Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-08
NAPOLEON III.
From the St. Louis RepubIican.l

4 uVOtt tuciC Wdo tuSi lUilONiuB lHoCIip
ton: To the memory of Joseph Fran
els Charles, Duke of Reichstadt, son Of
Napoleon, Emperor of the French, and
of the Archduchess Maria Louisa, o.
Austria; born at Paris, March 20, 1871
saluted in his cradle by the title of King
of Rome. In the flower of his youth
and endowed with every fine quality o
mind and body, of an imposing stature
noble and agreeable features, elegant in
his language, remarkable for his military
information and aptitude, he was at.
tackled with phthisis and died in the
Emperors castle at Schoenbrunn, near
Vienna, the 22d of July, 1882. F"
When the end was near at hand and
he was slowly approaching the tomb,
this unfortunate prince exclaimed: Sc
young, alasl must end useless and
obscure lifel My birth and my death
they are my historyP So il was de-
creed, and his young life terminated.
For him there had been none of the per-
ilous power of empire or the awful glory
Of battle, but the student of history can
find no more pathetic or more eloquent
chapter than the few pages recording his
career. = A44aAGiH NHI4 WAS
Napoleon, having united the imperial
diadem of France to the iron crown of
Italy, marched on to further and more
glorious victories; three memorable cam
paigns saw him lay PROSTATE at his feet
all Germany, and the capitals of both
Prussia and Austria witnessed his tri-
umphs and acknowledged their master.
Conqueror at Ulm and Austerlitz, at
Jena and Friedland, at Eckmuhl and
Wagram, he dictated the treaties Of
Tilsit, Presburg and Vienna Crushed
and humiliated, Austria and Prussia, the
two leading nations of the Germanic
Confederation, tremblingly saw their
territories mutilated. and themselves
forced into degrading and terrible alli-
ance with the all-conquering warrior.
He created aud made himself protector
of the confederation of the Rhine; he
stripped Switzerland of her soldiers and
her resources; calling his brothers kings,
he sent them as his sub-consuls to govern
Spain, Westphalia, Naples and Holland;
imperial fefs were established ON all
sides; private soldiers were made dukes,
and hereditary sovereign dukes assumed
kingly titles at the mere nod Of the victori-
Gus Frenchman. All that the great Empe-
ror could desire of power was granted to
him, and Europe, conquered at last, lay
supine under his iron rule But we must
all die, and an heir was wanted to this
mighty inheritance For his wife the
conqueror demanded scion of the
haughtiest house the world has ever seen;
hr nd oh - Al
kaisers, daughter of Maria Theresa, of
Charles the w., of Ferdinand and Isabel
la, On the lst of April, 1910, he cele-
brated with unrivaled pomp and mag
nificence his nuptials with Maria Louisa,
the daughter of the Emperor of Austria,
and upon the occasion he oldained that
the train of his imperial bri ia SHOULD be
supported by no less than,s ne reigning
queens.
One year after at o'clock on the
morning Of March 20, 1911, hundred
and one guns tumultuously proclaimed
to the capital that son and heir was
born to the ruler of Europe. The Joy
of the Emperor was unbounded, and the
great soldier, who amid the wild tumult
of a hundred victories ever remained
calm and imperturbed, now loudly and
publicly exulted. Couriers were instant
ly dispatched in all directions to pro-
claim the joyful event to the cities of
the Empire and the courts of Europe,
while Napoleon himself hastened to ex-
hibit his son to the princes of his family,
to the foreign ambassadors, to the mar
shals, generals and all civil and military
Such was the birth of the king of Rome.
Four years later, in the year 1915, all was
changed; Napoleon, the peer of Alexan-
der and of Hannibal, of Caesar and of
was pining out his life, a
prisoner on lone island in mid-ocean;
his son was Duke de Reiohstadt, and,
in the family of his grand
father, the Emperor of Austria. Alas
for the vanity of earthly expectations.
Between the Emperor aud his little
grandson touching intimacy was soon
formed they were inseparable, and a
suitable TO a child, was
erected in the private apartments of the
Emperor The child found his way, and
was made welcome even in the cabinet,
where the monarch held audience for
the bpmblest of his subjects, carefully
or listening to their petitions
Here the young Duke would sit for long
hours at the feet of the sovereign, who
found relief amid his labors in the
cheerful talk of the bright and patient
BOY.
He wss not on extraordinary child,
Dut, living as he did. SO constantly
among persons older than himself, he
,an be said to have had no childhood.
Wien he grew older he exhibited great
nquisitiVeness regarding his past life,
md his fathers wonderful history. His
questions often embarrassed bis gov
,rnor and teacher, but on an appeal 10
he Emperor, be commanded; = Truth is
o be the basis Of the princes education,
md you are to ans~er freely all his
questions" II
When be attained q proper age the
,KinGs de Metternich was charged by
he Emperor 10 give him an exact and J
complete narrative of his fathers his-
ory; after which he became very re.
erved upon the subject, and never ex- !
,ressed any regret as to his former stu
ton. He was ten years of age when '
be death of his father was eommuni-
ated 10 him; he wept bitterly, and his {
rief lasted several days
He early in life comprehenaed biz
eculiar position, and fiilly appreciated |
is high rank and dignity. On one
ccasi9a the Persian monarch sent '
pecial envoy 70 Vicpna; it was the $
Abul Hassan, man " cseet $
iyacity and unbounded assurance. lie
ne da, met tbe Duke de Reichstadt at t
le studio Of the painter Lawrence, and, !
aving been presented 10 hiE, began at {
nee a conversation in English With y
cunt Dietrichstein, the Princes gov {
-ror. Struck by his strange and noisy !
ehayies, the young Duke, then eight s
ears Of age, grasely said; That is i
vely Persian; my presence does not ?
,em to impose the least restraint on c
i'm" P
he gey up to be very handsome in "
ersol aud essEisge, and was remarka- 9
le for bis skill in horsemaIship aud the h
Sc Of arms. His education was geHer- J
|, but bis whole soul was epgrossed in '
sep, uhEseried study Of military tao 4
cs. In 1885 Nsrgbal Marmont visited p
Jenna; the Prince desired 10 see him, "