The Butte daily bulletin., 1919-06-11
Today We Celebrate.

Anniversary of the Coronation of
Emperor Macmillan i'm Mexico City.
Many and spectacular have been
the triumphal entries of conquering
heroes into the ancient City of Mex
leo since it was founded six centuries
ago, when it was known as Tonoch-
titan, capital of the Aztec Empire.
When new emperor was installed
in the palace his accession was cele-
brated by human sacrifices, and 9TH
er barbarous festivities.
Since then few rulers have achiev-
ed power in Mexico without bloody
sacrifice for the god of battles
Thousands of Aztecs were slain be-
fore Coret2 raised his banner over
the capital, and multitude of Span
ish and native troops were killed be-
fore Iturbides ragged patriot army
entered the City of Mexico in 1891
and hauled down the flag of Spain.
OF all the triumphs in the long
history of the City Of Mexico, how
| ever, the entrance of Maximilan and
Carlotta into the capital fifty-five
years ago tomorrow, June IL, 1854,
and their coronation as emperor and
empress, was marked by the most
regal pomp and lavish display
| halo of romance surrounded the
Austrian archduke and the beauti-
full Belgian princess, who was his
wife. and their attempt to found an
empire in the New World was sur
rounded with such glamor as to win
the allegiance for a time, of many OF
their subjects. 1t was not long,
however, until the ideal of liberty,
long held but never realized at
tanned new birth in the minds OF
the Mexicans, and turned them
against the benevolent despot who
had set up a throne in the venerable
castle of Chepultepec.
Wild and unrestrained enthusiasm
on the part of the populace greeted
Macmillan and Carlotta on that 18th
of June in 1854 when they rode
into the City of Mexico, surrounded
by troops of many nations in bril-
liant uniforms. French, Austrian,
Belgian and black African soldiers
escorted the young emperor and en-
press, and their martial music as
they marched through elaborately
decorated streets made it gala
occasion such as is dear to the Mex
lean heart, and led the natives tenn
porarily to forget their hatred of the
gringo.
On that night SIS years ago
Macmillan and his bride looked
down through the grove of expresses
the Aztecs had planted on Chapul-
tepec hill upon a city ablaze with
lights and gay with unrestrained rev.
elry and mirth and apparent joy
Everything seemed auspicious, but
the new rulers failed to reckon with
the fickleness of the Mexican mob
and they forgot also, the liberty
loving minority, led by that great
Indian Bonito Juarez. Out beyond
the Terra Caliente, among the peo.
pie of the scorching plateaus and
mountain Businesses of the north, the
ideal of freedom still lived. In vair
butcher Bazaine and his European
troops sought to put down the re-
! bellion, setting up precedents OF
'civilized warfare for future Mexi
can leaders to follow by butcherins
in cold blood all the Jaurist prison
ers and even women and children
falling into their bloody hands. AnC
it was not long before Maximiliar
faced the firing squad and his beau
tiful bride fled to Europe, where he
trials caused her to lose her reason
| and where she lived, hopelessly in
sane, for half century after he
: husband was killed by the bullets o
the Mexican rebels.
II II
A Famous Old Church.