The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-02-18

WIN Lnle view ne mace preparations IOr
the invasion Of that country. ] find in q
letter of his to Marshal Berthier, dated
Sept. 81, 1905, that an expedition was
officially decided upon, that $4,000 men
fully equipped and armed, at Bre t, were
to hold themselves in readiness to EN-
bark at any moment, and that diversion
was to be made, simultaneously with the
landing in Ireland, on the coast OF Kent
in England. Just at this p-opitious p mo-
ment fate once more dashed the cup of
hope from 5reland's lits; for, owirg to
the crushing defeat of the French heet
at Trafalgar, the whole project had to be
given up by Napoleon. Before this col
lapse had taken place it should be said
that the Irish Legion was established
under the direct auspices of Napoleon in
1903. Tue necessary imprimatur of the
First Consul having been given to the
decree authorizing such a step, Adjutant
General MacSheehy vas charged TO ex-
ecute it, which he did by proceeding to
Morlaix where he organized corps coro-
posed almost exclusively Of Irishman.
Shortly after it's formation Captains Ten
nant and Corbet were deputed by the
Legion to 20 to Paris to attend the coro-
nation OF the new Emperor at Notre
Dame cathedral. Both officers were
there presented with beautiful flag of
the sovereign who thanked the Legion
for it's devotion to France. On one side
of the colors were inscribed the. words:
"Napoleon I. Empereur des Francois Ia
Legion Irlandaise," while on the reverse
was crownless harp bearing the inscrip-
tion. "LIndependance d'Irlande The
subsequent career OF the valiant Legion
is told simply but eloquently in the pages
of the "Memoirs of Miles Byrne," one OF
it's most chivalrous and devoted officers.
It's soldiers followed Napoleon in his trail
of military glory over Europe, fighting as
nobly as did their predecessors of the
Irish Brigade, and hoping against hope
that they would be able one day to strike
a final blow for the old land. With the
setting of the Napoleonic sun at Water
loo, however, their expectations OF any
such issue for their arms we're definitely
lald at rest and buried--at least for their
time and generation. Before dismissing
the personality of Napoleon himself from
this sketch, it may be interesting to note
that the copfdant and friend Of the great
man in the closing years of his life, when
he was chained like an eagle to the rock
of St. Helena, was an Irishman named
O'Meara.
Napoleon ILL.,, though professedly q
friend OF England, was at heart as much
an enemy of that nation as his uncle. He
was most discreet in concealing his
hatred. Still heshowed his teeth in 1865
when he openly rejoiced at James Steph-
ems escape from Richmond prison, Dub
lin, and gave instructions to his minis
ters to have the Fenian chief treated
with every respect and Difference during
the term Of his residence in France. The
British ambassador in that city sounded
the Emperor on the question of Stephens
escape, whereupon the sovereign smiled
in that cynical fashion peculiar to him,
saying: II shall not pull the chestnuts
out of the fire for your masters this time.
+ did it once too often at the Criunea. [
shall never do so again. James Stephen
shall have and enjoy French hospitality
ae long as am in the Tuileries."
Prince Jerome Napoleon, a nephew of
Napoleon T., visited ireland in the early
sixties where he was received with
hearty welcome, which he afterward very
ungraciously acknowledged by writing
sundry libels on the Irish race. An in
teresting story is told of the visit of an
other of the Bonapartes, Lucien, to the
Emerald Isle. He was once presented
with an address by a certain Irish muni-
cipal body, and by way of special conaTli-
ment the document was composed aud
read in French. After listening to it, the
Prince rose, and speaking in English ex-
pressed his gratitude, but added that he
could not reply to the address in detail, as
he would have wished. since it was his
misfortune not to understand the Irish
language!
It is not generally known that Irish
American blood runs in the veins of the
American Bonapartes. Napoleon's young
est brother, Joseph, who, by the bye, was
educated in the Irish College. Paris. while
serving in the French navy, paid visit
to Baltimore, Nd, where he fell in love
with and married Bessie. the beautiful
daughter Of q wealthy merchant, named
William Patterson, who was an Irishman
by birth and descent. The young couple
sailed for Lisbon in 1906. In that city
the bridegroom was arrested by o.ders Of
the French Emperor who issued q decree
annnling the union. Thus torn from the
arms Of his wife, the ignoble Jerome be-