The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-24
Hon. John Y. MasOn's secretary Tells
What He RecolIects Concerning The

Ronapartes.
TO the February GALAXY Dom Piatt COLI
tributes an article, from which we extract
the following:
You are curious to know, of course, the
sort Of people have seen SO nearly, and OF
whom the world has heard so much. This
Louis Bonaparte, who calls himself Ma
poleon, and, boldly stepping out, proposes
to make real the immortal memories of the
past, is, to begin with, no Bonapartc at all.
We have pretty well fixed in bronze, mar
bic. and prints the physical characteristics
of this celebrated family. We are all famil-
lar with the high, thick shoulders. The
short, tull neck, and the Cesarean head
that mark the famous Corsicans.
Judge of my astonishment, then, when
a little fellow in gaudy court dress
canked into the room, with perceptibe
limp in his walk. accompanied by the Off
GERS of the Imperial household, and paused
before us, rs widely different from the
BorfApartes as 1t was possible for man to
be. Rather under the medium height, he
has narrow, dropping shoulders and broad
portion to his long body. [ saw face with
dull, puttyish complexion, a bottle nose,
and narrow, retreating forehead. His mouth
is covered with a coarse, thick moustache,
while q goatee Of like material seems to
hide the weakness that is apparent in a re-
treating chin. His eyes have all the in
tensity of expression to be found in q de-
ceased mackcrel, and one looks in vain for
force of character or intellect.
If had disgust that amounted to
loathing for the Emperor, it was more than
counter-balanced by my admiration for the
Empress Eugene. She was then to me the
hoo ii hoI M
artist, however gifted, could add one
charm to that. sweet head and graceful
figure. Her face was faultless, and her
form 50 outlined and endowed by loving
nature that no one could hesitate to render
her the homage due a queen. But when
one came to know her well, one realized
the old fable of the peacock petitioning for
the voice of the nightingale. Our beauti-
full queen, our graceful Empress, is not the
WiSest of women, and her temper is-well,
to say the least, somewhat unreliable and
quick, not to say at times violent.
met the late Stephen A. Douglas about
the time to which I refer, and found that
he, too, was struck with her great beauty,
but not impressed with either her tact or
temper.
"She came at me somewhat rudely," said
the Senator, "by remarking, when | was
presented, that she understood was at the
head Of political organization in the
United States called Young America, that
had for an object the conquest Of Cuba"
II believe l have the honor" responded
the Senator, "of representing such party,
but never knew before that it was organ
lied for 80 small an object as the mere ac-
QUESTION of Cuba"
You do confess, then," she continued,
colorin,g up, "that such is one Of Its OBJ
"Not at all, your Majesty. The party to
which ! have the honor to belong only
seeks to prevent some other and stronger
European power from possessing that
island. to our great injury"
"Then why do you not join with Eng
land and France In a. treaty guaranteeing
this island to Spain /"
"We have had prejudice towards such
European complications since the time the
of the United States was in
vlted to join In a treaty intending to destroy
your great uncle, the First Napoleon"
Well" she continued, warmly, "were
/ Queen of Spain. I'd devote my last soldier
and my last coin to the preservation OF that
remaining jewel In my crown"
"Were your Majesty Queen Of spain,"
said Douglas, bowing, cit would not re. |