Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-07-02
PLON.PLON,
Character of the Man Who Now Stands
at the Head of the Bonaparte Fam

Character of the Man Who Now Stands
at the Head of the Bonaparte Fam
lily.
New York Evening Post.
Prince Napoleon, the second son of
Jerome Bonaparte, by his second wife,
the Princess Frederick 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
IN extreme democrat, although more
recently he was a qualified supporter of
the empire, and may now be described
rs q conservative republican. After
the revolution of 1913 he was the lead
er OF the Mountain" a fact forever
held up against him by the De Mornys,
the Perslgnys, 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 i'll; 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 French SEN
ate in 1861. A fierce debate ensued,
and the Duke d'Aumale sent Prince
Napoleon 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 be placed
on his conduct in the cases described;
but there can emo doubt that he is the
kind of man to whom Napoleon the
First would have written insulting let
ters and whom he would have assigned
to numilating Offices. He is scarcely q
man, in other words, to stir up the mil
itary enthusiasm Of the French people.
Prince Napoleon has been cordially
detested by the party Of the empire.
The late emperor always thought him
half-hearted, although he was reconcil-
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 unwilling of
statue of Napoleon the First in Corsica
IN 1865. These things are of course re-
membered. 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. It
always appeared that he, like Richard
the Third, had greatness thrust upon
him. 1t was, as Hazlitt says, the repeat
ed attempts made against the life of the
first consul which gave a 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-
tterprise and allayed part of the pub
lie disquietCde by providing success
sor." The democratic stains on the es-
cutcheon of "Plon-plon'' may then be
efaced. "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 hero
out Of poorer stuff than even Prince
"Plon-plon."
But even waving these expedients
an eligible Bonaparte might hope to be
president of the French 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 the 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 further hopes are suggested for
the future of Prince Napoleon. If,
however, after all said and done he is
to be put aside, the imperialists 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
as Henry the Fifth for the Bourbons,
and who, in default of his father, could
be worked into an effective substitute.
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