The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-19
THE EX-KING, JOSEPH.
Bordentown Reeolleetions Of
Bonaparte-His First We'll
come From Henry Clay.

load OF fireworks, ana ne DreWeu enough
punch to keep an ordinary clambake IN
good spirits. Everybody who knows a
thing or two about the Bonaparte family
and in these days of the Napoleonic
| revival, there is no trouble to get any
amount of family g~ossip-knows that
Joseph Bonaparte was Napoleon's Tight
minded" brother, who carried by the
Little C~orporal's'' tidal wave of pros
perity on to two thrones. and by the
backward tow into Jersey exile. Long
before the abr of France became too
heavy for him, he had made up his mind
when he had to take French leave that
about half way between New York and
Philadelphia would be a good place to
locate, because it would be handy to get
news from the French ships coming to
these two ports.
Old Commodore Stewart met the ex-
King at his Philadelphia club, and told
him about the gqorles of Bordentown,
and induced him to locate on the Stephen
| Sayre estate, and to buy a farm and go
to raising vegetables. The New Jersey
Legislature gave him the right to own
property, and he set up a good deal of an
establishment, considering that he was
supposed to be a poor King, and always
in debt. Napoleon told him once that
his finances were ''deplorably conducted,
apparently on metaphysical principles.
Believe me, money is a very physical
thing Joseph, however, did not come
empty-randed, for he went into American
securities by the wholesale, and had
considerable gilt-edge stock to give away
to his relatives when he died.
JOSEFH'S DISLIKE OF BORDEN
TOWN.
Joseph did not like the Bordentown
people at first. They annoyed him.
They were busybodies, and kept him in
bad humor. One day when he went UP
to Trenton his house burned down, and
the tow1sfolk turned out and saved
much of his property, and every house
in the town sheltered some of the royal
brfc-a-brac and valuables. Everything
| was returned, even to some little trink-
cts belonging to the sad-faced little
Emperor. then at st. Helena. The hon
esty of these Jersey people impressed
him to tears, and he was profuse in his
| thanks, and expressed his gratitude in a
| hundred other ways. He began to asso-
| ciate more with his %neighbors and threw
| open his great park. Then began the
| jolly Fourth of July celebrations and the
ice carnivals which were his principal
diversions.
Joseph was a royal gentleman more
by accident than anything else. HIS
Jersey n~eighbors did not know that in
the eyes of his fiery little brother he
had been a youthful ne'er-do-well. He
was educated to be a bishop, not being
courageous enough to make a good SOL
der. Napoleon thought he had talents
at f1attery and would get on well in So
ciety, but never in war. He. however,
did some fighting in Naples, and earned
for himself a crown. 1t was a small
crown on a large head. Napoleon him
self is the authority for the statement,
for when he was on the throne of Ma
pies, Joseph boosted considerably about
his kingly powers and this often caused
must forget all our ties of childhood.
Let him make himself esteemed. Let
him acquire glory. Let him have q leg
broken in battle. Then I shall esteem
him.. Let him give up his old ideas;
Let him not dread fatigue" With, all
this sharp criticism of Joseph Napoleon
loved him. In the busiest time of his
life he often wrote him a daily letter on
matters of state, and actually kept him
busy at one time trying to inspire his
pretty sister-in-laW. Desiree Clary, to
contemplate an alliance with him, but
Napoleon had been practically cashiered
out of the army, for disobedience, SO
Sweden.
CLAY's WELCOME TO JOSEPH.
Henry Clay was Ino 1fSI American 10
accord a weeome to Joseph, He had the
only available apartments in the hotel
where Joseph and his friends applied, and
Henry Clay gave them up instantly, and,
strange to say. a dinner was spread at
the time. so the ex-king sat down to a
royal good meal and Henry Clay took his
friendship begun this day was a lasting
one. Joseph reciprocated at B~ordentown,
where the eloquent Henry Clay often
stretched his long limbs under kingly
mahogany and absorbed punch with the
ardor which unwritten history says the
great statesman was capable of. Daniel
Webster, John Quincy Adams, General
Scott and old Commodore Stockton We're
some of the Americans who called to
cheer the exiled king in his lonliness.
Commodore Stewart lived about a half
mile away, and he was a congenial neigh
Dor. He always participated in the jolly
Fourth of July celebrations. The gates
were thrown open and the whole town
was welcome to come and spend the day:
There was music and refreshments ana
CIR of the flags that foateo from the
trees. There were always some distin,
guighed callers from New York and
that Commodore Stewart laid his strong
est claim to a brew of punch. There
were few men of his day and generation
who could make as many varieties CT
fancy drinks as "Old lronsides' Stew
art. 1t was his delight each year to mix
joseph enjoyed these Fourth Of July
celebrations, for when the Marquis La
fayette visited him on the 18th day OF
September, 1924, there was a very de-
cided expression of reverence and es-
TEEN on the part of the people who
crowded into the park, and before the
departure of the Marquis and his friends
the doors of the mansion were thrown
open and the townsfclk poured into the
main reception room to shake hands
with the distinguished Frenchman, who
was then the guest of the country. At
ter the crowd had left the house, Gen
eral Lafayette begged his hosts pardon
for no wing dra WO unOD him so great a.
concourse of visitors Joseph replied that
he considered himself happy that his
%neighbors had been disposed to join him
in expressions of respect, and. besides,
he added:-'I lave long been accustom-
ed to see as many of them in my house,
for every year ON the Fourth of July
we celebrate, the anniversary of Ameri-
JoSEPH'S LOVE OF EASE.
Joseph liked ease. and managed to
get lots of it after he settled at Borden
town. He was a very democratic-look-
ing citizen, and there was little that
was kingly about him. Garrett s. Can
non, a prominent citizen of Borden
town, who saw Joseph one day and
stature he was short, his body inclined
to ~corpulency, but he had the distin-
guished characteristics of the Bona
parties"
Joseph had gathered around him quite
a family to dispel his loneti 1ess hut ,ut-
side of his son-inllaw, Prince Charles.
who had married Princess Zanaide, there
were none of his immediate family with
him. The Queen remained in Europe.
recently married, and they kept very
much together in the enjoyment of their