The Portland daily press., 1879-06-24
Napoleon v?

AS the Bonaparte dynasty sprang from the
sword, it is fitting that from the sword should
come its death-blow, and that the latest of
the line should fall in battle and be entombed
with helmet and shield as the last male of
his race. Retribution would seem more
complete should he perish, not under the
eaglss on the historic campaigning grounds
of Europe, but in petty skirmish in a saw
aga land, in the service of the bitterest enc
my of the founder of his house. SO obvious
is the dramatic propriety of such an end that
some have fastened to proclaim the line of
Napoleon extinguished in the Zulu thicket
where the body of the young prince was
found, pierced by savage spears.
1t is certainly strange turn of fortune
that he who bore the shadowy title of Napo-
leon w. should perish in an obscure settle
ment of South Africa, fighting for the Eng
lish flag. But it is not the end of his race
The line of succession does not fail with him.
The nephew of Napol- on, the son of j, rome,
lives, and by the will of his great uncle, re-
affirmed by the third emperor, is now the
head of his house and heir to the claims and
traditions of the empire. While it is alto
gether improbable that he will ever rule in
France, the improbability of his sons acces-
sion is not so great. The elder prince is dis
liked and distrusted. About him the impe-
rialists will not rally. But his son Victor is
neither disliked nor distrusted, and should
he develop noble and princely qualities may
yat lno6 q cunnncsful ficf, nd
and reign as Napoleon V.
1t may well be doubted if the Napoleonic
legend has died out in France The great
name is still name to conjure with. While
the memory of Sedan and the capitulation of
Paris is fresh in the minds of Frenchmen,
the fallen dynasty will be an object of hate
and d. rision with the mass of the people.
With those disasters the young prince who
has just died was intimately connected. As
Victor Hugo bitterly said of him and of his IA
ther: 'The adventurer of Strasburg was the
nephew of Austerlitz, the prince imperial is
the son of Sedan" But no such disagree
able associations attach to Victor He is an
other neDheW of Austerlitz. and is free from
the shame of Sedan. AS the memory of
Frances humiliation passes away, the men,
ory of the great captain and his triumphs
will revive, and the boy who bears his name
will be looked upon as heir to the glories of
the first empire, not to the follies of the sec
ond. And should the republican leaders
make mistakes and turn the people from the
republic, and set them to thinking of the
throne again, Prince Victor, if h possesses
any of the genius of his great uncle, or even
the brave spirit and shrewd and soldierly
qualities Of his mothers family, may come
to be looked upon as the hope of France.
The empire now threatens disturbance and
is dreaded. Should the republic fall prey to
bloody and lawless faction, the empire may
again be looked to as peace and Victor Napo-
leon find his opportunity. But if the repub-
lican leaders continue to display for many
Years the wisdom and moderation that have
characterized their course since 1870, mon
archy will not be revived in France, and he
will remain pretender.
The young Victor is not only of the blood
of Napoleon, but has for mother daughter
of one of the oldest royal houses of Europe,
the fortunate house of Savoy, the reigning
family of Italy. Through her he is in de-
scent from both Hapsburg and Capet. He
is son of st. Louis and of the Corsican ad
venturer, is both Bourbon and Bonaparta.
All things are possible-in France-the first
Napoleon taught us, and it may be that the
hopes he entertained for the King of Rome,
1alo kn
in the person of the offspring of another
Austrian marriage, and the descendant of an
Austrian archduchess reign in France as Ma
poleon V. 1t would be indeed strange if
France should have a sovereign in whose
veins run the blood of Hugh Capet and the
blood of Napoleon Bonaparte, the founder of
the monarchy and the founder of the empirD.