neither money nor men to further the Cuban
war, it is likely that the Cubans will soon be victorious, for General
Weyler says that he has not enough men to pacify the island; the funds are
so low, that the Spanish soldiers can neither be paid nor fed properly
and are deserting to the Cuban ranks from sheer want.

The Carlist rising, that is so much feared, concerns the pretensions of a
certain Don Carlos to the throne of Spain.

From the time of Philip V., in 1713, the succession to the Spanish throne
had been according to the Salic law, from father to son; or to the nearest
male relative.

The Salic law is a very old law, which provides that no woman can inherit
lands, or occupy the throne. According to this law, if a king dies leaving
several daughters, but no son, the throne passes away from the daughters,
and goes to the nearest male relative, be he nephew, uncle, or cousin.

In 1829 Ferdinand III. of Spain, having no sons, rendered the Salic law of
no effect in Spain by a decree granting the right of succession to the
daughters and granddaughters of the king.

When Ferdinand died in 1833, his daughter Isabella Maria II. was declared
queen, and the brother of Ferdinand, who under the old law should have
been king, was passed over. This brother was named Don Carlos.

Don Carlos refused to recognize his brother's decree, and declared himself
King of Spain. Many of the nobles, who did not like the idea of being
ruled by a woman, flocked to his standard, and war was declared against
the party of the Queen by the people of Don Carlos' party, or Carlists, as
they were called.

For six years a cruel civil war raged, then Don Carlos was forced to give
in. This first war was from 1833 to 1839.

In 1860 Don Carlos II., the son of Don Carlos I. (Ferdinand's brother),
declared himself King of Spain, and headed a new Carlist rising, which was
again unsuccessful.

There have been several unsuccessful uprisings since then.

From 1873 to 1876 Don Carlos III. headed a rising which bid fair to be
successful.

Don Carlos III. is the direct descendant of Don Carlos I., and is the
present pretender to the Spanish throne, to which, according to the Salic
law, he is the rightful heir.

In January, 1876, he was forced to give up the fight, and nothing more has
been heard of him till the present time.

There have been murmurs of new Carlist risings, but no actual trouble has
been feared.

Now, with the whole country enrage