Smyrna times., 1870-09-14
The Empress Eugene.

Had not the original plans of Napoleon in
regard TO his marriage been frustrated by the {
Austrian Court, his lite might have taken
very different course, and there might now be
no necessity Of his disparingly bewalllng the |
fact that he has allowed himself to be ruined. |
lie wished to marry his cousin, the Princess
Waya, granddaughter of the Grand Duchess
Stephanie of Baden, and offered her his hand
on the occasion of visit to Baden Baden. His
suit was accepted, but with the condition that /
Prince Wasa, the father Of the Princess, who
lived in Vienna, apart from his wife, should
give his consent. NapOean thereupOn turned
to the Emperor of Austria with the request
that he should undertake the wooing Of the
bride from Prince WaSa, but he received an
answer to the effect that this was not permit
ted by the laws of etiquette, inasmuch the
Prince was only Colonel in the Austrian
army
This, however, was merely an excuse, since
the Emperor of Austria was determined to pre-
vent the proposed atch at any price. He
therefore cOntrived to influence Prince Wa>a
to positively refuse mis- consent, and, while
! Napoleon still hoped on, match between the
Crown Prince of Saxony and the Princess was
quickly brought about by the intrigues of the
Austrian court Napoleon was deeply moved
and exasperated at this, and his project hav
ing been frustrated, he gave utterance to the
memorable words, " Les SOuTCerGtuS de Europe
Sc S0uUiendrOt denlOi, (rhe princes of Eu
rope shall have cause to think of me)
1t is true that at a later day the Emperor
of Austria had only too much cause for regret
ting the share which he had taken in this at-
! far but for Napoleon, the re ,uIt was much
worse from having perhaps the only real heart
felt desire he ever experienced repreSSed in this
Rrude way. Even though the woman he had
desired to make Empress of the French had by
no means distinguished herself for eminent
qualities, yet her modest, basItul, almost de
pendent nature would have been guarantee
that she would never have endeavored to over
step the limit of her duties, never have labor
ed to make the brightest interest Of France a
plaything for her humOrs and her seh>hneSs.
But this was the result of the second choice
which Napoleon then hit upon. Among the
many adventurer, of rank who happened to be
in Paris at the time of Napoleon ) great politi-
, cal stratagem, there was a certain Countess
, MontjO and her daughter who had created a
, sensation and drawn the attention of Napoleon
toward themselves by their eXtravagant style
of living, as well as by the beauty of the
daughter, who, however, hadquickly given him
to understand that, despite her cOquetry, she
was Just as careful of her honor as he was OF
his, and would yield in no way to his passions
: unless he allowed her the legitimate place al
! his side.
! When now the proposed match with the
0 Princess Wasa turned out failure, Eugene
h cOntrived to procure an invitation to Com
piegne, and there, in the freer intercourse witt
e Napoleon, and with the aid Of briian: tOi
b lette, in which vi0et-wreaths amid her blond,
hair had an especially strong effect, she sue
: ceeded, through the magic OF her personal ap
b pearance and her splendid conversational pow
!, ers, in so alluring him that he, still sensitive
h over the result of his former plans, and will
. the firm determination of mt citing the crowned
4 princes of Europe as a parvenu, suddenly of
!. fcred her his hand. and to the universal aston
h ishment not alone of France, but ofall Europe
) raised to the position of Empress woman o
o doubtful descent and of an equally doubtful
h past.
Since then this woman has shared his thron
4 for eighteen years, and has apparently, it
= true, contributed very much to its splrndOr
: but if Napoleon now looks back over this p,
ri0d, and calls himself to account for the ntU
"a ences which since then have been brought t
! bear upon him from the side of his wife, an
A. by means of her have been made effective, h
II can scarcely do otherwise than curse the hor
of in which he entered into this al.iance.-N
90 World