New-York tribune., 1885-01-18
FLEURY AND THE EMPIRE.
THE CHIEF ACTOR In THE COUP D ErAT.

L LIZ On1 AMI liz EWI 1Rc.
THE CHIEF ACTOR In THE COUP D ErAT.
IrRoM THE REGULAR coRREsroyorSr OF THE rsBgsEl
PARIS December IL.
OF all the actors in tho cosp detat only 0ne-M
de Maupas-is now living. Tho soul of that event.
General Fleury has just died of gout in the heart
He was the son of q householder named Felix and
changed his name to Fleury when he enlisted.
forty-seven years ago. in the African Spahis. Much
history bound mp in his career. and he was
striking example of the maxim that Fortune favors
the bold. When he joined the Spahis he was
nearly twenty-five and had led such wild life and
got credit from tradesmen in so many ways that
France had grown too warm for him. Algeria was
then q long way of from Paris and afforded a
theatre for Dash. daring and all kinds of adven-
ture. Louis Philippc's sons were sent there on
expeditions which were little more than military
picnics, and got up to make them pass for heroes
in the eyesof the French Nation. Fleury in eleven
years to the grade of major, and by his knowl
edge of horsedesh obtained lucrative employment
in purchasing for the cavalry Tarbes and Irish
horses 1t was when engaged duty OF this
kind that he made the acquaintance OF Louis
Napoleon. They understood each other. Fleury
too poor and plebeian to be noticed by the
Duc dAumale, who was named GOveruor-General
Of Algeria in 1916. and resolved to attach himself
to the Napoleonic Pretender, who remained his
friend to the end. allowed him when he became
Emperor to cheat him grossly, paid his debts over
and again, and bestowed on him many
brilliant and lucrative functions. creating him
Colonel of the Guides aud of the Cent Cards.
General Master of the Horse, Grand Officer and
later Grand Cross Of the Legion of Honor, sending
him secret diplomatic missions, and finally
giving him tue splendid post OF Ambassador to
Russia where he became almost boon companion
of the late Car. Alexander was of a melancholy
and depressed temperament and liked the stimulus
of Fleuiy's high animal spirits and highly spiced
conversation.
The deceased General was not pure jew, but
had many of the peculiarities of the Hebrew race.
Combined with French dash and military jovality
there were subtle shrewdness, insinuating plaus-
ibilty mercantile genius, business activity, fertility
Of resource, capacity to make himself at home
with foreigners. INSCRIPTIONS eynicsm. low
view of lite and estimate of mankind, an obGging
disposition, warm family Affection sensuous tastes,
and determination by hook or by crook to get
hold of plenty of money. His vocation was
revealed to him in the plots which preceded tho
Coup dEtat and he turned his back on the old
| Algerans" who under Changarniers inspiration
were plotting for tho DCrleaDs and his face toward
| the Hotel du Rhn, where Prince Louis Napoleon
| lodged before he went TO the Elysee. After the
Presidential election of the Tenth of December
money was badly wanted. Mrs. Howard. the
| Princess Mathds, Mr. Shepperd (Aadanne de
Breponts father, and the Duke OF Brunswick were
| borrowed of Indeed but for the painted and
enameIled German Prince the Elysian faction must
| have broken down. He opened his purse because
Louis Napoleon pledged himself to restore to him
the Duchy OF Brunswick and other paternal Stat es
| in Germany Achie fould made cent per cent
advances of few hundred Thousand francs. which
only wotted the appetite of the greedy adventures
| round the Prince President. Fleury the ma n
of acton of the band and undertook to get in two
years the army of Paris well in hand and round
| 10 the side of the Prnce-President. He was q
| cutter of Gordian knots though of coil head and
! fertile in expedents While uniilnchngly resolute,
| he was Jolly good fellow" whose mental
| shrcwdncss approximated TO wit.
| THE CoSsPIRAroRs.
| After tho Tenth of December he WAS attached
with Edgar Ney, Lepic Menneval and Toulonreon
also deli ghtful boon cOmparon) to the Presiden-
tlal household. flenry soon gained an ascendant
| over the faccld will and vague intellect OF the
| Prince President. When q Coup dEtat War
| Ministry became necessary to the execution of the
Elys6e plot lie WAS sent to Africa to choose young
general who might be PLAYED of against the old
| Algerans" Changarnier Bedeau, Lamoriciere and
| Cavaianac, who were hostile to the Prince
| President. Tie consprators hesitated between Gen
erals Bosquet and ST. Arnaud. But the former being
| intractably graf and iack-blunt and calling the
| future Emperor dismal Punch without Judy u
| and Soulouque H." st. Armand was preferred.
| To give him the necessary relief an expedition
was devised against the kabyles, who are the salt
| Of the native races of North Africa Henri Martin,
| the historian. who spent four months with them In
| lSS2 thought them the best survival OF the old
| Roman civilization which the Arabs swept away.
| Well the Kabylos were accused, rs lattery the
| Kroumirs were of marrying the lands of Algerian
colonists. They fod--for they are not warllke =
with their wives and children to the caveIns in the
hillsides. where st. Armand smoked them to death.
| No cry of pity was raised in Europe. But st.
| Arnaud was by Flcurys advice made War Min
! lister.
| He summoned to Paris all the officers who,
| ne thought, would enter into the conspiracy, and
! made il worth their while to do so. They were
passed in review by Fleury ut soirces at the Eysce
| and War Ministry and he-nanaged their promotion.
| lie knew the strong aud weak points of each and
| TO what extent he could be reckoned upon. new
erop of generals and coones OF his creation sprang
ND rapidly and squeezed the Orleanists ont of the
| army IL was also Flcury who designated the
| regiments which were to come most fully INTO
action ON the Second and the Fourth of December,
and in all that related 10 qheStions vi H1'iou"i
| capacities he was the real Minister OF War, and
| remained 80 to 1870 Partisan. he thoroughly
| understood Paris lie also understood the French
| soldier 1t was Fleury who devised how to train
the military force in the capital for the execution
of the Coup Etat and the massacre on the Boule-
wards which was to strike terror into tho middle
| class To this end false alarms were given OF
disturbances in distant quarters of the city. The
troops were called out of their beds and obliged to
march long distances in tho middle OF cold October
and November nights. Shots were fired at them
| from houses by which they passed. Agents OF the
| .la