aszarili

_lllltl.l‘li_dii'tiil)\l'll, l’. E, Islziiiil, _$_zitur'd:i_i', l\*lEl.l’(3ll 17, 15-555.

Estalilisiieir 182:3. LOUIS NAPOLEON BONAPARTE EMPE- ROR OF THE FRENCH.

((‘oncIiulml.)

Towards the close of the year I815, his frther the Comte de St. Len, now arrivo.l at the rcrgr-,of life begged permission to hid his son liireivcll ere be absolutely entered upon the Valley of the Sha- dow of Death. The Prince, apprised of this, joined his father iii an ealing to the ch-iiiency of the French Government; and, in a letter to the Minister oftlie Interior. pli dged his honour, if he were allowed to go to Florence, where the Comte de St Lcu resided, to return and place himself at the dis o~‘-al of the Uovcrnrnent, whenever he should he desired to do so. The Ministry decla- red itself incompetent to entertain this request, on the ground that its coiisiileratioii, in the prcro,-;a- tive of mercy, I);-loiigcd to the King alone. Louis Napoleon their addressed himself to Louis Philippe in a letter modest and (llL'lIlflC'-l, and in no sense unworthy of a Prince. The endeavour was nrade to induce him to add to his request a filial renunciation ofliis pit-tensioirs. He refused; the ncgotiatiiiiis tlieri-fore fell dead. To seize what could not be given. to endeavour to win by fair stratagrcin wliat he could not effect by honourable treaty \'-"IF, of course, the riatur:il alternative ; and thus it was won, on the '2-')tlr of May, 1310, three raozitiis a_t'ic-r the decision of the Govt-rniiicnt was eeiriinuiiicatcd to the Prince by

. llarrot.

M'l‘he Prince, rlisr_-iiiwilaz-i _a carpenter, with a plank on his Slitlllltlcl‘, cortrived to escape from the fortress, and rcaclii.-d lli'l,;iuiii in s:ifelV- Assiircd that the Print-e had passed the walls, Dr. Conan.-an Clltli.‘(t\'()lll‘l3tl to coiicva_l his di-par~- turn, with the vi-cw to protract his clia ice of escape. To pain :it hiast tiveiity-foiir_ hours was the doctor's object, and by a 5uC(‘t'.‘:~SlI|ll of little m;tnc.:ti\'t’C3, llr. Coiiizcziii hoped to preserve the secret ofthe Prince's absence to tlliednpxt «lay.

r. Conneau whose St:llt‘tll(‘8 invo ve iis own Emg.-,:, was sentenced to three months’ iiiiprisori- merit, ' ‘hello to six nionths._ 'l‘hc coiniriandant was also arrested, but upon trral_ acquitted.

London again received an imperial refugee. Residence iir l-ln_«_-laiid, however, was,_ at best, [mi 3 5.,»¢-unitary object; and the more important one was defeats-rl. The Airstrrziir aiiih:i<.-sador at London, Count Dictriehstein, rcliisvd to sign his passport to the ltalian States; and the ()orirte de St. Len died in July of the spine year, rinclicer-ed by the presence of his son. llro iii;_reiiuity \'.'lrit:li fduiid means to (scope from :1 ‘L':ll‘llStIlIt3tl prison to lihrrtv, and the lmldiicss \\‘lIlt:lt carried those means iriio ell}.-ct, fail--d eitlicr to rlt.~ctrV¢.'t' or to plll'.'lU0 a path tlliruuglli a llrleed country to the

inns of a fat r-::r’s cat 1- e . bktllle font to another chapter in this mornentous [jfe_ Tucsdzry, the ‘.‘‘2d of Fe'.2ruar_v, ls-18, having been appoltllctl _by members of the 0p- ositioir for the celebration of a grand Reform anquct in Paris;oa the [H000-Illll,l._Y cvenin<_r_ a roclamatinii was issued by the Prefect of Police forbidding it. ' ‘lie Reformers succumbed.-— Notices were issued postponing the banquet. and a revolution was celebrated rnstea . barricades were thrown up, the_National Guard, fraternisiiig with the people, decided the event, as a question of force, and in, three days the king had tied and

order of government formally declared in the Place de la Bastille on the 27th of February.

