The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-11-13

We are glad to see some American jonr.
malls evidencing their manhood by defend
ing the unfortunate ex-Empress of France
from vulgar and mendacions assaults o.
the vultures of the press. Among those
which Joined in giving currency to the most
shameful charges against this lady was
Greeley's paper. In pleasant contrast il
the following, taken from the New York
Standard:
Respect and courtesy to women have
! ever been mems prOudest boast, especially
| to women whose life has been suddenly
| chilled by the cold cloud of misfortune.
How is it, then, that the Empress Eugene
| not only receives no world of manly sym
pathy, but is invariably spoken of in the
most disrespectful terms Z There are few
Sins of which women can be guilty that
have not been charged against her since
| the fall of the Empire-and all, as far as
we can judge, falsely. In what then, CON-
sists her crimef Solely in the fact that she
consented to ally herself with the ruler of
France. Would not thousands of others
among the high-bOrn wOme.. of the world
have jumped at the greatness whichswas
thrust upon herf The history of the Sec
Ond Empire does not show that she sought
the imperial station. On the contrary, it
shows that Napoleon sought her, and did
not scruple to offend France in doing so,
and as the sharer of an imperial throne but
newly erected she certainly accepted pc.
| sltlOn which was not without it's draw backs
and dangers. AS the head Of great court,
the Empress can compare favOrably with
Victoria, the model Queen of Great Britain
Whatever the follies of her husband, the
vices and regulations of the parasites who
fawned upon him and basked in the Napo-
leonic sunshine, no whisper of scandal had
ever been breathed against her. The ques-
ton of the legitimacy of the Prince I'm
perial was too mOnstrous to gain credence
even among the most advanced scandal
mongers. That cowardly attack, incapable
OF proof or disproof, was prin,a tacie evil
dence that there was no really vulnerable
point in her character. The slow was
aimed too high, and failed to hit its mark
From the moment that she was raised to
her lofty position the Empress was the
Leading patron of every charitable under
taking When hundreds were dying daily
of the cholera in the hospitals of Paris, She
spent whole daysein ministering to their
comfort and cheering their last moments
and If report speaks truly, she spent many
an hour in silent prayer, in the chapel of
the Tuileries, on their behalf. During the
war OF 1859, the wounded soldiers from the
battle fields of Magenta AID Solferino gave
her their daily blessings as she passed
through the long rows of beds on which
they lay each one received some little
luxury-a newspaper, some tobacco, and a
few kindly words, which, in themselves,
acted as salve to their wounds. Though
regent of the empire, she conld find time
for works of charity. The same course
was adopted by her in the present war.
None were more devoten to France than
she; no more devout prayers for the sue
cess of the French arms were offered in the |
Church of Notre Dame des Victories than |
AM Cafa HOY liz NSnfxy
is now cast In her teeth. She is charged
with being bigoted Ultramontanist and al
staunch adherent of the Pope. Is that AMI
offence in the eyes of the world If SO, "a
large proportion of American citizens share |
her sin. Is her womanly devotion to her
dethroned husband wrong7 Before the |
altar she vowed to love and cherish him,
come veal, come woe!
Why, then, should the Empress Eugene,
whose personal character is without a stain,
who is wanderer and an exile in foreign
and, separated from her husband and
riends, be q target for so many disreputa-
Die newspaper paragraphs These attacks
IN her are disgrace to journalism. They
ire q scandal on humanity, and common
charity cries out that they should cease.
She is no longer Empress; that fact should
'atisfy republican sentiment. She courts
obscurity mercy demands
hat it should be accorded to her. She is
lethroned, fallen from the highest estate,
md an outcast common decency demands
hat she be treated with the respect which
very woman has q right to look for.