Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/574

 150

OBITUARY.

W

Safior Castelar. — Emilio Castelar was born at Cadiz in 1882, the son of a Liberal agitator who died young. The boy was educated first at Alicante and afterwards at the Madrid University. He did fairly well in his examinations, but had already commenced writing for the newspapers, and before he had reached the age of twenty he had written a novel. His talents, however, as a speaker were greater than as a writer, and the Vicalvarist revolution of 1854 gave him his opportunity. He was appointed Professor of Philosophy and History in the University of Madrid, and distinguished himself by a series of lectures, of a very Liberal tone, on the first five centuries. He subsequently fell under the influence of Victor Hugo, and adopted his master's republican views. In conse- quence of an attack upon Queen Isabella, he was removed from his post by Marshal Narvaez in 1865. The students protested by stormy proceed- ings, and Narvaez was forced to resign, and Castelar restored to his place. His attitude during the following twelve months proved that his views had undergone little change, for in 1866 he was forced to leave Spain, and took refuge in Italy and afterwards in Belguim, supporting himself by writ- ing for American newspapers.

He took no prominent part in the agitation, led by Prim and Sagasta, which ended in the flight of Queen Isabella, and the election of Prince Amadeo to the Spanish throne. He was elected a member of the Cortes, by which the new constitution was settled, and steadily maintained that the choice lay between a restoration of the old dynasty and a republic. Overtures were made in the first instance to the Duke of Genoa, and subsequently to the Hohenzollern Prince, whose can- didature was one of the pretexts of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Finally Prince Amadeo consented to accept the offer of the vacant throne, but in 1878, after little more than two years, was forced to abdicate. Throughout this period Castelar, although a member of the Cortes, had taken no prominent part, but on the downfall of Amadeo, the Republican party, of which he was the acknowledged leader, were left in temporarily undisputed possession of the field. The aim of the party was to subdivide Spain into self-governing provinces, and further represented by a Federal Cortes, after the model of the United States. The immediate result was anarchy throughout the country, and in September, 1873, the Cortes elected Castelar as head of the Execu-

tive Government, with almost a dic- tator's powers, and adjourned for four months. During this period Castelar displayed great firmness, and with a view of re-establishing order in the southern provinces had no scruple in executing rioters who under the name of Cantonalists were spreading ruin around. He applied the principles of conscription without favour to classes, reorganised the Army, and by an understanding with the Vatican, weak- ened the power of the Carlists in the north. The more fanatical Repub- licans repudiated this policy of com- promise, and on the meeting of the Cortes in January, 1874, a vote of want of confidence in Senor Castelar was moved and passed. Marshal Pavia, Captain General of CaStille, acting wholly on his own initiative at once dispersed the Cortes, and a military government under Marshal Serrano was provisionally set up to carry on the affairs of the country. Castelar at once returned to his duties at the Uni- versity, which he continued to discharge without taking part in politics until the end of the year, when General Martinez de Campos restored the Spanish Bourbons and called Alfonso XII. to the throne. Castelar there- upon left the country for a short time, dissociating himself from the more violent Republicans who acted under Ruiz Zorrilla. Upon his return he avowed himself a " Posibilista," and entered into an understanding with Sagasta, the leader of the Liberals, devoting his attention chiefly to liber- alising the new constitution, drafted by Canovas after the restoration of the monarchy, and when this had been modified — some years later — by the reintroduction of universal suffrage, Castelar reconciled himself to the monarchy. He, however, abstained from taking any personal responsi- bility, although acting under his advice several of his followers took office under Sagasta. The later years of his life were devoted to literary work, and amongst his numerous pro- ductions, a " Life of Lord Byron," was translated into English. His fame, however, rests chiefly upon his eloquent speeches, and upon a certain quality of reasonableness which distinguished him from his political contemporaries in Spain. He died at San Pedro de Pinatar on May 25, and the esteem in which he was held by his countrymen from the Queen Regent downwards was touchingly shown in the general mourning which followed, and the public honours paid to his memory.