The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-23
TODAY IN HISTORY
Birthday Of Empress Josephine,
THURSDAY, JUNE q, 1910.

Today Is the birthday OF Empress jose
phine. one of the most interesting women
OF all history. and the tragedy OF whose
divorce from the great Napoleon is one oil
the most pathetic as we'll. Josephine WAS
born on June %, 1868, at Trois llets, In
the island OF Mosamblque, her father be-
Ing the captain OF the port OF saint
Pierre. When about Is years of age jose
phtne went 10 France, and In fultillment
of an early hctrothal she married the
Vicomte de Beouharnais. OF which mar
rage were born Eugene, yiceroy OF
Italy, and Hortense. oueen OF Holland
mother of the Emperor Napoleon III.
Josephine's husband was executed dur
ing the French reign OF terror. In lI?4r
and she herself barely escaped like
fate through the efforts OF Madame Tall
lien. after the fall of Robespierre.
She was OF exceptional beauty and ac-
eomplished. and Napoleon fell ardently
were married on March .. 1896. and Jose
phinc accompanied her husband during
a part of his Italian campaign. The
union was destined TO be an exceptionally
happy one. AT Malmaison. and Afterwards
at the Luxembourg and at the Tuileries
Josephine attracted around her the most
brilliant society OF France, and contrib
utcd not little To the Increase of her
husbands power,
Josephine regarded, however. hts ex-
altation 10 the throne with fear, and from
the day of her becoming empress In 1904
seemed TO dread that ambitious political
motives might lead him to seek the dis
solution of a marriage which had proved
unfruitfuL
Finally Josephine's fears came to be
realized, Political influence worked with
the emperor and his marriage with Jose
phine was finally dissolved on December
10, 1909, and In the following year the
emperor married Maria Louisa Of Aus
tria.
Josephine retained the title OF en-
press kept up a continuous correspond
enee with Bonaparte, and took the keen
est interest In his doings Josephine had
long known that relatives were trying TO
undermine her position; and even when
she kneit beside him in Notre Dame, and
received the triple JUNCTION at the cere-
mony which crowned her empress, she
knew II to be a concession wrung from
him.
Napoleon is said to have divorced
Josephine with much tenderness and but
Tor his inordinate ambition he would
never have sought 10 live apart from her
She often provoked him by a certain mild
dupllclty In her character; she was ex-
traVagant and superstitlous: yet TO full
M the high destiny to which she was
called, she brought much gontleness,
courage and sweetness. qualities which
carried her through her reverses with
admirable dignity.
A great many think that Napoleon's
star would have continued in the as
cendant had he remained faithful to tho
only woman he ever really loved. Ger
tain II is. that 1t was not until after he
had deserted Josephine that 1t began to
wane, She died on May "a, 1914, and
her last thoughts were for the ambitious
man who had broken her heart
June % is usually given as the date
on which Penn mado his treaty with the
Indians In 1888 II is the date of the
battle of Plassey I'm 1851 The birthday
or Jean Raptiste Colbert, the French
statesman Q61D; Theodos!a Burr, one of
tne most highly accomplished and bril-
liant OF American women Q7S3): Robert
~ McLanes the Maryland statesman
GSl5); and Daniel II. Chamberlain. the
south Carolina statesman (1Ss6). 1t is
the date Simon de Montford was killed
In 1918 and OF the death OF Louis |. OF
France (S4O): Mark Akenslde. the poet
Q?7o). and John Love Campbell. Eng
lish chancellor GSe1)