The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-28 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

In reference to the death of the young Prince Napoleon
the Hungarian newspapers of all shades of politics express
deep sympathy with the bereaved Empress Eugenie. Count
Andrassy, whoresided for a lengthened period In Paris during
the most successful portion of the reign of Napoleon
and who was a great favourite at the French Imperial Court,
where he married one of the most beautiful women surround-
ing the Empress at that time, WAS deeply moved on receiving
tbe fatal intelligence, and despatched a touching telegram of
condolence to Chislehurst.

The Standard of Tuesday said :—" To the overwhelming
grief into which the Empress Eugenie was plunged on hear-
ing of the news of the death of her only son has succeeded
a period of comparative calm. Tears have come to the
relief of the afflicted lady, she has had some sleep, and
Baron Corvisart speaks more hopefully of her condition,
though her calm is still but the calm of a submissive, aIMOSS
despairing, yielding to fate. As yet she is ignorant of the
horrible circumstances attending her son's death; she only
knows that he is no more, and probably imagines that he
succumbed to the fever from which he had been ailing."

We learn that there is no foundation for the statement
that 'the body servant whom Prince Louis Napoleon took
with him carried to South Africa the materials for embalm-
ing his body in case of any untoward event.' "—Daay
Telegraph.

In the course of a leader commenting upon the statements
in the House of Lords and the notices of questions in tha House
of Commons, relative to the circumstances attending the
death of Prince Louis Napoleon, The Times of Tuesday says :
"The circumstances under which the Prince Imperial met his
tragic fate cannot fail to command the most anxious con-
sideration in Eogiand. The French, indeed, and the
political friends of the Prince, have displayed the just and
generous feeling which was to be expected of them in their
comments on the event so far as the British autho-
rities have been concerned in it; but it is none
the less due to ourselves that it should be made
perfectly clear on what terms and in what capacity
the Prince went to South Africa, and incurred the
risks which have had so fatal and, it must be
added, so momentous a result_ His death is an historic
event which will be vividly fixed in the imagination of his
countrymen and of the world, and all Englishmen are eon-
cerued that no undue responsibility for it should be held to
attach to them in consequence of mere misapprehension of
the facts . . . . It is to be remembered that the unfor-
tunate Prince was under the strongest temptations to
thrust himself forward into situations of pesil. His very
object in going out was not merely to learn the art of
war, and a campaign in Zululand would nut have
been of much value as an introduction to European
warfare. He was much more concerned to prove to the
world, and to France in particular, that he possessed the
true temperament of a soldier. The military fame of his
family had been sadly tarnished; and though he could not
repair the wreck which Sedan had wrought lathe reputation
of the Napoleons for the higher arts of generalship, he might
at least show that the heir to the Empire inherited the
gallantry and audacity of its founder. For this purpose it
was absolutely requisite. for him to thrust himself forward,
with or without menu, into situations of peril. When he
started, his enterprise was the subject of a good deal of
raillery on the Continent, in his own country as well as in
Germany' and enough must have reached his ears to stimu-
late very keenly an eager desire to prove such deprecia-
tion unfounded The Prince, in fact, was guided
by a truer instinct than those who would thus have
shielded him. Though tne particular choice to which it
led him may have been injudicious, it was a just view of his
position which i.npolled him to seek some opportunity of
winning she reputation of a brave and dash,ng solaier.
Even now it is not impossible that his sad death will do
much towards rehabilitating his family in the regard of the
French people, He has touched the chord of popular sym-
pathy, and there is a tragedy about his fate which will go far
to eclipse the disgrace of eedan. There is, however, a great
distance between this recovery of personal respect for
his family and the re-establishment of the Bona.
partial party. The nrinco's death weakens many ties, and
brings to en end many sympathies which have hitherto been
on the side of his Hosts England has no reason to feel any
special regard for the Napoleonic dynasty in itself; aril It
was to Napoleon 111. and to his family that such popular
support as it received in England was attached. The ease is
much the same in France. file present heir of the Howe
commands none of the confidence which the adintuistration
of the Second gmpire aroused, and it is very doabtful
whether the party can remain united."

Owing to the advanced age of the Countess di lifontijo,
the grandmother of Prince Louis Napoleon, the intelligence
of his death had not, on SAtarday, been Communicated to
her. The Prince's death has been deeply lamented by the
Spanish newspapers and the population at large,

The followb3g bulletin was issued by Baron Corvisart at
Chislehurst on Monday morning :—"Tile Zwpress heard
mass yesterday iu the prince Imperial's room. Her Majesty
afterwards seemed gamey 4nd bas pptssed a better night."

Prince Lucien arri—ved at Camden-place at nine o'clocir on
Monday morning. A mass for the epose of the soul qf the
late Prince Louis Napoleon was said in St. Mary's OhspeL
All the members oil the household attended and a few of me
French visitors. Amongst those wcoscut wpre Prince
Lucien, the Duchene de Mouchy, Countess Aguado, and
Countess Clary,

M. D.ouhpr had an interview on Monday with the
Empress, but her Majesty made it a condition that political
sabjects shonid be 10-bl4ed. U. Ti,ouher returned to T,ondon
by the train at 44.7, and In the came train Prince Lucien
ponaparte and the Crown prim, of Sweden travelled. from
Camaen F 14,7,43 to 1104404.

