The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-21
THE BONAPARTE FAMILY.
HISTORY AND HOPES OF THE AMER.
ICAN BRANCH.

HISTORY AND HOPES OF THE LINER
ICAN BRANCH.
Madame Jerome Napoleon Patterson
Her Indomitable VIZ" Energy and
| UnquenchabIe Am.-..o .Sho Wants
the Throne OF France for her Grand
son-And Threatens to Live Hun.
dred Ycars-Citizen Colonel Jerome
Napoleon Bonaparte Stickler for
Divine Right.
A Baltimore correspondent of the New York
Herald gives an Interesting history of the
American Bonapartes, and especially of Ma,
dame Jerome Bonaparte Patterson, of Balti'
more, who was married to the youngest bro
ther of the great Napoleon. We make some
extracts:
THE AMERICAN FAMILY OF BoNAPARTEs,
who have their residence In this CITY, and
whose connection with iIs social history for
nearly seventy years has formed the theme OF
much 1resde and party gossip. have no mean
pretensons TO the rights that naturally accrue
to the successor Of Napoleon. Colonel Jerome
| Napoleon Bonaparte Is next 10 the Prince I'M
perial, declared to be the legal heir to the
throne OF France. He is the oldest legitimate
grandson of Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, the
| Youngest brother of Napoleon J, and conse-
| quently grand nephew OF the latter. His
grandfather Jerome came to this country In
| 1903 as midsnlpman upon French man-of.
war. The ship 10 which he was attached
visited various points In the United States,
and 1t tarried here for some time. The Of
Hcers were entertained handsomely, both In
private and public receptions, by Lha citizens
| OF Baltimore, which was then one OF the
greatest of American cities. The young Bona
parte was OF course special favoriie. Being
| the brother of the great Napoleon, whose
| fame was then filling the whole world, he was
courted and feted by all the magnates of the
| city.
The belle of fashionable society at that time
was
ELIZABETH PATTERSON,
daughter of Robert Patterson, son OF that
Patterson whom Sir Walter Scott immortal
lied as sold Mortality" Possessed OF brilliant
and fascinating talents, as we'll as great per-
sonal beauty. she held undisputed sway at
that time in the most select circles OF society.
Young Bonaparte met her at ball given In
his honor, and fell In love with her at first
sight. After q short acquaintance they were
married on the 24lh Of December, 1903, with
great pomp and ceremony, by Archbishop
Carroll, In the Cathedral OF Baltimore. Miss
Patterson thus became the sister-tn-aw OF Ma.
poleon I, the Emperor of France. Her fam
ily were among The wealthiest citizens oil the
place. and this fact, united with her distin-
guished connection, brought to the wedding
the first people of the city and State. For
nearly two years
BoNAPARTE AND HIS AMERICAN BRIDE
occupied themselves In travelling throughout
this country. Everywhere the royal couple
were received with distinguished consdere-
tion. In the spring of 1905 young Napoleon
determined to take his wife to Paris and pre-
sent her to his brothers court, then graced oy
some of the handsomest women In Europe,
Nine. Recamier, the Countess Gulccioll and
others. Mr.. Patterson, father of Bonaparte's
wife, fitted out ship OF his own ior the
voyage, and In the fall they sailed. They
first touched at Lisbon, and here the painful
Intelligence awaited them that Napoleon had
discountenanced the marriage and had Issued
a special edict that Nine. Bonaparte, or any
one pretending to be such, should not be al. al.
lowed to enler any of the countries over
" hlch he held sway. Jerome, confident In
Ills ability to appease
THE EMpERoR's WRATH,
seat his wife to Holland, where she could re-
side In safety for the time, and himself hast
ened to the French capital. Upon bis arrival
he found the Emperor IN rage. "Now," said
Talleyrand, the Prime Minister, "you've got
yourself In for It," And, sure enough. he had.
CANT manifestations OF displeasure. Jerome
declared he loved his wife; the Emperor
laughed at his youthful folly. He told his stern
brother that she was young and beautiful, aud
that she was his wife. mo matter" said the
Emperor. Il decree divorce" He begged his
brother that he be allowed to bring her into
his presence, that he might Judge himself OF
Emperor sterny refused, and declared that he
had heard enough of her beauty, and that he
feared that on seeing her he might relent.
AN IMPERIAL EDIcT WAS Issued,
declaring the marriage null and void, and
Jerome was commanded on pain of instant
punishment, to break oil his connectio" with
his lawful vile.
Irresoute and mean-sprited to the last de-
gree, Jerome, urged by lear and tempted by
the offer of O crown, did 30, and the woman
who Lad followed him from her friends and
native land was thus ruthlessly cast aside, a
marriage Immediately contracted with o
princess of Wurtemburg, and The faithless
Jerome rewarded with The crown OF West
phala.
INFORMED OF HER HUSBANDS INFrDELITY
she first fairly refused to believe It, and then
| INDUCED in the widest reproaches at his
utter laithlessness. In order to appease her,
If possible, and thinking that she might be
| 6altered by gliltering oauble, her husband
offered her The principally OF Wallachia. She
| Indignantly scorned The proposition, and
overcome with sorrow and chagrin. retired
10 privacy at Camberwel. near London,
where, on the 7Lh OF July, 1905,
SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A SON,
whom she named Jerome Napoleon Bona
parte, who afterwards became the father OF
the present Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, now
resident in Baltimore. Nine. Bonaparte re-
sided several years in Europe, where she
formed intimate acquainlances with the most
distinguished people of the times, and was
great favorite In the most exclusive and aris-
| tocratic society; and she has often remarked
that the only TWO men OF prominence whom
she did not know personally were Napoleon
and Lord Byron, the former of whom. says
| Madame, 10 her bitterest tones, ~ did not
| care 10 know" While spending this season
| In Europe she met her husband, but once
only. 1t was in Florence, at the Pltti Palace,
and she seemed very much affected. "There,"
said he to the Princess Of Wurtemburg, sor-
rowfully, sis
MY AMERICAN WIFE !"
The next day be left Florence, and she never
saw him again. Soon after this she returned
| 10 America and besah the education OF Je
rome Napoleon Bonaparte. who was the only
Issue OF her unhappy marriage. He grad
uated at Harvard with distinction, IN 1926,
and for time he studied law. At an early
age he abandoned it and married Miss Susan
Williams, of Massachusetts, who was q lady
l of great wealth, which, together with bis OWL