The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-12-13

tendency in Corsica, and became dictator
fIe contendcd yaliantly for the independ-
ence of his country, and for q while held
his powerful enemies at bay. This. how
ever. could not last. The French party
among the Corsicans desired the break king
of all connection between their country
and the petty state of Genon, and union
with the powerful kingdom Of France.
The cause of Paoli fell before overwhelmt
ing odds, an In MAY OF 1858, Corsica was
formally delivered TO the French. The pa
triots were scattered, and their leader
found refuge I'm England.
1t was i'm the midst Of these agitations,
civil and military, that the Buonaparte
family emerged clearly to view. Carlo
Maria Buonaparte was born In Ajaocio,
March go 1746. At the time of the fail
ure of the revolutionary movement and
the loss of his oountry's Independence, he
was twenty-five years of age. Meanwhile,
in his eighteenth year, he had fallen In
love with Letitia Ramolino, daughter of q
well-to-do Corsican peasant. With her.
nature had been prodigal of all gifts. She
was beautiful to degree; strongly marked
in feature and person with the excellen-
cies of the Italian race.
OF the Ramolino family, not much is
known. Suffice 1t that Carlo di Buona-
parte-though noble--recklessly took
Letitia in marriage when she was but f1f-
teen years of age. She brought him her
beauty and a portion of properties, but no
additional fenk. 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 SEN
timent. Her face, preserved in hundred
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 Buonaparte,
though discoverable only in fragments,
shows a mixture of courage and adven-
ture. He was a protector OF many things
"a visionary. His education was obtained
in Italy. He had been a student at Rome
and afterwards at Pisa, where he prepared
himself to be an advocate and obtained a
reputation for youthful eloquence The
University of Pisa conferred on him,
about the time of the birth of Napoleon,
the degree Of Doctor of Laws.
The collapse of the patriot cause had in
duoed Carlo Buonaparte, as a measure of
prudence, to leave Aiaccio and retire to
Corte. The latter, being an inland town
and having a mountainous situation, was
more deeply pervaded with the patriotic
spirit than was the lowland region about
Ajaccio The coast country gave itself up
freely to the French domination. During
the first five years of the married life Of
Carlo, he oscillated with his young family
back and forth between the two towns,
flnally-when safety came with peace
fixing himself at Ajaccio. This was in
the early part Of 1859.
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 1865. This child died In in
fancy, as did also the next, Marie Anne,
who was born about two years later.
Then, on January 7th, 1858, came the first
son, and to him the parents gave the name
OF Joseph Nabulione, or, as secondary
spelling would have 1t, Joseph Napoleone,
or. Napoleon. The latter name, though
appearing in the birth record of the fam
ily 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 of children, to repeat their names
for those born afterward. Nor was there
anything exact, as in the customs of the
ployed.
The surname, as well as the given
names, in the family of Buonaparte fluc-
tuated into many forms, and gave rise to
some discussion and confusion afterwards
One story ran to the effect that Napoleon
Bonaparte was born January 9TH, 1868,
and Joseph about nineteen months after
wards, that is, August 5th 1863. 1t was
no af mo hat fq 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
it is now known that no such thing &C.
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 afterwards 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 Buonaparte,
though augmented by his intermarriage
with the Ramolino family, was unequal
to his tastes and desires He possessed
property at Corte, and another in Ajaccio.
To the latter he came back In the early
part of 1869, and established himself In
the house where Napoleon was born. The
homestead oil Buonaparte was favorably
situated. The house Is still In excellent
preservation. 1t Is four stories In height.
From the upper windows one may SEQ the
ocean. The building Is succeed, Is rec
tangular, and has q fat roof, with 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 Marbeuf. 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
worshipers 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