The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-27 00:00:00

A BONAPARTE IN CORSICA.

A recent number of the Journal de la Corse (to
• which our attention has just been directed by a
happy accident) contains the following interesting
narrative of an iacident which took place last win-
ter at Bastelica, and the original of which narra-
tive we are gratified to render The Sun the medium
of thus, for the first time, transforming into our
English vernacular for the perusal of the more
curious or more observant among our fellow-coun-
trymen.
We are happy to announce to our readers, says
the journal just mentioned, that a young
Irishman, the descendant of an ancient and noble
race [the Journal de la Corse here alludes, it will
be seen a little further on, to William Charles Bo-
naparte Wyse, Esq., the second son of his Excel-
lency her Majesty's Ambassador at the Court of
Greece], himself endowed with the most brilliant
qualities, both of mind and heart, has evinced from
, his earliest years a great love for Corsica, and an
ardent admiration for its heroes. Captain
Wyse, grandson of Prince Lucien, whose
heart beats like that of a Bonaparte, and in whose
countenance one at once recognises the Napoleonic
• features, formed the admirable idea of erecting over
the door of the tower where the heroic Sampiero
first saw light an inscription in the Corsican dialect,
and engraved upon Corsican marble, for the
purpose of thus recalling to future generations
the man whom Jean de Medici called the bravest of
the brave, and whom Mr. Wyse designates by the
apposite title of " the most Corsican of Corsicans."
It was for the purpose of accomplishing this pious
design that he took the road to Bastelica, accom-
panied by a numerous e=cort.' On his arrival at
Cauro he was received by the entire population
with marks of the liveliest enthusiasm. The
brave commandant of Cauro, whose devotion
to the Imperial family has never been doubtful,
offered the young traveller the most cor-
dial hospitality. We cannot resist the plea-
sure of faithfully .reproducing here the words
pronounced upon Corsica by Mr. Wyse to-
' wards the close of the banquet. " This island,"
he said, " may be justly compared to a
little body enclosing a gigantic soul, the gran-
,nteu eNnst its Dersenification in
the colossal genius of Napoleon,_its sublimity
in PascaL Paoli, and its herctisin inl that
dauntless child of the mountains, whose membry we
are about to honour." His arrival in Bastelica
had been announced in the morning, in consequence
of which all the inhabitants of that populous vil-
lage hastened to welcome him by their attendance.
The sound of horns echoing in the valleys, the bells
ringing a merry peal, the enthusiastic shouts of a
population intoxicated with joy, grouped upon
the surrounding rocks, carried us back in
thought to those troublous and heroic times when
Sampiero inflamed every heart and roused every
arm for the defence of the fatherland. The Captain
, and his companions were received with most ami-
able hospitality at the house of the Jugs de Paix,
M. Costa, who has imbibed from infancy a love of
the Bonapartes. At eleven o'clock on the follow-
ing morning, the population, en masse, having at
its head the communal authorities, and bearing
' before it the tricolor, assembled to conduct Mr.
Wyse and his companions with every demonstra-
tion of enthusiasm, to the house of Sampiero,
where everything had been prepared for the cere-
-1 mon), of inaugurating the marble, upon which ap-
peared, decorated with the ancient emblems of
Corsica, an inscription, of which the following is a
translation
TO THE MOST CORSICAN OF CORSICANS
SAMPIERO,
A GLORIOUS HERO AMONG INNUMERABLE HER )Es,
WHOM
LOVE OF COUNTRY,
THE SUPERB MOTHER. OF MANY VIRTUES,
NOURISHED
AMONGST MOUNTAINS AND TORRENTS,
WILLIAM WYSE,
AN IRISH CATHOLIC,
NEPHEW OF NAPOLEON THE GREAT,
AS A TOKEN OF AHMIRATION,
DEDICATED THIS MARBLE.
VIII. DECEMBER, FEAST OF THE CONCEPTION, 1855.
Having ascended the platform, M. J. V. Grimaldi
sketched, in a few broad outlines, the life of Sam-
piero and the heroic virtue of the ancient inhabi-
tants of Bastelica. He afterwards explained to
the assembled multitude the motives which had
actuated the distinguished Irishman (who was, at
the same time, a poet of considerable pretensions),
in this his pious and romantic pilgrimage. "An
inspiration so noble," said the speaker, " gives
him the right to be regarded as one of our-
selves. We have, indeed, by reason of it,
so to say, only one Corsican the more." These
words were greeted with the most enthusiastic ap-
plause.
Captain Santini afterwards recited an ode, written
expressly for the occasion, and breathing through-
out the most patriotic sentiments.
' Monsieur le Cure Casabiauca, after having pro-
nounced a benediction upon the assembly, delivered
a discourse such as religion_and civism could
alone have inspired.
Finally, Captain Wyse, rising amidst loud plau-
dits, followed by profound silence, spoke as fol-
lows :—lnhabitants of Bastelica ! I feel proud in
pressing my foot upon the patriotic soil of your
mountains, and at finding myself at this moment
among the compatriots of S ianpiero. I come from
a distant country, a laud of rain and mist,
yet I have, too, something of the Corsican in
my heart, and, like a veritable Corsican, I idolise
the memory of the great B tstilechese. (Cheers.)
Corsica is a land of heroes—a land long oppres gad,
from which rises like a granite peak the form of this
majestic mountaineer, to whose glory I come this
day to offer thus publicly an act of honourable com-
memoration. (Cheers.) The renown of your own
Paoli resounds throughout the world—of him many
books have been written—to his honour many sta-
tues have been erected by various municipalities.
But Sampiero—greater, perhaps, than Paoli—with
a nobler soul (sensation) and a patriotism yet
more strikingly signalised—remains to this
day, comparatively speaking, almost unknown
—has obtained no biographer—possesses nowhere
any monument save in the palpitating hearts of
those whom he knew so well how to love and hate.
(Hear, hear.) Inhabitants of Ba •telica ! may it be
permitted 4 to an offshoot of the house of B ma-
parte to repair in soma measure this singu-
lar forgetfulness—to take the initiative in a
work which it belongs to Corsica herself to com-
plete. My uncle, the Prince Pierre, who has never
forgotten that his ancestors respired the atmos-
phere perfumed with the aromatic herbs of your
island, has given me the promise of his co-ope-
ration in erecting a statue to Sampiero—
(cheers). As for myself I shall do all that
lies within my power, and I am perfectly well satis-
fied that we shall be aided in our purpose by every
one of our compatriots from Cape Corse to Boni-
facio, from Bastia to Ajaccio—that town always,
and in so many ways, so truly imperial. Allow me
yet another word. An unpretending tourist, with-
out any political aim whatever, I trust I may
be allowed, M. le Haire, to congratulate you, and
through you the whole of Corsica, upon the con-
cord and security which now during three years
have continued to prevail in this integral por-
tion of the French empire—a security and a
concord which' even the superb self-sacrifice of
Sampiero failed in his time to accomplish
—which demanded, in truth, for their realisation
the authority of a Corsicau Emperor—a Napoleon
111., at this moment the moral master of the world !
(Hear.) At the same time, you will permit me to
hope that his Imperial Majesty will never
forget those chivalrous men who fought
fir the good cau:Ak.(in which he is- the vieter)
through every imaginable miafortune, combating
for it, moreover, as devoted champions, not as
hireling mercenaries ! (Reiterated cheering.)
Viva Sampiero I Vivo la Curse ! ! Viva
pereur ! ! !

