Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-07

would be affected directly by my
silence. as it was already wei known
! that his comrades accused him of be-
ing disloyal 10 the archduke. whom
they thought he had miserabiy be-
tTayed- Lopez replied in an Indifferent
| way, that he cared little for the opin-
ion held of his conduct: he would be
| silent because it was his duty TO COM
! ply in every particular with the
wishes of the emperor, to whom he
| owed much, and he could not be I'M
grateful to him. He added that he
was provided with a document which
would clear his honor of any stain.
Then he showed me a letter from the
| emperor; the authenticity of which
seemed TO me undoubted. I took a
copy OF it, as follows
My Dear Col. Lopez-We recon-
mend to you to preserve profound. in.
violable secrecy on the commission
for Gen. Escobedo which we have in
trusted to you, because if it is d.
vulged our honor would be blemished.
Your most affectionate Maximilian.
On May IS, Gen. Escobedo saw
MAMMALIAN in prison. The report
says
He said he owed me many consider
atirons, and they were the more ap-
preciated as they were shown a man
in the fulness of misfortune. but that
he hoped yet more from me: that !
would show him a signal favor. The
obligation imposed would be of no
consequence to me, but if conceded
his conscience would be relieved of a
great weight. In spite of having
liberal ideas, he had the greatest re-
spect for the memory of his illustrious
ancestors. Then he asked if had
spoken yet with Lopez. l answered
athrmatively. He said that he did not
find his spirit equal to standing the
reproaches of his companions in mis-
fortune if they learned of the confer
ence between Lopez and me BY his
order, and for that reason, appealing
to nothing but his situation, he i'm
plored that | guard the secret. which
was neither difficult nor dishonorable
for me. | replied that he appeared to
be the victim of the treachery OF Ilo-
PEI; that had no interest in revealing
what had passed; but in truth. instead
OF appealing to me- it would be better
to address himself to Lopez, W.ao must
remain morally injured. The prince
replied that Lopez would not speak
while | remained silent; that my part
in not revealing the conference was a
short one-until the Princess Car1otta
ceased to live; her life would soon go
out on hearing of his execution AS a
last resort, | explained that to me it
seemed impossible to keep the secret.
even ii Lopez remained silent, be-
cause his generals, the foreign minis
tiers, or the Princess Salm Salm would
not fail to make use of the accounts
in regard to Lopez. He again insisted
that I should preserve the secret. say
ing that all these persons would COM
ply with his wishes in every particu-
lar. The situation of the prince, who
was broken in health and a prisoner,
and near a sentence of death, and his
desire to preserve, even after death, a
name without reproach moved me,
and, yielding to a feeling of consider
alton for the unfortunate criminal, |
agreed to guard his secret as long as
circumstances did not oblige me to
disclose it,
The situation of Col. Lopez was pitt
able after Maximilian's execution. He
had bound himself to silence for the
term of Carlotta's life. The princess
lived on and still lives, while all the
chief actors in the tragedy have gone
beyond the river. On one occasion the
branded man entered a large restau-
rant in this city to dine. The dining
room was almost full of people to
whom Lopez was known. He had no
sooner seated himself than almost
simultaneously the other guests retired
from the building. One gentleman in
speaking of the scene which he wit
messed, said:-
II was boy with my father at one
of the tables. I remember the look in
the mans eyes. My father exclaimed
to me-
Lopez is innocent! No man guilty
of such deed could look calmly into
the eyes of men as he has just done.
The day will come when he will be
vindicated''
A short time before his death Col.
Lopez wrote an open letter to Gen.
Escobedo through one of the news
papers Of this city, urging him to let
the world know the true history of the
fall of Queretaro.
The reactionary press took up the
matter and clamored for an expIana-
ton of the events, being certain that
Escobedo would not make one on &C
count of the shadow it would throw
over the patriotic government In
making his report at this time Gen.
Escobedo said he did so, not in reply
to any demands, but for his own per-
sonal satisfaction and that history
might know and give the truth
"The imperialist, Col. MIGUEL Lopez,
although unfaithful to his country
Chat is in joining the army of Maxi
milian) did not betray the Archduke
Macmillan of Austria nor sell for
money his post of combat"