Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-10-09

Zone an0 signed AZ CnalhUol ., Cnis
9th day of September, 1880.
(Signed) s. L. TAYLOR,
Judge First Judicial District.
--------~>1--------
ATTEMPTS TO AgSASsINATE LOU
Is NAPOLEON.
1t was in 1852 that thissovereign's life
was tried for the first time, aud another
attempt was made upon it by Radical
shoemaker in 1868. This year-1s53-
1as prolific in regicidal outrages, for a
traitor called Libeny, tried in February
to murder the Emperor Francis Jo-
seph at Vienna, while in March a
soldier sought to dispose Of the reignipg
Duke of Parma, Charles I'LL Three years
passed now without any more crimes of
this sort but in 1856 Napoleon III, was
twice put in peril of his life, both his
aggressors (Pisnori and Bellamare) be-
ing Italians. 1t is sail that after the
attempt of Bellamare tho Emperor took
to wearing skirt Of mail under his lin
on. 1t was not, however, until after the
fearful enterprise Of Orsini, on January
IA, 1855, that he got to be so seriously
unnerved as to live in constant dread of
assassination. Count Felice Orsinl was
not a mere vulgar fanatic, but gentle
man by birth, education and fortune.
An ardent patriot, and partisan of the
unihcation of Italy, his grudge against
Napoleon III, was that the latter, when
a political refugee in Italy. had joined
Free Masonic lodge, aud sworn oaths
which, by and by, as Emperor, be had
neglected to fulfill. Principally as re-
CARDS Rome. Orsini was furious at seeing
the temporal power Of the Pope main
tanned by French garrison of $4,000
men, and two years before attempting
Napoleon's life he wrote anony Mously to
warn him that the Carbonatro lodges
had decreed his death aud that the sen
tence would infallibly he carried out if
the imperial policy toward Italy were
not altered. Had Count Orsini's accom-
pliccs-Pierri, Rudio, aad Gomez-been
men Of his mettle and determination,
the attempt against Napoleon on the
night of Jan. IA, 1853, must have been
crowned with success; but they were
poor ignorant cravens, who did their
work for pay, not from conviction, and
their hearts failed them at the critical
moment. Each Of them had been provi-
ded with two explosive shells which
were to be thrown under the Emperor's
carriage as it drove up to the opera.
Orsini threw his two shells and Pierri
Que, but the other two men ran off in
fright when they heard the first explo.
sion The damagadone by the shells
was ghostly. Five people were killed
outright and nine wounded all the SOL
diers of the mounted escort were bruised
or scratched; the Emperor's coachman
fell off his box stunned on to the carcass
of one of his horses who lay dead, and
one of the footmen was blown twenty
yards off; with his skull battered in.
Meanwhile, hundreds of panes of glass
in the street had been smashed, all
the gas-lamps were extinguished and in
the darkness there resounded an appall-
ing tumult of plunging horses and
shrieking women. Lanterns and torches
had to be brought out of the opera, and
then it was seen that the Imperial coach
was complete wreck. How the Empe-
ror and Empress managed to escape,
with not So much as a singed hair or
cut finger, is nothing short of marvellous.
Apparently not daunted in the least by
what had happened, the Empress said
to the Emperor, eve must 60 into the
house to show them we are not afraid"
and few minutes later the entry ofthe
Imperial couple into their box became
the signal for magnificent ovation, all
the spectators rising en- masse and cheer
ing to the echo. Nevertheless, from this
time Napoleon III. was an altered
man. In the following year he under
took the war against Austria for the lib.
Grafton of Italy, and ever afterward he
went in fear of his life. Not towards
fear, for he was a thoroughly brave man,
but a fear which the French call craintc
raissonncc. He expected tobe murdered,
and took the minutest precautions to in
sure that the Government should be
carried on by strong regency in case of
bis demise. He never went out without
leaving directions as to where the latest
copy of his will was to be found; and at
times, when he was in low spirits, he
used to say that he had dreamed he
should he assassinated within such and
such time. During the remainder of