Year: 1867

"hoie sI0aoy. x G00c0sed AZ l39z
Excitement In Europe Over tho Mwrdcr Of


Maxi,nilian.


When intelligence of the fate Of Maxim,liaa
first reached us we foresaw and described the
fierce outburss of indignation and tho deep
and unfeigned sorrow with which news Of lhe
sad event would be certain to be received all
over Europe. Each successive mail. as it
arrives, confirms the accuracy Of the views
then expressed The papers are literally full
of Macmillan and Mexico. II is tho all-pro-
vailing topic Of discussion; and. with scarcely
a single exception, grief over the un-
timely fate of tho unfortunate Prince is
mingled with unqualified reprobation of the
brutal conduct Of his murderers. No event at
all comparable TO the execution Of the Mexican
Emperor has occurred since Louis XVI. per-
ished by the guillo.ine; nor has any event
since that Occasioned such deep and general
sorrow; and unless wo greatly mistake history
will pronounce it equally unnecessary and
equally barbarous. The murder of the King
neither secured nor quiokened the life Of Che
French republic; aud we speak mildly when
we say that we wait for evidence 10 be con-
vinced that the salvation Of Mexico has been
secured by the murder of Macmillan.


In another place in this days HERALD we
publish letter from the pen Of our special
correspondent at Vienna, in which the feeling
in the Austrian capital is ably described. We
publish also an article from the Pail Mall
GaSete, together with numerous extracts from
other European journals. in all of which the
prevailing feeling is truthfuly reflected.


1t will be seen from an examination Of those
Juarez and his friends, there arc Others who
come in for fair share of blame. Chief among
the latter is the Emperor Louis Napoleon.
This is precisely what we expected. We have
ever been convinced that the more thoroughly
this Mexican business was studied, and the
more completely it was mas cred, hemore fully
manifest would it become that the chief offender,
the real originator of all this mischief, was the
Emperor Of the French. There are others
who have grievously if not wilfaly erred, and
whose conduct in the matter must ever remain
inexcusable; but Louis Napoleon must con-
tinue to bear The burden OF the guilt. ALatin
empire on the American continent, absurd and
impossible to all who know the material out
of which it was to be created, was
grand but ridiculous conception, traceable
to the imperial brain alone. Filled with
vanity because Of success achieved on the
field Of Solferino, desirous to proptia!e
the House of Hapsburg, whom he had
greatly humbled, aud not unwilling to do
kindness to an ambitious and high spirited
Prince whom he had robbed of his province Of
Lombardy, II was Napoleon who opened up to
the mind OF Macmillan visions of empire, and
encouraged him to indulge the hope Of yet
sitting in pride and splendor in the halls Of
tie Montezumas. No one can say that the
glittering prize was eagerly grasped at
On the contrary, the whole project was viewed
by Macmillan with suspicion and distrust; it
was seen 10 he fraught with great and serious
peril it was discouraged by the Emperor,
his brother; it implied the abandonment of
his position and prospects as Prince Of the
Austrian empire. What was there that Mexico
could give that Austria had not already given?
In what sense could he be gaincrs A
worthless crown and an empty name would be
poor rewards for the sacrifices which il would
be necessary to make. The influence Of Napo-
leon alone svercame these scruples. II was his
urgent entreaties, his glowing pictures, his lib
eial promise Of help which at last wrung from
Macmillan reluctant consent (; and it was the
bayonets OF France which won aud for q time
maintained for him his sceptre and his crown.
1t is unnecessary to go into the history Of later
movements to illustrate Napoleon's guilt The
crowning offence was committed at the outset
The grand crime of the whole affair was the
bartering away of the rights Of people over
which the would-be trader had no control
That crime was committed by Napoleon. We
do not say that Maximlian was innocent; but
Maximilian, whatever his faults, has died like .
true man and made ample atonemcnt.


We have again and again in the pages Of the
HERALD spoken Of the execution Of Macmillan
as q piece of unnecessary cruelty. We have
spoken Of those who ought to have saved him,
who ware ahle tn save him hut who Aid not