The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3708, 11 January 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1875.

The news received by the Omeo of the fate of the Cospatrick will be real with deep regret by everyone in Dunedin. That in all probability none in this City are personally or relatively interested in the passengers or crew, whose sad lot we deplore, removes the sufferers from our immediate circle of syrn pathy, but not from that which embraces the whole human race. It is a sad end to the hopes which induced them to sail from Eng land to a land where they were led to suppose they would find comfort and plenty ; a sad end to the expectations of those who watched for their arrival at their destination, and of those who were waiting to follow them if their succe s led to wellfounded reasons for doing so. Fire is a terrible master even on shore, but still more fearful on the water. It finds food for its rapid spread in every rope and spar and sail; it interferes and often prevents means being taken for escape, and. creeping onward with terrible energy, there is but a choice of death by water or through its fearful agony. Probably the cause will remain a mystery, for the burned ship seldom affords means of investigation. (Seldom as disasters so terrible occur, they have their effect in adding to the difficulties of immigration agents; but the horrors connected with the burning of the Cospatrick will tend to increased care on the part of masters and crews of immigrant ships for many years to come. The Huropeau news is interesting. Another change has taken place of almost as romantic a character as any which has marked the history of a Ffoyal household : Alphonso, son of Isabella the Second, has been proclaimed King of Spain, and the telegram states that “he was recognised by the armies ” and everywhere else peaceably. The Bourbons arc once more coming to the surface. Six years ago Spain rebelled against Isabella. Somewhat over four years since she renounced her claim to the throne in favor of Alphonso, who is now some months more than seventeen years of age, having been born on November 28, 1857. in 1870, A madecr, son of Victor, Emmanuel, was elected King by the Cortes, an office which he held until February 11, 1873, when he resigned, saying, “For two long years I have worn the Crown of Spain, and Spain still lives in perpetual struggle. . . If the enemies of her wel-.-being were strangers or foreigners, then at the head of her valiant and suffering soldieis I would be the first to combat them. All those, however, who by their sword, their pen, and their speech aggravate and perpetuate the evils of the nation are Spaniards and after a few fuither comments, Amadeus renounced the crown for himself, his cliil dren, and his family. Another attempt at forming the Government into a Republic was then made, but ever since the abdication of the king elect, Spain has been harassed by a bloody and bitter civil war. Whether this change in the form of government will reconcile parties is doubtful, for Queen Isabella reigned in defiance of the ancient Salic law, which was set aside by Ferdinand 7th, her father, in her favor; and the claim of Don Carlos to the throne, for which he has warred forthirty-four years, is based upon the ille ality of that transaction, by which he was excluded from the succession Much as there was to be condemned in Isabella, Spain advanced during her reign in importance and internally, but has since lost ground so rapidly through civil dissension that nothing but a s'rong Government can put an end to the anarchy that prevails. Whether this can he accomplished by a youth of seventeen depends upon the chance of Ids being fortunate in bis counsellors and ministers, for an “old head is not to be found on young shoulders.”