The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1883-11-22
A TRAGIC EPISODE.

spend Gay at Queretaro, thought b
many to be the prettiest city in the re
public.
Six miles below the town, the ne,
line of the Mexican Central Railwa
passes through a perfect little paradis
ola valley-a leafy, green garden-slon
small river, with high, rocky. barrel
mountains on each side. Amidst tn,
trees there is considerable city, bali
hidden; and soon we pass three or foul
cotton factories.
This is the seat of Senior Rubio's at
tempt to manufacture cottons In Mexico
AS yet the industry is an experiment
but bids fair to be moderately successful
The powers for the factories is in par
from steam and in part from yer,
singular and copious spring which gush
es from the mountain side, in volume
about cubic meter of water per second
Passing beneath lofty aqueduct, we
are soon at Observation-Disclosures in the
midst of q rather drearv landscape, bu
Clearly, wellbuilt town, with pretty
churches and shady plazas. One NAV
now be very decently lodged here, fol
Mexico, at the new hotel, Ferro Carril
(Railroad House,, where there is a Jolly
old landlord who really exerts himself
"a most unusual thing in this country to
make his guests comfortable.
1t was here in Queretaro that the I'M
fortunate Emperor Maximilian made
his last stand against the patriot army
under Juarez. The town still bears
marks of the final bombardment. De-
serted by the French, who had placed
him on the throne of Mexico by force OF
arms, the poor fellow had still great
unany warm friends, endeaYored to him
Rrersonally as well as rom hopes of DO
ltcai advancement.
Ia MiraMcn, Mexia and Mendez he
possessed three able and devoted Off
cers-all Mexicans. Mendezwas shot as
soon as taken, by order of the patriot
general. They stood him up against the
wall of the square, next the railway
station. and shot him in the back, for a
traitor to his country. He resisted to
the last. and kept turning round, cry
ing out "shoot me in the breast! / am
no traitor"
Miramon and Mexia were imprisoned
for some months ong with Maximilian
In an old convent, and finally executed
with hi n in 1867.
The people here speak of Macmillan
as a good-hearted and kindly man, bat
patriot leaders did not really wish to
shed his blood, and that he mi CHIT have
escaped his hard late, had he Teen will
ling TO go out of the country privately.
Senior Rubio paid seven thousand dol
lars out OF his private purse to q compa-
ny of soldiers TO take him down to the
coast and pat him aboard some vessel.
Finally, on the night before his execu-
tiou, everything was liked" with the
guards and their officers for his escape,
and priest sent to him to acouaint him
With the fact.
''But what of Miramon and Ma xia?
he asked the messenger.
"Oh, they will be shot for certainty"
was the reply,
$50 back" he said, Il will accept no
terms which do not include Them
The truth seems to have been that
Maximiiian did not at first realize his
personal danger, having too much faith,
perhaps, in that divinity that doth
hedge about kin G." and that finally, he
acted from an exhalted sense of honor
When he received Int llgence that
the French army had been ordered
home from Mexico, he is said to have
stamped on the floor and to have ex-
claimed, They leave me no choice be-
twixt death and disgracel"
The United States acted well and with
dignity in this affair; and Its action has
done much to heal the breach between
she two republics, occasloned by the
war of 1874.
The French ivasinn of Mexico was an
outrage upon both republics. It was
made at time when the United States
were powerless to resist it, on account
of the civil war; immediately after
that war was finished, our government,
though Secretary Seward, despatched a
note TO the French Emperor. giving him
In plain terms, six months to withdraw
his forces from Mexico. The Napoieonic
fox did not need secon3 invitation; and
his unfortunate ally, the Austrian Grand
Duke, was abandoned to the tender
nercies OF the Mexicans.
As speedily as possible, the various
French garrlsons We're Withdrawn from
the different states and cities, and
concentrated at the city of Mexico.
From this point they sailed forth, one
fine morning, with banners flying and
drums beating, to march down to the
coast at Vera Cruz. The Mexicans stood
in their doors and booted them out of
town. During the period of occupation,
they had ransacked Mexico thoroughly.
rom Tehuantepec to Chihuahua, and
aught the Mexicans more tricks than
they had learned before in a hundred
years.
Eve were bad enough before they
came," the Mexicans naively say. "But
the French taught us new deviltries."
Left with mo choice betwixt disgrace
and DEATH" Macmillan seems to have
deliberately chosen the latter-despite
the efforts of his friends and the entreat-
les of his heroic wife. Mr.. Seward is
known to have recommended that his
life be spared. Juarez replied, ga great
and powerful nation, like the United
States, can afford to be merciful; Mexico
is too poor and weak"
The place of execution is dreary lit
tie hill, sparsely covered with thorn
scrub and prickly pear, and strewn with
rusty brown volcanic stones. They call
it the sierra de las campanas, the hill of
the bells; it is not quite a
mile out of Queretaro. The three
doomed men were taken from the
convent, which had served as the pris
on, out to this desolate spot, in three of
the public coaches.
A priest accompanied Macmillan.
The spectators tell some rather pathetic
incidents of the morning The priest
ing bottle of smelling salts from his
pocket, Macmillan kindly assisted to
revive him. From some cause the door
of his coach stuck fast; he stepped
lightly out through the panel, having
lowered the glass drop.
The entire patriot army was drawn
up, on the hill; and a wall of adobes had
been laid up behind where the unfortu-
nate men were to stand. to receive the
bullets of the firing party. 1t was ar
ranged that Macmillan should stand
in the center; and the wall had been
built little higher there, he being the |
tallest of the three. But when they got |
out, MaximHlan eaid to Miramon,-
"You shall have the post of honor,
general; you shall stand at the center
and l at your the left"
And half-playfully. half.afectionately
he paced Miramon in the middle.
The officer in command of the firing
party interposed and said. cit cannot be
60 senor."