Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-10-10
TIE RAzAlNE TRIAL.

1
A more perplex ng and infinitely NOR
important case than that of the Itch
borne claimant is beginning in France
and bids fair to riyal that wearisom,
suit in length. The witnesses and writ
ten documents to be presented in evi
dence are already numbered by hun
dreds. The trial is held at the Trianon
and the little palace will be crowded
daily by the leading persons in the so
cial and official circles of France. Tn,
court is made up among the general
highest in rank and reputation in thu
army, and is presided over by the Du,
d'Aumale, who is designated by public
rumor as acknowledgement of the king
dom who is to guard the throne for the
coming of the Comte de Chambord The
trial has also the additional interes
which is conferred by the presence O
eminent counsel. The prosecutors have
been selected by the government with
due sense of the importance of theil
work, and the defence is to be conduct
ed by Maitre Lachaud, the ablest advo
cate in criminal cases now at the bar d
Paris.
The issues of the trial are OF an i'm
portance BETTING the dignity of the
dramatis persona and the setting of the
scene. The marshal is accused of the
gravest offenses known to the military
code, of tho unjustifiabls capitalization
of fortress, and of unjustifiable sur
render of an army in the field. The
trial therefore involves not merely his
rank and repute, but his life as well, foi
death is punishment assigned by the
articles of war for such delinquencies.
This is possibly the point of view from
which the case is of most interest to the
marshal and his friends. But it is not
the point in which the public opinion OF
France and the world is most concerned.
Bazaine is the apparent defendant, but
the real one on trial at the Trianon is
the Second Empire. The negotiations
between Metz and Chiselhurst and Will
helmshohe /; the mission of Regnier and
Boyer the state of the army which was
shut mp in Metz; of the army which
was beaten at Forbach and that which
surrendered at Sedan all these details
are of infinitely more interest to the
reader of history and the student of pol
itics, as indicating the condition of mo-
rality and efficiency to which twenty
years of Comparison had brought its
servants, than as proving the loyalty or
treachery of Marshal Bazaine. The world
has little interest in the question of his
fate, but at this hour, when France is
about to fix her own destiny for years to
come, she will not fail to follow with q
painful attention the developments to
be made OF the character and the tend
encies of that system of government to
which she submitted quietly for many
years and ratified by repeated plcbis-
cites.
Trials involving similar considerations
have been seen in our own and in Eng
lish history. The prosecution and off
cial murder of Admiral Byng for his de-
feat by the French at Minorca. in the
last century, had its origin in political
animosity, and was carried to its ruth
less and frightful end by a mean politi-
tai panic. IL was not, as Voltaire said,
g to encourage the others that the
British Ministry shot this loyal and
meritorious officer to death. 1t was to
help their own failing popularity by a
display ofrigid energy and virtue. Not
1.-THE of what was proved against Gen.
Fitz-John Porter after the second Bull
Run was even alleged against Admiral
Byng land though many clamored for
the execution of that officer, the popu-
lar feeling was generally satisfied by the
verdict of dismissal. In the case of
Byng the prosecution arose from politi-
cal motives. In the case of Porter the
offence was committed from political
motives. The affair Of Bazaine. CON
tains within itself both these elements.
1t is undeniable that he was more loyal
to his fallen chief than to his country,
and it is equally certain that the govern
ment knew they were placing the en-
pire ON trial when they summoned him
before the court martial.
In one other respect there is q curious
parallelism between these three memoir
able cases. In all three the enemy has
given his testimony in favor of the &C.
cused commander. The rebel officers
at Manassas thought the proceedings
against Porter an outrage The Marshal
do Richelieu thought the sentence oil
Byng was stain upon his own fame.
The Prince Frederick Charles, it is said,
has. offered to testify that Bazaine could
not possibly have done anything hui
surrender at Metz. In the last instance
the marshal has shown equal dignity
and prudence in declining the question
able assistance which such evidence
would give him. Tribune.