PEACE OF PRAGUE 1866 the dying crew cheered "Venezia e nostra." The chief gunner fired a last shot with the water up to his waist, crying, "Just one more." The Italian captain blew out his brains. Persano, on the "Affondatore," had two good chances to ram the Austrians, but flinched. To save two of his weakest ships, the Austrian commodore, Petz, on the "Kaiser Max,” ineffectually rammed the "Re di Portogallo." The Austrian was terribly mauled. The total loss on the Italian side was 620 killed; the wounded numbered 161; two ironclads were lost, and a third sank a few days after the fight. Tegethoff lost but 38 killed and 138 wounded, and brought off all his ships. The Italians abandoned Lissa, and though still superior in ships, drew off. Persano, later, was brought to trial by the Italian Senate on the charges of incapacity, negligence, disobedience, cowardice, and treason. He was convicted of the first two counts, and in punishment was deprived of his rank and pay. Tegethoff was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral. In his honor it was decreed that an Austrian ironclad should always bear his name. The fiasco of Italy's disastrous campaign was made more than good by her Prussian ally. After the battle of Königgrätz, Benedek had withdrawn the remnant of his shattered army to Olmütz, in order to proceed by way of Pressburg to Vienna. Archduke Albrecht and his troops had been called from the south to take his place as commander-in-chief. The Prussian forces were ready to advance on Vienna. On the 22d they engaged the Austrians at Blumenau, and would have captured Pressburg, had not a declaration of truce put an end to hostilities. On the 26th a preliminary treaty of peace was signed at Nikolsburg, and on August 23 peace was definitely declared at Prague. At Berlin peace negotiations between the several German States and Prussia were also concluded. In October peace between Austria and Italy was declared, Venetia was 1866 NAPOLEON DESERTS MAXIMILIAN turned over by Napoleon to Italy. Austria paid a modest war indemnity to Prussia, withdrew from the Confederation, and gave up all rights to Schleswig and Holstein. From the Southern and Central German States Prussia exacted but little. Small indemnities were demanded; insignificant tracts of territory were taken from Bavaria and the Grand Duchy of Hesse. All the German States north of the river Main joined Prussia in forming a North German Confederation. Hanover was annexed to Prussia. Bavaria, Baden, Wurtemburg, and the remnant of Hesse were permitted to form leagues of their own, and were admitted to the Zollverein. The ties which bound these southern States to Prussia were made closer than the world knew. As subsequently revealed by Bismarck, all the German States entered a secret alliance, whereby the smaller States pledged themselves to place their troops under the command of the King of Prussia in time of war. In Japan the new Shogun, Yoshi Hisa, attempted to assume the powers wielded by his ancestors, but could not overcome the armed resistance of the most powerful of the daimios, who were withholding their allegiance until it could be settled which was the real ruler of the Empire-the Shogun or the Mikado. Civil war broke out in Japan. In North America a large army of observation under General Sheridan was despatched to the Rio Grande, ready to cross over into Mexico at a moment's notice. The American Ambassador in Paris was instructed by Seward to insist on the withdrawal of the French forces from Mexico. The French Emperor was in no position to enter into a distant war against an immediately available army of nearly 1,000,000 men. Thanks to the tactful tone of Minister Bigelow's representations, it was made easy for the French Government to give the desired assurances. The Mexican renegade, Almonte, in this crisis was sent to France to induce Napoleon CARLOTTA'S VAIN MISSIONS 1866 to continue his support. His mission was a signal failure. The only apparent result was a communication from Louis Napoleon to Maximilian, dated May 31, in which the French Emperor stated the situation with brutal frankness. He demanded half of the revenue receipts of the ports of Tampico and Vera Cruz, until Maximilian's debt to France should be paid, and announced the withdrawal of the French army, the last detachment to leave by November 1 of the next year. Marshal Bazaine received orders to advance no more funds to Maximilian, and to incorporate the Belgian auxiliaries with the French troops. This meant a reduction of one-half of the pay of these mercenaries. Count Thum resigned his command and returned to Europe. The Belgian corps mutinied, and their ringleaders had to be discharged from the army. The whole corps was disbanded. Maximilian was furious and threatened to abdicate his throne. His wife Carlotta offered to go abroad to save his crown. To defray the expenses of her mission, $30,000 was taken from an emergency fund held as sacred for the repairs of the dikes which defend the City of Mexico from inundation. Carlotta first went to France. After Napoleon III had put her off for a long time, she at last obtained her historic interview with him and Empress Eugénie. In vain did Empress Carlotta, on her knees, implore the French Emperor's succor. At last the granddaughter of Louis Philippe arose with a passionate outburst: "What folly! I forgot that in my veins flows the blood of the Bourbons, and that I am dealing with an adventurer, a Bonaparte!" Then she fainted and was borne from the room. Carlotta went to Rome and implored the Pope's consent to a sequestration of the Church lands in Mexico. Pius IX remained obdurate. Under the stress of these exciting experiences, Carlotta lost her mind. Confined at Château Bonchant near Brussels, she did not realize the tragic import of the events that followed in Mexico. 1866 JOHNSON AT ODDS WITH CONGRESS In the United States of America the people and Government found themselves face to face with various vexing legacies of the Civil War. It was plain that the victorious Union party of the North could not consent to the reestablishment of slavery, nor would it pay the Confederate debt. A bill, as passed by Congress, accorded to the negroes all other rights enjoyed by the white men, and empowered the President to use the army to enforce the act. President Johnson, who was a war Democrat, held that the seceding States were not out of the Union. When the bill came up for his signature, he vetoed it as contrary to the Dred Scott decision. Within a few days the veto was overridden by Congress. Already the House, by a four-fifths majority, had refused a resolution of confidence in the President. The official relations between the Legislature and the Executive became acute. The President's attitude also embroiled him with members of his Cabinet. Attorney-General Speed, Postmaster-General Bennison, and Harlan, the Secretary of the Interior, retired. The Congressional and Senatorial elections went against the President. The Republicans obtained over a two-thirds majority in both Houses. The plan of reconstruction adopted by them was that the freedmen should vote and the Confederate leaders should not. This embittered the white men of the South and rendered Johnson still more aggressive. He restored the right of habeas corpus in all the States except Texas, and issued a proclamation of general amnesty. He proclaimed that "the insurrection was suppressed east of the Mississippi River and was henceforth to be so regarded." After twelve years of persistent effort, Cyrus W. Field at last laid a working cable between America and Europe. The task was accomplished by the "Great Eastern," the largest steamship afloat. America lost one of her foremost historians by the death of Jared Sparks, president of Harvard. |