To the Bonaparte family these events were, of course, of the utmost importance. Their pro- .43,-iption was now virtually abrogated, and ‘save- ral members of the family returned. immediately to Paris to do homage to the republic. Of these Louis Napoleon was not the last nor the least loyal. On the 28th, he addressed it very patriotic letter to the provisional Government, announcing his return from exile, “ to range myself under the ﬂag of the republic you have just proclaimed. Without any ambition but that of serving my country, I come to announce my arrival to the members oftho provisional Government, and to assure them of my devotion to the cause they represent, and of my personal sympat ’

But upon these protestations tho (novcrnmnet looked with suspicion. Fearful that his presence in (‘aria would disturb the elections, y repre- B'.‘ttlflllttltS more or less urgent, they persuaded the Prince to quit France-n least, until the ('9 ---Elation had been voted and the law establish-

Eilldll,

led. Nor was this all; jtlelillllltly or not, their litr('(':||i1l()ll§ did not end liirro. \'.‘:r.s proposed I in the i\s.-'einhly. a few w'cr-.lt's al'ti:i' the ClC(‘lltIll<.

to t"X('.illtle Louis l\ap-ileon alone. of all the

lliiiitly of the l'liIl[ll?|'0l‘, froiii the l'l;‘lll.'-‘ of ('ll.l7."l|-‘ ‘ship. Thus pointedly sii':_rlcrl out, the Princel lost no time in ailrlressiiig a protest to the nreiribcrs of the Natioiial .‘\s~r~iiihl_v.

'I'lie D(eputlPs refused to listen to this coinrnri- nication, thougli lt'llt‘|’s front two Princes of the Orleans fariiily, their h.t)t't‘ r-cent l'|lt)Hl_\', had previously ciijoycd the iiirlulgciice of ilic Churn-

I’)

t‘

An tinder-ciirrent ofopiiii-in now flowed inani- fest, and soon floated the nephew of the Eiripvrrir into a positiori lioyond the reach of the .—\ssciiilily. lloiiapartieiii had long been the (‘llCl'lnlt('(l eievd oflarge ﬂl35Sl*."~' ot the people. UtlSt'll'.'ilt’.tl, and thoiigli in more than one instance he ilecltricil to he norniiiated at the previous elcctioiis. l.ooi':s§ Napoleon was l.'.llll:»f‘tl by very l!lT_\_{C nr;i_ioritics to‘ represent the several (lC].‘.'2t'!ll:l‘:ilS of tiit: Seine (l_);ll‘L\), the Yriniie, and (,3li'irei.ti: liifer‘ct:re. l , On Monday, the 123th of Jltl.‘r', .3 early as X9‘,

o’cl0(-.l{, crowds collected in all the approaclics to the National .-tsseinhly, expcctiiu: that lwiiis Napoleon would that (‘\‘t‘lllllg_: take tiis seat. The

previous, srqrcral liuiidrcil ‘H'i‘lll‘.l were :.wept oi'i' to the l’rr-fucture in a r.'i:;;.-: Itlixtic upon the Cl'U.\tl" there asscinhlrd. Paras and the sur-

