Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-09
Political Intrigues Disastrous.

There are special reasons why the for
mer empress and her friends do not care
to have her memoirs published. She was
involved in certain political intrigues
which proved disastrous to the emperor
and to France, and it would be unfortu-
nate to revive such matters just at this
time. There are also certain episodes In
her early life which she would prefer to
have forgotten. During the commune
after the overthrow Of the empire. there
was found in the archives of the pre-
lecture OF police report of an official
investigation made by the agents of the
secret service into the character and hab-
its OF the Countess de Montijo. her moth
er. who was then residing with her two
daughters on the third floor of shabby
tenement in the Rue st. Antoine Paris
1t is not known who asked for the in
formation. but the coincidence Of the
dates led the republican leaders, after the
fall of the second empire. to infer that
it was made at the instance Of Napoleon
LII, who elevated her to his lofty throne
shortly afterward. But it is more likely
that the inquiry was suggested by mem
bers OF the ministry or maybe by the
enemies of his majesty, nobody knows
There was, as everybody will remember
decided opposition to the marriage of the
emperor to Spanish beauty who had
mother was divorced from her husband
and had been the subject OF much gossip.
There was nothing against the Countess
de MonttJo except her associations and
migratory habits, but the official report
Of the Partisan police accused her Of keep
ing polite gambling salon. The report
was substantially as Follows:
The Countess de Montijo, divorced wife
Of a Spanish grandee, lives In easy but
not aff1uent circumstances She receives
few ladies. but her salon is frequented by
many gentlemen, including distinguished
foreigners OF Spain and other countries,
who resort there for the purpose Of
playing cards. She has two daughters,
future WIFE Of the Duke d'Alba, and the
other Is eighteen. Both are renowned
for ,Aetr beauty and attractions, and they
have received much attention at court"
Rejected by Two Princesses.
Emperor Napoleon had tried to marry
a princess Of Bavaria and a princess of
Sweden. and had been turned down by
both. He fell promptly in love with Eu-
genie. then known as the Countess of
Teba, at first sight when he met her with
her mother and sister at a ball at the
Efysee Palace The sister had already
become the Duchess d'Alba and the wife
of the first grandee in Spain. That mar
riage was guaranty of the respectable
ity of the family. and the emperor sent
the Countess de Montijo an invitation to
ST. Cloud with her daughter, which was
accepted. At the expiration of the visit
he announced abruptly to his ministers
that he was going to elevate Mile. Eu-
was the nrst to understand the situation,
and after warmly congratuiating the
emperor on his admirable choice hurried
away to be the first to proffer his COM
pliments to the future empress. Her
majesty never forgot this act of chivalry
and presence of mind.
France took the thing very coolly. The
marriage was solemnized eight days after
the official notification appeared in the
Monteur, and the municipal council of
Paris had to vote its gift of E24,OO0 to
the empress with much haste as good
will. Mile. de Montijo was then twenty
seven years old. She already had refused
several offers of marriage and since her
sister had welded a Spanish grandee of
the first rank she made vow that she.
too. would marry nobody under the rank
Of a duke. Among Mile Eugenies suit
ors were a conspicuous officer of the
British army, a French nobleman and a
famous author, who afterward became an
imperial senator and lived to congratu-
late the empress upon her good sense
in rejecting him. He remained single.
though. and to his LIES end cherished
the most knightly reverence for the lady
whom he believed to be peerless among
women.
Not long ago. when asked by an Ital-
ian journalist, VINO visited her villa on
the Riviera. concerning these alleged
memoirs, tho venerable ex-elnpress de-
ciared that she had no desire to have her
biography published.
'1 have lived" she said ~ have been
what have been; do not ask for more.
ask not to be remembered. / am the
past I am the distant horizon where
exists a mirage, shadow
Belongs to Another Age.
Between my past and my present"