The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-10
"POor Carlotta !o

"Poor CarlottaW Macmillan was
shot faced to the front. His last words
were "Poor Carlottaw How tender
and touching is this convincing illus
tration of the manly and generous ma
ture of the fallen Emperor. Abandoned
by France, betrayed by a Mexican fol.
lower, tried by a military tribunal OF
his implacable enemies, condemned to
death and brought out for execution, all
interpositions in his behalf from the
representatives of foreign Powers hav-
ing 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 deplOr-
ing his un nimely fall in the strength of
his manhood and his hopes. But Maxi
milan was a man of larger breadth of
mind ard heroism than this. He had
deliberately cast his life in to the scales
in defense of his empire, he had pledged
his word in the name of his imperial
house of Haps sburg to fight it ont with
his enemies, and. like a true soldier, he
was prepared for this last disaster. He
recognized his fate as resulting from
the fortunes of war, and had neither
denunciatiOns nor regrets on his own
account to make like the dying Gladi-
rtor at Rome -
He recked not of his life, nor of the prize.
His heart was home, and that was far away.
Face to face with his remorseless exc
cutioners, awaiting but the word 20
fire all thoughts of his lost empire
and his low estate gave way to those
endearing memories and sweet affection
which had linked his life, his happi-
ness, his fate and his ambition with
"poor Carlottaw AS TO drowning
man numerous events of his past life
running through many years of time
are vividly reproduced in few feet
ing seconds, so to this victim of MeXi
can vengeance were, no doubt, recalled
in the last moments of his earthly eX-
istence those charming recollections Of
his young, beautiful, gifted, accom-
plished and devoted wife, whereby he
had become so fascinated with his Mex
lean empire and his hopes of the Mex
lean people, that he could only re-
linquish them with his life. "Poor
Carlotta Her triumphal journeys, her
floral receptions, her welcome charities,
her gracious ways, her catholic piety
and her resistless, womanly gentleness
among the susceptible Mexicans, were
all so faithfully devoted to his cause as
to develop in him the heroism of the
feudal ages. He was her gallant knight,
equipped by her own fair hands for
glorious crusade; she was his queen of
love and beauty, to whom his word as
soldier and his faith as deyotee were
pledged. All these thoughts in the
presence of the grave, doubtless, re-
Cured to him as the memories of
golden dream, and from these and that
other thought, that she had hopefully
braved the dangers of the seas, and the
doubtful generosity of France in his
behalf, only to be repelled in despair,
and to be doomed to 4 living death,
came the inspiration of Macmillan
which was expressed in his last express
sive wOrds-''Poor Carlottaw
Nor is there in the records of history,
as the last words of dying saint or
hero, anything given which appeals so
tenderly to our better nature, to all that
beautitics and softens the human char
acter, as these dying words of Maximil-
ian-"Poor Carlottaw They will crown
in history that fallen man. However
misguided he was in his ambition or in
his acts as a ruler, these 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 eloquent
ly vindicated every step in his imperial
career he would have failed to reach the
eloquent defence embodied in his dying
exclamation of "Poor Carlotta" To
her they will be the words of restoration
or dissolution; for him they are the
wreath of immortality. "Poor Carlot-
tan, y. Herald.