New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-09
EOCHEFORT And GiNBETTA.


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There never very much IN tho =" ' lcomte dc
i.ucay. calling himself ROchciori.' by constitution
a historical wcakling; in intellect W'rd;chr, and
nothing else. never u statesman or Il thinker, pol
ltcian through his niipathirS alone and u Liberal
chiefly through disgust rs much aIistocratic ~
sensible Tor the vulgar tawdrinrsS of the Second
Empire, NJ RnchcfOrt pn>scsscd III perfection the
power OF saying bitter mofS. AMI ~ he had the
courage to SAY them ont he became pcfsona2e
We do not believe that RochcfOrt undermined the
throne Ot Napoleon, for 1t never was undermined
II one fact caIno ont in $50. 1t was that there was
no necessity for the war with Prussia. that the
pra~aniry had not lost their belief III tho Emperor
and that il ho had remained passive and cool lie
might have been rclgnihg now: But ROchclort
helped not Only To drcnchant the Emperor IN the
eyes of Paris. and OF the world capable oi under
Standing the IdRierHC, hut IN his own eyes his
slconildcncc disappeared and to rrllahIlItate NM
self with himself, well ;tS with hS subjects. ho
rushed upon his fate. flea is not "A great thing
but it can turn sou out of bed
After that grand triumph. VI. RCChofort was like
the door which lets III the air that feeds the flame.
lie thought that his cTcahlng had done II ALL and
on his return from Nrw-CalcdonIa. whittier he had
been sent ~ Communist, AMI after the pardon
scared for him and the rest by NJ. Gambctta. ho
set himself to gain another and similar victory. lie
knew of only one path to swift success; IL was
his role, hr Thought, to destroy great lndivldlall-
tics and the greatest ndlN duality about WAS Just
then VI. Gambrta. II was not very noble to attack
the statesman who had just riNkcd his aScendancy
to obtain the general amnesty who had saved
Rochciorts life by intcrreSNon with VI: Timers.
and who had headed a subscription to help him If
M, c,,al.d from Newt alcdOnia but n wit of that
kind especially when much bcaudrd is apt to feel
that benefits. however deep. are but rccogntions
Of his merit deserving praise rather than gratitude,
and VI. kOch,fu struck at ~ Gamlctta with u
Vgni which made Observers aware OF his l0imcr
Successes. prick mp their ears III expectations. lie
.cry darts tell short, however. Not one sentence
of hOrhclOrt's against his new adversary seems 10
have told III laTls certainly not one told III
EUROPE; and in his YcAatlOn he descended To per
s0nal abuse vhich-t is Il notable truth III modern
p0litc4 and one not yet quite cXpalnrd-ncHer has
any efficacy at all. What was the use OF IrvIing
NJ. Gainhrita ~ Is " one eyed Dictator, when his
dictatorship had saved France from dlshon0i, ana
his one ego had seen clearer Than 0thrr men per
icct vision az a, opportunlst when he arbMo"l-
edged the charge. or rs "GrnocSc Eich Nap0'
leon had been 4 C0Tocar, or ealing nhl Il hrSohu-
ant OF Italian brigands! NJ Galnbctta ala not
plc;.d birth aud PARIS. though 1t would have Ildl-
culcd HIM If he had did not care one straw II he
were the lincal male heir oi Satan provided only
that he were thoroughly devoted 10 rance which
nobody questioned even in his mind:
The fiery darts wrre harmless, bnt al iaSt VI.
Gambrtia. seeing them fall 80 thick began to STRIKE
back and with weapons very different from thlNc
OF Napoleon Ill. He made no martyr OF NJ Roche
fort. but with that occasional HheSs Whlrh IS 80
striking IN so impcriOns character, SIMPLY ap
pracd to the French appreciation oil sentiment
against HE French appreciation OF VII ne caused
some letter. 10 be- published whi"h showed rohGiu-
slvcly that VI. RochclUrt owed lnm mucl ms me-
among other lrcS; and by duplication, asked farIs
if this asAa,lant of his with all his acid WI. Was
not bad ht artrd fellow! sentiment is III rance
the great aniiscptir. and the immediate condelnna-
ton Of Paris drove N. ROchcfOrt into temper when
found relief not in showers Of ilillrry, put III looS
oil BiIIlnGSVatr. lie even .chdlhtlb'" -
NJ Gambettas private secretary. Tor puDllSilhs ms
letters but received only the crushing reply that
there could be ducl, for there WAS no INJURY 10
rrnair If your own lrttcr dIshOnOrs you, how
can / help :ihat w We are BY no means sure that
the method of warfare was the most dlgnlIIed NJ.
t,miottn couId hryr chosen. There are men i'll
tno world who would hardly defend themselves
by cnumrrating the benefits they have conferred
on an enemy, and they would IN thc!r retIeruts
have been higher men than NJ. Ganbettl, though
he was nnrnlrd TO- If must bc remembered, rs head
Of a party. and not as apryatc friend The blow,
however had been provoked ami 1t was deadly
one. Nj Rochct0rt will always he read but
scarcely again regarded by his cOuntrymcn.