.i3.§;li’iD il3r®iiil5ifl?i&i?‘8;iiil./ii it. in

;'l‘he cl-:ctor.-. of (Tor:-.ii'o had now

cavalry scmraltinrcs charged upon the pcopi,-, and, for their on.-.e, disperser] il.coi. Sumo ,-ii. tempts to erect barricadcs failed; but so drzciilctl were the t:lt‘.l!lCt.‘S of ,r:niier'.il tumult. that, upon the iiicotiiig of the L'li.iiii‘.i.‘r, o; c. of the Ques- tr-urs proposed, that the projmt or’ law relative to l.oiii.= l\apo.'-con should Iiavc iiiiiri!-iliate pr.- ccdence. And now Louis Nuirllltjtlll lionap.irte first exliihitcd that tact, that tiih-nt for bidiiig his time, which seemed to be his great: st noel in the "day of siimll Iliin:s.” 'l'lie chi-tors of three iinportarit l.lf'[l{ll'llIlCt.l.°. liavinq Llltrl,-llC‘.i<'.‘til_\' chosen him, the people li:-ivi.-2 risen to srippoi-r. his right to accept ofliee, and the .-\s:‘crnlrTv I31 iirpellrd, hy popular will, to Cl'.ll(.‘t'.'tlC the ri-_1lii—l.o'.iis Nu. poll.-ozi lhi.s placed the (l(H'8fl‘iltll‘lll in lit.-lpless opposition to tho oltctors, and thv large portion of the people who sided with them.

Now arose the tui:iul'.s wliicii curl’-d bi‘ trans- ferring the chief piincr to (li‘ll.‘.'Ill C;r\i:ii_.;iiac; l:ut lllC50 events were (llSZlppt)illllt=’,' izi their first course to Louis N.ip0it‘0H -Uoii.‘tp:irte. Neither they nor the siidilcii a::ceiii‘:azi--_v of tfavaiqnztc were found to iitl7':.:t the prirgiesi o his fortunes. iniost unani- riiously clioseii hint, and on the Sr of July, he addri ssed aiiotlrcr l'.:llt'r to the new Pre;».i-lciit of

|. .

a it

gCr‘((‘Tl1[E and the ray.-pzl were liratcn, troops of! the Jlssenilily (tlic third of the same chttractcr the line and the I\'..tion:il Guard \v.-ri,- called out, I witlsio a iiiontli), dc-,::l.irii.:: that he \\.".s pi'cp:rred and all the syiiiptoriis‘ of ili.oid:'r. as it in in Paris, } again to L-3('.i‘lllt.'C lii.'ii:ell' to lltI't‘1lll.'lll‘(l to l-ri-.rl: fortli. 'l‘hc (loveriinient,iRepublic. lite now clvctioiis w-ro now ap- \\'!ll'lll.‘;l by the llIltlll'1S rxhii-lr for 5-.-v-.;r.r. iii--1 niiigs pa;-t ll .d lllil'i\'ll‘tl rrpoir the llutrlt,-i‘;ir'tl~‘.;U‘-'0l\‘t'ilit were not iiiiprrpiri-i for an L“-'I‘l!l of this |tl._yl.. .\ decree against a/lruupuu ns l.:.d hccii pa:;—i-d,_ by virtue of wliir-li, on tho Saiiirdny evciiiin."

vl.,_,

8f:l':_ I)’ til’ the

pl‘<)L|('llltl',1. aul on’? c -ii‘d rot sig, wlixit iiiijzht he I their tflt'll~.‘.' \‘.lll(‘ll iiii .‘_!it r:»iidc~r his ll

:~_t-c~pi:':; -2 l . . r irr:i:.‘.ti::'i-. l';;o~,i were {ix-at .\.r'.;-.- ' .'\~.seiiibly tir t'..h;- place on t;.e l7'.h (‘ii -\‘.l“rll llli‘. 2‘-

Exlitiiisted by the |ll1ll'tl()l'0lE1§ cor first of .li:no, there t\'1‘.‘sllL‘p=_!ll-'| lz ;tc~r lll-ill the i~;,ople could

be r-.\‘r-itcil to terror‘: t' iir Cl.'l‘.1lt3l}!' in t'_.roiir of the

roniiding \'lll:l!!CS were occupietl by troops, c.".v.rl- liinperor':= iic-plicw ', and he l)l.(‘l'ill(‘. as “ iiizxioug ry, and iiiliiiitry ; while the lort. and castl.:ot' \in- to talso his seat with tho rspre-o;itaii\'i:s," it‘ only

