The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-23
The family of the PICCoI ONINIs has lonr beef

diplomatst canonist, historian and orator. Another
of the family, during the same period, wore the
bonors of the Cardinalate. A century later,
P1ccoIoMIYI was Archbishop of Patra; while a
fourth ALpuoyso PIccoLoMINI, Duke de Monte
mariana became an Italian adventurer, and was
hung in 1891, for ravaging the States of the
Church of which his kinsmen had been such dis
tneuished ornaments. A fifth, was that General
OcrAv1o PICcoLoMINI whom SCHILLER has immor
talized in his tragedy CT the Death of WALLEN-
STEIN. Whether, subsequent to the death of the
latter, in 1856, there were any other members of
the family who distinguished themselves, either in
the church, or in the army, or in the Republic of
letters, with the exception of the late Idinal
PIccoLoMINI, the uncle of the little PIcCoLoMINI,
whose artistic merits have been made the theme
of so much newspaper discussion in New York,
we have not the means of knowing. But the ques-
ton which now agitates and amuses New York,
is not whether 'the Princess" is an Indifferent
singer, and excellent actress, but whether she
has any claim to the title Of Princess at all.
Whether, in fact, she is really PICCoLoMINI, or
somebody else. Manager ULLMAN stoutly AYERS,
that she is compounded of veritable arstocratc
porcelain MAssERAs, the Editor of The Courier
des Etats Un's, quite as emphatically pronounces
her nothing more than simple DELI. But for a full
understanding Of the cause of quarrel, we must
60 back little. There has been, for year past,
a feud existing between ULLMAN and The Courier
dss Etdts Unis which, since the advent of PIcco-
LoMINI, has been carried on with an ever increas-
ing bitterness. Managerial patience was proof
against TRoBRIAND's depreciatory criticisms, but
flesh and blood could not bear the covert sarcasms
of MAssERAs. "Say what you please, gentlemen"
eIclaims ULLMAN, 'of the young and amiable
girl as artistic but don't impeach her princely
lineage" Whereupon MAssERAs makes q study of
the genealogical tr0a of the P,cooLoMINIs, and
after due investigation, affirms it to be his opin-
ion that 'the little Princess does not form any
portion of its fruitage. At this avowal, ULLMAN
becomes perfectly irate. The wrath of ACHILLES
was mildness itself to the wrath of ULLMAN.
Burning with indignation, he sits down and in
dites a card TO "The three hungry Frenchmen."
He recounts the wrongs he has suffered at their
hands. He fatty denies their charge, that he sold
more tickets for his motiaees than the Academy
would hold. He complains that all bis artists
have been assailed; but that NJ lie PIccoLoMINI has
been particularly singled oufor insult by thet three
hungry Frenchmen." His description is perfect
gem in its way; it sparkles all over. "These
three hungry Frenchmen, says ULLMAN, Care
'TRoBRIAND, formerly a resident of Tours, in
'France; the second is MAssERAs, half French
inan and half Spaniard; the third, and, thank
"GoD last, is LAssALr, the proprietor, who tells
Everybody, with tears in his eyes, that MAssERAs,
tthis paid Editor, rules him with an iron hand;
sthat he is bound by contract to let TRoBRIAND
stwrite what he pleases; that he has to pay him
1925 week, and that he cannot get rid of him
t'until next May" After disclosing the birth,
parentage and private affairs of the 'three hungry
Frenchmen,n ULLMAN proceeds: ~ have had the
misfortune to displease all of them. TRoBRI-
'iAND because l will not permit my artists to sing
Eat his sugar and water soirees, and to be black
ENABLED to the tune of couple of airs and duet
''per week; LAssALE, because do not advertise as
argely in his paper as in the Herald, Times, Tri-
''5une, Express, Post, &C.; MAssERAs, because l
fused to address the free admissions to the editors
"aud not to him alone-he personally being
sgreatly in want of opera tickets for purposes to
''me unknown, and asking only the moderate
''number of eighteen reserved and best seats per
''week, at 50 each. With all these requests l re-
'Tused to comply, and continued to send four par
''the three hungry Frenchmen have been fighting,
''as only excited Frenchmen can fight, until they
'got tired, when they combined their united forces
'and fell upon me and my artists which assaults
81 answered by stopping both advertisements and
'free tickets" Could anything be more graphic,
or more-macious Madame de SEv1eNE's
famous description of Hay-making is not more
perfect In its way. The next day, MAssERAs,
s'the paid Editor of the Courier, who was greatly
Fin want of Opera tickets for purp oses unknown"
thus adroitly thrusted ULMAN aside, and made his
main battle upon the PIccoLoMINI
"The princey title of Mile. PIccoL1MIN1 has been,
'as is known, the object of more than one doubt,
'and of more than one controversy; but amidst
FALL these afhrmatons and negations no precise
Information has transpired TO solve this question
"until now. A word or two will do it. The
"atber of the pretended Princess singer is only
Simple citizen, like you or me- and he bore the
"modest name of Clementini until the day the
motion seized him to throw dust in the eyes of
1.-THE public. On that occasion it was discovered
"that Madame Clomantini his wife was descen-
"ded, more or less remotely, from some branch of
''the PIcsoLoMINI family, and it was readily seen
''what advantage might be taken of this provi-
"dential connection. l ought to add that this
tdiscovery, and the mode Of using it, was less
"the work of the artistic herself &C., &C. And
again. "Great talk has been made of the opposi-
'sition that Mile. PIcCoLoMIN met with from her
noble family against her irresistible desire to 60
"upon the stage. This opposition is not altogether
"an invention; but it had very different notion
''and aim than the one ascribed. 1t was not the
"taste of Mile. CLEMENTINI for the theatre that
twas contested by the late Cardinal PIccoLoMIN1,
''but simply the right to advertise name that
fdoes not belong to herr 'Delf nothing but
Delfp' reiterates MAssERAs. Porcelain pure
Porcelain" retorts ULMAN. 'NIlle. CLEMENrINI,
and no Princess p responds MAssERAs. ''MARn
"PIcooLomN1 Princess of the noble house of
s'Piccolomini, and neice to the Cardinal of that
Shame p' shouts ULLMAN, and forthwith he pro-
duces the passport of LEOPOLD, Grand Duke of
Tuscany, asking 'free permission to travel for
'the noble lady, MARIA PIccoLMINI, belonging to
1.-THE proprietary rank by profession mistress of
''song-a native of FSiena 81 years of age"
This would appear to settle the matter: but not
80. Nile. PIccoLoN1N1's father, "as member of
1.-THE princely house Of .Piccolomini, from par
"donable family PRIDE" has determined to crush
out the incredulity of Messrs. MAssERAs, TRoBRI-
AND, and LAssALE, by due process of law. Whe-
Their they will acknowledge their error under the
pressure of the '.peine forte ct dure,'' or whether
they will continue to their skepticism to the
last, remains yet to be SEEN 1t is related of
CHARLES LAMB that when an omnibus cad once
asked the usual question, care you all full in
inside?' ELLA quietly answered, II don't
know how it may be with the others, but that
A
In like manner Miles, passport has done the
business for the Frenchmen. ULLMAN has given
them the coup dc grace, and the lawsuit of the
paternal PlccoLoMsI is altogether supererogatory |
Now the moral of all this is, that in New York, |
and perhaps, in other cities of the Republic, title
u more attractive than genius; and so long as