National Republican., 1883-01-31
PLON PLON.
Who lie Really Is, and why He and the
Other Princes So Oricn Get Mixed Up
Like the Babies i'm "Pinaforc."


Other Princes So Oncn Get Mixed Up
Like the Babies i'm "Pinaforc."
TO the Editor.
| The way the names of Plon Plon," "Princc
Napoleon" and "Prince Jerome" are dis
criminately used by the press in general since
tho late French political sensation is very
amusing to any one intimately acquainted
with the real facts and personalities--it beats
the mixing up of babies in "Pinafore." Your
article few days ago on French Royalism
containing several inaccuracies, prompts me
to give clear explanation. Prince Jerome
Napoleon, otherwise known as Prince Napo-
leon (becauso his father during his lifetime
was called Prince Jerome) and niclSnamed d
"Plon Plon" as a pet name by his family
from early youth, on account of his astonish-
ing resemblance to the Emperor Napoleon l.,
is one and the same man. His father was
Jerome, king of Westphalia, the brother
TnRGSSa EisaSSh Patterson sHa the before Su'0%as %s
kingly honors reached him. BY q
second marriage after his divorce from Eliza
beth Patterson, he had two children.-a son.
Jerome. and q daughter, Mathilde. The as
sertion that Plon Plon was scarcely recog-
nized by the imperial court is entirely false.
On the contrary, he occupied, after his father,
who was uncle to Napoleon | II, the highest
rank at court and was the next heir to the
throne after the prince imperial II Is this
position of next heir but one that made ieal-
ousies and coldness between the regning
branch and his. He acted, during all the
reign of his cousin Napoleon III, the part that
Philippe d'0rleans, surnamed Egalite, acted
toward Louis XVI He felt bitterly the fact
that the son of the younger brother Louis,
king of Holland, had succeeded to the impe-
rial throne instead of himself, the son of the
elder brother jerome, and his manifestoes and
open letters on every occasion seemed
to breathe that fact and the desire
TO show the nation that he could
have done better, was more liberal, &C.
He relied good deal on his classic profile
that brought undeniable proof of his descent,
giving thus an indirect support to the whis-
pered scandal. that Napoleon III was not the
son of Louis, though the son of Queen Hor-
tense. In all his public actions he courted
popularity at the expense of his cousin, for
getting all the while that whatever the blow
was that crushed his cousin, il was certain
to crush the hopes of all, the Bona
parties as well. AS Eugene, of course, hated
him, as she did any influence that was directed
against her husband, and especially her son.
At the death of the prince imperial, Prince
Napoleon would have been the acknowledged
heir had there been no written will. But
Oho plluCc ilnpCIlul lclJ Iub lllcrltulCc OF
the crown and prospects of the empire to the
son, Prince Victor, thus despoiling the father
of his hopes and rights, and regarding him as
traitor to the imperial party and cause.
As for the assertion that he was hated for
the murder of Victor Noir, that is equally
contrary to facts Victor Noir was shot by
Prince Pierre Bonapartc, second cousin of
Napoleon ILL., who was given the title of
prince by courtesy, but had no standing at
court. He lived quiet life on the footing of
any bourgeois with very moderate income,
and died four or five years ago at Versailles
in quite reduced circumstances.
l hope you will take these corrections in
good part, and, as II consolation, | can say
that the French journalists just as easily fall
into similar errors The first cablegram of
the assassination of Garfield was worked out
from the original concise phrase-"Arthur cx-
pected from New York Unto, His son,
Arthur Garfield, who is in college in New
York, was summoned, and will reach here to-
night" also, it took some time before they
could realize that our present President was
not Mr.. Chester or Mr. A. Chester, or Mr.. Ar
thur Chester. "Great minds can fail alike"
HENRY s. CATON.