The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-16
OF SON
OF NAPOLEON IS
STILL MYSTERY
4Metternich's Aim Was tc
Make Him Austrian in
Spirit Eagle, or
Weakling?

w VCthAAAA6'
King of Rome, without a kingdom;
Emperor of the French, without an
'mpire; Prince of Parma, without a
Drincipality; Duke of Reichstadt, with
Barmecide duchy, born to an inheri-
ance of kingdom of kings and dy-
ag an exile from his native land and
:rtually prisoner of his fathers en-
lnies-such was the tragic political
ate OF Napoleon Francosi Charles Jo-
eph Bonaparte, the only son of 'Napo-
con 1 and Marie Louise, and the only
egitimate child Of the great Empe-
or.
A world renowned child,' he lived
FOR 21 years. the idol of the shattered
remnants Of the Old Guard and the
sonapartist clique, the last hope cher
shed by the chained lion at St. Helena,
the secret dread of the old-line SOW
sreigns of Europe and the idle-hour
plaything Of the diplomats. A world
Of speculation has been INDUCED in
as to his personality.
Did he inherit any sparks Of the
genius Of his illustrious father? Was
he really L'Aiglon, the eaglet, as Ros-
tand has made him, immured in the
gilded cage Of Schonbrunn, and want
ing only the opportunity to lead the
legions Of France to a glorious revi-
val 'of the Napoleonic Empire? Was
he g. Hamlet, only dreaming of great
deeds and lacking the spirit to put
them into execution? Or was he
merely a degenerate son of a noble
SIRE content to pass his life in ig-
noble alliance with vices that under
mined his health and finally wrought
his ruin?
Questions Never Answered.
/ It was questions such as these that
kept the political arena Of his own
country in ferment during his life
time, and that have since furnished
Fascinating field of inquiry to delve
into the mysterious and romantic by
paths of history.
It must be remembered that no rec
ord has been left Of his life written by
a free and unprecedented hand-at least
no record that assumes to speak with
the authority Of one who had oppor-
tunity personally to observe and study
the development Of his life.
Metternfch, the great Austrian dip
lomat, saw to all that. It was Met
ternich's task to denature this scion
Of the Napoleonic stock, to German
lie his ideals, to root out from his
heart all latent predictions for his
native land and to rear him complete
ly under the domination of Austrian
Influences.
In this he only partially succeeded.
but he was wholly successful in keep
ing the young Napoleon segregated.
during his entire life on Austrian soil.
from contact with F'renchmen and in
shutting the latter out from all op-
portunity OF becoming intimately He-
quainted with his mind and character.
It goes without saying that all the
original sources Of information in re-
gard to his life were passed down to
posterity through the censorship Of
that able maker and manipulation Of
history.
Struggled Out in Box.
Napoleon was at the summit Of his
career, when his son. King Of Rome.
was born, March 20, 1911.
Within four years came Fontaine-
bleau and Napoleon's abdication pro-
claiming the young King Of Rome as
his successor under the title Of Ma
poleon II. Then Elba and the exile
Of the Empress and the young Empe-
ror to Austria The great Napoleon
never again set eyes upon his son.
After Napoleon's abdication, the fa-
nous convention of Paris, under Met
ternich's domination, secured to Ma
RE Louise the possession of the Du-
chies Of Parma, Piancenza and Gaus-
tala, with the title Of Empress, Du-
chess OF Parma" and for her son that
Of imperial highness, Prince of Par
ma" After Waterloo, they were both
shorn of these titles and finally of the
possessions that went with them.
During the 100 days the paramount
concern of the Emperor was to secure
possession of the young heir to his
throne, and all sorts of schemes were
set on foot for his abduction. The
annals of the times are full OF roman
tic plots and counter plots to this end.
Once the French ladies Of high rank,
who had followed Marie Louise to VII
emma, packed the little Prince in a
box with air holes" and made for the
French border in a specially design
ed carriage. They were overtaken by
Austrian officials and returned to the
Austrian capital, and after this the
vigilance OF the Austrian authorities
was redoubled.
Would Rather Sec Him Dead.
" When Napoleon was securely chain
ed to St. Helena, the courts of Europe
breathed freer, and then Metternich
took up the task OF Austrianizing the
boy.
First he must no longer have the tt
tie of imperial highness." he was to
be addressed simply as serene high
ness Next. a new name was to be
found for him, and it must have no
sound that would even suggest French
memories.
Metternich finally settled upon the
"Duke De Reichstadt," as sufficiently
euphonious and at the same time suff1-
GENTLY German, and under that desig-
nation the young son of Napoleon was
ever afterward known.