The New York herald., 1873-10-24
MARSHAL DAziINE'S TRIAL.
THE UPS AND DowAs OF POLITICS.
Reorganization of the
French Army.
ROUTINE STOPPING THE WAY.
Ancient Gauls and Mod
ern F'renchmen.

PARIS, Oct. Q, 1873.
Pending the restoration OF Henri v. or the def
Unite proclamation OF the Republic, Frenchmen
have found congenial pasture for their tongues
In the trial OF Marshal Bazaine. These arraign-
ments OF important personages on q capital charge
have always strong tart navor which the mul-
rtitude loves, ana though the emotional sentiment
is lessened In this by the almost absolute cer
tainty that the prisoner win not be convicted, yet
Many Parisians take social pleasure in rejecting
Hhat Marshal Ney-a greater man than Bazaine-
was shot for treason after the return OF the Bour-
bons in 1916. and that should the last OF the Bour
bons be re-enthroned he may be inclined to offer
up this Marshal as in-ofrering for the trans
gressions Of the whole army II this gloomy act OF
vigor were ever contemplated what would the
late Duke de Brogle, being young man at the
time, was the only member OF the House Of Peers
who had the courage to stand up and plead for
Ney; and when the old comrade Of Napoleon,
the victor OF Elchingen and La Moskowa, was led
out on that cold December morning to be executed
on that plot of ground opposite to which Butler's
famous dining saloon now stands, the young Duke
put on mourning and stigmatized the act. which
party spirit and not justice had prompted as de-
liberate murder. There is some similarity between
the positions OF Ney and Bazaine, for both rose
from the ranks and enjoyed the character Of being
simple minded and bluff soldiers till politics brought
them TO grief; but Ney's imputed crime was not
quite the same as Bazaine's, and to hnd an exact
parallel to the present trial we go back to the
case OF General Dupont de rEtang. General
Dupont commanding the French troops in Spain,
let himself be surprised at Baylen by the Spanish
forces under Castaos, ana on the 22d OF July 1905
signed humiliatory capitulation, Dy which all his
arms, artillery, fags and stores were surrendered
to the enemy. The affair was most DISASTROUS for
1t revived the dropping hopes Of the Spaniards and
the French, grown as dispirited as their descend
ants after the fall OF Metz, were beaten from that
day forth at all points OF the Peninsula. So, when
General Dupont re-entered France he was tried
by court martial degraded as a coward and traitor
and condemned to death, though Napoleon COM
muted the sentence into q life imprisonment in
the Fortress OF Youx. One of the marshals ABOUT
court demonstrated at the commutation and sub
mltted that there ought to be no alternative in
such matter between shooting and acquittal;
but the Emperor answered What I put this man
out OF the world by the same death which thous-
ands OF my brave soldiers have courted under his
,orderl No: want him to live and feel that he s
= htu1.f
live thousand years." 1t should be added that
after the fall Of Napoleon Dupont was released and
appointed War Minister, which proves once again
that politics are truly wheel, on the
turns OF which there is no reckoning. But
WHAT ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION OF THE FRENCH
ARMY
For Bazaine's trial naturally suggests the en-
curry as to what has been done since the war to
render wholesale defeats less possible for the
future Well, visitors to France have been able to
perceive tnat the uniforms Of the soldiers have
been considerably altered during the last two
years. The dashing costumes Of hussar and lancer,
chasseur and dragoon, -garde and carabineer,
have all been reduced to two sorts Of garbs-dark
blue tunic and helmet for heavy cavalry light blue
tunic and red jam-pot shake ior the light The in
fantry shakos have also been improved by being
rendered three ounces heavier than the old ones,
and the oficers on the star have been deprived Of
good deal OF the gold lace they used to wear on
their sleeves. But this Is about all; for though the
country has nominally been divided into eighteen
military districts, with separate control and COM
missartat, and though generals have been busy
all this summer doing topo, as they call it,
that is surveying the topography OF each district
with view to new ordnance map, yet the two
radical defects Of the French military system
excessive Capitalization in the administrative
services and insulnciens education OF the oficers
remain virtually incurred; so that all the changes
undertaken have been mere innovations, not
reforms The simple fact is that Frenchmen have
not yet learned to recognize the true causes o.
their failure. 1t suits the national vanity much
better to ascrbe lost battles to the mistakes OF
treason OF the few than to the incapacity and in
discipline OF the many; and the popular belief IL
that II France can only cast few guns as good as
the Krupps and bring 10000 900 Of men into the
field her native valor-that old Jir1d Jrdncese sc
indomitable OF yore-will carry her to Berlin In
q few years, all German science and stolidity not
withstanding. No doubt most officers are ready
to admit that 1t is pity they should be sc
much less learned than the Germans, and they
hope that the coming generation OF Frenchmer
win show Improvement in this respect; but each
o1icsr as he deplores his ignorance sips his
absinthe serencly. and II you ask him why he does
not himself set good example by learning Ger
man or English, brushing up his geography and
adding to his store OF mathematics, he shrugs hil
shoulders and says, laughing, "A Q,los bon on
nous donne aucun encouragement The on re-