The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-01-23

lnEa |Oth " - -
married and had but one child and
December that the First Napoleon
was declared Emperor. and that same
day of the month the Third Napoleon
struck The blow that eventually gave
him the Crown. The First Napoleou
bad an exile of one Year and an i'm
prisonment of six years after he lost
the throne. The Third Napoleon was
also exiled for year and imprisoned
for six years before he entered upon
his Imperial destiny. Count Mont-
holon. who shared the imprisonment
of the uncle at 81. Helena, was also a
companion of the nephew at Ham a
quarter of century after Both died
upon soil under English jurisdiction
in exile from their native land. There
was hardly any phase in human af-
fairs that Louis Napoleon did not see.
He had tasted the sweets and bitter of
fortune. He had seen both poverty
and wealth. He had been an exile, a
prisoner, a President and an Emperor.
He had been an author and a soldier,
a statesman and legislator. He had
been in youth a democratic cOnspira-
tor in the interests of the Carbonari
in Italy, where his brother lost his life.
In his mature age they conspired
against him when he was the Emper-
or OF France. In 1913 he was one of
the Queen of Great Britain's special
Constables, voluntarily swearing him
seIf to put down the Chartists in LoE-
don. In 1885 he became the Queens
guest at Windsor Castle, as her I'm
perial ally of France i'll the war against
Russia. Seven years had converted
him from the unknown refugee TO the
equal of the Gueiphs and the Haps-
burge, who, in return for the banquet
ings of London, could give the mag
nificent fetes of Paris, and without
presumption, could kiss her Royal
Majesty ON the cheek. He united
three extraordinary characteristics.-
He was a man OF pleasure, man OF
study and man of action. In his
early life he WIS addicted to women
and TO kindred forms of dissipation.
Afterward he was an author of celeb
rity, writing many books, and thfn
for twenty years his word was law to
millions of people. His worship al
the shrine of Venus did not unfit him
for WELDING the thunderbolts of Ju-
piter. He bore the same relation, both
politically and by blood, that Angus
tus did to Julius Cesar. AS a warrior
he could not be compared to the head
of his house, but as statesman he
was the equal. if not the superior.
To have re-established the fallen for
tunes of the Bonapartes in 1850, after
thirty y-five years elapse, was an
achievement almost equal to the tai
= fe..4 ftNeas
j France is divided into many and
bitter parties, which number bet ween
them men of eminent ability. To
have seIzed in their despite, and to
have ruled from 1913 to1Sl0 without
any serious outbreak, certainly iAdi-
cafes, if it is good luck, something
more marvellous than extraordinary
ability. We do not see how the world
can arrive at two conclusions. and we
do not believe it will, in regard to the
superior talents of Napolean LII. He
has marked itupon records that will
be enduring as time. That he made
mistakes, and that he lost his crown
at last by one, only shows that he was
human. Where is the statesman OF
Europe now who will not likely make
as great one if he is in power for
the next twenty years to conner Of
course, we cannot but execrate the
manner in which he obtained power
in France, but he exercised it more
for the advantage of the people than
any dynasty which preceded him for
a century. Like his uncle's, his reign
which commenced brilliantly, closed
amid the deepest clouds and disaster.
Sedan was worse than Waterloo. The
Prussian occupation of Paris in 1871,
was followed by greater sacrifices than
the European occupation of 1914 and
1915. How much he was responsible
for these disasters is not kno wn, but
we imagine that it was but little, aud
that France was overthrown by the
violence of the parties which he could
not control. To the Prince Imperial
who was born in 1855, and is now in
his eighteenth year, will be bequeath.
co whatever heritage it was in the
power of his father to bestow. He
will be more formidable rival to
the throne of France than his father
for he has no antecedents and no. rec
objections to weaken or impair his
strength with the people.