Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-25

pereur deS ErancalS for Napoleon. with the right of hereditary succession in his family. Though tho influence of the government was strongly devoted to the scheme, the proposal met with serious opposition. The conspicuous voice of Lazare Nicolas Carnot, grandfather of the recently assassinated President of the French Republic, was heard above the din of affirmative applause. But on the 18th of May the measure was car risd in the senate.
 A consultum was promulgated, by which the Imperial dignity was con ferred on Napoleon Bonaparte, and the decree was at once sent to tho people. Another surprising election was held. a; which 3, 52l, 254 voters recorded their decision. Of these, 3, 521. 675 were in tho affirmative, and only ,, 519 in the negative! Whatever critical history may say of the antecedentS of tho Empire, certain it is that no other hereditary ruler of mankind was ever confirmed in power by such an acclaim of his Coun- trymen! With good reason the feudal notion of territorial dominion hitherto expressed in the titles of rulers, gave way under this Imperial election; for Ronaparte was made Emperor, not of Franco, but of the French.
 Notified by the Senate of the estab- lishment of the Empire and of his own nomination thereto, Napoleon accepted the trust. The ceremony of notification was at St. Cloud. Josephine was also | congratulated by tn" Senate. Tho Palace of St. Cloud was thronGcd on the Occa- | sion with the distinguished and elite of France. Just after the ceremony was over, n footman, rich i'll gold lace and scarf, made his way into the crowd. whcro tho Baron Claude Francois de Mereval-seCretary to Bonaparte after the disgrace and dismissal of Bour- rienne-was standing, and said: Sir, the EMPEROR wishes to see you!' It was the first time that that astounding word had been applied to Bonaparte! History for nearly century has confirmed it. At SL Hslena he himself-oifendOd at the small minded oficiality that desig- mated him as General Bonapartc-said indignantly. "I shall always be known in history as the EmSeror NapulcOn!' | Tho Empire thus created was made to date from tho 18th of May, 1904; but the coronation of Napoleon did not take place until the snd of the following De- cember. Practically, the change in the government was not great. The stream of Consular power flowed into tho wid- ening river of Imperialism without a bend or the Eoiss of cataracts The cor onatioa was a scene memorable in hu- man annals. Plus VII, conciliated by tho late Concor.iat, camc willingly from Roms to crown tho soldier of fortune, and to leave on him and his work the Papal bencdiCtion.
 It was at tho altar of Notro Dame where the Rcvolutionists of the Terror had danced the Carmagnolc-that the Emperur-cl,Ct uf tho French knclt to re, ceivo tho diadem. Tho Popo gavo it.
 but Napoleon. taking it from his hand, put it on his own hcad-a thing most fitting to do; for ho had made 1t for him
 self!
 | Josephine was crowned with her i'm
 periuuS lord. Returning from Notr'
 Damo tO tho TuilrrieS. the Emperor, or reaching his own apartment, tore of a' rapidly as he could the imperial vest
 m9nts, and got himself into his usua
 apparel; for he was man of business
 The occasion was sunlit with splendor
 and all hearts seemed full of life anC
 light: all but One-the heart of Jose
 phin0. To her what ominous significance
 was in that clause of the senatus- consul
 tum which made the crown hereditar.
 in the famiIv of Napoleonl Dire wort
 was that word family" to Marie Jose
 phs Tasccr, whilom Madame do Beau
 harnais. now Impsratrice des Prancais
 For she was forty one and a-half year
 of ags-apoch well nigh fatal to poSsi
 bls motherhood.
 Only slight changes were made in tn new Imperial administration. All sucl
 notifications looked to tho unity an' glary of the Empira Napoleon prs
 served as much as he could of the Der
 sonnsl of the preceding Consular gov i srnmenE His two colleagues. Camba cores and Lshrun. ware appointed tn one arch-chancellor and the other arch treasurer of state; Joseph Bonaparte Wa
 made grand slsctor, aud Louis the I'm : psrial constable. Eighteen of the grea
 generals who had become such with Ma 9 poleon in the field were made marshal ; of France. The transformation swep
 over the landscape like the dapple shadow of a sunny cloud. The Christ mas holidays of 1904 came to Paris in @ blazo of splendor. The Gallio worl 5 danced and smiled under wreaths of iv 0 and the flash of crystal candelabra, an the mutter of distant war was scarcel 0 heard on the widened and confident bOl ders of Franca
 + JOHN CLARK RIDPATH-