Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-04-01
The te-Patterson Mar
riage.

i Bishop Carroll read the marriage ser
Y vice and pronouced Jerome Bonapart
and Elizabeth Patters or husband ant
wife AS all the world knows, the til
which on that December moring wa
declared by ecclesiastical authorit,
{ to be indissoluble was a year late
violently sundered. The foolish youn!
man who had taken to himself wife
without the consent of his powerful
brother, was held to be Incompetent
to enter into such an engagement or
account of his not having arrived al
the age of twenty-five, and the First
Consul affected to regard the whole
affair as little intrigue in which Je,
rome had become involved. The re.
jected wife returned to her father
house, bringing with her an infant
son, who grew to manhood. lived to q
good old age and died but the moth
er still survives to dream over disap-
pointed hopes
| There is a pathos in the story of
this woman's life which will perpet-
uate it for generations TO come, and
centuries must elapse before the Bon
aparte Patterson marriage will cease
to be theme for romautic specuIa-
ton. The latest book laid upon our
table is history of this remarkable
union, and compendium of the Sc
cret correspondence between members
of the Patterson family and their
agents in France in relation thereto.
The author, Mr.. W. T. r. Slfell,
had rich mine of materials from
which to compile his book, and we do
not think that 1t is yet exhausted.
The preservation of these documents
is almost as singular as the affair of
which they treat. MesSrs. Hontine
d Murdoch, dealers in paper-makers'
material, bought a lot of Old rubbish
which had lain neglected for half a
century in warehouse once occupied
by Mr.. Patterson (Madame Bon
aparte's father.) Ia looking over the
mutsy papers package Of letters was
found which proved to be the long
missing correspondence. These let
terS came into the possession of Mr.
Satfell, and for the first time are made
public i'll the volume now before us.
Madame Bonaparte was consulted as
to the prOpriety of publishing them,
and she expressed herself as being
entirely Indifferent on the subject
Her grandsons, Colonel Jerome n.
BonaParte and Mr. Charles j. Bonn
parte, from considerations of delicacy,
very naturally opposed the publica-
tion, and desired the compiler so to
state in the preface to his work.
There is certainly nothing in these
letters which does not reflect honor
upon the Patterson Gmily. and their
publication will correct many wrong
impressions concerning this unhappy
marriage, Mr.. William Patterson
had no ambition to marry his daught>
er to French naval officer, ever
though his brother was a respective
Emperor. He opposed the match un
til he found that nothing but force
and violence could prevent it. After
it was consummated, the whole fami
ly were anxious that Jerome should
give up all his hopes of pre(erment in
France and become citizen of the
United States. They preferred the
young people should live happily in
this country, rather than encounter
the storms of revolution, with the re-
mote hope of attaining to royal rank
In fact this possibility was regarded
by them with dread.
Mr.. Robert Patterson (brother to
Madame Bunapartc) went to Europe
three months after his sisters mar
riage for the purpose of procuring for
her honorable recognition, and much
Of this correspondence relates to this
unsuccessful mission. He writes
hopefully at first, for all the members
of the Bonapaste family, Napoleon
excepted, expressed themselves as
we'll pleased with Jerome's marriage.
He had friend with him, Captain
Paul Bentalon who seems to have
been a man of great address, who
interviewed Lacieu Bonaparte and
brought back a most fiattering report
"Tell Mr. Patterson" said Lucien,
''that our mother, myself and the
whole family, with one voice and as
heartily as l do, highly approve o
the match. The Consul, it is true,
does not for the present concur with
us, but he is to be considered as is
olated from his family. Placed on
:he lofty ground on which be stands
as the first magistrate of great ma
ton, all his actions and ideas are
directed by policy with which we
have nothing to do. We still remain
plain citizens: and. as such. from all
we have learned of the young ladys
character and the reSpectability OF
her friends, we are. and feel highly
gratified with the connection that |
they need not in the least be hurt by
the displeasure of the Consul; that
myself, although Of an age to be my
own master, and occupying distin-
guished places under the Government,
| have also. my late marriage,
incurred his displeasure. so that Je-
rome is not alone. But, as when we
do marry. Se are to consult our own
happiness, and not that Of another. |
it matters not who else is or is not to |
be displeased."
After reading this correspondence
no one will entertain a sery exalted |
opinion of jerome Bonaparte. More
resentment will be felt at his waEt of
true manhood than at the relentle.
cruelty of his brother. He might |
have taken the advice of his mother. |
accepted handsome annuity, be- |
come citizen Of the United States,