St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-01-26
PARENTS OF NAPOLEON.
His Father Was . Patriclan and His
Mother . Peasant.

His Father Was . Patrician and His
Mother . Peasant.
Certain undisputed facts throw 4
strong light on Napoleon's father. His
people were proud and poor: he endured
the hardships of poverty with equanim-
ity. Strengthening what little influ-
ence he could muster, he at first ap-
pears ambitious, and has himself de-
scribed in his diploma as a patrician of
Florence. San Miniato and Ajaccio. On
the other hand, with no apparent re-
gard for his personal advancement by
marriage, he followed his own inclina-
ton, and in 1894. at the age of eight
cen, rashly, perhaps, but gallantly
welded lowly and beautiful child Of
fifteen. 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 life-hardy, unseen
timental. frugal, and sometimes I'M
scrupulous. Yet the hospitality of her
little home in Ajaccio was lavish, af-
ter the manner of her kind, and conse-
quently famous. Among the many
guests who awaited themselves of it
was Marbeuf. commander in Corsica of
the first army of occupation. There
was long afterward a malicious tradi-
ton that the French general was Ma
poleon's father. The morals of Letitia
di Buonaparte, like those of her con-
spicuous children, have been bitterly
1~,>k ~
least, has always been indicated. The
evident motive of the story sufficiently
refutes such an aspersion as it contains.
of the brides extraordinary beauty
there never has been doubt. She was
a woman of heroic mold, like Juno in
her majesty, unmoved in prosperity,
undaunted in adversely. 1t was prob
ably to his mother. whom he strongly
resembled in childhood. that the IA
gigantic, physical endurance. If in
his mother was reproduced the type of
a Roman matron, in the son would be
recalled the virtues and vigor of an
imperator.
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
Paoii, and displayed a temporary en-
,husiasm, but for more than a year be-
fore the end he wearicd of them. At
the head of body of men of his own
rank he finally withdrew to Monte
Rotondo, and on May %, 1869, few
weeks before Paoli's fight, the band
made formal submission to the two
French generals. Marbeuf and Vaux,
explaining through Bonaparte that the
national leader had misled them by
promises Of aid which never came, and
that, recognizing the impossibility of
further resistance, they were anxious
to accept the new government, to re-
turn to their homes. and to resume the
peaceful c. nduct of their affairs. 1t
was this precipitate naturalization of
the father as q French citizen which
made his great son Frenchman. Less
than three months afterward, on Au-
gust 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 ex-
pectations were large. An only child.
Letitia, had inherited her fathers lit
tie home and his vineyards in the sub
urbs, for her mother had married
second time. Her stepfather had been
1 Swiss mercenary in the pay OF Genoa
In order to secure the woman Of his
choice he became . Roman Catholic.
md Wa ITO father Of Nina di Huoaa-