The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-17

Us IT INTO suolecuOn- The French had
Just lost their colonial empire in North
america, and were anxious TO make a
sam IN the Mediterranean TO counterbal-
ain.
After the episode of Won Neuhof the
patriot leader Pascal Paom gained an as
cehay IN Corsica. and became dictator.
ne contended valiantly for the independ-
ence or his country, and for a while held
MS powerful enemies at bay This how
ever could not last The French party
among the Corsicans desired the breaking
OF an connection between their country
ana the petty state of Genoa, and union
with the powerful kingdom Of France
me cause Of Paoh fell before overwheIm-
ing odds, and in May of 1868, Corsica was
formally delivered to the French. The pa
trlots were scattered, and their leader
found refuge in England.
II was in the midst of these agitations.
civil and military. that the Buonaparte
FAMILY emerged clearly TO view Carlo
Maria Buonaparte was born in Aiaccio
March %, TAG. At the time Of the fall
ure of the revolutionary movement and
the loss of his country's Independence. he
was - years of age. Meanwhile, in his
eighteenth year. he had fallen in love
with Letitia Ramolino, daughter of a
Well-to-do Corsican peasant. With her
nature had been prOdigal of all gifts. She
was beautiful to a degree; strongly
marked In feature and person with the
eXcellencies of the Italian race.
OF the RamolinO family, not much is
known. Suffice il that Carlodi Buonaparte.
lhoueh noble, recklessly took Letitia in
marriage when she was but Is
years of age. She brought him her beau
ty and a portion of properties, but no ad-
dluonal rank. She is said to have been
girl OF heroic qualities, queenly in her
bearing, rather silent in manner. healthy
as TO her bodily life, and Ignorant of
sentiment. Her face, preserved in a hun
dred forms of art, shows Enthusiastically
the origin OF that Napoleonic visage with
which the whole world will be familiar
TO the end of human records.
The character Of Carlo di Buonanarte
though discoverable only in FRAGMENTS
SHOWS "A mixture of courage and adven-
ture. He was protector of many things
"a visionary. His education was obtained
in Italy. He had been a student at Rome
ana afterwards at Pisa, where he pre-
pared himself to be an advocate. and OH
famed reputation for youthful elo-
quence. The University of Pisa conferred
OlI niih' ABOUT the time of the birth OF
Napoleon, the degree Of Doctor of Laws .
me collapse of the patriot cause had in
duced Carlo Buonaparte. as a measure Of
prudence, to leave Ajaccio and retire to
Corte. The latter, being an inland town
ana having mountainous situation. was
more deeply pervaded with the patrfotic
spirit than was the lowland region about
aJdcclo. The coast country gave itself IN
freely to the French domination. DURING
the nrst i've years Of the married life of
carlo, he oscillated with his young family
BACK and forth between the two towns.
hnally-when safety came with peace
liking himself at Aiaccio. This was i'm the
early part of 1863.
Meanwhile, before this removal. three
children had appeared in rapid success
sion, at the hearthstone of Carlo Buona-
parte All of these were born at Corte.
The first was a daughter Elise. whose
birth was in 1765. This child died in in
fancy, as did also the next. Marie Anne
who was born about two years later.
Then, on Jan. Z, 1868. came the first son
and to him the parents gave the name
OF Joseph Nabulione, or, as a secondary
spelling would have it. Joseph NapoIeone
or, Napoleon The latter name, though
appearing in the birth record of the fam
lily. was dropped in the case of the oldest
son, Joseph only being retained 1t was
the custom of the age, in the case Of the
death or children, to repeat their names
for those born afterward. Nor was there
anything exact, as in the customs of the
nineteenth century, in the spelling en-
ployed.
The surname as well as the given
names, in the family of Buonaparte fiuc-
tuated into many forms. and gave rise 10
some discussion and confusion afterward.
one story ran to the effect that Napoleon
Bonaparte was born Jan. z. 17eS
and Joseph about nineteen months after
ward, that is, Aug. Is, 1863 1t was he
heyed at one time that the father inter-
changed the dates of the birth of his two
eldest sons, in order to get Napoleon into
the military academy before his tenth year
"a thing necessary under the law. But
1t IS now known that no such thing oc-
Cured. The only ground for the inven-
ton of the fiction was the fact that Jo-
seph's middle name was originally Nabu-
lone, and that this name, in a modified
form, was afterward conferred on the
younger son. True, the Corsican Jacob
was destined from birth to clutch the heel
Of Esau, and to supplant him in history.
The elder was to serve the younger. but
this was to be effected, not by a trick of
the father, but by the eternal law of the
strongest!
The estate of Carlo di Bounaparte
though augmented by his intermarriage
with the Ramolino family, was UNEQUAL
to his tastes and desires. He possessed a
property at Corte, and another in Ajaccio.
To the latter he came back in the early
part u 1tuJs anu tStdDHSneQ himself in
the house where Napoleon was born. The
homestead di Buonaparte was favorabIy
situated. The house is still in excellent
preservation. 1t is four stories in hight.
From the upper windows one may see the
ocean. The building is succeed, is rec
tangular, and has fiat roof, with a
small cupola, from which the flag Of
France was flying at the time when the
first emperor Of the French came into the
world.
About the birth Of great men cycles Of
fiction grow. Friends and enemies alike
invent significant circumstances. The
traducers Of Napoleon have said that he
was illegitimate-that his father was the
French marshal Marboeuf They also
say, on better grounds, that the marriage
of Letitia Ramolino to Carlo Buonaparte
was not solemnized until 1767-that the
first two children were therefore born out
of wedlock. on the other hand, the idol
worshippers would fain have Napoleon
born as a god or Titan. Premature pangs
seize the mother at church. She hurries
home, barely reaching her apartment
when the heroic babe is delivered with
out an accoucher, on a piece Of tapestry
inwrought with an effigy of Achillesl This
probably occurred 1t was on the 18th of
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