The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-23
TIE BIRTH OF NAPOLEON,

| From the Century.
The trials of poverty made tine Buo-
naparteS most clever and adroit. Sus-
picions of stiffness in small matters
were developed later on, and led to an
over close scrutiny of their acts. The
opinion has not yet disappeared among
reputable authorities that Nabulione
and Napoleonc were one and the same,
born on January 7, 176S, while Joseph
was really the younger, born on the
date assigned to his distinguished
brother. The earliest documentary
evidence consists of two papers, one in
the archives of the French war depart
ment, one in those of Ajaccio. The
former is dated 1852, and testifies to
the birth of Nabulione on January z,
l76S, and his baptism on January s; the
latter IS the copy OF an original which
declares the birth on January of Jo-
seph Nabulion. Neither is decisive,
but the addition of Joseph, with the
use of the two French forms for the
name in the second, destroys much of
its value. and leaves the weight of au-
thority with the former. The reason
ableness of the suspicion is further
heightened by the fact that Napoleon's
certificate of marriage gives the date
Of his birth as February S, 176S. More
over, in the marriage contract of Jo-
seph. witnesses speak of him as born
at Ajaccio, not at Corte.
But there are facts of greater weight
on the other side. In the first place
the documentary evidence Is itself of
equal weight, for the archives of the
French war department also contain
an extract dated July q, 1771. from &e
pne original baptismal certificate, and
this extract gives the date of Napoleon's
birth as August i5,l7G9. Charles appli-
,ation for the appointment of his two
eldest boys to Brienne has also been
found. and it contains, according to
regulation, still another copy from the
original certificate. 1t is dated June
p, 1916, and also gives what is now
generally accepted as the correct date.
This quite explOdes the old story that
Napoleon'S age was falsifed by his
father in order TO obtain admittance
for him to the military school The
application was made in 1916 for both
ooys, in order TO secure admission for
zach before the end Of his tenth year.
1t was the delay of the authorities in
granting the request which. after the
lapse OF three years or more, made
Joseph ineligible. The father could
have had no motive in 1776 to perpe-
.rate a fraud, and after that date IL
was impossible, for the papers were not
in his hands. The charge was made
during Ma poleon's lifetime. His broth
er positively asserted the fact. as II Is
now substantially proven TO be. and
Bourrienne, who had known the en-
peror as child OF nine. was OF the
same opinion. In the walk Of life TO
which the Buona parties belonged. the
6xitv OF names was not as rigid as il
later became. There were three Marie
Anues in the family first and last, one
o. whom was later called Elise.
As 10 the given name Napoleon. there
is curious though unimportant con-
fusion. We have already seen the
forms Nabulione. Nabulion. Ma poleone.
Napoleon Contemporary documents
give also the form Nopoloeone. and his
marriage certificate uses Napollonc.
On the Nendone column stands Ma
polio. Imp. a. If 70 recall Neopolus.
sainted martyr The i-reverent school
boys OF AUtun and Brienne gave the
nickname straw noSe-pa ille-auneZ-
20 the brothers The pronunciation,
therefore. was probably ss uncertain
as the form, Na-pz lle-au-nez being
probzba bly, distortion OF Napouillone.
The chameleon-like character Of
the name corresponds exactly TO
the chzmeleon-hke character OF
the times the man. and the lands OF
his birth and his adoption The
Corsiesn noble and French royalist vas
Narol eone d BQonanarte: the CorsicaR