New-York tribune., 1897-02-21
rur HOUSE OF BONAPARTE.
. EXTINCTION IN EUROPE APPARENT
LY CLOSE AT HAND.

-, hos nlaved such a phenomenally large part
" ,,e history of the last hundred years, having
"a,,r,huted more than any other dynasty to the
~a;cal transformation of the face of Europe Is
- danger OF speedy extinction. This is all the
.,ore remarkable when one calls to mind the
.,.nner in which the first Napoleon set the laws
:, the Church and Of convenuonalty at defiance
Cav the sake Of perpetuating his name. as well
.s the sufferings and torments which his nephew.
,,e third Napoleon, endured in the hope Of being
oble IN retain the imperial throne for his only
son.
Tho latter, as every one knows, perished In
South Africa. struck down by the assegais OF
.,a Zulus. while arrayed in the uniform OF an
English officer and fighting under the British
GAG and to-day there is no one left who seems
q feel the responsibility in the eyes OF the world
~ preventing the name OF Bonaparte from dying
out. For Prince Victor has formed associations
that his family have sought in vain to destroy,
which have lasted for nearly ten years and that
rrecIude the likelihood Of his ever contracting
a marriage with any princess of the blood. His
brother, Prince Louis. who is at the present mo-
rnent colonel of cavalry in the Russian army, is
queer. silent creature, who simply abominates
the fair sen. Neither Of these princes has any
desire 10 marry or dreams of doing so, especially
70 begin with. having a sufficiently large for
tune 10 support wife in the style suitable TO
r-,ncess Of the blood. The only other prince who
,s entitled to bear the name Of BOnaparte Is
Napoleon Charles younger brother of the late
Cardinal Bonaparte. and grandson OF Prince
Iucien the eldest brother OF the great Napoleon.
prince Napoleon Charles who is married t.
rrincess of the old patrician house Of Ruspol at
Rome has no son. but a couple of grown-up
daughters and inasmuch as both his wife and
himself are over sixty years OF age il IS unlikely
that they will ever have another child.
A PRINCE BY COURTESY.
With regard TO Prince" Roland who is a wild
ower with a little motherless girl. he is prince
merely by courtesy. and it is by courtesy, too.
that he bears the name of Boraparte. For his
mother who lives with him. is the daughter of
number Of the name of Jufflin, and she never
went through legal form Of marriage with
the late Prince Peter Bonaparte till ISL that
is to say, when Roland was already about
twelve years of age. The marriage in question
was rot sanctioned by Emperor NAPOLEON. who
was the head Of the family, and the widow of
Prince Peter. who at one time kept milliners
shop in I3ond-st. London, has never been recog-
nized by any Of the principal members OF the
house both Empress Eugenie and Princess
Mathide ignoring her altogether, although con-
cad;ne some kind of recognition 10 Roland in
consequence of his excellent manners and his
vast wealth. the latter coming 10 him through
his partnership in the great gambling hell at
Monte Carlo, which he inherited from his late
wife Marie Blanc daughter and co-heiress OF
the founder OF the institution.
From this II will be seen that not only Is
there no present likelihood OF a continuation or
the House of Bonaparte in the Imperial or
princely line. but that there is not even any
prospect Of any perpetuation in Europe OF the
name even without the prefix OF title, since
Roland has no son. 1t is, therefore, not I'M
probable that the Bonapartist party in France
which is still quite respectable in size-for there
is a historic glamour attached to the name of
Napoleon-may have to look 10 the United
States for representative Of the dynasty There
is to-day running in a popular English period
ical serial story entitled AN American En-
peror Of France" When recalls to mind
the astounding history Of the House Of Bona
parte in connection with which everything that
see ned improbable and even impossible came 10
pass. no one need be astonished If some day or
another the French people were TO turn their
faces toward this country and seek in the de-
scendants Of the union between Prince Jerome
and Miss Elizabeth Patterson, OF Baltimore,
Bonaparte for the purpose Of reviving
the glories Of the first and likewise of the second
Empire. - ,., mn
A general impression prevails abroad to the ef-
feet that Bonapartism is as dead as the tradl-
tional door nail. This is not altogether correct
For there are always a large number of people
in France, as In every other country. who are
dissatisfied with the Government Of the day. and
who recall TO mind the fact that during the reign
Of the first and the third Napoleons France oc-
cupied the foremost place among the civilized
nations OF the world and hat the centre Of poti-
cal gravity was neither at Berlin, nor yet at St
Petersburg but at Paris; that the grandest VIC
tories in the military history of France are as
sociated with the name OF BOnaparte. and that
al no time were French trade. industry and agri-
culture In so fourishing a condition during the
eighteen years that intervened between the coup
Etat and the battle Of Sedan.
Under any circumstances the American repre-
sentative of the House of Bonaparte occupies an
infinitely superior position to that OF Prince
Roland. In the first place his wealth is not de-
rived from a public gambling establishment, such
as that at Monte Carlo, nor has he ever been
guilty Of such marriage as that contracted by
Roland when he led TO the altar the daughter OF
old N. Blanc. whose name is execrated from one
end Of Europe 10 the other If the Bonapartists
in France were ever in need Of chief and leader,
they would infinitely prefer to range themselves
under the banner of one who. on the maternal
side comes from the best stock in the United
States rather than to follow in the wake Of one
who whatever the excellence Of his personal
Character is the son OF plumbers daughter and
OF prince trebly marked with the brand OF cain,
and so disreputable in character that throughout
the reign of Napoleon III the latter would never
permit him to cross the threshold of his palace.
THE AMERICAN MARRIAGE
Moreover, the question as TO whether the mar
riage contracted in this country by Prince Jerome
with Miss Elizabeth Patterson was legal or not
L l.In nr,d