Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-12
KISSED A PRINCESS.
4 PHlLADELPHlAN'S FEAT IN THE
DAYS OF GENERAL JACKSON.
lie Won a Wager but Kicked Up an Excit-
ing International Row-The Tradition
That Tells How Midshipman Charles Bar
ton Kissed Dom Pedr, : Sister.

That Tells How Midshipman Charles Bar
ton Kissed Dom Pedr, sister.
OF all the rich unw1t'en annals, polit-
heal, social and moral, of the third and
fourth decades, no tradition resting upon
memory has come down TO our times more
repleto with romantic dash, merriment
and broad fun than the incident of "The
Philadelphian's Famous Kiss" which
evolved three great nations and nearly the
whole diplomatic world, some with fierce,
hot anger, which threatened for awhile the
staid and decorous Quaker City on the
Delaware with the fate Of Hector and old
Priams doomed city Of Troy, while the
balance of the world was convulsed with
uproarious laughter.
Claiming the old mans privilege OF
generosity, Will give the story Of the kiss
rs it came To me, partly through the gos-
sip within the precincts of the imperial
palace of Brazil, partly through the gossip
of naval circles the year after the occur
renee. This tempest Of anger, hot and
fierce, and of fun loud and boistcrous, was
created by bright, handsome. dashing
Philadelphia youth, n scion Of one Of the
oldest, most powerful and generally be-
loved Philadelphia families, who hid left
his native city for the first time in 1929 TO
do his devoir as nidshipman on the Bra.
lillian station.
Barton was his name and under the in
spiration Of his first naval uniform he be-
fore sailing had been doing some rather
loud Boosting. His sister and a bevy Of
her young associates, rather disguised mt
his airs, had questioned his ability 10 re-
alize his big boasts, among which was his
wild pledge to kiss a foreign princess be-
fore he revisited his native city This ex-
travagant pledge appeared to his sister
about on par with the promise of NJ.
Paraclcs TO recover from the enemy the
captured drum and suggested the wa
ger Of a suit of clothes made by the most
fashionable Chestnut street tailor against
the most costly silk dress in the Quaker
City.
After year or Is months of incessant
watching for an opportunity 10 redeem
his pledge Barton at last found the object
of his long search. Almost within the
precincts of the palace the royal coach Of
state came rumbling along one of Rios
narrow streets, followed at "a short distance
by squad of mounted hussars. In the
coach were the two young princesses, the
sisters Of the late Emperor Dom Pedro,
who, then about 10 years old, was under
the tutelage Of n regent. Barton saw the
state coach approaching and planned his
audacious scheme with cool and excellent
judgment. He stood at a corner where the
coach would probably turn, out Of sight
for a moment Of the lazy escort, and quick
er than thought he had, regardless OF haz-
ard and peril, rashly jumped up behind,
and through the aperture behind kissed
one of the royal occupants of the coach.
OF course the princess screamed because IL
was all done in open day on one Of the
most frequented thOroughfares Of the city
of Rio JancirO. Having won his wager
with his sister, Barton quietly resumed his
position at the banquet as if nothing had
happened The amaZcment Of the hussars
at such a daring and pcrilous action was
so great as TO paralyzc speedy rctributiOn,
and Barton returned unmolcstcd by the
sunset boat from the palace stairs TO his
ship.
But he was not left long in quiet on his
ship. The hot blood of the Braganzas was
up in arms calling loudly for the death of
the plebcian miscrcant who had soiled
the royal maidcn's check with his hot pie
bcian breath. The regent made demand
for the delivery of the young offender, TO
be held 90 answer 10 the offended laws of
Brazil first upon the captain Of Barton's
ship, which was promptly refused, and
then upon the secretary Of state at Wash
ington. The evidence of Barton's culpa-
bility left no loopholc open through which
even Philadelphia lawyer could find es
cape, and Mr., Forsythe, General Jackson's
secretary Of state, was at his wits ends
how to avoid making an abject apology TO
1 9 D
branch Of that blueblooded family having
come into the quarrel TO rescue the family
honor from a dete,ted plebcian' 5 audacious
desecration of the cheek of their Oyal
cousin of Brazil.
AS tub to the angry Braganza whale
court martial was appointed 10 try Barton
for his contumacious familiarity with the
insulted Brazilian princess. The sentence
of the court was that Barton should be
cashered from a profession he had so sig
nally outraged. That sentence was sent
by special messenger 60 the Brazilian re-
gent and our government was courteously
thanked for the prompt PREPARATION it had
made. II was a fact not perhaps known
TO the Brazilian regent that the sentence
of the court could only take effect after the
presidents approval and when the sem
tcnce was laid before the president for APP
proval he secuted the idea of stigmatizing
young gentleman for an act rash and
perilous, but too strictly in line with hui
man weakness 10 be dishonoring.
Summoning Barton 10 Washington be-
fore final action of the sentence of the court
martial, the venerable president accosted
Barton thus, Did you kiss that Brazilian
princess, as is charged against yous" Il
did, was the unhesitating reply. What
prompted you TO such rash, impudent
actS Was she SO ravishingly beautifully
NO replied Barton; she had large, love
ly, almond shaped eyes ind "a splendid suit
of dark hair, which hung nearly to her
feet in two heavy plaits, altogether very
pretty girl seemingly in bad health. Why
general, have kissed the rosy checks Of a
hundred pretter girls in Philadelphia, and
they never made half the fuss that this
tallow faced Brazilian has. 1t was mo-
mentary Impulse TO win a wager l made
with my sister before sailing for the coast
of Brazil. And, as for the enormity of tho
offonse, cannot see il in that light at all
felt at the moment that as an American
officer / was comforting an honor" Turn
ing from his subordinate with pleasant