Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-12-17
THE LATE GEN. URICH.
HIS success Due to His Loudly Pro-
Tossed Admiration for Napoleon Ill.


HIS success Due to His Loudly-Pro-
icssed Admiration for Napoleon III.
Our Paris correspondent tclcgraphs
The announcement of Gen. Urich $
death brings me back TO the exciting
year OF 1870, when he was for brief
space OF time popular idol and then
counted an old dunderhead. if not a
traitor. The general had reached his
10th year. lie was the first captain
nominated by Louis Philippe, and he
was on such good footing at the Elysee
during the second republic that soon
after the coup d'etat he was made a
brigadcr-general. He won his grade
OF a divisional general in the Crimca,
and was named grand officer of the
Legion of Honor for his part cipation
In the campaign of Italy He was on
the retired list in 1870. when, on war
being declared, he came forward and
In rather noisy and theatrical manner
offered, rs an old Alsatiau. his services
TO the emperor TO defend Strasburg or
Metz Officers in active service who
wished for posts Of honor were very
angry at the emperor for sending him
to the, former place. a man of almost
seperhuman energy was wanting. and
Urch had chiefly vigor in pushing him
self forward. He had no idea, when
setting out. of the degree TO which mil
ltarv preparations had been neglected
in the frontier stronghold. There were
only three thousand men ut STRAINS burg,
and the defenScs were of the old-fash-
Toned type, without detached forts and
outworks. travelled with Gen. Urich.
when he was liberated on parole. from
lie Mans to Tours, and witnessed the
ovation which the people of Tours gave
him. He stood on the balcony of the
archicpiscopal palace between NJ.
Cremieux then minister of war,
and Archbishop Guibert. There was
another manifestation of sympa-
thy and admiration when NJ
CremieuX gave him the grand cross of
the Legion of Honor. Before many
days letter from Nalentin to Gam
BETA, which was made public. dashed
all the enthusiasm. Nalcntin had him
named project of the Bas Rim of Sept
D, and got into Strasburg after many
har-breadth escapes. He charged
Urich with having thought more of saw
ing the empire than the fortress. and
having damped rather than excited the
bellicose ardor of the townspeoplc. A
sword of honor was nevertheless,
bought for him. and Paris gave his
name TO the Avenue de rImpcratricc.
Valentine further accounts of the de-
Tense OF the great Alsatian stronghold
prevented Urch's admirers from going
on with subscription the object of
which was to give the general repro.
ductiOn in massive silver of the statue
OF Alsacc in the Place de In Concorde.
The people of Paris at the general cleo
tons of 1871, vixen he put himself for
war, rs Il candidate Tor seat i'm the
assembly turned his candidaturc into
ridicule, and tore down the pacards in
which he puts rs name forward as IN
dissolubly associated with that of Stras-
burg. He was still more harshly treated
by the committee of the assembly ap-
pointed to inquire into the campa gns
of 1870 and 1871. They held that he
showed gross technical ignorance and
incapacity. and depressed the lighting
energy OF the civil population and gar
(ison. His difficulties were of Il crush |
ing kind. but had they been much less
do not suppose he would have made
good resistance, he being an old gen
eral of the fogy type, who owed much !
of hi> success TO his loudlv-protesse |
admiration for the Emperor Napolcan
III. VI. Ponson du Tcrrol, the scusa.
tional novelist and author of "Racam- |
bole. came from his country house near |
Orleans to salute Gen. Urich n a beaten |
hero. He said. after he had seen him. |
that he would not have chosen him as a |
hero for novel, but that in the face OF /
the enemy no gool Frcnchman should |
run Kim down, and accordingly was a |
promoter of subscription to buy Urich /
sword OF honor. - or. LoHdoB DGiy !
AcWS.