Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-27

tI4tlN NfdiS VI la "S''lt' III i'OI
yet receive back from the re-
public even part of the relics
of her former greatness held by
;he museums since the war.
To Eugene this seems hard-because, af-
ter interininable dragging, SIZE las won all
her cases. Last week, at the end of
. scandal, the Domains announced to the
press it had-once mOre-appealed!
on the other hand. some say that Eugene
in her Old age is attempting to rob the
museums OF 100000 francs worth of art
objects.
she who was the world-beauty of her
time, she who set the fashions, she whose
! lie Was one long romance; is very, very
rich old woman. passing life between her
country home in England. her Mediterra-
mean villa and trips in her steam yacht to
. Egypt.
Her vast fortune is due-not to the
French Iepubijc-but to a double romance
Of mysterious will and an extraordinary
rise in Marseiilc real estate.
When Eugene fed from the Tuilleries
with Dr. Evans on September !. 1870. she
lie behind her more than 800 new dresses,
her collection Of fans, furs, laces and fine
lingerie unique in the word; but all that
was nothing 10 the furniture and art OBJ
jects.
Only her important Jewels We're with the
| bankers. Up TO September l, when her
own servants began pilaging the palace,
she mad not dreamed or night. WIN the
news of Sedan, on September 3, council
agreed that Eugenie should ride on horse
| back. with brilliant escort, to dissolve
the legislative assembly. Even Girardin.
| the republican, told her:
Should your majesty appear bravely on
| horseback before the people, your majesty
can still count on their devotion.
| She ordered the habit to be ready-ali
I black, with just the rIppon of the Legion
| of Honor pinned to her breast. And regu-
| larly, when Il, woman dresses TO do a GER
! tain thing, she succeeds in doing II. The
| 81 pire's last chance, went therefore, with
| q stolen black gown. The riding habit could
| not be found-"doubtless stolen" They dis
| covered one of green with gold lace, for
| the Compiegne hunts. It VIII not do
! sobhed Eugene. She fed her capital and
| lost an empire.
| Ever since she has been trying to get
| back some of her belongings
| OF her original manufactures for the liqui-
! dalton Of the objects of the civil list but
| one ssrvves-M Firmin Rainbeaux, from
| whom | have her side of the story.
| The liquidation began under Theirs. One
! by one, six of the republics representa-
| tves died or retired Yet the thing ought
! TO have been easy. once the principle had
! been proposed by Theirs and accepted by
| the ex-empress-that all objects of real inn
! portance and historic value should remain
the property of the republic and be com
pensated in cash; thus for the paintings by
/ David, Gros. CabanaI and MeissOner,
though actually bought from Napoleon s
judgment Of February, - 1879, ordered
| the Nquidators at last to make the ac-
counts. Also * fixed what kind of furni-
ture. art objects, etc, should he considered
as belonging to the imperial private domain
! and consequently be returned to Eugene
| or he compounded IN money viz:
| ~. Statues, busts, paintings, furniture.
etc. bought from the emperor's private
means and placed temporarily in the store
| rooms of the Louvre or other museums
| CO.. Ditto, bought by the emperor from
the civil list an though placed Temperate
~ in an imperial residence, might have
| been (a) inscribed on the inventories of his
private domain, or OBJ not belonging 10
the crown. or (c) bearing ticket of the
private domain.
1t ordered the project of the Seine to re-
store to the eX-empress ID such of the
above paintings. portraits, marbles, tap
| cstrlcs. furniture, etc, might present
neither artistic Eor historical interest OF
which might have an Intimate even per
sonal character.
The accounts recognized the republic &c
owe to Eugene, retained personal prop
erty of historic and artistic value 22S7, 20;