Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-07-05
Execution Of the Emperor Maxi
milan. au
SKETCH OF HIS HISTORY.

ihClO OOOiuO w w nv" hobAN AOoopf
but that the Emperor Macmillan, of
Mexico, recently taken prisoner at
Queretaro, has been tried, condemned
and shot by the Liberals, as the Aus
trian Minister at Washington has re-
ceived a dispatch to that effect Inc
following is sketch of the history OF |
the unfortunate Prince:
"a Ferdinand Macmillan JOS ph,
Archduke of Austria and sometime
Emperor of Mexico, was born at
Schonbrun on the 9th of July, 1882.
His father was Francis Charles
Joseph, Archduke of Austria, and his
mother Sophie Dorothes, daughter of
Macmillan l., King of Bavaria. Upon
the abdication of Ferdinand, Emperor
of Austria, the Archduke renowned
his claim to the succession in favor
of his eldest son, the present Emper-
or, in giving up his throne, unequally
divided his power, and gave an adj
vantage to the Archduke Macmillan,
to the detriment of his elder brother.
Such was the origin of the constant,
and at that time warm, differences
which arose between the two.
Macmillan received his education
at Vienna, then, as now, one or the
gayest and most dissolute capitals of
Europe. He did not, however, in
dulge in the frivolities so common to
the nobility of Austria, but appears
to have spent great part of his
youth in study and travel. At an ear
ly age he entered the navy of the
empire and saw considerable service
at sea, sailing about the Mediterra-
mean, and visited all the adjacent
countries - Greece, Italy, Morocco.
French Algeria, Spain and Portugal.
At the age of twenty-five he was
placed at the head Of what is termed
by courtesy the Austrian marine, and
with a squadron visited the coasts of
Syria and Palestine. He went also
to the Red sea and took great inter
est in the works of the Suez Canal,
which were then just beginning. In
1856 he paid visit to Paris and
spent a fortnight at St. Cloud with
Louis Napoleon. The year following
he was appointed Viceroy Of LON
hardy and Venice, and in the exer-
else Of the powers attached to the
position soon made himself quite a
favorite among the Italians. This
popularity was, however, displeasing
to Francis Joseph, and in 1858 he
was removed. He is said to have
exhibited great courage and decided
administrative abilities while Vice
roy. 1t is related that he used to walk
about the streets of Milan and Venice
quite alone during the fetes and among
the crowd. he would never allow the
police to be on the watch. One day
at Venice, when the Italian mobiles
had plotted to make hostile demon
stration against him on the Plaza St
Marco, he discounted and quite con
verified them to his side by tuckine
his wife under his arm and coming
among them unattended, and on foot
with a courage and trankness thai
disarmed every one. Another time
just after Orsini's attempt at Paris
his life was said to be also threaten
ed, and his friends begged him not t.
expose himself: but he immediately
ordered his carriage to go up to tht
theatre, taking with him Count Strom
boil, to whom he said, laughing, " II
| am to be blown up it shall at leas
be in good company"
Macmillan remained idle after hi
removal from governorship of tn
LombardO-V Venetian kingdom I'm tt
1868, when Napoleon decided upol
making catspaw Of him in Mexico
The crown Of Mexico was offered t.
him by Napoleon in August, 1868
and the diplomats were put to worl
to arrange for his acceptance and oc
cupancy of the throne. Nearly
year was occupied in this work, and i
was not until the 10th of April, 1864
that he formally accepted the protfel
ed crown. By the terms of the az
ceptance he made a condition renur
ciation of the right Of eventual SUE
cession to the throne of Austria an
an unconditional remuneration of hi
share Of the family estates, amour
ing to 10000 of forms. The cond
ton reserved in the remuneration 0
the right to the succession was thu
such remuneration might be revoked
should Macmillan, finding his foo
hold in Mexico insecure, choose to +,
sign, within six years from the dat
Of his acceptance of the crown G
Mexico.
The career of Macmillan as tt
so-called Emperor of Mexico is we
known to the people of this countr
His first official act was to offer tern
to Juarez looking to the submissic
OF the latter. These were rejecte
and then followed the past years {
war and bloodshed, with alterna
success, and the present final defet
OF the mperialists. His efforts
attract emigration and to develop Il
resources Of the country are we
known, as are also his personal sacl
fees for the success of his cause
That he failed was only a natural al
expected result. But it is Doubt
if he would have met the terrible ia
to which Juarez assigned him had
not issued his famous order declariI
the Republican President and his su
porters bandits and outlaws. It
entire responsibility of his death mu
rest unon Nanoleon. who first indI