Huntsville gazette., 1886-08-28
EMPEROR MAMMALIAN.
4 Deeply Interesting Page of Hitherto Un@
written History.

-
written History.
BaZaine, it will be remembered.
headed the French expedition to Mex
leo in support of the Emperor Maxi
milan. Upon how trifiing a cause
that important chain of events turned
was wonderfully related to me by the
late Exile Perrin, the famous director
of the opera. 1t was all about quar-
rel over an opera box. M. Perrin told
me the story as follows: "I was" he
said, ''as you know, appointed to my
position by Count Walewski, he being
Minister of State, and of course l al.
ways felt myself under obligations to
him. When he resigned his ministry
he had, of course, to give up his off,
cial box at the opera. This he re-
GREETED, as he and his wife were fond
of the opera and liked that particular
box very much. So few weeks later,
when the box exactly opposite to that
one was given up, l went right to the
Count and told him. He was delighted
and would have engaged it, but the
Due de Morny also wanted the box
and when he heard it was empty he
got The Emperor to order me to give it
to him. had to obey, of course, and
Walewski was disappointed. This
naturally caused a quarrel between
Walewski and De Morny. They would
not even speak to each other any
longer. Well, soon after this the
Mexicans came over here hunting for
sovereign ard seeking French aid.
They invited Macmillan to rule over
them. He declined unless Napoleon
would give him 10000 French troops
and. a subsidy of $60,000,000. This
Napoleon and his Ministers declined
to do. That decision was reached on
a Saturday, and that night Walew-
ski left Paris for his country
home. Monday he was recalled in
great haste. The Empress Eugene
called him to a private interview.
You are not on good terms with
Morny?' she cried. No, your Majes-
ty.' Then you must be reconciled
influence enough with him to save us.
i do not understand This is it,
then!' replied Eugene. The Mexi
cans, finding that they could not get
Maximilian, have actually offered theil
crown to the Due de Morny. w orse.
he has accepted, on condition that
Maximilian's refusal is positive. Now,
see, Morny is impossible. All France
and all Europe would revolt at the
idea of making him Emperor. 1t would
be madness. Yet the conceited fool is
bound to do it. There is only one way
out. Yoc can persuade him to decline
the offer. You alone can do it. You
must do it. You must do it. Name
your reward and it is yours; only do
thisr Your Majesty said Walewski,
'all have and all / am is yours, save
my honor. That is my own. l can
not do this. / can not debase myself
by thus going to the man who injured
me- Then, mon Dieu!' cried Eugene,
we must sacrifice Macmillan after all.
The Council must be reconvened and
the subsidy and army granted With.
in half an hour the Ministers met again
and reversed their action of two DAYS
before. Maximilian received the sup
port of France, and the fatal Mexican
expedition became a fact. And all.
because of that opera-box quarrel; for
had Walewski been friendly with
Morny he would have persuaded him to
decline the offer, and Macmillan would
have also declined it, and the Mexicans
would have had to look elsewhere for
an Imperial martyr"- Letter
bar Arsene HOuSsdUe