Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-11
THE AMERICAN BONAPARTES
Outlines of Well-Known Romantic Stor
Recalled to Memory,

THE AMERICAN BONAPARTES.
Outlines of weIl-Known Romantic Story
Recalled to Memory.
From the Philadelphia Press.
| Prince Napoleon, who died only the other
day, was the son of Jerome, the youngest
brother of Napoleon the Great. This fact
brings nearer to US that great series of events
beginning with "a Whit of grape shot and
ending with Waterloo. His death, moreover,
has peculiarly vivid interest for Americans,
because it recalls the story of the first love of
his father, Jerome, for young American girl,
Betsy Patterson of Baltimore.
| 1t is a sad tale of romance, imperial ambi-
ton and diplomacy. Napoleon had already
won undying fame in Italy when his young
brother, Jerome, was but twelve years Of age.
| He soon entered the French navy, for it was his
| great brothers ambition to make of him
! fighter on the fit to cope with Nelson.
1t was English frigate that de-
stroyed this plan by driving the French
frigate bearing Jerome into American
waters. At Baltimore jerome fell Inadly
in love with and married Elizabeth,
the beautiful daughter of William Patterson,
a rich merchant and an Irishman by birth.
| Elizabeth, or Betsy as she was called, had q
consuming ambition and when friends opposed
the marriage she said: II would rather be the
/
than the wife of any other man for life."
Napoleon was highly displeased with this
match because he already himself on the
| throne and wished his brothers to marry only
''blue bloods." Jerome and his wife only
learned of the establishment OF the empire
when about to sail from New York to beg the
| forgiveness, of the first consul They learned
at the same time that both Jerome and his
| brother Lucien were debarred from the line Of
succession for marrying against Napoleon's
| Wis a nnrla Sftl
| hoping forgiveness and advancement, sailed
for Lisbon i'll 1905.
There Jerome was arrested and taken to
France, after fearful adieu and protestations
of everlasting fidelity to his wife, who was not
allowed to land. She sent message to the
emperor which tickled him immensely
| Tell the emperor" she said, that Nine.
Bonaparte demands her rights as a member of
| the imperial family"
| She proceeded to England where boy was
soon born to her and christened Jerome Napo-
| leon Bonaparte. jerome, the father pro-
ceeded to Paris, little thinking that he would
never see Betsy again, save Ii a stranger, and
with another wife upon his arm.
| Napoleon positively refused to recognize the
marriage, but promised Betsy an annual pen
! sion of Sl2, 900 providing she would return to
America and renounce the name of Bonaparte,
which conditions she accepted. Many times in
later years she returned to Europe and figured
as the center OF sensations in foreign courts.
winning the homage not only Of her husbands
mother and other members of the family, but
also from the Duke Of Wellington, Mime. de
Stael, Byron and even the equity old Louis XVII,
who tried to have her appear at court, but az
she still received pension from the exiled
emperor she declined.
| Her husband, Jerome, thus separated from
her, compelled by his brother to marry
Catharine, the daughter Of the King of wur-
| temberg. Soon after he was made King of
| Westphalia. lie then sent to America for
| Betsy child, "Bo''-an abbreviatian of Bona
parte. She refused to give him up, and in re-
ply to the offer of her husband of q ducal
| crown. with an income Of ss40, 900 a year. she
sent back the scornful message: 'Westphalia is
too small for two queens besides, already re-
ceive Sl2 900 Il year from the emperor. and
would rather be protected by the wings of the
eagle than be dependent on the bill of
goose"
She ever afterward spoke with contempt of
her husband, although DO" frequently visited
| his fathers family in Europe, where he was
treated as a son and a brother, his half-sister,
Princess Mathilde, being especially fond Of
| him. Afterward DO married u Baltimore
lady, causing his mother, Madame Betsy, great
anger by doing So His cousin, Emperor Napo-
leon Ill. invited him to France where he was
legitimized and received a member Of the
family. His half-brother, the son of Jerome by
Catharine, quarreled with the emperor, and
there at one time strong intention to
make DO the heir presumptive, but ulti-
mately DO was declared ineligible. He de-
| clined duchy, refusing the condition attached
| OF surrendering the name Of Bonaparte. On
| the death of King Jerome in 1860 his American
| wife, Betsy Patterson, contested his will. She
was, however, refused share Of his property.
| The letters show q great contempt for her
native land. She wrote to her father from
Florence in 1929 as follows:
"A parent cannot make silk purse Of sow's
| ear, and you found that you could not make O
| sowS OF a silk purse. 1t was impossible to
bend my talents and my ambition to the OBJ
scure destiny OF a Baltimore housekeeper, and
it was absurd to attempt it after had married
the brother OF an emperor. had not the mean
! ness of spirit to descend from such an elevation
to the deplorable condition OF being the wife of
| an American. e.
IL often tried to reason myself into the
courage necessary to. commit suicide when
contemplated long life to he passed in "a trad
| ing town, where everything was disgusting to
my tastes, ana where everything contrasted 90
| strongly with my wishes.
II never could have degraded myself by mar
riage with people who, after l had married q
prince, became my interiors.
1.-The Americans themselves had sense and
| good taste enough to feel that had risen above
| them, and have always treated me with the re-
spect and Difference due to o superior.
when first heard that my son could con-
descend to marry any one in Baltimore nearly
went mad.
II repeat that I would have starved. dad.
rather than married any one in Baltimore"
In her old age Betsy's constant companions
were carpet bag and red umbrella, the
color Of the NapOleonic dynasty. ''Bo" died
in 1870. His mother survived till 1879, dying
at the age OF ninety -four years, and leaving q
fortune Of 81 800 900 to Bo's two sons, jerome
and Charles J. Bonaparte.
Charles J. married Miss Nellie Day Of Bos-
ton. who is . granddaughter Of Mr.. James @.
Dunn, Q merchant of Boston.
Prince Victor, who succeeds to the Bona
partist claims, was born in 1852 and educated
4 in Germany. He lives in Brussels, whence, no
doubt, q bombastic manifesto to the French
people may be looked for before long.
A Love Mystery.
From the Somervills Journal.
| Uuless n woman can ba iaalor,s aha sa,,vck -