The New York herald., 1873-10-22
PRINCE NAPOLEON.
The Leader of the BOnaparte
Republican Alliance.
Prince Jerome Napoleon, His Character,
Achievements and History.
MEANING OF HIS new DEPARTURE.
Brilliant Pen Portrait of
the Prince.

Brilliant Pen Portrait of
the Prince.
PARIS, Oct. ., 1879.
Prince Napoleon Charles Joseph Paul Bonaparte.
who has recently distinguished himsey by suggest
ing that his party should make an anttroyalist
fusion with the republicans. is one OF those bus
tling princes VINO never seem happy unless the pub
Tic tongue is wagging about them. From the year
1876 up to the present moment the world has been
accustomed to hear OF him in connection with
something startling once or twice every twelve
0nth; and though he has achieved nothing OF
consequence, never set his name to an act which
men would care to remember, yet he has talked SO
often and so loudly that people have come to look
for his utterances as for those Of noisy bell,
which fills the air with sound at regular intervals
His sayings, however, have seldom been insignif-
cant, but often shrewd and occasionally eloquent.
so that were he to die at this juncture the epitaph
written for Charles II. Of England might well be
revived In his favofthus modined:-
His word no man relies ON
He never said foolish thing
And never did wise one.
But Prince Napoleon has no thoughts OF dying just
yet. He is In his fty-frst year, which Is full flood
time In the lives OF ambitious men, and many cir
cumstances tend to show that his active career as
disturber OF the peace is only just beginning. All
those who know him intimately-and the writer Of
these lines, without ever having been one OF his
famliars, has had opportunities Of person
ally judging OF him-are agreed that there is much
had he been q private politician or
Drowned monarch he would have indented
his name on the pages OF history in no
light characters. But hitherto he has been
handicapped by the fact OF his high rank on the
one hand and, on the other, by his absolute de-
pendency on his cousin, the late Emperor. Now
that Napoleon III. Is dead, and that there is but
one delicate exiled boy Of seventeen between the
Prince and the headship Of the Bonaparte family
the promoter of the republico-imperialist alliance
stands In o new position, and may set up as pre-
tender on his own account, without having any
thing to fear from such course He cannot be
deprived OF ofncial dignities, for he holds none;
his wealth cannot be forfeited for that Is securely
Invested in foreign stocks; but ne can become
Conspicuous somebody's brilliant, revolving
planet in the political armament; and, as every
thing is possible TO diligent plotter he may end
BY climbing to the throne over the shoulders Of
nj a ~
OF the little Duke de Bordeaux or he may be gull
lotined by his neo-associates. as was Louis
Phippe's father Philippe Egalit6. Let 1t be noted
that Prince Napoleon Is precisely one Of those
bold OF as their nominal leaders. He bears name
which must always be tower Of strength to
French opposittonists. He Is plausible enough to
make many friends and unscrupulous enough to
sign any programme or pledges which these friends
may suggest but he also possesses the great art Of
shamming stupidity when he pleases and Of COM
mitting, now and then, some apparently egregious
blunder which would lul his adherents into the
belief that he was mere tool in their hands and
might easily be disposed of in the day Of victory.
Such astute fellows are not rare in political rec
ords The Emperor Tiberius, Pope sixtus v. and
Napoleon ILL.,, to mention only the best known,
were all helped to power by their repute as
boobies; and, when the time came for throwing on
the mask, their ex-followers were startled In q
manner they had not anticipated. II Prince Napo-
leon ever leads successful coalition of democrats
It Is already safe to predict that he win not be the
dupe but the duper. That is why 1t is well worth
career, beginning with
HIS CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION.
Prince Napoleon is the second son OF Jerome,
King Of westphalia, and the Princess Frederick OF
wurtemburg, and he was born at Trieste In 1922
II the laws which bind private persons controlled
the acts or consciences OF princes the marriage
with the Princess Frederick would have been
invalid and all the children Of 1t legitmate, for
Jerome had been previously welded to Miss
Elizabeth Paterson, daughter Of o merchant at Bal
timore, and this union was SO regular in every re-
spect that Pope Plus VII. refused to quash 1t when
requested, or rather ordered to do SO by Napoleon
But the Emperor had high-handed way Of sur
mounting obstacles when they interfered with the
greatness OF his house, SO the Council Of State did
for him what the Pope had refused. The marriage
was annulled, and young Jerome, promoted to
'kingship, was solcmnly remarked, whilst the
American lady to whom he had pllghted
his faith was still alive. This righteous union
bore three children, the first Of whom died
carly; but Napoleon, the subject OF our notice
grew up to be . healthy boy, strong and wilful,
though wonderfully cool-headed. He was CAPT.
tally educated-nrst at Rome, under the direction
pfh his grandmother, Mmo. Letltia; then OF Geneva,
and finally at tha unuitarv acboo, NJ rou,ahero