things. In 1870 they decided to import a king, as nobody wanted Isabella, and she declined to abdicate in favour of Alfonso. Finally, after, offering the crown to a Prussian prince, and involving Napoleon 111. iri the fatal war with Germany as a consequence, they induced a son of Victor Emanuel I. of Italy to cpme and reign over them. Amadeus tried it for three years, and then gave it up as a bad job. Thereupon the generals set up what they called a republic, which, in reality, did not in any way answer to the name. In the meantime, Spain had been going fo the bad at a rapid pace. The Carlist prei tender was at the head of a formidable army in full revolt. The finances of the country, under the successive tinkerings and stealings of the various administrations, had fallen into great disorder. Public credit was exhausted- The foreign bondholders could not get their interest, and began to murmur and clamour for intervention. In short, the republic was in byd repute, as Latin republics arc apt to be. Then cqmp along thm 'American with a plan. He unfolded the plan to the English an<| Erpnph bankers, whose bonds were daily "depreciating on the market of London and Paris. It was nothipg less than a resfpratip.p of tjie Isabella line in the person qf l]er Alfonso," a lad of sixteen, then a cadet at Woolwich. But how to accomplish the revolution? “ Leave all that to me,” said M’Heury to Isabella, and she, remembering how he had worsted Gould, wisely concluded to let him have a try at the republic. M’Henry called the. bankers together. They were tired of Spanish disorder and readily listened to him.. His only suggestion was that they should subscribe a ?u !n representing a certain, percentage pn their holdings and let him do the rest. ' Tips they did, and turned the nipney over to M'fleiiry.' The Queen abdicated and the little Prjnce was" installed' in M’lJenry’s palatial house, Qak' Lodge, near Hollaed House, and put in training for the role of king. Meanwhile, M’Henry had sent a few discreet gentlemen to Spain to interview the generals in power and see what , they wanted. It was found—not at all tp the surprise of M’Henry—that t]my all wanted nuicn the sanm; thing. There were, or course, soma who wanted more than others —titles, ylbbons, military rank qnd what not—but they all, with great unanimity, wanted money, _/; A# , M’Henry had them; . ■ •, .. ’ It did not take long to arrange .matters'then. It waa flflly' a question of how much. And in the autumn of 1874 Alfonso XXL j and cd at Barpdana, made a triumphal progress to Madnd, and ascended" the throne without firing a shot. /The American idea oi a revolution by syndicate y;as hailed by all concerned as a great modern improvement °.n old ways. 'Order y.-as speedily restored in Spain. In a year Dun Carlos was driven, from the field, and the bondholders lagan to draw interest and their breath at regular intervals. As for M’Henry, he laid by a. nice sum as his honest fee. The end of M’Henry was sad. He bad a plan to do the same job for the Prince Imperial of France. The buy was taken from Woolwich and sent to Zululand, to gam’ a little military glory betas going to Paris. But, alas! an assegai put an end to all bis ambition-;, M’Heury w£at bankrupt, and Franca remains a republic to this day. ■