The Shasta courier., 1866-11-17
SH HASTA COURIER.
NAPOLEON IL.

or of the French, which has perhaps saved
Austria from total annihilation, there is
reason to believe that the desire of France to
possess the ashes of the young Prince who
was for few hours Napoleon II, has been
acceded to by the Emperor Francis Joseph.
and that the mortal remains of the King of
Rome will soon be placed beneath the doam
of the Invalides, side by side with those of
his illustrious father Thus the great Napo-
leon and his son, separated by destiny in life,
will at last be united in death. Both died in
the land of exile, and neither will have found
repose upon the soil of France until after
many years, sleep far from her shores-one
upon a rock bound island in distant ocean,
and the other in the funeral vault of an Aus
trian palace. Little is generally known in
America of the last years Of Napoleon ii
and the present moment seems opportune to
give sketch of his EFF and melancholy
career.
Joseph Charles Francis Napoleon, King of
Rome, Duke of Reichstadt. was borne at Paris
on the 10th March, 1911 .All the good fairies
seemed to have assembled around his cradle,
and all appeared to predict for him Donors,
riches and power not one intimated a
doubt of his future grandeur and luster !
Yet, despite the happy presages which ac-
companled his birth, scarcely three years
after he came into the world as the heir of
Napoleon, the young Prince left France on
the I'd of May. 1914, never to return du-
ring life. On arriving in the dominions of
his grandfather, the Emperor of Austria, his
title was suppressed, the name he bore pro
scribed, every fact in history which recalled
the glory of his father, and the humiliation
of his enemies was carefully concealed from
the child's knowledge, and at seven years of
age the son of Napoleon became the Duke of
Reichstadt.
An Imperial decree, promulgated July %
lSl8-the 22d of July was also the date of
his death, conferred upon him the title of
an Austrian Duke, fixed his rank at the Court
of Vienna, the arms he was to bear, the hon
ors to which he was entitled, and the posi-
tion he was to occupy as member of the I'm
perial family of Austria. No trace of Napo-
leon was left. and the name itself was for
mally suppressed by the decree. Afterwards
as he grew up and learned what a hero bad
been his father, he suddenly awoke as from
a long slumber. When he read in secret
the story of Napoleon's immortal campaigns,
and comprehended the glory and power to
which the genius of his father had attained.
it seemed to him that he had all at once en-
tered upon another world. illuminated by the
history of gigantic exploits. Then, despite
those who surrounded him, despite the inces-
SAINT watch kept over him, he determined to
know all. He obtained and eagerly devour
ed every work in which Napoleon's name
was mentioned, and finally when he realized
how great his father had been, what humil-
lations had been heaped upon him, how he
had died tortured prisoner, the young
Prince was filled with an intense hatred of
those who had accomplished the banshed
soldiers long martrydom. His Indignation
was also excited against the decree, which
deprived him of the name which he Justly
regarded as the most glorious of those he
bore, and he Immediately and resolutely sig
nifed his attention to be called Napoleon.
Like his father, he was fond of the profession
Of arms, but his tall, thin body could not
the arduOus exercises to which he
to school himself Appointed
Colonel of the Gustavus Vasa Regiment he
assumed the active command, took part in
every fatiguing ceremony, in all weathers,
and no matter how i'll he was, or how much
his physicians demonstrated, his dreams
were of glory. He studied the art of war
in numberless descriptions of his fathers
battles, either reading them or inducing
others to recount them to him, with the map
of Europe beneath his eyes. He would never
to lie down, except when his feeble
ness absolutely forced him to do so. He
well knew that be must soon die, but he had
only one regret in leaving the world, and
that was, to have done so little to rrove
himself worthy to bear the name of Napo
leon.
| remember having seen in America an
representing him grasping his
fathers sword, and lamenting his powerless
ness to WELD the weapon which had so long
made "al Europe tremble." The phrase
attributed to him may be apochryphal, as
regards the strict letter of the expression,
but that such were in reality his feelings,
cannot be doubted for an instant. His moth
er, woman whose heart seemed insensible
to any ennobling emotion, and who had not
the dignity to remain the widow of Napo-
leon-his mother wept at his bedside. when
the fatal moment drew near. Mother!
mother !" he whispered, Il am diving !"-
1t was on the 22d of July, 1882. and these
were the last words of Napoleon ii, expiring
in murmur on his lips, with his last breath.
Thus died the son of the Great Captain.
at the age of twenty.one years. Six days
after his death, on the 28th, post mortem
examination of the remains was made at
Schonbrunn. The followingis an extract of
the medical report:
The body completely emaciated the chest,
in proportion to the body, long and narrow
The sternum fattened the neck wasted"
He was inferred at Schonbrunn with prince
ly honors. and visitors to his tomb at the
present day, will see upon tia Latin inscrip-
ton, of which the following is a translation
To the eternal memory of
Joseph Charles Francis Duke of Reichstadt
Son Of Napoleon, Emperor of the French,
And Maria Louisa, Arch Duchess of Austria;
Born at Paris, the Goth of March, 1911,
Died at schonbrunn, July %, 1882.
He had himself written an epitaph, which
be wished placed upon his tomb, but which
was rejected. 1t was brief and to the pur-
pose:
Here lies the SON of the Great Nanoleont