The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-01-17
NAP0LE0NIC STOCK.
HIS FATHER WAS A PATRlclAN AND
his MOTHER A PEASANT.

Was Mother of Large Family.
OF the father and mother Of the en-
teror Professor W. NJ Sloane writes
as follows in Century:
Certain undisputed facts throw o
strong light on Napoleons father His
people were proud and poor; he endured
the hardships of poverty with equanim-
lty. Strengthening what little influence
he could muster, he at first appears am
bilious and has himself described in his
diploma as a patrician of Florence, San
Miniato and Ajaccio. On the other hand,
with no apparent regard for his person
al advancement by marriage, he follow
ed his own inclination, and in 1894, a,
the age Of rs, rashly perhaps, but gal
lantly, welded lowly and beautiful
child Of 10, 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 long life-hardy, unsentimental,
frugal and sometimes interruptions
Yet the hospitality of her little home in
Ajaccio was lavish, after the manner
of her kind, and consequently famous.
Among the many guests who awaited
themselves of it was Marbeuf, com.
mander in Corsica of the first army Of
occupation. There was long afterward
malicious tradition that the French
general was Napolcon's father The
morals of Letitia iii Buonaparte, like
those of her conspicuous children, have
been bitterly assailed, but her own good
name, at least, has always been vindi
Gated. The evident motive of the story
sufficiently refutes such an asporsion rs
it contains. OF the brides extraordina-
ry beauty there never has been Il doubt
She was woman of heroic mold, like
Juno in her majesty, unmoved in pros
perity, undaunted in adversely. 1t was
probably to his mother, whom he strong
ly resembled in childhood, that the ia
nous son owed his tremendous, even gil
gantic, physical endurance. If in his
mother was reproduced the type Of o
Roman matron, in the son would be re.
called the virtues and vigor of an i'm.
perator.
After their marriage the youthful
pair resided in Corte, waiting until
events should permit their return tn
Ajaccio. Naturally of an indolent tenn
permanent, the husband was mt first
drawn into the daring enterprises of
Paoli and displayed temporary en-
thusiasm, but for more than year be-
fore the end he wearied of them. At the
he'd of body of men of his own rank
he finally withdrew to Monte Rotondo,
and on May 90, 1862 few weeks be-
fore Paoli = flight, the band made form
al submission to the two French gem
erals, Marbeuf and Vaux, explaining
through Buonaparte that the national
leader had mislod thom by promises OF
aid which never came, and that, recog.
MIXING the impoSsibility of further re.
sistanco, they were anxious to accept
the new government, to return to theil
homes and to resume the peaceful con
duet of their affairs. 1t was this pre-
cipittte naturalization of the father a'
q French citizen which made his grea'
son Frenchman. Less than the,
months afterward, on Aug. Is, hi
fourth child, Napoleone di Buonaparte
was born in Ajaccio.
! The resources of the Buonapartes. "a
they still wrote themselves, were small
although their family and expectation
were large. An only child, Letitia haC
inherited her fathers little home ant
his vineyards in the suburbs, for hel
mother had married a second time. Hei
stepfather had been Swiss merconary
in the pay of Genoa. In order to secure
the woman of his choice he became q
Roman Catholic and was the father OF
Nine di Buor lparte's half brother, 10.
seph Fesoh. Charles himself was the
owner of lands in the interior, but they
were heavily mortgaged, and he could
contribute little to the support of his
family. His uncle, wealthy landlord
had died childless, leaving his domains
to the Jesuits and they had promptly
entered into possession. According t.
the terms of his grandfather's will, the
bequest was void. for the fortune wa!
to fall in such case to Charles mother
and ON her death to Charles himself
Joseph, his father, had wasted many
years and most of his fortune in weary
litigation to recover the property. Moth
ing daunted, Charles settled down t.
pursue 'the same phantom, virtually de
pending for livelihood on his wife'i
small patrimony. He became an Officer
Of the highest court as assessor and wa,
made in l772 member and later /;
deputy Of the council of Corsican mobiles
The peasant mother was most prolific
Her eldest child, born in 1893, was ,
son, who died in infancy; in 1867 wa
born daughter, Marie Anne. destined
to the same fate; in l7G8 son, known
later as Joseph, but baptized as Nabu
lone; in 1863 the great son. Napoleone
Nine other children were the fruit Of
the same wedlock, and six of them
three sons. Lucien, Louis and Jerome
and three daughters, Elise, Pauline ant
Caroline-survived to share their broth
er's greatness. Charles himself, like hi,
short lived ancestors-of whom five haf
| died within century-reached only
early middle age, dying in his thirty
ninth year. Letitia, like the stout Cor
sican that she was, lived to the ripe ag'
of SO in the full enjoyment of her facul
ties, known to the world by the sobri
Quet of Nine. Mere.
INF Enr -