The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-24
Memoirs OF General Cavaignac, one OF tn
Candidates for the First Presidency or ule
French Republic.


of October, 1902. He Is the second OF john Bap-
tiste Cavalgnac, who was successfully Member
of the Convention In the first revolution of 1882;
then member OF the Council of Five Hundred,
the same body which Napoleon dispersed by
his grenadiers, a Ia Cromuet; and next, probably
as a recompense for his devotion to Napoleon, in
his overthrow ct the republic, he was appointed
Project of department under the empire Code
froi the elder brother of cur hero, who, however,
died too soon for his country and for the republic,
had both obtained greatceleNityu under the restora
ton, and in LOUIS Philippes reign, by the courage
and devotion with which, under all circumstances,
he defended the ideas and principles of which the
last revolution Is signal triumph. General Ca
vaignac's mother is still alive; she one Of those
with the richest endowments Of the heart Her elias
ec character indeed such as TO remind one forcby
of the mother Of the Gracchi. Her husband being
prescribed and baushed by the Bourbons fol his fde
ity to the Emperor she herself conducted personally,
the education Of her two and rendered them, by
her presepts and example, and the principles she
carly nstiled into not only good citizens but
also republicans formed after the Roman model
ytechnc School, that famous Institution at Paris,
whose young men have distinguished themselves
by patriotism and v.or always lighting in every reyo-
luton the side Of the people, and coming forth
from their school benches mere boys as they are to
lead the peoples to direct their operations and to con-
school in 1924 and appointed sub. lieutenant Of
engineers In October, 1926 he was sppsinted second
asuteDsnt and afterwards On the LIST October in the
following year. he received the commissoh OF captain
This rapid advance me MT and promotion
not entirely, if at all, owing to favor or patronage
Perbsps may have proceeded rather from fear and
desire TO propate 40 formidable young man, aud one
who evidently Q bold and promising genius
So far indeed, he from attempting to conceal his
democratic sentiments and principles that he opealy
avowed them. though not however, With an os:enta-
tion unnecessary OF too forward Honesty and bold
often meet with their reward in the involun-
tary fear and respect for their posse'sor which they
for his superors respected though they did not at all
favor approve of his principles His personal and
c1a ifu anAro ffv
the principles he prcsssed his private conduct was
strict and while all his military
duties performed with zeal. an exactness, and
perfection such excited admiration from all to.
gether with the affection and esteem OF his I'm mediate
comrades and officers Scarcely had ne received tia
he requested to be permitted to take part In
the expedition against Greece in the war which
Cherries X. bad engaged in This was granted him. and
he with his company for the osupaign against
the Greeks The first occasion which he present
battle, when he fire for the first time at the
siege the castle of Morele when the fortress after
struggle captured by the French In this
gsgsment he disting aished himsef much among the
and bravery in the hour Of danger He returned home
again France in $780, after this successful campaign
promotion Of first captain After this he passed come
time in garrison at Arras, fortified city In the
tory Of rich tapestry in the days of yore and
romance, when rooms were hung with embroi-
dsrsd CLOTH instead Of being pasted over with
having been the birth place Of Robespiere where that
red gentleman resided for some time, practisiDg
county pettifogger, before the revolution called hin
to Paris first to take its head and afterwards make
deposit Of his own head upon one OF his own guillo
tines Cavaignac was still in garrison with his troops
at Arras when the famous revolution of three days
broke out at Paris in 1880. The instant the news
rived at Arras Of the bloody scenes enasting in the
bed together and after council being held as to what
part they should take they resolved unanimously to
ing for their threatened liberties On this
casion, the officers and soldiers united tossth-
Cavaignac to take the office of Commander
in-6hief over them He accepted the Offer and was
Tn .S.a ssnss
events which had taken place there How Charles Y
had abdioated, wa. depcsed, had fed away, and how
price, promoted and sided by the American Ambasss
dor, Mr. Rives, e deed most deeply and bitterly re-
PIE imagined and intended, popular and republican
prince. Like ell the rest Of the world, our youthful
o 9.,n Ss, in the
ton. 1t soon found out as Lafayette expressed
himself his death bed, that Louis Philippe had
quencs Of this disappointment and the dssatisfsc-
ton which he felt and would not disguise, Cava-
Dpep the tire s in
Q sort Of punishment for SO doing, he was placed
upon the peace. footing, or in nonactivty which
"halfpsy" This disgrace, however, was bat of brief
duration, and he again in active duty, with
his regiment in garrison at Metz. 1t happened that
while he here disturbance broke outin the town.
the people rose and the warehouses of
ral grain and corn merchants, who were accused Of
causing rise In the price Of bread by their specula
tions. The military and National Guards we're called
out to quell the tumult and put an end to the
tation and outbreak of the mob all but Cavaignac.
He with his Mt was not called out but was left
to remain quiet solitary and alone 10 the barracks-
This offended Cavaignao and he called upon his colo
mel to account for this marked exclusion from Service
which, it well known, proceeded from the popu
lar republican feelings under the SGu% OF yn,eh IN
was then laboripg. He insisted upon 1t, before
bis colonel, that he would never confound move
msnts Of patriotism and liberty He has singularly
proved this by his subsequent conduct In Paris,
and in the seal Nth which ne at one moment
another moment, he put down the red republicans at
their formidable rising in the barricades Of June.
Csva;gnac by his superior officers which q sort of
political trial, court martial made at his own
quest The frat interrogatory propounded was the
If your regiment was called upon to fight againut
the adherents Of Charles the Tenth would you fight"
next question was as follows
(" II your regiment called upon to fight agains.
the republicans, would you fght!"
" No'' n piled Gavaignac unhesitatingy.
Such was the frank, bold conduct Of Cavaignac:
The government Of Louis Philippe however, dared
eiples, much as It detested them and would have
wished, no doubt, to punish them; but Is sort
Of side punbment, he quickly sent cut Of France,
and ordered with his regiment to the scorching plain
and dangerous encounters Of Africa In which country
The French were now ghting hard with the bold tribe
Of the desert Abie Kedr at their head in order to
plant few little sugar and date plantations on the
edge ofthe burning wilderness. Hitler our Cavsgnac,
therefore quickly proceeded leaving his country, hi,
home and nost painful Of ell his fond and
rated mother. Cavagnac remained sixteen long year
time to France, returning back almost immediateIy.
It would take quite large volume to relate ALL even
half the deedf the exploits, the adventures, the dan
gers, the escapes which hero through in Al
geris suce IL to ray, his conduct his integrity, his
strict private good character his genius and military
.~t faoffa % Antu orAh hat hA
from post to post and honor to honor till at last
he left Africa to become the head Of the nation and Of
the republic at Parisa post OF difficulty danger and
renown, for which his character and eminent talents
marked him out, prominently and prominently.
The recital Of all the military achievements Of Ca
vaignac In Africa, though extremely interesting in
Themselves, or per Sc, as Captain Tyler would say,
would, however, lead us much too far, and take up
quite too many colum Of the Herald; and besides
Auerican aader not locally auainted in