New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-02

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ter Of time. The people are losing their
ambition by being held in captivity.
Every material interest is perishing All
the better qualities az perishing IN the
presence OF dispensation which
seems to be fro IN heaven. be-
cause it is apparently irresistible.
The gloom and agony press heavier and
grow darker and sharper day after
day. Bazaine sees this, and ne
saw it six weeks ago. he ac-
cepted the inevitable He prepared by
refusing to accept the republic, for a fit
ting time, when he could facilitate the
peace which Germany could only give to
France. He selected his hour. Hopeful
of some movement, and still confident of
the result, he saw that by one supreme
effort on his part he could save his own
army from further d disaster, and at the
same time save France from terrible
blow. The army of the Loire was pre-
pairing to attack the Prussians. Its de-
struction, which would surely have fol-
lowed its struggle with the army under
Won Moltke, must h Ave placed France
completely at the mercy Of the Prusslans.
Bazaine surrendered, then, to accomplish
three purposes: First, the salvation OF the
army of the Loire; SECONDLY, the salvation
of his own force; and thirdly, the saliva
ton of France from the further devasta-
ton of an unsuccessful war His enemies
will never consent that he had any other
hope than to help Napoleon; and the
world at large will prefer to believe that
he was faithful to a Muster than that he
was solid patriot, better satisfied 70 ben
eft bis own country than to win bloody
fame by holding the citadel of Metz amid
the suferings of his army. and at the ex-
pense of forty Thousand men.
If Napoleon returns to France, as it
is probable he will, either as Emperor or
as the father of the Emperor. Bazaine will
have the opportunity to defend himself
from the charge which has been made
against him at Paris Otherwise, he will
always live under the ban Of passion and
prejudice France already accuses him of
being a traitor and coward. The charge
originate at time W hen the people are
blind with rage Impressions are easily
made in such moments, and the conduct
of Bazaine is calculated to have stranded
reputation in country which calculated
that he would stand until the last mo-
ment, even if his standing produced dis
aster on his friends and on himself. If he
felt the suggestions, however, which we
have attributed to him, there will
be men who will color his history
with better reputation than any which
he could have won If he had allowed
France to be buried before he consented
to bury himself UNDER the ruins Of Metz.
There was time during the late rebel
lion when General Lee had itin his power to
do Just what BaZaine has done. At the
time he wrote to jeff Davis, imploring
tina: obstinate and incompetent man to
treat for peace, suppose he had taken the
responsibility and surrendered. That
simple act would have closed the war. and
saved the South from immense losses in
men and money. Like .BaZaine's surrender,
it would have precipi4ated peace. General
Lee had the key in hi4 own hand. He no
doubt saw, just as Ba2Iai did, that con-
tinuance Of the war wis wanton destruc-
ton of life, without hope of any
beneficial effect. HeEfelt, no doubt, that
every additional dealt was a useless sacri-
fee, and that to sure der was peace and
salvation, But if be had taken the same
responsibility which f azaine has assumed,
what would have been his estimation in
the South? No act that he had hitherto
done, no life that ne fould hereafter live,
nothing that he might sacrifice, would
ever have saved him from the horror and
detestation Of the people in whose behalf
he assumed to act with such devoted
unselfshness. If he had sacrificed thou
sands of lives and destroyed millions of
property, his fame would have been
higher than that of th E simple soldier who
saved the country at the expense Of his
reputation.