In vain they fall back on their pens and indite letters and proclamations, their President out-letters and out-proclaims them.
Trochu is indeed a sort of military Ollivier.

He earned his spurs as a military critic, Ollivier as a civil critic.

Both are clever, and eminently respectable in their private relations, and both are verbose, unpractical, and wanting in plain common sense.

Ollivier had a plan, and so has Trochu.

Ollivier complained when his plan failed, that it was the fault of every one except himself, and Trochu is already doing the same.
Both protested against the system of rule adopted by their predecessors, and have followed in their steps.