The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-04


sentative of Mexico declares that Maximilian
was on the point of leaving Mexico forever;
that he remained there for the avowed purpose
of placing the failure of the invasion upon the
French Government; that it was his intention
to have tested the pretenses of his friends that
the majority of the Mexicans desired him to
remain, by submitting to the vote Of the peo-
pie the question of republic or an empire.
II these are facts, as the Mexican Minister
afiTms them to be, then Macmillan was
indeed more weak than wicked. He was
what Senior Romero pronounces him-an
automaton. He was equally with Mexico
the victim of the ambition of Napoleon. But
do the Mexican people pride themselves
upon destroying automatons because they
cannot reach the power that moves Did
they shoot the dupe Macmillan to revenge
themselves ON his betrayerl We cannot see
the courage of this act, and certainly perceive
its want of magnanimity. And we absolutely
deny that the safety of Mexico required such
a sacrifice. The French had retired in disgrace;
the invaders were everywhere defeated;
Mexico had sufficient guarantees that the
United States would make another interven-
ton impossible. 1t was in the moment of her
perfect victory, with the national honor vindi-
Gated, her independence established, and the
future doubly secured against European inter
ference, that she revenged the wrongs she had
endured-not upon the hand that dealt them,
but upon the tool it used. Senior Romero has
eloquently described the incapacity of Maxi
milan to comprehend the situation, and his
utter helplessness long before his capture, and
the demonstration of the strength Of Mexico
is anything but a justification of its policy.
Had the nation been weak, it might perhaps
have executed this poor prisoner as menace;
had it held its real enemy in its power it might
Justly have punished him; but it was strong
| enough to be humane and should have been
too proud to put an automaton to death as a
| satisfaction to its wounded honor.
The abstract right which the Mexican re-
| public undoubtedly possessed to shoot Maxi
milan must not be oonfounded with the wis
| dom or necessity of asserting it. Govern
ments have the legal power to do many
things which civilized nations condemn.
| The execution of captives is among them;
| and, while we give respectful consideration
/ to the plea which Senior Romero has made,
we cannot think that the judgment of the
nineteenth century will accept it. In shoot
/ ing Macmillan Mexico opposed herself to
/ the spirit of modern civilization. The Fiiian
kings, when they build a palace, slay a
certain number of their subjects, and bury
| them in the foundations, that the palace
/ may stand forever. But the republic OF
| Mexico did not need a corpse for its corner
/ stone, or the sacrifice of blood to make holy
| its portals. The act, however, is not to be re-
| voked, and 1t would be wise not to attempt Its
defense. We prefer to turn from the past to
the future, and to look with hope to the en-.
| lightened and liberal policy to which Senol
Romero last night pledged his people. Had
that policy been firmly established ten years
| ago, no foreign power would have dared to in.
| wade Mexico, nor would she need the apology
| which her statesmen offer in vain. We ask
| than to forget her mistake in her
| glory. There is no American patriotism
which is not also sympathy with our sister
| republic. The Mexican people have proved
their greatness and their power and we believe,
with their distinguished Minister, that they
will equally prove their capacity for selfgov-
ernment and progress. No people has been
more bitterly slandered, and none has more
completely justified its valor and its intelli-
gence.