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Heraldo
(in 1842), which became the
mouthpiece of those opposed to the ascen-
dancy of General B
ALDOMERO
E
SPARTERO
.
By 1843 the young editor had been elected
he had attached himself to another political
general, R
AMÓN
N
ARVÁEZ
and served as
minister of
gobernación
until 1851. Sartorius
used the wide range of responsibilities
included within his portfolio to pursue
reforms in such areas as the development of
forestry and the creation of a school of engi-
neering. Modernization of primary educa-
tion also received his support, as did the
upgrading of police training and procedures
and the introduction of civil-service legisla-
tion to replace patronage by demonstrated
competence. He was also responsible for
major improvements in Madrid's public
works, notably the construction of the
Teatro Real. Sartorius won the particular
gratitude of Spain's literary community by
introducing laws to protect intellectual
property rights so that playwrights and
poets could secure a return on their writ-
ings. A number of those who benefited
from his enlightened activities contributed
to a volume of tributes that was published
in his honor. After a period of political
reversal Sartorius ascended to the presi-
dency of the Council of State in 1853, a
post he held until the major military coup
of July 1854 forced him from office. He
introduced a stream of legislation in this
new post, including court reform and
improvement of communications. The
energy and honesty of the young statesman
proved more exhausting than impressive to
many of his colleagues. Furthermore his
self-confidence was perceived by some as
vanity or arrogance. Provoked by opposi-
tion within the Cortes, the conde de San
Luis (the title that had lately been bestowed
upon Sartorius) dissolved the legislature.
His conduct provoked a series of military
revolts during early 1854, and the major
rebellion in June of that year forced him
from office. Sartorius would subsequently
serve as ambassador to Rome and presided
over the final parliamentary session of the
reign of Queen I
SABELLA
II (1868).
Fernando Sartorius y Chacón (1869-
1926), second count of San Luis, had a
more modest political career than his father,
although he served as ambassador to L
IS
-
BON
and held ministerial office.
Sebastian I (Sebastião I)
(1554-1578)
king of Portugal
After succeeding his grandfather, John III,
Sebastian remained under a regency until
1568. Under intense clerical tutelage Sebas-
tian became an ardent champion of Cathol-
icism and a committed advocate of war
against Islam. Following several earlier
attempts that were abandoned he assem-
bled a crusading army that included most of
the available fighting men and many of the
nobles of Portugal. He increased this force
by hiring mercenaries and even diverted
into his service a papal expedition bound
to aid the rebels in Ireland when its trans-
ports stopped at Lisbon for repairs. Under
his personal command the crusaders
formed a temporary alliance with one of
the rival contenders for the Moroccan
throne and marched into the interior of the
country to confront the other Moroccan
monarch. After a fruitless and exhausting
trek through the desert they were attacked
and totally defeated in the so-called Battle
of the Three Kings at A
LCAZARQUIVIR
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