New-York tribune., 1867-09-27
TILE CORPSE or MAXIMILIAM.

Mexico, in the correspondence between Its
Government and the representatives OF the
family of Maximilian, has taken ground winch
is certainly unusual, and, hastily considered,
would appear unjustifabe. 1t has refused 10
deliver the body of Macmillan to his 1ricnds'
Governments rarely, IN this day, trouble them-
selves with the disposition of tho remains OF
those offenders they put to death Inc
corpse is beyond their power TO punish,
and it matters little who wecps beside the
crave of the rebel or tho invader. Yet
sometimes stern exceptions are made. Our
own Government has just refused 10 give
the body of Wilkes Booth to his brother lor
intermcnt. and military funerals OF Rebel Ten
erals slain in the war were prohibited thrOush-
ont the South. 1t was held that i'll such obsequies
too splendid regret for TIE slain might he tor-
gotten in anger with the slayer, and that the
burial of the dead Rebel might become the re-
surrection of his cause. Mexico, Ill refusing to
surrender the body of Macmillan, has assigned
different reasons from these, but the act though
stern is just.
Admiral Tcgethofr did not ask for the corpse
of Macmillan as the representative OF Austria
His mission was personal and private; he ex-
1ressly visited Mexico as the messenger Ol the
late Emperoi's family; he had no written
credentials; and his request was refused ior
these reasons alone Minister Tejada expressly
saws, in his letter of September D, that 'he
Government thought that its duty required
.tbot. previous to determining whether per
emission shall be allowed to remove the Arch
"dukes remains to Austria, either an official
"document of the Austrian Government or an
lao Arpl1ul<p'S
"re0uesting the Republican Government to
"dcliyer the remains, should be submitted
"to the consideration of Government" lie
added that, when such authority should Dc
given it would be disposed to permit Their re-
moval. and that in the mean time the remains
"should be embalmed, cntombcd, and cared Tor
"with all the dccorum due TO departed
"beinc." Instructions had been given 10 tins
effect Immediately after the execution OF Maxi
milan and the policy appears TO have been
determined as early as June.
Mexico shot Maximilian as public offender,
as an enemy of the nation. Ii desires 70 have
that fact recognized, and especially by the
Austrian Government. Dead or alive, 1t
chooses to consider him as the embodiment OF
invasion and usurpation, and in all neeo-
u
death, it intends that his execution shall be
treated as an act of national right Any such
recognition was carefully avoided by Austria
when Admiral Tegethoff was sent To Mexico
without solitary scrap Of writing to show his
authority The Mexican Government might
rightfully insist upon having an official request
from Austria, but it has yielded so far "a TO
intimate that an express authority from the
family of Macmillan will be sufficient. These
conditions practically make the surrender of
the body an international affair They compel
Austria 10 abandon her claim, or to urge II
openly. The bodies of Miramon and Mcia
were at once surrendered 20 their friends, for
these were Mexican subjects; but Maximilian
was an Archdukc of Austria. His corpse can
not be removed by irresponsible persons, nor
without ample acknowledgment that the Gov
ernmcnt has TIE right TO its disposal. Upon
this ground Mexico stands firmly, and it, justice
cannot bc disputed