National Republican., 1884-11-05
AN INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE.
DIR. De Mezn's Unsntiafled Claim
Against the Emperor OF Austria.


Against the Emperor OF Austria.
DIR. Manuel NJ. De Meza, of this city,
believes that he has just claim against
the emperor of Austria, which that mon
arch refuses to allow. The lawyers will
have no opportunities to get fees out of
the case, nor will tho judges decide
whether the doctor Is right in his belief,
for thore Is no court in which an Amori-
can physician can sue an Austrian en-
peror. Tho doctor himself now admits
that ho has no legal claim, but insists
that ho has moral one, and fools ag-
grieved because the emperor docs not
recognize 1t.
DIR. De Meza, rs many peopls know was
the private secretary of Gen. Santa Anna,
and was tho confidential friend Of the
Mexican hero during that romantic and
interesting period of the latters life when
he was an exile from his native country,
planning and dreaming in New York of
immense armies. fierce battles, and of a
Mexican republic. II was DR.. Do Meza
who went as tho envoy Of Santa Anna to
Macmillan and, as he himself tells the
story, induced tho immigrant emperor to
abdicate and consent to become the pre-
sident of the proposed Mexican republic
for five years term. Under these cir.
cumstances DIR. De Meza como to know
much about Macmillan, both personally
and politically and, as ho says, he has
exclusive information OF great Importance
concerning certain portion of tho en-
peror's life.
The doctor has written a book about
these things, and has put his exclusive
information into IL. Tho book has never
been published but the doctor still has
the manuscript of IL. When ho had
finished it he found that It was very in
teresting, and naturally thought that 10
would be most interesting to the eni-
peror of Austria, brother of the late en-
peror of Mexico. The doctor accordingly
wrote directly to his majesty Of Austria
asking leave to dedicate tho work to him,
and pronably expecting that the permis-
sion would be accompanied by something
substantial to aid in the publication of
the book. His communication was re-
turned, and tho dedication declined
through Baron Schaetfer, the Austrian
minister here, who also Informed him
that to receive any attention parors in
tended for his majesty must first be
addressed to the proper home authorities
or to representatives abroad, and never
directly to the emperor. Tho doctor re.
piled that he had addressed the emperor
not as emperor, but as tho brother OF
Macmillan, as a man with human feel
ings and not as u monarch.
These communications passed last No.
vembcr, and the doctor supposed that they
ended the matter, but late in January he
he received an invitation to call upon the
baron and did 80. The btron asked the
doctor what he would take for his book
and the doctor declined to set any price
upon il, leaving it entirely to the emper'
or's generosity, II he accepted it, to re-
compense him for the work he had done
The result of the conference was that tn,
manuscript was sent to Vienna to be ex-
amined by the emperor. The doctor wa
hopeful, but in April came a letter from
the baron saying that His apostoli,
majesty had not been pleased" " to 'acced
to the doctors request las bis majest,
had commanded in 1867 that all works re
garding the late emperor of Mexico woulC
be refused" The manuscript also wa
returned and in such n manner that tn
doctors feelings were wounded. lie wrot
u letter of protest to the baron and anothe
to the Austrian minister of state, and sal
TO thcm that fiat tho end of two month
no hoard nothing from them he shoul'
begin proceedings in court of law to pro
ttCt hlh IlEutos
While ho was waiting for an answer
DR.. Do Meza read in the newspapers tina
Father Domenech Bilinex, who had bee
Maximilian's chaplain, had just died i
Vienna, aud that the Austrian empero
was about to publish, from this priest
papers, a life of Macmillan. Tne doctC
did not like this announcement. ii
openly charged, though it must be sal
with no proof that the emperor had ol
tanned the facts for his proposed boo
from the manuscript sent him by til
Austrian minister here, and was about
use 1t without giving credit or money fc
, it. Ho waited until Sept. l2, and hearin
, nothing from the baron or tho ministt
of state, wrote to the latter, but has rC
ceived no reply. He has, however, had
very unsatisfactory interview with Baro
Shaeiier. He has not yet brought su
against the emperor.