The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-12-26
The Present French Dynasty.

In the work Of Rev. Mr.. Leakin, O.
this city, on 1.-The Periodic Law" re
ference is made to the perpetual parallels
ofhistory. and among them is an allusion
/ not without interest in the present appa
rently critical state of the Bonaparte dy,
nasty in France, to "the striking simili.
tude ofthe leading events in the downfall
Of Charles x: and Louis Philippe. +, Both
kings were sdethroned at the age of Sc.
venty four; both abdicated in favor Of
grandsons. each ten years of age. The
previous combat with the people lasted
in each case three days. During the
year preceding each fall, bread rose to
an exorbitant price, and, as if nature
sympathized with portentous events, ter
rife storms arose Immediately after each
downfall"
: The present Emperor Of tie French
was born on the, goth of April, 1903. In
an article published in the New York
Home Journal, a few years ago, some re-
miniscences were given of the personal
character of Louis Napoleon when in
New York in 1887. One of the peculiari-
ties remembered of him at the time by
the celebrated Albert Gallatin was, that
he had astrange fancy. Can you be-
lieve it ~ said Mr:: Galiatin, s.he has
the impression that he will one day be
Emperor of the French. Can you conceive
of anything more absurd p Another re-
mark made by one of his New York ac-
qualntances was; II have been told that
he is a fatalist; that he does not believe
that he shall diea quiet death, but that
he will be cut off suddenly" The young
Prince Imperial, first and only son of the
Emperor, was born on the 10th of
March, 1856, and is consequently now.
in his thirteenth year. If Ma poleon,
now sixty, should meet the violent end
which he is said to have anticipated, or
even if he should die a natural DEATH
this ehild, in the present uncertain state
Of things in Europe, could scarcely be
expected 10 succeed him. ;rg.Irr =
The Emperor himself seemed fully
conscious of the vicissitudesh which the
scions OF royal families, especially in
France, have before them when, in re-
pohse to- the congratulations of the Le-
gislative Corps upon the birth of his
child; he said: II have been deeply NOV
ed by the manifestation Of your feelings
at the birth Of the sou whom Providence
has SO kindly granted me. You have
hailed him as the hope. SO eagerly en-
tertained, of the perpetaity ola system.
which is regarded as the surest guaranty
of the general interests of the country.
But the unanimous acclamations which
surround his cradle do not preuent me
from reaecting on tie destiny Of those
aoho haze been borw IN tie same place
and amder. similar circumstances. If I
hope that his lot may be more happy, it
is, in the first place because, eoniding
i'll Providence, [ cannot doubt its protec-
fion when seeing it raise up, by con-
cuuence of extraordinary circumstances,
all thatswhich Providence was pleased
to cast down forty years ago, as if it had 4
wished to strengthen By martyrdom and
by, suffering q new dynasty from the
ranks of the people," i ] = 5 =
Yet Napoleon Eugene, son Of the En-
peror, may possibly succeed him.. At
all events, we cannot say yofsuch an idea,
as Mr.. Gallatin did ofhis fathers expec-
tation of accession to the throne, "Can
you conceive of anything more absurd?"|
y - RnZf Sam. a