MEN OF THE TIMES.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 731, 1 November 1870, Page 2

MEN OF THE TIMES.

JULES FAVRE. Favre, Gabriel Claude Jnles, advocate and politician, born at Lyons, 31st March, 1809, was prosecuting hie studies for the bar at the outbreak of the Revolution of July, 1830, in which he took an active part. He soon afterwards commenced practice, whilst the independence of hia character, the bitter irony of his address, and the Radicalism of his opinions, made him a reputation, and he has remained the consistent champion of French Republicanism, in the Press, in the different national assemblies, and at the bar. After the revolution of February, 1848, he became Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior, and was the author of the circular to the Commissioners of the Provisional Government, as well as of the " Bulletins " of the same year. He officiated for some time as Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, voted for the prosecution of MM. Louis Blanc and Caussidiere for their conplicity in the insurection of June IS4S; refused to join in a vote of thanks to General Oavaignac, and opposed the expedition ;to Rome of December, 1848. He became the strenuous opponent of Louis Napoleon after the latter's election to the Presidency, and the leader of the Montagne on the flight of M. Ledru Rollin. Elected after the coup d'etat of 1851 to the General Council of the Loire-et-Rhone, he refused to take the oath to the new constitution. His defence of Orisini in 1858 created a great sensation by its boldness and eloquence. In the same year he became a member of the Legislative body ; since which time he has distinguished himself by his speeches in favor of complete liberty of the Press, against the law of " deportation," the war with Austria of 1859, and in 1864 by an attack on the policy of the Imperial Government in the"Mexican war. M. Favre published in 1837 a work entitled " Contemporaneous Biography." Many of his most famous speeches and several pamphlets have been published. He was elected batonnier of the Order of Advocates at Paris in August, 1860, and again in 1861, and a member of the French Academy in May, 1867.

GENERAL TROCHU. The man we are now to look upon, of the French generals, for strategic genius is General Trochu, the greatest aoklier in France, and about 55 years of age. After graduating at St. Cyr, in 1810, he successfully advanced in the army until 1846, when he served under Bugeaud, in Algeria. During the Crimean war his genius and experience were entirely relied upon by Lord Raglan and the French Mar=shuls, and to him, more than any other, is due the credit of the campaign Sebastopol. In 1861 he was created a General of Division, and waa charged witli the entire reorganisation of the French army upon a new system of tactics, subsequently published under the title 7 drmee Francaise. He has long anticipated the present rupture, having been for the past five years on the most confidential terms with the Emperor, and during that time has made a close study of the Ehenish provinces. No man alive is more thoroughly acquainted with their characteristics as a theatre of war, not even Von Moltke, of whom General Trochu promises to be a brilliant rival.