New-York tribune., 1890-06-01

=, -. -. lin, with coInplacency for all Austria,
.to ,aIoco to the hovel, had learned to hate
=, ,aodnd name Nor was there the least pre-
,aoo -, Nopolcon's side For some time it was
question whether he would take bride from
81 Petersburg or Vienna, and only The 'zaI
,rocrostination determined the matter-fataily ioi
tbc Empire as il proved. NJ de oalh.-Aih'h" j"
undoubtedly right iii saying thdo hau N"Po"o"
,n,-on - Russian instead Of an Austrian wlie, ne
'.il '''n IN al probability not have crossed tie
vi,men. and might have saved his throne ara
empire.
Mario Iouisc did not love her bridegroom, and
-,''.l ,aoson tn regard him with liking even
I, is ,rue that she became rcconciled to her new
sition ord that she enjoyed the homage pald
60 ber os any Young and pretty woman woul"
,o,o Jone Hut she had no ambition She coul"
not forcct tho fate of Marie Antolnette. AC
hoort clio nrcfcrrcd domesicity 10 splcndor Ah'
il is certain that Napoleon overawed ana 10 some
extent opprcsscd her by his genius ana his ih'es1
iudividuality She yielded him llhplciV opc"hchO''
tcr thanks TO her Austrian cduca'ioh' IL was
sccond nature TO her Ia obey III IS 10 this thor-
ouch subsection of her spirit that we must cVch'"-
aIIv ottriubtc all that looks worst IN her career
Loving no independent volition, she inevitably
,ioLlcd to her father as meckly as she bad 20 her
husband when he WAS present Atter the 'obi-
cation Napoleon had no opportunity l" see hcr' o'
80 mi,bt have re-csiablished bis influence over
her Her father took care that they should not
meet Marie Louise became to all practical intcntN
. nyisoncr and il must be- Acknowledged that she
did not manifest much chasrin at her position
Tbi. COMPLIANT temper, however, was also the
etIcct of her training, and therefore should not
bo urped AGAINST her la truth, She appears to
have been a very ordinary young woman, gifted
in ro spccial way, and educated u IA docility
which deprived her Of all Initiative Her IeaI
nature only came 10 the surface when her SO
called happy days" were over, and there Is
uttlc reason 10 doubt that she enjoyed greater
nnd ,rucr felicity with Count Ncippcrs than she
had ever done with her Imperial spouse.
NJ de Saint-Amand has written very lively
and interesting account OF the gorlcs OF the I'm
pcriai Court. H. was all very splendid and mag
ni,ccnt but the old mobiles Of the Faubonr1 Saint
ncrmain were justified in asserting thai, after
all. there was something oyerdonc. something
crude and vulgar about all this o>tcntaton-thc
EXPRESSION Of that conscious inerOrlty which
the new could not but feel in the presence OF Tie
old Marie Louise was peculiarly precious T.
Napoleon because shc brought him an heir, and
because she connected his dynasty Nhln$ with
tie ancient House of Hapsburg. VI. dc SAINT
Amand repeatedly insists that she was just the
wife he desired and needed; hut any wife ot
Napoleon must have been pupIct. o. she would
have been crushed and discarded. Independence
was not permitted in that ncnage 10 the weaker
vessel she coGd Only carry out The ordci~ OF
her master and seek 10 please him hy inces>aht.
faithful service Marie Louise obcycd taNIly
aud chccrfully, and therefore created no friction.
In that way she commented herself 20 the I'm
pcror, who, however, never felt for her the ten
dernc>s he did for Josephine. even to the last,
a-t.
ycncnt chattcl, necessary link between the
new dynasty and the established monarchics.
iHi there is nothing TO indicate that shc Wa
much more ;han this 70 her grim lord and master.
The VERY fact. often referred 10 IN thl, volume,
that al 81 Helena Napocon never rcproaci'd
Marie Louise for dcsFrtng him. IS enough % prove
tina; lie took this view Of her. Between him and
her there not, and could not. be my quc,-
tion II love or of loyalty. She owed him nothing
from TIE moment he ceased 10 be Emperor aud
free She had been sold io him IN the most literal
manner Her price was il is true paid In thnt
| rainbow gold which TOO frequently constitutes
the valuable consideration of such State trans
actions bat this was no fault II hers. She bc-
| came free tie moment his dynasty Tell, and il
would have been unreasonable had Ac expected
| from her any proofs OF devotion which WIS i'm
possible in the nature Of the caSe-and of the
woman.
While the cInpirc endured NJ It's ful hcight -
splendor the spectacular aspect Of it was very
imposing but the Emperor himself. though he
cherished dangerous Illusions conld not have failed
| 70 through the hollow hypocrisy Of the adula-
! tlon with which he was cloyed bv all those Euro
! pcan prince kings ana rulers who were cNprts,-
| ing merely their fear Of his rliory power and his
interruptions ambition. and everyone Of whom
| .f,tlf.. Iat
! iuniiy served 10 do 50 with mpunity. He was
hated all over the continent with deep and
furious hatred. and he must have known 1t. His
luniahas certainly knew II, and It was This knowl
edge that caused them 10 warn him seriously
| against the Russian campaigh. But by this time
! his star had set: his great intellect had become
partially obscurcd; obesity and disease were TAX
| ing hold upon him, and INDULGENCE in the vanity
t. Which all his surroundings continually tempted
| him had weakened his Judgment and dTllcd his
| prcscence. The Russian campaign WAS in no
! sense n logical outcome ol anything that had
gone before II was purely artificial and a
purely arbitrary plan 1t might be considered a.
A tribute t. the unreal, illusory idea of himself
and his position in tie world which had grad
uollv crown up in the conqucror's mind In j.
too superstition, for the fist tmc, oycihorc
practical reason with him. The latter dwct stub
bornIy upon the material difficulties and dangers
| of the undertaking. \ lotuOus belief in his " star
alone outwcghcd all such considerations. and
| led to the crossing Of the Niclnrn. Ihencciorth
AS Theirs says there was glory enough, but no
success When Napoleon abandoned his hold upon
rculitics. his star sank below the horizon.
During that awful expedition whlt was Marie
Louise doing? Speaking generally she was doing
what is nowadays called having n good time ;
| unketing journeying, amusing herself with all
| manner of festivities There Is no sign that shG
took the least interest in what was going III
| Russia, or that she followed Napoeons course with
| anxiety or apprehension. Indeed, one Is apt 70
suspect in her kind Of disability at this point
a Iacntal dulness incapactating her from cngroSs-
mcnt by events which were absorbing the attention
Of millions Of people possessing very distant in
| ,orce,c indeed comma red with hers In the issue