The Coolidge examiner., 1935-03-01
The End

the sea. Finally 10 1895 In response 20 urgent
representations by the United States. Napoleon
promised to withdraw his troops from Mexico.
In the meantime open revolt had sprung up in
Mexico, In October. 1856. Macmillan had IL
sued a proclamation threatening death TO all
who offered resistance % the government II
Was aimed primarily al the bandits who had
been ravaEing the country. But the Imperialisf
and French officers took advantage Of the proc
lamation 10 execute many Liberals who were
ciassed as brigands after their capture and this
strengthened the hand of JuareE IN bis revol,
against the usurper u gained rapid headway and
MaximilIan realizing AZ last that Napoleon could
not be trusted to support him. saw that the end
was almost In sight
For a long time be had been blind 10 the fact
that De was an uuwaufed ruler In Mexico and
that his reign was destined to failure. Even
binder was his empress Carlom. (she had
changed 10 the Mexican spelling OF her name
upon becoming empress) When he proposed 10
abdica,e his throne the empress stormed al him.
So II WAS decided that she should 90 10 Eu-
rope for personal appeal 70 Napoleon 10 abide
BY his promises ~ support and protection TO
the Inflated imperial venture. Failing in her
efforts 10 win such q iarpmlse from the Willy
Frenchman. Carloia went on To Rome TO appeal
10 the pope for AID.
of insanity and SO violent did She become that
II WAS necessary for her TO spend the night
there. Thus history accords her the honor OF
being the only woman ever TO remain overnight:
In that historic building.
Having failed utterly in her efforts TO gain
support Ia either Paris or Rome and with her
health and her mind falling. Carlota was re-
moved 10 her castle In her native Belgium. Mean
while back In Mexico events we're drawing to a
swift close In February 1867. after the depar-
ture of the French troops, Maximilan withdrew
from Mexico City and went To Queretaro where
be assumed command ~ a small army. There hs
was besieged by the reyolutionsts. He made a
last desperate effort TO break through and escape
but he was betrayed by a Colonel Lopez and
taken prisoner
month later he was court martaled and after
trial that was something OF a farce he was
sentenced to die The end came for him on the
morning OF June 10. 1861. The following
winter they brought his body Ito Vienna and
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS crypt of Capuchin
monks. A long line OF Hapsburgs slumbered
here and he was laid quietly among them. e.
e. And while he slept eternally. she
roamed through the corridors OF a distant Bel
glan castle. as far removed from him as their
separate childhoods. At times II was as II he had
never been. Five empires crashed while
she sat in her garden :. Brooding in her arm
chair. she watched the sunset OF five dynastIes ::
Bonaparte. Braganza, Romanov. Hapsburg. Ho-
henzollern. Would there be a sunrise?
Death came quietly on January 16. 1927.
Until that moment, however. hers was an epic
hold on life. She knew herself TO be a mOnu-
ment to Macmillan and while she lived she
would not allow men TO forget him To all who
paid her formal visits she would whisper: Let
them remember the fairhaired stranger who
gave his life for the ambitions OF that grasplng,
INSCRIPTIONS Napoleon Let them know that we
acted In good faith; and may God grant thar our
memory be sad but never hateful. 4. :"
In Mexico they remember Carlota es 'the ILL.,
fortuned Mexican Empress, who was an innocent
victim In the game of European politics.
She Will remain engraved upon our history in
her goodness her nobility and, above all, as
the most loving OF women" The world remem-
bers her and her emperor as two royal waits
of chance" whose tragic misadventure calls
more for pity than for blame.
. by Western Newspaper UnioA-