Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-08-10
A ROYAL TRAGEDY.

Oarlotta, daughter or the late King
Leopold of Belgium and sister OF the
present king, cousin OF Queen Victoria,
and connected with most Of the royal
houses of Europe, when only II years
old married the Arch-Duke Macmillan.
brother Of the emperor OF Austria. Bril-
liant in intellect. beautiful in person.
highly accomplished, ambitious and
energetic, she was fitted both by IA
iure and education 20 fiji the highest
station royalty could Offer Maxi
milan having been appointed governor
OF the Lombard-Venetian kingdom, the
princely pair passed, at Mirimar castle.
an ideal abode near Trieste. the first
happy years of their marriage.
a serpent then entered their Eden in
the form of emissaries from Napoleon
III, backed by Mexican delegation.
offering Macmillan an imperial throne
in Mexico. He at first declined the
perilous honor; at length moved by
Carlotta's persuasions and by an assur-
ance that he was the free choice Of
majority OF the Mexican people, lie
yielded reluctantly. for he WAS neither
| a warlike nor an ambitious man. June
II, lHo4 a day of fatal auEury for both.
the royal pair entered the Mexican
capital and we're received with accla-
nations by the populace.
a large army led by Jaurez, the le-
posed president of Mexico, continued
its revolt against the new empire which
| the United States refused to recognize.
Napoleon III, ere long, broke his sol
emn pledge to Macmillan 10y with
drawing the French army Of protection,
and things went on from bad to worse,
until the tragedy ended in the capture
of Macmillan and his execution IN
| May, 1861 at command OF the trium-
plant Jaurez. Carlotta was at that
time absent in Europe whittier she had
gone to plead for assistance from Ma
| poleon III and the pope Her pleadings
went on for weeks after the short-livea
empire had ceased to exist, and Max
imilian had been shot at the decree of
a Mexican oourt-marsAal
When little by little the fatal tidings
| were made known to her Carlotta's
mind gave away. For 80 years she
| has lived under guardianship in her
| palace of Laclen near Brussels, in the
! midst OF royal state-for she has a
| large fortune in her own right. She
still imagines herself empress of Mex
! leo, and always longingly awaits the
! y m uhn bn 60 a,f,
| is absent at the head OF an army to
| quell revolt against his authority.
| Every month she holds her mimic
| court, and acts the part of a reignng
| sovereign by receivingdistinguis in
| dividuals, who are personated by mem
bers Of her own household To these
| she gives costly presents provided
| from the pictures and other ornaments
| of her palace, which after the grand
ievee is over, are carefully restored to
| their places, and will do duty for the
| next occasion
For two years Carlotta played her
! role as empress in the historic palace
! of Chepultepec. During this time she
| was her husbands chief adviser. Both
/
| had an ambition not only to build up a
| great empire in the Western world, but
| to rule wisely and Well and prove a
blessing to their people Carlotta dur
! ing her brief stay in Mexico became
the head and soul of many private and
public charities. Her charming person
! atty her gracious demeanor and genu-
inc kindness Of heart, endeared her
both to high and low When heaven
in mercy threw a cloud over her rea-
son, thus hiding from her full knowl-
edge Of the calamities that had oefallen
her, she was only 2G years OF age
For 90 years she has lived in this men
tai twilight-in the world and yet not
OF the world.
If Macmillan were living today. he
would be heir to the throne Of Austro-
! Hungary.