The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-02-24
The Mother of Napoleon the Great.

Corsica is an island in the Nedit-
eranean sea, containing about a quar-
ter of million OF inhabitants. Its
people are mostly of Italn origin,
and the products of the island are
cattle, timber, honey, wax and olive
oil. Owing TO the careless and un-
! scientific agriculture, the people are
generally poor; and few, even of the
mobility, are able to live in n liberal
style. The great majority Of the in
habitants are ignorant and supersti-
tious, and they have been distinguish
ed, for many ages, Tor certain turbu-
lence and ferocity of character. As
they have never been powerful enough
to maintain their Independence, nor
wiling to submit to foreign power,
tie island has been the seat of wars,
intrigues, and civil dissensions. =l..T
The maiden name OF the mother OF
Napoleon was Letizia TaInolino. She
was born in Corsica, of a. respectable,
but net opulent family, and was mar
red in her sixteenth year to Carlo
Bonaparte, a Corsican gentleman of
ner owi: rank. g., About the time of her
marriage, the people. of Corsica, led by
The heroic Pascal Paoli, resolved to
throw Oil their allegiance, to Genoa,
and become an independent State.
They succeeded for ten years in main
ming the struggle; nor would they
ave aga.n been subject to foreign
.ominIon il Genoa had not sold her
lights to France, and thus secured the
,rerthrow of the patriotic party.
Carlo Bonaparte was one OF Paoli's
bravest and most trusted officers-a
nan wise IN counsel and brave in the
.iieId His young wife, Ietizia, shared
beth his sentiments and his perils.
Oh one occasion, 1t is related, when
the Curscans had been defeated in bat
lie, she was obliged to fly with her
husband to the mountain businesses in
the interior of the island. She rode
IN orseiack, and carried in her arms
an infant son. As the enemy were in
hot pursuit, the march was swift, per-
ilous, and painful. Crossing river
one day, her horse lost its footing, and
it appeared to those ON shore that she
could only save her own life hy let
ing go the child. Tie soldiers cried
to her TO do SO a but, with prodig-
ious efiors, she regained her saddle,
and managed her horse so well that
she brought her infant safe to shore,
amid the shouts of her comrades.
The child that she carried in her
arms that day was Joseph, her first
born, who was afterwards King of
Spain. ~ ...s.ss "A. .-i --.E -
Peace was declared few weeks af-
ter this flight, and Carlo Bonaparte
returned to Ajaccio with his little fam
lily. This was in the month of juno,
1859. One day in the following Au
gust, Madame Bonaparte's second son
{ (Napoleon) was born. 1t is curious
fact that Napoleon narrowly escaped
being born a subject of the King of
England, If the British Government
had been promp to succor Paoli, as
was expected, Corsica had been a
British island, and Napoleon, perhaps,
British officer. In due time, Madame
.Bonaparte become the mother of thir
teen chlldren-the youngest of whom
was born when she was but thirty four
years VI aye. VI lucSS LulI lcSi CullO-
ren, eight lived to maturity.
1t was trom his mother that Ma
poleon Bonaparte derived the force if
not the talent which enabled him to
become the conqueror of Europe. He
himself said of her :-"She had the
head of a man on the shoulders, of a
woman she administered everything
with degree of sagacity not to be
expected from her age or sex. Her
tenderness was Joined with severity.
She punished, rewarded, all alike the
good, the bad, nothing escaped her.
Losses, privations, fatigue, had no eff
feet upon her; she endureed all, braved
all All what a woman Where
look for her equal p ,'.iE yts7ar.L =
And at St, Helena, he said: tMy
mother had grand character force
and elevation Of soul, and q noble
piide. She wal ched with a solicitude
,unexampledto over the frt impressions ms
Unwo thy sentiments, withered IN her
Iresenes5. Sheinstruete herrehildren
0fily in what was grand; and elevated,
Falsdhosd she held In abhorTence, and
every other. trait which ind dicated base,
Z ndencies She knew how to punish,