Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-29
WHAT FRANCE ESCAPED.
ReDOrt OF the Investigation into the
Proposed Coup D'EtRt OF 1877
Evidences of TreasOnable In
tentiOns- DE BrOgIie and
DE ROchebOueu.

mission on the Crisis OF 1871. The reading
of this report occupied one hour and
quarter. The report begins by recalling that |
the chamber had referred to the commission |
both the acts of the sixteenth of May minis |
try and certain events in the first fortnight |
of November in 1S77-a proof that it con-
nected both with concerted plan for chang
ing the form OF government. During the
first period the chief object was to force uni
versal suffrage to rescind its vote OF 1876
and give a majority adverse to the republic,
for 'ch purpose the constitution was vIo
lated, laws trampled unde> foot, Individual
liberty illegally infrlnged, the magistracy IN
cited to craftsmanship; corruption, fraud, vlo-
lence and terror resorted to. During the
second period the authors of the sixteenth OF
May were organizing the means of making
up by force for the absence OF national as
sent, and what was then attempted or medl-
tated threw light on the real designs OF the
original scheme.
General de Rochebouet, who was COM
handing at Bordeaux, is summoned to Paris
on the eighteenth of November by kilograms,
| in which no mention Is made OF the inten-
| ton to make him prime minister and beg
| ging HIM simply to come to Paris On the fol-
| lowing day and call at the Elysee. General
| de Rochebouet had, however, doubtless some
notion as to the motives for which he was
summoned to Paris, for he Immediately tele
giaphed to General Ducrot, the commandant
of the eighth corps at Bourges, as follows:
Il am summoned to Paris by Marshal Mac
Mahon. You can imagine the feelings |
experience in regard to the proposals which
may be made to me. l shall be this evening
and tomorrow (Tuesday) at the hotel
Vouillemont, Paris" The fact that General
| de Rochebouet addresses himself to General
| Ducrot in these terms makes it extremely
probable that in previous interviews and
| correspondence the formation of q cabinet OF
military influence had been scussed and
bak n IN no
! plan. The latter, in fact, does not hesitate,
and at once replies to NJ. de Rochebouet: "In
present circumstances you cannot
refuse. 0nly make it a condition that you
are allowed TO make the changes in the minis
terial personnel and the garrisons of Paris
and Versailles which seem to you indlspen-
sable on your own responsibility. Count on
my fullest cooperation. | am writing to
you. This telegram authorizes the sup
position'that General Ducrot was aware of the
mission reserved for General de Rochebouet.
| Instead of yielding to the nation, prepare
tons are being made to resist it. Can it be
ianced that the ministers of the sixteenth of
| May still In power are In ignorance of this
| resolution and these preparations? Was 1T
| the Due de BroglIe, chief OF the refining
| cabinet. who gave the president of the repub-
lie the advice to summon III. de Rochebouet?
INSTALLATION OF THE MINISTRY.
! Tue reliminary inquiry will doubtless clear
up this point. You have seen that General
Ducrot advised NJ. de Rochebouet to make
| changes in the personnel Of the ministry of
war. This advice was forthwith followed
| On the twenty second of November NJ de
| Rochebouet telegraphed to General Ducrot:
Nothing settled. Send MmIbel to me to
day" On the following day General Ducrot
telegraphs to Captain Ganay, az Versailles,
as follows: Tell General de ROchebouet
that Miribel accepts the post Of chief of the
staff, but cannot leave Ris room for two or
| three days, owing to an lndlsposltion. Cen
! e'al Miribel is General Ducrot's chief of the
staff. The new prime minister was accord
| ingly drawing from the latter not only in
| spirers, but co-operatoIs. The Rocheb0uet
ministry was installed. On the twenty fourth
of November it was placed a minority in
| the chamber by 315 votes to POI. 1t did not
retire. Its language from the tribune was a
| little less aggressive than that of its prede
cessors; still, the coup de force seems in
| preparation. Evidence of it is In plenty. We
| shall place the most important items of 1t
| before you. Two kilograms from the minis
| ter of war, On the twenty-seventh and TWEEN
| ty-eighth OF November, to the commandant
at Marseilles and the commaHdant at Lyons
recommend significant precautions to
them,, among others to call in the
arms belonging to private persons to Fort
| st. Jean. The reply of the Lyons command
ant contains this passage: 81 do not doubt
| that you viii proclaim the state Of siege by
| telegraph" Other kilograms express the
| fear that certain corps will not lend them
selves to the premeditated coup de force. On
| the fourth of December the minister OF war
| telegraphs to the commandment at Toulouse as
| follows: II am told that the Ninth reei-
| ment cannot be counted upon. Is this true?
