The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-22
POOR CARLOTTA.
The Mad Ex- Empress About to Revisit
Mexico.
Associated With The Great Tragedy of
Her Life-Her Pathetic Story Reto.d.

She Wishes to See Once More the Place,
Associated With The Great Tragedy OF
Her Life-Her Pathetic Story Reto,d.
The other day there came over the wires
from the City of Mexico dispatch which
said that Prince Revenholler was there
for the purpose of securing permission
for ex-Empress Carlotta to visit Mexico
Her mind is improving and she wishes
to again see the places associated with
the death of her husband. Permission
will be granted and every attention paid
her by the Mexican government. Her
physicians" the despatch added, "recom-
mend the visit"
What a touching imperial romance and
how much of tragic history is recalled by
this brief paragraph. The annals of roy
atty contain no sadder legend than the
story of the beautiful hapless woman to
whom it refers. 1t will be forty years,
come July 81, since the handsome and
dashing young Archduke Macmillan,
brother of the Kaiser Francis Joseph, was
married to Princess Carlotta, the only
daughter and favorite child of Leopold L.,
of Belgium. A year before the husband.
when holding command in the Austrian
navy, had made his residence in Trieste,
one of the most beautiful towns on the
shores of the Adriatic. One day, being
out in his canoe, the wind suddenly rose,
and in spite of his efforts his little craft
was driven into harbor where the wat
ers We're entirely tranquil The spot
charmed him. Landing, he found that
low hill, rising abruptly from the wat
er, commanded beautiful view, and he
was won by its charms to build for HIM
self fisherman's hut. Following his
marriage the dot his wife brought him
gave him the means of identifying this
chosen spot, and there, after time, he
built for his bride grand castle, which
he called Miramar. Architecture was one
of the passions of the young Archduke,
and the plans for his new home were
drawn by his own hand. Richness, taste
and sentiment found joint expression in
the stately home which he builded, while
in the grounds about it these qualities
had even more perfect utterance. The
master of Miramar had a power of per-
suading every exotic plant and tree to be
it's most beautiful. For him every foreign
bird sang its sweetest. He loved nature
and nature returned his devotion. A
dream of loveliness wrought in marble,
in foliage, blossom and song-such was
Miramar. Here the young lovers spent
seven happy years. Great plans of future
work were always making; artists and
men of letters surrounded them, and life
was full and rich. But one day, early in
1864, delegation came to Miramar bring
ing the proffer of what was to prove a
fatal honor.
Into the busy scheming brain of Louis
Napoleon had come a fantastic design to
set up an alien empire in the country to
the south of the great republic then in
the throes of desperate struggle for eX-
istence. He believed that he had regener-
ated France, and he looked upon himself
as the champion of the Latin race and the
upholder of the Latin church. And so,
dreaming of founding a great Latin en-
the Romish Church in America he moved
on Mexico. Spain was with him, the
Pope gave his blessing to the venture
England approved it, Germany made no
opposition, and Russia only formal
protest. The wishes of Mexico had small
consideration. The allies-France, Spain
and England, using the need of collecting
bad debts as an excuse, a greed to ''seiZe
and occupy the several fortresses and mil
itary positions on the Mexican coast, !"
and did so without delay. Soon however,
disputes arose among the allies them
selves. Spain and England withdrew
and Napoleon was left alone to found the
empire he had planned. He at once de-
clared war on the existing Mexican gov
eminent. Pueblo, the gangway of Mexi-
co, was captured, and Bazaine, later to
become of Infamous memory, was sent
over at the head of a motley army of
10000 men, drawn from the four corners
of Europe, to complete the work of con-
quest. Then to make sure the triumph
of the Latin race on American soil,'' Ma
poleon decided that the Mexicans should
be permitted ''to freely choose their form
of government, taking care, however,
that they should do so through represen-
tatives selected by his agents Under
such conditions Mexico decided upon a
limited hereditary monarchy, with a
Catholic Prince, who should take the
title of Emperor of Mexico and the
crown was offered to Macmillan. His
wife grasped eagerly at the prospect of
sharing the throne thus held out to him.
She was young, only "a, beautiful and
ambitious, and she had sworn to die a
queen. Maximilian, however, warned of
the probable consequences of the enter
prise, realized the risks and hesitated.
He asked the advice of Baron Won Gag
ern, an old soldier who knew Mexico
we'll. II fear your imperial highness
will pay for the attempt with your
head the Baron replied. $50, " urged