The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-10-17
WHERE NAPOLEON DIED.
A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF
THE OLD CAMDEN HOUSE.

Camden House, at Chiseihurst, where
Napoleon LII breathed his last add where
the Empress Eugene endured 90 many
heavy Affections, were disposed Of under
the hammer Of Christie & Manson. the
auctioneezs. who have assisted at the
dispersal Of % many families and the
break up Of many homes
If any man b pulled NO with a sense
OF his own importance, with family
pride or vita delight in his wealth, O
visit to Christie 6 Manson's ought to
bring him to his level The greatest and
proudest OF the present day are not more
exalted in their own esteem than were
the clients. living or dead, whose affairs
have from time to time been placed in
the hands of the auctioneers of King
street, st. James When Napoleon III
took up his abode at Chiselhurst he be-
heved that it was only for brief season
and that the destiny of his son was, at
any rate, perfectly secure. That was in
1871, just after the war with Germany
which terminated so disastrously for
France
PICTURESQUE LOCATION
Camden House is very pretty place.
standing in beautiful gardens. Even an
emperor might make himself oontented
there II his heart were not fixed too ex-
ciusively upon the thone. Louis Napo-
leon cared little for the orchards or hon
gardens Of Kent. The man fresh from
Sedan" could scarcely be expected to lose
himself In admiration Of carnations and
roses The exile's world was in rains
round him. but his own words, which
became the jest Of Europe, may still
have haunted him: .sFFeats peut se re-
tablir ~bsd he not acknowledge in his
letter to the national assembly from
Chiselhurst that his heart was broken
when he surrendered at Sedan? Yet
some faint remnants of hope survive
even in broken heart.
Perhaps the emperor did not see thai
all was over until Sir Henry Thompson
whispered in his ears the words which
babe him prepare for his long journey.
He died in 1878, and still the empress
could console herself with the thought
that her son would restore his dy-
nasty and bring some compensation
to her for the sufferings she had passed
through. Who could have supposed at
that time that this idolized son, the
prince imperial, would perish miserably
at the hands Of savages in one of Eng
lands little wars2 What man can fore
see his fate, or woman, either?
The prince, then in his twenty-third
year only, was weary of inaction and
pining for some opportunity Of showing
that some of the qualities which the
world cannot help associating with Ma
poleon had been transmitted to him
There were no events in connection with
his own country which gave him any
such opportunity. He had to take what
ever came to hand, and he placed him
self at the disposal of the country which
had afforded shelter to his father and
mother.
The great Napoleon, in talking one
day to Las Cases, said: "There is nothing
more than chance in it," and it must
have been only chance which sent the
prince imperial to Africa in 1879 to fight
in quarrel which had no interest for
him, and there to fall beneath the assegais
of some naked Kaffirs. More than ten
years have passed, and the world knows
something of the sorrows which have de-
scended upon the head of thelad mother.
They say she was the instigator of the
war between Germany and France. 1t
is questionable story, for have not later
events made it clear that Bismarck laid
the train to the mine and exploded it at
the moment which seemed to him most
convenient
A BITTER EXPIRATION.
In any case, if the Empress Eugene
did any wrong, bitterly indeed has she
been called upon to expiate it, for her
Napoleonic race has ceased to exist AL
though the prince imperial acknowl-
edged Prince Victor, the son of Prince
Napoleon, as the head of the family in
the event of his own death, the empress
has never done so. She allowed Prince
Napoleon to leave Chiselhurst after the
emperor's funeral without even seeing
him.
Some curious reflections must have
passed through Boulanger's mind as he
stood over the relics of Napoleon at
Nine. TussaudAs most interesting collec-
ton Of relics By the way, although
very few Londoners condescend to 60
and see them they are inspected chiefly
by our country cousins and foreigners, IN
which latter category I do not include
Americans. As for the house at Chisel-
hurst, there q No necessity for any Ma
poleonic devotee 30 summon up any pdous
emotions over It. It was taken as a fur
nished house, and all things in 1t belonged
to the owner, Mr.. Strobe, and not TO the
Napoleons. It was the death of the owner
which rendered the necessity of the sale.
The empress has ceased to reside at
Chiselhurst, but the remains of her hus-
band and son still rest there in the sar-
cophagus which was presented by the
queen.
1t is scarcely likely that they will ever
be taken to repose with those of the
great Napoleon at the mvalides, and yet
who can say9 All things are possible in
France-even a greater warrior was al
lowed to remain for some time neglected
in his island prison. Here we have only