The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-07-31

h.A.s From Eliza COUkS Journal.
The. Mystery OF Louis Philipps's Birth.
A French writer of some celebrity. NJ. Mich
aud, has just published book entitled "The Pub
lie and Private Life Of Louis Philippe, of Orleans,
Ex-Kng of the French" in which he adopts and
illustrates, by circumstantial details, story which
has long been floating about in France Of most
extraordinary purpo II is to the effect that Louis
Philippe was not Bourbon, and had not parti-
Gle Of royal blood in him, but was the son OF very
humble Italian, whom some have supposed to be
Jew. Making use Of the Afksnenm, we give the
pth Of the story, which runs as follows:
That Philippe Egalit6--whese character, unfor.
tunaely, affords guarantee against the possibil.
ity Of such an incdsnt-exchanged his infant
daughter for the son Of jailor, with whom he had
formed an acquaintance when travelling in ItaIy
in order to preserve the family estates from apsng
to the crown for want Of heirs male All the incl
dents connected with this supposed exchange Of
infants, and with the events Of their after lives,
have the character Of romance the time, the scene
the chief actors, and the final issues Our leaders
shall see what view NJ Michaud takes of the trans
action
The virtues Of the Duchess have been pointed to
as a refutaton Of the charge Of exchanging chill
dren. 1t has also been alleged that no inducemsnt
existed for either the husband or the wife to per-
petrate such crime. We deny not the virtues Of
that illustrious lady but who tell how far her
wishes were controlled by her husband? We
know that the greater part Of their fortune consist
ed OF demesnes (appanages) which, failing male
ISSUE OF necessity reverted to the crown and that
at this very period the Duchess, after having been
married four years. had given Birth to but one
child, and that a daughter, stiil-born. Such was
the state Of affairs when the Princess and her hus
band set odt for Italy, where under the title Of
Count and Countess de Joinville they spent sew
era months at a village named Modigliana, situa-
ted on the top of the Apprentices. Here the Duch-
ess proved to be in an Interesting situation: The
IInkn yhA (-, I~T- 4
timacy with jailor named Chiappini, whose wife
was similarly circumstanced A bargain was en-
tered into, that if the Duchesss offspring should
prove daughter, and the jailor's son, an inter-
change should be effected. Things turned out
according to this anticipation, and the terms Of the
engagement were mutually fulfilled The jailor
received a large sum Of money. His son, born at
Modigliapa, on the 17th Of April, 1873, was re-
moved to Paris, and kept concealed till the 9Th of
October, when the ceremony Of private baptism
was gone through, as we have already seen while
the Duchess's daughter remained in Chiappini's
house, and was educated as his own child, under
the name Of Marie Stella Petronilla supplies being
secretly sent once year from France
According to the Memoirs Of Marie Stella Petro.
nlla, she continued long in this melancholy posi-
tion, Ignorant Of her high BIRTH and very ill treated
by her supposed mother, who loved her not. and
lamented that son whose fate was hidden from her.
The father had some idea Of the truth but, know.
ing the Duke only as Count de Joinville, never
dreamed that he was prince Of the blood royal of
France. His reputed daughter excelled ali his
other children in beauty. Every thing, indeed,
about her indicated that she was OF different blood
her wit and precocity astonished every one. Be-
fore she had completed her seventeenth year she 10
captivated Lord Newburgh, British nobleman
then travelling in Italy, that he made her his wife
almost against her inclination, and conducted her
t to home o. Re. OF ~ sPendor and magnifcencs on the
banks OF the Thames. By this marriage she had
several children, one of whom is now an English
Peer. On the death Of Lord Newburgh she sue
ceeded to handsome ointure but Of this she after
ward forfeited great part on her marriage with a
husslan nobleman, the Baron de Sternberg. With
him she lived for several years great style, in ST.
Petersburg.- A son was there born to her, who,
while yet young, accompanied her to Italy before
the death OF Chappini, whom she still regarded a.
her iather. This man, before his death, addressed
letter to her, which altered her whole destiny
and troubled the remainder Of her days.
This letter, suPposing it to be real, revealed to
the Baroness de Sternberg the secret Of her birth
4 1t ran follows:
my Lady-l am near the term Of my earthly
existence, and now, for the first time unfold thu
following secret, which very intimately concern,
you. On the day that you were born my wife CAV,
olrth to son. Your mother, who is long dead
was stranger to me. A proposal to exchange mi
boy for you was laid before me, and, after repeated
solicitations, l was prevailed on to consult m,
worldly interests, Qor the terms were highly advan
tageousJ You became member of INV family
while my son was received into that of the othe
party. Heaven, perceive, has made up for my
faults; You have been raised to condition supe
rior to your fathers, though his rank also wa
noble; and, therefore, I leave the world with SOM
peace OF mind. Keep this by you % ! testimon,
that was not altogether deaf to the voice Of con
science In entreatng you to pardon my crime,
neseech you to conceal il from mankind that tn
world may never know what is now incapable .
remedy This letter will be forwarded to 70
after my death.
(siened) =. LAuRENr CH1APrNl
!hs epistle was forwarded TO her by the sons
Chiappinii though it is said they kept back som
papers which might have been OF great use to b,
IN recovering the lost traces Of her parentage.
words (says M. Michaud) can hardly EXPIRE,
the effect produced by such discovery on the mir
ol Marie stella. Gifted with great energy an
.olty sent,ments, she passed At once from a pos
non which had been excessively humiliating to
higher rank. Not jailor, but a great lord in n
iather. But who is the great lord? Impatient
,a'hon .t TINS mystery-unwilling to believe wi
tne Jalor, that the past evil admitted Of no remed
pug made inquiries, and sought evidence in eve
!ua.er. Her efforts procured her the knowleds
Ina. hef iather was the Count de Joinyille
rrench nobleman, whose rank and fortune Il
was ignorant OF. To learn all the truth ON a
ss9lect, s5S shs set out in the beginning Of the We
a1H1 Ei rSi france accompanied by her younee
~. a.u nowalo, son OF Baron Sternberg She fouI
I~e, way TO the village of Joinville, Of which
lhe1 had held the lordshp. : Here she learn
ssat Jolnvilie had been part Of the pstrmonv Of
House OF Orleans, and thatthe Duke. who perish
me scaffold in 1893, had sometimes travel
'def that title. She next visited Paris. and In
ade several vain efforts to reach him who X
cceeded to the title and the wealth Of that No,