tions; arrived in
Mexico, and in company with his wife Carlota, daughter of Leopold, King
of the Belgians, was crowned with great solemnity in the Cathedral of
Mexico in June, 1864.

Meantime the Liberal party, thus ousted from the seat of Government,
was not idle. Juarez established his administration in successive
northern towns, approaching the United States border. War to the death
against the monarchical system, which had been crammed down the Liberal
throat, was their slogan and source of inspiration. The doughty
Porfirio Diaz, nominated to a high command, was despatched to Oaxaca;
besieged there by the French under Bazaine, making a most determined
stand; surrendered at length through lack of food, ammunition, and
disaffection among his own people; was captured, imprisoned; escaped;
turned against the pursuing enemy and overcame them, re-capturing again
his native city, and once more turned the tables upon the Conservatives
and the Monarchy.

[Illustration: CITY OF OAXACA: SPANISH-COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE; THE
PORTALES OF THE MUNICIPAL PALACE AND PLAZA.]

The star of Empire, which shone for less than three years under
Maximilian, now sets with dramatic suddenness. From the first it was
seen that the Emperor was no bigoted Churchman, and his refusal to
rescind the clauses of the Reform Laws involved the Imperial Government
in grave questions and antagonisms with the disappointed clericals; and
the Emperor, indeed, showed himself much in sympathy with the Liberals.
These, however, bent upon their own absolute way, would hold no parley
with him, notwithstanding that overtures had been made to Diaz after
the recapture of Oaxaca.

The end approaches rapidly. The city of Puebla, a Conservative
stronghold, falls before Diaz and three thousand of the Republican
army, and siege is laid to the City of Mexico in April, 1867.
Maximilian had seen the trend towards the inevitable, but had striven,
during the previous year, to consolidate the clerical party, whilst the
Empress Carlota--brave and pathetic figure of these dramatic
events--had gone to France to implore Napoleon to countermand his
perfidious withdrawal of the French troops, and to endeavour to secure
a settlement of the matters at issue with the clericals with Pope Pius
IX. It was useless. The French army left the shores of the country they
had wantonly outraged, abandoning the unfortunate figure-head placed
there as a result of French machinations, with only the