Sartorius, a man of very traditional convictions, was the leader of a faction of the Moderate Party which, because of his erroneously supposed Polish origin, was known as los polacos ("the Poles").

His newspaper, El Herlado, became one of the mainstays of the moderates during the regency of the Progressivist Baldomero Espartero.

During the Moderate decade (1844-1854), Sartorius held several political offices, especially three times as Ministry of the Interior (Ministro de Gobernacion) in 1847, 1849-1851 and 1853-1854.

His paternal ancestors were from Hesse, the grandfather Johann Philipp Sartorius came from Umstadt and the grandmother María Isabel Trier was from Wehrda.

He married María Joaquina Tapia Sánchez, born in Puerto Rico; her parents, Antonio de Tapia and Josefa Sánchez Oviedo, following a spell in America returned to their native Andalusia.