New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-28
o. OGLE.
PRINCE NAPOLEON.


GrcnriHe MURRAY in The Continental Times.
Napoleon-Joseph-Cha Paul, the head of the
Imperial branch of the House of Bonaparte, has
often but incorrectly been styled Prince Jerome Ma
poleon. For this tring error lie has himself to
thank. During his cousins reign it was obviously
impossible for him to sign by his first Christian
have been discourteous to the sovereign. He ac-
cordingly adopted the Signature of " Napoleon Je-
rome) the latter having been his fathers name,
though not his own. W Ken the Republic seemed to
be definitely established. ut least for while he
snmed the more splendid signature of Napoleon
he has dropped the "Bonaparte :" and otherwise
given the plamest indications that if France cver
means to be Caesar. They little know the Prince
who dream that he Will ahdicate III favor of of
ambition which is bounded only by prudential con-
sderaons and desire to have the substance rather
than the shadow OF power.
The fates alone can tell whether we shall ever
that face so like the face of the conqueror of Aus
terlizt, French coins and postage. stamfs
Enough to say that the chances of Napoleon V. are
not worse than those of Napoleon ILL., when forty
years ago the future Emperor lay in the fortress of
Ham, Il prisoner under life-scntence and what
seemed worse, covered with mertcd rdculc. The
French character has not atcrlally changed since
eight millions of Frenchmen ratified the Coup d'Etat
What the nation hates and despises to-day it may
love tomorrow. And yet there was in the tempera-
mont of Louis Napoleon an element of success
which Is wanting to the present chief OF his iine
The mystic and fatalIst Louis had genuine belief
in his mission the heir of tho great Emperor
Prince Napoleon has such belief, and the lack of
faith Is but poorly supplied by the conf ,cnce he
entertains III his own abilities, though these of
TO the Princes prospects, is too notorious to he over
0okedVery unjustlv, there is every reason 10 be-
heye, he has incurred the reproach most fatal to
soldier and man who aspireS 10 rule over his broth
cr men. Why persons not bliaded by party passion
should have stigmatizcd the Prince "a coward is
Is difficult to see. lie returned from the Crmea be-
fore the war was OVER but 80 did the Duke of Cam
bridge without his losing reputation for courage.
Both Highnesses were in fact recalled for the same
reason, that they showed disposition to set their
own wills above that of their respective command
fight the Duke Of Aumaie.' With only
q child's life between him and the French throne
he was bound, as good citizen, to refuse the
challenge which IN truth, was never mean. to he
accepted. Who can conceive of duel between the
Grown Prince of Germany and the Duke OF Cum
Prince Napoleon's interests that he did not cross
swords with the Duke OF Anmac. The fatal mark
Is now lndeilbly branded as thoughwith a hot IRON
III 1870 III vas thought to place him IN COM
naid OF the Baltic Fleet, ut number OF officers
to serve under him: There were too many OF them
and some were to distinguished. to cashier.
Napoleon III tried to conceal from his cousin II at
terrible aiiront OF the naval officers and in reply
To his earnest cntrcatcs Tor empoymcnt against The
enemy, begged him to undertake n confidential
mission to his iathcr-in-!aw the King of italy
assuring he Prince hc could he of most use that
way. In spite of occasional quarrels the cousins
agne that tho Prince wished to pa the part Of a
Bonapartis. Egatc Is to fancy linn at once more
wicked and more foolish than he is. His interests
were closely bound up with the Empire, - he well
knew he ~ moreover too EpiCurcan care to play
with reyolutionary fire, and too good hearted to
profoundly affected by the ath of the Prince
Imperial, nor did his intimate friends doubt OF the
sincerity of his grlof
Tho Prince has committed the blunder of openly
soothing ut religion To do him justice. the agnos-
ticisln he paraded was perfectly sincere but tho
most honest convictions need not BE- bawleI
out on the housetops. When one sees the facility
with which some Of tn religious orders were broken
up last year, one Is apt to underTate the influence
which Catholicism still retains over the minds of
Frenchmen. The truth is thatthe vast body of ser-
Gus and wel-to-do men in Franco like outward
respect to be paid to the Church. They do think
the worse o! man fordsbcleving christianity but
they are impatient OF NOISY expressions of unbelief
Their sense of decorum, rovolCs from such sins
against taste "a the giving dinner-party on G. od
Friday aud receiving Bishop stark naked.
When one thinks of this last escapade one invol-
UNFAIRLY recalls the proverb which notes how silly
clever men can be. That Prince Napoleon is more
than clever no one who ever converscd with him can
doubt He is II wonderfully pleasant companion too.
whether as Mwccnas or as equal. No can tell an
anecdoc be ter, do a small kindness more grace
fully. As Emperor one pre- sumes, he would be under
enough restraint TO refrain from telling what in
Oxford slang used TO be called anatomical stO-
res and from cracking jokes on the Bible. He
would make good sovereign of the Louis
Philippe, or Leopold-the-First. pattern