was to
become Isabella II., had a clear claim to the throne from the time of
her birth. The person most interested in opposing this action was Don
Carlos, brother of Fernando, who was the rightful heir in the event of
his brother's death under the former procedure. When the fact became
known that Don Carlos had been dispossessed in this way by the
machinations of Maria Cristina, he and his followers put forth every
effort to induce Fernando to undo what he had done; but all to no avail,
and in 1833, when the king died, Maria became regent during the minority
of the youthful Isabella. For the next seven years Spain was in a
turmoil as the result of the continual revolts which were raised by the
friends of Don Carlos, and Maria for a time had much trouble in making
headway against them.

The political game she was playing gave her strange allies during these
days, for she was naturally in favor of an autocratic government, after
the manner of the old regime; but as Don Carlos had rallied to his
standard the clerical and conservative parties of the country, Maria was
forced, as a mere matter of self-protection, to make friendly advances
to the growing liberal forces in society, which had been brought into
permanent existence by the success of republicanism in France. In spite
of this nominal espousal of the liberal cause, Maria was continually
trying to avoid popular concessions and to retain unimpaired the
despotic power of the monarchy, but she was soon forced to see that, in
appearance at least, she must pretend to advance the popular cause and
give her subjects more extended privileges. Accordingly, she issued a
decree in 1834 establishing a new constitution and creating a
legislature composed of two chambers; but there was more pretence than
reality in this reform, and the dissatisfaction of the liberals
increased as the queen-regent's real purposes became more clearly
understood. Fortunate in having at the head of her armies a great
general, Espartero, Maria finally succeeded in dispersing and exhausting
the Carlist armies; but then differences arose between the queen and
Espartero over the rights of the chartered towns, which she was
endeavoring to abolish; and the popular sentiment was so in favor of the
liberal side of the discussion, that a revolution was threatened and
Isabella was forced to seek safety in flight. For three years the
general-statesman ruled, until the majority of the Princess Isabella was
decla