The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-14 00:00:00

THE STRANGE STORY.

The Tours correspondent of the Daily News gives a new
and very remarkable account of General Bourbaki's
strange expedition from Metz to London. It differs ma-
terially from the account given in the Indepenclance Beige:

-" A balloon dispatch from Marshal Bazaine, not pub

lished, but which I know to be in the hands of the Govern-
ment here, reveals the secret of General Bourbaki's

appearance at Chislehurst, which has so greatly

puzzled the London press. Al you v have
surmised, the improbable explanations hitherto
given were not the true ones. The ex-Empress,
in connivance with the ex-Emperor and M.
de Bismarck, sent a messenger to Metz, saying that she
desired to confer with a trusty general on an affair of
capital importance. Marshal Bazaine, though not much
liking to part with a general whose mission he was
not allowed to know, was so pressed by the messenger,
who gave undoubted proofs of his being sent by the
Empress, that he was persuaded to send General
Bourbaki, Marshal Canrobert, who was for a moment
thought of, having a hurt in the leg which prevented
him from travelling. When General Bourbaki (who,
armed with M. de Bismarck's pass, got through the
Prussian lines without difficulty) arrived at Chislehurst,
the Empress, so far from being suprised at seeing, thanked
him with `effusion' for coming, and proceeded to say
that she wanted him to take charge of the Prince Im-
perial, to conduct him to Met; and let him re-
main with Marshal Bazaine's army until the time
came for completing arrangements for a peace on the basis
of the cession of Alsace and Lorraine, the abdication
of the Emperor, and the restoration of the dynasty
in the person of Napoleon IV., with herself for
Regent. General Bourbaki was thunderstruck at
this wild proposaL He expostulated mildly for some
time, endeavouring in vain to make the Empress
understand the reality of things. But when he found
her illusions ineradicable, he bluntly refused the mission
she sought to impose on him, and told her plainly
that no French army would tolerate the presence of the
son of Napoleon 111. The Empress burst into tears,
General Bourbaki returned to Metz, and Marshal Bazaine,
highly indignant, sent a report of the "strange story" to
the Republican Government at Tours. It is highly
probable that the letter which the Empress some time since
commissioned Lady Cowley to take to the Emperor at
Wilhelmshohe had reference to this precious affair. The
intrigue has signally failed, and is now completely ex-
posed. What next 2"

THE ARREST OF GENERAL 11TAZURE.
Gen. Mazure has addressed the following letter to the
Lyons papers, giving a full recital of his arrest :—" On
Sep. 29th, at 9 a.m., I was in the prefect's room,
when he told me he had received full powers.
In regard to the despatch which he had received the
preceding evening at six o'clock, I said I had just
received one from the Minister of War, dated Tours,
September 28, ten minutes past six p.m., which mu§t,
consequently, have been writted later than the
prefect's. That despatch said, ' • The Government
of Tours, like that of Paris, intends maintaining
intact the attributes and the rights of military
authority." Under these circumstances, we agreed
that we should each write immediately to ask for
an explanation of this contradiction. I added that if I
had received a direct intimation of the full powers con-
ferred on the prefect from the authority from which I
received them, I should not hesitate to recog-
nise them. Twice over the Minister of War con-
firmed his previous despatch. His despatch, dated Tours
1.15 p.m., while desiring me to conform absolutely to the
instructions he had sent me, made no mention whatever
of the full powers with which the Prefect was invested.
I sent him copies of the two despatches I received
after our conversation, regretting that I could not re-
cognise his full powers, until I had received fresh
orders. My situation became very difficult, but whatever
may be said of military discipline I consider it as the safe-
guard of armies. All orders are sacred to me, and I
submit to them whatever their consequences to myself.
In the evening of the same day the Mayor of Lyons,
in the name of the Municipal Council, referred the
matter immediately to the Minister of War. The
30th, passed without fresh incident. Late in the evening
I received from •the Prefect the intimation that a fresh
despatch from the Government confirmed his full powers,
which I believe I only answered by acknowledging its re-
ceipt, at the same time entreating the
Minister of War to clear up this entangle-
ment. On October Ist, in the morning, I went in
a carriage with a colonel of engineers to visit the defence
works on the Saone. On returning towards midday I
found a letter from the Prefect, who, in his turn, demanded
my resignation. This letter had been waiting for
me since half-past eight in the morning, and becoming
impatient at receiving no answer, the Prefect addressed to
me an order of recall. In refusing to obey it I told the Prefect
that I was about to send an officer of my staff to Tours to
obtain instructions, and I begged him to wait the result.
The Prefect refused, and threw upon me all the responsi-
bility of subsequent measures. From this moment
I expected what occurred, but thought it my
duty to remain at my post. You know what
followed. How I was arrested and dragged through the
streets amid the dregs of the population, who were
shouting "Traitor ! " " Coward ! " "Prussian ! " "To
the Rhone, to the scaffold ! " Ido not consider I have
merited such a display. For forty-five years I have
served my country, often at the risk of my
life, though I certainly did not suppose I was endan-
gering it when I accepted the command in Lyons. As
for the unfortunate dispute 'which gave rise to these dis-
turbances, it seems the instructions Iso eagerly sought
during three days had missed their route, and did not
reach me until of ter my arrest, in the prefect's own room,
and with them were coupled orders to proceed
to another post at once. As all cause of dis-
pute instantly disappeared, and the full powers
of the Prefect were indisputable, should I not have been
at once released? How is it then that I am still a pri-
soner at the Hotel de Ville, with no term fixed for my
detention. Perhaps the Prefect fears my release might
produce dangerous excitement in Lyons, but I have no-
thing more to do with the city, and should
only go direct froM the Hotel de Ville to the
railway station. I therefore protest loudly against the
violence done to me without any reason, and which pre-
vents me from carrying out the orders of the Minister of
War by assuming my new office.

" MAZURE, General of Division.
"P.S.-91 p.m. I have just heard that I am to be

transferred to-morrow morning to the prison of St.
Joseph. I leave public opinion to pronounce on this measure."
The proclamation of the Prefect of the Rhone is as
follows :—Citizens,--For a long time past the incapacity
of the military authorities filled the country with distrust