The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-05-04
JEROME BONAPARTES WIDOW.
The Woman Who Welded the Brother
Of the First Napoleon.
Baltimore CDR. Of ae Washington Chronicle

The Woman Who Welded the Brother
Of the First Napoleon.
Baltimore Cor. Of Ee Hdshingion Chronicle
Nine. Bonaparte, the sister-in-law of
the First Napoleon, and widow of Jerome
Bonaparte, is still living in Baltimore at
very advanced age. A little less than
century ago her father, Mr.. Patterson,
was wealthy and distinguished citizen
here, and about seventy-fve years ago
his daughter, the subject Of this sketch,
gay, brilliant, imperious, and o noted
beauty, made ready conquest of the
heart and hand of the French Emperor's
brother, Jerome, who was then sojourn-
ing here. With high hope and the bold
est ambition, the young bride set sail for
France with her royal consort in ship
presented by her father. But the Amer
ican bride was promptly disowned by the
Emperor. On reaching French waters
they were met by ship commanded by
French naval officer, who presented
royal order to Jerome to report at once
to the Emperor, unaccompanied by his
companion, the young American lady,
who was not to be recognized as his wife.
Jerome, fearing to disobey, took leave of
his wife and boarded the French ship
The captain of the American vessel was =,
then commanded to follow. But Nine.
Bonaparte, fearing to place herself within
the power of Napoleon, commanded tie
captain of her vessel to sail for England,
which order was executed by a successful
ruse, and she made good her escape
$50, SIR" said the Emperor coldly on
meeting his brother, "you have presumed
to dishonor your blood by an alliance
with bsckwoods milk-maid. You must
at once consent TO honor my commands
or be forever discwned." The desertion
of his wife by Jerome and his subsequent
royal alliance at his brothers command
are we'll known. Subsequently the En-
peror somewhat relented, and for time
Mime. Bonaparte received an allowance
from him of $4,000 per annum, which
she has by judiciolls investment so multi
piled that she is now worth something
over 81 100000. But the Emperor would
never consent to meet her and she has
never seen him. Notwithstanding his
ungracious treatment, she has ever been
an ardent admirer of his character. She
considers him the greatest man the world
has ever seen and his name the most hon
orable, and for this reason and no other
she has never relinquished it. To-day
she is Mime. Bonaparte and ker marriage
has always been sustained by the Catho-
lie Church. She had one child, a son
now deceased, but she has two grandsons
still living. The elder, who was the
pride of her old age, and on whom she
had set great hopes, was gallant and
spirited young fellow and an officer in
the French army. The madame supplied
him abundantly with money to entertain
as became one of his blood. Although
the French authorities would not permit
him 10 bear his rightful name Of Bona
parte. his patron had set her hopes on
bis forming noble alliance. But when
the young officer married against her
wishes she transferred her favor to his
Younger brother, who is to-day a modest
vet honored member of the Baltimore
legal fraternity.
But to return: I am unable to trace
the course of Mime. Bonaparte chronolog-
ically, though I have heard from her
own lips. She has spent altogether
about twenty years at the various capl-
tails in Europe, though her principal re-
sort has been Geneva, and she has min
gled freely with the best society of the
l0ld World. She is something more than
the result of rare opportunities for cul-
ture and social intercourse. On meeting
her one becomes instantly conscious that
| he is in the presence of a superior intel
lligence and royal soul. But she is
very old-more than ninety. She seems
like the spirit of a past age risen from
the graves of the Napoleons and Yelling
tons and Bryons to utter over again the
savings of the wits and stars of that early
period. She is still witty, epigrammatic,
| full of incidents and memories and OF
the wise sayings of the notable persons
whom she had known. If time and
space would permit, / should like to re-
port some incidents concerning Voltaire,
Lamartine, Guiccioli and score of 9TH
ers. which she remembers as if they &C.
ctirred yesterday. Nine. de Stael she re-
fused to meet, and when I expressed sur
prise. she said: ooh, De Stael was
accustomed to pronounce judgment on
every one she met, aud there was no ap-
peal from her decision. If a person
newly introduced did not strike De
Stael's fancy, or invent some remarkable
witticism out of hand, her death sentence
was instantly pronounced" Nine. Bona.
parte lives in very modest and retired
manner and ioccupies herself chiefly in
reading her favorite authors and in wri-
ting Journal and autobiography. which
are not to be published until after her
death. She is disinclined to converse on
religious matters, but says that her reli-
gio1s opinions are fully expressed in her
writings. However, one may infer from
her high appreciation of Voltaire's works
that her religious views are not unlike
his.
REcoNcILIAToRY MEETING.-It must
be a source of qualification to every
| hrood .oooua citizen of the Republic to