New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-13
THE FRENCH DUEL.

The Bonaparte murder judging from our
latest news seems moro and more in itself an
event calculated to preciptate the prejudices
and passions of France. M. de Fouveille's ac-
count of tho shooting of his friend NJ. Noir, if
wholly true, leaves not vestige of defense or
palliaton for bis cOwardy assassin. 1t Is the
extreme opposite Of the statement made by
Prince BOnaparte, or rather that which NJ.
Paul Cassagnac has made for him. Prince
Pierre is represented to have said that
NJ. Noir slapped him in the face before
he fred the fatal shot Nj. dc FOuyeille de-
cares that the Prince slapped NJ. Noir and
followed up this outrage by killing him. The
Prince had received no provocatiOn-no palpa-
BILE one, at least-before he struck his visitor,
and between the slapping and the shooting no
action apparently occurred on the part of his
victim. If NJ. Noir had put his hand upon q
upon him, the bloody deed would have been
none the less that of a desperate.
All the circumstances of the murder, as re-
lated from the Radical or Rochefort side, bear
out the worst view of the eminent criminal.
When the two friends of NJ. Grousset visited
him, he asked. among other things "Are you
" the representatives of the carrion 9n-either
meaning the rabble or their leader Rochefort |;
which, is not plain. Then stepping forward,
the champion of empire-for such the fool
hardy Prince has made himself by his
recent attitude - slapped his antagonist
with his left hand, and with the pistol in his
other shot him. NJ. Henri Rochefort's intensest
hatred and bitterness will now find additional
justification in the ranking hearts Of thousands
of Frenchmen. With the fiercest and most
scornful abandon he eyclaims, in the columns
of the MarSelldiSe, al have had the weakness
"to baieve that a Bonaparte could be other
ethan an assassin; :" and then he calls
the Prince q ruffian. one of those cut
throats in whose blood stained hands France
has been for the last eighteen years There
can be no mistake of the meaning OF the pur-
pose of man of this kind. Whatever be his
character otherwise, ne is one of the boldest,
the most determined, and the most representa-
tive men of the hour 1t takes nothing from
his peculiar character to say that he represents
the passion ard hate of strange people; nor can
good defense of Napoleon be founded upon
Rochefort's unwisdOm and unexampled def
ance. His hate seems to be q measure in its
way of imperial fraud, which SO many French
men understand without understanding them
selves. M. Rochcfort is earnestly intent upon
liberty or death, and seeks, as the world may
see, duel with an Emperor. Napoleon has ac-
cepted his challenge by demanding his arraign-
ment for outrage against the empire. 1t is now
clear case between NJ. Henri Rochefort and NJ.
Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte; or should we not
rather say NJ. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte NJ.
Rochefort has too exciting cause to be
France is more or less engaged in his duel,
only the beginning of which has come to pass.
The champion of the rabble, as he is called,
will in all likelihood be for tho time over
thrown, but unless strict justice is meted ont
10 NJ. Pierre Bonaparte his victory is only DO