The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-02
I the Path Of Napoleon 100 Years Alter His Dounfan

The mating of the eagle with a daughter of the Caesars, the alliance of the Corsican with the Hapsburgs, forms another amazing chapter in the story of Napoleon.
 MT. Morgan sketches today Napo- leon as swift and surprising in court ship as in battle, his marriage by proxy with the 18-year-old daughter tof the Emperor of Austria within the city walls that he had laid in ruins only four months before, his dash to meet the bride, his conquest of the girls lifelong prejudices against him, their honeymoon retreat, and Jose phine's conduct.
 DATES AND EVENTS-AGE 40.
 December 15 1s09-Divorced Josephine
 December 16, 1so9-Austria informally suggested marriage with Archduchess Marie Louise
 January ? 1s10-Josephine took up the suggestion with Mme. de Metternich.
 January 9. 1sl0-First marriage annulled by church council in Paris.
 January 21, 1S10-Council of state fay- ored Austrian marriage.
 [ January 26. 1Sl0-Russia still undecided: Napoleon asked for the hand of Marie Louise.
 February [, 1slo-The contract signed
 March Il. 1sl0-Marriage by proxy in Vienna.
 March IS, 1slo-Marie Louise started for France
 March 16. 1S10-Entered the empire
 March 27, 1Sl0-Meeting of Napoleon and Marie Louise
 April 1, 1slo-Civil marriage at St Cloud.
 April ?, 1sl0-Religous marriage in Paris.
 AHE world stood astounded when I t1c betrothll of Napoleon and |Szz5sS| the Arch luchess Marie Louise v&E9kS4F was announced in the middle fFebruary, 1s10
 The public had assumed that the Czar's sister was to be the new wife of the divorced Emperor Marie Louise herself. with nothing but pity in her heart for the chosen bride of the Corsican ogre of her girlsh fancy, was innocently watch ing the Frankfort Gazette for the news of an engagement between him and tho Grand Duchess Anna of Russia, when
 toward the end of January she was sur prised and alarmed to hear that her own
 selection was under consideration. She was away from home at the time, but
 hastened to write to her father, the Elm
 peror Francis. impor:ng him to spare
 her. Meanwhile, Count Metternich, her fathers minister of foreign affairs and
 the real matchmaker. was coolly flatter-
 ing himself in letter to his wife at Paris that ''the archduchess is still ig- norant, as is proper. of the plans con cerning her x Our princesses are lt-
 tie accustomed to choose their husbands according to their own inclinatons." In another week Napoleon, who had al ba 1 e. cussions which had been going on be- tween the French and Austrian diplo- mats lost his patience with the Czar and refused longer to let Alexander trife with his wooing. Anna's mother the Dowager Czarina, had reluctantly yielded her consent, but the politicians had brought in scheme for an agreement between Russia and France to wipe out 1 the very name of Poland in a merciless extermination of Polish patriotism. ! A Swift COurtship N Turning in disgust from the chaffering M Russians, the Emperor suddenly sum- \ moned the Austrian ambassador, Prince Gchwarzenberg to the Tuileries, and an- nounced that he would marry Marie | Louise if the prince would sign the con l tract at once. Although the ambassador ! had been setting cap for Napoleon many weeks, he really was authorized to
 
 f that the affair had so unexpectedly taken this serious turn, cold beads started on his brow and he was entirely sincere in making the customary observation that q the proposal was sudden. It would take two weeks for the ann W bassador to send letter to Vienna and receive an answer In that time Russia might come to terms and close the deal Rather than risk sucn d noutcoine. elle K Austrian envoy determined to take a sporting chance. Promptly signing the N contract, he notified his government that it could disayow his act, if it wished, \ and dismiss him in disgrace. If I had K shown the slightest hesttation," he ex- K plained, Napoleon would have aban- K doned the plan and formed another. M. -. That is the way he acts" Then |j by way of postscript, the ambassador |. indulged his tender nature by adding, T ' pity the princess"
 But the Austrian government was de- II lighted with the ambassadors bold + stroke, by which Austria had cut out | Russia in that remarkable courtship for ! the hand of the conqueror of Europe. \ The prophetic statesmen of Vienna con- K graduated themselves that they had \ alienated Napoleon and Alexander-and lopened the way to the disastrous Rus sian invasion two years laterl At least one of Nipoleon's own ad- N lvisers foretod the col1sequercea Cam M ptStIts, WIO iHsiSteu tndt tIe Emperor Fw6uld have to fight which ever power l he disappointed in the marriage, favored \ the choice of a Russiln wife, because VI Napoleon was familiar with the road M to Vienna, but might not find the road H'to St. Petersburg" The Emperor him. N self, however, was blindly happy as he contemplated his marriage into the |l proudest family in the world, and like |l' any tilted suitor who had consoled his |ll disappointment by making more bril- |jl liant match, he triumphed over the Czar, |Il who ominously retorted that if Napo- N leon attacked him he would defend him. self. \ The World Surprised N None of Napoleon's great military | llCampaigns had spread more consterna- Hilton than the report of his capture of |iNthe 1S-year- old Austrian archduchess. H 'AfIis always shortsighted foes viewed Has the consummation of their ruin his |, |,Halliance with the one court of Europe |iithat for 12 years has been unrelenting tn its hostility to him. I'M The people of Vienna were not more I-..~ TAI xxrkA No 1..<xt,