The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-04
THE PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE.

Of the scenes preceding and following the snrren.
der Of Metz:
| THE PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE.
At noon on the 26rh Bazaine sent the Prince an
| autograph letter asking another conference; and
| accordingly the Germans sent General Stlenle,
| chief of stat OF the Second Army, and Count
Wartensleben, chief OF staff OF the First Army, TO
| Frascsti once more. The interview lasted three
hours OF the afternoon. At first 1t was stormy on
| the part OF the French commissioners; but IL re.
suited In their st Inc man poats Oh
| cerning officers keeping their slde.arms, on
which Bazane insisted. The point was finally re.
ferred to the King, and conceded by him In dis
patch received at three O'Clock on the morning Of
| the 9th. -
TERMS OF SURRENDER.
BY agreement the conference was resumed ear
| " the same morning, and lasted till P. NJ, when
the capitulation was signed for the absolute rem
dition Of Metz and all It's fortiacations, arma-
der on the conditions or the capituaton oil Sedan,
OF all the garrison and all Bazaine,s army COM
pristng three marshals OF France, siSty.sx gene.
rails, 5000 officers and li3 900 troops The Germans
| are astounded at this result-an army and fortress
capitulating to an investing army only traction
| larger than itself.
The French commissioners were Bazaine's ehiel
OF staI General Jarna3. Colonel Fay and Major
Samuele on the paft Of the commander OF tne
fortress. On the 18th, Major LandEuhl, CHIEF OF
engineers OF the Second Corps, was to enter oy
stlpQlatlOQ at lU O'CLOCK 10 Vic luiuco
from under the forts. preparatory to the safe en-
try Of che Seventh Corps. who VIII remain 10
guard the city and prisoners. while tne rest OF
The First Army departs Immediately lot Paf5 anu
Tor the South, where the headquarters OF Prince
Frederick Charles will be ut Lyons. At O'Clock
the French army were to lay down their arm.
All this has been postponed tWenty-lour nours, 10
consequence OF want OF readiness on the part
Of the French authorities owing TO internal as
TIE ARMY LAYS DOWN ITS ARMS.
On the asth the forts were taken possession Of
by the artillery Of the Seventh Corps. AL O'CLOCK
the Third Division (Which will depart toward the
southwestl and the Fourth Division were review.
ed In splendid pageant by the Prince on the
Nancy Metz road, near Tour-le. Brede. Tnereupon
the lFrench, Imperial Guards marched out OF Metz
bearing their arms, which they subsequently laid
down at Frascat and passel In review before
the Prince. This honor was accorded to them
alone. all the rest laid down their arms In The
Metz arsenals, and then marched to their canton
ment outside the town, to await transportation.
The Imperial Guards were received By the Prus-
sian troops with respect; not jeering syllable
was heard, nor An Improperly exultant look seen.
Previously, at the PrInce's review OF the German
troops, the cheering was iouo anu long con-
timed.
mounting guard at the various gates OF the city
and at the depots and arsena!s were relevea by
cavalry having entered the town. The appointed
military Governor. General, Won ZastrOw, the
commander OF the Seventh Corps, took possession
and control OF the city and fortress, where, he
tells me, ne expects to ind the portrait Of his an
ces,ors who was at some early period also mill.
tary Governor Of Metz.
BAzAINE's INTRIGUEs.
The tragedy was completed, but there Is another
side to the story which Bill remains TO be re-
viewed. According to the statement OF Geaeral
morning Of August 10, tafter the battle OF Grave.
lotte,. Bazaine could have avoided being nclosed
IN Metz. After he was thus inclosed, he could
have, according to Metzlan statement, made
a sortIe and joined Mcmahon more cas-
lily by far than Mcmahon could reach
HIM most Of Bssaines cavalry lhi and and
ceeding @ was % Of course more ditncult, still his
movements are said to have lacked determination,
and. In the last two sorties, TO have been even
frivolous This Is charged to plot In behalf OF
remain In st1tu quo until the conclusion OF the
war In Western France, and then WAS to become
available, with Prussan consent, for Bonapartlst
purposes. Bazaine himself expected In that case
to be the Governor OF the Prince Imperial, and
the virtual Regent.
Nearly all the MetzIans seem to believe this, and
their most influential people have avowed such
belief to me. Since the time Of the investment,
on extraordinary occasions; never at all In the
amoulaHces which are In part constructed In
numerous railway boX.wagons on the Place
city. The civil authorities had TO find him at the
Barrier st. Martin. He did not appear at the City
Hall once. He rarely, II ever, said word TO en-.
courage his treops. Canrobert sometimes cheered
their hardshps little, and then they would cry,
"Vtue Canrobe1t odS Bazafnem
BAzA1NE FEARED HIS OWN MRN.
Toward the last he dared not show himself to
his own men for fear Of assassination, aud the
terribly relaxed discipline Is assuredy the cause
OF the hasty cspitulation, when weeks rations
for all were on hand. On the morning OF the 10Th
five soldiers lay dead OF starvation at Montigny,
while the staff still INDUCED in luxurious meals.
that morning (2sth,) but for Two days previous
they hah received none. No beef nor pork had
been obtainable ct any price for 8 week; but on
that morning, before, anything had arrived In
town, the shops had plenty thereof, which goes to
prove the charges current in the town that spe.
culators had seized quantity OF food, and that q
rational system OF apportionment, such As exist
ed during the last ten days. II introduced ct first,
vented much waste, and enabled the fortress to
hold out month longer.
HIGH PRICE OF PROVISIONS.
The staff used a. first to feed their horses on
bread. Recently, prices had reached the follow.
ing maximum: Sugar, So pound; salt, SO
onion, IL cents. A little pig; caught near Grave.
lotte, sold for $3.50. During five weeks, amputa.
tions have been performed without chlororOrm or
ether, and wounds dressed without carbolic acid.
DISEASE AND DEATH.
There are more than $4,000 sick and wounded.
During the slece 200 persons have died In the
town alone, the greater part from lack OF proper
care. The prevailing diseases are rariooid, spot.
ted typhus and dysentery. Scurvy has not pre-.
vailed, though even the Sick have, for over three
weeks, received their horse steaks and horse
broth without salt. The reported discovery or
saline spring at st. Julien was hoax contrived
by putting salt into the spring, to encourage the
army.
GENERAL OPPOSITION TO THE SURRENDER.
When the capitulation became known. the people
were III ious. The National Guards refused to lay
down their arms On the afternoon Of the 2sth
Instant, O captain or dragons appeared at the
head OF boody OF troops who sWore that they
would sooner die than YIELD Albert Colingnon,
the editor Of an ultra Democratic daily newspa.
per. the Journal de Metz, rode about on O white
horse firing pistol and exhorting them to sally
forth and seek victory or death to escape impend.
ing shame. He was followed by lady singing
the MarSeillaise. This produced terrible excite.
ment. The doors OF the Cathedral were bust open
and the tocsin was sounded and the bell rung
nearly all night.
When General Cofhnieres appeared to pacify
them three pistol-shots were fired at him. Finally
By the aid Of two regiments OF the line he quietly
dispersed the mob; but all night the sounds OF
grief, indignation and terror COM inued. Respect
able women ran about the streets tearing their
hnI nt,.l AIynk,It 1aIA Ia.1