The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1861-02-28
The Great BOnaparte Case I'm
France

The Great Bona parte Case In
France.
By the steamship New York, We have
some particulars Of the opening of the
great case in Paris, involving the leyiti.
macy of the American Bonapartes. The
Paris correspondent Of the Express writes
as follows:
PARIS, Friday Evening, 6 o'clock.
L have this moment left the Court where
the great case of Patterson VS.. Bonaparte.
is going on Bcrrycr-the illustrious Ber.
ryer, who was called to the bar Just fifty
years ago-spoke for four hours and a half
without moments interruption. speak
literally; the Court did not rise for refresh.
ment until he had done, at about halfpast
three O'Clock. | came away with great
regret in the midst of Mr. Allous speech
for Prince Napoleon, in order to send YOU
these hurried lines by this evenings post.
Inc Court, to-day, was as fulla it could
possibly hold. Some tickets for reserved
places had been given by the President
but considerable space was still left, when
the doors were opened for rush by young
Iarrlsteis and the general public. There
WIS no attempt to pack the audinence, ard
many who had the patience to wait for two
or three hours ut the door for admission,
met with the reward which they deserved
Inc proceedings We're opened by NJ. Lc-
grand, dsouc for Mrs. Elizabeth Paterson
pres niins the following conclusions:
81 hat 1T may please the tribunal to de
| clare the marriage contracted on Dccembe,
-1th, lSO3, between the late Prince j erome
and Elizabeth Paterson, valid.
"And, also, to take judicial corpizap e
(donncr acis) that NJ. Bonaparte, while de-
mamding that the marriage of December
2ith, 1903, may be declared valid. has
never had any intention to contest, and
does not now contest, the civilaud political
effects of the union contracted in 1907 by
his ia he, with the Princess Catherine OF
! Wirtembcrg."
vi Berryer, in his exor,iium said: NV
client, Madame Paterson, the divorced
vie and now the widow of the late Prince
| Jerome Nal o!eon, has waited nearly sixty
! years for this day, and now. faithful t, the
conduct from which she has never swc- we'd
she crosses the Atlantic at the age OF sew
ynty-iivc, aud is here before YOU to ask the
justice OF French Court In rccapitulatinr
The facts ot the case, as stated in the memo.
rial, VI. Bcrrycr dwclt ut srca. length
upon the recognition OF NJ. Bonapar;e by
al the in'pl rial family during long series
OF years rs their relation, arguing from
TINS Tact that noiorlcty, in accordance with
the register OF his b ptsm. vas. in the
term ol The cDie, iTdispu,able evidence of
his status as a legitimate child. He ex.
! posed the Ha@raut contradiction of the i'm.
perm! "ccodlnss in pretending to judge
~ 'i""n'y cYuhcil'-a special tribunal,
which conicSscdly had no jurisdiction. cx.
| cept over members otthe imperial family
that VI. Is parte was 10 mcmbcr Of il.
lie argued at great length to show HAT the
marriage III gu stion, although objected
at tn time by the French Charge d 'Af
taires, was not 'clandestne,' or made .in
fraud ofthc French law; that it was only
voidable Tor want OF proper publication and
the maternal consent; that no legal step
was ever taken 20 set the marriage aside
and that the first Napoleon's desperate at.
icmptS to treat tie marriage as void-his
repeated DEGREES, c"ntaIaing implied a.lui;s
SONS that all his former acts against the
marriage had been ncIicacious-his cor.
rcspondcncc with the Pope, who refused
to annul the marriage his rejection
of the legal opinion OF the rch.Chancel
lor Cambaccrcs, whose advice he asked
all showed the knowledge of Napoleon |
hat nothing lut jud cial decision, which
1t was now too late to ask for-could set
the marriage aside. lie Included by ex-
pressing his helicfthat the Judgment OF
the court would confirm him in that respcct
Tor the bench which he had cherished d
through long life"
Mr. Ai!ou-a iluen; and very good speak.
cr, and "A iir>t-nte advocate. al,hou,b h
comparatively little known-opcned the
case ior Prince Nap,!con. He was bold
enough to say that the c'riuent advocate
opposed to him had very little hopes OF
winning his cause. The case was overlaid
with romance, which from the lapse OF
lime, it was difficult to rcfnte.