Germain Casse
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Eugène François Germain Casse (22 September 1837 – 9 December 1900) was a French journalist and agitator who opposed the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and the government of the
Second French Empire The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
in newspapers and meetings; he was arrested and imprisoned several times for his activities. During the
French Third Republic The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
he represented Guadeloupe in the National Assembly from 1873 to 1876 and was then Deputy of Seine from 1876 to 1889. His views gradually moderated from the far left towards a more centrist position. After leaving office he served briefly as Governor of Martinique.


Early years (1837–60)

Eugène François Germain Casse was born on 22 September 1837 in
Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre (; , , or simply , ) is the second most populous commune of Guadeloupe (after Les Abymes). Guadeloupe is an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a ''Subprefectu ...
, Guadeloupe. His father was an artisan from
Agen Agen (, , ) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux. In 2021, the commune had a population of 32,485. Geography The city of Agen l ...
who moved to Guadeloupe as a young man and soon became wealthy. His mother was from one of the oldest families of the island. His father died a few weeks after Germain Casse was born. In 1850 he was sent to school in
Sorèze Sorèze (; ) is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France. Population See also * Communes of the Tarn department The following is a list of the 314 communes of the Tarn department of France. The communes cooperate in the f ...
, where he remained until 1857, and was an outstanding pupil. He then began to study law at
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
. He soon became a free-thinker and a believer in republicanism. He had to return to Guadeloupe, where he stayed for a year, and was impressed by the racial prejudices that remained although slavery had been abolished in 1848.


Agitator (1860–73)

Casse returned to Paris to continue his study of law at the start of 1860, and he joined a circle of passionate young men opposed to religious superstitions and all forms of oppression. He contributed to ''La Jeune France'', and was punished for his writing despite an eloquent defense by
Jules Grévy François Judith Paul Grévy (15 August 1807 – 9 September 1891), known as Jules Grévy (), was a French people, French lawyer and politician who served as President of France from 1879 to 1887. He was a leader of the Opportunist Republicans, M ...
, the future President of the Republic. He also contributed to the anti-clerical and Republican ''Le Travail'', for which he spent a year in prison. He moved to Belgium, where he met the leaders of the revolutionary party, then returned to France to serve his sentence at
Sainte-Pélagie Prison Sainte-Pélagie was a prison in Paris, in active use from 1790 to 1899. It was founded earlier than that, however, in 1662, as place for "repentant girls" and later "debauched women and girls." The former Parisian prison was located between the ...
, where he spent four months with
Louis Auguste Blanqui Louis Auguste Blanqui (; 8 February 1805 – 1 January 1881) was a French socialist, political philosopher and political activist, notable for his revolutionary theory of Blanquism. Biography Early life, political activity and first impris ...
. After leaving prison he rejoined his old friends and continued his attacks against the imperial government and the Catholic church. Casse attended the Congrès international des étudiants à Liège on 30 October - 1 November 1865, where he proclaimed that 21 January 1793 (the date of the
execution of Louis XVI Louis XVI, former Bourbon King of France since the Proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy, abolition of the monarchy, was publicly executed on 21 January 1793 during the French Revolution at the ''Place de la Révolution'' in Paris. At Tr ...
) was the most glorious day of the French people. Although the organizers wanted the conference to focus on pedagogical issues Casse and few friends managed to obtain an almost unanimous declaration that monarchy and the Church were incompatible with freedom and progress. At a meeting that followed in Brussels he denounced the bourgeoisie and capital and called for a workers' revolution under the red flag. After their return to France the young men who had attended the congress were summoned to appear before the high council of public education. They refused, and were banned from the universities. Casse was placed under surveillance by the police. He spoke at anti-imperial rallies in the Latin Quarter and the suburbs, was arrested, released and again arrested several times. Charges included contempt of religion, inciting contempt and hatred of the government, illegal association and sedition. He married, but refused the presence of a priest at the marriage or at the birth of his children. Casse was also a member of the
International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA; 1864–1876), often called the First International, was a political international which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, social democratic, communist, and anarchist g ...
and described himself as a socialist republican, revolutionary and atheist. Casse contributed to
Henri Rochefort Henri is the French form of the masculine given name Henry, also in Estonian, Finnish, German and Luxembourgish. Bearers of the given name include: People French nobles * Henri I de Montmorency (1534–1614), Marshal and Constable of France * ...
's ''
La Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "". The French Na ...
'' and to
Louis Charles Delescluze Louis Charles Delescluze (; 2 October 1809 – 25 May 1871) was a French revolutionary leader, journalist, and military commander of the Paris Commune. Biography Early life Delescluze was born at Dreux, Eure-et-Loir. He studied law in Paris, a ...
's ''Le Réveil''. Casse and all the writers for ''La Marseillaise'' were arrested and imprisoned at
La Santé Prison La Santé Prison (named after its location on the Rue de la Santé) ( or ) is a prison operated by the French Prison Service of the Ministry of Justice (France), Ministry of Justice located in the east of the Montparnasse district of the 14th arr ...
for a month. When the plebiscite was issued Casse signed a manifesto against it and was arrested. After a month of preventative detention he was sentenced to three months in prison in
Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; ) is a town and Communes of France, commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise Departments of France, département, in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, north of Paris. The Communes of France, commune o ...
. Casse was released after the proclamation of the Republic on 4 September 1870 and returned to Paris. He agreed to be elected chief of the 138th battalion, and organized a company of snipers. After 31 October 1870 and the plebiscite that followed it, which he opposed, he served as a common soldier for the remainder of the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
. He was in the front line when the armistice was declared. He went to Bordeaux to join his family. He became a writer for ''Le Combat'' and for
Félix Pyat Félix Pyat (4 October 1810 – 3 August 1889) was a French socialist journalist, playwright, politician and a leading figure of the Paris Commune. Biography He was born in Vierzon (Cher), to an upper middle-class family. His father had been a p ...
's ''Le Vengeur''. He reported for ''Le Vengeur'' on the first sessions of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
in Bordeaux. Casse returned to Paris on 19 March 1871. He wrote letters to papers in France and abroad stating that Paris was fighting for its municipal rights and for the Republic, which was menaced by the Versailles Assembly, and did not want to rule France.


