Fazy, James

(Jean Jacques Fazy). Born May 12, 1794, in Geneva; died there Nov. 6, 1878. Swiss political figure and publicist.

In his youth, Fazy became associated with the Carbonari. Later, in France, he took part in the July Revolution of 1830. In 1833 he returned to Switzerland. On Oct. 7, 1846, he led an armed uprising of Geneva democrats that resulted in the fall of the reactionary government and in the radicals’ accession to power. After the institution of democratic election reforms, which he helped draw up, Fazy became a member of the new cantonal government of Geneva, serving from 1846 to 1853 and again from 1855 to 1861. He played a prominent role in the drafting of the Swiss Constitution of 1848.