The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-03-19
THE CASE OF BoNAPARTE AGAINST
RONAPARTE.

| Bun AFAhIE.
! Our readers are well aware that Mr. Jerome
Bonaparte, of Baltimore, u, On the death of his
father. the late King jerome ex monarch of West
phalia, brought suit in the French Court to es-
tablish his claim to be the legitimate son of his
father. MIR Bonaparte renqushed, in advance,
all claim which he mi ght have to any property
lett by the deceased his sole object being estab-
lish the validity Of his fathers first marriage, and
thereby vindicate the fame Of his mother In
the pursuit of this ulj ject he has nanife>tested
| determination OF purpose characteristic of the
family whose name he bears, aud of the nation to
which that family originally belonged He has
done more; he has shown that what he considers
his honor is dearer to him than life its, IT, and that
worldly wealth. high place, and unbuunded fu-
ture Tor his children. nothing in his eyes,
compared with the fine of that mother VIII,
watched over him in the years of his childhood
when his father and his fathers house were dispos-
ed tn Cast him. like unclaimed foundling. upon
the world Admirable such conduct is, it is
not more admirable than that Of the venerable pa
rent who is the occasion of it. Married. when
young and beautiful girl The admired of all circles
into which she entered. while the youth of whole
nation were ready to posrate themselves at her
feet to the worthless scamp that dgrac-
ed crown. she was ti.rsaken hy him from The bas-
est and most sordid motives. in u strange country
! among entire strangers. aud indebted for re-
fuee in the hour of her distress to the humanity
of a people with whom the nation to which her
husband belonged engaged in deadly war
Leaving her without the slightest remnrse. for
royal bride who brought him larger dover. this
paragon of husbands afterwards had the meanneSs
to offer her an immense estate in WeStphaia. as
Ealm to her wounded feelings She treated his of
fer with silent contempt, ne her answering the
letter in which it conveyed, permitting
it to be answered by any one else in her name She
procured divorce from the Legislature Of her ma
tive State, (Alaryland.) and resumed the name she
had borne before her i'll starred marriage elizabeth
Patters"n) But in the full flush of her 1ncom-
mon beauty. she encouraged no sutor. and
once thought IF changing her condition Her
whole thoughts were bent upon the education and
future prospects of her son. and the establishment
at future day. of his right to bear, without
shame. the name of his father She lived to see
that great prosecutor overthrowu-to hear of his
long agony upon the barren rock of st Helena
to the nation which he governed pxI e from
her bosom the family which had succeeded tn the
Bonapa1tes-to see those who filled the places of
this family reduced to exile in their .urn-to see
another French Republic succeeded by another
Empire with another Bonaparte at its head. Sh"
has outlivcd her rival. and her husband-and now
numbering greatly more than the years allotted to
man hy the Psalmist she crosses the ocean. with
her son, to vindicae her rights and his in French
Court of Justice! 'There is something sublime as
well as romantic, in this; and when critics
carp at the incidents OF a romance as improbable
because surprising. are prone to bid them read
the story of Elizabeth Patterson.
OF all the offences with which the first Napnle-
on has been charged his conduct with regard tn
this marriage the most un ustif abe. He was
opposed to Il French Prince marrying an American
lady He first attempted to obtain divorce from
the Pope; but that P"tentafe, although abso-
lutely within his power that he had compelled
him to come to Paris in order to crown him as one
of his predecessors had crowned Charlemagne-
although few years after he arrested him in the
very Vatican aud carried him prisoner to Fon-
taineblean-could not be induced. either hv ban-
dishments threats. to obey HI m ,ndae: for it
was no,hng else The 1.larria.e he said was
valid in the eyes of God and man. Nothing had
occurred since its date to impair its binding force
As the head of the hurch. as a Prince. as Chris
tian, man, he could not consent perpetratc
an act of snch gross Injustice Nor did he ever
do it. Foed in this quarter attempt was next
made to show that Jerame minor and could
not, by the French law, Contract marriage with
ont the consent of his mother, which he did not
obtain. But it was shown, on the other hand. |
that though by the French law man was not of
age until he is twentyf five, for any other pursose,
yet for the purpose of contracting marriage he
Of age at Ell yhteen. Jerome nineteen and some
WueH lie IHaFFieu vi according
to the Emperors showing-twenty-tw two accord
ing to his commission as all officer in the Navy as
sworn by the late General Samuel Smith. of Balti-
nlore-the hero Of Mud Island-who had exann-
ed it,
1t is highly probable that the French Court will
decide against Mr. Bonaparte But there are but
few men, whose hearts are in the right place. aud |
fewer women. who will not wish him the must
complete
A letter from Paris saws This case was closed,
oil Friday last, by the plea of the States Attorney
and the Judgment of the Court will be given on
Friday next 1he speech of the States Attorney
was very clear and compact argument, ana cover
ed every point in the case. Or the dozen points
of law for example. he gave all but the twelfth
one in favor of the American family but the
Twelfth one overs shadowed all the rest. and decided
the case against the Pattersons. The question of
the regularity of the marriage, the good faith of
Miss Fatteron and her family, the recognition of
Mr. jerome Bonaparte relative by the whole
Bonaparte family, the ri ght of the descendants of
Miss Patterson to the name of Bonaparte. and all
the material points up TO the last one were decid-
ed in favor of the Patterson family, by the Cow
Prnment Advocate. But this last one he con-
,luded must decide the case in favor of the Prince
Napoleon and the Princess Marhlde; and this re- 1
suited from the thing judged. In his opinion
he two family councils which sat upon the case in
1855 aud 1889. were sovereign and final and the
present tribunal could not return upon their de-
1