Representative (1873–76)

Casse was editor of ''
Le Rappel ''Le Rappel'' (French language, French for "the Recall") was a French daily newspaper founded in 1869 by Charles Hugo (writer), Charles and François-Victor Hugo, sons of Victor Hugo, along with Auguste Vacquerie, Paul Meurice, and Henri Rochefor ...
'' when he was elected Representative of Gaudeloupe in the National Assembly in place of Louis Adolphe Rollin( fr), who had retired. He won by 6,063 votes out of 10,771. He was representative for Guadeloupe from 5 October 1873 to 7 March 1876, and sat with the Extreme Left parliamentary group. Casse voted against the extension of the powers of
Marshal MacMahon Marie Edme Patrice Maurice de MacMahon, marquis de MacMahon, duc de Magenta (; 13 June 1808 – 17 October 1893), was a French general and politician who served as President of France from 1873 to 1879. He was elevated to the dignity of Marshal ...
, against the state of siege, for dissolution of the Assembly, against the law of the mayors, against the Ministry of
Albert de Broglie Albert de Broglie, 4th Duke of Broglie (; 13 June 182119 January 1901) was a French monarchist politician, diplomat and writer (of historical works and translations). Broglie twice served as Prime Minister of France, first from May 1873 to Ma ...
and for all the constitutional laws. It was due to Casse that the Constitution of 1875 was ratified on 30 January 1875. His vote was decisive in passing the Wallon amendment which established the president of the republic as the chief executive.


Deputy (1876–89)

In the 1876 elections Casse could not run for election for Guadeloupe and chose to run in Paris, first for the 12th arrondissement and then, with the support of the newspaper ''La République française'', in the 14th arrondissement. He was elected on the second ballot on 5 March 1876 by 7,651 out of 9,465 votes. He was among the 363 left-wing deputies who refused their vote of confidence in the ministry of Albert de Broglie after the
16 May 1877 crisis Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number) *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen * ''Sixteen ...
. Casse was reelected on 14 October 1877 by 9,007 votes out of 11,403. He became a supporter of
Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, ...
. He voted for full amnesty of the Communards, but distanced himself from the extreme left. Casse was reelected for the 14th arrondissement on 21 August 1881 by 7,685 votes out of 13,656 and joined the Radical Left group, although he generally voted with the moderates. He supported the Gambetta ministry, and voted to give the Ferry ministry the funds requested for the Tonkin Campaign. At this time he began to dabble in financial affairs. Casse was reelected on 18 October 1885, holding office until 14 October 1889, sitting with the Republican Union group. He supported the various Left ministries. He gained some publicity when an artist,
Jean Baffier Jean Baffier (born in Neuvy-le-Barrois, Cher, on 18 November 1851, and died in Paris on 19 April 1920), was a French sculptor. Biography He became known for his bronze figurines (''Le Vigneron'', ''Le Faucheur'', ''Le Vielleux'') and his tin o ...
, assaulted him with a sword cane but only inflicted a minor wound. Baffier said he wanted to punish Casse as a deputy who had betrayed his mandate. The attack was puzzling because by now Casse was a genial supporter of the
Opportunist Republicans file:Theodoor Galle - Opportunity Seized, Opportunity Missed - WGA08445.jpg, 300px, ''Opportunity Seized, Opportunity Missed'', engraving by Theodoor Galle, 1605 Opportunism is the practice of taking advantage of attendant circumstance, circums ...
who liked to indulge in the good life. At the trial Casse asked the jury to be lenient, and his assailant was acquitted. Casse voted for reinstatement of the single-member ballot, against indefinite postponement of the revision of the constitution, for prosecution of three members of the far-right
Ligue des Patriotes The League of Patriots () was a French far-right league, founded in 1882 by the nationalist poet Paul Déroulède, historian Henri Martin and politician Félix Faure. The Ligue began as a non-partisan nationalist league, supported among other ...
, against the draft
Lisbonne law The Law on the Freedom of the Press of 29 July 1881 (), often called the Press Law of 1881 or the Lisbonne Law after its rapporteur, , is a law that defines the freedoms and responsibilities of the media and publishers in France. It provides a lega ...
restricting the freedom of the press and for the prosecution of
General Boulanger Georges Ernest Jean-Marie Boulanger (29 April 1837 – 30 September 1891), nicknamed Général Revanche ("General Revenge"), was a French general and politician. An enormously popular public figure during the second decade of the Third Repub ...
.


Last years (1889–1900)

Casse did not run for reelection in the general elections of 22 September 1889. On 20 October 1889 he was named Governor of Martinique, and on 1 September 1890 was named Treasurer of Guadeloupe. He was replaced as Governor of Martinique on 4 February 1891 by
Delphino Moracchini Delphino Moracchini (1846–1903) was a French colonial administrator who served in French Guiana, French India, French Polynesia and New Caledonia. He was appointed assistant to the Governor of Martinique in 1890, where his prompt action in respo ...
. On 1 July 1894 he was named Treasurer of Vaucluse. Eugène Casse died on 9 December 1900 in
Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
, Vaucluse.


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* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Casse, Eugène François Germain 1837 births 1900 deaths People from Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupean politicians Republican Union (France) politicians Members of the National Assembly (1871) Members of the 1st Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 2nd Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 3rd Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 4th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic