St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-06
NEPHEW OF HIS UNCLE.
"reminiscences Of Prince Napoleon's Visit
to This Country Twenty-Five
Years Ago.
Pen Pictures of Plon-Plon as He
Stood in the Blue Room at the
White House.
What Was Done in His Honor--His
Magnificent Sflence"--A Dis
graced Nobleman.
New York World.

Graced NOb1eman.
New York World.
1t is almost an even quarter of a century
since Prince Napoleon, at that time very
much disgraced Plon-Plon, who would not
fight duel, first visited New York. On a
| bright Saturday afternoon, July 81, 1861,
his beautiful steam yacht, the Jerome Ma
poleon. sailed up the harbor and anchored
off the Battery. Accompanied by his
pretty little Italian wife, the Princess
Clothilde, this man, with his big paunch
and slender limbs, was travelling incognito
and fairly begged the good American people
not to make too much of him. He wanted
no displays, no grand receptions. Plon-
Plon was not averse to some OF these
things at times, but on this occasion he only
wished to be let alone.
His wish was granted. Almost un-
helalded he came to the city, and while
here he received as little attention as posi-
BILE. One thing contributed to this i'm
munity. The country was half delirious
with the war fever, and the North was still
quivering under the shame and agony of
Bull Run when the titled pleasure party
reached the American shore. The people
had other things to think of than princes
and half-tledged potentates.
The Union club found time to fill Plon-
Plon with the wine of his native country
one festive night while brave boys were de-
tending with their lives the approaches to
Washington and the noble board of alder
men voted him beautiful address and the
freedom of the city. But this, with private
hospitalities from Mayor Wood, was all
that was accorded to him.
The Princess Clothilde took handsome
apartments in the New York hotel, 'front.'
Ing Oh Washington place, and being de-
vOut woman spent much of her time at
st. Stephens church. She and her lady
companions lived as quietly as possible.
The princess. not being i'll good health,
could not stand much fatigue. A daily
ride in all open carriage, all hour or two
spent in receiving calls of a personal nature
and a single excursion on Staten Island
ferry-boat about filled the cup Of dissipa-
ton of Victor EmanuePs daughter during
the time that she remained i'll New York
Plon-P lon did not lose his health by over
long kneeling on the marble floors of any
church, and if he knelt at any other shrines
while here twas done with the quietude OF
private citizen and not the reckless dash
of royalty. The good man was not many
removes from bridegroom then and was
After short stay in New York he went
to Washington, and through Secretary
Seward was introduced to President Lin
coin. He had not given much satisfaction
to the slow-going New York reporters of
twenty-five years ago, but the Worlds
Washington correspondent wrote of his
royal hghness in this style:
when the veritable wearer of coronet
places his regal legs under the same ma
hogany that covers the Democratic contin-
uatiOns of a republican monarch the gen.
eral public, never obtrusive though mildly
inqulsitive. desires-yes. demands-that
the particulars of the portentous hobnobb-
ing shall be given"
Another extract or two may not be unin-
teresting:
He was presented to the president at
noon of Saturday. The interview was
deeply interesting and suggestive. On the
one side marked by the courtesy and reti-
cence that form the badge of the nation and
the family, on the other by an innate deli
cacy of feeling and purity of heart that
leaves nothing to conceal. The converse
ton was utterly free from political discus
sion. The president would not take adj
vantage of his position, and the prince has
a magnificent faculty for silence. After
while Napoleon arose, and, placing his
hands behind him in the st. Helena style.
bowed Napoleonically, and the accom-
plished MERCER bowed, and the heads of
the suit inclined like opulent wheat-e ears
in the breeze, and the imperial cortege
rolled away"
AT o'clock they reappeared to the tune
of Yankee Doodle" by the Marine band
and were ushered into the Blue room. His
imperial highneSS stood in The center in
that attitude which makes him seem like
portrait of his uncle on temporary leave
of absence from its frame, in full dress, his
breast a flame of decorations and the
broad crimson scarf of marshal of the
empire traversing with great richness of
color his substantial front view. His face
was clean shaven and his hair was arranged
like that of the French consul. He is a
man to respect. You may laugh at him if
you like: you may call him Plon-Plon and
speak obviously of the authorship of his
speeches, but when you see the princely at
titude, the cold, impressive, classic features
and the very look OF this worlds greatest
man-the dead emperor-staring out of
eyes and brow, you feel an entirely invol-
untary impulse of respect, and honor your
self by bowling to him."
With Plon-Plon were Mercier, BarOche
Lieut.. Col. Raglan and Ferri Pisani, Capt
Bontls and young Maurice Sand the son
of his mother, George Sand. Among
those with whom they dined in the Red
room were the Lincolns, Lord Lyons, Sum-
ner, Chase, Seward and lesser lights of the
cabinet. and Gems Scott and Mcclellan.
Death has harvested nearly all who were
at that dinner table.
From Washington the prince went with
the consent of the authorities to Manassas.
and passed the night with Johnston and
Beauregard. The rebels urged him to 20
on to Richmond, but he declined, fearing
that political capital would be made out of
such visit. He preserved his ''magniti-
cent silence on both sides of the line Col.
Stewart was accused of having said to him,
Now, prince, when you get home you'll
hurry up that recognition" which the South
hoped to get in consequence of his visit, but
the wary Plon-Plon is said to have replied:
''Mais, mon ami, je ne suis pas rEmpereur."
Returning to New York, Plon-Plon gave
a private fete on his decorated yacht.
While the band was still playing its after
dinner music he slipped away and went to
the Union club, to which he had been in
vited. 1t has been rumored that on
this occasion the Union club was painted
very red indeed, but the walls of that inst-
tuition have no drums in their ears. and the
memory of the older members is very, very
short A day or two later the prince was
on his way to Niagara Falls, leaving his
bride in this city.