| Are there any measures to be taken ?"
| What, then, did the promoters of the enter
| prise premeditate to dread resistance on the
| part of the troops? Suspicion and fear seem
to have stolen into their breasts.
PROOF UNANswERABLE.
| The following telegram is dated December
| 9Th: ITO the Commandant of the Eighth
| corps, Bourges: In reply to your ciphered
telegram, and conformably to the verbal in
structions l gave you, | beg you to forbid
any absence OF generals OF division failing
| ministerial order, even should these officers
be convoked for the commissions" On this
telegram there are two observations to make
first, that General Ducrot came to Paris be-
I tween the eighteenth of November and the
| fifth of December, seeing that there are
| verbal Instructions; second, that the moment
| for action does rot seem distant The min
| isterof war and General Ducrot need fresh
| conference, for the following telegram
| was sent off on December 9th: Minister of
| war to the Commandment of the Eighth corps
| at Bourges: | authorize you to come to Paris
on Sunday. A Dufaure cabinet is at present
| in formation" These words show that for
General Ducrot and M. de Rochebouet the
| political question outweighs everything. An
| attempt at Cancellation was in fact Just tnen
talked of; the nation thought an understand
ing was going to be established between the
president of the republic and the represe lta-
| tlves of France. This was the hope of every
good citizen. On the seventh OF December
| M. de Rochebouet telegraphs 70 General Do
crot: The negotiations for the formation of
a ministry are broken off because of the
marshal's refusal to give way on the ques-
ton of the ministries of war and foreign at
| fairs" General Ducrot repled: Thanks.
| May the good God and Marshal MacMahon
| be blessed and glorifed." Laughter and
ordinations We will not comment on
this cry Of triumph extOrted from General
Ducrot by the news that war was resumed
| between the government and the nation.
| The two kilograms of the seventh of Deem
Der sufficiently show what sentiments ami
mated the promoters of the enterprise.
| From this moment measures of detail are
| adopted to insure the carrying out of their
| resolutions.
TREASON MOST FOUL.
On the ninth of December the intendant
| lowing telegram to the sous intendants OF
Blois Auxerre, Melun, Fontalnebleau, Sens,
and the sub projects of Joigny, Provins,
| Montargis, Vendome ard Romorantin:
"Have Immediately conveyed into each bar
racks, so as to be ready at the disposal of the
| troops-infantry, cavalry and artillery-two
days mobilization rations, including pre-
served meat. For the horses, two days oats
Send me word We shall see further on
that this measure was not taken solely in the
area of the Fifth corps. On the tenth of De-
| ceuber two fresh kilograms are exchanged
between the minister of war, the president of
the council and General Due. OF: 1.-The min
lister of war to the commandant of the
| Eighth corps at Bourges: The military COM
mission will meet tomorrow (Tuesday)
morning. Pray come and see me on your
| arrival" The commandant of the Eighth
corps to the minister of war at Paris: | will
call on you tomorrow Tuesday, at eight
o'clock" 1t was without doubt at this last
interview that the defuitive resolutions were
taken. Such at least is the conclusion we
drew from the two following kilograms:
az aweliIn OF DeIem4er; IL MINISTER Th OF war 70