New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-16
Marshal 1Bazainc's Trial

Marshal BaZainc is at last on his trial
France has nObly paid OFF her enormous war
indemnity; her soil is free Il sufficient inter-
val of time has gone by to allow of an abalr-
ment Of the tcvrrsh excitement caused by
the terrible events Of lS7O-7l; the public
mind il engrOssed with fresh events of I'M
portancc; CIrcums tances, in short, seem
likely to insure for the eX-cOmmandcr of the
army of the Rhine a fair and impartial trial,
Some people question the expediency Of this
trial at all. According to a German papcr.
it is only selfish trick to which the French
resort to shield their vanity behind the trca-
son of somebody. Such view of the CASE.
is absurd. The French have other thinp- To
do just now than to spend time in tiudinr 4
scapegDat on whom to lay the penalty of the
blunders OF the war. 1t is important for
them TO throw as much light az possible on
the causes at their late disasters II is lust
| that the guilty party, or parties. if there be
any, should be known and branded as they
deserve. a people have a right to summon
to their bar man who has held 50 high a
trust as Marshal Bazaine, and to compel him
to account for his actions
Nor Is he the first officer who has thus been
called before the tribunal Of his country. Ey.
erybOdy knows that after the loss of Minorca
Admiral Byng was arraigned before a com.
mission ui the British Admiralty, AMI -hot
on board his ship. Gen. Dupont, who sigucd
the population Of Baylen, was tried by a
court OF honor, and condemned 10 degrade,
ton and Imprisonment; and the charoes
brought against these officers were lioht and
paltry compared o.:b those which are arraycd
by the prosecution against Bazaine.
Ii must he the desire Of all int.reetcJ in
his case 10 ascertain the TRUTH and abide by
such evidence as viii make a clear case either
Tor or against the accused. 1t would not now,
be fair To preiudge conclusions. which can
only be reached by "A correct APPRECIATION oC
FACTS. There WIS time when heated uas-
sIOns might have dimmcd the judicial vision
This Is not to be feared now. We venture
even u lay that II the composition - the
court, the form Of proceedings the characters
Of witnesses point IN a certain direction. il il
not toward excessive severity. II the penr,ia
had To decide the case We fear that BaZ1ine's
late would be sealed. Time, that has toned
down the violent feelings aroused by his m
expected failure, has not removed the susui-
Cons which prevailed 80 gcnerglly concern
ing him; nor can the existence OF these g.cI.
lngs excite surprise in the mind Of any man
VINO remembers the events prior and suisse
quent To EaZainc's surrender.
~ one OF the most critical mnmcbt. he
Was appointed Comnander-in-Ch lcf Of the
army on which rested the lat hone OF
a.
1t gas an appointment ffau.ht with great
responsibilities. High expectations we're
entertained OF Bdzaiue down To the last mn-
nent. He was another LeOnidas, commits.
stoned To guard the Thennopyle of his
country, and he had more than handful OF
s0ldlers with which to maintain the fortunes
OF France. In several instances these sol-
diers showed what they gould do; and.
though 1t Is idle 10 speculate on what they
might have done, under a competent com.
inander, It j. clear to everybody that they
laboTed unler great disadvantage, and that
ba%aine was not very terrible foe % the Z
herinans. The failure Of the army j. largely
70 lie ascrbed to the man who wasted his 4
forces without result, and ultimately deliy- /
ered Them into the hands Of the enemy b. a
capltulation unparalleled in history.
Whatever may be proved for or against
bazalne, there are plausible reasons 10 jus.
lliy the presumption Of his having been guilty
oil political intrigue, and consequently of
serious forthcoming. in the discharge OF hi,
duty. lie evidently does not belong % tina,
heroic school Of soldiers who are far above