NEWS BY THE MAIL.

West Coast Times, Issue 625, 25 September 1867, Page 4

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

THE EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN

No official details of the capture have been published ; but a letter, dated Queretaro, May 20, shows how the Emperor was betrayed : —

"The principal defence of this town consists in the vast convent, of La Cruz, situated at the south, and on the side of the city of Mexico. This building a relic of the splendours of the Spanish domination, is constructed of stone and adobe (bricks hardened' by the sun). The convent covers, with its dependencies, more than ten acres of ground, and forms a citadel on which siege artillery only could make any impression. Such, five days ago, was the principal position of Maximilian. Immediately opposite, in the Corretas mountains, the Mexican general, Escobedo, was established, and his advanced guard occupied the valley which separates La Cruz from the Corretas. In the night of May 14 there was a council of war in the town. The Imperalist army had exhausted all its supplies, and was likely to be soon reduced to the last extremities. As flower was wanting the Intendance every day caused to be slaughtered a certain number of horses and. mules, which there was no means of feeding, from want of provender. Even this resource threatened to fail before long; and for that reason Maximilian resolved on attempting a vigorous sortie, and opening for himself a passage through the enemy's line. At eleven o'clock the troops were under arms, and the artillery in position ; everything was ready for the attack. But at the last moment, in consequence of the slow movements of his generals the Emperor found himself obliged to countermand the expedition. Already at that moment the army had been sold to the enemy. The fort of La Cruz was to have been occupied an hour later by the troops ofthe Liberals. It was notorious that there was a considerable number of persons in the ranks ofthe Imperialists disposed to give up the town ; but who would ever have suspected, the colonel of the regiment of the Empress, the keeper of the key of Queretaro, the commander of the fort of La Cruz, Miguel Lopez himself? He was the man who, in the evening of the 14th, sent to Escobedo a letter, in which he offered to betray his companions in arms for 3000 ounces of gold (48,000 dollars). Escobedo naturally did what any other general would have done in his place — lie accepted the proposal. Towards midnight the advanced, guard of the Liberals, protected by the darkness, left the camp, and arrived without noise before the convent. Colonel Lopez ordering his soldiers to ground their arms, opened the gates to the enemy. From tliat moment the Emperor Maximilian, who was sleeping tranquilly in another part of the building, was irretrievably lost. At the first gleam of the morning the archduke was on foot, and immediately perceived that some extraordinary event had taken place. Rousing up the Prince of Salm-Salm, his aide-rie-canip, Maximih'an directed his steps towards the outer enclosxire of the convent ; but had scarcely advanced a few paces when he was surrounded by a detachment of soldiers commanded by Colonel Rincon Gallardo. Lopez himself accompanied the detachment, and pointed out the Emperor to the troops, crying out " That is the man, seize him." A curious incident then occurred. Colonel Gallardo, a biave soldier, who did not seem greatly to relish the treachery of Lopez, stepped up to Maximilian, and said to him, "You are a private person and not a soldier ; we have nothing to say to you, go about your business." With these words he pushed his Majesty outside the convent. Five minutes later I met Maximilian, who seemed not to have yet recovered from his surprise. He was walking as fast as possible towards Cerro de la Campana, at the other extremity of the town. This position is a fortified hill commanding the northern part of the place. On his arrival there he was joined by Generals Mejia, Castillo, and Avellano, the Prince de Salm-Salm, and several others of his officers ; but it soon became evident that any resistance was impossible. Four battlions of infantry and all the Liberal cavalry were surrounding the Cerro. The white flag was then hoisted, and the archduke with all his staff surrendered to General Corona. The prisoners were allowed to retain their horses, arms, and personal effects ; and a few hours later they were conducted to the convent of La Cruz."

The trial, which commenced on 29th May, was a mockery : — " It was conducted with closed doors — the condemnation of all the accused was a foregone conclusion. The Emperor and all his general officers were tried together A list of more than fifty accusations was drawn up against the accused. The judge advocate, commencing with the Emperor, asked each of the prisoners whether he was guilty of the first accusation on the list. If the reply was in the affirmative, it was so recorded ; if the charge was denied, each, member of the court was permitted to become a witness, and state what he knew or pretended to know of it it. Thus these officers acted the part of judge, jury and witness. The trial closed on June 3rd. The prisoners were removed, the Court deliberated for a few hours, and then took a vote. All of the accused were found guilty of all the charges. They were brought into Court, informed ofthe decision, and asked if they had aught to say why sentence should not be pronounced upon them. With great dignity and firmness the emperor again repeated his protest against the legality ofthe Court, and handed to the judgeadvocate a written copy of the same, which he demanded should be sent to Juarez. The officers received the announcement of their fate with contemptuous composure. One or two of them, however, bitterly denounced and ridiculed the manner in which they had been tried, and were silenced by the Court. They were then all sentenced to be &hot. The court-martial consisted of obscure and unknown officers, some of whom were only of the rank of colonel. Escobedo was the only well-known officer who was a member of the Court. Painful stories are told of the brutality with which the proceedings were conducted. Escobedo, it is said, lost no opportunity of insulting and outraging the prisoners. Itis even said that this brute in reply to a remonstrance addressed to him by the Emperor, inflicted on the latter the indignity of a blow with his fist. When Escobedo was a prisoner in the hands of the Imperalists, two years ago, General Mejia had defended him, eayed his life, and obtained his release. Remembering this, Meji4 now said that he would request General Escobedo to defend him. With brutal profanity Escobedo refused, and added that he hoped to see his benefactor shot."