- Before separating, the concourse, through M.
le Maire Folacci, who expressed himself in a few
feeling words, thanked the gallant officer
and his associates for the pious work upon
which they had adventured. The young poet
returned to the residence of M. Costa amidst re-
renewed acclamations, and cries, again and again
repeated, of Vive l'Empereur ! Vivo le Prince !
About midday M. Costa gave a banquet at his house
to the authorities and notables of the neighbourhood
when several toasts were proposed—among others to
the Emperor, to the Empress, to the family of the
Bonapartes, to the Prefect of Corsica, and to the
noble young tourist ! Mr.-Wyse quitted Baste--
lica about two o'clock in the afternoon, when the
entire, population escorted him beyond the boun-
daries of the town, to the sound of horns and bells
and to the singing of the national melody l'Ajaci-
cane. At the moment of his departure the dis-
tinguished traveller expressed his thanks to the
multitude for the sympathetic welcome he had
received, promising to return among them upon
the day when a statue should be erected to their
immortal compatriot Sampiero.

STATE OF TRADE.—NOTTINGHAM, Wednesday.—This
week, in consequence of the Easter holidays, there has
not been so much doing at the warehouses. Neverthe-
less, the lace trade is in a very healthy state ; the cold
weather, however, continuing, operates against the de-
mand, which would manifest itself were the season more

enial. The prices for plain net are very high. In the
Aosiery department the holidays have also impeded
business to some extent. Trade is more quiet ; still,
there is a good amount of business doing, and cheering
prospects for the fall, a fair' number of orders having
been pla6ed. On the whole, the hosiery business is in a
very sat►sfactory state, aril the operatives are well em-
ployed.

• ".