Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-08-24
NAPOLEON IN HOBOKEN.
"reminiscences Of the Embryo Emperor
In his Days OF ExIle-His Habits and
HaUufg.

MAJ N41WA IN hODOA4ENa
"reminiscences Of the Embryo Emperor
In his Days OF ExIle-His Habits and
HauHts.
A few years ago it was announced
through the newspapers that q present
Of golden chalice had been sent by
Napoleon III,-the Emperor Of the
French, to the Rev. FIR. Cauvin, Of
HObOken- Many, no doubt, care but
little to inquire the motive Of his
freak Of generOsity-expressiOns Of
gratitude it should be called. The
ruler Of France no doubt has many
faults, but a lack OF gratitude, since
he has obtained means Of showing It,
cannot be fairly imputed 70 him.
The good Catholic priest Of HObOk-
en- can even now, in his declining
years, be made to light up and sparkle
into some hing Of the bygOne French
vivacity OF his youth when the name
Of Napoleon III. is mentioned. He
has many anecdotes of the modest
and somewhat tacituIn young man.
even then so fond Of smOking-whOm
he received often at his house, and
who often sat at his board and drank
bottle Of his modest elaret, before
imported wines reached the exOrbi-
tant figure they have reached to-day.
What q contrast the bile-cOlored,
tObaecO-stricken, pallid countenanee
Of the ruler Of 30, with the reins of
an empire in his hands, and that
small, gray, passiOnless eye, that new
er cleaned or frightened, and seemed
capable Of but one expression, and
that as If &c Vsas never looking at any,
IL
at something in the distance-the
heavy-jawed, sensuOus, but clever
mouth-the square, rather low fore
head-the long body-big, labOrer's
hands-the stumpy, bowed legs and
small feet-the square set Of the
shoulders, to which a short, thick
neck attaches a head covered with
auburn hair-What a contrast to the
young man who spent so many years
Of his life a wanderer and an Outcast
in America.
He lived in Roboken at a time
when HObOken had not attained its
present dimensions. His wardrobe
was Of the scantiest material, and
sometimes he presented as sorry
specimen Of seedy gentility as you
need look at, in a worn out and
threadbare coat How he succeeded
in appeasing the wants Of the inner
man was a mystery that soon attained
solution in the neighbOrhOOd when
be was seen, under cover Of night, to
steal out and buy some lOaYes of
bread at the adjoining bakers.
He always managed how, few
could tell-tO have a good bottle Of
wine in his room, and never to be
out of tobacco. Ali this inveterate
smOker-nephew of his uncle-in this
respect, too, how different from the
man who drew the smoke Of the Per
sian Ambassadors ehibOek into his
stomach, and was laid up for a week
in consequence of that solitary at
tempt at smoking. He was then, as
now, fond Of billiards, ana many an
old table in HObOken, renovated and
repainted, can claim the honor Of
having rolled balls impelled by his
cue.
he was then, as he has ever since
continued, a very hard student, never
letting dissipation interfere with his
reading or his writing. OF the latter
he has done a vast deal in his life
time, and has had good deal wit
ness his life OF Cesar done for him,
and 50 skillfully retouehed that it
will pass for his own. And it is no
easy matter to initiate his style, so
tsrse, epigramatic and telling.
On one thing all agree, and that is
his OutspOken belief that he was the
predestined ruler Of France. He has
declared repeatedly in his moments
of confidence, to men here on whose
word most Implicit reliance can be
placed, that he was sure that "at
some time a BOnaparte would be
again ruler Of France, and that he
was that BOnaparte." he set himself
to work laboriOusly to train himself
for his destiny, as If he was already
governing France.
OF Washington he could never be
found to entertain a high opinion,
and this, perhaps, is not singular. To
his subtle and scheming, if not bril-
liant mind, there could be nothing
very great in a man like Washington,
whose greatness was Of character, and
nOtOf intellect. Maj. Gen. Nathaniel
Greene was, he thought, the soldier
Of our revolution; and the statesman
ship of the movement, when fairly
agoing, he credited to Franklin and
Hamilton. At the time, he was, or
pretended to be 3 most thorough
going republican.