MARK TWAIN

Maria Theresa and Duke of Reinchstadt lie in that
little church-vault, and others of the family.

4:45. Coming out of the church.

Who is the principal? The guilty one? This man? No-^
Militarism, which burdens and impoverishes and mad-
dens. Royalty is itself the Empress' murderer before
the fact.

He "always intended to kill a queen."

They have shown him his photograph: "Henceforth I
shall be celebrated."

Imprison for life. It is severer than death.

Celebrity was what he wanted, at any cost.

Everywhere are people glad to be able to say they
knew him—vain of it. If you and I had known him we
should tell about it—and at bottom this would be vanity.

The gypsy who told her at 13 she would ascend a
throne, suffer hard blows and die a violent death.

Emperor William lays it on the Lord, but it was Mili-
tarism. Williams says "so ordained from Above." It is no
compliment to God. The remark acquits the prisoner. No
different meaning can be given it. It was always a fool
remark—for, if God does a thing His agent is guiltless
and by no logic can he be made responsible.

But we are all insane, anyway.

Note the mountain-climbers.

The suicide seems to me the only sane person.

If it is a crime, "ordaining it from On High" leaves it
a crime. It is God's crime. The agent is secondary. When
people lay it on God they should forebear to call it a
crime. But William calls it "a deed unparalleled for ruth-
lessness." Queer!

From the material collected that day he made
an article on the assassination of the Empress,
now included in his collected works.

Sept. 21. Mental Telegraphy.

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