Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-11-29


OF the father and mother of the en-
peror Professor W. NJ. Sloane writes
as follows in Century;
Certain undisputed facts throw q
strong light on Napoleon's father. His
people were proud and poor; he endured
the hardships Of poverty with equanim-
ity. Strengthening what little influence
he could muster, he at first appears am
bitious anG has himself described in his
diploma as patrician Of Florence, San
Miniato and Ajaccio. On the other hand,
with no apparent regard for his person
al advancement By marriage, he follow.
ed his own inclination, and in 1894. al
the age of rs, rashly perhaps, but gal
lantly, welded lowly and beautiful
child of is, Letitia Ramolino
Her descent was the reverse of her
husbands, although her fortune was
quite equal if not superior to his. She
was of peasant nature to the last day Of
her long life-hardy, unsentimental,
frugal and sometimes INSCRIPTIONS
Yet the hospitality of her little home in
Ajaccio was lavish, after the manner
of her kind, and consequently famous.
Among the many guests who availed
themselves Of it was Marbeuf, COM
mander in Corsica of the first army OF
occupation. There was long afterward
malicious tradition that the French
general was Napoleon's father The
morals Of Letitia di Buonaparte, like
those Of her conspicuous children, have
been bitterly assailed, but her own good
name, at least, has always been vindi-
Gated. The evident motive of the story
| sufficiently refutes such an aspersion as
it contains OF the brides extraordina-
ry beauty there never has been doubt.
She was q woman of heroic mold, like
Juno in her majesty, unmoved in pros
perity, undaunted in adversely. 1t was
probably to his mother, whom he strong
ly resembled in childhood, that the IA
nous son owed his tremendous, even gi-
gantic, physical endurance. If in his
mother was reproduced the type Of q
Roman matron, in the son would be re-
called the virtues and vigor of an i'm
perator.
After their marriage the youthful
pair resided in Corte, waiting until
events should permit their return to
Ajaccio. Naturally of an indolent tenn
permanent, the husband was at first
drawn into the daring enterprises Of
Paoli and displayed temporary en-
thusiasm, but for more than year be-
fore the end he wearied Of them. At the
head of body of men of his own rank
he finally withdrew to Monte Rotondo,
and on May 90, 1859, few weeks be-
fore Paoli's fight, the band made form
al submission to the two French gen.
erals, Marbeuf and Vaux, explaining
through Buonaparte that the national
leader had misled them by promises Of
aid which never came, and that, recog-
nizing the impossibility of further re-
sistance, they were anxious to accept
the new government, to return to thei1
homes and to resume the peaceful con.
duct of their affairs. 1t was this pre-
cipitate naturalization of the father al
French citizen which made his great
son a Frenchman. Less than three
months afterward, on Aug. Is, his
fourth child, Napoleone di Buonaparte,
was born in Ajaccio.
The resources of the Buonapartes, as
they still wrote themselves, were small,
although their family and expectations
were large. An only child, Letitia hat
inherited her fathers little home anG
his vineyards in the suburbs, for hel
mother had married second time. Hel
stepfather had been Swiss mercenary
in the pay of Genoa. In order to secure
the woman of his choice he became ;
Roman Catholic and was the father O
Mime. di Buonaparte's half brother, 10
seph Fesch. Charles himself was tn
owner Of lands in the interior, but the,
were heavily mortgaged, and he coult
contribute little to the support of hi
family. His uncle, wealthy landlord
had died childless, leaving his domain
to the Jesuits, and they had promptl.
entered into possession. According t.
the terms of his grandfather's will, tn
bequest was void, for the fortune wa
to fall in such case to Charles mother
and on her death to Charles himself
Joseph, his father, had wasted man.
years and most of his fortune in wear
litigation to recover the property. Moth
ing daunted, Charles settled down t
pursue the same phantom, virtually de
pending for a livelihood ON his wife
small patrimony. He became an office
of the highest court as assessor and wa
made in 1772 member and later
deputy of the council of Corsiean mobiles
The peasant mother was most prolific
Her eldest child, born in 1765, was
son, who died in infancy; in 1767 wa
born daughter, Marie Anne, destine
to the same fate; in 176S son, know
later as Joseph, but baptized as Nabu
; lione; in 1869 the great son, Napoleone
Nine other children were the fruit {
the same wedlock, and six of them
three sons, Lucien, Louis and jerome
J and three daughters, Elise Pauline an
Caroline-survived to share their broth
er's greatness Charles himself, like hi
short lived ancestors-of whom five ha
] died within century-reached onl
early middle age, dying in his thirty
ninth year. Letitia, like the stout Coz
sioan that she was, lived to the ripe ag
Of SO in the full enjoyment Of her facu
ties, known to the world by the sobri
quet Of Mime. Mere,
Subscribe for the NoRTHwEsT-$1.00.