The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-05 00:00:00

at the abrupt and tragical termination to a career
which might have been as prosperous as brilliant,
and indignation at the cowardly and cruel murder
of a royal prisoner of war. The Mexicans can plead
no excuse for their dastardly conduct. Their crime
is also a blunder, for they have by it not
only excited a strong feeling against them in Eng-
land, France, and Germany, but they have alienated
the sympathies of their most powerful allies, the
people of the United States. They have left them-
selves without a friend, as well as put themselves
beyond the pale of civilised Governments. They
may answer that such acts have been common
enough in Mexico for more than half a century ;
but this argument only proves that JUAREZ is unfit
to be a ruler, and that the old state of violence
and lawlessness is to be maintained. Already has the
condition of Mexico occasioned the intervention of
the European Powers, and it is likely enough that the
murder of the EMPEROR may produce a similar re-
sult. It can hardly fail, at all events, to elicit so
loud and unanimous an outcry as to shake a much
firmer seat than that of the new ruler of Mexico.

MAXIMILIAN himself could have had little hope
of a fortunate issue when he decided to abide by
his few remaining adherents. The chances of suc-
cess banished with the last of the French troops,
and, although there would be little glory or satis-
faction in occupying a throne propped up by foreign
bayonets, yet there might have been a possibility
of his eventually being accepted by the people.
Some surprise has been latterly expressed, in review-
ing his history, that MAXIMILIAN should have been
willing to abandon his safe and honourable position
at the Austrian Court for the dangerous and uncer-
tain dignities of Mexico. But he was an ambitious
and able man ; he possessed undoubtedly the capa-
cities of a wise and liberal ruler, and was generally
popular among those with whom he had
mingled. The career opened before him in
the New World no doubt attracted him as
much by the scope which it offered for his
powers and energies as it allured him by its
brilliancy, and there is no doubt that he and his
consort exerted themselves to the utmost to establish
a firm but liberal and tolerant administration. In
another country their efforts might have been suc-
cessful, but MAXIMILIAN had not sufficiently taken
into account the chronic turbulence of Mexico. It
may be questioned whether any man could reduce
the people to subjection, could fuse the parties
into one, could crush his rivals and main-
tain law and order, so long as he only repre-
sented one of the dominant factions. The sad
progress of the story we are all familiar
with. The Americans resented the presence of
foreign troops in their vicinity and the mainten-
ance of a monarchical form of government.
They insisted upon the withdrawal of the French
troops. Prudence would have dictated that
MAXIMILIAN should leave the country with them,
since JUAREZ and his party were every day gaining
strength. But there was still a large body of
Mexicans who had consistently supported him,
and who felt themselves hopelessly compromised
with the Republican party, from whom they
could expect nothing but pitiless slaughter.
They implored MAXIMILIAN to make a last effort
for them and for himself, and he yielded to their
entreaties, though he must have known he was
playing a desperate game. The last act of the
tragedy was expedited by one of those dastardly
acts of treachery which have so often stained similar
records. A bribe induced one of the EMPEROR'S
trusted associates to betray the city, and MAXIMI-
LIAN himself and his associates fell into the hands
of the Republicans on the 19th of June. They
were executed, and the mourning relations
of the Austrian Prince have at least the satisfaction
of knowing that he has sacrificed his life to his
honour. It is better for the house of IlarsnuitG
to lament the loss of one of its most promising
members than to receive him as a deserter from the
post of duty. It was better for MAXIMILIAN to
fall beneath the bullets of the savage soldiery than
to listen in the security of a European palace
to details of the slaughter of the followers
he had abandoned. his name adds another to
the list of those princes whose life in prosperity
and ease may never attain distinction, but who
when placed in situations of danger and despair
at once rise to an elevation of character which
commands the admiration, while it awakens the
sympathies of their fellows.