EVENTS OF 1867 French Troops Evacuate Mexico-Juarez Captures Matamoras and Tampico-Escobedo Besieges Maximilian in Queretaro-Maximilian Surrenders, is Tried, Condemned, and Shot-Juarez Enters City of Mexico Conference of Powers at London Settles Status of Luxemburg by Dismissing Its Prussian Garrison and Decreeing Its Neutrality-The Exhibition at Paris Attracts European Royalty-A Pole Attempts Assassination of Czar-Death of Rousseau-Austrian Emperor and Empress Visit Pesth, Sign Liberal Constitution, and are Crowned King and Queen of Hungary-British Parliament Unites Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick in One Government-Fenians Attempt Raids on English Arsenal and Jails-Death of Faraday-His Opponents Fail to Impeach President JohnsonBill to Reconstruct South into Military Districts is Vetoed by Johnson-It is Passed Over His Veto-Union Pacific Railroad Scandals Involve Republican Leaders-Alaska is Purchased from RussiaPresident Johnson Suspends Secretary Stanton and Removes Sheridan and Sickles from Command of New Military Districts-Bill to Impeach President is Defeated in House-Abdication of Shogun and Death of Mikado Lead to End of Civil War in Japan-Accession of Mutsuhito-Garibaldi Marches upon Rome-He is Arrested by Italian Government and Held Captive in Caprera-His Son, Menotti, Captains His Band-Garibaldians Force Papal Troops to Retreat at Monte Librate-Garibaldi Escapes from Caprera and Captures Monte Rotondo-Napoleon III Intervenes with French Troope -He Proposes International Conference to Fix Status of Holy See. I N January the French Emperor informed Emperor 25,000,000 francs due to France, under their agreement, released the French Government from all obligations. Bazaine was ordered to leave Mexico with his army. The emissaries of Napoleon III advised Maximilian to abdicate the crown and to leave the country with the French. Maximilian was dissuaded from this by the advice of his friend Eloin, who wrote to him from Vienna that Francis Joseph was on the point of abdication, and that a firm stand in Mexico would improve Maximilian's chances for the throne of Austria. Accordingly, Maximilian declined Marshal Bazaine's last invitation to join him. As the French retired, they surrendered the points held by them directly to the Mexicans. 1867 THE END OF MAXIMILIAN Juarez's army advanced from the north and captured Matamoras and Tampico. Desertions from the imperial army became so frequent that the patriots were able to form a "Foreign Legion" with the deserters of various nationalities who enlisted under their flag. With a dwindling army of 9,000 men, and almost no funds, Maximilian faced the advancing armies of the patriots. He was driven back to Queretaro and that city was forthwith besieged by the Republican troops under Escobedo. General Marquez, who tried to bring relief from the City of Mexico, was intercepted, and was crushingly defeated by Porfirio Diaz. He retired to the capital, which was promptly invested by Diaz's troops. In Queretaro, Maximilian and his followers were reduced to the last pinch. The generals proposed to cut their way through, but their irresolute Emperor consented to enter into negotiations for surrender. He sent Colonel Lopez to Escobedo to enter into terms of capitulation. The sequel has remained a matter of controversy. Escobedo demanded unconditional surrender. Lopez, who had been empowered to arrange any terms of surrender, agreed to give up the cloister of La Cruz on the following day after a sham encounter. At three in the afternoon, on May 15, the gates of the cloister were opened to the Republicans, and Lopez with his immediate followers surrendered. Maximilian was taken with his officers on the Cerro de las Campañas, after a destructive fusillade had made surrender inevitable. Maximilian was brought up for trial, on June 13, before a military court. He was defended by Mexico's foremost lawyers, but the case was too clear against him. Under the terms of his own Bando Negro, Maximilian was condemned to death as an outlaw taken in arms. Miranion and Mejia were condemned on the same charge. In vain did the governments of the United States, of England, and of Prussia THE LUXEMBURG CONTROVERSY 1867 intercede in Maximilian's behalf. In vain did the handsome Princess Salm-Salm employ all a woman's arts with Juarez. Maximilian himself refused to beg for mercy. When the condemned Emperor was taken to the Cerro de las Campañas, now his place of execution, Maximilian stopped, and turning to General Miramon, said: “A brave soldier should be honored even in his last hours. Permit me to give you the place of honor." Miramon and Mejia were shot first. Maximilian died exclaiming: "Long live Mexico." After a few months' siege the City of Mexico capitulated to Porfirio Diaz. President Juarez made his triumphal entry. Since the days of the French Revolution, no such tragic fate as Maximilian's had befallen any of the reigning families of Europe. The catastrophe of Mexico wrought irreparable injury to the prestige of Napoleon III. The French capitalists and investors who had entered into the various golden speculations floated on the inception of the Mexican enterprise clamored for their money. The clericals and the army wanted to retrieve their fallen fortune. The cause of imperialism suffered a setback from the triumph of Democracy in America, and its Monroe Doctrine. The recent rise of Prussia filled France with jealous dismay. Under the sting of these considerations Napoleon and his ambitious wife sought eagerly for some new field wherein to retrieve their waning fortunes. It was at this juncture that pressure began to be brought on Prussia by France, though the projected international exposition at Paris for the moment rendered war undesirable. The specific form which this pressure assumed was Napoleon's determination to prevent, if possible, Germany's retention of the strong fortress of Luxemburg in Belgium, on the northeastern frontier of France. The French Government now declared that this fortress, in possession of a Prussian garrison, no longer served as a mere protection for Ger 1867 THE FIRST PARIS EXPOSITION many, but in view of Prussia's recent aggrandizement, must be a menace to France. Prussia, though preparing for possible war with France ever since Napoleon's attempt to interfere with the readjustment of Germany after Sadowa, was not yet ready for the struggle. Accordingly, Bismarck, during the discussion of the Luxemburg question in the North German Bundestag, counseled moderation, declaring that they "should take the just susceptibilities of France into account." The question was likewise debated with some heat in the French Corps Legislatif. The result of the mutual reluctance to resort to war was that France, Prussia, Austria, Russia, England, and Holland agreed to open a conference in London for the purpose of settling the question. The representatives of the Powers sat through one week in May. A treaty was signed in which it was agreed that "the Grandduchy of Luxemburg shall henceforth be a neutral State under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as Grandduke, that the Prussian troops shall evacuate Luxemburg territory and that the city of Luxemburg shall cease to be a fortified place." After this point had been satisfactorily settled, the opening of the great international exposition at Paris was hailed as a harbinger of peace. Among those who visited Paris during the summer were the King and Queen of Prussia, Counts Bismarck and Moltke, the Sultan of Turkey, and the Czar of Russia. On June 6 as the Czar was driving with the French Emperor in the Bois de Boulogne, a Pole, named Berezovski, fired two pistol shots at the Czar. He failed to hit him. Arrested on the spot, he was speedily brought to trial and sentenced to transportation for life. Among the many works of art exhibited at the exposition unusual attention was excited by the landscapes of Theodore Rousseau, who died during this year. Francis Joseph of Austria was very desirous of conciliating Hungary. He formed a Magyar Ministry, of which |