Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-07
> THE EMPRESS EUGENE.

FIRST Asetrothed4The Austrian En-
Refsf's DesignsHrhe SvtIes of a
VIo hseAHsifai Advsntaresso'Fhe Course
Hof a Great Life Changed. ag1ol i
r. Inc New York Starts Zeitand reports
the following romantic episode in the life
| OF Louis Napoleon oai OF ,sao1s q.
Had not the original plans Of NAPOLEON
n regard to his marriage been frustrated
! gPy the Austrian court, his life might
4 nave taken 3 very different course, and
lhere might now be no necessity of his
despairingly bewailing the fact that
Il through foreign counsels he has al
lowed himself to be ruined. "a He wished
r to marry his cousin, the Princess Wasa.
/ granddaughter of the Grand Duchess Ste
phanie of Baden, and had already 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. Napoleon thereupon turned
to the Emperor of Austria with the re-
quest that he should undertake the wooing
OF the bride from Prince Wasa. but he
received an answer to the effect that this
was not permitted by the laws of etiquette,
inasmuch as the prince was only colonel
in the Austrian army
This, however, was merely an excuse,
since Franz Joseph was determined to
prevent the proposed match at any price.
He therefore contrived to influence Prince
Wassa to positively refuse his consent:
and, while Napoleon still hoped on, q
match between the Crown Prince of
Saxony and the princess was quickly
brough ut about by the intrigues of the
Austrian court. Napoleon was deeply
moved and exasperated at this, and upon
1lrst learning that this, his darling project,
had been frustrated, he gave utterance to
the memorable words, 'Les souyerains de
llEurope Sc souviendront de moi" CThe
princess of Europe shah have cause to
think of me-
1t is true that at a later day the Empe-
ror OF Austria had only too much cause
Tor regretting the share which he had TAX
en- In this affair; but for Napoleon, the
result was much worse from having per-
haps the only real heartfelt desire he ever
experienced repressed in this rude way.
Even though the woman whom be had
desired to make Empress of the French
had by no means distinguished herself for
eminent qualities, yet her modest, bash
Iul, almost dependent, nature would have
been guarantee that she would never
have endeavored to overstep the limit of
her duties, never have Iabored to secure a
government which would have made of
the highest interests of France a plaything
Tor her humors and her selfishness.
+ But this was the result of the second
choice which Napoleon then hit upon.
Among the many Adventures of rank |
who happened to be in Paris at the time
OF Napoleon's great political strategem, |
there was certain Countess Montiio and |
her daughter, who had created sensation |
and drawn the attention of Napoleon to-
ward themselves, by their extravagant |
style OF living, as well as by the beauty |
of the daughter. Napoleon had drawn |
these women to his new court, and had |
Indulged in every kind of gallantry to-
ward the daughter, who, however, had |
quickly given him to understand that, de-
spite her coquetry, she was Just as careful
OF her honor as he was of bis, and would
yield in no way to his passions, unless he
allowed her the legitimate place at his
side.
When now the proposed match with
the Princess Wasa turned out failure,
Eugene contrived to procure an invita-
ton to Compiegne, and there IN the freer |
intercourse with Napoleon, and with the
aid OF a brilliant toilet, in which violet
Wreaths amid her blonde hair had an es-
peclallY strong effect, succeeded, through
the magic of her personal appearance and
her splendid conversational powers, in so
alluring him that he, stin sensitive over
the results of his former plans, and with
The hrm determination of meeting the |
crowned princes of Europe as a parvenu,
suddenly offered her his hand, and to the
universal establishment net alone of |
France, but of all Europe, raised to the
position of empress a woman of doubtful
descent and of an equally doubtful past.
EUGENE, EMPRESS AND RRGENT OF FRANCE.
1t is well known that the Empress Eu-
genie has taken a most active part in the
drama which now seems rapidly ap-
preaching its denoument, and that she was
most energetic in advocating the war
against Prussia. Before the Emperor left
for the army, he made her Regent of
France, and she has discharged the duties
of the position with credit to herself. The
delicate position she now occupies, her
husband a prisoner, her son refugee, and |
her capital menaced, sketch of her life
will no doubt be acceptable. This we
slpy from the New York World as fol-
lows:
The Empress Eugene was born
Countess Theba de MoDtijo, and is a di-
rect descendant of an Irishman by name
of Kirkpatrick, a merchant of wines and
fruits at Malaga. Kirkpatrick had four
of whom the youngest was
distinguished already at an early age, not
only by her great beauty, but by her ex-
traOrdinary talents and accomplishments,
Accident made her acquainted with
former Spanish officer of artillery, the |
Count de Montijo. He was poor but be-
longed to the oldest aristocrscy of Spain,
and Miss Kirkpatrick removed to Madrid,
and entered the highest social circles as
Countess de Montijo. Eugene, the pres
ent Empress of the French, is one of her |
daughters. The Countess Theba deMontiio,
Eugenia's mother, by degrees became one
of the leaders of fashion at Madrid, and |
at her entertainments were to be met
the leading men of the times-dplOmat-
lists, authors, artists, politicians, all were
constantly TO be seen at her brilliant soir-
ees, for the Countess was not only a beau
tiful, but also most talented, witty and
accomplished lady. She had great infiu-
ence at court, and her two daughters,
beautiful and accomplished like herself,
were early in life appointed ladies of hon
or to Isabella H., Queen of Spain. The
elder daughter was married to the Duke |
of Alba, nobleman of high degree, and
one of the oldest and proudest names of
the Spanish aristocracy 1t is said that
he hesitated long upon whom he should
confer his lands, titles, and great wealth,
and it seems that while he loved the older
sister best and finally married her, he was
most beloved by the younger, Eugene,
the present Empress. On the evening
on which the hetrothal was made public |
by her mother to brilliant company of