Henri Rochefort

Biography

Holder in 1849 of the baccalaureat, he is an admiror of Victor Hugo and gives up quickly the medical studies for which his/her father intended, the count of Rochefort-Luçay, dramatic author itself, known under the name of Armand of Rochefort. He begins a career from employee to the Town hall which will leave him at least time to sharpen its feather. He turns quickly to journalism by melting with Jules Vallès the Parisian Chronique , which lasts only some numbers. He enters in 1856 to the Charivari, charged with the heading theater. In spite of a promotion in 1860, it resigns of the Ville of Paris as soon as its literary incomes allow him.

Its theatrical work, a score of light comedy S, is some successes without marking the posterity. Taking foot little by little with the political drafting of the Hullabaloo, its career of journalist, on the other hand, progresses regularly. He also contributes to the Pope Joan in 1863.

It is while entering to the Figaro that he forgets his particle. At the time, the press is severely controlled, the Figaro did not pay yet the guarantee which authorizes to tackle the political subjects. Henri Rochefort thus limits himself to the literary life. He however approaches some by not sparing the parts the duke Charles de Morny or by declaring his admiration for exiled the Hugo. He leaves the Figaro to join the Sun before reinstating the Figaro with quadrupled wages. The tone of Henri Rochefort is not tolerated well a long time by the Empire, and it must leave the newspaper.

Henri Rochefort during his detention at the height of the island of Yeu will approve the creation of a board of guardians directed by his brother-in-law Jean Marie THROATS, husband of his Caroline sister and then by his secretary Olivier BREAD. He Maria 3 times, but had 3 children with Jeanne RENAULT, his first wife: Noemy (its preferred) married with the Swiss painter Frederic DUFAUX, Henri Maximilien without descent, Octave which makes a success of the Central School brilliantly and became professor de Physique Chemistry at the university of Cordoba (Argentinian). There exist still male descendants of Henri Rochefort.

the Lantern

The law on the press becoming more liberal, it decides to found its own newspaper: the Lantern , in May 1868 . Printed with 15 000 specimens, it is necessary to launch additional pullings to reach the 100 000 sold specimens. The leading article of the first number will remain famous: “ France counts 36 million subjects, without counting the causes for dissatisfaction… ” the indifference posted by the capacity does not resist a long time the success of the newspaper. After a prohibition with the public sale, it is attacked in justice and severely condemned (fines and prison). Rochefort then joined with Brussels the other Napoleon-the-Small enemy of : Victor Hugo, which places it several months.

In France, one continues délecter of the Lantern , sold clandestinely. Protected by its exile, Rochefort adopts a tone even sourer in these criticisms of the Empire. The sworn enemy of the Bonapartists is solicited by the Parisian voters at the time of the legislative elections of 1869, but it is beaten by Jules Favre (to which the Bonapartists join). In November, he is elected with the vacant seat left by Gambetta.

the Marseillaise

The December 19th 1869 leaves the first number its new newspaper, '' the Marseillaise ''. The daily newspaper accommodates collaborations of Eugene Varlin, Jules Vallès, Paschal Grousset and of Victor Noir. This one is assassinated the January 10th 1870 by Pierre Bonaparte. The funerals take place the January 12th 1870, followed by 100 to 200 000 people in anger. For some, Rochefort misses at this time an occasion to reverse the Empire.

The government manages to raise the parliamentary privilege of the deputy and in the tread its judgment in six months of prison obtains. It is led to the Prison Holy-Pelagie, where it is rather well treated and can continue to write for '' the Marseillaise '' and to discuss with his held comrades Paschal Grousset and Olivier Pain. It is bottom of its cell which he learns the declaration of war from the Prussia. By patriotism and prudence, hoping for its close release, it suspends the '' the Marseillaise '', one however prefers to maintain it in prison.

The Republic

Napoleon III went, the République is proclaimed the September 4th, Rochefort is released the same day and carried triumphs over it near the provisional government which sits at the Town hall. The “government of National defense” is made up exclusively of the deputies of Paris or deputies having been elected with Paris but having chosen for another department (Gambetta, Jules Simon). It is thus of right that Henri Rochefort is member of the Government of National defense. Only the generals Louis Jules Trochu and Auguste Flo are not elected officials, but considered by the republicans moderated as anti-Bonapartists. In fact, the voters of Rochefort are happy to see it with the Government, because it is the guarantee of the extreme left against which was made this revolution of the September 4th. Following the riot of the October 31st, confronted again with a critical situation, he resigns prudently and releases himself from the political life until January 1871, preferring to be satisfied to attend friends like the editor Hetzel or Edmond Adam and his wife Juliette Adam. The armistice of the July 26th, which it rejects, and the advertisement of elections at the beginning of February make him take again the feather by creating the watchword . As of the February 5th, he is firmly elected just as those which he supports.

