El Legitimista Español (1869-1870). Prensa y política del carlismo en la primera fase del Sexenio Democrático

Abstract

After the September 1868 revolution, a political new regime was established in Spain. Civil liberties were then more respected, in particular the freedom of the press. Therefore, several typologies of editorial activity were developed from the beginning and, in a significant way, both satirical and political linked to different currents that asserted their proposals, regarding the institutions destined to replace the previous ones. Carlism was also rather active in the journalistic sphere, when – for the first time in its history – it took the path of peaceful struggle, though without abandoning the option of an armed route. After some contextualization and a general analysis of the characteristics of the Carlist press in the Sexenio first period, we move on to a particular case study, taking into consideration two consequtive newspapers: El Legitimista Español and La Legitimidad, not so well studied as the best known La Esperanza, La Regeneración and El Pensamiento Español. The study of both newspapers allows us to delve into the political issues the Carlists had to face at the beginning of the Sexenio, since their editor, Cruz Ochoa, was one of the most active traditionalist deputies in the Cortes. And after 1872, he would be a convinced fighter of the Civil War.