The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-20
TROCHU AS DICTATOR.

The New Commander OF Parts-He Is Ntrtua
Dictator of the Capital A sketch of his
Louis Jules Trochu, Major-General or chief
of staff of the French army is now in a position,
as governor of Paris, that will enable him to
play great part in the revolution that will fol-
low in the event of the downfall of the Napole-
onic dynasty. One of the recent dispatches
states that the people already regard him as the
virtual Dictator, and that he is talked of as a
prospective consul of the republic. Still more
definite than this is the information that i'm his
proclamation to the people of Paris both the
Emperor and Empress were ignored, for which
ex-Minister of the Interior Pinard, wished to
call him to account in the Chambers, and
was with difficulty restrained from doing
so. 1t is also rumored that Trochu,
when recently urged to take the Min
istry of War, refused to do so, except at the
bidding of the Corps Legislatif, which was rather
significant for an officer of ''the personal gov
ernment," but is not altogether inexplicabe if
it be true that he is an Oreanist in his proclivi-
ties. If he is really dsaffected towards the EN-
peror, he probably sees plainly enough that
changes are at hand which, if he takes proper
advantage of the rapidly advancing waves of
revolution, will bear him on to fortune. As there
are indications that General Trochu is one of the
coming men, if not the coming man, in France,
a sketch of his career will not be uninteresting.
Louis Jules Trochu was born in 1915 and he is
now in the full vigor of his faculties. He en-
tered the military school of st. Cyr in 1885, and
like most of the young French officers at that
time, he engaged in the war for the conquest of
Algeria, and had attained the rank of captain in
1S43, when he took part in the battle of Sidi
Yusef, in which he had his uniform pierced in
four places by rifle balls. He distinguished
himself at the battle of Isly by the bravery he
displayed, and was on that occasion selected by
the successful and able commander, Marshal
Bugeaud, as his aid-de-camp. He became
colonel in 1853; was placed on the staff of Mar
shall St. ATnaud, and served during the Crimean
war. His brilliant conduct at the assauls on Sc
bastopooi secured him decoration.
Kipgslake represents him as the master mind
of the French army during the Crimean war, and
calls attention to the fact that in all the con-
ferences with Lord Raglan, Trochu, rather than
st. Arnaud or Canrobert, was the spokesman.
In 1859 he was made general of division, and
served with distinction in the italian war, and
in 1866, after the success of Prussia at sadowa,
he was charged with the preparation of plan
| for the reorganization of the French army, and
in 1867 he produced an essay upon organization
| entitled "LArnlee FrdRcdise," which ran
| through ten editions. He was one of the first
to foresee the inevitable contest between
| France and Prussia, and in a recent pamphlet
he gave the results of an intense study of the
Rhenish frontier as fighting field. By many Of
the French military men General Trochu is es-
| teemed to be the most brilliant strategist in
! their army, and it has been claimed that he is
the equal, if not the superior, of the Prussan
veteran Won Moltke. In personal appearance
he is described as being of middle size, elegant
/ in figure, but strong and sinewy. He has &
! pleasing countenance, full of intelligence, and
his address is quick, almost warm. He has "a
broad, thoughtful forehead, slightly bald; small
eyes, but so brilliant and sparkling that they
constitute a remarkable feature. His
hand is nervous though small, and
while his whole aspect is that of a soldier
| there is such absence of pretension that one i:
not obliged TO address him always as VI. le
General. His army predictions have not har-
deDed his heart though they may have given him
stronger views of duty. His brother having
died and left nine children unprovided for
1rochu took charge OF them all, aud for their
sakes he has remained single man. He is moi
man Of extended popularity, but his merits
are known to the judicious few, and by them
set at an exceedingly high value.