The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-21
Bazaine and His ACCusers
The Paris Electric Lights.
Crime in the West.
A Novel Attempt at Murder.
ETC., ETC., ETC.. Etc., Etc.
BAZAINE.
The Cnse of HIS Accusers-The Charges
Asainst tho Marshal In Full.

Asaiasa tho Marshal in Full.
The conduct of Marshal Bazaine while COM
mandiDg the Army of the Rhine has been the
subject of several communications to the
French and Belgian journals. The case of his
accusers is placed in its most authoritative form
in a report dated October %, and addressed to
the French Government by E. de Valcourt an
officer of the Mobile Guard, attache at the
general headquarters of the Army of the Rhine.
This report is divided into two parts, the first
relating to the military, and the second to the
political question.
The following is an extract from the second
part
the day was read to the officers, announcing to
them that treaty of peace was about to be
concluded between France and Prussia; that the
Empress Regent was to be restored to power,
and would join the army with her son; lastly,
that the army itself would be ordered to march
on the rebellious cities, would subdue them,
and protect the meeting of the former Cham
bers at Toulouse; and that these Chambers
would ratify the treaty of peace concluded
with the Prussians-a treaty the conditions Of
which, as will be readily understood, was not
communicated to the soldiers.
unfortunately for Bazaine's plan, the adhe-
sion of King Williams Government was less
certain than it was at first believed to be. Ba-
zaine-wishing to surrender the army, and not
the fortress, over which he had only restricted
power, General Cotineres being then the supe-
rior commander-Princ Frederick Charles
declared at last that he declined all arrange
ments on such terms and that he would only
accept double capitulation, comprising both
the Army of the Rhine, that is, 100, 900 men
ready for immediate action, and the city and
fortress of Metz.
ION the 2lst the news arrived of the failure of
the pourpdrterS; on the morning of the next
day Marshal Bazaine attempted, for the first
time, to communicate with the Government of
the National Defense, the existence of which
until then he had never acknowledged"
The conclusions of the report are these:-
"To recapitulate Marshal Bazaine's conduct
during the two months aud half which have
elapsed from the battle of the 18th of August
(Sant Privat) ill now, founding our statements
on the aforementioned facts, we shall say
al. That the Marshal, since the 18th of
August, never attempted any sortie of serious
character, and that his attempts to attack the
Prussian lines were made only in order that
they might afterward serve to his country aud
in history as excuses for his conduct.
50 That the Marshal would not attempt
supreme effort which, even in case of a success,
would have greatly disorganized his splendid
army, and which would no longer have allowed
him, the Commauder-in- Chief of the Army of
the Rhine, to be the arbitrator of the political
destinies of France.
''3. These considerations also explain why the
Marshal never consented to recognize the Gov
ernment of the National Defen e, aud sought
up to the very last to collect the remnants of
the BOHapartist power, with the view of esta-
blishing Third Empire.
~. Once convinced that he could only bring
France and the Prussians also to adopt ideas of
Bonapartist restoration by adding the disaster
tues which were already weighing down our
unhappy country, the Marshal made it his busi-
ness to hasten the hour OF surrender
'To do this he refused to diminish in good
time the forage ratons, thus suddenly leaving
the 30 600 horses, which composed his cavalry
and horsed his artillery, without any kind of
food, instead of taking measures tor making the
resources be had still in hand on the 1st of Sep
tember, when he made his final great sortie
last as long as possible. Also, after many de
lays, did he consent to lessen the food rations
and that. too, at time when this measure could
be of very slight use, the quantity of pro-
visions to which it could be applied was very
small.
"5. In fact, Marshal Bazane acted in every
way with one sole obect-namely, to be, and to
remain, the master of the political situation in
: France; and, believing that he could make use
i of the Prussians TO assist him in the execution
of his ambitious designs he Willingly gave Ut
\ to them the town and fortress of Metz, as wei
: as the French army-1l0 900 men encamped
within the entranrhmpn -