The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-26
=. PLON-PLON !!
Character Of the Man Who Now Stands at
the Head Of the Bonaparte Family.
New York Evening Post.


Prince Napoleon, the second son of Jerome
Bonaparte. by his second wife, the Princess
Frederika OF Wnrtenherg, Is the senior living
representative Of his family. He Is now 81
years OF age. He has been noted for years as
an extreme Democrat, although more recent
ly he was a qualified supporter of the en-
pire, and may now be described as conserv-
alive Republican. After the revolution Of
1s4s he was the leader Of the Mountain d
fact forever held up against him by the De
wrought, and waxed fat on, the subsequent
''coup d'etat" Prince Napoleon does not
like to fight. It is true that he COM
manded an infantry reserve at Alma and
Ia great haste, saying he was i'll; and for this
the nickname of "Plon-plon' was bestowed
upon him by his admiring countrymen. But
If he did not attack the Russians he attacked
the Orleans family with great spirit In the
and the Duke dAumale sent Prince Napoleon
a challenge. The challenge was declined, and
since then the Prince can scarcely be said to
have been a favorite with the French army.
There may be two opinions about his courage
conduct In the cases described; but there can
be no doubt that he is the kind Of man to
whom Napoleon the First would have writ
ten insulting letters, and whom he would
have assigned to humiliating Offices He Is
scarcely man, In other words, to stir up the
military enthusiasm of the French people.
Prince Napoleon has been cordially detested
by the party Of the Empire. The late Empe-
ror always thought him half-hearted, al
though be was reconciled to him after more
instance Of this followed the delivery by the
Prince of speech on the unwilling of statue
OF Napoleon the First In Corsica In 1865.
These things are, of course, remembered But
1t may be possible, II not to forget, to put
them aside. Stranger things have happened
even in the history Of this strange dynasty.
Time was when the first Napoleon was as wild
q republican as the best or the worst Of them.
Each Of his steps toward the throne was In
that he like Richard the Third, had great
ness thrust upon him. It was, as Hazlitt
says, the repeated attempts made against the
life OF the First Consul which gave q handle
"for following up the design which had been for
perial throne and making the dignity heredi-
tary In his family. Not that, indeed, this
would secure him from personal danger.
though it Is true that there's a divinity doth
hedge king; but it lessened the temptation
to the enterprise and allayed part OF the
public disquietude by providing q successor"
The Democratic stains on the escutcheon Of
"Plon-plon" may then be effaced. "The in
terests OF France" may Obliterate as often
again as before what it was convenient to
might be softened or dissipated. A brilliant
military stroke, carefully planned and unat-
tended by personal risk, has before now at
the right moment, made a hero of poorer
stuff than even Prince "Plon- plon"
But even waiving these expedients an eligi-
BILE Bonaparte might hope to be President of
the French republic in 1880 no less than in
184S. Admitting the difference Of the situa-
tions, Including the sharpest Of the lessons Of
experience, the more democratic Bonaparte
candidate the better the chance of his election
Again, when glory Is not even mentioned bya
French chief magistrate In his inaugural ad-
dress, military success or popularity Is plain
ly Of less consequence than usual, and herein
Prince Napoleon. IT, however, after all said
and done he is to be put aside, the Imperial
lists have manifest alternative In his son,
and the grandson Of Victor Napoleon, now
seventeen years OF age, there remains Napo-
leon the Fifth, quite as available ais Henry
the Fifth for the Bourbons, and who, In de-
fault Of bis father, could be worked into an
effective substitute.