Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-10-04
Mothar Of Eanalann I.


Carlo Bonaparte and Latitia Romolini were
his parents They had loved and been be-
trothed when she was only fourteen years of
age; but their families were active political an
tagonlsts, and the marriage was deferred for
about two years, when the Pao party, to
which Carlo belonged, became absolute mas
ters of Corsica, and active strife ceased. They
were welded in 1776 by the Archbishop, and
received the blessing Of her parents at the
nuptias.
Count Marbeuf, the conqueror, was made
Governor Of Corsica, and Carlo Bonaparte and
his family were highest On his list of personal
friends. Ten years after that conquest the
Corsican mobiles sent Carlo to Paris as their
representative in the popular branch Of the
Imperial Government of France. Leaving
Letitia in charge of their growing family, he
took Joseph and Napoleon with him.
They crossed the sea to Leghorn and jour
neyed to Florence, where Carlo received from
the Grand Duke, Leopold, letter to his sister,
Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France. She
made Carlo welcome guest at Versailles when
Napoleon, then ten years old, first looked upon
that gorgeous palace OF which he was after
ward the master. Carlo LETT Joseph In school
at Autun, and through the influence of Cover
nor Marboeuf he was allowed to place Napo-
leon In the Military Academy at Brenne,
where the afterward eminent Pitchegrue was
one of his instructors.
Six years later heavy weight of misfortune
fell upon Letitia. Carlo was attacked by the
disease which terminated the life of his most
illustrious son, at St. Helena, thirty years after
ward. He went alone to Montpelier, in France
for advice and remedies, and there he died
| 1885, under the hospitable roof of a girlhood
companion of Letitia, the mother of the cele-
brated Marshal Junot.
When Carlo died Letitia was not thirty i've
years of age, and had been the mother Of thir-
| teen children. Five sons and three daughters
were yet living-a race of monarchs who occu-
| pied thrones and lost them during one of the
most wonderful historical dramas, enacted in
the space of ten years, the world has ever
known. She saw them rise and fall while hel
tresses were yet dark, and the beauty of hel
youth yet bloomed on her cheeks and sparkled
in her eyes. Her sons were Giuseppe, or Jo
seph, who was made King of Naples in 1906
and of Spain in 1903; Napoleon, who made
himself Emperor of the French and disposel
Of thrones in 1906 Luciano, or Lucien, who
alone refused crown. but accepted princi.
pality, with its title, from the Pope in 1908
1906, and refused the crown of Spain in 1909
and Girolania, or Jerome who was made King
of Westphalia in 1907, when that province was
erected into kingdom. The daughters were
| Maria Anna Eliza, who was created sovereign
of Tuscany, with the title Of Grand Duchess
in 1908; Carlotta, afterward Marie Pauline
who, as the wife Of Prince Borghese, became
the most illustrious Italian princess of hen
time; and Caroline Maria Annunciado. the
wife of Murat, who became Queen of Naples
in 1903.
The young widow of Ajaccio had no reason
to dream, in widest fancy, Of the splendoys
that awaited herself and family. The latter
were mostly little children; jerome, the young
est, an infant in her arms She was left with
scanty means for their support and education.
To these she devoted all her energies with
marvellous success. Strength, we have OBJ
served was the prominent feature in her char
acter, and this was displayed In the hour OF
need. Napoleon once said she had the head
of man on the shoulders of a woman. Losses,
privations, fatigue, had no effect upon her
she endured all, braved all" These came at
times thick and fast. Joseph, ever kind and
good, helped his mother with all his might as
he grew toward manhood while Napoleon, a
rather dull student in outward expression, was
preparing In the military school at Paris for
that wonderful career which enabled him, by
imperial decree, to make Sovereigns of his
brothers and sisters, and to confer upon his
mother, at the age of fifty years, the lofty title
of Madame Mere, equivalent to that of En-
press Mother with en- income of two hundred
thousand dollars year.
The woman in black "-Dinah.