The New York herald., 1879-08-11
FRENCH PRE7ENDERS.
The Imperial and Legitimist Aspir-
ants for the Throne.
PRINCE JEROME AT HOME.
Why the Prince Imperial Went
to South Africa.
["Round About France" in the Daily News

["Round About France in the Daily News.l
The death of Prince Louis Napoleon has not
broken up the Bonapsrtis faction it was thought
it might do; it has only weakened it, while slightly
strengthening the royalst party, that the Repub
lie has half a dozen pretenders Of equal import
to contend WITH instead of having fear most
from who lowered above the rest. The young
Prince who died gallantly under the English flag
stood in the position OF heir presumptive to the Re-
public The clever tactics of NJ Rouher. backed by
tremendous outlay OF money for party propaganda
had done much to thwar the royalists that IL the
Republic had collapsed under the hands Of Marshal
MacMahon and Others who sought to do it to
death eighteen months ago Napoleon ILLS
heir would have stepped without much difficulty
into the throne of his father Nowadays the Republic
looks enough. and Is probable that 1t will
flourish. in name at least. for long while to come,
even though the government by some unfortunate
action apsed again into the forms of Cesarsm In fact
it is likely that should the Republic be doomed
to perish, the regular accession Of monarchy will
be preceded by period of transition during which
or other Of the pretenders will rule dictatoraly
under the style of Republican President while
quietly undermining the free institutions which the
word Commonwealth symbolizes. The pretenders
may therefore be divided into two categories-those
who would accept tho Office OF President and those
who could not The Comte de Chambord and the
Comte de Paris the only two in the last named
class; but the other comprises good many names
Prince Napo leon Jerome. the Dues dAumale dc
Nenours and de Chartres. Marshal MacMahon and
Prince Charles Bonaparte.
THE coMrE DE cHAMBoRD.
Itmay be taken tor granted now that the chances
Of the Comte Chambord extinct. The last direct
heir of the French elder branch tho Bourbons
torpid pretender OF sleepy mood. with no nerve In
1sAs when he was young and might thave won back
maxi inn ri to1 Nflsh
it. he shrank from all suggestions OF battle; and
in 1879 when another golden opportunity presented
| bly, he does not care for the throne. He has no
| children, and had he become King he would have
smooth for the accession Of the Comte ae
| Paris, whose family he hates. Without imputing
| out Of spite toward the Orleans princes. one may
| yet see that the Comte de Chambord had induce
ment to serve the ambition of kinsmen who always
| houted him when they believed themselves strong,
and only sought to establish friendly relations with
him when it suited their interests to do In the
| memorable interview that took place between the
Dac dAumale and the Comte de Chsmbord just
after the commencement OF Marshal MacMahon's
| Septennate. it was the legitimate Prince who
played the most dignified part; for he had made
no advances, and he surrendered none of his prin
ciples, whereas the emissary of the House Of
Orleans uttered sort OF peccdrnss expressing his
Willingness to subscribe to any terms long his
family might be restored to the Bourbon Princes
| favor. This submission had by the
| effect which had been hoped for. as it threw the
Orleans family into the train OF the legitimist party
enjoyed representatives OF constitutional mon
| archy. Since then the Orleans princes have com
pletsy asn.sea Sas the good a will ;r Of the sS doc
in them by. Identifying themselves more
and more with that reactionary policy which
Paris himself has held aoof, for he has sat In
the Legislature and he is not addicted to writing
letters or manifestoes; but the bent of his mind
be not naRs seod
king enough, doubtless as kings go; but he quite
lacks the principle and the moral courage which
could render him imposing as o pretender. This
however, does alter the that II the de
Chambord were removed the Comte de Paris would
become the chief of all sections OF Royasts that
he stands better chance than any other pretender
| OF ascending the throne. He might even ascend it
during Henri VS." lifetime, acting pour 10 rOi
en,pschs' the phrase goes, but this is not very
| likely.
| Prince Napoleon Jeryme. belonging to the class of
pretendersl who might accept the Presidency of the
kepubIic. win probably be anything else but
| what he is--an unappreciaed genius-a man OF con-
He means well, but he acts wrongly; his thoughts
often bright. but his sayings are quite us often
silly. SO great change must come over France
before this man could be accepted as supreme ruler
that one must regard the occurrences & as being
beyond the range Of visible possibilities. 1t
| is more likely that IL in few years time
| the Bonapartists become strong enough to put q
! nominee of their own into the Presidents chair
or upon Prince Charles Bonaparte. who would hold
| warming pan tenure" for him. Meanwhile, how
ever another pretender will have slowly pushed his
way to the front in the person of the Due de Cha-
tres. The brother of the Comte de Paris, who
listed in the French army ut the time OF the last
| war, and distinguished himself under the name
OF Robert le Fort is at present lieutenant colonel
| on active service. Should he keep quiet during
| the next few years the social influence of which
| his family disposes will prevent him from being
| turned out OF his command and may procure
HIM promotion to the rank of general Then he
would become the most eligible OF all princely can
| didates tor the Presdency-the more as he Is so
brave. intelligent and popular The Due de Chartres
has been hitherto somewhat in the positon of
OZARK horse among the entries for the French
Grown Stakes; but he deserves to be advanced
| to the position of stable companion to the
| favorite." for of it would be his business
| merely to make the running" for his brother
| Marshal MacMahOn remains last the list of
| those pretenders VINO have any chances of ruling
| France again; but his chances very small
| He could only be used, he before. In the
character OF a stop-gap. and his return to power
| would signify that he had consented to swallow
OF the leeks which he found too hard of diges
| ton when he was last in Office. One may add that
the Marshal could only be restored to power again
for the sake of Madame la Marechale, who Is known
to be more strenuous politician than her husband
Tho conservatives beginning do justice to the
excellent advice which she always gave the Marshal
during the Septennate and they bewall her retire
ment US pathetically as che herself does
PRINCE JEROME AT HOME--PERsONAL SKETCH.
fFrom the Paris Figaro.l
The interest with which Prince Jerome Napoleon