Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-10-26
DIDLOUIS USE PAINT?
ZOLA'S CHARGE THAT NAPOLEON
PAINTED HIS FACE.

On the declaration of war agains
Prussia, both MN. de Cassagnas an
Mitchell threw down their pens for tn
sword, and enrolled themselves as vol
unteers in the First zouaves. Bot
We're personally known to the Empero
Napoleon iii, who saw them almos
every day, and now these two distin
guished authorities have come forwarc
to traverse the inference suggested b,
M. Emile lola in "La Debacle" tina
Napoleon III at Sedan had resorted to
cosmetic to impart unnatural rosiness IL
his complexion. M. lola describes tn,
emperor as having glowing cheeks, ant
adds, "Assuredly he had his face paint
ed" NJ. de Cassagnac has emphatically
stated that during his close association
with Napoleon before the battle he
never noticed trace of paint on the
imperial countenance, and in this denial
he is corroborated by M. Robert Mitch.
ell, who declares his certainty that the
then ruler of the French people used NO
pigment whatsoever during the opera
lions leading to the capitalization of
Sedan.
The question, although intrinsically
unimportant, is very curious, inasmuch
as this is not the first time that the
change of complexion of the son of
Queen Hortense has been made mat
ter of public discussion. The anony-
nous writer of that most entertaining
medley, "The Englishman in Paris
who first met Prince Louis Napoleon at
the Hotel Gu Rim, Paris, in 1949, has
plenty to say about the personal appear
ance of the then pretender to the French
throne. He describes his heavy brown
mustache, his thin lank hair, his aqui-
line nose and grayish blue eyes and the
general impression which the features
of the prince gave him of being ha-
bitual opium eater; and opium eaters are
assuredly not as rule persons of rud-
dy tint. Provokingly enough the Eng
llshman has nothing to say touching the
princes complexion at this stage of his
career.
The late Mr.. Kinglake has, on the
other hand, a great deal to state touch
ing the facial hue of the third Napoleon.
In his prologue to the history of the
Crimean war the writer describes the
emperor as apt, on days of great peril,
to turn facially green, and on this cir
he founded the opinion that
the emperor, either at the period of the
coup d'etat or on subsequent occasions
as momentous, did not, so far as could
be judged from his appearance, suggest
the conclusion that he was a man of ex-
ceptional courage. 1t is said, indeed,
that when Napoleon III read the first
volume of Mr.. Kinglake's history he
observed with a smile to one of his con-
fidants, 'This," pointing to the sea green
passage, unjust have been written by q
and anti-English French jour
nalists of the period did not scruple to
insinuate that Mr.. Kinglake's structures
on the personal appearance of the en-
peror were due to the inspiration of an
Egeria we'll known in Partisan society,
who hated the third emperor as bitterly
rs the first enc had been detested by
Nine. De Stael.
The authority, however, of the histo-
rian of the Crimean war was naturally
20 highly valued in England that the
story of the emperor turning green on
lays of battle or revolution obtained
universal credence, and to some extent
t was used to bolster up the absurd &C
of personal cowardice which
he ultra republicans constantly brought
against their imperial foe. It remained
or an illustrious English surgeon, not
ong deceased, to point out the indubita-
Die verify that man has no command
over his blood, although by the exercise
If his will he has every command over
lis muscles. Meanwhile it must be
frankly admitted that in circumstances
If emergency the features of Napoleon
III did assume peculiar hue.
The color was certainly not ruddy,
,or was it swarthy or sallow; it was
curious leaden gray. But that such
eaden gray had nothing to do with the
capacity for mourning danger
without wavering there is on record first
he observation of the distinguished Eng
ish medical man to whom allusion has
been made, and next to the personal tes-
imony-not by any means exclusively |
hat of MN. de Cassagnac and Mitchell |
of people who had constantly been !
lose to the emperor, and who had OBJ
erved his physical mien from the early |
tages Of his career to it's mournful and |
VICTORIOUS close. He was undoubtedly |
IS brave as his uncle, the Great Napo-
con, who, by the way, was frequently |
lccused in the English press of being an
Ibject coward.
The harum scarum adventure of Stras- |
'urg and the madcap escapade at Bou-
ogne showed that poltroonery was not |
lmong his shortcomings, and although |
Mr.. Kinglake would have us believe |
Napoleon III turned green at Solferino |
md Magenta, there is plenty of evidence |
rom eye witnesses who were near to |
he emperor throughout those moment
'us battles to show that whatever tint |
he face of the emperor took, it was GER
ainly not a verdant one. AS to Sedan !
here is the further testimony of Princess |
dathilde, who declares that she never |
old any one that the emperor was in !
he habit of using cosmetics. Since the |
appearance of M. Zola's statement she
las questioned persons who were at the |
'attle and they all assert that "the leg
nd is absolutely false" The princess
dds, 81 cannot believe that, even with |
good intention. he could have en- |
,lOyed that actors trick under such /
rave circumstances. London Tele-
;raph.
In Greece the priests sell sick charms,
consisting of pieces of paper, on which is
written the name of the disease from
which the person is suffering, and these
re nailed to the door of the chamber.
..--s
Whittier's Picture.
On one occasion when the artist Parker |
nad been painting a portrait of Charles
Sumner. Whittier came to Chestnut |