The Bonapartists in France attribute much 4:4 the decadence of
their party to the unpopularity of its existing head, Prince Jerome. Only eleven of his followers were returned at the elections, and only fifty-three Imperialist Deputies in all, not quite a tenth of the Chamber. These facts are believed to have made a strong impression upon the Prince, and the °mire, a paper in his confidence, announces that after a long family council he had started on a visit to Constanti- nople, where, we notice, he is expected to arrive on Monday While there he intends by a formal manifesto to withdraw all pretensions to the Imperial succession in favour of his son Victor, a lad of nineteen, studying in a Parisian -brae. The lad, brought up by the Princess Clotilde, is pretty cer- tain to be better than his father, but of his temper or abilities little is known. That, however, is a gain to the party, if they accept him as their chief. Nothing is more useful to a pretender who hopes one day for a popular declaration in his favour than to be personally unknown. Shade, for all such men, is kindlier than sunlight. The Prince, however, has no better chance than his father, unless the Republic encounters some unexpected misfortune.
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