The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-10-21
naJHEFDRT'S TRIAL.
Ills speech Before the Gourt-Great
Crowds in Attendance.

Ills speech Before the Court-Great
Crowds in Attendance.
The trial of the noted Frenchman,
Henry Rochefort, took place in Yer
sailles on the Goth ult, the charges
against him being participation in vari-
Gus acts of the communal government.
An immense crowd was present at the
trial After he had been questioned
by the court for few minutes, he asked
to reply once for all in speech, and
permission being given, he said:
every one admits the frankness and
clearness with which [ opposed the
Empire. | shall be here what / always
was. People seek to make of me the
pivot on which all revolutions turn.
Allow me to tell you, once for all, what
sort of man [ am When the war was
decided upon, | was in prison at ST.
Pelagie the Paris political PRISON.. In
spite of the loss OF popularity which
risked, [ suppressed the Marseillaise,
thus depriving myself of an important
property. A month afterward the peo-
pie came to seek me at ST. Eelagie, in
order to carry me to the Hotel de Vile.
At that moment [ held the popular tore
Is of Paris III my hand / was in all
the freshness OF my popularity. Moth
ing would have been easier than to have
attempted anything | liked. Instead
this, | annihilated myself. [ had con-
fidence III Gen Trochu; [ gave him
all my sympathy and my aid / was
overcome with the passionate desire
to see the Prussians driven from before
Paris | know that to-day Gen Trochu
repudiates me. He has accused me,
and yet it is to him that | sacrificed not
only my popularity, but my fortune.
Having seen in the Marseillaise an ar
ticle Of Gen. Cluseret's, which was in
furious to the national defense, [ wrote
4 letter i'll which | said: cat a time
when all opinions are discussed, a hate
full article of Gen. Cluseret's has APP
peared. | have no longer anything to
do with the paper, and | ordered the
suppression of the Marseillaise, which
brought me liz more than $4,000 a
month This is not all. When I came
out Of St PeIagie | had So upon me.
The Minister of Finance suggested that
| should clam my pay of $1,000 year
as Deputy, which was due to me. |
refused not wishing to cucumber the
finances Of the country ! remained
three months without writing, and it
was then only that [ caused the Mot
d'Ordre to reappear. The armistice
had been signed The Government
took no account Of my sacrifices, and
after three weeks my journal was sup
pressed on account of an article which
expressed nothing but hatred for the
foreigner. Singular accusations are
to-day brought against me. Certain
opinions represent me as the author of
al our woes. Those who dare not own
their hatred for the author of the Ian
ternc have propagated these opinions.
Nou will find IN my writings a great
deal of violence, but YOU Will also see
that | haze always opposed arbitrary
arrests, and that ! narrowly escaped
sharing the fate of Chaudrey. / have
been accused Of having urged the
demolition Of NT Thiers's house. It is
no more true than the accusation that
| took part IN the searches of religious
houses. ! am an advocate of the sec
ularization of the goods Of the clergy
II | had chosen | need not have APP
peared here. When [ was arrested at
MeauX Prussian officer came into nv
eel and offered me my liberty | would
not ACCEPT II ut the hand Of an enemy. "
After this speech, delivered not with
out eloquence, Col. Merlin proceeded
to Interrogate the prisoner. first about
the hostages ROchefort maintained
that It was VI. Theirs who was the real
cause of the death of these unfortunate
men. II am convinced said he.
chat if VI. Theirs had given up Blan-
qm the hostages would have been set
tree. Blanqul had great Influence, and
was moderate man, opposed to blood
shed. 1t was he who opposed Trochu's
beng shot, Oct. 81, at the Hotel de
Vile. Here | am bound to say that
several journalists remarked, pity
they q d not shoot Dochu. y As to
Ihlers's house. Rochefort de
clared lie wrote the article
urging its demolition unuer the infu-
ence Of anger at seeing Paris DESTROYED
by shells from Versailles batteries. He
himself had nothing whatever to do
with the disturbance As to Prince
Pierre Bonaparte's house, the people
were not really to blame if they sacked
an assassin,s house At this Col Mer-
In said You have no right to call
man an assassin who only defended
himself. At this defense Of Pierre
Bonaparte, the murderer, Rochefort
shrugged his shoulders, and even Com
mandant Gayeau, the prosecution,
seemed disguised. The audience gave
forth an audible murmur, which was
With some difficulty quelled by the ush-
ers Bonaparte Pierre is not popular.
The post IS leaving, and l must con
elude.