The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-01
The End
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binder was his empress Carlora (she had
changed TO the Mexican spelling Of her name
upon becoming empress). When he proposed to
abdieate his throne, the empress stormed at him.
..Abdication is tantamount TO proclaiming one
self incompetent Such thing is admissible in
old men or idiots, but never in a prince thirty
four years of age Our most sacred possession
is our sovereignty" she declared.
So it was decided that she should go to Eu-
rope for a personal appeal to Napoleon TO abide
by his promises of support and protection to
the Inflated imperial venture. Failing in her
efforts TO win such a promise from the willy
Frenehman Carlota went on to Rome to appeal
TO the pope for aid.
In the Vatican she developed her first traces
of insanity and so violent did she become that
il 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 in either Paris or Rome and with her
health and her mind failing, Carlota was re-
moved TO her castle in her native Belgium. Mean
while back in Mexico events were drawing TO
swift close. In February. 1867, after the depar-
ture of the French troops. Macmillan withdrew
from Mexico City and went to Queretaro where
he assumed command of small army. There he
was besieged by the revolutionists He made
last desperate effort to break through and escape
but he was betrayed by a Colonel Lopez and
taken prisoner.
A month later, with the Mexican generals.
Miramon and Mejia, he was court martialed and
after trial that was something of farce SEN
fenced TO die. During the absence of Carlota. he
had been told that the empress had died but later
this runner was denied Tortured by doubt in the
last days of his life he wrote her parting note:
My beloved CarIa: If God should allow you
TO regain your health so that you may read
these lines. you viii learn how cruelty fate
has dealt me blow after blow without respite
since the day of your departure. Disaster has
logged my steps, breaking all my hopesi Death
seems happy solution. I shall go to my end
as a soldier. a sovereign defeated but not dis
honored. Then, if your own distress be-
comes too great TO bear, and God calls you to
join soon shall bless the hand which has
been so heavy upon Us. Farewell, Charlotte =
MAMMALIAN"
Deaths happy solution" came TO him on the
morning of June 10, 1867. The following
winter they brought his body Ito Vienna and
the Observation-Disclosures crypt of Capuchin
monks. A long line of Hapsburgs slumbered
here and he was laid quietly among them
=. And while he slept eternally, she
roamed through the corridors of a distant Bel
gian castle. as far removed from him as their
separate childhoods. AT times it was as If be 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-
henzoIlern. Would there he a sunrise?
Catastrophe Numbered past her gates. The
roar of cannon and the tramp of marching feet
echoed against her walls, yet their din resound-
ing so close TO her immediate abode. failed ut
terly TO reach her ear. She could afford to
ignore the destiny of Europe. as Europe had
ignored her.
"Now she alone was left-the last Of the
expresses. -. How mad was she? She would
not tell She would not let them know for fear
that they might rob her of what was now her last
possession-her phantom crown. She would be
Empress TO the last
Death came quietly on January 16, 1927.
Until that moment. however hers was an epic
hold on life She knew herself to be monu-
ment to Macmillan and while she lived she
would not allow to forget him To all who
paid her visits while she would whisper: Let
them remember the fair-haired stranger who
gave his life for the ambitions of that grasping,
INSCRIPTIONS Napoleonl Let them know that we
acted in good faith and may God grant that our
memory be sad but never hateful -"
In Mexico they remember Carlota as .the IL
forruned Mexican Empress. who was an innocent
victim in the game of European politics
She win 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
eby Western SexspaDer unaon-