The Colonel Lopez whe sold Maximilian at Queretaro for a sum of money, had bern decorated by Marshal Bazaine with the Legion of Honour for services rendered

to the French cause. The Grand Chancellor of the Order has been instructed to strike out the name of the traitor from the roll of members. THE LAST MOMENTS OF MAXIMILIAN. Maxinilian declined to avail himself of the assistance of an advocate, whilst Mejia and Miramon chose one to defend them conjointly. The condemnation was returned on the morning of the 18th. The President, it is affirmed, was inclined to clemency-; but Romero overcame that disposition, and obtained the order for execution, notwithstanding the plea that only a small majority had affirmed the sentence. As soon as General Corona was put in possession of the necessary document the three prisoners were informed of it. They manifested no surprise. Maximilian simply requested that they might be left together until the last moment, which was accorded. The night was passed in quiet conversation, and the condemned men confessed. Miramon was suffering greatly from a wound in his eye. Mejia fell into a deep sleep. Maximilian asked for paper and pens, which, in the middle of the night, were found with some difficulty. He wrote two letters — one in German, addressed to his mother, the Archduchess Sophia, and the other to his wife. He confided them to the bishop, begging him to have them forwarded. He added a lock of his hair, which the wife of one of the guards came and cut off for him. He kissed it, folded it together, and slipped it into the envelope, which was already sealed. Towards four in the morning the Emperor desired to hear mass, which was said by the bishop. Mejia was roused up, and all three communicated. After mass Maximilian appears to have remained for a long time kneeling on the hard stones with bis head bent, and his hands over his eyes. Miramon was pale and downcast ; Mejia was radiant — for he is an Indian, and it was glorious for him to die along with his master, as he declared, At seven o'clock the notes of a military band were heard, and Captain Gonzales entered the chapel with, bandages to blindfold the prisoners. Miramon submitted to the operation quietly. Mejia refused, and, as the captain was about to use force, the bishop whispered a few words to the general, who then acquiesced. But the Emperor, coming forward, declared that as to himself he would not be blindfolded. The procession then moved forward, followed by the band playing the funeral march. When it reached the principal gate of the hospital, Mejia said aloud, " Sire, give to us for the last time example of your noble courage ; we follow your Majesty.' 1 The Franciscan friars now appeared, the two in front bearing the cross and holy water, the other holding tapers. Each of the three coffins intended for the doomed men was carried by a group of four Indians ; three black crosses to be fixed where each prisoner knelt for execution were borne last. Captain Gonzales then made a sign to Maximilian to move forward. The Emperor advanced courageously, saying to the two generals, " Vamos nos a la libertad I" The procession slowly ascended the street leading to the cemetery. The Emperor walked first, having the Abbe Fischer on his right, and the bishop on his left. Immediately behind came Miramon supported on j each side by Franciscans, and Mejia between two priests. When the procession i reached the summit of the hill, Maxiini- j lian looked steadily at the rising sun ; then, taking out his watch, ha pressed a spring which concealed a portrait, in mi- j niture, of the Empress Charlotte. He ! kissed it, and, handing the chain to the Abbe Fischer, said, — "Carry this souvenir to Europe to my dear wife, and if she be ever able to understand you, say that my eyes clesed with the impression of her image, which I shall carry with me above !" The cortege had now reached the great exterior wall of the cemetery, and the bells were slowly tolling a funeral knell. Three small benches with wooden crosses were placed against the wall ; and the three shooting parties, each having two non-commissioned officers as areserve for the coup de grace, approached within a few paces ofthe prisoners. The Emperor, at the noise made by the movement of the muskets, thought the soldiers were about to fire, and rapidly turning to his two companions he embraced them most affectionately. Miramon, surprised, very I nearly sank upon the seat, where he remained quite nelpless, and the Franciscans raised him in their arms. Mejia returned the embrace of Maximilian, whispering some broken words, which were not overheard. He then folded his arms, and remained standing. The bishop, ad- j vancing, addressed the Emperor : — " Sire, give to Mexico, without any exception, ! the kiss of reconciliation in my person ; let your Majesty, in this supreme moment, accord pardon to all." The Emperor was unable to conceal the emotion which agitated him, He allowed the bishop to ■ embrace him. Then raised his voice, he said — " Tell Lopez that I forgive him his treachery ; tell all Mexico ' that I pardon its crime." His Majesty then pressed the hand of the Abbe Fischer, who, unable to utter a word, sank at the feet of the Emperor, bathing with tears his hands, which he kissed. Many present wept bitterly. Maximilian gently extricated his hand, and, advancing a step, said, with a melancholy smile to the officer commanding the executing party, ala disposition de listed. -At that moment, on a sign given by the officer, the muskets were levelled against the Emperor's breast ; he murmured a few words in German, and the discharge enveloped the spectators in smoke. Miramon fell heavily to the ground ; Meja remained erect, and waved his arms about, but a ball through tin 1 head ended his agony. The Emperor fell back upon the cross, which sustained his corpse ; the body was immediately raised and placed in the coffin, as were those of the two generals. All three were buried without delay in the cemetery. General Corona suWquently summoned the prelate, and demanded the surrender of the letter?. The one addressed to the Arehducliess Sophia was not opened, as she, being the mother of the Emperor, could not be supposed to receive any dangerous communications from her son. That fo the Empress Charlotte was unsealed. Its terms are these ; it was written in French :—: —

"My dearly beloved Carloftja— lf God one day permits your recovery, and you read these lines, you will learn the cruelty of the ill-fortune which has unceasingly pursued me since your departure for Europe. You took with you all my chance and my soul. Why did I not listen to your counsel ? So many events, alas ! so many sudden blows have broken all my hopes— that death is for me a happy deliverance, and not an agony. I fall gloriously, as a soldier — ns a king — vanquished, but not dishonored. If your sufferings be too great — if God call you speedily to reioin me — I will bless the Divine hand which has so heavily pressed upon us. Adieu, adieu. — Your poor Max."