On Monday morning, at eleven orclncic, Monaignor Roddar4
celebrated mass, robed in black vestment, in the little
Catholic church. The altar used was that of the mortuary
chapel in which the banner of Nap leon 111. as a Knight of
the garter hangs above his tomb. The frontal of the altar was
black. The mass was sung by the villo,ge choir, led by Mr.
Poyle. A prie4iesr, within the chapelpfaß occupied by Vrinde
Lucien IlonaparP3, and the hqusehold 11114 the church. 'At six
o'clock op the morning he left, the late Prince, who had sat
up writirg till three, called the old servants of his father
round him and told thein hp had provided for all of them in
his will. At the railway mutton; peiore ne blft, he iiped
a letter addressed to M. Ronher. The Abbo Ere.Cheiu, an
old man of 88, was among thus who attended the mass.
He was once the parish priest, still lives in the village,
and was affectionately attached to the young Prince. A
singular example of the thought for others which the strong
and noble eharaeter of the Empress preserved in the midat
her iiiigfortunes was Worded py her Iti.alturty;fi tectuirl as
to this old naß.Ti'—" Rded the Abbd yrdeheln trnotiv it g
does be hear,it paupre / •

Monsignor Goddard, chaplain to lier Imperial Majesty
the Empress of the French, received on Monday evenfog
from the Mayor ot Dublin by telegraph an address of con-
dolence, voted by the Corporation unanimously, which was
to .1p presputed to Her Majesty when a favourable oppor-
tunlpy inig4t oyei.
_
A meeting of the Stafpird lieu's Smith African Aid Fund
was held on Monday; and an'itddrells" 4 candelenes Trai
drawn up to be presented to her. Majesty the iimprese
Eugdnle.

The Leicester Town Council have passed a vote ot co:
lolonr:q with the Empress Eugenie.

The igara att,teri ti4a/ befLoro lep...v:ng for tho Care the
Prince liupirial,'lniossende Of two I.l,igllsh OfOirs, vroto a
palnicAl toitament, which 4111 be opened at ti"geaeral met-
tog cf the Imperialist party.

A. committee is being formed to promote the erection of a
fitting memorial to Prince Louis Napoleon. The Duke of
Sutteritind, Lord Strattmairn, Esri Stanhope, and Lord
gerc,rd have coned ts take part in It,
. v
The remains of the late Prince, it Is believed, will arrive in
England In some three weeks' time. On iti arrival in Eng-
land the body will be conveyed direct to Chislehurst, and it is
understood that it will lie in state for a short time before the
burial. 'be remains of the Emperor, who died on January
0, 172, lay in state on January 14, and were csnstgneci to
iheie restAug•piace at F..„l.Mara 4oman ektp„oll0 Cluitch,
Chislehutit, on the day following. "
' -

By the unhappy death of the rrince Imperial,rrince
Napoleon, the son of the late Prince Jerome; fortherly King
at IYesti-,halla. becomes chief of the Imperial Family. tut
it fel thkAnt 'by uiliny tue asiAotati.ns Of the Bona-
Pattlat Orgy direcled to 'hit childhtn.
son 'by his matrlage with the prittCeis Clotilde o Savoy,
nce Louis, was 'born in Paris in July, 1862, end fa con.
sequently upao7 17 yesr,g t!1(1. 1413 seck.tnd Ron; Prince yictor,
La tzactiy two years youPgof, - ' '

A correspondent in Scotland writes to the Pall Mall
ivrazelte:—An incident of the Prince Imperial's visit to
cosiand. in the January of last year is recalled by the cir•
urnstaifca of his woful Oath in south Africa. So IPr as onr
prmnt information'igcds, it iiiihtd s,ppear ttiat iy was his
fajdure to mount his horse at Bain 'Kraal that ltd to his,
death. Irf.t Ow Ilillcil Ifosi!ldi 91113'-. a bol4
1 P'lc A AM
skilful rider. 'this Wet ~..iiiiiiit,.. :it 1 tenuaricatile
wanner when be was the guest, along with the Prince
of Wiles, !.-4 Op ppo! of HanToß, in tfaquarf.' 1443. 1.4. n tbo
Sueda7 off whieh tlio Part at ilanaffton palace, Visited
Nerrylton; fof dive putiSossi of inspectibg the fdinowi stud of
eflydesdares- belongliqf to 3/r" p rev, the Prince Imperial
leaped on the back of Lord Refry, a hose which had utrer
been ridden before'. The byestauders looked on with
amazement, not unmingled with alarm, as he scampered
round the ar4, hardly knowing whether to admire or
reprove the wildness of the feat.

7,130 IStP rripSe Imperial was borp on the 101 h March,
1850. For the'llrst ten yeays 474 his Ale 4 wrs fe,;req, owpg
to the delicacy bf his health, that he would, not' survitti to
manhood, but in 1870 he had become mudh stronger, and ac
companied his father in the campaigu against Germany. He
Wa2 present on the 2nd August at tue capture of Saarbruck,
whence the Emperor telegraphed to the Empress at Paris—
"Louts has just received his baptism of fire. He showed ad-
mirable coolness and was not at all affected. . . . We were ill