The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-04 00:00:00

rim SUN, LONDON, SATUIMAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 4, 1869.

LONDON, SA7 URDAY, SEPT. 4, 1869.

Distrust is not unnaturally awakened by whatever
utterance falls from the lips of Prince NAPOLEON.
He is the most splendid specimen in our day of a
time-server. In no apostolic sense, he is all things
to all men. In the time of the Republic he was a
Red. his (now) Imperial Highness took particular
care (then) to associate himself with the political

chi4s of the Mountain. He was an advanced Demo-
crat in the National Assembly, during the regime of
the Provisional Government and under General

CAVAIGNACS military dictatorship. Afterwards
when his cousin Louts NAPOLEON was chosen to the
Presidency, just in the same way as according to the

First Consul's whimsical and witty saying, " Scratch
a Russian and you will find a Tartar," in Prince
NAPOLEON'S instance, when the fortunes of the family

began to revive, from underneath the veneer of the
Republican appeared little by little the engrained
BONAPARTE. The alternately austere citizen-

representative and enthusiastic demagogue of the

Red Mountain—when the tribune was con-

'ronted by the presidential bell in the grasp of

ARMAND MARRAST - gradually became trans-
formed under the genial influence that carried
the head of the Family from the Elysees to the

Tuileries—until, first of all almost imperceptibly,
but afterwards very visibly indeed in the glare cf

day, the aspirations of Prince NAPOLEON budded,
bloomed, efflorescel into avowed Imperialism. The
man who apparently sympathised with those who

- -
would have fain hoisted the Rouge Drapcau, became

—hislmperiali-lighness. On the establishment of the

Empire—before the birth of the Prince IMPERIAL—
Prince NAPOLEON, as the next in succession, was re-
cognised as, was even officially declared to bc., the

third NAPOLEON'S Heir Presumptive. Any high-
flown anticipations he may have indulged thereupon,

in consequence of this circumstanc.!, were soon
enough dissipated, however, immediately upon the
birth of the son of NAPOLEON and EUGENIE, the
godson of Pius IX., the future Emperor NAPOLEON
IV. Restored to the dignity of an imperial Prince
by the revival of the fortunes of his race, under
the auspices of his daring and sagacious cousin,
Prince NAPOLEON forgot all his republican
ties, acc:Tted the goods " the gods " had given
him, took his place quite naturally upon the
steps of the throne, and became one of the familiar
figures seen at Court in all the various imperial
pageantries. lie fleshed his maiden sword and won
bis spurs in the',Crimea ; or, at any:rate, he went there
in uniform, with the army that crossed the Euxine,
under the command of Marshal ST. ARNAUD. But,

while there, the Marshal died from an agonising dis

•
ease (angina pectoris) soon after his glorious share in
winning the great battle of the Alma, the Prince, suf-
fering under the effects of another very distressing,
but, happily, not mortal, disease (nostalgia), allayed
the pangs resulting from it by retiring for a
while to, and seeking reposo in, Constant i-

nople. Imperial on the side of his father,
the late Prince JEROME (ex-King of WEST-

PHALIA) —Royal on the side of his mother, the
Princess CATHERINE of Wurtemburg—Priuce NAPO-
LEON, Red Democratic though he had been after the
February Revolution, instead of seeking a wife, as the
Emperor NAPOLEON 111. did, not among crowned
heads, but in the person of one in some degree com-
parable to " the good wife of General BONAPARTE"—
Prince NAPOLEON, we say, must needs, in spite
of all his Democratic predilections, make a more
suitable alliance, by espousing the Princess CLO-
TIIILDE, daughter of VICTOR EMMANUEL, now King of
ITALY, formerly King of , SARDINIA. Covered
with honour, and glory, and wealth by his cousin the
reigning EMPEROR, appointed by NAPOLEON 111. to
one position of dignity after another, created for a
time Governor of Algeria, entrusted with an im-
portant and responsible command in the Italian cam-
paign, recognized, before the birth of the EatrErtor.'s
son, as we have seen, as his MAJESTY'S Heir Pre-
sumptive—the Prince NAPOLEON, for all that, in
spite of all that, notwithstanding all those evi-
dences of the confidence reposed in him by his
Sovereign, must needs go out of his way a
few years ago (who can have forgotten it ?) to deliver
at Corsica a speech characterised by the most
flagrant indiscretion. For that, he was, as we all very
well remember, severely reproved and reprimanded.
Insomuch that, for a considerable time, in fact, until
very recently indeed, he withdrew from public life
altogether. He travelled about in his yacht. Ile
lived a life for the most part of retirement. Under
. the genial influence of the EMPEROP.'S concessions to
the country, Prince NAPOLEON now emerges from
, his seclusion, ascends the tribune, and ad-
' dresses himself once more to bis Brother
' Senators. With what effect, is very significantly
indicated by the fact, on the one hand, that his own
harangue is greeted throughout by " murmurs,"
" noise," and " movement," and on the other
hand that the Minister of the Interior, who re-
plies to him (M. FORCADE DE LA MOQUETTE),
is greeted with " great applause," " renewed ap-
plause," and " loud approbation." One conside-
ration, we take it, is certainly apparent by this time
in regard to Prince NAPOLEON, and it is this—that,
while he is undoubtedly clever, and while in features
he is wonderfully like the Great NAPOLEON grown
fat—he is, to put it in the mildest possible terms,
singularly, not to say flagrantly, wanting in good
aste and in discretion.

THE best balance-sheet which we have seen this
year is that just issued by Mr. GEORGE MULLER, of
Bristol. Mr. MULLER'S reports are not a novelty ;
he has issued thirty of them, and each one is more
interesting than its predecessor. He calls the state-
ment a " brief narrative of facts," but this narra-
tive extends over 106 closely-printed pages,
and there is besides a prodigions supplement
containing the details of all his receipts for the past
twelve months. During that period Mr. MULLER
has received over thirty thousand pounds for the
support of his orphan home. The contribu-
butions are greatly varied, both in character and
amount, but each one is conscientiously acknow-
ledged. Mr. MULLER has received £430,000
" without anyone having been personally applied
to for anything by me." The money comes pouring
in ; the amounts are increasing. lie has not only
received sums of one or two thousand pounds, but
four, five, and seven thousand, and, on one occasion
eight thousand one hundred pounds at once. The
small sums are, however, far more wonderful than
the large ones. A poor washerwoman sends him
two shillings and twopence halfpenny, being one
halfpenny on each shilling she has earned for three
months. " ADA MARIA" sends a sovereign in an
unregistered letter. Seven and sixpence is sent as
" the Froduce of a cherry tree." ill kinds of excuses
seem to be made fur sending money. One young
man gives his first week's wages► after his marriage.
Another 205., because he has recovered from a
broken leg. A man from New Zealand sends 318.6 d.
" instead of going to a public dinner," and thus feeds
ninety-four orphans instead of feeding himself. One
correspondent, who became bankrupt thirty
years 'ago, now wishes to pay his creditors,
but three of them he
_cannot find, so be sends