The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-06-24
,rIrE PRINcn

a tragic close when the body OF the Prince
Imperial was found .siying in the long grass,
pierced with seventeen wounds made by asse-
gai thrusts." With the close of this act it al
most looks as if the curtain might be rung
To- for good on the tragedy Of Bonapartism
by which the destiny of the civilized world
has been SO profoundly affected during the
present century. But in French politics tie
only thing at all certain is its uncertainty,
and bold is the prophet who will undertake
to predicts long lease of life for the present
order of things, fair as the future prospects
may appear. In 1866 the Second Empire
was considered one of the strongest govern
ments on earth, but only six years passed be-
fore that empire disappeared with the battle
smoke of Sedan, and who will say that the
future may not be pregnant with changes as
great. France has to-day an army of $40, 900.
As long as peace is maintained the Republic
may grow in strength and influence, but any
great war into which the country may be-
come involved will put its republican institu-
tons to the test by exposing it to those dan
gers in which alone the Imperialists can hope
for an avenue to power. 1t was probably in
preparation for such a contingency as this
that the Imperialists sent. their standard
bearer to take part in the South African cam
paign, for we may rest assured this step was
approved by his counselois, and that it was
not a mere boyish caprice en- his part.
The only son and heir of the late Emperor
Napoleon LII, styled "Prince" through courte-
sy, escaped at-the fall of the second Empire to
England where he ever since resided. At
the death of his father in 1873 the allegiance
Of the Bonapdrtists was transferred to the
young scion OF the house in whom was CEN
tered their hopes of a return to power. AS a
preparation for the career possibly awaiting
him he was carefully educated at the Wool
wich military school. From this institution
he graduated with credit, but he very well
understood that a bookworm's qualifications
alone would go but a little way in recon-
mending him to his h~igli-spirited fellow
countlymen. A knowledge of books was in
dispensabla, but only as a means TO an end.
To be a classroom master of the science of
fertilization was very well, but that knowl-
edge unapplied in the field could never bring
him into notice. Accordingly when his
twenty-third year was entered upon the
Zulu campaign was selected as the arena in
which distinction might be won.
Taking the field against such a foe may
not have appeared very inviting but no great
effort of the imagination was required to see
in his enlistment the pretty act of a gallant
young soldier who goes to wal to acquit him.
self of the debt of gratitude he owes the
country in which he found asylum. Besides,
he was to have gallant comrades in arms who
would generously award the full credit de-
served by his service in the field. Viewed in
this light We must consider his course as we'll
advised. The Zulu campaign might have
afforded aim abundant opportunity for the
display of personal courage as well as other
5oldierly qualities, and had he shown a de-
cide1 taste for military life we can under
stand how strong would have been the appeal
made by his heroism to the martial spirit of
the French. With such hopes We may be
sure he was animated when, in all the ardor
Of sanguine youth he departed for the field
only a few short months ago, TO win the dis
~tinction which would cause France IN her
hour oftrouble to urn towards the chieftain
who had Inherited the genius as we'll as the
name of the great commander. But it Was
not to be. The disturbing finger of death,
always out of mind when we arrange for the
future, has interferred to disarrange all those
pretty plans, and the Prince sleeps in bis
African grave. Cut off in the frs llsh of
youth his fate appeals strongly to our sympa-
tlies, hut nevertheless we mus. remember
that having chosen the soldiers profession
he has but met the soldiers fate in an hon
orahie death at the hands of the enemy. But
who does not feel for the childless. widowed
mother, left alone in the world in her old age,
now that her one ray of hope is SO suddenly:
and tragicallY extinguished. How friehtfully
black is the tragedy OF the present in which
many will claim to see all atonement for the
lifting, opera bodBfe existence Of the years
she passed on the throne.
Il il alAistake to suppose that the Bona
paltisr5 viii disband, aud their party come to
extinction with the death of the heir appar-
ent. AT the death -t Louis Napoleon, it was
Ito personal devotion that caused his old sup-
potters to rally around his Son., aged only
sixteen years. They gathered about him as
the representative of their party, as the figure
head in tile advancement of whose fortunes
they saw the only possibility of their ret urn
TO power. Death has now removed their
standard bearer but this will only cause a
transfer of their allegiance to Prince Napol-
con, a nephew of the first Emperor, and an
undoubted Bonapart. Indeed, it is to be
questioned whether the Imperialists win no,
rather be united and stl enlightened than weak