The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-11 00:00:00

THE BAZAINE TRIAL

The following II from s rennet Correspondent of The

rititeS:—

Pekin, Oct. 4

In the interval which precedes the opening of the
Assembly at Versailles, t he curineity of the French people
will be gratified by the epectscle of the Bszaine trial.
The Trianon. which recalls the grace of the most un-
f Inmate of Queens, and the haughty ambition of the
most insatiable of conquerors, is about Co resound with
scents designed to abase the glory of France, or to
trail in the dust the honour of one of her greatest
Generals. Already the indictment is being dis-
cussed. It reproaches Marshal Bazsbia with having
refused help to Froissard, and lays to his charge
the disasters experienced by the army from the
Oh to the 12th of August. Honest General
Pourcet, who has the ungrateful and solemn task of
supporting the indictment, refuses to show any one
the go pages of the report comprising the six days pre-
ceding the Marshal's undertaking the chief command.
General Pourcet, who is called on to play an im-
portant rGie is this trial, was apdointed General of a
Division in 1868. lie was formerly General
Chmigarnier Aide-de-Camp, and afterwards chief of
Marshal Sliff. Those who know him give a
good account of his talents and character. It was he
who, in 1670, was instructed with organizing the ltith
and 25th Corps 14rmee, and be is one of those few
Generals who, having the chief command of a part of
the French army, gained some advantage over the
Germano, and was not included in any capitatim.
. . .

The Court-martial is to be held in the immense
ground fi ior-hall, 28 metres long by 13 broad. It will
accommodate 872 pereons seated and standing. The
arraegements are excellent. The Marshall, who is
residing at Trianomsous-Bois, will reach the hall by a
leis gallery, without passing along the road or the
garden. The council table, the table of the
Cnivernment Commissioner and legal functionaries,
and that of the accused and his counsel are all on
the lame leveL Tickets of different colours a lmit
to the reserved seats. The r«1 tickets are the best,
next the yellow, and then the blue. In certain
spots the pillars entirely intercept the view. The
witneeses come by a long corridor running the whole
length of the hall, and are only visible when issu-
ing from it. A large picture of :Terms Christ is at
the bottom of the hall. the Press Tribune is on the
President's right. From some of the seats assigned
to the Press nothing can be seen but the immense
marble column of the hall. Pouches withont back.
are alloted to the public. There is not • single
elevation in the hall ; all is on one leveL The
witnesses on both sides number 350, and their evi-
dence is expected to occupy forty.tive sittings, or nine
weeks. The reading of the entire indictment, filling
three octavo volumes, will take tire eittinge, or one
week. The pleadings, the prosecutor's speech, the
replication, and the incidents will last three weeks,
and the whole trial will occupy three months.
There is, however, one thing which must be taken
Into account. The actors of the Versailles Theatre
are, perhaps, preparing for the Tlialloll drama an
imexpectla denouement ; perhaps, a coup crdat, a
revolution, or some event or other, will come and
bleak up the Trianon trial, which it Is remarked can
result in no advantage either for one party or the
other.

The Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph thus describe.
the opening of the trial
PARIS, Monday Night.
The opening of this eventful trial took place to-day,
and at an early hour the trains began to fill with the
more than three hundred witnesser called. The neigh-
bourhood of the Trianon was kept comparatively
clear, the general public not being admitted beyond
the railings in the avenue, about live hundred
feet removed from the building itself. Never-
theless, immediately outside the palace the scene was
remarkably pictureeque, every variety of unifrrm
being visible amongst the group. scattered about the
entrance gates. The weather was exceptionally bright,
and the small bodies of soldiers marching up the great
walk had a very pleasing effect against the warm
autumn foliage. The importing force of sergents de
ville assembled together was utterly unnecessary.

