Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-04-19
THE BALTIMORE BONAPARTEs.


The 18th volume of the History Of The Consulate and
III: Empire by NJ. Theirs just published contains note
which NJ Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte "a French citizen
residing at Baltimore in the United States, requested
the publisher TO insert. The states-That on the
oath of December 1908, Jerome Bonaparte then naval
officer in the service Of the French Republic, married
Miss Elizabeth Paterson daughter OF citizen OF the
United States that the marriage was celebrated by the
Bishop of BlltimOre according 70 the rites OF the Cathoc
Churhh and that the marriage regularly registered
That Jerome BOuapare then nineteen years OF age had
attained the age required by French law to contract
valid marriage That his father being dead, his mother,
Madame Leta Bonaparte, did not within year, as re-
CURED by the French law, demand that the marriage
should be declared null and void That on the contra
~ Madame Lettia, called NJ. jerome Napoleon Bona
parte the issue OF that marriage, her dear SON, and
signed herself in letter him, hes rery GBecHondte
,altbcrn That in 1905 the Emperor Napoleon demand
ed of the Pope bull annuing that marriage, and that
the Pope replied that there reason 10 annul the
marriage and that were he TO do So he would be guilty
Of most abominabe abuse Of his sacred ministry before
the tribunal of God and before the entire Church. An
to this note, transmitted by Prince Napoleon Is
annexed bv the publisher IL states that Madame Lett
a Bouaparte did the 81 Neuose Of the year H. as
soon She heard Of the marriage legally protest against
it in the following terms:
That in order that her intentions should be well
known and that future time her silence should be
interpreted in contrary 70 her real sentiments
IN order to express her will the offence committed by
her son against the laws Of maternal dignity declares
lst that her consent never demanded by her son.
being minor and that she would have refused 1t from
motives which the law authorizes her not TO state ID
that she soemu protests by the present act against any
marriage contracted by her son, jerome Bonaparte in
foreign country without her consent and in contempt
Of the forms prescribed by law; 3D. that sue expressly
TO herself the right OF appealing thus, and be-
fore the competent authority soon as she can procure
copy Of the marriage cerhcation, in order TO have 1t
declared null and void
- ala unlI nv
veuose year IS by the Emperor Napoleon and approx
ed by the Council of State IL these terms;
PALACE THE TUILERIEs, March ?, 1905.
We Napoleon Emperor of the French aying seen the
document received by Raguidea notary OF Paris the Sd
VenOse, year -. containing protest OF Madame our
mother against the pretended marriage OF her soH Jerome
Blnaparte = minor contracted in a foreign country,
without the consent OF his mother and without previous
publication in the place of his domci,e; the Council Of
State having been consulted considering that the
rage of minor contracted in foreign country without
the consent of father or mother is null according to
French law that IL is the right OF the Chief OF the State
interfere to suppress all that may wound his per-
soua dignity and offend the majesty Of the throne-de
cree first the officers Of the civil state OF the Empire are
forbidden TO receive their registers the transcript OF
the act Of the celebration of pretended marriage that
NJ Jerome Bonaparte had contracted IN foreign coun
try Article = The present decree shall be inserted in
the BietH des Lois, and the Minister OF Justice Is
charged with It's execution
Us turn dissolved the religious union the civil tie had
been severed, and It declared that marriage had
been contracted. These results had been previously an
ticpated. At the moment of the marriage IN 1903, NJ
| Pichoa the French Charge dAiaires IN the United
States announced to Mr. Paterson and his daughter the
obstacles opposed the celebration OF the marriage and
the marriage contract OF the 2lh OF December, 1903
/ contains the following significant clauses:
Article l. In case of any difficulty being raised rea
! tive to the validity of thessaid marriage either in the
Stae OF Maryland or in the French Republic the said
Jerome BOnaparte engages at the request OF the SAID
Elizabeth Paterson and of the said William Paterson,
or either Of them TO any deed necessary TO re-
move the difficulty and TO confer the said union all
the character OF valid and perfect marriage according
to the respective laws of the State of Maryland and the
! French Republic
Article l. That If the marriage should be annuled
either on the demand Of the said Jerome Bouaparte or
that Of any other member of his family, the said Eliza
bet Paterson shall have right in any case to one-third
of the real personal and mixed property of her future
husband
Miss Paterson accepted the position Of which she
ticpated the risk and received pension OF 6OOOOk from
the Emperor Napoleon I'LL the Restoration. At the re-
establishment OF the empire under Napoleon ILL., thesde
s,eudauts of the marriage with Miss Paterson attempted
TO establish right, and Prince Napoleon aud the Prin-
cess Manlde appeal TO imperial family council the
only competent tribunal, to forbid jerome Paterson TO
attribute 20 himself with the Of Bonap re, alia
ton which does not belong TO him legally. The family
council on the +th Of July 1885, having heard NJ Alton,
the advocate for Prince Napoleon and the Princess Ma
thide and ~ Berryer for w. Jerome Bonaparte, main
tanned the right OF the defendant 10 the of Bona
pare but without the right Of awaiting himself Of the ad
yarages conferred by the 2olt and 202da of the Cod
Napoleon. The Emperor sanctioned the Judgment, and
when the present note submitted to him for his APP
probation lie added with his own hand, the following
paragraph:
"His Majesty the Emperor by his conduct towards the
descendants of Mademoelle Paterson since the iulg
meut wa, determined thought 1t right to prove that he
did not consider them belonging to bis family
ciyie.'
The question was raised again by claim made by ".
jerome Bonapare to portion of Cardinal Feschs prop
erty and which rejected by decision OF the impc-
rial family council dated 25d Of December 1888