New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-02
TrOchu's Defense.
From the St. Louis Republican.

| From the st. Louis Republican
New YORK, June 2S.-Foreign files BY
steamer to-day contain a report of Trochu's
| defense before the National Assembly
| After referring to the accomplishment by
| the Prussians of tho turning movement
which he anticipated, General Trochu said
The following day, August II, the emperor
summoned the generals to a conference,
| which | attended. | will not mention a
| single fact for which have not living wit
nesses or written proof
There were present the Emperor, Prince
| Napoleon, Marshal Mcmahon, g. Bertant.
| General Schmitz and myself l think that
while the conference was in progress Gen
| eral DecoursOn, Project of DufalaiS, came
into the room and remained. The Emperor
asked this council what they thought of the
state of affairs and what was best to be
done. Unanimously through Prin ce Ma
poleon, and also through me- the council
expressed itself in the following textual
terms:
The emperor has abandoned the govern
ment by going to take the command of the
army at such distance; his majesty has
just abandoned the command of the army
and given it up to Marshal Bazaine; he is
alone at the camp of Chalons, without any
army; de facto he has abdicated both the
government and the commando unless his
majesty wishes to abdicate altogether he
is bound to resume either the government
or the command of the army.
His majesty acknowledged that this state
ment was in conformity with the facts.
The council added that it did not think it
possible for the emperor to resume the
command OF the army, and therefore that
the only course was to resume. with firm
hand, the reins of government. This view
met with the emperor's approval
Prince Napoleon added that in order that
the emperor should resume the rens of
power in safety, his intention should be no.
titled to the Partisan population by gen
efal officer, who should precede him, and
take the military and moral precautions to
prepare the public for his majestys ar
rival.
Turning toward me, the emperor asked
me would | undertake that mission p,
replied. "Sire. you ask me to go to Paris to
announce your arrival, and to take the COM
mand in chief. l will do all that, but on
the clear understanding that the army of
Marshal Mcmahon will become an army of
relief for Paris. for we are sure to be be-
sieged." The emperor acquiesced. Marshal
Mcmahon had previously declared that that
was precisely the duty his army had to
fulfill
This conference broke up at half-past
eleven, after agreeing to a kind of conven-
ton, couched in these terms: General Tro-
chu, appointed governor of Paris and com
mander in chief, will Immediately start for
Paris; he will precede the emperor by few
hours and Marshal Mcmahon will march
on Paris with his army.
That night / arrived at the Tuileries. and
waited on the empress regent. / found
her Iull of tirmness, full of courage, but ex-
cited, and disgusting me. General said
her majesty Il quote words textually),
''only the emperOr's enemies could have
urged on him this return to Paris He
would not reach the Tuileries alive. No.
general, the emperor shall not come to
Paris; he will remain at Chalons.''
But then, madame, the convention, in
virtue Of which l have come here, is no
good. The emperor sends me here to de-
fend him, and he does not follow me-"
you will defend Paris. Fulfill your
mission without the emperor"
| replied. Every we'll. madame. | will
defend Paris without the emperor. | have
brought with me the proclamation in which
L desire to make known to the population
that l have been appointed governor and
commander-in-chief of Paris during the
siege"
The empress interrupted me- General
the emperors name must not appear in
at a time like this. In the
present state of the public mind there
would be serious objections to allow this
reference to the emperor" The name was
stricken out.
After referring to his misunderstanding
with General PalikaO, who refused to allow
the army of Marshal Bazaine to return to
Paris, and dispatched achievements to |
Metz and Verdun, contrary to the opinion |
Of General Trochu, the general proceeded |
to describe the events which followed On |
the disaster of Sedan.