The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-29
GENERAL TROCHU.

GENERAL TROCHU.
If there had been any unsparing critic of
the French military system, any one whose
stern denunciation of that system has almost
risen to prophecy, that man is General Trochu.
When he brought out his remarkable book,
''LArmee Franchise en- 1867, it ran through
sixteen editions in three weeks. The same
year produced the Duo d'Aumale's "Institu-
tions Militaires de la France" General
Trocbu made various confidential appeals to
the War Department at Paris, pointing out
the imperfections and abuses of the French
military system. His prophecies. like those
of Cassandras, were disbeleved, and sthen he
resolved to publish, declaring that no other
remedy was left him but publicity With q
resolution that has been Justly called heroic,
with a frankness that spared no mans feel
ings, he laid bare every weakness and every
sore, reckless what degree of unpopularity
or hatred his uncompromising truthfulness
might procure for him. Trochu foreshadowed
in his book the results of the present most
disastrous campaign. The best hopes would
have been for France if she had listened to
the words-wise, true, and bold-of her frank
soldier and had learned wisdom from his
teaching. Gen. Trochu, we need hardly say,
is a strong Orleanist, and it is believed that
the government of Paris was with great hesi-
tation and reluctance committed to his
charge. But ne was one of the best French
officers, had never ceased to be on active SER
vice, and his character stood extremely high in
general estimation. He had come, we need
hardly say, from st. Cyr and the Staff
School, and served several years in Algeria
under Marshal Bugeaud He had much of
that blunt wisdom and keen sense for which
Bugeaud was SO remarkable lit gives Bu-
geaud's most favorable "reminiscences of the
English infantry in the Peninsula, with the
famous remark that it was the best infantry
in the world, but fortunately there was very
little of it. Trochu was one of Marshal ST.
Arnaud's Aides de- Camp in the Crimea in
1854, and after the Marshal's death he was
made general, and commanded brigade of
infantry until the end of the Russian war
Like Bugeaud, lie confessed to great
admiration of the English He con-
trasted their order and discipline with the
destructive and marauding habits of the
French soldiers. When he was asked how
be hoped to improve his troops, he answered,
"Eaa les fdiSdnt 0ertUeuT." In the Italian
campaign of Solferino he commanded divi-
sion, in which he showed respect for non
combatants in O manner quite new in the
methods of French warfare. 1t is said that
he began by degrading an officer to the ranks
for insulting peasant woman, and wherever
he mmched his track was dstinguishable by
the upinjured dwelling-houses and the un-
harmed mulberry-tree still clothed with
vines. s.-L0nd0R SOcjety.
THAcKERAY's CHARITY.-Few people thought
that he had saved more than twenty thousand
pounds. But for his liberality and charity to
many, he would have left the inheritors of
his name a good deal more. He used to pre-
tend sometimes that he did moi part with his
money readily as was supposed, and re-
marked to me that we grumble ''when we
have TO do q kindness, though we may come
to the same condition ourselves" He told me
that he had left off calling on a needy friend
who welded the pen, because, if he did, the
next day that individuals S wife would come to
him in tears, and it cost him too much. He
could not resist an appeal to his charity, and
he found, as editor of the COrnhSN Ndga-
zine, that every one was finding out his ex
treme generosity His charity, like his reli-
| gion, he was chary of mentioning, except to
deprecate the idea that he was particularly
benefcent He would tell you that in his ex-
! perienee he had known what it is TO want q
| guinea, and that fellow-feeling makes us
''wondrous kind. "-RecOILectiOnS Of fIhdckerGy
| Jy his Cousin.
| LORD PALNIERsToN.-Sir Henry Bulc5er
| made ord PalmerSton & 'sacnuaintancein 1S3I .