THE LATE MARSHAL ESPARTERO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5276, 16 January 1879, Page 3

THE LATE MARSHAL ESPARTERO.

Wo take tho following sketch of the career of Mar sh.il K-pirtero, wlune death 13 renounced by c.iblograni, from "Men of the Times" :—"Don BalJomero Espartero, Duke do la Victoria, Marshal and at one timo Re. ent of Spain, was born in 1792, at Granatula, in La Jlaiioha. The youngest of the nine children of a csrtwright, he was intended, on account of his feoblo constitution, for ihe priesthood, but in 1808, when tho French invaded Spain, ho enrolled himself as a volunteer in the body of students ca led the Sscivd Battalion, and was phesd at a military school until his twenty-third year, when lie entered upon active servico as siib-liciiteiumt. Upon the expulsion of Napoleon from Sp;>,in, hia restless spirit led him to join Goneral Morillo in the South American Colonies. Ho returned to Spain, and in 1833, when Ferdinand VII died, took a decided part in favour of his daughter, Isabella I', opposed Zumahcirregui, and sustained many defeats ; but the tide of victory at length turned, and in 1841 Espartcro became Regent of Spain, and governed tho country with a fair share of success, although continually thwarted by intrigue. When General Navacz entered Madrid in 1843, General Espartero, compelled to retire, sought tho ptotcction of a British man-of-war, and sailed to England Having remained for fonie time in Loi.dou, ho was invite.t to return toSp:>in, where he resided a 9 a private citizon until Jnno,lSsl. InJuiy.QiKen Ifabella,much against her will, havingsent for General Espnrtcro.iuid commissioned him U> resume t.hn direction of affairs, ho entered the capital, and in conjunction with General O'Donncll, Ms former rival, formed a Mini-i r? t July 19 ; but his Government encountered pjreat difficulties in the corruption of tho Court and of the administrative departments, in the hostili'y of the c!eri;y, tha restlesi-nesi of D^o C'arlists, and thn fickleness and insubor.i mtion of its own professed fupportera. At lrnath, in the summer of ISS6, mat ten caaio to a crish. It was impossible that two such men a? Ksnartcioand O'JDonnell could work together in harmony for any lem;th of time. Goncrnl Espurtero w^s dismiss d and insurrections broke oat in JMalrid, Barcelona, and .SaraiOf-s.i ; but lie took no part in the quarrels made in his name, and sipum lost one of the most brilliant, positions that fortune or military prestige could offsr. In 1557 he resigned his dignity as ser.at.or, and siuce tlut tiiro 1m rarely appeared ir. connection with Spanish politics. After the. revolution (.f ISC3, which endel in the expulsion of Queen Isabella, General Ksparteio, gave his heart}' adhesion to the Provisional Goveriinu-nt, although he took no active parts in the events of that p, riod. In Way, ISC9, during the debates on the policy of re-establ slung the monarchal fjrm i.f Government, a deputy, Senor Oaiido, m^es-ted that Kspartcro should bo chosen King of Spain, but the proposal was not f ivourably received Ly the Cortrs. In February, 1875, he gave in his udheJon to tho u%u.*e of King Alfonzo XII. -