Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-04-04
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
No Doubt That the Former Was Madlv =,
Love.

No Doubt That the Former Was Mad,x =,
Love.
The meeting of Napoleon and 10
sephine was an event of first impor
lance His own account twice relates
that beautiful and fearful bow pre.
sented himself, soon after the disarma.
ment OF the sections, to the commander
OF the city. and asked for the sword of
MS father. The request was granted.
and next day the boys mother, Nine
beauharnais, came to thank the gen.
eraI Tor his kindly act of restitution.
Captlvated by her grace Buonaparte
was henceforward her slave A cold
critic must remember that in the first
place there was no disarmament of
anybody after the events of October S,
the only action Of the convention
which might even be construed in.
to hostility being a decree max
ing emigrants ineligible for cleo
ton to the legislature under the
new constitution; that in the second
place this story attributes to destiny
what was really due to the friendship
OF Barras, fact which his beneficiary
would like to have forgotten or con-
cealed; and finally that the beneficiary
left another account in which he con-
fessed that he first met his wife at
Barras' house, this being confirmed by
Lucien in his memoirs. There
are hints, too, in various contemporary
documents and in the circumstances
themselves that Barras was an adroit
matchmaker. In a letter attributed
to Josephine, but without address,
bright light seems to be thrown on the
Ia lie 70 10 f-;n
vice on the question of the match
After ocular introduction of her
sutton as anxious to become a IA
Their to the children of Alexandra
de Beauharnais and the husband of
his widow, she gives a sportive but
merciless dissection of her own charac-
ter, and declares that while she does
not love him, she feels no repugnance.
But can she meet his wishes or fulfill
Ms desires? 81 admire the generals
courage; the extent of his information
about all manner of things. concerning
which he talks equally we'll; the quick
ness OF his intelligence, which makes
him catch the thought of another even
before it is expressed; but / confess |
am afraid of the power he seems
anxious to WELD over all about him.
His piercing scrutiny has in it some
thing strange and uinexplica BILE that
awes even our directors; think, then,
how it frightens a woman The writer
is also terrified by the very ardor of
her suitor's passion. Past her first
youth, how can she hope to keep for
herself that violent tenderness"
which is almost a frenzy? Would he
not soon cease to love her, and regret
1,o
would be tears-a sorry one. indeed
but still the only one. ''Barras declares
that if / marry the general he will Sc
cure for him the chief command of the
army of Italy. Yesterday Bonaparte,
speaking of this favor, which, although
not yet granted, already has let his
colleagues in arms to murmuring, said
DO they think l need protection to
too happy if 1 give them mine. My
sword is at my side, and with it shall
go far What do you think of this as
:surancd of success? Is 1t not a proof
of confidence arising from excessive
.self-esteem? A brigadier-general pro-
tecting the heads of the government.
/ don't know; but sometimes this ridic-
ulous seif-reliance leads me to the point
of believing everything possible which
this strangs man would have me do; and
with his imagination, who can reckon
what he would undertake" This let
ter, though often quoted, is SO remark
able that, as some think, it may be a
later invention. If actually written
later, it was probably the invention of
Josephine herself
What motives may have combined
to overcome her scruples we can not
tell; perhaps love of adventure prob
ably an awakened ambition for sue
cess in other domains than the one
which advancing years would soon
compel her to abandon. She knew
that Bonaparte had no fortune what
ever; she must have known likewise,
on the highest authority, that both
favor and fortune would by her as
.sistance soon be his. At all events,
his suit made swift advance. and by
the end of January he was secure of
his prize.
On February 9, 1896, their bans were
proclaimed; on March the bridegroom
received his brides dowry in his own
appointment, on Carnot's motion. not
on that of Barras, as chief of the army
of Italy, still under the name of b.
napdrCe, on the seventh ne was ndnCeu
his commission; on the ninth the mar
rage ceremony was performed by the
civil magistrate; and on the eleventh
the husband started for his post. In
the marriage certificate at Paris the
groom gives his age as twenty
eight, but in reality he was
twenty-seven; the bride, who was
thirty-three, gives hers as not
quite twenty-nine. Her name is
spelled Detascher, his Bonaparte. A
new birth, a new baptism, a new
career, q new start in a new sphere,
Corsica forgotten, Jacobson renowned,
Gen. and Mime. Ronaparte made their
bow to the world. The ceremony at
tracted no public attention, and was
most unceremonious, no.member of the
family from either side being present
Mime. Mere. in fact, was very angry,
and foretold that with such differ
-ence in age the union would be barren
Prof. Sloane, in Century.
The Eject of Kindness.
"Does your husband smoke very
much?"
mo, indeed! find the best way tc
manage him is to let him have his own