Nell’ Sci“ies. “No. 223

Tlicrlaydid not pass over, ho-.vc-vcr, without protest A lir,-_in body ofthe rrieinbcrs of the .\.~seinl.l_v hurried to take tlieir seats upon lb! first roiuoiir of the mu}: 11':-Iu/, but found the door! !.'u=m.lci| by tiliasst-iirs dc Vince:.iies. Tho ineinbers tlt.‘lll;lli(lt'(l adniission, the so‘diers fuwzd it at the points of their l).l\’0ll(.‘lS. rt-prcseiitaiives lllt.‘ll retired to the mairic of tho tPtilli ttIl'(ll.tll:Sl‘.lllt'lIl, vrliem they dr_-crcod Loni. N ipnlcoii to he drpiivr-il of nll authority, enjoined the ClliZ.’l:S to with-rld lllf-‘ll’ ob. diencc, and called ripoo the lli,_ih (‘non of Jiidietittire to proceed against the President and his accomplices. This- decrce was signed by nearly 5.-‘.30 representatives. llut the attenipt proved futile; for scarcely were the signatures all siiinnicd when a body of troops appeared at the door, and the representatives were called upon to «lisp:-rse. 'l‘hey refused to do .-.o, but allowed themselves all to be taken to irisua; and iii a few davs were r.--vriveyed, some to the fortress of Mont Vzrleiciii, some to illazrrs, and the rr~in;iiudcr to VlllCL‘l£ll8.~‘. Thus curled

re- ‘ o

tlie.-lswziriblc-e I\'atiomlc; and, llitllilllplly. no :i.'e.l.-'i:i.;«l the Cvi,')_-;(|i8l.l0!l of adding that it ric-

p(ll'l:’,’4l public life at all l3‘l|t3lllt‘tl.

Various uiiiiriportarrt ct-llisions had talteii place in the Ct)lll.\0 of this day (the llrd); but it was the rzclo.-st in the proniise of inischicf, \vi.i.:lr was aingiiy r--rlv~;iire.l «-n the inorrow. lt is ll-':€.'tllCS3 to (lcscrilic the details of tho c;rriirr;:c of this day —the sic-ironing rep-itiiiuii of a sir-lr-:iiin_; tale. ii:‘.l‘ilt'."rtl'.!S were ci-ecu:-J at art early hour in every avziiiabio or €lfl\'.llllil'.'_t'tIll3 posiiiozi tlirouzlrout l’;-.ris; and :ig'~.ii..~‘. thi.-so filitl tho~:c who (lt‘P"7l(lCd iiic|n('l1I'.lt_V of thi-iir,:is usu rl, boys), full 30,000 men were eiiipioyoil tor llU‘.)l'$i, with all t1X1SpPl’tilit)lliIfSlI(‘el w:irl'irti. No nicrcy was shown try the soltlivry, for tho soldiery were (l5SllS.SlllZll‘..tl at cv: ry opp-.vi'.unit_v.

All this occiinr-il 0'l the-ltii, and on the Ml! the coiitcst virtua.-ly c:.dr‘d.

ccniies iioieea-iirrtlmi with artillery, aiariiuiiilioii, sohcrly elected, as he was rz.-solute lict'r.rc in

and soldier.-i nftlic lino. 'l'l.ii.s': devices, lio:~.'- ever, were insiiliicieiit to tl(.'ll.‘l' the people from rriohloing the very w;-.lls«:l' t.re .‘~.~:iatr.-; arid though it was repeatedly proclairrred by the f|’lI.‘lltl~‘ of the Prince that lit was not in Pari.-I, ' they showed no tli::‘p()Slllti.'l to ili.-poise, hut, bro- . ken into groiips, vciieiiieiitly debated the admis- ‘sion oftlic new l)nput_v into the .\ss-.‘riibly.

