The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-01-25
WITHOUT A THRONE.
A King Who Was Without Honor
in His Own Country.
History in Brief of the Late Count of
Paris-His Services AS q Volun-
teer In the United
States Army.

Louis Philippe Albert, Comte de Paris,
whose death occurred recently, writes
Pierre Cominges in Golden Days,
claimed to be the king of France. He
was, however, never on the throne and
never acknowledged king in France.
The monarchical governments of Eu-
rope, as rule, profeSsed to believe
that he really was king, but, of course,
to preserve their friendly relations
with the republic, they were forced to
recognize the president as the chief ex-
ecutive of that country.
Nevertheless, Louis Philippe was re-
garded king by quite a strong par
ty, who will now turn to his son, Louis
Philippe Robert, young man of tyyen-
ty-tive, who is very much in earnest in
his pretensions to the throne of France.
Comte de Paris was born in Paris on
August "a, 1888, and became, by the
death of his father in 1912, the imme-
diate heir to the crown his grandfather,
Louis Philippe, had picked up when
Charles y. dropped it in his flight from
Paris, after the Three Glorious Days"
of July, 1880.
When he was ten years of age Comte
de Paris was, with his grandfather,
King Louis Philippe, driven from
France by the revolution of ls4s.
Though too young to remember his
fathers death, Comte de Paris oubt-
less always remembered the scene
when his brave mother took him and
his brother to the chamber of deputies,
only to escape therefrom at the peril of
their lives After many dangers, the
fugitives succeeded in crossing the
frontier, and went to live at country
house belonging to the grand duke of
SaXe-Weimar.
The eXiled king and queen reached
England, and there the ex-king died in
1850. Ever afterwards Comte de Paris
has occupied the position of pretender
to the French throne.
c He has lived very quiet life, en-
livcned by very slight conspiracies,
none of which involved any very dan
gerous schemes, and result he has
been very little before the public eve.
The only time, indeed, when he came
very prominently before the world
was in 1861, when, accompanied by his
brother, Due de Chartres, and his
uncle, Prince de Joinville, he came to
America and offered his serrices as a
volunteer to aid in the preservation of
the union Gen Mcclellan. then com
mander of the army of the Potomac,
his staff, with the rank of captain.
John Jacob Astor. whose name will
always be a synonym for millionaire in
the United States, was also on the staff
of the general. Both the distinguished
foreigners We're obedient. well-be-
haved and thoroughly acquainted with
the duty of their positions. COmte
de Paris was repeatedly intrusted by
Gen. Mcclellan with important and
dangerous commissions, which he full
filled with credit and ability. For
more than a year the comte partici-
pated in the varying fortunes of the
army of the Potomac, accepting no pay
for his services.
France began shortly after this to in
terfere in Mexican affairs, and there
arose a GOODNESS between this country
and the comte's. which led to the
comte's resignation, lest he might be
called upon to fight his own people. He
therefore resigned his commission, in
spite of Gen. McClellan's efforts to- re-
tain his services.
The overthrow of Napoleon III. and
the downfall of the second empire at
last enabled the comte to return to
France. The third republ very soon
after il was Established, fell into the
hands of coalition of royalistS, who
permitted the Orleans princes to return
to their native land and restored them
their estates, which had been confis-
Gated by Napoleon Ill, with forty mil
lion francs as an indemnity for the
deprivation of their revenues. The
comte received his share. and also his
ancestral estate.
For awhile it seemed very probable
hot H., l..
but, the partisans of the other
claimants refused to help them, the
French people at last got tired and be-
came for the most part good republic
ans In 1873, when it was too late to
do any good, all the claimants to the
French throne, except the Bonapartists,
recognized the comte de jure king of
France.
A royalist demonstration in 1sS6 led
to the exile of the comte and all mem
bers of his family.
He took up his residence in England,
and from that country issued mani
festoes declaring that the men who
We're ruling France had lost the conf
dence of the people, and the only sal
vation of the nation was to restore the
monarchical form of government.
The new head of the French royal
house - Louis Philippe Roberts
quick, intelligent, active, energetic,
passionately fond of movement, and
uncompromising in the expression of
his thoughts and feelings. In dispo-
sition and temperament he is singu-
larly unlike his father, who was one of
the best informed men living, deep
thinker and Il scholar.
What influence the new pretender
will exert on the destinies of France
cannot be guessed, but the probabil-
tiles are that, like his father. he will
live and die mere pretender-a king
without a throne or a crown.