Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-07-03
PLON-PLON.
Character Of the Man who Now Stands at the
Head of the Bonaparte Family.

Prince Napoleon, the second son
of Jerome Bonaparte, by his second
wife, the Princess Frederika OF
Wurtem berg, Is the senior living
representative of his family. He
is now fifty-seven years of age. He
has been noted for years as an ex-
treme Democrat, although more
recently he was the leader of the
"Mountain," a fact forever held up
against him by the De Mornys, the
Persignys aud Rouhers, who
wrought and waxed fat on the sub.
sequent "coup-d'e at" Prince Ma
poleon does not like to fight. 1t is
true that he commanded an infan-
try reserve at Alma and Inker-
mann; but be threw up his COM
mand in great haste, saying he WIS
sick; and for this the name of
"Plon-Plon" was bestowed upon
him by his admiring countrymen.
But if he did not attack the Rus
slams he attacked the Orleans fam
lily with great spirit in the French
Senate in 1861. A fierce debate ell.
sued, and the Due d'Aumale sent
Prince Napoleon challenge. The
invitation was declined, and since
then the Prince can scarcely be said
10 have been a favorite with the
French army. There may be two
opln ons about his courage or about
the construction to be placed on his
conduct in the cases described; but
there can be no doubt that lie is
the kind Of man to whom Napoleon
the First would have written in
sulting letters and whom he would
have assigned to humiliating Of
fees. He is scarcely man, in
other words, 10 stir up the military
enthusiasm of the French people.
Prince Napoleon has been cor
daily detested by the party of the
Empire. The late Emperor always
thought him half-hea rted although
he was reconciled to him after
more than one season of alienation,
A memorable instance of this fol.
lowed the delivery by the Prince of
a speech on the unwilling of q
statue of Napoleon l. in Corsica in
1865. These things are of course
remembered. But it may be posi-.
b e, If not to forget, to pat them
aside. Stranger things lave hap.
pened, even in the history of this
strange dynasty. Time was when
the first Napoleon was as wild a
Republican as the best or the worst
of them. Each of his steps toward
the throne was insidious and plaus-
iole. 1t always appeared that he,
like Richard the Third, had great
ness thrust upon him. 1t was, as
Hazlitt says, the repeated attempts
made against the life of the first
consul which gave handle "for
following up the design which had
been for some time agitated of rais-
ing him to the Imperial throne and
making the dignity hereditary in
his family. Not that indt ed it
%A,gtI, aeaiUdgh. 1t Is true that
there's divinity which doth hedge
king:' but II Iessened the tempta-
ton to the enterprise and allayed a
part of the public Dispute
tude by providing a success
sor." The Democratic stains on
the escutcheon of "Plon- Plon"
NAV then be effaced. "The inter-
ests of France may obiterate as
often again as before what 1t is con-
venient to have forgotten. Even
the dislike of the army might be
softened or dissipated. A brilliant
military stroke carefully planned
and unattended by personal risk,
has before now at the right m =.
ment made hero out OF poorer
stuff than even Prince "Plon-
Plonn
But even waving these expedi
ents, an eligible Bonapurte mig hi
hope to be President of the French
Republic in 1880 no les1 Than q
1918. Admitting the difference o
tue situations, including the slap
est of the lessons of experience, th'
more dem ocratic Bouaparte can
tidute the better the chance of hi
election. Again, when glory is no
even mentioned by French chic
magistrate in his inaugural ad
: dress, military success or popular
ity 10 plainly OF less consequence
. than usual. and herein furthe
hopes are suggested for the fntur
of Prince Napoleon. If, however
after all said and done he is to b
, put aside, the Imperialists have
! manifest alternative. In his SO
|, aud the grandson OF Victor Napt