New-York tribune., 1908-06-10
r1lG MURAT'S LETTERS
r,,;r Strange Vicissitudes and I'm
portance to History.

"a, zoos BY the Brentwood conpany.f
lOofs House OF Murat. having somewhat
The ,a.y decided 10 place the public in posses
bate u ~ u ,.,ter. correspondence and diaries OF
scn o. -. -. ~ their house. Joachim Murat, King
the s ,be first OF the series Of dozen volumes
ci N,s.s the work is to be divided has just made
INTO -s,ce and fully bears out the pledges OF
its thst the papers in their possession shall
- ,-,rted Just as they are, "i'iiou. 0, any
be P..i.,on P'H., or Bowdlerising, such as have I'M
ton fe-,ouslv the value Of the Life and Let
psreo = -a,,s,rsnd and Of many other notable as-
rers n. ,ineteenth century. The Murats have
tres % ,u,,v taken the ground that the reputation
w's A,ro the brilliant cavalry leader OF the
o....,,eonic era. far from sunerine' .AeN 70 ne
Nsqoas v, the unvarnished truth. and 1t cannot
hnene7. -bs+ the portrait thus presented Of him
o,,,n,e c. which has Just appeared in Paris is
U i - sympathetic than was anticipated.
tsr n, .he hoon 10 the students OF history con-
So hv this srsnkness on the part OF the Mu-
~ !, is simply immense For the correspond
Ts's -.-toins quantities OF hitherto unpublished
ence % the Hrst Emperor Napoleon, who
ttes ,-otrer Jaw: Of Caroline Bonaparte. who
No" ,,,-a.s wife. Of the Empress Josephine. of
,- "N roserh Louis and Jerome Bonaparte. OF
fs..-.,s fsS.- 81 Cardinal Fesch, Of Fouche Duke of
-, Of Berthier. Prince OF Wagram, and, in
olSD. sn the other makers Of history during the
fao- se-s Of the eighteenth and the first two
ese. 800 NJ the nineteenth century
-. ,.re-s have a curious story III seems that
~ on.er Caroline Bonaparte. the widow of
W. W. ,oochirn. died at Florence in May, 1892 under
n ZANE Of Countess lipona. her sons and heirs.
y, .,ma snd Lucien Murat, were in America. in
AI' A---,ents were found. in all OF odd
- ~ and among her dresses, numerous cases
- uith pspers. and these were at once placed
- seal by the executors of her Will IL was
un1V Vii 1875 that the late Prince Lucien Muras
~ ,ossession OF the cases, but he made no at
-. "a examine their contents nor did his son.
~ 80 Joachim Murat. and it remained for the
1-.ssnt =. head OF the family, Prince Joachim Mu-
p .be rreat-grandson Of the etime King Of
,.,,ss 70 have an inventory made OF their con-
- nv Paul lie Brethon. one of the librarians of
:, National Library Of France.
,,,- aid these cases Of papers left by Queen Caro-
= Nu-at constitute the sum total of the corre-
--o,s.noe now in the course OF being revealed
=, -s,hlic -Four wears ago Count Joachim Murat,
,1,,s,n OF the prince, died at the age of seventy
= .,s by his will was found TO have bequeathed
= his kinsrnan another large batch of particularly
.,,s5eutial papers belonging to King Murat, and
si,b had come into his hands in a rather curious
-. r would seem that during the closing years
q NB-sts life he dstrusted his consort apparently
t,.inr her te be more devoted 10 the interests
"a 10 the policy Of her brother, the Emperor, than
= his pvn The result Of this was that he confded
N his most precious and most confidential papers
curing the last years Of his life TO his intimate
,5.,s and confidential adviser. the Comte de Mos
t,rrr who was his Minister Of Finance during his
,.,pre of the throne of Naples. The Conte de
Nosho,,re presumably in Difference TO the instruc-
,o,s which he had received from King Joachim.
ns,s- revealed the existence Of these papers 10
rsroiue after her husbands death But in 1874,
ss wears after the death of Queen Caroline, NJ de
uusbourg bequeathed these letters 10 Count Gaetan
Ys-at nephew Of the King, stating that in so do
ing he was acting in accordance with the wishes
n his master and that the time might come when
n. documents in question would prove useful in
,..-tns the memory Of the King of the many
esluuDjes with which it had been assailed- Count
lss,sa left the boxes unopened TO his son. Count
Joschin and the latter in turn beoueathed them to
his kinsnsn Prince Joachim NIurat, the present
hasi nf the family.