The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-01

Secondly. Is the woman Balabo living anywhere
in Broome street, and will she corroborate the
statement of Mrs. Mercer? If sho will not. it must
be either because such an event as the death Of
Louis Napoleon never occurred or it did, that she
is afraid TO reveal the share she had in tor else
she has been bribed to silence.
Thirdly. Is Colonel Webb, or M. WikOff, or any
other auondam American friend of the Prince, aware
of any such liasOn formed by him in New York?
But above all, are all the parties cognizant of the
imprisonment certain that the person confined in
the prison of Ham the same as the Prince Louis
Napoleon who was shipped off for America by the
affair at Strasburg?
There are many circumstances which tend to con-
firm the fact of the imposture. The principal of
LIST. That the present Emperor of the French does
not, in the slightest degree resemble either his re-
puted father, Louis Napoleon, nor his mother, the
beautiful nortense Besuharnais; nor is there
or characteristics OF the Bonaparte family.
This is not the case with the present
Prince Napoleon, the son of Jerome Bonaparte,
who resembles the great Emperor in q startling
manner. The present emperors features are cast in
an entirely different mOuld-they are heavy. " inn.
passble," stern and repusive, partaking largely of
the traditional Puritan STYLE the stern but enthus
astc warriors who diedi for their own religious
liberty but had little liberation for the religion of
Others.
2. That he speaks French with a foreign and
northern accent such an accent, in short, as an
Englishman may be supposed never entirely to get
id Of, however long he may have lived in France.
g. That his tastes and private habits are not those
of a Frenchman. 1t is matter of notoriety that
the French are very temperate people, and that
whatever their peculiar vices may be, they rarely
lead them to intemperance; certainly not to con-
firmed heavy drinking, such as is congenial to ma.
tiOns of Saxon blood. Now it is also matter of
notoriety that very heavy drinking bouts are per
formed from time to time at the Tuileries, by the
highest parsonage there and that truly Anglo Saxon
German, Ieutonic or Observation-Disclosures you will
propensity, finds Jealous disciple liz the occupant
of the throne OF Capet The Bonaparte family,
from the early period of the alliance between
them and the Ramolini OF Corsica, down to that
of the present surviving members, have always
been noted for their abstemiOusness and temper
ance. Has degenerate son sprung from so illus
trious stock? Probability is against it,
But, it may be asked, how could Yankee be he
ever cute, impose upon the French nation for so
long time and so eiectually?
The difficulty here supposed is more apparent than
real. We have but to glance at the career of the
real Louis Napoleon to perceive how peculiarly
favorable to such grand imposture the circum
He was born on the Goth of April 1908, at Paris
seven months after the separation took place be-
tween his mother and father. The latter never saw
him and could not be persuaded even up to the day
of his death to recognise him. He lived with his
mother at Paris until he seven years old-when,
after the battle of Waterloo she retired to Augsburg
and thence into Switzerland where on the banks Of
the Lake of Constance she led secluded life for
many years. When he was old enough he was sent
to the military camp at Thun to study the art of
We next hear OF him in 1880, when, with his elder
brother, Napoleon Louis, he joined the Italian pa
trots at Bologna in their efforts to shake off the yoke
of the Austrians: the two young princes fought
veal brilliant actions with the oppressors. but the
patriots were finally vanquished and crushed Louis
and his brother made their escape from Italy with the
greatest dAhcuity; indeed, II was owing to the
adrotness and presence of mind OF their mother that
they succeeded. Napoleon died after short illness
and Louis with his mother, went to Paris they had
been there but very short time before they were
ordered by Louis Philippe to quit France imme-
dately; accordingly, they crossed over to England,
and after a short stay there returned to Switzerland
in August. 1881 They lived in retirement until the
month Of October, 1886, when Louis Napoleon made
the rash attempt to excite the garrison of Strasburg
to mutny, which ended in his being taken prisoner.
sent to Paris and thence put on board frigate and
shipped off to the United States sans ceremonie.
He was put ashore at New York, where he remained
about ten months, during which time he made him
self acquainted with many persons of the first
standing Others OF the lowest. How he became &C
quainted with Bowen is not known; but it it sup
posed the acquaintance originated in of those
billiard rooms which the Prince In the habit of
frequenting. We are not likely to know now-for it
is not probable that the fortunate Nephew Of his
Uncle will voluntarily come forward to disclose the
secret Of his elevation.
Thus we find that Louis Napoleon was in
France. or rather Paris, but few days during
the whole of the period which elapsed between
his mothers going to reside in Switzerland, in 1915,
and his transportation TO the United States in 1886
a period of twenty-one years: that he was per
sonally unknown to the French people How enor.
mously would such circumstance facilitate impos
ture Assuming, now, that il is the fact that he
died. as alleged. in New York, and that another
who strongly resembled him in appearance and
manners, personnated him and declared himself to
lie Louis Napoeon-let us see what obstacles there
would be to the carrying out Of such imposture.
The greatest danger OF ALL viz his detection by
Queen Hortense, was surmounted by her sickness
and death. He arrived in Switzerland at the nick
ftrfA h.N.l
whether recognized by her or not cannot be known;
but Bowen confirmed his position by this bold step
and the world would hardly dispute the fact of his
genuineness when his mother had not done So IL
should he borne in mind that she had not seen him
since the events at Strasbourg and his sojourn In
New York; trouble and residence In foreign coun.
Try might have changed him somewhat After her
death he still avoided France but having
become possessed Of the means Of subsistence
which the prince had, he remained in Switzer.
land until the French government insisted on
his expulsion from that country. To save the re-
public from a war with France he withdrew from
Switzerland and went to England, remaining two
years in London. INDUCING in the true English taste
for horses, racing betting and drinking; tastes evil
IDENTIFY in accordance with his anglo Sax tempera-
ment and quite alien TO the temperament Of a
IreDchman. especially of a BoDaparte.
Thus, when the daring attempt on Boulogne, in
August, 1910, was organized by him in conjunction
with the refugees, blacklegs and Uauyiens of Paris
then lurking about the purieus of leicester square,
he was st unknown 10 the people Of France per
sonsly. He had been received into English society
as Prince Louis Napoleon, but he was not much es-
teemed and his society certainly not courted or
sought after and his circle OF acquaintance became
limited principally to those who had the same tastes
as himself On his landing at Bouogne he was
laughed at, and narrowly escaped being shot by the
remorseess National Guard OF that city The next
six years passed in the prison at Ham: he then
made his escape TO Belgium and thence to England,
where he resumed his former occupations, until the
revolution in Paris on the cath OF February, lsls.
Inu inf axt nd auadl patxeo
for pretenders of every description b. careful
ly watched the progress Of events. and on the 23d
OF May, ls4s, he addressed letter to the National
Assembly. Offering his services to France, which
coldly received aud sneered mt. No one believed
in him. lie had been a stranger TO France with
the exception of few days passed in Paris in 1881
and 1880 since he was seven years old-for his
Imprisonment in the dungeon of Ham cannot be con-