Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-02
SCANDAL.
The Father Of the Empress EHgenIs--.Was
He the Earl Of Clarendon
From the NOV orlaans Times1

OF these scandals. The old Emperor
and founder of the family had the
misfortune (which ne bore with
wonderfulstoic;sn) to be subjected, in
the person Of almost every member of
his family, to a constant shower of
these arrows Of scandal-mongers and
gossipers. The present Emperor in
herited his portion of these provoking
and irritating assaults. His paterni-
ty, his claim to NapoleOnic blood and
descent, have been common themes
for the diatribes of political enemies.
The present war against a race with
which he has, according to these scan
dals, as near a blood relation as to
that of which he stands forth as the
champion, will doubtless revive and
give new yigor to these stories.
SO much for the Emperor and his
blood relatives. And now, even the
graceful Empress, whose life and
character since her accession to her
high position have been so free from
scandal and suspicion, comes in for
her share of this sort, or scanCa mon
gering of ones family and origin.
Fancy her Imperial Majesty's feel
ings on the perusal, of the following
extraordinary story, which we find in
one of the letters of the Paris CORES
pondents of the New York Tribune:
the Journal 06iciel, the other day,
contained the announcement that the
Court would go into mourning for
eight days, beginning with Sunday,
July 3, for Jerome BOnaparte-P atter-
son, who died recently at Baltimore.
Meanwhile, no official announcement
has been made as to when, if ever,
the Court will go into mourning for
the ELIpresS's father, who also died a
short time ago. If it is possible to
speak with certainty on such a matter
at any time, it may be permitted US
to believe that, in the death of Lord
Clarendon, the present Empress of the
French has the right to mourn a
father, who, although the fact was q
notorious one both in England and
France, never, so great was his mod
eSty, allowed himself to claim in pub
lie that distinguished honor. From
all that lean learn, this story has the
strongest claims to be believed. 1t is
not of the same category as the tales
that give so many and so noble fathers
Ito say nothing OF the ignOble ones,
like General Fleury, for eXample), to
the poo. little Prince Imperial; it is
said to be believed in high places.
For my part, if il be true, i think the
Empress happy that if she cannot,
and she certainly cannot be congratu-
lated on her mother, she may at least
take some comfort in knowing tat
she had q father she needn't be
ashamed OF. But, what a Court,
where, rake as you may in the annals
of either side OF the house, you.come
upon nothing but such stories as
these"
The writer of the foregoing may not
be far wrong in "the comfort which
the above story may give to the En-
press. But it is not so clear that the
modeSty of the Earl of Clarendon was
SO heavily taxed by the cOnceaIment
of the extraordinary fact referred to.
A grave, sedate and highly moral
English nobleman would not be much
tempted to ayOw the responsibility
imposed upon him by this story. AS
3 man of family, with the English
ideas of the prophecies OF domestic
life and of the Importance of certainty
as to parentage, the Earl would hardly
trouble himself to proclaim to the
world his distinguished agency in Civ
ing to France so lovely an Empress.
This story, which is quite current,
50 the writer says, in Paris, does not
appear to have excited any special
notice nor provoked any manifesto
ton of imperial resentment. But an
other, in which the same English no.
bleman is a prominent figure, which
has been produced in a journal de-
voted to fan making, and 0 Matching
at the expense of the Empe-
enemies, has elected the most
emphatic evidences of the wrath and
vengeance of the Emperor.
This is one of EIqaTo'S Jokes, and
surely from a protested and somewhat
violent champion of the Emperor, it
may be justly styled a pretty rough
Joke, and has been SO treated by the
OF it.
'Apropos of the death of Lord
Clarendon, the Figaro published a
story about him and the Emperor,
is probably true in part, and
certainly did the Emperor no
1iscredit. 1t was to the effect that
Louis Napoleon, while he was Presi- |
lent of the Republic, and just before
he made himself Emperor, went to
Lord Clarendon and asked him to lend
him 100000. Clarendon didn't mind,
and lent him the money. Afterward,
when the villainy was accomplished,
md the President was become Em-
Deror, Napoleon repaid the money,
md asked him if he should pay him
interest. "Oh, never mind the inter-
said Clarendon, 1--WE will see
lbOut that some other time" And
went On to say that the inter-
when it was asked for, proved to
,e the French (Cobden-C hevalier)
reaty-the treaty which Just now,
10Th English. and French seem to be
with each other to decry. Will
'ou believe it? For publishing this
tory the Figaro was cited to appear,
n the person of its editor, M. de Viii
emessant, before the Correctional Po-
to answer to the charge of having
Committed an otfense against the per-
on of the Emperor! When one
kinks of what Villemessant is, and of
What the Figaro is, the Joke seems
90 prodigious to believe. Villemes-
ant, who, though a Legitimist, has of
ate been so slavish an advocate of the
empire that it has been freely said
verywhere he wa pensioned by the
overnmen t--Villemessent who has
idicule1 the Republicans and laughed
nd jeered when they We're fined and
Imprisoned by the infamous laws of
be presS-NiilemesSant has his turn
ow, and much may he enioyit it. He
ries like a whipped school-bOy, in
rint, and, to-revenge himself, pub
shed the other day a stupid number
f his journal containing nothing but
is summon to appear before the po- l
ce, and a long history of the two at .
9mpts made at StrasbOurg and Bou- !.
1gne, by the Emperor, when he was
'rince Louis Napoleon, a twice or
wenty times told tale, that is familiar !
all the details TO every school bow {
4 Paris. Besides this dull recital, in 9
arted merely to spite the Emperor, q
lere was net a word in the paper, q
it must have proved rather a dry
lorsel to the admirers ofthe PiQdro's 4
nutty stories and silly gossip"
Whether this story be true or not,
q cannot bat recognize it as a very :
ign p~recendent for a system which
as prevailed to a large extent in our
legislature, and in certain high gof-
Of oui State. :
College regulations are sometimes
lriously reversed in after life. Some \
ne has collected the statistics from
Fest Point catalogues: Jefferson ,
avis graduated 23d in his class land :
as made q great stir in the world
nee them; General Joseph John /
on, 18th; General o. M. Mitchell, y
|th; General Meade, 10Th; General
!. w. Sherman, 18th; General Penn t
erton, 9th; General 10. Hooker, q
Dth; General Candy, 30th; General
Gorge III. Thomas, 18th; Gen. a