The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-06-07

A REMARKABLE MAN--THE DEATH OF MAR
suM T.-Jeln-Baptist Phibbcrt
Valiant, Marshal OF France, died Tuesday
at Paris; in his eighty-secund year. His
whole career was full of the most singular
contradictions, and il his death, despite his
rndeniable merits rs Il soldier, cXcitcs little
regret among his c0untIymen. 1t Is because.
Us 4 politician, he was 4 trimmer and t;mt-
server. and, under the Second Empire, one
of the most AFFECT flnttcrcrs Of Louis Napo-
leon., He was born ut Dion in 1870. His
father, an educated man, but in hum-
BILE circumstances, put him. at all early
are, to the Military School ut st. Cyr,
where he graduated in 1893. and was at once
sent as second lieutenant to the French army
in Spain. In 1909 he fought at Wagram,
and in 1912 he participated as mnjor III the
disastrous Russian campaign. Wounded at
Icipzir, he was unable to do active servit e
during the early part OF Tie war in Frame
in 1914. but commanded Il regiment durieg
the brief defence of Paris. In 1915 Napoleon
appointed him colonel Of an Infantry regi-
ment, and he greatly distinguished him
self ut Waterloo. During the rcstora-
ton he lived for time i'll retirement, but
obtained an important command under Mar
shall CIausel in Africa in lS:O, ana was
wounded in one of the first engagements in
Algeria. Louis Philippe always treated
Valiant with much aversion, and, IL consc-
| u,lence, his promotion until 184S WAS slow.
After the February revolution, Valiant be-
came an active member OF the Bonaparti list
Executive Committee, and contributed ms
| terialIy toward the election Of LoniS Napt :
leon to the presidency. In 1919 the Preside.
sent him to Rome to replace General Oudi-
not as comnlandcr-in-chief of the French
expedition, and he displayed consideral G
energy in the closing operations Of the sieg,
During the intrigues preceding the co, p
d'etat he was one Of the most active conSpir =
tors and his bad example during the gloon y
days of. 1851 produced Il most demor J.
iZing effect upon the army. He was re-
| Warled with amarShaRS baiOn for the servic S
he had rendered to Louis Napoleon, only
one week after the coup Petdt had been
committed. His subsequent career was that
| of u courtier rather than soldier. During
the Crimean war he was Minister of War,
and was praised by the Imperillist organs,as
greater than Carnot. He afterward ucccptt
the portfolio Of the Fine Arts aud OF the
| Imperial Household, and rs such became
extremely unpopular. He was bitterly &C.
nounced in the French Assembly in
| 1869, for having allowed prominent Impt-
rialists to remove valuable paintings from the
public galleries and adorn their private resi-
dences with them. Although he mdalwayS
belonged to the clique of the Empress Eu-
genie, lie opposed the declaration of war
against Germany. After the cpitulation Of
Sedan he fled to London, but returned to
France in january, 1871. During the COM
mune the popuIace sacked Marshal Vail
lant's house in Paris. President Theirs APP
pointed him, several weeks ago, member OF
the court martial that is to try Marshal Ba-
zaine for treason. His death may produce
an important effect upon the proceedings
against BaZaine, inasmuch rs the President
of the French Republic will certainlys have
considerable difficulty in finding a compe-
tent general to take the place OF Marshal
Valiant OH the court martial. lE