i .\l.l(‘.ll_;}ll'r the Goveriiirieiit dutrrniined to op- :’ pose strong |llC‘.’l‘."-.lll’CE a;;:iii:st the iiioh. A l.rr,;-tr ll"-ircc, (.'t‘ltlpl'l$!.‘tl of ll'0l|}_l.i ofiho litre, the Nziti-.iir:il .(}ii'rrd:x, and tho (.Z.ird: .\lo‘.iile, with SU\'Li.ll l

zrl«

pic('.(‘.s of artillery, were l|ll't'Zltl_V stationed roiiznl {the Cliriirihcr; and, about. 5 o'cloi-,lt, r'i3_«_ziiireii!s of icavalry and lltfirlllt'_\’ crrnsml the bridge opposite the Palace of the Asst.-:::l.-l_i.', formed a jiii.ctit-rr with the l\':ition.'il Guards already on the Plac‘ dc la llevoltition, and in live rnirintcs swept oil‘

the huge aseeiriblage that occiipied it at the point of the bayonet. Having cltrarctl the l‘l:ir-e, a

beating the par do charge, moved rapidly along the rues do ltivoli. Castiglionc and la Pair", in the

soldiers were charging the people in all direc- tions, tlie effect of which was to suspend the sitting for a time. It was virtually re-opened by M. de Lamartine, who, rushing into the tribune. cried, “ Blood has been shed, shots have been ﬁred here at hand, and the cry is raised, ‘ Vivo l’Enipsrenr Napoleon." A law should at once he passed to pitta stopto this!” The proposi- tion was met by acclamation; and M. de Lam:rr- line then read a decree, which had been provi dently prepared beforehand by the Cabinet, con- firming the exclusion of Louis Napoleon.

Though great acclamation ensued ttpon the reading oftho decree, it does not appear to llJ|Vt'. been regularly voted before the rnciribers |'t‘llll'|lCtl to business more persona in a measure of cori- fidenco against the Ministry.

’l‘lrc events of the following dav, ltowcver. showed the importance of decision of soiiic sort In the rnorning, a similar tlisplzty of niilLtar_v forr-v-, was found necessary to meet the populace ar_v:.i.i con rt.-,'..t.:d about the . a'.iai...l Aosmnoly. ‘

{CHI

same point. A few shots were fired, but the i that kiinl over yet perverted, or ever can pervert people offered no resistance, sliouting, ll0\\'CV€|',_‘3ll unwilling people into voting a ruler into as they ran, " Viva l’l'3mpr-reor !’ “ Vive Louis : power by a majority an immense as declared in Napoleon!” with great determination and vigour. favour of Louis Napoleon.

Meanwliile the Chambcrheld its usual sitting. the people, he was undoubtedly elected. no But towards evening, news was brought, that the received nearly six millions o vo

declining the honour. The result was certainly most triumpliaiit to him. He was l’l3llll‘llt3tl for ’;iri.-i (d ‘:l't|‘lli)l‘lll in-.' the ."-cine) by 110,752 votes; for the Yonno, by =1'.‘.,t‘iS6 votes; and for Moselli.-, the (Iharcnte lnfcrienre and Corsica by lame l‘l:rjiIl‘lllt.‘S.

Cori.-.up.i:.=iitl_.,‘, at the opening of the sitting of the ‘lith October, the l‘r'iui:e :ip_ic:ir:'-d iriithe Asseinlily, aiiii-lst much agitation. and took his srat on the li:.nulrt:s of the left. 'l‘l.r: reporters of the va-‘ions iiepartinciits for \\ Erich he had bee (‘.lltlSClt th-so inountc-d the l.’ll)llii'?, and Louis N:iiiiileriii was pl‘0t‘l£ll‘.llC(l llcprv-:::i'.:.-.ti\'c.

’l‘lin llltll of llitccriilier was ﬁxni to: the Pre- s‘:d.--ntialt~'.u-tioii; and Iuiiiis Napolcori lllll‘l1t'(ll- atcly after issued an elaborate a.l:'rc:s to the

'1 Ct

oplo.

'l‘hc elections tool: place in du-" course on the 10th of l).ci~nihcr; and if any doubt existed hitherto, and cnnsnlcrnhfe doubt dill exist, as to

troop of dragooiis advaiiced upon the line lloyal i the popularity of Bun-.ip:irtist \'tC\\':s, the results towards the l.lonIc.vards, driving the people l-cfore‘: of that election were Slllll4‘lL‘l’tl to di =po.l them for them, while a large body of the Guides Iiloliilcs, , '

ever. It is vain, and serves no good purpose, since it does not serve the truth, to speak of hired issarics and pl'0[)3g8lltll.~lS. o machinery of

fly the free-will of

tea.