At mid-day the tribune appropriated to the journal.
lets war alone well attended. The reserved seats were
almost empty, and even the standing places allotted to
the public were not one quarter filled. In my letter I
have already described the appearance and arrange-
ments of the court itseif. Therefore, I can at once say
that at a quarter part twelve • loud voice announced
the arrival of the Council, whereupon seven Judge.
Generate, with three supplementary Generals, took
their places at the semi-circular table—the Due
d'Aumale, wearing the Grand Cross of the Legi s of
Honour occupying the seat in the centre.
After declaring the sitting open, the Due d'Anmisle
bade a /Hasler bring the prisoner in. and so in after a
short fat man, with an almost bold hesd, a red face,
'mall eyes, and altogether showing some marks of
distress, walked up to the place set apart for the
prisoner. This was Peszaine. Tbe Due d'Aumale de-
sired him to be postai!, a request he at once complied
with, and during the pre ceedings which fillowed
seemed to take no interest of any kind whatever in what
WU going on before him. Next to their client sat the
Lachaude, father and son, then Colonel Villette, " aide-
dr-camp" to 13amine. After reading the resolution of
the Commission of Inquiry, the formal questions con-
cerning his name, age, and profession, were put to the
prisoner—the re t ly to the last, " Dlsrehal of France,"
causing some surpri,e. The witnesses who had been
summoned then entered in Indian file, headed
by Canrobert, Palilrao, and Lebreuf, and each one,
having answered to his uame, bowed to the Pre-
sident, and disappeared. More than 300 in num-
ber, almost every calling in life was represented in their
ranks—many of them bearing names made famous In
late ware ; many of them peasants in their "blouses,"
gamekeepers, tradesmen, male and female domestic
servants, and even acrobats. Thi as who attracted the
most attention were—the veteran General Changarnier,
Conspicuous by his stiff walk ; Jules Favre, Gambetia,
and Regnier, the Limon' amateur negotiator between
Meta and the Empress Eugenie. At the conclusion of this
strange defile, the Duc Anmale suspended the sitting.
and alter an adjournment of half an hour, the formal
reading of the documents, entrusted to three ushers,
who relieved each other in turn, occupied the remainder
of the afternoon.

The following sketch of the proceedings of the trial
is from the letter of the Correspondent of The Times:—

The Duke &Ameba orders 'the accused" to be brnight
in. If enlist Undue enter. In full coetome. tie wear, the
red enrdon of the Grand Oran of the Legion of Honour nod
the 'Aar. His head is grey, large. very bald, and his face
pale • the moustache Le hia,k, the eye feverith On a
'tun from the preelling j zdue he sits down. The sun
theds the hall with light. Out of doors the weather
Is magniecent. We can hear the rattle of the carriages
arriving, and see the Increasing excitement e t the
public outside. When we contemplate this spectacle, when
we think that France Is going to call the whole world to
contemplate that alarshal In the dock, when we see all these
People, all this solemnity, thin relined aasembly crowding In
MI. judgment-hall, where a Marshal, the comroander.ln-
chief of an army, is the accused, the effect produced Is truly
very mounter. II I. as ifs woman encased of adultery were
to Invite her friends to be present at her trial.

A clerk reads certain documente of form. The President
tells the Marshal to stand up. 'Your rame and surname t"
- Fru cis Achille Breathe." "Your age "et years "
.• YOU} birthplace —•' Versailles." "Your pudieesion 1"
—" Marshal of France." The etrerge impressiera produced
by these answers may be imagined. We remember we are in
the presence°, a man accused of having betrayed .he army of
which he was one of the greatest chief.; that he was born
It Vermilles, that he lett that town a private moldier, and
that lit. In that name Versailles that in his face, as Marshal
Of France, with honours end dlsfingtlons heated upon him.
lawured by fortune end glory, that horrible word treason"
Shoot to be cast. After this interragotory the witnewee'
games aro called out A strange crowd ; • singular mixture !
/Moduli Canrobert ant Let mat, Generals C-ftlideree de
lad miratilt, Prolesard, and Montauban, Mai r Anions Rlvitre,
Gambetta, the er.reictator • Regni, r, the mysterious man who
CAMB from Chlelehurst ; Gdigues, the coachman who pretends
that he grove &seine ten time. to the head-quarters of
Prince Frederick Charles; Changarnier, the General who
iolned in the capitulation with ha n.loe ; acalabrino, the
famous game • keeper; Hahant, who alleges that he
'lLnded dmparchea to the Marshal ; K• retry, the
Prefect of Police who descende I from a ball ion; a
Whole legion of men, illustrious or obscure,
Con ing to vaitnees fore, aga'nst, answering the cell of their
names, marching past like an immense page of history
raider the eyes of the Prince, the Marshal, the public, and
the world ! It is tndeed straoge, and It loaves In the mind.
of the beholders • ',try singular Impression. The Marshal
Is there motionless, his finger between hie teeth,
Ills eye lied on the mass of men of whom sorne come to add
each a stone to the calm of hie dishono _it • of whom, on the
other hand, some are come to defend by their presence the
man seated on the bench o' the accused, and who for
whole months appeared to bold in his bands the fate of