The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-07
YuE E4LLRN EMPEROR


PIE FILLEN EMPEROR
Interesting "Reminiscences of MS Ear
lter Years.
The Paris Moniteur, Of April q, 1865, con-
tanned the following announcement:
Yesterday at ! o'clock. her Majesty the
Queen oF Holland was safely delivered OF q
prince. In conformity with article ~ OF tne
act of the constitution of % .Floreal, year -,
tie Chancellor of the Empire attested the birth,
and wrote Immediately to the Emperor, Tue
Empress and the King Of Holland, 10 commu-
nicate the intelligence. At5o'clock IN the eve
ming the act OF birth was received by the Arcn.
Chancellor. assisted by his eminence Reynault
de. ST. Jean d'Angeiy, Minister OF State and
State Secretary to the Imperial family. In the
absence of the Emperor, the prince has not YET
received his name. This will be provided for
BY an Interior act, according to the orders OF
his Majesty.
"a day or two afterward the young mother
received the following letter:
BORDEAUX, April %. 1903.
am, my dear Hortense, In an excess OF JOY.
The tidings Of your happy accouchement were
brought to me yesterday by II. de Villeaeuve.
telt my heart beat the moment saw hlm en-
ter. But cherished the hope that he had
only good tidings to bring me, and my pre-.
sentiment did not deceive me. have received
second letter, which assures me that you
are very well, and also your son. know that
Napoleon will console himself In not having q
sister, and that he already loves very much
his brother. Embrace them both for me- But
must not write you too long letter for fear
of fatiguing you. Take care of yourself with
the utmost caution. Do not receive too much
company at present. Let me hear from you
every day. I await tidings from you with as
much impatience as love you with tender
ness. JOSEPHINE.
This child, born under such fattering aus
pices, and destined to undergo the strangest
mutations Of fortune that Imagination can con-
ceiye, was the third son oil Louis Bonaparte
and Hortense Beauharnals. The first had died
in infancy, and the second was the Napoleon
alluded to In the note We have copied. Louis
and Hortense we're an ill-assorted couple,
brought together by the ambition Of Josephine
and The exigencies of State. The Empress,
with no hope OF an heir herself, and knowing
the intense desire Of her husband for success
sor 10 the imperial crown, arranged this unfor-
tunate marriage between his favorite brother
and her only daughter-feelng perhaps 8 dim
foreshadowing, that at some distant day her
grandchild might sit upon the throne of
France, and find more happiness there than
ever she had tasted. By a decree of the Seu-
ate these two children were declared heirs
70 tSe Empire should Napoleon and his elder
brother Jcseph die without issue, and
this, decree vas submitted to the peo-
pie and ratified bS vote Of 3,52l,673 to ?5sS.
But the schemes Of Josephine seemed 10 fail al
most at the very moment Of consummation.
She was not permitted even to participate in
the christening of the boy whose birth she had
hailed with so much joy; for In less than two
wears divorce had driven her from the Tulle-
ries, and she was living in retirement at NAL
maison when Charles Louis Napoleon Bona
parte was baptized BY Cardinal Fesch, Novem-
Der 4, 1910; Napoleon and bis Austrian bride,
Marie Louise, acting as sponsors. On the
10th. March, 1911, the King OF Rome was born.
and thus, TO all human appearances. vanished
the last chance that the offspring OF Hortense
would ever wear the golden ring OF soVer-
eighty.
we have said that no love existed between
Hortense anu Louis, and to do them justice
they never pretended to any; but the unhappy
wife manifested no Indifference to ner chill
dren, and lavished upon them all the affection
of warm and enthusiastic nature. She cared
little or nothing for the pomp and circumstan-
ces with which she was surrounded IN the
DAYS OF her glory. and often fled from the
royal saloons OF Brussels to seek refuge ip the
nursery, and play with the young princes
whose existence alone made life tolerable to
her Madame Cochelet, in her interesting
memoirs, says: ~ have frequently seen Queen
Hortense take her two boys on her knees and
talk with them In order to form their ideas. 1t
was a curious conversation 10 listen to, in
those days of the splendors Of the empire, when
those children were the heirs OF so many crowns
which the Emperor was distributing to his
brothers, his officers and his allies. Having
questioned them on everything they knew al
ready, she passed in review whatever they
Ln-. fh f<, r%rltt rvHNv1
their own resources tor livelihood Suppose
Won had no money said Hortense to the eldest,
'and were alone in the world, what would you
do, Napoleon, to support yourselfT i would
become soldier was the reply, and would
fight 80 well that should soon be made an
ofacer.' And Louis said the mother, how
would you provide for yourselfT The little
very thoughtfully to al that was said, and
knowing that the knapsack and gun were al
together beyond his strength, he replied: i
would sell violet bouquets, like the little boy
at the gates Of the Tuileries, from whom we
used to purchase them every day.'a In this
case the child can hardly be said TO be father
to the man, for the Would-be wholesaler
has Just inaugurated a war which prom
ises to desolate half OF Europe and stain
the flowers Of France and Germany with
showers Of human blood. When Napo-
leon was reinaugurated Emperor on the
Champ de Mars, June, 1915, the two boys
sat beside him on the platform, and amid the
roar of artillery and strains of music from an
hundred bands, he. presented them 10 tne
deputies OF the people and to the army, as IN
the direct line Of inheritance to the throne.
The impression then made upon the susceptl-
BILE mind OF young Lonis was never afterWard
effaced. Through all the bitter trials and dis
appointments Of his earlier life, he has never
forgotten the name he bears. and in going
forth to meet what must be the crisis Of his
fate, he confides that name TO his son, and
bids him remember 1t and be worthy of it.
The evening before Napoleon lett Paris for
the campaign of Waterloo he was sitting in
his cabinet conversing with Marshal Soult. The
6aor of the apartment was softly pushed open
and the little Prince Louis rushed In, and
throwing himself on his knees before the Empe-
ror hurst into tears. 'What is the matter,
Lonis,' said Napoleon, why do you weep
80 ?" "Sire," was the sobbing reply, my gov
erness has told me that you are going away to
the IT. Oh do not go do not go" lhe
Emperor was much affected, and carrSsing the
child tendery, said "rhis Is not the first
time, my boy, that l have been 10 the war,
why are you so afflicted? Do not fear tor me,
I shall soon come back again. "Oh my dear
nncle, responded Louis, "lhose wicked allies
wish to kilt you Let me go with you, dear
uncle. let me 60 with your Napoleon COM
fnrted him as best he could, and before send
inar him away. turned to Soult and said EN-
hrsne the child, marshal; he has warm heart
and noble soul. Perhaps he Is to be the hope