htly came in 1867, when the Archduke Maximilian, having
accepted the Imperial crown of Mexico, offered to him by the
Provisional Government, was shot by order of President Juarez.
The Empress Charlotte had come to Europe a year earlier
to seek help for her husband from the French Emperor. In
consequence of the shock caused by the failure of her mission,
her health entirely gave way.]

[Pageheading: THE INDIAN MUTINY]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

PICCADILLY, _26th June 1857_.

... Viscount Palmerston is sorry to have received the accompanying
account of the extension of the Mutiny among the native troops in
India, but he has no fear of its results.[20] The bulk of the European
force is stationed on the North-West Frontier, and is, therefore,
within comparatively easy reach of Delhi, and about six thousand
European troops will have returned to Bombay from Persia. It will,
however, seem to be advisable to send off at once the force amounting
to nearly eight thousand men, now under orders for embarkation for
India; and when the despatches arrive, which will be about the middle
of next week, it will be seen whether any further reinforcements will
be required.

The extent of the Mutiny appears to indicate some deeper cause than
that which was ascribed to the first insubordination. That cause may
be, as some allege, the apprehension of the Hindoo priests that their
religion is in danger by the progress of civilisation in India, or it
may be some hostile foreign agency.

[Footnote 20: Alarming accounts of disturbances in India had
been received for some weeks past, but Lord Palmerston
failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Even after
the intelligence reached England of the mutiny of the native
regiments at Meerut, on the 10th of May, and of the horrible
massacres of women and children, the Ministry did not fully
realise the peril threatening our Indian possessions.]

[Pageheading: THE VICTORIA CROSS]

_Queen Victoria to Lord Panmure._

[_Undated,_ ? _June 1857._]

The Queen thinks that the persons decorated with the Victoria Cross
might very properly be allowed to bear some distinctive mark after
their name.[21] The warrant instituting the decoration does not style
it "an Order," but merely "a Naval and Military Decoration" and
a distinction; nor is it properly speaking an order, being not
_constituted_. V.C. would not do. K.G