The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-08

thanks to God because he has conducted me
here presenting unto him fervent prayers
for the happiness of the country which is
mina United to Mexico long ago By sym
pathy, am to-day united to 1t by stronger
bonds ana at the same time sweeter-those
of gratitude.
Il wish, senior project, that the poor of
this city might participate in the pleasure
which / have experienced among you.
send you 5000 Of my own. private funds:
which is to be dedicated to the rebuilding OF
the House of Charity the ruinous state OF
which made me feel sad yesterday so that
the unfortunate ones who found themselves
deprived or shelter may return to lnhaDlt IL.
Senior project. assure my compatr1ots OF
Pueblo that they possess and will always
possess my affections.
GAVE MUCH TO CHARITY.
During the period-a little over two years
of her residence in Mexico she spent on an
average more than 5000 a week in charity.
What she gave away privately, or with her
own hand, no one ever knew. Better under
stood and better informed, she would have
become, according to a native chronicler,
the providence of Mexico by the benevolent
institutions she would have founded and by
the impulse she was in the way of giving
to charitable works which were totally
lacking in that country. She developed re-
markable administrative abilities and gen.
eral political capacity, and if she had been
at the head of strong government she
would have ranked with the great Queens,
1t was common saying among intelligent
people in the City of Mexico that if the
country had ever had a President with half
the ambition, energy and honesty of the
Empress ii would be in a far more prosper
Gus condition than it ever had been. But
that was before the time of Porfirio Diaz.
For those who loved the blaze of a court
brilliant pageants and frequent festivities
were arranged. In winter the society people
We're invited to ball at the palace every
Monday evening. Carlotta walked through
four quadrilles and then looked on At
grand receptions she wore a rich white sat
IN dress, trimmed with gold and brilliants,
d purple velvet mantle bOrdered with gold,
a dladem OF brllliants jewels of great value,
the grand cross of St Carlos, the grand
starred cross of Austria, and the cross or
Brazil AND, according TO a frequent visitor
at the palace through all this imperial
splendor shone with d far brighter luster
the smiling face, the index of gentle and
Suddenly. in 1866, the French troops were
withdrawn from the City of Mexico, and
Macmillan, with traitors in his camp, was
CONFRONTED py Juarez and the republicans,
VINO had been lntuT1ated by the imperial de-
cree ordering that all republicans taken
with arms in their hands were to be exc
cuted within twenty-four hours. Against his
will and better Judgment Macmillan signed
TINS tatal document, intending that the or
der should not be carried out without care
tui investigation of each individual case.
intentions, however, do not count for much
in civil wars.
In July the Empress went to Europe and
called at once upon Napoleon and Eugene.
Owing to the decisive action of the United
States government it was impossible thar
French troops should be sent to Mexico.
Napoleon urged that Macmillan should re-
turn to Austria Immediately The young
Emperor refused to abandon his friends
who had staked their lives and fortunes on
the empire. Carlotta fastened to the Pope,
after having manifested symptoms of in
sanity during the interview with Napoleon.
She believed that the French ruler intended
to have her poisoned, and even during her
fused all food except that which she pre-
pared herself. The Pope also found it inn
possible to interfere, and as CarlOtta be-
came violently insane she was taken by her
brother to one of the royal palaces near
Brussels
Everybody knows the story of Maximil-
ans death, and of the last word he was
heard to utter: Lolita" Few people know
anything of the death in life endured by the
hapless lady who had intended to become
the good angel of the people of Mexico. 1t
is said that when Macmillan died some
relatives of the Empress observed that the
choicest pearls presented by her lover on
the wedding day had lost their beauty The
treasures were submerged in deep water be-
side the rock of Gibraltar, and il is pre-
.dicted that their former luster VIII return
when Carlotta's reason shall have resumed
its sway. Whether such a contamination is
thirty years, through the prison windows
of palace, the sad wondering eyes of a
gracious and beautiful woman have looked
out upon the gay world in which there re-
mains no JOY but memory-thc sole possess
sion she may take over the dark river