Year: 1870

chamber of the Corps Legislatf alone.


La Marseitloise of the day following the kill
ing of Victor Noir contained an infammatory
article signed by Rochefort, and commencing
with the words, 'T have had the weakness to
believe that Bonaparte could be other than an
assassin" and the demand for ii was so great
that 1t is said 100000 copies of it were sold On
the same day, January IL, communication
from the Procureur Imperale was laid before
the Chamber, demanding the arraignment OF
Rochefort for outrages against the Emperor and
exciting disorder and violence. The demand
was referred to committee, January II being
fixed for the discussion upon their report. On
that day the Government was urged, on the
part Of the Left Centre, to abandon the
prosecution, this party expressing its
entire confidence in the strength of the ministry.
But the suggestion was unheeded, Rochefort
himself provoking the martyrdom which he
courted by making violent speech in which he
declared that the ministry were determined to
get rid of him as a Deputy, being unable to
destroy him in any other way. While the debate
was progressing, the hall of the Corps Legislatf
was surrounded by immense crowds of people
who were held at bay by the police. When the
vote was taken, it resulted in 226 in favor of
prosecution to "a against and the hero of the
hour emerged from the hall to become the reci-
pient of another grand popular demonstration.


The trial before the Correctional Tribunal was
proceeded with at once, closing on January %,
and resulting in the sentence of Rochefort to
pay fine of 5000 francs and undergo an inn
prisonment of six months, but without any de-
privation of his rights, either as a citizen or
deputy. The result was disappointment; the
punishment was so slight in comparison with
what had been anticipated that Rochefort was
again robbed of a share of the martyrdom which
he SO eagerly coveted. But he refused to appeal
to a higher tribunal, and resolved to make
the most of his opportunity. Full two weeks
were suffered to elapse before any attempt
was made to carry the sentence into
effect, but at last notice was
served upon Rochefort to consider himself q
prisoner in obedience to the sentence of the court.
On February z, La AdrSeilLdiSe contained an
article, over his own signature in which he
declared his purpose not to surrender without a
show of force on the part of the Government.
On the same day the attention of the Ministry
was called to the case in the Corps Legislatif,
and NJ. Cremieux made a strong appeal against
the arrest of Rochefort, as a wrong to his con-
stituents. But NJ. olivier was firm, and after
an exciting discussion his position was sustained
by vote of 100 to 45, which presented some
WV VI
by which the arraignment of Rochefort had
been ordered on the 18th of January.


1t was expected that the great irreconcilable
would be arrested on leaving the Chamber that
day, but he was not molested until he was about
entering political meeting in the Rue de
Flandre running from Belleville to La Villette.
Then came the grandest epoch of his career.
While he was being hurried off to prison, his
partisans assembled, and during the whole
night held possession of the northeastern quarter
of the city. Barricades, which it was thought
the servile ingenuity of Baron Haussmann had
rendered impossible, were erected in
several streets, and the attempt of
the police to carry the principal one
was repulsed by the people, one of the police
men being killed outright in the assault, while
the commissary who had charge Of the detach-
ment entrusted with the duty of arresting
Rochefort was seriously injured. The empire,
however, held such strong vantage ground
that by the close of the next day the excitement
had subsidized, and counter-revolution rendered
impossible, for the present at least. And now
Rochefort, the prince of the irreconcilables, re-
poses in his cell and awaits the expiration of his
six months term of imprisonment to give Paris
another sensation.