'l‘licycar 1851 was inaugurated by the deepen- ing infatuation of political parties, and, more ominous yet, the dismissal of General Changer- nier from the command of the army of Paris. would be a matter ol' history, rather than biogra- phy to recal the struggle for the revision of the Constitution.

Proclamations, posted on every wall by dawn of morning on the 2d of December, evinced that all“.-airs had changed. Troops ﬁlled the city before its inhabitants were well L

:- us

in Bedean, with Colonel Charras, M. M. Thiers, l.a«.:rnnge, and other less intluential persons, but numerous enough to he r~.-nintetl by the score, were arrested ; and the prorlaniations were post- ed, the troops were disposed, on every arrest was made, in less than two dark hours of I win- to: ‘ The eople become broad awake, il-nlaredthc coup of the President to has . mover, and returned to their busincss—f0t' that evening, in icastt in-.--_y' Us tit.’ ;Z..)..J, loo, '.v,,-“;

5 -.7 —. = .. =

1 3 -I ‘Q

teen guns were planted round the walls; and the

returned to their barracks.

\Vitli the (‘XllZtll'l.tfl’IlI of at lt‘.'lal‘1.(0il men, rho l;ihmtt‘S or .nuis l\'apole.iii were now ziiiislied; and with tho tr.-riniiizitiun oftliis cont-:-st terniinated gall opp-':~ tion to his will: front that day to this

his will has lrovii the will of Frtiiico. (lo the 3rd of l);-or-ni!;::r~, a decree was issrivd, coiivol-ziiig the people in their \'lli'l()t:S eh.-etoral dZ.~trii.-ts to accept rej,-ct the tollo'.vin<,; “ pleli:'s.z-ite:"——“Tho 'rciich pr-oplo wills tho m’-.intcii:incr.r of Louis r\'.'ipo'eoii ll-w.a;i'irtc’s autliority, and delegates to ? him the powers iirerssary to frame a Constitution ion the l).'lSl';1 of his pror-l.i:riatioir of the 2d of 7

i December. This franeliise was t‘?itt)niled to all ifreonren of ill years of age. The ballot tool: } place on the ‘ltltii and ‘list of December, and the I result,, as olli i-.ili_v niinouiiccd, stoo thus :- Allirinative votes, 7,«l.'l'.’.ﬂ D; iiogative, 610,737. The sullra zvs of the army were separately : computed, and were, ofctrursc decidedly aflirmao tive; not so of the votes of z\l5_rcri.'.t, which were unfavourable to the l’rc.sideut's pretensions. By this plebcscite Louis Napoleon was elected ’l'tv‘5lt.l-Jill. for ten _vc:rrs.

The personal history of Louis Napoleon Bona- parte is now suinirrcd up in a few words. He- stored to more than his origitial authority, it soon became apparent to all the world that it was only a means to the furtlier aim—an aim kept constantly in night from the birizinning-—tlre restoration of the Empire. For a Ion time, Louis Napoleon played coyly about the subject. Apart from motives of internal policy, the Empire was 3 delicate subject to introduce into his foreign relations; it long remained doubtful whether he could have been acknowledged under such all assumption by the other Continental Powers. But by patience, and prudence, and good fortune, all obstacles to his ambition were removed in t 0 course of: single year; and, ratified by 8,000,000 of_ voters, the Empire was proclaimed, and

xrsts.

The Marriage of the Emperor, the latest event in his life of any importance, must not be omitted from this chronicle.

On the 22d of January, I853, the Emperor announced to the Senate his intention of taking to himself the Countess Tebs, a Spanish lady, of noble, but not of Royal descent.

The civil ceremony was performed at tho Tui- lerios on the evening of Saturday, the ’.‘9ih of January. and ratiﬁed by the Church on the fol-

pwing day with great pomp.