The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-10

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led to his election as representative
In the National Assembly. and afterwards as
President Of the French Republic Having
reached this hazardous position he sought to
! strengthen bis hold on the Freuoh nation, and
more especially among the soldiery, by reviv.
ing, whenever opportunity offered, the most
agreeable souvenirs of his uncle's rule; at the
same time he persisted In disavowing all am
| bilious views, and protested constantly against
| the Injustice Of such suspicious. He made a
| pilgrimage to Ham, and In the neighborhood
Of his former prison expressed his re-
pentance for his rash attempts at Strasburg
and Boulogne. Having by such measures
counteracted the preparations which few
Constitutlonalists were inclined to make
against a possible coup d6tat, he cajoled the
National Assembly, until stimulated by the
urgent advice and aided by the energetic ac-
tlon of such men as st. Arnaud and Fleury, he
early in the morning of December 2, 1851, i'm
prisoned every statesman In Paris known for
his public spirit and ability, dissolved the AS.
sembly, seized the most distinguished gen.
erals suspected of disafection, and proclaimed
himself dictator. A number OF picked regi.
ments were marched into the streets to pre-
vent opposition, and, having subdued the cap.
ital and possessed himself of every element Of
power, he offered himself to the French pec.
pie for election to the office OF President for
ten years. AS NO other candidate was tole-
rated, he was of course returned, and after
Ipno uyht "a
him absolute power. The ministry was to be
responsible to him only: he was to command
the land and sea forces, and was to declare
war or state of siege on his own authority.
This state of things, which was but prelude
to the full accomplishments of his great aim-
Imperial sway in name as we'll as In fact-lasted
but year. In the autumn of 1852 he made tours
through several departments OF France, and on
his return his most devoted adherents In the
Senate represented that the cries OF "V,ue
rEmpereur !" with which the President had
been greeted during his progress unmistaka-
that the question of restoring the Empire
should be formally submitted to the ma
ton. The proposal was accepted. The
French nation, BY majority Of FIVE
or six millions, voted the restoration of the
Empire, which was accordingly declared De-
cember 2. 1852. The Prince assumed the style
and title of Napoleon Ill, Emperor Of the
French, by the grace Of God and the will of
the people," Immediatei! upon his recogni-
tlon by England and the other great powers of
Europe he began the assertion Of claims
which brought him into conflict with
Russia, and eventually resulted In
In 1854 In the alliance between France and
England against the Czar. The war closed In
1856 soon after the capture of Sebastopol. In
1858 the Emperor had married Eugenie Marie
de Guzman, Countess de Teba, and the only
issue of this marriage was the Prince Impe-
perlal, Napoleon Eugene Louis Jean Joseph,
who was born in March, 1856. In ls5s-6o the
Emperor proceeded to Italy at the
head of his army to aid Victor Eman-
uel against the Austrians, whom he de-
feated at Magenta and Solierino, and |
to whom liz dictated the peace OF Villafranca. |
His Invasion of Mexico, undertaken at first
Jointly with England and Spain, but after
wards prosecuted by France alone, resulted
In the first serious reverse of bis reign, and
the sad death of Maximilian seemed to have
broken the spell of his success. In 1886 he
withdrew the last detachment of French troops
from the City of Rome. Meanwhile, France un-
der his sway had enjoyed an era of unexampled
prosperity, and Paris assumed grandeur and
magnifcence which 1t had never before
known. With the later events Of the career
of this remarkable man every reader Is ia
millar. His ambitious plans and arrogant at
tltude towards Germany, eliminating In the
rash declaration of war, the wonderful up.
rising of the German people. the marvelously
rapid and overwhelming campaign of Won
Mollke, resulting Ia the capture of the En-
peror and his armies, the fall OF
Paris and the conquest and humiliation
OF all France-these are events 30 recent that
we need not dwell upon them In detail. With
his stupendous military failure, the hold OF
Napoleon upon the regard of the French peo-
pie was gone forever. Released by his Ger
man captors, he dared not trust himself upon
French soil, but again betook himself to
that England which had go often before
been his refuge, and which was even then
shetering his exiled Empress and their son.
There, In the hospitable though retired pre-.
cincts Of Chiselhurst, he has since led quiet
and blameless life, with his longing gaze,
however, riveted upon that lair France whose
throne 1t was to the last the theory Of his life |
to regard as the rlghttul heritage of himself
and his offspring.
CONGRESS IN BRIEF.