Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/289

 indicate that his appeal to the people was doomed beforehand to frustration? For the citizens, who rose en masse under the republican banner, induced either by conviction or by political necessity, had already given their votes. The lot of the monarchy was, therefore, settled without chance of appeal. But, then, would the Mexicans take up arms to elect an Austrian archduke as president of the republic, in preference to a liberal—a son, too, of the nation? This idea of a congress was an unhappy dream, which Maximilian obstinately pursued, circumvented as he was by the passions of his partisans. It was this chimera which led the unfortunate prince to his funeral pall at Queretaro.

Yet the stern reality betrayed itself too stringently to escape Maximilian's observation. Under the influence of the gloomy thoughts which were called forth, he sent for the marshal to come to the Hacienda de la Teja. There a long and friendly conversation took place; they spoke first of the health of the Empress Charlotte, then of Miramon's campaign, and at last of MM. Castelnau and Dano's visit to Puebla, the details of which the Emperor well recollected. The marshal, on being asked his opinion as to the position and future prospects of the monarchy, replied that, after the recall of the foreign legion (which deprived Maximilian of any chance of retreat in case of reverses), and the withdrawal of our soldiers, there would be nothing but danger, to be encountered without glory. 'From the moment,' he added, 'that the United States boldly pronounced their veto against the imperial system, your throne was nothing but a bubble, even if your majesty had obtained the help of a hundred thousand Frenchmen. Supposing even that the Americans had observed neutrality during the continuance of the intervention, the monarchy itself had no spirit