Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-07-23
The Prince Imperial.


Queen Victoria attending in person and the
Prince of Wales acting as one Of the pail
bearers. 1t appears that these remarkable
demonstrations are not regarded with indif.
ference in France, and England may well
thank her stars that she has to deal with a
French republic and not French monarch.
There are two reasons why the death
Of the French Prince Imperial has created
an unusual sensation in England. One
is that his death is due to the lament
able incompetency of Lord Chelmsford, the
English military commander in South AT
RIGA. This is admitted and discussed by
English military officers. II Lord Chelms-
ford had been reasonably efficient and active,
If he had maintained proper control over his
subordinates, the young prince, mere guest
of the army headquarters, would not have
been allowed to go with few men on a
dangerous scouting expedition. To make
the matter worse, those with whom he went,
officers and men, fled at the first sign of dan
ger, and left him TO be killed alone and
without assistance. More than one officer
has written to express his shame Of the SER
vice that allowed such an occurrence to be
possible.
The other reason concerns directly Disraeli
and his tory associates. M. d. Conway,
writing at London, says 1.-THE perturba-
ton here at the princes death is of kind
that amounts to revelation that the sue
cession of the prince had become part Of
the tory policy" The English tories are
naturally hostile to the French republic.
Gambetta has done much TO win their favor,
more than his self.respect could easily JUS
tify, but he discovered at last that they would
not be friendly to French republicans, and
that they were friendly to a restoration Of
the empire. Among the monarchists Of
France they would incline towards the i'm
perialists, because circumstances had given
them a very strong claim to the gratitude of
Eugene and her son. Therefore, it is not
improbable that the succession Of the prince
had become part of the tory policy"
The will of the Prince Imperial, by which
he bequeathed about $4,000 to various
persons, will hardly stand English law, not
having been attested by the requisite wit
nesses but supposing 1t were valid, where is
the money to come from 1t is understood
that the means at the command Of Eugene
are not more than sufficient to support her in
the style in which she chooses to live. 1t is
an interesting fact, in this connection, that
Napoleon the First, when a captive in st.
Helena, made will, bequeathing millions
of francs to various persons; but his whole
estate turned out to be worth less than
one million of francs, about two hundred
thousand dollars.
At the time of his death the young prince
had with him several articles of personal
and historic interest which his family
priced highly, and would value still more if
they could now be recovered. He wore at
his side the sword which his great uncle car
ried at Austerlitz, and one of the troopers
who so shamefully deserted him in his peril
says that the young man, when his horse
had broken away from him and the savages
were close upon him, turned and drew in
his hopeless defense this sword of Austerlitz.
A strange reverse in the fortunes of this
weapon, once borne by an emperor at the
head of a splendid army on a field where he
vanquished two other monarchs of like rank
commanding in person against him, and
now wrenched by savage from the hand
of that emperor's dying kinsman, an exile
deserted by his comrades in foolish adven-
ture, meaningless episode in petty and
senseless war in South Africa. Another
relic of the first Napoleon which the Zulus
have captured was the watch that his grand
nephew wore. This was priced because it
was bought by Napoleon I. at Marseiles
when he was lieutenant of artillery, and
carried by him ever after. After his death
it became the property of the nephew, who
always wore it until his death. His son
then succeeded to the possession of it, and
now perhaps it is the cherished ornament Of
some Zulu warrior. The young Napoleon
also wore ring which was valued as a
family relic. 1t was set with an antique
cameo, and had formerly belonged to the
Queen Hortense. The late emperor priced
it as memento of his mother, and always
wore it on the little finger of his left hand