The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-06

same power. Napoleon said Paris could not hold
himself and Rochefort5 one OF them must get out.
And It was true. His Imperial Majesty, as things
happened, went out nrst. daughter and APP
plause.) Rocnefort stood drm throughout. He
had never once changed his ground. He had been
the most consistent or
POPULAR POLITICAL LEADERS,
and had confronted the enemy at every turn with
the nag OF republicanism In one hand and the
quill OF democracy IN the other. (Cheers.)
The spectacle was more than grandiose. But
need not speak Of his genius, OF his inspiration,
his courage or his power TO those who know his
career. (Appause.) In describing Rochefvrt as
q wit beg you do not mlsapprehend the meaning
OF that thing in French the part OF this peculiar
talent as it Is played in French affairs. We apt
in this country to conceive OF wit as Joker, as
sort of Artemus Ward or Marx TWAIN or even as
the end man In o negro minstrel company. Be
assured this Is not R0cheort. Wit and satire
was TO him the most powerful and
effective Weapon OF 1ssa6It-a weapon
before whom despotism was most helpless,
OF republican liberty, and he used it as it had heen
used by voltaire-to destroy those malevolent
forces which have proved SO disastrous for French
humanity Let those who imagine II any such
there be, that Rochefort Is mere corsair look at
his life and his triumphs. Let those who think he
is a braness adventurer, as one idiotic newspaper
has had the audacty to suggest tell me
how he achieved his glittering fame, how he
won his wonderful popularity how he compassed
his power-a power which rallied Paris and
STRUCK DOWN THE FRONT OF THE IMPERIAL
DESPOr,
Let those who look on him as q mere revolution.
list, as revolution incarnate listen to his ideas OF
organic politics. Let those who look on him as an
impractlcable visionary tell me why the repub.
lican voters OF Paris elected him twice
to the Assembly, once, under the Empire
and again under the Republic. Tell me,
why the astutest republican leaders in France
asked him to become member OF the Govern
ment Of National Defence. Tell me why, during
the siege, he was appointed Chief or Barbados.
(App!ause.) Rochef0rt has more than political
sense He has the genius OF craftsmanship, as l
am convinced alter intimate conversations with
him. He was probably revolutionst during the
Empire; but give France true republican
government and Rocheforts constructive
genius will be found equal to that OF Ca.
YOUR (Applause.) But lew words more, in
reference to one point about which Rochefort has
been the worst misunderstood and the worst ma
lgned man of the nineteenth century, do not pro-
pose to 60 over any ground that he is to cover so
will simply mention that Rocheort's course dur
ing the Commune has been as grossly misunder-
stood as the Commune itself. He upheld the Com
mune because 1t appeared to him to embody the
true republican principle tapplause) because
the world must be regenerated; because it gave
hope OF realization of those great organic re-
forms which the creative intellect OF France,
foreshad0wed since the time of Henry w.. be-
cause it proposed political justice and communal
applausel-emancpation from that Pc
cuiar
MEPHISTOPHELISN, THAT DIABOLISN
OF modern France. daughter and cheers) His
enemies accuse him-and, gentlemen. would as
soon let Calgula represent the history of Chris
tianity as let any reactionist represent the history
OF that sublime epoch OF the Commune-they &C
cuse him, say, OF being during the revolutionary
government, the leader and lnstigaIor Of mob Of
thieves incendiarles, murderers and assassins.
'Thieves ?" Aye, though they stole nothing and
never laid even q finger on the hun.
dreds OF millions OF gold that were under
their hands in the vaults of the Bank
OF France. (Applause.) "incendiarles" Ave.
though it would not require the fingers
OF one hand to number the buildings that they
were even7 accused of burning. "Murderers9"
Ave. though there was not single execution in
Paris by order OF the Commune during its. brief
existence, as Henri Rochefort can show. ZAP
plause.) These diabolical falsehoods about this
thing are indescripable simply because it is only
the murderer who was allowed to describe his VIC
tim. 1t was, fellow citizens, sad thing that dur
Ing the supreme moment OF the tragedy Of Paris,
when for five days they had been slaughterlng
men, women AMI children by the 10000; wnen holo.
causts OF victims, chained together, were massacred
by the mitraIeuse; when the maddened soldiery Of
Mcmahon were wreaking on the people of Paris
the vengeance which they had failed TO take on
Bismarck's invaders-lt Is a sad thing, say, that
under such circumstances few ecclesiastics were
shot by the unauthorized orders Of the sufferers
as General Lamonte had previously been shot.
But 1t certainly was not wonderful, and, let 1t be
remembered, against all such acts ROchefort neve r
failed to enter his protest. One word in regard
to the theme OF Rochefort's discourse, which he
wished me to announce. The main points will
be four or five. He will begin by referring to
his interview with the present King Of the Sand
witch Islands during his voyage as refugee to this
country. The vessel stopped there and ne had an
interview with the present King. Mr.. Rochefort
Will state that he observed.things in hawaii and
the adjacent islands, the society, government and
ordinary AFFAIRS and he will contrast
THE CIVILIZATION OF sAvAGERY WITH THE saw.
AGERY OF CIVILIZATION.
(Applause.) Second, he will refer to the part that
he himself took under the provisional government
OF September, where, with Favre and several
others, that short-lived and
KALEIDOSCOPE CONCERN WAS CREATED.
He win 60 on and state what has never been re-
vealed-the facts in reference to the surrender Of
Paris, the visit OF Jules Favre to Versailles his in
terview there with Bismarck, the scheme Tor
the surrender Of the city and the results
OF that scheme, and certain extraordinary
and heretofore unknown facts to which he Is
privy. In the third place he will dwell upon some
abstract and philosophical speculatons in regard
to those who speak about the French being unable
to keep a republic when they have got it-thar
they can establish nothing and that sort of thing.
Rochefort says, "Give the French republic
and you viii see whether they will keep
1t or not" In the next place he will
state that he has been accused by certain
American newspapers OF exaggeration in the
statements he recently made in his published let
ter. They say It's awful, blood curdling state
ments we're phantasies OF his Lante'ne brain, that
he has colored the incidents. &C, Rochefort will