Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-07-04
Maximillian Murdered.

Escobedo, cowardly and blood
thirsty incapable, who commanded
the main army of the Liberals in
Mexico, and captured Maximillian
by bribing one of his Generals to
give up the key to the position at
Queretaro, has caused the execution
of the unfortunate Austrian Prince.
The temptation to do thing that
would seem horrible to all civilized
people, was, to this miscreant, ire
sistible. Foreigners had been guilty
of the audacity ofrequesting that the
life of Maximillian be spared, and
therefore it must be taken to show
the independence of Mexico. The
friends of the unfortunate Prince
asked for his body, but the Mexicans
could not give that up. Perhaps
they want to eat it. The Indian,
Juarez, whom we have been so long
recognizing, refused to surrender the
body.
The Government of the United
States is largely responsible for this
tragedy. Our absurd bluster about
the Monroe doctrine gave Napoleon
an excuse to withdraw his troops
from Mexico. All intelligent per-
sons in this country knew the Mexi-
cans were incapable Of taking care
of themselves, and that if France
would establish strong government
and keep order in Mexico, that we
would profit by it. We might have
our own opinion about the foolish
ness of France in undertaking such
an enterprise, but we showed stupid
ity in not acquiescing in it.
We pretended for years to ac-
knowledge the Republic of Mexico,
and have been meddlesome and OBJ
trusive in our efforts to recognize
Juarez as the only rightful claimant
of the Presidency OF Mexico, but
when this Juarez had a local habita-
ton not very difficult of access, it
was not possible for our Mexican
Minister to cross our frontiers, and
for some months before his resigna-
ton, Mr.. Campbell resided at the st.
Charles in New Orleans, and trans
mitted kilograms with nothing in
them to Mr.. Seward; who uses the
telegraph SO freely in sending around
the world the solemn assurance of
his distinguished consideration.
Our Government undertook to
represent to the gang of ruffians we
had so presistently recognized as the
Government of Mexico, that the
opinion of the civilized world was
against the execution Of Maximillian,
and messenger was dispatched. 1t
was only after his failure that it
seems to have occurred to Mr.. Sew
ard that Mr.. Campbell might be of
some use if he were with Juarez.-
Mr.. Campbell would not go. What
detained him we are not informed
In due time we suppose Congress
will call for the documents, and they
will be laid before the people. The
general result, so far as we are con-
cerned, is that in the Mexican imbro-
Clio the United States Government
has shown both meddlesomeness and
imbecllity-that we have needlessly
and disreputably involved ourselves
in the affairs of Mexico.
Now the cry will be that we must
go further into Mexican politics, and
"for the sake of humanity" restore
order, and that sort of thing. That
is the natural philosophy Of fools on
the subject. The true doctrine is to
let the Mexicans go on freely with
their work Of self determination, and
perhaps we might encourage them in
il by effecting to oppose their mutual
bloed-letting.
The news of the execution Of Max
imlllian will cause profound sensa-
ton in Europe, or rather, we may
say, did cause sensation yesterday,
for the news was in Vienna before it
was circulated in Cincinnati. The
palaces recently blazing with fest1-
vals will put on mourning. The
royal junketing at Paris will come to
an end. The Sultan will see the
Exposition, but the Emperor of Aus
ria will not. It is not impossible
indeed it is very prebable-that i'm
oortant political events in Europe
will be determined through the in
luence exerted by the melancholy
md of Maximillian, who was better