The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-08
OSTRICH JOURNALISM.
From the Evening Post

From the Evening Post.l
Notwithstanding the benevolent reprimand with
which the Nation, In its general supervision Of AZ
fairs, favored Ms the other day, for having made
any mention Whatever OF n. Rocheforts letter in
the HERALD. It Is our intention, in execution OF
the duty Of giving our readers the news OF the day
to follow MP the statements Of that gentleman.
The policy OF ignoring public occurrences II not
one which We are disposed TO adopt even on the
recommendation OF our excellent young contempt
rary. 30 little IL known OF the true history OF
France since 1870 that we value every source Of
information ON tho subject, quite independently of
any feeling Of sympathy or antipatny in respect to
the person from whom the information reaches us
provided only that it ts manifestly correct or
be verified. II the Nation Views the matter IN any
other light 1t il strsnge-and that Ii all
We looked, accordingly, with some interest for
n. Rocheforts lecture yesterday ct the Academy
Of Music, and were considerably disappointed.
Not only was there tncomparably less material In
It than In his letter, but wnQt there was was In
Inherently worked up. few facts concerning the
treatment Of the convicts in New Caledonia, . few
particulars about Louise Michel and her mother,
an interesting statement how N. Rochefort had
been kept IN ignorance by his colleagues Of the
Governments Of National Defence with reference to
the negotiations which N. Jules Favre was carry.
ing on for the capitulaton OF Paris-that is about
al that the lecture contained. 1t was read
from Q manuscript, and was neither par
tcularg well worded nor wen delivered.
N. Rochefort IL decidedly not . great
orator, and this nEst attempt Of his
to speak in public has probably convinced him Of
the fact He never appeared before critical
miscellaneous audience until this time, nor did he
ever deliver regular speech In the Assembly. His
'orationsn seldom exceeded two or three red not
sentences thrown out TO An excited mob, and from
his experiment last night It Is evident that he
win have to content himself with penmanshlp.
The lecture also not great success IN respect
70 the extent Of the audience, for only the lower
part OF the house was well filed. Mr.. John Swim.
ton, the American socialist, undertook TO intro
duce the lecturer, and delivered very tiresome
speech Of his own which nobody desired to lis
ten to.
But the point which strikes most disagreeabfy
was M. Rocheforts allusion to his marriage. We
had thought thar, by his asking for wedding GER
emory to take place before he was transported, he
desired to legittmize his children, and we praised
his act accordingly. 1t appears, however from hts
own quite unnecessary statement that he did 80
because 1.-THE companion Of hts YOUTH being
already in dying condition. asked him for a nup-
tial ceremony, which he did not feel the courage
to refuse her, 'just as he would not have felt the
courage to refuse her Q cashmere shawl, II she had
asked for onen
The HERALD's reporter having secured the origi-
nal manuscript Of the lecture our enterprise ng
contemporary gave this morning q full translation
OF ir-a sufficiently correct one this time to serve
the purpose Of those who may wish to know more
in detail what the lecturer said. The Tribune also
prints full report of it.