Page:Juarez and Cesar Cantú (1885).djvu/48

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48

king the remains of him who in life was Maximilian Archduke of Austria. The Mexican Government has deemed it its duty, on this occasion, to appropriate the necessary expenses, and to act with the refinement and decorum corresponding to the Nation it represents; and if, under the actual circumstances, anything can be said in Europe respecting our action, it is that if an imperious political necessity obliged Mexico to apply the last penalty to a foreign invader, Mexico nevertheless understands how to silence her passions in the presence of a sepulchre.

«With the return which we make to Europe of the body of Maximilian, deep and serious reflections arise, and history offers a lesson which ought to be profited by, since the fate of Iturbide failed to teach anything useful to the enemies of the liberty of Mexico.»

We deem it convenient to now publish other official documents relative to the expenses paid by the Government of Mexico for the purpose o£ embalming and of preserving the body of the unfortunate Archduke:

« In due fulfilment of the instructions contained in the note which, under date of the 12th of September last, yon were pleased to address to us, ordering us to examine the body of the Archduke Maximilian, which was embalmed in Queretaro, and to do, if necessary, whatever should be proper in order to keep it in a good state of preservation, on the 13th of same month we went to the church of the Hospital of San Andres, where the body was deposited, and there being present the General Inspector of Police and three officers, after the body was taken out from the wooden and zinc cases in which it had been placed in Queretaro, we proceeded to undress it and to take off the bandages, placing it afterwards on the Gaudl table.

«From that day until the 8th instant, keeping always the body on the said table, we continued practising all