COCHON DE LAPPARENT CHARLES: (1750-1825) French Politician and Minister of Police. Member of the National ...

COCHON DE LAPPARENT CHARLES: (1750-1825) French Politician and Minister of Police. Member of the National Convention and of the Committee of Public Health. Cochon de Lapparent was one of the Commissars in charge of the King´s indictment, voting in favour of the King´s execution. An excellent and rare A.L.S., `Cochon´, four pages, 4to, Paris, 22nd October 1796, to General Hoche, in French. The document bears the printed heading, and an ink stamp, of the Minister of Police of the Republic. A very cleanly written lengthy letter, Cochon stating in part `I watch, my dear General, with same sadness as you, the direction that since a while the sense of Public spirit is taking, and am ready to prove with all my correspondence that I have done all I could with the power I hold to prevent the malicious trying to take advantage of the recent events…The government only wishes, and can´t do anything else but wishing, the consolidation of the Republic, and I support this as much as my poor capabilities allow me to do so. I am indignant reading about the horrors and the lies against the Republic that all these Royalist journals, paid with foreign gold, are vomiting. Several have been arrested and denounced to the Public Prosecutor…but they are released by the tribunals, and this will keep on happening until we have a repressive law for press abuses.´ further again saying `..I am fully aware of the dangers that the Republic is facing, with enemies under different masks ready to attack from the inside of the country. In Lyon, in the department of the Calvados, the Royalists are showing up audaciously.. What else can I do? Tribunals are not under my competence, and the police has so short capacities that it is even astonishing that they can achieve what they do.´ Cochon de Lapparent also responds to Hoche´s questions regarding the last executions and the Colonnes Mobiles, stating `You talk to me about the way the last conspirators have been judged. We have material evidences and also written ones of their conspiracy…and regarding the formation of the Colonnes Mobiles I have issued a circular, sent to all departments, according to the Directory orders…The Colonnes Mobiles could be very useful…and I am going to send orders to the Chouanne departments..´ Paper with watermark. A letter of very interesting content. Very small overall minor age wear, otherwise VG £400-600 Lazare Hoche (1768-1797) French General of the Revolutionary army. Best known for his victory over Royalist forces in Brittany. Minister of war. The Colonnes Mobiles, also called Colonnes Infernales (Infernal Columns) were operations led by the French revolutionary in the War in the Vendée. The National Convention approved laws allowing the extermination of anti-Republican terrorists in the Vendée. Army columns were formed and sent through the Vendée to exterminate the anti-republican population. The actions of these ''Infernal Columns'' continue to be a subject of heated debate in France.