New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-23

do not want Madame de Stasl in Paris" he saiq
| to me- " and have good reasons for saying So.
replied that it might be So but it was no less certain
| that by this way of treating lady he gave her d
distinction which. without that she might nov, pei
| haps have. If Madame de Stael," Napoleon Ie
/ Piled would be OF could be either royalist OF a
republican, should have nothing 10 say agallisi
her; but she is machine IN molioI Wn,o I1, WIN i;
make a disturbance in the salons. III Is Only AZ
| France that such q woman Is to be feared, anu
| Will not agree to 1t"
The weakness of Napoleon for his family was o.
remarkable trait in his character Without permit
ting them to interfere with his political designs ne
was perpetual prev to their private extortiops'
There is no doubt" says Metternich, THAT many
of the changes of sovereigns were due to the Gov
etousness of his brothers and sisters"
| All the members of this too numerous family were
not, however, equally ambitious. Napoieol )
mother cared for nothing but money. Neither her
turn of mind nor her tastes inclined ner tcwnfa
and. without the precise orders OF her son, sue
! would not have dreamed Of doing anything but ln-
vest it. When her children turned her extreme
| economy 10 ridicue she said 10 them, YOu don't
| know what YOU do; the world will not always go
| on in this way, and # ever you come PACK on my
hands, YOU will be glad enough of what nave done
| to-day"
In 1914 Madame Letitia had amassod large
! sum of money, which she hid III a corner covered
| by the portrait of her late husband he iact ana
| the place where the treasure was hld BENG men
toned to Napoleon, he went to his mothers house,
and took away the money she must nayG ,ahe af
|
| francs.
/ did not know either Joseph or Lucien Bona
| parte personally; | cannot therefore, give any
opinion about them. Napoleon thought well OF
| LucIen's mind, but he never ceased accusing HIM
of uncontrolled and misdirected ambition
| In an interview that Lucen had with his Drother
| at Milan. he offered as pledge OF reconciliation
declaration by his wife, given OF her own ac-
| cord that she would he no obstacle to her hus.
bands fortune. The Emperor, after one Of
| their conferences, said to the persons col
lected in the ante-room, " Lucien will not give
fhnt hn
| has a hard head; Will show him that mine is
| harder than his" From that time there was no
question of reconciliation. 1t is, in fact, known
| that, while agreeing to leave his wife, he insisted
Oh the recognition of his children. His conduct IN
1916 enables one to judge of the severity OF his Ke-
publican principles
| man gentle in mind and temper, but incapable OF
undertaking a career which required much vigor
Louis was like stranger IN the family. inlusII
tice alone could find anything to blame In his moral
Jerome was clever; but the depravity of his man
| ners, absurd vanity, and mania for Initiating his
brother IN everything, covered him with ridlcule.
| Two of Napoleon's sisters were remarkable from
character; the third from her great beauty. A..
Eliza the eldest of the stakeholder, also, than
| Napoleon, had masculine mind and both IN char
acter and appearance closely TesemDled her
brSther Ambition was her rq bnG b%sbamd
Blciocchi, and his entire want of intcllec-
tual faculties, had not prevented it, there IS no
doubt that this branch of the family would nave
| been raised to a very high position. OF the three
sisters. She had, however the least power Ma
poleon, who feared and resisted her
| Caroline joined to pleasant exterior uncom,
| mon powers of mind She had carefully studied
| the character of her brother, and did not de-
C Ger 70 himself of the excess Of his ambition
and love of power. She also knew perfectly
the weak side of her husband. and she would
have guided him had it been possible for anyone 10
Murat was nothing but a soldier; but soldier of
the Revolution, and gifted with certain instinct
1o,,, Nphi OH hay
the apanage of Jacobns. Caroline exercised great
power over the mind of her brother, and u was she
who cemented the family bonds Her desire was 10
create for herself and her family position as indie
pendent as possible of Observation-Disclosures even
of the chances of his fortune-a fortune which she
thought endangered by every act OF violence result
ing from bis Unsuitable ambitlon.
Pauline was as handsome as 1t is possible to be
she was i'll love with herself and her only occnpa-
ton was pleasure. or amable character and eX-
IRENE goOd-nature Napoleon entertained different
sentiment for her from that with which he regarded
the rest of his family. Pauline" he has often tod
me- pauline never asks me for anything" The Prin-
cess Borghese, on her side. used to say. DO not
care for crowns il had wished tor one. shonld
have had it; but left that taste to my relations
She had a veneration for Napoleon which almost
amounted to worship.
Josephine long held an Empire over Napoleon; she
was gifted with a character OF extreme beneV0-
lcuce and quite peculiar social tact: Her mind
was narrow, but IN a good direction her excessive
between her and her husband. 1t would be unjust
TO attribute any of NapoleOn's ambitious Highs TO
her influence Without doubt, she would, If she
could. have put spokes IN the wheel OF the arlot
on which, however she had. in the early days of his
fortune, directly assisted 10 place the future En-
pcTOr , ,, -,
ambition, Josephine's daughter Hortense always
PLAYED part in Napoleon's career. Napoleon loved
her and his kindness to her was the constant cause
of iealOusy between her and her slsters-ln- law.
More than one embarrassment IN the personal slta-
ton of Napoleon and even in the progress OF afiars
due TO this cause.
nj a
| otry and ambition. sincere devotee, he yet was
not far from believing Napoleon TO be an Instrument
| OF heaven and beng almost supernatural. lie
thoupht his reign was written in the book OF destiny
and looked on his flights OF ambition as SO many de-
| crees OF God - So =
| bis family; and did not conceal from himself that
| he had been much to blame in giving way TO the
love of power and Unsuitable cOvetousness of some
| among them. $500 , j,
He said to me one day in 1910. on the occasion OF
| a long conversation in which he had Just gwen me
the history of his life: 81 have clouded and 0Dsruc
ted nv career by placing my relations on thrones
| We learn as CO. and now see that the iuhda-
| mental principle of ancient monarchies OF Keeping
the princes OF the Tegning house in constant ahd
real dependence on the throne is wise and necessary
| NV relations nave done me more harm than have
| done them good and if 1 had to begin again, my
brothers and sisters should have nothing more than
| n palace ia Paris and few millions 20 spend Iii
| idieness The fine arts and charity should be thei
| domains, and not klngdoms-whlch some 40 NOT
know how to guide, and others commit me by carry
! ing their imitation TO the point OF parody"
| Napoleon took care to place near each OF his
| brothers and relations man whom he could trust
| The fortune of NJ. Decazes sprang out OF the post
which he occupied as secretary to Madame Letltla'
The selections from Metternlchs private CORE
spondence, of which free use has been made in the
| compilation of the work, usually possess good deal
of interest and occasionally are piquant and strik-
ing OF this kind are many of the letters written
to his wife from Rastadt during the session of the
Congress in 1898, to which he accompanied his
father, who was Imperial Plenipotentiary. His re-
marks are highly spiced with rdcule and sarcasm.
| and no occurrence of comic character appears to
have escaped bis notice. The French deputies to
the Congress were the objects of his special disgust