Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-12-28
A TRAGIC EPISODE.

I, will we'll pay the tourist in Mexico
I" spend n LAY at Queretaro, thought by
many Ia bc the prcttcst city in the re-
public.
six miles below the town, the new line
of the Mexican Central Railway passes
through perfect little paradise of a
vaIlcy--a lcafy. green gardcn-along a
small river. with high. rocky, barren
mountains on each side. Amidst the
trees there is considerable city, half
hidden. AMI soon We pass three or four
cotton factories.
This IL the seat Of Scnor Rubio's at
tempt to manufacture cotton i'm Mexico.
A. yet the industry IN an experiment,
but bids fair 10 he moderately success
ful The power for the factories is in
part from steam and in part from very
singular and copious spring which gusles
from the mountain side, in volume
about cubic metre Of water per second.
Passing beneath a lofty aqueduct, we
are soon at Queretaro-situated in the
midst Of a rather dreary landscape, but
n cleanly, well-built town, with pretty
churches and shady plazas. One may
~s'~ h. very decently lodged here, for
Mexico, at the new hotel. F'errO CdrrI
ORailroad IIouse), where there is jolly
"a most unusual thing in this country
"a make his guests comfortable.
II was here in Queretaro that the un-
fortunate Emperor Maximilian made his
las. stand against the patriotic army un-
der Juarex. The town still bears marks
ii he final bonbardment. Deserted by
the French, who had placed on the
throne Of Mexico by force Of arms, the
poor fellow had still great many warm
friends, cndeared to him personally as
well as from hopes Of political advance
ment.
In Miramon, Mexia and Mendez he
pos-essed three able and devoted officers
all Mexicans. Mendez was shot as
soon M taken, by order OF the patriot
general. They stood him up against
the wall of the square, next the railway
| station. and shot him ia the back, for a
trnitor Ia his country. lie resisted to
the last, and kept turning round, crying
out, "Shoot me in the breast. am no
traitor"
Miramon and Mexia were imprisoned
for some months along with Macmillan
In an old convent, and finally executed
with him in 1867.
The people here spoke oi Macmillan
~ "a gvod- hearted and kindly man, but
weak in character. They say. that the
patriotic leaders did not really wish to
shed his blood, and that he might have
escaped his hard ate, had he been will
Ing to go ont oi the country privately.
Senior Rubio paid seven thousand dollars
out Of his private purse to Il company OF
soldiers To take him down to the coast
and put him aboard some vessel. Final
ly, on the night before his execution,
everything WAS "iixcd" with the guards
and their officers for his escape, and a
priest sen, 10 him TO acluaint him with
the fact.
"Bnt what of Mramon and Mexia?"
he asked the messenger.
"Oh, they will be shot for a certainty"
was the reply.
"Go back " he said; w,iwill accept
NfttiN Nti'tl W. IiOt tilNiutN
The truth seems TO have been that
Macmillan did not ut first realize his
personal danger, having too much faith,
perhaps. IN "that di.i.ity that doth
hedge about king" i | that, finally.
he acted from an cx y, Il sense Of honor.
When hc received intelligence that
the French army hal been ordered from
4 a. A.. l.. n .t,,,pn1
the floor and to have exclaimed, "They
leave me no choice betwixt death and
disgrace"
The United States acted well and with
dignity in this affair and its actions
has done much To heal the breach be-
tween the two republics, occasioned by
the war oi lS44.
| The French invasion Of Mexico was an
outrage upon both republics. 1t was made
nt "a time when the United States were
powerlcss Ia resist it, on account Of the
| civil War. Immediately after that war
was finished, our Government, through
Secretary Seward, dispatched note to
the French Emperor, giving him, in plain
terms. six months to withdraw his
forces from Mexico. The Napoleonic
fox did not need second invitation
AMI his unfortunate ally, the Austrian
Grand Duke. was abandoned to the ten
der mercies Of the Mexicans.
IA speedily ~ possible, the various
French garrisons were withdrawn from
the different States and cities, and con-
| l,autrated nj the cltV of Mexico From