Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-06-25
THE PRINCE IMPERIAL.
The Rash Youth Who Threw His
Life Away in Zululand.
Born in 1856, Baptized In Fire" In
1870 at Sedan,
And IngIOriOuSIy Slain in 1870 in
South Africa.

/ Dol ana Tie ADVENT Ol peace, INC NH
Dress Eugene, wife of Napoleon III,
gave birth to the prince who has been
so barbarously murdered in Africa,
His birth caused great gladness at the
imperial court and throughout the ma
tiop. Three years had elapsed since
the marriage of the emperor, aud the
prospect Of founding a new dynasty
had been till then denied him, 1t was
felt that as his hopes were now graft
fed, he would have a stronger incen-
tive to promote the greatness of
France, and place his government on
a strong basis by the adoption Of a
liberal policy. This infant, hailed as
the hope of France, received in bap-
tism the name of NAPOLEON Eugene
Louis Jean Joseph. He was born a
very delicate child, and had to be
nursed with the utmost care till he
was ten years old. His nurse was an
English woman, and he had a German
Swiss valet both were enioined
to speak to him always in their re.
spective tongues, while his mother
addressed him in Spanish, so that the
boy grew up to be u good lihguist
without any effort. 1t is said that he
could read in four languages when he
was Cevan, and spent many of the
long hours when he had to remain in
doors BY doctors orders, perusing
books which treated of the great
Napoleon's battles. He preferred
these studies to any other, and became
of a rather bellicose mood in eonse-
quence, strutting about with a toy
sword by his side, and Sighting sham
battles with his young friend Conneau
(son of the DOCTOR in the broad corri-
doris of the Tuileries. His father was
disposed to be very indulgent TO him,
but his mother, wiser in her affection,
insisted upon his blind obedience.
When he was two years old he was
appointed corporal in the Imperial
Guard, and at five was promoted to
his sefgeantship. For having dis
Obeyed the empress while he held this
grade her majesty caused his stripes
to be taken from him, and he was
reduced to the ranks for a whole year.
The disgrace very deeply affected him.
for he was very fond of showing off
his uniform before the children who
were Invited to the palace to play with
him.
The boy was placed under the tutor
ship Of Il French professor, who was
clever but egregiously vain. lie sought
10 make his pupil pTematurely wise,
aud proceeded 10 ply him with maxims
which seemed derived from prosy au-
thors. One day at a court dinner the
prince, having been admitted N dcs-
sert, stupeiied the whole table by say
ing to an Austrian archduke " You
have the ideas of the old regime but
they have had their day. The people
are as the ocean; if you resist them
they sweep you away" The emperor
was displeased and requested the
philosophical tutor to go aud preach
his maxims elsewhere. The prince,
however, was SO imbueI with his les
sons that being asked soon afterward
what disguise he would wear at a
fancy dross ball that was t.
be held at the Tuileries, he elected
to appear as MasaBIello. The
emperor and empress agreed to
humor his wish, because, as they judi
ciously observed, nothing was to be
gained by making believe that his first
tutor had put foolish notions into his
head. They gave him, however. as his
SECOND tutor and governor General
FrossaFt. who was better versed in
strategy than philosophy, and who is
described as an extremely consequent
tial, fussy parsonage, whom the prince
never liked. This new tutor accom-
panied the prince in 1869 when he
vent with his mother on a political
trip to Corsica. While they stood on
the platform Of the Lyons railway
station, where crowds were cheering.
and loyal mayors were presenting ad-
dresses, the general kept saying audi
bly, to his pupil Take your hat off.
Put your hat on" Bow to the
gentlemen, etc. The prince. who
knew very well what to do, looked
profoundly bored, and ended by walk
Jug off to get nearer to his mother,
leaving Frpssart in the lurch.
For the sake Of cQmpanionship, and
in order to give the prince some emu
latiOn in his studies, the emperor
allowed young Louis Conneau to be
educated with him. Copneau's father
had been the emDeror's closest friend
during his captivity at Ham, aud was
chiefly instrumental in abetting his
escape FROM that fortress. The empe-
rOr never faltered in his gratitude for
this service, and he wished his son tC
make the friendship hereditary. This
desire was grati6ed, for Louis Con
neau was in exile, as well as in the
Tuileries, the princes most trusted
friend. While the prince was thu,
} passing bis boyhOod pleasantly, he wa
occasionally exposed to an a%ffront, iol
| the emperor had so many enemie.
that chances Of snubbing the heiI
arose frequently. In 1868 the prince
vent 10 preside at the annual dis
tFibltioh ct prizes held in til,
SoFbonqe, aitoy The coDcours genera
/, Of all the public schooIs, A son o
General Cayaignae happened 10 b,
among the prize-winners. and hi
/ name was called to come and receiy,
, bis books from the Princes hand
} but at this moment a tall lady, dressed
. in black, rose among tho reserved
seats, and, with an imperious gestur,
, ordered young Cayaigpac not to move
/ This was Madame Cayaig1ao, VIII.
thereby sought to pay of the son o
+. the man who had sent her husban,
into exile. The affair made an i'm
mense noise, but the Prince remarkc
rather pithily 1t seems, then, tina
r young Cayaignae wished to act
: comedy, iag he must have known