Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/674

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KEEN.

657

Colonel Dnpin's famous counter- guerilla. In this dangerous ser- vice he distinguished himself by Ms bravery and decision^ and after- wards he was appointed officer of ordnance to Marshal Bazaine. The Comte de K^ratry was several times mentioned in the " Order of the Day" in Africa and Mexico. At the commencement of the year 1865 he was recommended for a lieutenant's commission^ but he sent in his resignation and retired from the service. At this period he had received the Legion of Honour, and had been decorated with several foreign Orders. On his return to Prance he devoted himself to lite- rary pursuits, and contributed to the Revite Contemporavne a remark- able series of articles on the Mexi- can expedition, in which he severely attacked the Government and the conduct of Marshal Bazaine. Soon afterwards he became editor of the Revue Moderne, in which periodical he continued his accusa- tion. In 1869 he was returned by the electors of Brest to the Corps li^islatif, when he associated him- self with the new Liberal Tiers- Parti. On the establishment of the Government of the National Defence in Sept. 1870, he was made Prefect of Police j but in the fol- lowing month he escaped from Paris in a balloon, and proceeded on a diplomatic mission to Madrid, where, soon afterwards, he was replaced by M. Edmond Adam. He is the author of "Le Contre- Gn^riUa," 1867; "La Cr6ance Jecker," 1867; "L'El^vation et la Chute de Maximilien," 1867 ; a work on French events, entitled " Le 4 Septembre et le Gouvemement de la Defense Nationale," 1871 j " Arm^e de Bretagne, 1870-71," published in 1874 ; and Mourad V., prince, sroltan, prisonnier d'etat," 1878.

KEBN, J. CoNBAD, statesman, was born in 1808, in the market* toiMn of Berlingen, near Arenen- berg, in the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. After studying at

the Gymnasium of Zurich, he pro- ceeded to the University of Basle, to study theologfy, which he gave up, became a law student, and finished his education in the schools of Berlin, Heidelberg, and Paris. From 1837 he performed in his canton the duties of President of the Supreme Court of Judicature, and those of President of the Council of Education. Dr. Kern, at an early period, impelled by his liberal tendencies, was engaged in reforming the cantonal insfitutions. In a wider field he was, from 1833, under the old compact, as under the new Federal constitution, regu- larly chosen representative of his canton in the Diet or in the National Assembly. In 1638 the French Government insisted, through its ambassador, the Duke of Montebello, on the extradition of Prince Louis Napoleon, who with his mother. Queen Hortense, had for some time resided in the canton of Thurgau. In the Diet, Dr. Kern protested against the right of any power to interfere with the hospitality of his canton, or with the liberty of a Swiss citizen j and on his return to Thur- gau to render to the Town Council an account of the deliberations of the Diet, he iirged his fellow- citizens not to allow themselves to be intimidated by the menaces of France. " Do what is right, happen what may/' was the conclusion of his speech. Dr. Kern had the satisfaction to return to the Diet with the unanimous votes of his canton in favour of his principle. As President of the £cole Poly- technique of Zurich, he has done much n>r that valuable institution. When, in 1867, the dispute between Switzerland and the King of Prus- sia threatened to cause serious troubles. Dr. Kern was deputed to maintain the interest and uphold the dignity of the republic at the conference held at Neufchdtel ; and was appointed Swiss plenipo- tentiary at the court of France.

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