The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-05 00:00:00

ANOTHER OFFICER'S STORY.

Among those who succeeded in escaping from Bazaine's
army at the time of the capitulation was an officer of
superior rank, who has given a summary of his own ob-
servations to the IneMpendance Beige. The account already
given by an escaped officer is, he says, perfectly true, but
ho has not told all, and it is necessary the truth should be
known. He proceeds to. discuss the terms of the pro-
tocol of the Convention of Frescaty, a new name
in military phraeology. The first article is concise—the
army are prisoners. The second is scarcely leis so—
the place and the material are surrendered to the enemy.
It seems that the Gate Serpenoise was to be given up the
first,.but a collision was feared in this part, which is the
most frequented in the town. As only one gate was men-
tioned in the protocol, many persons hoped that the town
of Metz would not be occupied by the Prussians, and
would be simply used as a depot until the conclusion of
of peace. The last paragraph in this article, respecting
the powder magazines and the galleries of the mines,
proves that some act of desperation was feared like that
of the Citadel of Laon. The army in fact demanded to ;
fight, and up to the last moment officers and soldiers Here
discussing whether they could not cut through the lines
and save the honour of the array. Generals Deligny and
Clinchant declared that if they could muster from 15,000
to 20,000 men who could march, they would put them-
selvos at their head. This was abandoned for two reasons
—the dispersion of the camps and the brevity of the in-
terval in which the plan could be arranged. Besides,
there wore not enough in each corps amongthese famished
men who were strong enough-to carry their arms and rush
at the enemy. The third article of the Protocol is imply
odious. The banners, those symbols of military honour, are

put on a level with the material of the army. Was it not
easy enough to destroy them ? But the Prussians wanted
them as trophies ; and, besides the Whole French army they
require the hundred flags at Meti to adorn their triumph.
The surrender of the flags is a stain upon military honour.
That of the arms and munitions is an absolute forfeiture.
There were 600 cannons on the ramparts, and as many
more with the army. In the arsenals there were guns,
sabres, muskets in numberless quantities, mountains
of projectiles, cartridges by the million, and the maga-
zines were full of powder. All this, with the
carriages, harness, &c., was worth at least sixty
millions, perhaps a hundred. But the money is nothing.
All these arms, collected with great exertion for the defence
of the country, superior to those possessed by Prussia,
will be employed against those Fitnchmen who still resist.
This surrender was a crime. If the failure of provisions
compelled the capitulation„, why not destroy or burn
everything ? Why not blow up the forts and present
ours€lves to the enemy unarmed and resigned, like the
garrison of Puebla ? Should we have been massacred in
cold blood, or reduced to slavery? Certainly not. We
had nothing to fear worse than we have already suf-
fered. The author of this account recommended this
destruction of arms and forts to a general whose position
entitled him to make himself heard in the council of war.
The answer was " What would you have? I can do
nothing. The Prussians stipulate that they shall have
the place and the material in good order,
it is on that condition that they will spare
the town and the luggage of the officers." The
Prusssians ! always the Prussians ! never the French.
But the officers did not wish that they should be re-
proached with having thought more of some ' hardships
than of the country's interest, and a hastily-prepared pro-
test received sixty signatures before the capitulation was
known. The original, which is in safe hands, will be
transmitted to the French Government. A certified copy
was given on October 28th to General Coffinieres. The
peasantry would not believe that Metz and the army were
surrendered, and came from great distances to learn the
truth. Many of them brought bread, which was well
since the Prussians could not give them full rations.
The convention was cleverly designed to divide the army
and make private interest supersede the sense of duty.
The 4th article offers a special Aatidaction to the head of
the Freuch army from Prince Charles. It authorises the
officers to return home after signing a promise not to
fight against Germany or in any way injure its
interests. This is what Marshal Bazaine calls an
honourable convention I Honourable, when it yields
a whole army prisoner, and surrenders to the enemy a
place of the first order, supplied with immense quantities
of material, and intact, with hundreds of cannon, of which
numbers had never been used. The Marshal recommends
the army to abstain from acts of indiscipline. From his
point of view, discipline seems to consist in yielding one-
self with docility into the enemy's hands, presonting him
with one's arms in good condition: What did the Mar-
shal want? What has he been doing during these two
months. The soldiers and inhabitants of Metz say he has
sold them. For my part, Ido not think so ; but his con-
duct is not the less culpable, and demands investigation.