Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-26
Trafts of PIon.Plon.


 Nothing will come of it, believe, for the French are more caught by show of courage than by anything else, and the other Bona-- partists knew very well what they were about when they determined to destroy all future chances of this mans present or future suc- cess by propagating the legend ot h1s tlmld- ity. He is not 8 coward, only ho does not care about hard knocks-it is distinction with difference. He has 8 keen sense of danger and that keen sensit1veness to pam which are not uncommonly found with large intellectual natures. He sees eVerytniAg go clearly that he sees that with tho rest, and he knows in advance that bullets hurt. One cannot help refecting on good many things when in his apartment in the Avenue d'Ans1n one sees the sword.of Napoleon, his uncle, carefully preserved among the relics His mistake is in thinking that the sword can be kept as a mere curiosity forever and that the work he has to do can be done with the pen Times have not changed so much as all that. Thare is besides @ picture of himself 1n h1S generals uniform in the Crimea, kept, one cannot help thinking, as piece ot document arv evidence that he was not always what his anemies choose to make him out to be. In- l deed, the stories of his pusillanimlty In the Crimea and Italy are mere lies. He was no l coward only he was not brave-nine tsnths \ of mankind are just the same in this respect. l He is striking, or at least curious hgare; l he is not only well informed, but learned; he | can be eIoauent on occasion, with rather l cold reasoning eloquence of the Voltalrlan l type: he is first rate adviser where his own ! interests or his own fears do not cloud hls | judgment, and with 8 twin brother who was man of action he would help to make the most formidable governing comolns1AoA VI modern times. l He has absolutely no belief in religion, but 1 he has the true princely turn of mind in think | ing that his personal infdOlity is matter or \ no moment and that he may consistently aYeW ' faikI Sc concern just as wise lawgiver would make due provision for the water supply, though his own drink might be wine. He is as skep- tical about family relations as about most
 other things. The Princess Clotilde had to
 leave not only him but France on account or
 the shameless opennesg of his relations with l another woman; but this in it's turn, would
 not prevent him at the proper time from ut
 terine proper Napoleonic phrases about re- spect for the morality of the family and on | the same principle as the one explained above. l He may not care about family morality him. self but it is not for him in his representative | capacity to stand in the way of those who . do Some of the best legitimists, who never . l sit down to dinner without making the sign
 of the cross, hold just the same views ano live just the same life. Virtue in our days ii 3 a mere plank in platform.
 With all this, shall we say to some exten . because of it, there is something royal about him. He has what may call the in0fAble ness of his undoubted Hnship with the grea ? emperor. His cousin never had that repose f from first to last he had the nervous, unquie l ciyility of commercial traveller taking ordsr for a crown. He was always popularity hunt . l ing; he never seemed to be able to fall bacl l. upon any fund of it accumulated by his ances tor If the peasants were flooded out at Ly l ons he went down in an ostentatious way tC give them money, and in return, like an. other actor, expected them to give him | bo1d Hia xuifa arabracad little drummer l boys on fitting occasions or lifted up sorrow , iue widowhood before all France Prime y Napoleon never affects to do anything of thi d sort; there is dignity in his selfshness, o
 shall say in his rudeness, on the principl
 Mr. James has so admirably laid down, tha T aristocracy is organized bad manners. H
 receives you standing-I mean unless you ar c one of his personal friends-and he turns hi n back on you when the talk is over as d sign that you are dismissed.