Year: 1879

The death oil the so'calleu fflnce lmpeT'


aloiFanre has created passing excite


mpnt in Europe, and our foreign news
Mi. morning is largely taken up with the
.fpc, Of the occurrence on his mother, the
ex.EmprCss, and on the Bonaparte faction
IN France The head Of that faction, the
reiterated N Rouher, who figured conspic-
popsly in the Cabinet Of Napoleon Third,
personally conveyed to the ex-Empress at
her home in England not only an assur.
.nce Of coincidence from the BOnapartists
# France but also their further assurance
that the Imperial cause had not been
fatally injured; or, to use their own
words. their solemn decision that "the
succession had not lapsed."


The leading representatives Of the I'm
oeriaI cause in France are Rouher, 0lli-
yier and the celebrated duelist, Paulde Cas-
sagnac, anll they are the parties who, like
the three tailcrs Of London, have resolved
in the name OF the whole people. The
world will look on their action as an affair
Of yery little moment, and the ex-EmpresS,
now tha: her son is dead, will feel little
personal interest in the succession.
The fact that Prince Napoleon, whom


her husband once spoke of as an
obstructionist towards his policy, stands
next in the supposed order Of succession
can afford her very little consolation in
her bereavement. To her tbs succession
vas a personal matter, not political, and
now that it is no longer invested with a
personal interest she must look upon it
with ali the Indifference Of widow and
mother who feels that she has little to live
ior Her situation recalls pointedly the
words Of the poem commencing


THE bark that held tue Prince went down;


The sweeping waves rolled on;


And what was Eugland's glorious crown


To him that wePt ason."


As for the selfish plotters against the
existence Of the republic in France, their
aspiratjonsand schemes did not avail, even
in the life time Of the Prince, to check the
sure growth OF healthy and reliable pub
lie sentiment in favor Of the republic,
anil they will be still more powerless
now. What is therein the Napoleon name
10 lead her to exchange her present peace
and prosperity for its costly illusions?
Under the banetul influence of that name
she has fallen from a iirst-cIass power;
been shorn Of portion Of her territory,
and compelled 70 pay an immense debt.
Why should she call another OF these ad.
yenturers to her throne, even ii she wish
elto exchange the republic for throne,
seeing that she has in her midst Princes
whose ancestry dates far back into the
history Of the Christian era. The late
Emperor was an adventurer in
The worst sense of the word.
The Paris newspapers once said
Of him that he was neither the nephew
Of bis uncle nor the son OF his father, and
there is a well grounded belief that such
vas the fact. But SO strong was the wor,
ship OF a name in France when he came to
the Presidency of the republic in ls4S,
and afterwards to the throne through
uAlrpation, that the Empire became
hrh,ly established under his rule, and
but for that fatal blunder Of attempting to
surround his dynasty with fresh military
halo, and thus secure to his son an easy
transition Of the sceptre, he might have
lived to natural end, and his son might
have reigned in his stead, and his widow
might not now be weeping, her lone
watch keeping" at Chiselhurst.