The New York herald., 1870-11-25

LOUIS NAPOLEON IN AMERICA.
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"Reminiscences Of His Visit 10 New York-How
He and His Cousin, Prince Pierre, Passed
Their Time Herc-Contrast Between the Two
Cousins-Au Interesting Relic OF tho Great
NnpoeOn.
WOLFE ISLAND, Oct. 8, 1870.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Having had personal acquaintance with the now
ex-Emperor OF the French while he sojourned In
New York, may mention some interesting incidents
that occur to me- Napoleon Louis Bonaparte ar
rived there early IN the year 1887 from south
America He was accompanied by his cousin, Pierre
Napoleon, son or the first Napoleon's brother
Lucien. This Pierre is the same person who about
year since was tried for killing In an afrray
friend OF Henri Rochefort
My late and senior first cousin, Edmond Baron
Hackett, who had then recently come from Europe,
and had brought letters to some foreign diplomats
and passed much time at Washington, was, when
these two Bonapartes arrived my guest In New
York. and having been cavalry ofcer OF rank In
Napoleon's army and severely wounded at Waterloo,
soon became very intimate with the Bonapartes,
and they were seemingly very much attached to the
Baron, who persuaded me to cali upon them ana
cultivate their acquaintance.
Their hotel then was the Washington Hail. which
covered a part OF the ground whereupon now
stands the wholesale dry goods storeh0use OF A. r.
Stewart Co., In Broadway, between Readc and
Chambers street, ana where they continued to have
apartments all the while they soourned In New
York
was then joint owner with the late Oroondates
Mauran Of the National theatre, corner OF Church
and Leonard streets, which had been built expressly
for an Italian opera house in 1884. 1t proved un-
successful as such, and was sold In November 1885,
by auction, and purchased by Mr.. Mauran, mer-
chant OF New York, and myself ana wchad leased it
to the late James W. Walack father OF Lester wal
lack. Ihad private box therein to which gave the
Bonapartes standing invitation, OF which privilege
they almost nightly availed themselves, and where
besides at their hotel, they afforded me frequent
opportunities OF meeting them socially.
soon after my personal acquaintance with these
Bonapartes had begun Baron Hackett intimated to
me privately his surprise and disappointment, be-
cause said he "Yoa do not seem to appreciate Louis
as expected you would.n l remarked sLouis is
not TO me prepossessing person. he is very taci-
turn and reserved In his manner and conversation,
perhaps from hauteur or possibly because of an ex-
aed sense ne entertalns OF his own Importance from
having been born u prince and q nephew OF Napo-
Holand.n
ION, mop said the Baron s.Louis is not affected
Ne Is naturally penslve and habltualiy more retlcent
you are present Is that he eseems yeu scholar and
able but not willing TO speak French while he is
able 10 converse III the English language
'Well," said /, 'it may be so but l must tell you
candidy. though am predisposed to pay particu.
lar respect Louis, the reason is more because he
is undoubtedly the grandson OF the ilused ana un-
happy Empress Josephine than as nephew OF Ma
poleon Bonaparte, and for the reason too, that
Louis has small, halicl0sed, lead-colored eve and
neither the contour nor his facial features remind
me Of those which form my ideal Of Napoeons,
while those OF his cousin Pierre do resemble them
generally. The figure, too. OF Louis is scrnbby ana
under sized and his gait awkward and more like a
pestilicns than Of an easy and well bred gentle
portly mien and dlgni1ed address. and his man
nsrs are frank, free and easy, besides which he
ow baron nna
"Oh Pierre is 2 good fellow, but ne is what you
would % can rSwdy b He very bold thougntess
promenadng Broadway and meeting with cypr-
ans on the pave; indeed, SO much so that
the evening, lest he, Louis himself. may become
mixed up IN some street braw which Pierre may
Pierre has been. Stil. though Pierre is auicT-tem
pered he is liberal with his money and generous
hearted, and always 9 pleasant companion But
..Pugh p' said /, "why soP In what respect can
Leuis be called greats Is 1t because he happens to
be the nephew OF Napoleon the Great?n
'Oh, no p' said the Baron with emotion: "I.ouls
is great, because nature mas given him quick far
seeing and powerful intellect, which he has applied
with great industry as student OF mankind gener
ally, and OF the French people particularly and he
has also closely studied and comparaA the various
the arts OF diplomacy: and has become a very pro-
found thinker on those subjects. The world don't
know that man He Is now only about thirty years
OF age, ana II he lives ne will one Of these DAYS
astonish Europe. Oh am sure -
Though events since have proved the clearness Of
Baron hacketts perceptions OF the mind OF Napoleon
Louis Bonaparte, doubtless had he died while i'm
prtsoned In the Castle Of Ham his name and cha |
racter would have descended to p0sterity classified
with Idiots or madmen
After Louis had been some months In New York |
he was suddenly alarmed by hearing that his
mother nee Hortense Bcauharnas, was dying IN |
Belgium or somewhere on Ihe Continent, and he
embarked In packet for Havre at days notice.
HIS cousin, Pierre, went with him. and was invited
with Baron Hackett, and saw them of.
When the steamtug was parting from the then
sailing packet and casting on the Tow lines for our
return to the city Dade the Bonapartes '.Adleu.n
Louis and Baron Hackett embraced aud kissed each
other. ana Louis handed the Baron cameo brooch,
profile bust OF General Bonaparte, Which Louis
told the Baron-as the Baron, showing 1t, repeated
TO me deliruin OF delght"was given by his
uncle, then only general, to his mother, Hortense
Beauharnais while he was paying his court TO her
MOTHER then the widow Josephine Beauharnals
That relic after Baron Hackers death, became and
Is still mine.
The Baron, not long after the Bonapartes had re-
turned TO Europe left New York for Florida to visit
there Pierre Bonaparte's brother, Antoine Lucien,
and their cousin Achille Murat; and. lingering m
prudcnty too late in the summer at New Orleans, he
took and died there OF epidemic yellow fever,
August 1889.
The present ex Emperor. commonly referred to as
Louis Napoleon, In his several and friendly and
familiar notes Baron HackeJt signed his name
Invariably Napoleon Louis Bonaparte, and, III that
which he wrote to me while then IN London and
dated, "Carton Gardens, l4th December, 1885,
expressing much grief to hear OF the unmely death
OF Baron Hackett, he began:-"Le Prince Napoleon
fait ses compliments NJ. Hackett,n &c.
JAMES II. HACKETT.
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