Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-07-02
PLON.PLON!
Character of the Man Who Now Stands
at the Head Of the Bonaparte Fam.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post.
Prince Napoleon, the second son of
Jerome Bonaparte, by his second wife,
the Princess Fredericka of Wurtem-
berg, 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
recently he Was qualified supporter of
the empire, and may now be described
rs a conservative republican After
the revolution of 1S4S he was the lead
er OF the Mountain" fac. forever
held up against him by the De Mornys,
the Persignys, and the Rouhers, who
wrought, and waxed fat Oh the subse-
quent "coup d'etat." Prince Napo-
leon does not like to fight. 1t is true
that he commanded an infantry re-
serve at Alma and Inkermann. But
he threw up his command in great
haste, saying he was Ill; and for this
the nickname of Plon-plon" was be-
slowed upon him by his admiring coun.
trymen. But If he did not attack the
Russians he attacked the Orleans fam
lily with great spirit in the Fcench SEN
ate il 1861. A fierce debate ensued.
and the Duke d'Aumsle sent Prince
Napoleon a challenge The invitation
was declined, and since then the prince
can scarcely be said to have been fav-
orite with the French army. There
may be two opinions about his courage
or about the construction to re placed
on his conduct in the cases described;
bat there can be no doubt that he Is the
kind of man to whom Napoleon the
First would have written insulting let
tiers and whom he would have assigned
to numilating offices. He is scarcely
man, in other words, to stir up the mil
itary enthusiasm of the French people.
4 Prince Napoleon has been cordially
detested by the party OF the empire
The late emperor always thought him
half-hearted, although he was TeconcIl-
ed to him after more than one season
of alienation. A memorable instance
of this followed the delivery by the
prince Of a speech on the unveillng OF "A
statue of Napoleon the First in Corsica
IN 1865. These things are Of course re-
menlbered. But it may be possible, If
not to forget, to put them aside. Stran-
ger things have happened 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 plausible. 1t
always appeared that he, like Richard
the Third, had greatness thrust upon
him. 1t was, as Hazltt says, the repeat
,I att Tor ,Ntc do hn Ii 70 Of no
first consul which gave u handle "for
following up the design which had been
for some time agitated of raising him TO
the imperial throne and making the
dignity hereditary in his family. Not
that indeed this would secure him from
personal danger, though it is true that
there's divinity doth hedge king;
but it lessened the temptation to the en-
terprise and allayed part Of the pub
lie disquietIde by providing success
sor." The democratic stains on the es-
cutcheon of "Plon-plon" may then be
effaced. "The interests of France"
may obliterate As often again AS before
what it Is convenient to have forgotten.
Even the dislike Of the army might be
softened or dissipated. A brilliant mil
itary stroke carefully planned and unat-
tended by personal risk, has before
now at the right moment made a hero
out of poorer stuff than even Prince
"Plon plon."
But even waving these expedients
an eligible Bonamrte might hope to be
president of the F,ench republic in 1880
no less than in 1913. Admitting the
difference of the situations, including
the sharpest of The lessons of expert
ence, the more democratic a Bona
parte candidate he better the chance
of mis- election. Again, When glory is
not even mentioned by French chief
magistrate in his inaugural address,
military success or popularity Is plain
~ of less consequence than usual, and
herein farther hopes are suggested for
the future of Prince Napoleon. II,
however, after all said and done he is
to be put aside, the i'm periallsts have a
manifest alternative. In his son, and
the grandson of Victor Napoleon, now
seventeen years OF age, there remains
a Napoleon the Fifth quite as available
rs Henry the Fifth FOR the Bourbony
and who, in default Of his father, could
be worked into an elective substitute.