The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-11
The House Of Orleans.

lut hOuSC VI VflCduSs
A DYNASTY THAT is COMING TO THE FRONT
THE ROMANTIC HISTORY OF THE FAM
LY-THE MEN Who PROPOSE TO PROFIT
BY THE NEW COMPROMISE.
People are notoriously given to making ex-
ceptions in favor of themselves, and it is COM
monty said that before going into battle near
ly every man thinks that.he himself will es-
cape. We opine that a similar sentiment in
fuences and fascinates competitors for the
throne of France. Louis XVI. died on the
scaffold.. Egalite Orleans, father of Louis
Philippe, met similar death. Louis XVI.
died in prison, his death, by common report
being accelerated by privation. Napoleon /.
died a prisoner in remote rocky fastness.
His son, the Duke de Rechstadt, King of
Rome, as he had been proudly dubbed by his
Imperial father, died an exile, dependent up
on his mothers family.
Louis XVIII. is the only sovereign of
France who has died in office since the revo-
luton. From the tone of their press on that
occasion, the ignorant might have imagined
the French to be the most devoted of subjects.
elbow glorious, how holy, is the agony of the
most Christian King. Monarchs of the earth
come and learn to die. Sorrow is spreading
among the people; the father of the family is
dying-weep all, weep. A new reign ap-
proaches; the noble son of Francis-the mod
ell of honor and loyalty-is called to the
throne. Frenchmen let us console ourselves"
And even NJ. de Chateaubriand published
some unutterably absurd rubbish in like vein.
Six years later the French had "consoled
themselves" by getting rid of Charles X,
''the model of honor and loyalty" in very
summary manner, and he too died in exile.
Louis Philippe died in exile. Napoleon III.
is an exile at this moment. In less than
eighty years France has seen all these
changes. Indeed, meh have died within the
last decade who heard Malesherbes plead the
cause of Louis XVI.
What a history it has beenl Can that of
any other country present a period of the
same length so replete with public and pri-
vate agony? Yet those who have sat in fair
Frances high places, do not appear disposed
to abandon for moment their struggle to re-
gain them. The Count de Chambord, we are
told, will never abandon his claim. Louis
Napoleon, we may be equally sure, is as de-
termined to pursue his Vaccinations for the
same end, and the members of the House of
Orleans have just been agitating for seats in
the Assembly, and interviewing President
Thers thereanent, which looks as if they,
too, had high hopes.
1t is not little troublesome to keep Gu
courdnt with the family history Of foreign
Princes, and possibly some OF our readers
may not be familiar with that of the Orleans
family. The house is younger branch of
the Bourbons, springing from Louis, Duke Of
Orleans, son of Louis XIII. by Anne of Aus
tria, and only brother of Louis XIV.
The son of the first Duke of Orleans was
the notorious regent of France during the mi
nority of Louis XIV. This regent was great
grandfather of the equally notorious Egalite,
father of King Louis Philippe; and it would
be hard to say which of this precious pair Of
that monarch's ancestors was the most utter
ly despicable. Undoubtedly these two wretch
es did their best to pave the way for the ca
lamities destined to befall their Inflated de-
scendants, and, with the exception perhaps
of the Bonapartes, it would be difficult to find
a family whose career has, since 1898, been
more sadly checkered. While the sovereigns
of the House of Brunswick, on throne only
few hours distant from the French capital,
have succeeded each other in regular rota-
ton, Just as an English squire steps into the
old mansion house at his fathers demise, the
members of the House of Orleans have liter
ally at times not known where to lay their
heads. No romance writer, unless indulging
! in the visionary flights of Dumas, could i'll
| vent a tale in which the hero would expert
ence more extraordinary reverses than the
history of King Louis Philippe presents.
Graded in the lap of the most luxurious
society that modern history has recorded,
then an exile, the son of an executed parent,
who had justly merited his death on the scat
fold; then a wanderer far and wide, seeking
livelihood in our own cities, earning scanty
subsistence in New York and Philadelphia;
one of the herd of needy adventurers who
land daily on these shores; making, so the
story goes, overtures of marriage to an Amer
lean, and being told by her father that in his
then condition he was not good enough
match for his daughter, while if he ever re-
gained his position, she would not be good
enough match for him; and then, few years
later, ,regning in splendor at the Tuileries, and
| enioying the most splendid private income of
any monarch in Europe. Eighteen years af-
terward, the commander of the Express steam
packet, plying between Havre and Southamp-
ton, received application to convey party to
England. He consented. The party to be
conveyed arrived at Havre in an open boat
from HonferT. The Express at once put to
ea,and on chill morning in February, 1S4S,
there stepped once more ON the shores of
Sussex an elderly gentleman, with curious
pear-shaped head, dressed in rough pea
jacket borrowed Of the captain OF the Ex-
press, wearing close blue cloth cap, and
having round,his head common red and
white comforter. His appearance was not rem
dered more prepossessing by beard of appar-
entity a weeks growth. He was accompanied
by lady of distinguished mien, whose fea-
lures were carefully concealed by a thick vail.
The passports they bore gave their names as
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith. They We're, in truth,
Ex.King Louis Philippe and his Queen Ma
rie Amelie.
Their son-in law, the late King of the Bel
gians, presently placed at their disposal that
charming retreat which has been the scene Of
so much royal joy and sorrow-Claremont, in
Surrey-where the Princess Chalotte oi
Wales, the nations fondest hope, had breath
ed her last, after passing few months of un-
alloyed happiness, and where Lord and Lady
Lorne lately spent the first blissful days Of
their honeymoon. This haven the old King
never abandoned, and here he passed peace.
fully away Since their exile his sons have
been scattered. The Duke of Montpensier
who married the sister Of the hapless Isabella
of Spain, has resided almost entirely in that
county, while the Duke d 'Aumale has made
himself quite an Engiishman. Some time ago
he acquired large property in Worcestershire,
and, being greatly given to hunting, took his
hounds there, and has been one of the most
popular men in the district.
By the will of the last Conde, the Inflated
father of an Inflated son-the first Napoleon'S
victim, the Duke D'Enghien-the Duke D.
Aumale Inherited Chantilly and other largs
estates, and is extremely wealthy. When,
|
tates were subjected to forced sale, the
Duke, through Messrs. Coutts, the great Lon
don bankers, bought in this estate in theiI
name, and has now re-entered ON its occupa-
ton. He has lately sent for his hounds from
England, and is following with ardor tha
sport for which Chantilly in the days of thu
Condos, was world-famous. He bears the
reputation of being an accomplished, able
man and is a thoroughly good fellow to boot
but unfortunately tor himself, seems to bt
smitten with the ambition which has proved
disastrous TO sc many of his race.
If an Orleans is once more to assume tho
chiefplaee in the government of France, tho
Duke D'Aumale is the best man, but
his doing so would create a fresh Legitimist
Claimant in the person of the nephew o
Count de Paris, unless that Prince SHOULD
choose to withdraw all claim.
That the younger branch of the Bourboni
should any more than the elder, desire to ST
on that Damocletian seat, the French throne
is to use Dundreary's phrase, what no felloN
gifted at least with ordinary sense, can m
derstand.