The Commune

He must join the Assemblée with Bordeaux, this one is defaitist, he thus resigns about it quickly. He returns too late to Paris to attend the beginnings of the Commune. Its attitude then becomes more complex, without accepting the victory, it refuses the defeat. Without condemning the Common , it supports it less and less, and is done increasingly critical. In the Watchword , criticisms of Thiers and the Of Versailles ones are sharp, but the Communards, in particular his/her former friends like Paschal Grousset, are not saved.

In May, it succeeds in escaping the Communards but it is stopped with Meaux and is delivered to the Of Versailles one. The lawsuit takes place in September, Rochefort is condemned to life with the deportation in strengthened enclosure . His/her friends (whose Victor Hugo) tries to reduce its sorrow and obtains Thiers that it is committed protecting Rochefort.

The prison

Initially interned to the Saint-Pierre prison with Versailles, Rochefort is sent to Fort Boyard where it finds Paschal Grousset. The first deportations take place in May, then, in June, Rochefort sees leaving his/her comrades Grousset, Pain and Jourde. It is transferred to Oléron where it meets Henri Messager, and discovers the fate of a group of Algerian insurrectionists stopped in 1871 at the time of the Révolte of Mokrani who will become soon the Kabyles of the Pacific. Always thanks to the mediation of his/her influential friends of outside, Rochefort is transferred to Saint-Martin-of-D where it can write a novel. It is even authorized to marry the mother of its children seriously sick. In January 1873, Rochefort sees leaving Achille Ballière.

Deportation

The resignation of Thiers withdraws in Rochefort any protection. In spite of the insistence of Victor Hugo which writes with the Duc of Broglie, the deportation became inevitable and the August 8th, Rochefort is embarked on board “Virginia” , in the same convoy as Henri Messager and Louise Michel, with which it will exchange poetries. Severely sick during all the voyage, Rochefort is rather well treated by the Launay captain and can contribute to improve the fate of his/her comrades.

Arrived the December 8th 1873 at Noumea, in New Caledonia, Rochefort, like all the off-set in strengthened enclosure , is unloaded with the Presqu'île Ducos. It keeps away from its fellows-prisoner, lives in the box of Paschal Grousset, which it also divides with Olivier Pain. The three companions are not long in preparing an escape, benefitting in that from a relatively liberal mode of monitoring.

The escape

The March 19th 1874, at the fallen night, Rochefort, Grousset and Pain reach with the stroke the Kuauri small island which is not supervised. The free deportees Charles Bastien, Achilles Ballière and François Jourde come to seek them on board a boat to join the PCE, a British ship which must install the following day for Newcastle in Australia.

In spite of some difficulties the escape succeeds and the runaways arrive in Australia on March 27th. Rochefort hastens to prevent Edmond Adam which launches a subscription intended to pay the expenses and to finance the return of the escaped prisoners in Europe. Rochefort then shares rather inequitably the received sum. The escaped prisoners separate. Olivier Bread and Rochefort chooses to join the the United Kingdom as soon as possible while passing by the America. They thus embark on board the “Cyphrénès” in which Jourde and Ballière also succeeded in taking seat until with the Îles Sandwich (Hawaii) with a stopover with the Îles Fiji. They embark then towards San Francisco from where they join New York. Rochefort, requested by the New York Herald to bring back the account of the deportation, hastens to accept. Rochefort and Pain finally arrive to London the June 18th 1874 where they are accommodated by the exiled Communards.

It will be the only escape successful from all the history of the Bagne of New Caledonia.

The amnesty

It would be at the origin of the use of the term Opportuniste to designate the deputies, in particular Gambetta, who await the convenient period to vote the amnesty. This one being finally voted on July 11th, 1880, it can return to Paris. Its arrival gives place to a triumph, almost with a riot. It takes again to its activity of polemist with the Intransigent , who appears as of on July 14th and meets a great success which makes it possible Rochefort to engage many former deportees. the Intransigent carries the voice of old the Communards but well quickly, it is its turn to be the victim of a press campaign as it carried out some so much.

