Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-10-20
IMPERIAL SCANDAL.
One OF the Late Emperor NapOleon's
Intrigues.

A letter from Paris to the New York Tribune
says You must not suppose that the stOry-in
many of its phases the very old story-of Mar
gueIlte Bellanger is altogether revelation to
the Parisians. What is new is the questionable
paternity of little boy, and the disgracefuI
part played by the first judge of the empire in
an affair of this kind. But all Paris can attest
the truth Of the reiterated statement of the let
ter to her Imperial lover that he had done a
" very great deal for her." Marguerite Bel
hangers horses, carriages, dogs, jewelry and
de Boulogne, and every cabman knows the snug
and gorgeously furnished mansion on the Rue
de Nerneuil, where, within a stones throw Of
the Avenue des Champs Elysees, in which he
took his official promenade with the Empress
the Emperor was wont to pass hours of Idle
ness.
WITH MARGUERITE BELLANGRR.
Only at the beginning OF this year, and some
time after President Devienne had effected an
arrangement, husband was found for the
lady. On the occasion of her marriage, she
objected that her hotel in the Rue de Verneuil
smelt of the stables, and thereupon the EN-
peror gave her sumptuous palace in the
Avenue de la Refine HOrtense, which, in her
marriage settlement published in the Figaro of
the time, was valued at a million and a halt
Of francs. Her sale in the Rue de Verneuil
produced 100000 francs, and she bought in
some magnificent gobeln tapestry, with the
cypher Of the crown, which the auctioneer put
into the catalogue to excite curiosity. The
husband assigned to her employe in a
linendraPers shop; but as his function was to
hCcP tuc DOOkc, SHE T8tncT WltIlly Sal0 OF him
that he was not q trades0an, but a man OF
letters. Writing this, as 1 am now doing. in the
very house (now hotel) in which Madame de
la VALERIE was born, can only wonder that
such Joyehsetes du Ron, INDUCED in bv the late
successor to the throne of Louis XIV, should
have required such ponderous machinery as
that OF the Intervention of the Chief Justice to
hueh them up.
TdE ANTRCEDKNTs OF LOUIS NApoLRoN BONA
PARTR
are such that no additional instance Of breach
OF the seventh commandment could damage his
reputation. From a variety OF circumstances
believe the explanation Of the extreme anxiety
which made him invoke the assistance of Pres
1dent Devienne to be this:-At time when the
certainly under the impression whether truly
or not) that
HE WAS THE FATHER
of Marguerite Bellanger's boy. Imparting his
grlef TO her AT the prospect of being de prived OF
Posterity, she, in melting moments, got him To
listen 10 her compacently, when she said tia,
her on was bis, and that apart from social con-
ventions which he might overrule the direc,
line of the Napoleons was in any event assured
The Emperor. who had so long been in the habi,
OF treating France a. his ''wssh pot" and whe
had reserved to himself by his constitution an
absolute po ser TO adopt an heir to the exclusion
or Prince Napoleon, might well have caressed
tue idea over cigarette that if he lost his legit
innate son, his Tewer and might would be equal
T. the achievement of a plebiscite cOnferring
his adoption Oh An illegitimate son. Later the
Prince Imperial got better;
THE ENTREES RRBELLED
against the Marguerite Belanger scandal; and
oment came when the Emperor thought il
eXpedient to obtain a disavowal from Miss Mar
Raret of his paternity OF her child az any price
nj. Devienne, at the time when he soiled his er-
mine with t-is dirty business, was first presi-
dent of the Imperial Court, viz: the second
Judge OF the Empire. As a reward for service a
which the lowest pettifogeing attorney would
nave heen ashamed to own, he was promoted to
the Highest judicial office il the gift of the
trown, namely, the presidency of the Court of
Cissation. He is now impeached for disgracing
he berch. His brother judges are subordinates
Ii the Supreme Court must try him according
10 law; and, although they were all Imperialists
three weeks ago, it is not doubted that i'm the
lresent temper Of the times they will find him
guilty and sentence him to dismissal