The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-29

which is, as it for two years notoriously has
been-universal amnesty, with impartial
suffrage
The Fail OF MsxImIIIan--FinaI Break
down of the Mexican Empire.
From, ne Times. -
Macmillan has at last fallen into the hands
of his enemies. The news is official and un-
doubtedly authentic. Though we have here
tofore been justified in the doubts we have
frequently expressed about the accuracy and
authenticity of large portion of our Mexican
news, there is no reason whatever to dispute
the truth of the despatch from President
Juarez, announcing the fall of Queretaro, and
the capture of the Emperor and his principal
Generals ON the 18th inst. The source Of the
despatch, as well as its form and character,
place it above suspicion. If confirmation were
needed, we have it in the later despatch from
the Commander of the Liberal army to the
Mexican Minister of War. Escobedo reiterates
in detail the statement of President Juarez,
and gives the additional information that
Macmillan, his Generals, and his army, "sur-
rendered Internationally"
The statement that Juarez had ordered
"Maximilian and all his Generals to be shot
comes less directly, and with less show of
authenticity. 1t is attributed to Escobedo, but
does not come over his signature, and is not
incorporated in the despatch which emanated
from him some days after the Imperial cap
ture. At all events, we shall dscredit this
part of the news until we have further light
thrown upon it by official or trustworthy
dispatches.
The assertion that the Imperialist surrender
was unconditional is of the highest Importance
in many respects. Ia itself it is calculated
to give cTedibility to the report of Maximilian's
Ac oh
milan has been fighting for three months
past, not with the hope of establishing his
imperial dynasty in Mexico, but with the view
merely of securing better terms than had
been held out to him by his adversaries. All
that was offered to him and his officers was
DEATH whether they made voluntary sur
render or were captured in the straits of war.
He entered into negotiations again and
again with the object of altering this, and
we have it on good authority that he has
been ready to capitulate at any time since
! the French left, on the simple condition that
his officers and himself should receive
| ''honOrable terms from President Juarez. 1t
was impossible, however, for Macmillan to
obtain favorable reply to any of these pro-
! positions.
! AS regards the Imperialist Generals, Mira
mon, Meiia, and others, who are reported to
have met the fate which their fellow Imperial
ist prisoners recently met at Puebla, the
| Mexican President positively refused to con-
cede them honorable terms, or any other
terms than such as are due to traitors. And
as regards Maximilian himself we understand
that Juarez was not willing to give his word
even to our Government that he would be
treated as simple prisoner of war. The rage
: of the Liberals against the whole of the Impe-
rial leaders was uncomfortable, and the only
prospect held out to them was that they
{ should be dealt with as assassns and pirates,
and should, in turn furnish illustrations of
the bloody policy which the French army re-
Gently enforced against the Republicans. The
feeling against the Emperor personally ran
high, principally because he continued what
was believed to be fruitless war after the
French left.
These facts and circumstances, taken by
themselves, undoubtedly give plausblity to
the report that Maximilian himself met the
same doom at Queretaro which, we have no
doubt, was dealt out to those of his officers
who fell into the hands of Escobedo. Our only
reason for indulging in doubt as to his re-
ported fate--aside from the circumstance that
this particular incident comes to us indirectly
and unofhcially y-arises from our belief that,
though Juarez would not give positive pledge
to save the Emperor's life, he was yet anxious
to demonstrate his regard for the desire and
request of our Government in the matter. If
the news of the execution turns out to be true,
the tragic fate of the unhappy adventurer will
furnish striking commentary on the remark
he made three months ago. when deserted by
the French and driven mad by the insults of
Bazaine. "They are placing me,' exclaimed
he, 'between dishonor and death-my selec-
tion is made" He chose death rather than
what he considered the dishonor of aban-
doning his cause and his friends. Probably
he had very little idea at that moment how
quickly the realization of his choice might be
reached.
Maximilian has undoubtedly held out to
the last hour possible. He has not only seen
his army dwindle, but he has seen it become
greatly demoralized He has not only been
without money or means for months, but he
has latterly seen his troops on the point of
starvation, with limited rations of horsenesh
or dogmeat. He has not only endured a long
siege at Queretaro, but he has remained there
until the only other two places where his flag
waved-the Capital and Vera Cruz-were in
like manner besieged by forces four times
greater than those which defended them
When he succumbed, there was not glimmer
OF hope left for him; and though we have no
doubt the Church party, or reactionary
party, will quickly turn up again under some
other leader, it will be disconnected from the
associations which have made Imperialism OBJ
| noxious to all Mexicans
, IL Will be three years next month since
Macmillan and Carlotta entered the Mexican
capital as Emperor and Empress, with a de-
gree OF pomp and circumstance never before
witnessed in Mexico. They have been three
/ | years OF struggle and storm for him. as terri
, PIE as ever fell to the fortune of any ruler.
ms destruction will be a memorable warning
10 european powers never again TO attemnt
r domination ON any part of the American con