Pi y Margall, Francisco

Pi y Margall, Francisco (fränthēs`kō pē ē märgäl`), 1824–1901, Spanish statesman and writer. A liberal journalist, he fled to France after the unsuccessful uprising of 1866 against Gen. Leopoldo O'Donnell. After the overthrow of Isabella II in 1868 he was elected (1869) to the Cortes. He was briefly president (1873) of the short-lived first Spanish republic, and he continued as deputy in the Cortes after the restoration of the monarchy (1875). He defended the principle of federalism against centralism, thus gaining wide popularity in Catalonia and also among the anarchists. He also favored autonomy for Cuba. His uprightness and intelligence won him the respect even of the hostile right.