The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-17 00:00:00

event, although marking no political change, and

appealing alone to human sympathy, which will
stand out strongly defined when those we now think
greatest have disappeared, save from musty re-
cords and the researches of the antiquary.
Maximilian commenced his march to Queretaro
with a force composed wholly of Mexicans, num-
bering but 1,600 men. It was politic to trust his
person to the natives, as the prejudice in Mexico

against foreigners was strong through every grade
of society. He left on the 19th February, 1867,
but a fortnight after the departure of the French,
and his career lasted only four months more. 8o
much did he desire to impress on the Mexicans his
intention of resting his life and crown on them only,
that Prince Saltn-Sslna's request to accompany him
was refused, and through the means of others after
the Emperor's departure the Prince against his direc-
tion joined him on the march. As a political move
it was a wise step in the Emperor to take the field
at the head of his Mexican subjects, and n
faulty in a military point of vie a', as Queretaro,
though indefensible, commanded the entrance to
the plateau from the North, and could not, un-
reduced, be passed by an invader. Miratnou's early
successes, after I.llaximilian's entrance, gave a bril-
liancy to the opening of the campaign, though it
quickly set iu disaster, that General returning after
the defeat inflicted on him by Escobedo with
scarcely a man. When the besieging forces of the
Liberals arrived they attempted to carry the. city
by assault, and met with severe repulses ; but
establishing themselves around and cutting off the
supplies, the garrison and inhabitants were soon
reduced to horseflesh, and it was then that the poor
material which composes a Mexican army was
painfully displayed. The Generals seem mainly to
have been actuated by jealousy and malice. They
were perpetually quarrelling with each other, and the
paltriest motives of spite or ambition not only out-
weighed the consideration due to their country and
their Sovereign, but also the extremities of their own
position. Marquez was directed to proceed to
Mexico, and bring all the troops he could muster to
the relief of Queretaro. He started, but never re-
turned, for when he took the field it was in the
direction of Vera Cruz, where he was supposed to
be on his way to join Santa Anna, when he was
attacked by Portirio Diaz, and saved his own ignoble
life, leaving his army to destruction, and re-enter-
ing Mexico almost alone. This was the man at the
head of Maximilian's army when he left Queretaro.
Miramon, whom the Emperor always called the
young General,led in the besieged city, yet both Mejia
and Mendez regarded him as a traitor, ceaselessly
urging on Maximilian the advisability of arresting
him. Mejia, whom the Emperor nick-named the
Little Black One (Mendez was the Little Stout
One) was an Indian of great influence in a moun-
tainous district not far distant, and advised
Maximilian to break through the enemy's lines,
and he and Mendez would guarantee his safety
if he reached their country. They regarded
Queretaro as a mousetrap, which would end in the
death of all. Prince Salm-Salm thinks Miramon
desired and laid his plans so as to get rid of him,
hazarding faulty sorties, and using up one of the
only good regiments (that commanded by the
Prince) for this object. With a lieutenant so in-
fluenced, with two of the great Indian chiefs openly
believing in his treachery, with Marquez bent only
on his personal gain, with troops reduced to great
privations and little prospects, it required all Maxi-
milian's courage and his indefatigable work in the
trenches, hospitals, and batteries, to keep up the
hearts of the garrison, and to bind the little band
to himself. His unselfish devotion and marked
courage, his gentle, captivating manner and open-
handed generosity, won the attachment not only of
his followers, but in a marked degree of the towns-
people, who " from first to last, and all the while,'
never hesitated to display their allegiance and the
affection they bore him. Indeed, at the last mo-
ment, when the breath had scarcely left his body, a
woman who stood 100 Ily sobbing near was seized
by a Liberal soldier, who roughly asked the reason
of the noise, to which she replied with her dagger,
escaping in the confusion. The Prince had per-
suaded Maximilian to burst through the lines ; but
Miramon always managed to delay the execution
of a design the most experienced officers felt as-
sured would be successful. It was net easy to keep
Maximilian up to a flight for life, and his ob-
jecAon to such a course may have cost him his
existence. He regarded the flight as unbecoming
his dignity, and, worse still, against his honour,
not to share the fate of his soldiers. It was in the
midst of these plans for escape that Lopez sold the
pass, and on the morning of the 15th May Quere-
taro was in the hands of Escobedo, to the intense
astonishment of its garrison. The orders given to
that General from the supreme Government were to
shoot the prisoners without delay ; but he was de-
terred from this course by the strenuous exertions
of the United States, who unreservedly expressed
disgust at the massacre at San Jacinto. History
will have to decide to what cause the execution of
Maximilian was due. Judging by the manner of
Escobedo, as reported by the Prince as well as by
the Princess, who, acting in another groove, gives a
different version in the leaves published in this
book from her diary, we do not see any display of
the bloodthirstiness attributed to him. On the
contrary, he appears to have desired to make Maxi-
milian's last hours more comfortable, but he was
thwarted by the ferocity of some subordinates, and
still more by the twice-detected attempts at escape
planned chiefly by the Prince and Princess Salm-
Salm. The Princess, who was an American, naively
tells her story, and its most striking point is her
undisguised contempt for the foreign representa-
tives. She knew but little of diplomatic laws and
of the power represented in the person of Baron
Magnus, the Prussian Minister, or of the Austrian
or Belgian ; but she knew what was far more to the
purpose in Queretaro, that these men were fatally
deluding themselves if they thought that any un-
seen advantages were felt by the Mexicans who
cared little for international obligations, and knew
nothing of powers which to them were mere myths.
The Princess alludes to the ridiculous importance
these people gave themselves on their arrival just
previous to the trial ; and her annoyance was in-
creased by the fact that their coming defeated her
last hope of getting the Emperor out of the trap
in which he had been caught, an escape being
planned for the night Baron Magnus was expected,
of which the Emperor declined to avail himself, as
he thought it would be discourteous to invite these
representatives and fly the city on their arrival.
After his refusal, the arrangements became known,
many being implicated, and each fearing his neigh-
bour would secure his safety by informing. We
hold that Escobedo showed forbearance to the
Prince, who was then for- the second time detected
in bribing his officers to effect the Emperor's escape ;
and Salm-Sahn seems to acknowledge this, account-
ing for it by the custom universal in Mexico of thus
aiding captured officers, all knowing that within a
year the imprisoned General may hold as a captive
his capturer. The Princess is even more severe on
the fright and flight of some of the representatives
when rudely deceived as to the Mexican fashion of
dealing with diplomatists. They were accredited
to the Emperor, and not to the then ruling Go-
vernment, and therefore they had, in truth, no
diplomatic status. But this would have mat-
tered little, for, as the Princess plainly says,
the Mexicans well knew they had nothing to
fear from European interference, against which
they were protected by the United States. It was
the Washington Government only they dreaded, and
it appears due to Mr. Seward's strong remonstrances
that Queretaro did not witness a massacre more hor-
rible than that of San Jacinto. Our readers must not,
however, suppose that Mexicans approved this in-
terference. The people they hate most on earth
are the Americans ; the Government they dread is
that of Washington. Gladly they sheltered them-
selves behind Uncle Sam's arm against European
intervention, but sullenly they complied with the
energetic remonstrances of Secretary Seward against
staining Republicanism by revolting cruelty. Prince
Salm, in a conversation with Colonel Palacios, his
brutal gaoler, remarked that the Mexican Govern-
ment would do well to take an example from the
United States in their treatment of the rebels of
the South ; to which he replied, " The .Nca th Ame-
ricans are our born hereditary enemies, we will