Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-04-20
THE CAREER OF LOUIS NAPOLEON.

THE CAREER OF LOUIS NAPOLEON
We announced, week or two since, the forth
coming of complete edition of the writings of
Louis Napoleon. The work has appeared in
two octave volumes, with an original memoir,
notes, etc. The following review of this timely
publication, from the London AthenGum, will be
read with unusual interest.
The resurrection of the name of Napoleon in
politics of Europe is one of the phenomena of
the age. The political reflections suggested by
the portentous fact are not within our province
to pursue but in the face of its existence our
readers may desire to follow what the world is
permitted to know about the parsonage now at
the head of affairs in France. The volumes be-
fore us furnish ample material for Il sketch of
Louis Napoleon. They include his various wri-
tings-his exposition Of what he calls Ldees Ma
poleonienneS, and which his translator correctly
renders {" Ideas of Napoleonism :" and in the pre-
fatory memoir large excerpts from his cores
pondence are printed. All these have, of course,
an interest as so many materials towards the
understanding of noted performer in contem-
porary history. The satisfaction of curiosity, if
not of sympathy, is provided for in this season.
able collection of the literary lucubrations of L.
Napoleon. The reading of the memoir and the
weeping philosopher.
Prince Louis Napoleon was born q: the Pal
ace of the Tuileries, on the goth of April, 1903.
His birth was announced to the capital of fFrance,
and along the whole line of the grande armee
throughout the empire, by salvos ofartilery.-
On the question of his pedigree the tongue of
scandal has beer busy at various periods. His
mother was Hortense, the daughter of the EN-
h,, bnr axx,itb bn
count de Beauharnois. Hortense, thus step
daughter to the Emperor became the wife of his
brother, Louis BoDaparte, the Ex-King of Hol-
land. That this was marriage de conrenance
is fact everywhere admitted; but there have
been rumors-which, however, Napoleon al
ways Indignantly repeled-assigning reasons
that would give to the present governor of
France n closer relationship to the Emperor
than that of nephew. There has been so much
scandal about all the chief persons who figured
in the French Revolution, that we always treat
with some skepticism the various tales put in
circulation respecting the birth of Louis Napo-
leon. The editor of the volumes before us, in
his first page, commits the grave literary mis-
take Of treating the spurious publication called
Pouches Memoirs, rs authentic and appeals to
it for the scandal about Hortense The persons
upon the creduli:y of the public were visited
with censure and punishment by the French tri-
bunals. That in the earlier editions of his His
tory of the French Revolution" Mr.. Allison
treated the same work as authority may help to
show how hard il is, when lie has been once
palmed off upon the world, thoroughly to slay
it, There are other scandals than this affecting
the birth of Louis Napoleon-but we shall not
notice them.
In 1910 Louis Napoleon was baptized at Fon-
tainbleau, amid great splendor, the Emperor and
Maria Louisa acting as sponsors. After the
Restoration his mother took the title of Duchess
of ST. Leu, and, with her son, retired to Bavaria.
Driven thence, and afterwards from Switzerland
by political motives, they finally settled at Rome.
For the young Prince very singular tutor was
provided; this was M. Lebas, a staunch Repnb-
lican, the son of Robespierre's associate-that
Lebas who, rather than outlive his master, COM
mitted suicide.
In 1880 family council of the Bonapartes
was held at Rome, in order to determine wheth-
er they could turn events to their purposes
The members present were Madame Mere, Car
dinal Fesch, Jerome Bonaparte, Louis Bonaparte
and his mother. The young Prince was thus,
at the very threshold of e,nitated into schemes
of ambition. Constituted authority took fright
at the Bonaparte family council; and Louis Ma
poeon was by force compelled to leave the Pa
pal territory, and was escorted beyond the from
tier.
Expelled from Rome, the Prince threw him.
self with ardour into the Italian revolution
His elder brother shared his fortunes, and, aided
by Gen. Sercognani, they defeated the Papal
forces. But the ruling powers of Austria and
France combined to crush them. The two young
Princes were deprived of their command and
banished from Italy. The elder brother fell sick
and died of Inflammation, March 81, 1871 From
that time to the present the life of Louis Napo-
leon has been a strange one, and is comprised
under five heads IL. His Strasbourg invasion
2. His American wanderings; 8. His Boulogne
invasion, and subsequent imprisonment at Ham
4. His escape from Ham, and residence as pri.
vate person in London 5. His Presidency OF
the French Republic We will briefly treat these
several phases of his career.
!. The Strasbourg invasion thoroughly dis.
plays some of the main ingredients of the Pres.
ident's character his vauntinr self-reliance, q.