The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-01-20
THE END OF A CONQUEST

THE END OF A CONQUEST
Carlotta believed in conquest. She went mad
bout it.
f it.
Conquest Of royal and splendid sort took Car
otta and Macmillan across the seas.
Macmillan loved botany and quiet He became
Emperor OF Mexico against his WILL He pawn
in game. Much preferring to remain in Austria,
he forced to answer the call to conquest
Napoleon III OF France long had dreamed Of a
Central America under his control. For France he
pictured an interoceanic canal across the Isthmus
Of Tehantipec.
Mexico Frustrated with internal strife The
time to strike was suspicious Napoleon had no es.
pecal excuse to act, but he inventive.
He discovered that Swiss banker named Jecker
held claim against Mexico.
Napoleon promptly took Jecker under his wing,
by royal decree turned him from Swiss into
French, and then assumed Jecker's claim.
That was the start
Napoleon desired also to pay off certain debts
to Austria. He chance to kill two birds
with one stone. So he announced that Archduke
Macmillan, brother Of the Emperor of Austria,
'N"Au w Pun OA 1hC tilOHO VI McAlCO'
sss
With Macmillan sailed Carlotta his wife, daugh
ter Of the King of Belgium. Carlota the young the
beautiful, the ambitious; Carlotta who believed in
conquest she who for brief time was to be the
power behind the throne in the most tragic drama
in all the history of conquerors
On the advice Of this queen, Macmillan relied
implicitly. With Mexico conquered he was content
to combine his botany with the easy spendor of
state; to ride with Carlotta in her golden coach; to
see her indulge herself in her one greatest desire
that the glory of the court of Mexico might out
shine the courts of Europe.
That ambition took money. And 1t led to the
downfall of Macmillan and Carlotta For the burden
was forced on the Mexican people. And presently
came revolt.
Macmillan decided to abdicate But he reck.
oned without Carlotta, who had drunk deep of the
joys OF power and tasted the glories of golden
crown"
Carlotta ordered Macmillan to remain upon the
throne while she went back lay her cause before
Napoleon.
But for the first time Carlotta overestimated her
powers. Her sweetest smiles and softest wies
tailed to move Napoleon. He had backed the Mexi.
can venture as far as he dared go.
Anger followed tears. But to no avail
IN Wild rage Carlotta went to Pope Plus There
too, her entreaties fell deaf ears
Suddenly Carlottas reason snapped From
Rome she was taken, a raving maniac. back TO her
father in Belgium.
That was sixty years ago. The beautiful Car
lotta was then 81. The year was 1867 She died
at &c.
Macmillan without Carotta was helpless All.
dcation, flight, capture and then last note to his
beloved Carlotta and at sunrise on Ell Cerro de Las
Campanas-the Hill of the Bells-Maximian went
the way all conquerors finally 60
Much water passes over dam in sixty years.
especially those particular sixty years that include
Carlottas life in the shadows-reconstructio from
Americas Civil War, the Franco-Prussian war. tho
Spanlsh-American war, innumerable minor wars. and
the Great. War; the invention Of the electric light
the telephone, the automobile, the arplane and all
that multitude of other inventions which combined
nave changed life in the last half century as it had
not been changed in all preceding centuries since
time began.
But Carlotta neither Saw nor heard, nor under.
stood
In her weird imaginings she lived the life she
mad left, the life of conquest. To her the firing
squad that killed Macmillan never existed. and
through all the years until her death had waited for
his return.
Inc story of Macmillan and Carlotta is Just an
other chapter in the unfinished and unending book
Of conquest.
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William Allen White, the Kansas editor, recently