Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-07
Internal Machines.

IT was not until more than two centu-
ries after the famous 9th of November
that the idea of employing Illuminating
process against the Chief of the State
was adopted in France; where twice
within two months an attempt was
made to blow up Napoleon, at that time
First Consul. It was in each instance
on the occasion Of his visiting the opera
that Napoleon, according to the designs
of his enemies, was to be blown to
pieces. The Paris Opera House has, in
fact, been the chosen scene for carrying
out large number of murderous pro,
jects directed against the ruler of the
country. In addition to the two at
tempts made upo l the life of Napoleon
l., it was in front of the Opera that the
Orsini shells were thrown which so
nearly disposed of Napoleon Ill, in the
year 1857. II was beneath the portico,
too, of The old Opera in the Rue Riche-
lieu that the Due de Berri was assassin
ated; but it would be tool ong story
to give even the briefest account OF
attacks made upon sovereigns by
ordinary means.
1t was intended to employ against
Napoleon 1. destructive method of
mixed kind. Rockets and grenades were
to be hurled from various parts of the
theater into his box. But to insure his
death cOnspiratOrs armed with daggers
and pistols were stationed in the corri-
dor into which the box opened, with
orders to shoot and stab him if, escaping
the missiles, he attempted to make his
way to the outer doors. The conspiracy,
according to Napoleon himself, who told
the story at St. Helena, was revealed by
a captain in the line. " What limit IS
there" said Napoleon, "to folly and
stupidityP This officer had horror of
me as Consul, but adored me as GEN
eral. He was anxious that 1 should be-
torn from my post, but he would have
been very sorry that my life should be
taken. l ought to be made prisoner, he
said, in no way injured, and sent to the
army to continue to defeat the enemies
of France. The other conspirators
laughed in his face, and when he saw
| them distribute daogers and that they
were going beyond his intentions he pro-
ceeded at once to denounce the whole
affair." The informer having been
brought before him, Napoleon at first
suggested to the Prefect of Police that
he should not be allowed to 90 to tho
| Opera that evening. 1t was decided,
however, that his absence would awaken
the suspicious of the other cOnspirators 4
and every thing was allowed to go on as
though the plot had not been discovered.
The sentinels outside Napoleon's box
were ordered to let no one approach
who had not the password, issued im-
mediately before the Consul's departure
! foy. tho nnaYa fo,. 20 ruop lypoyrr,, 4Iot al
certain number of conspirators had
taken up their position in the corridor
to extinguish the lights at the moment
when the rockets were to be fired and
the shells thrown. The opera of the
evening was "Les Horaces," q work
composed by Porta to libretto
founded on Comedies tragedy; and
the signal for action was to be the de-
livery of a passage on which the Horatii
swear to conquer or die. Then all the
lights were to be put out, and apart from
the shells intended for the Emperor,
fireworks were to be cast indiscrimi-
nately about the theater, while the gem
eral confusion was to be increased by
the cries of "Fire!" The leaders of
the plot, like the claquers of the present
| day, had attended the rehearsal of the
opera so as to note the cue given to them
for their grand demonstration and at
tack. But at the performance the Pre-
| lecture of Police was also largely repre-
sented, and there were altogether up
wards of two hundred persons in the
theater who were paying no attention
! 10 the music except with q view to
particular quartet, in which the old
Horatius opened the piece by calling
upon his sons to swear "que le dernies
de vous sera mort ou vainquer." The
instrumental introduction to the quartet
was, however, the signal for action
chosen by the police; and before the
singing began the conspirators were all
in custody in one of the vestibules of
the theater.
The second attempt on a grand scale
| cuted two months later, on the Oath of
December, when on his way to the
] Opera he was made the mark of an Gin
fernal machine" Haydn's " Creation "
was to be given, and the performance
had already commenced, when during
the soft adagio of the introduction the
dull report of an explosion was heard.
Immediately afterwards Napoleon en-
tered his box, attended by the principal
members of his staff. Josephine's love
of dress had saved him. AS she was
getting into the carriage she thought of
making some change in her toilet, and,
going back to her apartments for a few
minutes, caused a delay but for which
Bonaparte and herself would, following
the other carriages, have passed before
the Internal machine at the moment Of
its explosion. Mall Gazette.