New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-19
HENRI ROCHEFORT.
HIS STRANGE CHARACTER AND CAREER

| wRIrER-HIs LITERARY HABITS-HOW THEIRS
WAS WILLING 10 WINK AT A PRIsON-BREAKING
| sCHEME-ROCHEFoRT AS LOVING AND INDUL-
| GENT FATHER
| [FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNEl
PARIS June 3.-The Rochefort duel is the all
absorbing topic. No cvent has for several years
SO much excited tho democratic centres and the
bouevards. Imperiaists rejoice over the widening
effect this unhappy affair must have The breach
which has been opened between the OppOrtunist
md the Radical Republicans They are also glad
| to sec the Empire which undoubtedly the Ldntene
| blew up avenged by the hand of the Republican,
! KOechlin. and to watch how ci-derdnt Democrat
| NJ Andrieux rcnds former friend and is rent by
| him. Though the Lantcrnier in the wrong in
| dragging KOechlin into his quarrel with the
| Project of Police, tho sympathy of many people
is with Rocherort whose wrong-doing, in this
particular instance was tho outcome Of wrongs ac-
cumnaed upon him. His friends believe him to
he one of tho mos! loving fathers that ever lived.
| Octave, his youngest boy, some days after the
scui.le IN the Place de In BastIle, came to him at
Geneva when he was at breakfast with two BOule-
| ward Journalists and told how he had had on that
occasion a narrow escape Of being run through by
! one Of AndricuX's policemen. He had received
! blows with the fiat OF u sword on the head and
shoulder which had almost stunned him. There
was an insignificant wound near tho abdomen 1t
was said by the lad to be a sword wound which, had
it gone quarter Of an inch deeper. would have been
mortal. Rochcfort is ono of those bundles
of nerves whom tho muses. best like
to visit. He IS genius and q
wit Between mm aud Andrleux tho worst foe
he has ever mad, there many points of similarity
But the prcfcct of Police has not the drorry or the
personal charm of the other, wlo is in private life,
generous to q fault quick to forgive if quick to re-
| sent ailrctOnate and sincere although his Imagl-
nation often blinds him tn fncts, and his tongue
easily slips into unintentional tbbng.
II has been, figuratiycly speaking, Rocheforfs
! destiny to be cast into the rough seas from boy
| hood Ia premature old age. To continue the meta
| phor ho IS a light, elcRant bark, without either
compass ballast or ruddcr and ever dcpendent on
"a mere jury-mast. As a lampOoner, gay
chronlclcr ho is uncqualcd and sui gene
ris. lis queer humor is unique. There is
nothing hike 1t in French journalism His temper
mcnt is essentially that of journalist 1t would
not possible TOR him to do anything well, II he
wcro Obliged 10 reflect bcforopu ting pen to paper
| Rochrfort sparklos most a writer after a pro-
| Iungcd "gag7 with mir;hfully disposed friends
! from whom he has torn himself when 1t is almost
too late to get through the "copy' which the
printers are expecting. fever takes possession Of
| hnm. Every faculty is ovcr-stmulated. and the
| brain generates flashing and drol ideas. lie has
|
will. lead him.
THE LfIrRR THAT MADE THE TRorBTE.
The letter pnhlI-hcl IN the Not fOrdrc, which was
the cause OF the duel was pcnncd in this unrcilcct-
INC manner Ii was dashed Oh at tho breakfast ta-
! blr where his boy Octave found him, before tho
desert was served. was read to pair of Boulevar-
der Radical journalists who wcro partaking Of tho
, r,pl,t met with thrlr cordial approval, and was
taken by one OF them 10 Paris t. the oilco Of the
| MoiTNrirc \ duplicate WAS sent 10 the RGpWL
NJ Paul Mcnricc Kindly sAid " lIochcfort has had
enough Of trouhc without measuring swords with
an ex-dr4goou III the prime Of life. and phcgmaic
as a tcrnan' II" therefore suppressed the conmtl-
ncaiion, to Rochriurt's : annoyance. The answer to
| KocchI!u's challenge worse than tho insulting
cpistlc To Audrirux which provoked the cartel.
! Every word contained sting and the whole went
| to show that kocchm Was an Ass.
Rochcfort. great many people feel is tho victim
| Of ngTatitude and injustice. Tho mon now IN
| power were aS revolutionary In their means ten
years go as he was. but they had not the power To
draw the lnughcr5 to their side. Victor iluGo'S
| (haimcnts did not chaS;lsc because the French
people did not a-smllate them. The LGnt0ne pcne-
trated everywhere. 1t ran like wlIdire from end to
| end Of France. Ii n regularly distrbntcd rs
| Il there was no governmental rdict against 1t.
| Octave Feuilct wrote To Flauhert from Fontanc-
Imperial Family 4" The whole Court reads the
Laufrrnc 1t is the fnshion--morc than the fashion,
! the ragc SNcll4 stick il IN the bands OF their
| hats as they would ticket FOR tho LIngchnmps
| course gIainl stand and ladies fastcn II Cn the
bnsnr II is of course red outside aud the tint of
tho cover IL analogous Ia the lrttcr-press within.
| The Empress fOrgIvos the venom the pamphlet DIS
I'll. for the laughter 1t affords her. Supreme
grandeur Is wcnrisome and wcaIlcs hcr Sho wanted
! = Jester with a cap and bells. and the audacity to
thrash ministers ond courtcrS with his rattle. In
! Rochrfuit She has found one. The Government was
| unable tn stand against the universal conspiracy
of lovers of fnrcc and fnn and has at length
made up It's mind to Join In tho laughter which NJ.
Rurhclort proyokcS, ut the expense of tho Imperial
| systcm.'
TIE DAYS or THE COMMUNE.
Water conld no moro be kept ont Of II seine placed
I'm fine sea than tho LdntrRc ont of France; and rs
| NJ Octave Fcuillct predicted, its success was tho
| destruction Of tho Imperial system 10 which the
oratiol,s Of the Five occa5l0ned but small dam
| age Ruclcfort not only not III the Commune,
| bnt was against il. Those sqnibs of his against
! Thirrs were let off to insure his own safety. lio
seemed to approve of the demolition of Thicrs's
house: nnd TO save the art collection there he rec
ommcndcd that it shUuld be dccrcrd national prop
| ortv and sent to the Louvre. There were mpro-
| nririies in his arIccs-Oitnccs against taste and
| good stIse-but no hanging matter of any kindj
| and his condemnation by Military ln-
| bunnl Of Bonapurtst officers many good peo-
| ple think was n disgrace to tho liners
| administration. Thicrs himself felt that
| # was But he had not the courage to withstand
the iraclonists Of the Assembly, the military party
round him and his own colleagues in tho Govern
mcnt, NM. Picard aud JulesFayre' on whom Roche
fort, toward tho close Of the siege, had written
stinginG articles.
| Tbers had recourse to lodges to save Rochefort
| from the fate to which no was condemned by the
military tribunal aud he himself 10 ID Llo that he
| WINS no convinced of the nquty of the Judgment as