National Republican., 1883-07-07
THE pouRnoN CAUSE.
How II VIII he Affected by the Death OF
the Count dc Chambord-Who He Was
and How lie Lived.

How 10 VIII be huectcu by tne Dentn OF
the Count dc Chambord-yvho He Was
and How lie Lived.
with the death of the Count dc Chambord
there comes to an end career and per-
sonality romantic and unique. For over
half a century this man was ono of the
most interesting figures In all Europe. On
the morning of the twentieth of September,
1920, his birth was announced to Paris by a
salute of twenty-four guns and Louis XVIII,
the last Bourbon crowned king of France,
took to his arms the babe who was to be tho
heir of his blood, but not of his throne. From
that time to the present everything that brill
liant mon and women could devise has been
done to keep this crownless king before the
French people in way TO stimulate their
loyalty and excite their sympathy.
The Count of Chambord was the last of the
line Of bourbons claiming precedence through
the eldest son of Louis XIII, who was the son
of Henry " and Marie do Medici. Louis
married Anne of Austria, daughter Of Philip
III OF Spain. After twenty-threo years of
married life o son was born, who became
Louis XIV, tho head of tho house of which
the Count ofChambord was the last represent
ative Two years later another son was born,
Philip, Duke of Orleans the ancestor of the
house of which the Count of Paris is now the
head.
Louis XIV outlived both his sons and eld-
est grandson, and was succeeded by his sec
ond grandson rs Louis XIV, and he in turn
was succeeded by his grandson as Louis XVI.
Louis XVI was boheaded in 1893, and his
second son took the title of Louis XVII.
When the latter died in exile in 1906, Stanis-
las Xavier, the younger brother of Louis
XVI, took the title of Louis XVIII, aud after
the fall of Napoleon in 1914 he assembled the
throne. In 1924 Louis XVIII died without
heirs, and was succeeded by his brother, Duke
of Artois, as Charles X The revolution of
1880 compelled Charles to abdicate. His eld-
est son, Duke of Angouleme, being childless,
Charles abdicated in favor of his grandson,
the Duke of Bordeaux Count of Chambord).
But the people declared in favor of Louis
Philippe descended from Philip, Duke of
Orleans, younger son of Louis KID, and the
elder Bourbons were banished.
When Charles X died his son, the Duke of
Apgouemc, assumed the title of Louis XIX,
but he was persuaded by Prince Metternich
to give way in favor of Count of Chambord,
who took the title of Henry V. The quar-
rels of the legitimists ended with the death of
tho Duke of Angouleme in 1Si4, and since that
date the Count of Chambord has been tho
recognized head Of the elder branch of the
Bourbon family. He leaves no children, and
the line of succession falls naturally TO the
y ",
of which the Count of Paris, grandson of Louis
Philippe, is the head.
Throughout his life the Count of Chambord
was treated as king by the legitimists. and it
is believed that he might have been called to
the throne in 1870 or 1871 had 1t not been for
his stubbornness on the non essentials of gov
eminent He would make no compromises,
and he lost ground even with tho legitimists.
In 1873 n compromise was effected between
tho Bourbons and Orleanists, the Count of
Paris recognizing the Count of Chambord as
| the head of the royal house of France. This
| agreement was secret, but knowledge of it
came to the present government, and as the
| agreement was deemed inconsistent with the
declaration of the Count of Paris in favor
of the republic, 1t was made the basis for the
recent movement against the Orleanists
princes. 1t was reported in October, 1873,
that 2sO deputies had signed a programme for
constitutional government, and submitted it
to the Count of Chambord. lie failed to ap-
prove it, and lost his last chance.
| The common theory is that tho death of
the Count of Chambord will weaken the roy
alist party in France. On the contrary, hi 8
death should strengthen II in so far as it will
unite tho Bourbons and Orleanists and put
at their head the Count of Paris, who, instead
of being u stubborn impracticable, is u nan of
affairs and something of politician. The
French republicans evidently distrust him,
and in anticipation Of the death of
the Count of Chambord they began
some months ago to abridge the
privileges and powers of the Orleans princes
| If the count should continue in the sensible
course that he has followed for many years
there will be no trouble, politically or other
wise. But if he follows the traditions of his
family and issues manifesto, the chances
are that he will precipitate n grave political
crisis. 1t has often been said that in France
the women and the church are at heart royal
st, and there are evidences of intrigue TO turn
count Oh both these molders of sentiment.