The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-28
OBITUARY.
Armand Rarbps.

Armand Barbes, noted French radical died
yesterday in Paris, at the age of siXty-one
years. He was born in 1910 at Pointe-a-Pitre.
Guadaloupe, and was brought to France when a
child. His family owned an estate IN the vicinity
of Carcassonne, and on the death of his father
he came into handsome fortune and was sent
by his guardians to Paris to study law. On his
arrival in the capital he Immediately became
intensely interested in politics, and was speedily
involved in q number of conspiracies against the
Government. When the insurrection of 1884
broke out he was arrested as member of the
Societe des Droits de rHonlme, but the authori-
ties were not able to substantiate their charges
against him, and he was accordingly released
after an imprisonment of five months. While
in prison he made many warm friends among
the poor people who were confined with him,
and laid the foundation for the popularity he
retained until the last day of his life.
In August, 1885, he was suspected of having
some knowledge of Fieschi's attempt to assassl-
nate Louis Philippe and was again arrested and
discharged for want of evidence to convict him.
The Government, however, considered him to
be dangerous agitator, and determined to pro-
cure his condemnation if possible, SO he was
arrested in September of the same year on the
charge of illicitly manufacturing gunpowder
and was sentenced to years Imprisonment. AS
soon as he was at liberty he engaged in a new
conspiracy with August Blanqui, Martin Ber-
nard, and other leaders of La Societe deS Fd-
miles. The plans were so well arranged that
success was confidently expected, and on the
18th of May, 1889, one hundred armed men,
with Barbes at their head, made their
appearance in the streets of Paris
shouting "ViUe la repub!ique !" When the
insurrectionists reached the military post at
tha tha coI1 jaa
vored to resist them, but Lieutenant Drouneau,
the officer in command was killed by pistol
shot fired, it was said, by Barbes himself, and
the post was captured. By this time, however,
the authorities were fairly aroused, and troops
were summoned. The insurgents did not find
themselves supported as they expected by the
populace, and they were unable to construct
barricades before they were attacked. They
were soon overpowered, therefore, by superior
force, and Barbes, who was wounded, was taken
prisoner. A few weeks after he was tried before
a high court consisting of the Chamber of
Peers, and was sentenced to death. The
courage, frmness youth, and manly bearing of
Barbes excited much sympathy for him, and the
King, Louis Philippe, was induced to commute
his sentence to Imprisonment for life, at the
personal intercession of his own son, the Duke
of Orleans.
The revolution OF FEBRUARY, lS4S, procured the
release of Barbes, and he was at once elected Col
onel of the 18th Legion of National Guards, at
Paris, and was sent to the Constituent Assembly
as a representative of the department of Aude.
The moderate policy of the Assembly dissatis-
fed him, and with Hubert and Raspail he
headed the insurrection of May Is, and endeavored
to organize new government at the Hotel de
Vile. He was arrested for this outbreak, and
was thrown into the dunoeOns of Vincennes He
was tried before the High Court at Bourges, and
being found guilty was imprisoned at Mont st.
Michel. Here he remained for six years, until
his release was procured through the
interest excited by a letter from him
published in, the newspapers, in
which he praised in most enthusiastic manner
the heroic deeds of the French army in the
Crimea. The Government offered him pardon,
and on his refusing to accept it he was elected
from the prison. He then went to Paris, where he
wrote defiant letter expressing his sentiments
in very plain language, but as the Government
refused to arrest him he left the country and
resided for some time in Spain. few years
| ago he returned to France and took up his resi-
dence in Paris, but of late took no active part in
politics.
| Barbes was perfect type of a French radical,
bold generous, impetuous, and enthusiastic, but
utterly impractical and unable to imagine how
reforms could be brought about except by revo-
! luton and conspiracy.