The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-05

heading of Holofernes, and the assassina-
ton of Marat by that sublime fanatic,
Charlotte Corday, we cannot detect sin
gle ingredient of plousibility in the COM
plicated motives of action which, from the
earliest times down to the present melaD-
choly occasion, have led to the perpetra-
ton of the most terrible and execrated of
crimes.
Henry ILL.,, of France, was assassinated
by one Talaues Clement, at the inst.gation
of few ambitious courtiers, who anticl-
pated great personal agranGizement by the
elevation to tie throne of Henry ". who
was generally supposed to be guileless end
inexperienced in civil affairs, and entirely
devoted to the pursuits of war. Having
promulgated the edict of Nantes, which
established the Roman Catholic faith
throughout bis Kingdom, Henry w. was,
in turn, assassinated by desperate en-
thusiast of Protestant persuasion, named
Ravaillac, who thereby hoped to obtain
immunities for his followers. William
ILL.,, of England, than whom q more hu-
name, enlightened, philanthropic SOW
ereign never sat upon the English throne,
nearly fell prey to conspiracy to assas-
sinate him, which was prompted by the
same evil mott es, and aiming at the same
pernicious results-the substitution of q
turbulent and bigoted dynasty for that
which had rescued England from the hor-
rors of civil strife. The plot was revealed
by one of the conspirators. William Ill,
instead of going out to hunt, as was his
custom on certain particular days, re-
NAMED at home, and thereby frustrated
the scheme against his life.
1t would take more space than we have
time to devote to the subject to enumerate
the various escapes which the first Napo-
leon had from attempts to take his life
during the stormy period Of the Consulate.
The reader of history will easily call to
mind the infamous George conspiracy-a
| plot which took its name from the origin
ator, George Cadoudal, Chouan chief,
CRU and others; the affair, however, be-
coming known, the leaders were all ar
rested and the plot was abandoned. Pr
chegru was found strangled in prison, Mo-
reau was sentenced to exile, and Cadoudal
was publicly executed. The most remark
able instance of preservation from death,
the result of an unerring and uncontrolla-
bic instinct, occurred in this way. Napo-
leon was Unfortunately addicted to the lux
ury of snuff taking. On one occasion, be-
ing suddenly called out of Paris, he left
the sale d'dudience somewhat abruptly,
forgetting his favorite snuff-box, which
was lying on the mantlepiece. Business
of Importance detained him at Fontain-
bleau for several days, and on his return
to the Tuileries, the first object that at
tracted his attention was the forgotten
snuf-box, which lay precisely in the same
spot where he had left it. He took it up,
seemed to hesitate little, and then turn
ing to an aid-de-camp who was standing a
few PAGES from him, requested that officer
to open the box, al. eging inability to per-
form the act himself The officer com.
piled with alacrity, and upon the lid flying
open, he fell dead upon the floor. A subtle
poison known to the most abstruse and ex.
perienced chemists, had been introduced
for the purpose of destroying the life of
the Emperor, WHO only escaped the snare
by the inhuman sacrifice of an innocent per-
son. After that memorable occasion Ma
poleon was never known to carry a snuff
box again, but invariably used his vest
pocket as depository for the pulverized
article. b.
The murderous attempts of Fieschie, Al
ibau1, Meurier, and others, give ample
evidence of the truth of the adage, that
''uneasy lies the head that wears a crown"
The Internal machine so craftily construct
ed by Fieschi for the destruction of Louis
Philippe, and which in its explosion caused
the immediate death of Marshal Mortier
and several others, shows how slight is the
tenure of popular regard, and to what
desperate measures fanatic politicians will
resort in order to promote their own self
ish intere Is, or secure the ascendency of
some particular creed.
Although Napoleon III. has done more
for the advancement of civilization and
prosperity in France than any monarch
that ever preceded him, yet his experience
must have shown him that there is no
guarantee against those frightful ebulli-
tons Unpopular caprices by which the liyes
OF the best and wisest rulers are sometimes
ruthlessly sacrificed. The famous Orsini
conspiracy, which led to the attempt to
assassinate the Emperor and Empress, on
their way to the opera, by throwing hand.
grenades at the carriage, must be fresh in
the memory of our readers. The escape
of the imperial couple was deemed almost
miraculous; and such was the exaspera
ton OF the French nation against England,
in view of the fact that the conspirators
were known to have devised and matured
the infamous schemes on British soil, that
Lord Palmerston deemed it advisable to
introduce Conspiracy-to-murder Bill in
the House of Commons, which, after q
long and tempestuous debate, was defeat
ed by majority of nineteen against it
This led to the resignation of the frs,
Palmerston administrator.