((Private))
At the age of sixty-four, Don Esteban Alonso Fitz-James Stuart y Silva finally started to feel his age bearing upon him. He served the monarchy all his life. Since he was a young man, he has been assisting to enforce the cause of Carlism both by pen and sword and held public offices for thirty years. At times he wondered - what would have it been to live a private life instead of political one? To spend more time with his children, in his manors? Perhaps he would not have experienced the blisses and joys of glory and authority - and yet maybe he would be happier? As many aging men, he also missed the court of Carlos V, his iron will and pragmatic mind that held the Realm together. He was very loyal to his successor - and yet Carlos VI and his love for art were not as understandable for Don Esteban as his august father was. The first was a friend - and the other was only a master. The Duke of Alba for the first time in his life started considering, after a few more years, to consider leaving tiresome public service and enjoy the pleasures of honorable retirement. But first he had to ensure that if the new blood pours into the veins of the Council of Ministers, it is good blood. If he goes - he could not leave His Catholic Majesty at the pleasure of vultures and foxes.
First of all, I must mention that some of ideas expressed by the good Duke of Seville are in the wrong. He, it seems, somehow believes that people possess inherent political rights such as the right to assemble and that by denying them our August Sovereign, the King, would be a tyrant. This was the logic of the French revolutionaries - and following this path, you could reach very dangerous assumptions. First you say that disallowing assemblies would make the King a tyrant, next you claim that the King is a tyrant if he is not limited by a rule of an elected council, and then you declare that the head of state is a tyrant if he is not elected by the mob, but gains his power by birthright!
it should be clear to all of us - His Catholic Majesty rules this country absolutely by the Grace of God and the range of political rights of His subjects are only at his discretion. Even we, the councillors of state, sit here not by right - but by privilege and upon the order of the King,
Therefore the question whether the King should allow or ban public assemblies, should be decided upon from the following point of view - whether they would be useful for His Catholic Majesty and the state?
We should understand one thing clearly - seditious and rebellious public assemblies, where rebels are free to criticize the monarchy and utter blasphemous statements should not be allowed. We all remember that the armed Jacobin groups that have been for many years threatening the public safety, we all remember how dissentious assemblies brought down many regimes. Therefore it is very important to separate patriotic and royal assemblies from rebellious manifestations.
Regarding the Balearic home rule, I would say the following - up to now the Duke of Menorca did not provide the State Council and the Cabinet any evidence proving the fact that these islands, in cultural, political and economic sense, is a separate entity that should posses autonomy. The Balearic people speak Spanish and a dialect of the Catalan language, their cuisine consists of Catalan and Spanish dishes, their culture is Spanish in their essence - what reason, administrative, cultural or economical, exists there to separate them politically from the mainland Spain?
((Rich))
At the age of sixty-four, Don Esteban Alonso Fitz-James Stuart y Silva finally started to feel his age bearing upon him. He served the monarchy all his life. Since he was a young man, he has been assisting to enforce the cause of Carlism both by pen and sword and held public offices for thirty years. At times he wondered - what would have it been to live a private life instead of political one? To spend more time with his children, in his manors? Perhaps he would not have experienced the blisses and joys of glory and authority - and yet maybe he would be happier? As many aging men, he also missed the court of Carlos V, his iron will and pragmatic mind that held the Realm together. He was very loyal to his successor - and yet Carlos VI and his love for art were not as understandable for Don Esteban as his august father was. The first was a friend - and the other was only a master. The Duke of Alba for the first time in his life started considering, after a few more years, to consider leaving tiresome public service and enjoy the pleasures of honorable retirement. But first he had to ensure that if the new blood pours into the veins of the Council of Ministers, it is good blood. If he goes - he could not leave His Catholic Majesty at the pleasure of vultures and foxes.
The Duke of Alba's address to State Council
((Public))
Dear colleagues,((Public))
First of all, I must mention that some of ideas expressed by the good Duke of Seville are in the wrong. He, it seems, somehow believes that people possess inherent political rights such as the right to assemble and that by denying them our August Sovereign, the King, would be a tyrant. This was the logic of the French revolutionaries - and following this path, you could reach very dangerous assumptions. First you say that disallowing assemblies would make the King a tyrant, next you claim that the King is a tyrant if he is not limited by a rule of an elected council, and then you declare that the head of state is a tyrant if he is not elected by the mob, but gains his power by birthright!
it should be clear to all of us - His Catholic Majesty rules this country absolutely by the Grace of God and the range of political rights of His subjects are only at his discretion. Even we, the councillors of state, sit here not by right - but by privilege and upon the order of the King,
Therefore the question whether the King should allow or ban public assemblies, should be decided upon from the following point of view - whether they would be useful for His Catholic Majesty and the state?
We should understand one thing clearly - seditious and rebellious public assemblies, where rebels are free to criticize the monarchy and utter blasphemous statements should not be allowed. We all remember that the armed Jacobin groups that have been for many years threatening the public safety, we all remember how dissentious assemblies brought down many regimes. Therefore it is very important to separate patriotic and royal assemblies from rebellious manifestations.
Regarding the Balearic home rule, I would say the following - up to now the Duke of Menorca did not provide the State Council and the Cabinet any evidence proving the fact that these islands, in cultural, political and economic sense, is a separate entity that should posses autonomy. The Balearic people speak Spanish and a dialect of the Catalan language, their cuisine consists of Catalan and Spanish dishes, their culture is Spanish in their essence - what reason, administrative, cultural or economical, exists there to separate them politically from the mainland Spain?
((Rich))
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