Its absence with the funeral of Albert Jolly (1844-1880) provides the occasion to its adversaries to show Rochefort of ingratitude. One speaks again then of the 25 000 F of the subscription that Rochefort did not refund and that it would inequitably have distributed between the escaped prisoners. Close relations like Paschal Grousset or Henry Bauër dispute the roles that Rochefort is given in the deportation, then in the escape, but it is the engagement of Rochefort in the Boulangisme which will seal the rupture with his/her former friends.

Boulangism

Henri Rochefort approaches gradually to the Boulangisme and the Extrême right-hand side. He joined the republican Comité of national protest , then enters to the management committee of the Ligue of the patriots . He is one of the strongest supports for the triumphing Boulangisme as well intellectually as financially.

When what bursts the Affaire Dreyfus, it leaves free court to its Antisémitisme to conduct campaign with the “anti” , but already its popularity is largely started near the popular classes. Soon, it will not be able to honor the Mur any more with Federate the without undergoing the gibes of the Parisian ones.

It continues its activity of polemist inlassablement and, without much understanding, carries out contradictory combat for which the taste of the formula often involves it towards the insult. In 1913, it is a isolated man, whom well little will regret, that one buries civilly, Rochefort being until the end firmly remained anticlerical.

Works

Various novels and works

Small mysteries of the Saleroom in 1862;
the Escaped prisoner, canaque novel in 1880;
dépravés the in 1882 (editions Deck house);
Adventures of my life in 1896;

Collections of articles published in the Sun , Le Figaro or the Lantern

French of the decline in 1866;
Large Bohemia in 1867;
Signs of time in 1868;
the Lantern in 1870, reprinting of the 64 numbers published abroad;
last Napoleon in 1880;

Theater

The drama critic without kindness did not fear to make play a rather great number of his own plays, for the majority written in collaboration, mainly between 1860 and 1866. Some of them:

I am my son , comedy-light comedy in an act with Charles Varin, Théâtre of the Palais Royal on February 4th, 1860;
the Small Cousin , operetta in an act with Charles Deulin, Puff out-Parisian in 1860;
Roueries of ingenuous a , light comedy in 3 acts, Theater of the Light comedy in 1861;
a martingale , light comedy in 1 act with Clairville and Cham, Theater of the Varieties on April 6th, 1862;
April first, operetta in 1 act with Adrien Marx, Puff out-Parisian;
a man of the South , burlesque relevance, interfered verses into 1 act with Albert Wolf, Theater of the Palais Royal on August 31st, 1862;
Benefits of Champavert , comedy-light comedy in 1 act with Clement Caraguel, Theater of Relaxation-Comic the on May 30th, 1862;
Our small weaknesses , light comedy in 2 acts with Clairville and Octave Gastineau, Theater of the Varieties on November 18th, 1862;
Secrecies of the Large Albert , comedy in 2 acts, fray of verses with Eugene Barn, Theater of the Varieties on January 31st, 1863;
the Old age of Brindidi , part in 1 act with Choler, Theater of the Varieties in 1864;
Saved, my God! , light comedy in 1 act with Pierre Minnow, Theater of the Light comedy in 1865;
the Fair with grotesque the , part in 2 acts with Pierre Minnow, Theater of the Palais Royal in 1866;
the Confession of a child of the century , comedy in 1 act, Theater of the Light comedy in 1866;

External Source-bonds

Works

adventures of my life - Mercure de France, 2005 (found time).
the Escaped prisoner: Canaque novel - Edition Viviane Hamy, 1993.

References

Henri Rochefort: deportation and escape from a Dauphine polemist /Joel. - Harmattan, 2004.
biographical Dictionary of the labor movement French : volume IX/Jean Maitron (to dir.)
biographical and geographical Dictionnaire of French nationalism (1880-1900) /Bertrand Jolly. - ED. Honor Champion, 1998.
Grand Universal Dictionary of the 19th century by Pierre Larousse
This site reproduces number 8 of the Lantern
On Insecula, one finds the busts of Henri Rochefort as well as a poem with Louise Michel.
the National library of France is due to provision via its Gallica service of the works of Henri Rochefort.

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