The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-13 00:00:00

The following id the conclusion of Gtneral Potucet's
addrww :

iglentlem.n, I have now finished. The Instrument of the
law, as the Public Mintater is, I have now • paeielul but un-
&rideable out; to perorm—that of pitying before you the
points which you have to neoyider. 1 hese ate as you are
aware, three prune pal lien's 01 aeon/DU-a aganiat Marshal
Nadine. The first rAates to the cant olation or the f rtze-s
of Metz, which we charge the Mai MID with having elven up
to the enemy without having exhausted all the mean.
Of detest.° within his power, and elthout having done
all. that h. n Air and ditty prescribed. The second la,
that he capitulated at the head of art army In the c; eti del
(en rase carripagne!, the result of nIl eh Capitulation wu to
force his tees p to lay vow,. their arms And thirdly, tat
I eln: at the lieud of an ern; en rase comport", he utel rot
before negotiating ,or a cipitmatim, ots sit at nonour and
duty Commanded. On the tint of the se heads of am-heathen
it la to be remart ed that Marshal Basalt" who by Impartial
decree of August 12, 1870, win appointed C ,mmaion-rdlo
Chief of the A my of the Rhine, warnecemerily, by virtue of
Article 4 of the Dec Coot October 13, 1003, at the Come tint
Commandant of the fortress of Metz. And It is established
that, contrary to the pr ,visions of Articles 2.5 t. and 210. d the
esire decree, and to Article 209 or the Code of Military
Justice, he sort. ndered ti.ls fortress to the enemy with-
out having availed himself of all the moon of defence
which he mi..ht have done, and wit lout having done what
honour and et it; pres,rlb d. This capitu wino, Mimed
by him on Oceouer 2, 1078, places Marshal /detain° tinder
Its Article 109 of the Military Code. As tt the
second head of the accusation :—lt Lilo proved that
on October 98, 1,70, the Marshal signed the capitulation
of his army to. rase compoone, sled that the result e d
this caeltulaelon was that ois whole army laid down their
arms: this Minxs him within the t roettons of the flrat
clime of Ar.l 1.210 of the Military Code. The lam, gentle.
men, le by-torah'e for ermine of this lc Id. No excuse is
admissible. There can be no ol .h Ulna as extenuetiqg
circuusetem es. To use the wOnt. of Napoleon 1., •. o
ley down the arms of an army in the Reid Is more than •
capitulation, It la a usurpation of power, an at of treason,
Imo alt act of cowardice. A goner al has no right
to surrender his army, toe duly Is Sc light to the last'
The French t ode Is bawl upon these noble leptiments,
and In order to eocentnate them the lter Ito Leislatetne
haa declared, " That the Judge himself n-eds often to here
before his eyes au inflexible rule, an auseere image of riti
right, order that he may have Borne:M.4 cc u•age I. fulfil
hie mission, sod not to give way to weak in . uhrence to
the melodicr of the law." In cons, quence our cone u.
stone are, that Menthe! Bee ithe (Franco:l Achill.), ex
Command ent of the Arley cif the Rhine, Is gun y
h vine, Ist, on October 24, 1870, cap tuletea with the
euen4, arid surreedereet the foriress of lieu of which he
seas the Commander In-Chief, without having exhausted the
means at its di-penal, aid dote all that he wur nit i duty d -
n:attltd : 2 it. With having or ire same fey. o:tuber 2d
Ina, at the hat or an army en Mee empogne, aigheo a
caoltu,a,lon, the result of which was that laurtdy laid down
tie arnis led. W.to not keying, before si gnu g the stove
caplinleation, one all that honour and duty prencvrtuoi—
onum pnivieled for aAI punhibed by Artittlel 209 and 21001
the Mleitary Coax We therefore require t,e i`o•urtniartf
to condom. the Marshal by virtue of the above cited articles
of the Military Code,