The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-05
"Poer Carlotta 20

"Poor Carlotta!" Macmillan was shot faced
to the front His last words were "Poor Car
lottaw How tender and touching is this con-
vlncing illustration of the manly and generous
nature of the fallen Emperor Abandoned by
France, betrayed by Mexican follower, tried
by a military tribunal Of his implacable
enemies, condemned to death, and brought out
for execution, all Intersections in his behalf
from the representatives Of foreign r'Scwyers
having failed, this distinguished victim Of
Napoleon's "grand idea" would have been
justified had he devoted his last moments in
denouncing the contrivers Of his destruction
and the barbarians thirsting for his blood, and
in deploring his untimely fall, In the strength
ofhis manhoodsand his hopes. But Macmillan
was man of larger breadth Of mind and
heroism than this. He had deliberately cast
his life into the scales in defence of his empire,
he had pledged his word in the name of his
imperial house Of Hapsburg to fight it out with
his enemies, and, like true soldier, he was
prepared for this last disaster. He recognized
his fate as resulting from the fortunes of war,
and had neither denunciatons nor regrets on
his own account to make. Like the dying
Gladiator at Rome =
He rocked not OF his life. nor OF tho price,
His heart was home. and that was far away.
Face to face with bis remorseless execu-
TONERS, awaiting but the word TO ~ all
thoughts of his lost empire and his low estate
gave way TO those endearlng memories and
sweet affections which had linked his life, his
happiness, his fate and his ambition with "poor
Carlotta" As to q drowning man numerous
events Of his past life running through many
years Of time are wildly reproduced in few
6eeting seconds, 80 to this victim Of Mexican
vengeance were, no doubt, recalled in the last
moments of his earthly existence those charm
ing recollecions of his young, beautiful, gifted,
accomplished and devoted wife, whereby he
had become so fascinated with his Mexican
empire and bis hopes Of the Mexican people,
that he could only relinquish them with his life
"Poor Carlottap Her triumphal journeys, her
floral receptions, her welcome charities her
gracious ways, her catholic piety and her
resistless, womanly gentleness among the sus-
cepible Mexicans, were all so faithfully
devoted to his cause as to develop in him the
heroism Of the feudal ages. He was her gal
liant knight, equipped by her own fair hands
for glorious crusade she was his queen of
love and beauty, to whom bis word as O soldier
and his faith a. o devotee were pledged. All
these sthoughts In tho presence Of the grave,
doubtless, REQUIRED 10 him as the memories of
o golden dream, and from these and that other
thought, that she had hopefully braved the dan
gers Of the seas, and the doubtful generosity Of
France In his behalf. only to be repealed in
despair, and 10 be doomed to living death,
came the inspiration to Macmillan which was
expressed in his last expressive words-"Poor
CarlottaI"
Nor Is there In the records Of history, az the
last words of dying saint or hero, anything
given which appeals so tenderly to our better
nature, to all that beauties and softens the
human character, as these dying words of Max
imilian-"Poor Carlottap' They will crown
In history this fallen man. However mis-
guided be was in his ambition or in
his acts % . ruler, those two words,
with all their impressive and redeeming
associations, will crown him with the flowers
OF affection and the laurels of the hero. Had
he recited and eloquently indicated every
step and every act in his imperial career he
would have failed to reach the eloquent defence
embodied In his dying exclamation of "Roor
To her they will be the words of
or dissolution for him they are
the wreath of immortality. "Poor Carlottar'