Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1879-04-19
DEATH OF MADAME BoNAPARrE

Auo uohtu at oaitlL0Or0 OF MIS-. fatt0r.
son Bonaparte removes a venerable lady
whose lite WAS one OF extraordinary in
terest, and whose strength and peculiar
tiles OF character, apart from the roman
ces and accidents OF her career, would
have made her noteworthy member oi
society. She was also remarkable Tor the
great age to which she attained, ninety
four years. and for the vigor OF body
and mind she preserved until within q
few months of her death.
Her marriage with Jerome Benaparte,
which made her conspicuous and inter
sstlng character for over fifty years, was
one OF the important social events oI
the early part of the century. Though
her weak and time-serving if not vii.
famous husband, at the bidding of his
imperial brother. discarded his Ameri
can wife and formed bigamous union
with German princess, Mrs Bonaparte
clung to the name to which she was en-
titled. and had all the pride and ambi.
ton OF member of a reignipg family
and the mother of prince.
Jerome Bonaparte came to the United
States in 1903 as the commander of a
French frigate, and Napoleon being then
first consul, his brother was sure of re-
ceiving the most marked social atten-
on at a time when even less distin.
guished foreigners than he rarely visited
the new republic. In Baltimore he met
and speedily won Miss Elizabeth Pat.
terson, beautiful girl, the daughter OF
VIM. Patterson, rich merchant of that
city, which then was remarkable as 1t ls
now tor its lovely maidens. The pair
were married in December of the same
year by the Roman Catholic archbishop
of Baltimore the marriage contract was
we'll drawn. and in both legal and &C.
clesiastical sense it was a union as bind.
ing as that of the Duke of Connaught
the other day. Mrs. Bonaparte was
both fond and proud of her husband, and
he seemed to have been much attached
to her. His affection, however, was not
strong and lasting enough to make him
stand by his wife in the face of the vio-
lent opposition OF Napoleon to the
match. The emperor would not allow
her to set her foot on French so |, so
when the pair went to Europe in 1905,
Jerome. leaving his bride outside OF
France proceeded TO Malmaison with
the avowed purpose of modifying Napo-
leon. He never returned to her, how
ever, and IN July she gave birth to a
son at Camberwell. England, while two
years alter, in spite OF the refusal OF
Plus VII to sanction the union. he was
married to the Princess Frederica Cath
arina, OF Wurtemberg.
Mrs. Bonaparte's subsequent efforts
to obtain legal recognition OF her mar.
riage in France were failures owing un-
doubtedly to imperial pressure; but dur
ing Louis Napoleon's time the legiti-
macy OF her son was acknowledged, and
her grandson, jerome Napoleon, who
crossed the ocean to attend her in her
last illness, received commission in
the French army alter having prepared
at West Point for a military ca
reer. Another grandson, Charles JOS
aph, was graduated at Harvard, and 1s
now practicing law In Baltimore. Un
luestionably. these descendants of Je-
rome by his American vile are the right
,ul heirs OF the great Napoleon; for Ma
ooleon LII could not claim to have a |
iroP Of that blood in his veins, nor can |
lls son. the young man who has lately |
gone to fight the Zulus. and has receiv-
I'd vast amount of toadyIng in Eng
and since Sedan.
MRS. Bonaparte was a peculiar old la
iy. She rejected all religious faith, sat
rized marriage, was close in money
matters to point of penuriousness. and
hough she could not help desplsing he,
husband. she was a.. grea:
ldmirer of Napoleon, and devoted i'm
,erialist, living and dying in the hope
hat her descendants would yet become
'mperors of France. During a large part
If her last illness she resolutely refused
o SEQ any clergyman. Catholic or Prot
,stant, calling herself Presbyterian to
catholic priests and Catholic to Presby-
erian ministers. But on Tuesday she
Yielded. and requested the presence of
minister. and Presbyterian clergy
nan was sent for. Later in the day
Moody, the revivallst, prayed with her,
md up to the hour of her death spiritual
'dvlsers were present at her bedside.
Mrs Bonaparte was rare character.
md was remarkable among women tor
Ter exceptional experience. The me-
nolrs OF her lite, and her associations /
With the hepromInent characters OF the first
luarter OF this century. which she is SAID
o have left, will therefore possess An
aaususl interest.