New-York tribune., 1896-05-03
TOPICS IN PARIS.
TWO POPULAR PRINCES BONA.
parties REwDNEsS-TESTING
MILE. COUEsDON's POWERS.

FdTlS, <APIh 81.
It Is a strange coincidence that the only TWO
princes who have any slight prospects OF De-
coming rulers Of France are junior members or
families the heads Of which have been exiied
es pretenders TO what was once the French
throne Thus Prince Henry Of Orleans, the
explorer, son of the Due de Chartres. occupies
an infinitely higher place In the regard and az
fection of the Royalists than does his cousin.
the banished Duke Of Orleans. while Prince
Louis Bonaparte. who has just been promoted
to the rank Of general Of cavalry In the Russian
army, In which he has been serving for the last
ten or fifteen years. ls certainly to far greater
extent the favorte Of the Imperialists than his
unworthy elder brother, the exed Prince Vic
tor Napoleon. Neither the Duke OF Orleans nor
Prince Victor stands the faintest chance OF ever
becoming either King Emperor OF France
But II would be rash to make the same predc-
tions with regard either to Prince Henry or to
Prince Louis. Both are appealing to the masses
OF their fellow-countrymen-tha Is to say, to
the democratic sentiments Of the people. Prince
Henry who has, without fattery. distinguished
himself lately an explorer. has paid homage
to the President Of the Republic has accepted
the order Of the Legion Of Honor at his hands.
and In q public address has declared that all
he desired was to be permitted to serve his coun-
try without restriction and to win FOR himself
popular pardon for the offence OF having been
born prince Of the blood. And now we near or
Prince Louis announcing that he Is determined
to abandon the title OF Prince which he has
hitherto borne. and that he wishes from hence-
forth to be known by no other name than that
of General Bonaparte.
This Is one OF the cleverest and shrewdest
moves that could possibly have been imagined
II he has any pretensions to the French throne
For, in the first place. It appeals TO the demo-
cratic sentiments OF the French people to see
Young man apparently sufficiently careless Of
rank to abandon the title OF prince and to de-
scend to the level OF his fellow-citizens. while
In the second place there is not Frenchman
who does not remember that It was as General
Bonaparte that the great Emperor won all his
most celebrated Observation-Disclosures that serve
to make up the most glorious pages Of the his
tory Of France 1t was as General Bonaparte
that the first Napoleon attained his greatest
fame and won for himself the place which he
still holds to this day in the heart Of every Gaul
whose heart throbs faster at the memory OF
victory won by French troops. and 1t was only
when he assumed the title OF Emperor that his
star began to wane BY assuming the title OF
General Bonaparte as he is perfectly justified In
beneath the feet Of his elder brother and prac-
ticaIlv proclaims himself the heir and represent
atve Of the first Napoleon. OF the latters ira
ditions OF his doctrine and Of his claims upon the
admiration and regard Of the French people
LIKE HIS FAMOUS GRANDUNCLE.
or all the members Of the Bonaparte family 1t
is certainly this new General Bonaparte who
most closely resembles In character the first and
I'm q
how 10 hold hts tongue He possesses that vir-
tue, 60 rare In this country. OF being able TO say
just wha. he wishes and no more-and what ne
wishes 10 say is very little. There are probably
only half dozen people In France who have any
real conception OF what are his aims and Ideas.
And OF these. one Is undoubtedly his aunt. the
Princess MathiIde who is immensely fond OF
him treats him like her eon and has promised
10 make him her heir. He is to come here to
stay with her on visit soon after the coronation
festivities at Moscow. and the Government Will
find itself in a somewhat awkward Quandary II
his presence is made the object Of any political
manifestations. For he stands high In the sooo
graces and favor Of the Emperor OF Russia that
ally whom France Is anxious to propitiate,
no matter at what cost: and by coming here. not
as Prince Louis, but as the Russian General
Bonaparte he makes II dIfY1cult for the Repubii-
can authorities to charge him with posturing AZ
pretender ani to exile him as such. What IS
so remarkable about him Is that. In spite OF his
popularity In the Russian army so little should
be known about him. All that the people are
aware OF is that his conduct has given rise to no
scandal whatsoever. that ne has performed his
military duties In Russia In such way as to
win the admiration and goodwill not only OF
his comrades, but also OF his military superiors,
- tba T,,p al
It is known that he has been excellent and
devoted son-that too under circumstances OF
great difficulty his father and mother being sep
arated from each other until the formers
dea tn. while his elder brother was on such terms
with the father that the latter cursed him on his
deathbed Should war ever break out In which
Russia were called upon 10 cooperate with
France, and young General Bonaparte to
succeed In achieving any kind OF military dis
tinctlon on the battlefield euch as to recall the
glorious memory of his granduncle there Is no
knowing but what the French people might ac-
claim him as an Emperor destined to efface from
the pages Of the history Of France the stain Of
the terrible defeat Of Sedan
DISCOVERY OF RAPHAEL.
The Count de Bourbonne. leader OF the party
which believes that Louis XVII escaped from
the Temple has found a Raphael. Of the
masters finest pictures in the most curious man.
ner The Count has castle in Burgundy. and
one day, wandering through a brc-a-brac shop
OF the village, he saw an unframed picture
fastened TO some boards In a perfunctory and
aimless kind Of fashion. Examining 1t. he
realized that behind the rough and inartstic
painting there were some exquisite heads. done
In an evidently mastery manner. These were
so obscured that only the eyes Of a connoIsseur
could have discovered them. The Count bought
the picture for fve-franc piece. brought II back
with him to Paris had 1t cleaned up. and to-day
he Is the happy pocsessor Of a Madonna and
Child which is perhaps the most remarkable
among the thirty Raphaels long ago brought