The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-06-03
The Empress Josephine.

DE-LA-PAGERIE, on the z4th OF June, 1903,
first saw the light. Who could have
dreamed that upon lonely spot of earth,
barely able to resist the pillows of the
Atlantic, was to be born Creole girl into
whose single history was to be crowded
the most wonderful events of time2 Yet,
strange as it may seem, there was one of
those prophetesses (in regard to whose
orthodoxy, however much we may boast,
we are all superstitious,) a venerable ne
gress who pierced the curtain of fate,
and predicted that JOSEPHINE would one
day sway the destinies of France
The young girl seemed TO act upon the
impulses of prophesy, for, at an early
age, she visited Paris, and when but four
teen years old, married Count BEAUHAR-
NAIs. Her married life was certainly not
pleasant one; yet we are not disposed
to credit the scandalous memoirs of the
scandalous women that unquestionably
frequented the brilliant court of the un.
fortunate MARIE ANToINETTE, and we are
disposed to draw the veil of charity over
that dark and awful period whose frail-
ties and whose crimes were, after all,
washed away by the "euphrasy and rue"
of revolutionary blood If men and wo-
men sinned alike, they were alike pun
ished, and let them rest till the last trump
shall sound.
JOSEPHINE had two children by her
first husband-EUGENE and HoRTENsE-
whose histories, more thrilling than ro-
nance, are known to all
In 1887, hearing of the illness of her
aged mother, JOSEPHINE returned to her
distant home in the ocean, where she
nursed her parent until the storms Of
insurrection compelled her to return to
France. During her absence, the wild
democracy Of Paris had risen against
Louis XVI, and inaugurated that terri
BILE revolution before whose mighty ener.
gies all the thrones of Europe were des.
tined to tremble to their medieval found
ations. Fleeing from the circumscribed
flames of an ocean-isle, she found herself
in a moment in the midst Of continent
on fire.
Count BEAUHARNAIs had been one OF
the earliest and most active agents in the
revolution, and was fated, of course, to be
one of its earliest victims. He was cited
before the bar of the Convention, con-
demned to death, and, on the 23d of July,
1894, beheaded JOSEPHINE herself was
imprisoned, and barely escaped the ter
rors of the guillotine. Madame TALL1EN,
who was her fellow-prisoner interceded
for her, and, after the death of ROBES
PIERRE had unlocked the door of her cell,
she breathed once more the vital air.
Through her kind friend that had suffered
with her, she became, after the establish
ment of the Directory, an influential
member of the circle of the renowned
BARRAs
The impression of many writers is, that
while associating with the BARRAs family,
she first met BoNAPARTE. The probabili-
ties, however, are against this conclusion.
1.-THE day after the 18th of Vendemiaire,
the disarming of the citizens having been
decreed, boy of fifteen called upon Gen.
BoNAPARTE, then commandant of Paris
and with ingenious boldness demanded
the sword of his father. The General
was struck with the boys department; he
made particular inquiries about him, and
sought an acquaintance with his mother"
1t is hardly necessary to say the young
HERCULES of Corsica was at once enam-
ored of the beautiful widow; his passion,
indeed, knew no bounds, and on the 18th
OF February, 1896, he and JOSEPHINE
were united in marriage, and commenced
that wonderful career which eclipsed at
once In grandeur, terror, suffering and
romance, all the history of antiquity
JOSEPHINE followed BoNAPARrE to italy.
and was with him at that sp lendid period
when, in his conflicts with the Austrians.
he established reputation in heroic an
mails that will live forever. While her
husband was in Egypt, fighting the No
hammedaus under the shadow of the Pyr-
amids, and while he pursued the wild
hordes of Asia through the Holy Land,
she resided at Malmaison. During his
absence, countless scandals were circula-
ted, which, whether partially true or
wholly false, were sufficient to arouse the
youthful conqueror. That he contempla-
ted divorce, is unquestiona BILE; that the
testimony of his wife's children and his
deep and ardent love for them both reas-
sured and satisfied him, is certain.
JOSEPHINE exercised an astonishing
control over NAPOLEON. His letters from
Italy breathe the most ardent passion
and the most successful plans he ever ex-
ccuted came first under the review of his
WIFE She was indulgent to fault to
emigrants and prisoners, and returned
MANY 0f the latter IN III a., - o4:... L