The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-22

From the New York Evening Post.
After nearly half a century of quiet re.
signation to what seemed to be the DEGREES
of fate, the first wife of Jerome Bonaparte
is about to emerge from her retirement, and.
in the French courts of law, contest her
claims to be considered his legitimate wife,
and to secure for herself and son their part
OF the personal property left by the recently
deceased Prince. The history of Madame
Bonaparte formerly Miss Patterson is too
well known to our readers to need recapitu-
lation here, and we will only now make an
abstract of the details of the proposed
trial from the long account furnished
by the Paris correspondent of the London
Times.
The case will come before the Tribunal
of the first Instance at Paris, on the 25th
of the present month, with Mr.. Berger and
M. Legrand as counsel of Madame Bona.
parte. They have drawn up printed me.
moir of the facts, commencing with reca.
pitulation of the life of Jerome Bonaparte,
and history of his acquaintance and mar.
riage with Miss Patterson. The marriage
certificate reads as follows:
BALTIMORE, December "a, 1903.
With license, l this day united in the holy
bonds of marriage, in conformity with the rites
of the holy Catholic Church, Jerome Bona.
parte, brother of the First Consul of France,
with Elizabeth Patterson, daughter of William
Patterson, Esq. of the city Of Baltimore, and
of Dorcas Spear, his wife.
t j., BISHOP OF BALTIMORE.
This certificate was verified by the
French Vice Consul, Henry Vernet.
The subsequent efforts of the Emperor
Napoleon to break up the marriage are
then recounted. With these efforts and
their results, our readers are already fami>
liar. Napoleon wrote to Jerome in May,
1905:
Your union with Miss Patterson is null in the
eyes of religion and the law. Write to Miss
Patterson to return to America. shall give
her pension of 60,000f. on condition that in
no case shall she bear my name, to which she
has no right, by reason of the non-existence of
the union. Inform her, of yourself, that you
have not been able, and that you cannot.
change the nature of things.
At the same time the Emperor addressed
letter to bis other brother, Lucien, latter
wards Prince of Canino), who, in his opin-
ion, had formed mesallianee by wedding
Madame Jouberton. Lucien, more manly
and honorable than Jerome, boldly replied !:
You conclude by tracing out for me the line
of conduct ought to pursue--viz., to destroy
the contract which has united us for the last
three years-to bring back to Paris my wife
changed into a concubne-to separate my
daughters from their mother, who have found
in her their parent---to acknowledge my two
oh And <hok
simple proceeding? And you think that, after
having divided a poor family, dishonored my
wife, dsinherited my chldren---that, after
having deprived them of their name and their
position, which is no longer mine but theirs
should find compensation for so much base
ness in the graces and favors which you say
would enable my Nightmare children to live
organ of the Emperor. Know, however, that
rather than descend to such infamy, would
immediate my son and daughter with my own
hands. Moreover, l am again writing to
his Majesty excepting the sacrifice demanded
of me, l am ready to make all others that may
be thought useful to France. My dgnities be-
long to the Emperor. The choice of the place
of my retreat belongs to him. When he com.
mands me to change it will obey without
murmur; if he requires it shall quit Europe,
but will not quit my wife and children except
with my life.
LUClEN BONAPARTE.
Pesaro, May rs, 1905.
Pope Pious VII, as is well known, refused to
bill declaring Jerome's marriage
null and void, and had the Prince possessed
even an ordinary degree of manliness, his wife
would not now have been obliged to contest
her claim in court. But Jerome fell in with
the ambitious schemes of his brother and, in
the hopes of wedding a Wurtemburg Princess,
forsook his American wife.
On the first of June, 1906, the Archbishop of
Paris issued decree annulling Jerome's mar.
riage-a decree which the memoir terms "a
melancholy monument of the vices engender-
ed by the servile weakness and the guilty con-
descension of the ecclesiastical authorities to
the exactions of government"
Jerome, when King of Westphala, offered
his first wife residence and revenue, with the
title of Princess of Smalcalden, if she would
come to Germany; but this offer was refused,
and Madame Bonaparte obtained divorce in
the State of Maryland. In 1919 she visited
Europe, and her son, the young Jerome, was
received with every attention by his Bona.
parte relatives in Europe and Italy.
The counsel in the coming case have embo-
died in their memoir a large number of letters
intended to prove that the Bonapartes recog.
nized young Jerome as one of their family.
The following are copies:
MADAME LETITIA B0NAPARTE TO JEROME II.
NOVEMBER 10, 1929.
MY DEAR GRANDsON-I have heard with
pleasure of your marriage, as the person you
have chosen possesses all the advantages one
could desire. l earnestly pray that you may
be happy in the union you contract, and, if
my blessing can contribute to it, it will be
complete and lasting. 1 beg of you to present
my afectiOnate wishes to your betrOthed,
though l have not the pleasure of knowing her.
Your father is still in the country; he will not
return before the 18th. He is we'll, as also
your brother and sister (the present Prince
Napoleon and Princess Mathilde.) embrace
you tenderly.
Your affectionate Mother,
PRINCESS MATHILDE TO THE ELDER JEROME.
NOVEMBER II, 1910.
MY DEAR BRoTHER-I believe you will learn
with all the interest of friendship the conclu.
sion of my marriage. with Prince Demidoff. !
My new condition realizes all the hopes
which had anticipated. But while l am
happy, am not tne less attached to all the
afectionate sentiments which / professed be-
fore my marriage, and you know, my dear Je-
rome, what share yon have in my affections
Give my affectionate compliments to my sister,
in.law, though l have not the pleasure of
knowing her; assure her of my affection for