The New York herald., 1873-10-22


absurd; for the Bonapartes are not towards, and
Prince Napoleon had really conducted himself well
at Alma But the true secret OF the business is
probably this, that like the Dukes OF Orleans
under the old monarchy Prince Napoleon was very
shy OF acquiring . military reputation, which
would have rendered him an object Of suspicion to
his cousin. Emperors have always been very
averse from seeing their cousins too good terms
with the army; and Prince Napoleon. as we have
seen, had every reason for not quarrelling with
his relative. For all that, the latter part Of the
second Empire, dating from the italian war and
the Princes marriage with the Princess Clotilde OF
Savoy, was passed by the "Red Mecenas' in a
ceaseless round OF voyages. People said
he was In disgrace. for he was alb
sent for six or eight months OF every
and when he perchance returned. 1t was, as In
1896. to make some such lamingly democratic
speech as the one at Ajaccio, which drew down on
him sharp public rebuke from the Emperor and
caused him to resign his Vice Presidency OF the
Privy Council. Others alleged that the democrat
ical speeches were always prepared in the Empe-
ror's own study and that they were intended to
give the government pretexs to buIeting the
entire liberal party in the Princes willing person
at times when the said party were growing too
rampageous. The upholders OF this last version
contend that the Prince's voyages were all diplo-
matic missions under cover OF pleasure trips, and
that the Prince virtually steamed about
in search Of alliances. II so never were
excursions more unproductve, for though
the Prince visited America and Egypt, England
and all the States of Germany. he never managed
to secure single ally to serve France in time Of
need. Pafisans, OF course, laughed at the Princes
wanderings, as they do at everything, and as the
grtncs was 80 nl-advised as to decline challenge
from the Duke Of Aumale In 1881. after having
virulently assailed His Royal Highness in print,
songsters and punsters called the Emperor's
cousin "Brain-Plomb" (gear.lead), and BY contrac-
ton ''Plomb-Plomb." Some day or other the mys-
terry Of the Princes attitude under the Empire may
be cleared up definitely, but for the present 1t is
enough to observe that Plomb- Plomb was always
at his cousins beck when required, and that con-
sequently the differences of opinion between the
two can have been neither very deep nor very last
ing. On the other hand it Is q certain fact that
the Emperor never wholly trusted the man
who had sought to crush him in early life and the
EMPRESS rom religious as wen as from personal
motives. held him in peculiar dlstaste. 'The best
part Of Prince Napoleon is his wife, she said one
day to Princess Metternch; and in this she was to
some extent right for gentler, nobler and more
purehearted lady than the Princess Clotilde never
breathed. Unfortunately the Prince had never
been much Influenced by his better hail. and her
gentle, womanly counsels are NOT likely to deter
him from the course on which he now seems to
have embarked. Prince Napoleon Is unquestion-
ably fated to be the frebrand Of France for the
next ten or twenty years. He has unfurled his
nag, and win naunt in the face Of established
order, whatever he may be, until he carries 1t in
triumph to the rebuilt Tuileries get swept along
with 1t into the limbo OF ambitious but unsuccess-
ful adventurers.