Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-18


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RENCm HONOR SATISFIED.
Tie cable dispatches published yes
.-lav morning, announce the termina-
Mn Of the most remarkable military
nal of modern times, that Of Marshal
2uaine, which commenced on the 9th
/ october, and has just terminated by
f1ding that Bazaine is guilty of the
\ charges Of the capitulation of Metz and
! . army in the open field, without do
gall that was prescribed by honor and
I rv to avoid the surrender. The court
4 5r this offence unanimously condemn
5s veteran Marshal 10 death, with de-
radiation of rank previous to execution.
4 ne members of the court having rigor-
4 asly performed their duty in the find
70. and the sentence, united in an appeal
mercy for the prisoner, which the
I Due d'Aumale, president of the court
martial, ut once carried in person TO
President Mcmahon. This result calls
fora review of the circumstances attend
Ing the siege and capitulation of Metz,
sal will receive from the press of this
country at least most scathing compali-
ans between the conduct of Marshal
Blninc, and some of the general officers
gho:et upon the trial that resulted in
Z he condemnation of the old warrior.
/ flour recollection is not at fault, the
surrender at Sedan preceded the capitu-
4 alton at Metz. The French army was
0okeu, and large parts of it destroyed,
and the Emperor a prisoner in the hands
%. the victorious Germans before Ba-
aiue marched from his Notifications
and laid down his arms before the enc
N.Y. No one doubts that he might have
held out longer, but posterity viii ap-
mcciate the soundness of his judgment,
when he saved to France and the world
the lives and property that a longer re-
,istance would have cost. When the
war closed the French people attributed
their disasters to every cause but the
right one, and began to cast about them
for a scape goat upon whose back to
send away their faults. Bazaine was a
prominent figure. He had failed in
holding an important post. He remained
the friend of Napoleon, and cherished
the name of Bonaparte, and he was sin
ged out as sacrifice to the Inundated
pride of the French nation. He has been
onvicted, and it only remains to see
whether the recoIlections of Sedan will
soften the heart of the President to lis.
ten to the appeal for mercy sent him by
the court.
The trouble with the French arms
lay deeper than any misconduct at any
one point. The people forgot that the
army of Italy no longer existed under
the command of the Little Corporal, and
instead of creating an army able to cope
with the trained battalions of Prussia,
before she went to war, France chose tc
rely on the grandeur she had achieved
On former fields but the recollectiOnso OF
the bridge at Lodi was not sufficient to
save Strasbourg. The valor displayed
at Solferino and Magenta was needed on
the field of Weissenbourg, and the non
sense that blinded the French nation
aud sent them rushing into war, was
ouned up with the flowers upon the
pillars of Strasbourg by the hot breath
Of German cannon. There was no sun
Of otAusterlitz, not because the same sun
dIdnot slime from the heavens at Sedan,
ont because the genius of Napoleon ].
vas not present to command an army
capable of doing that the old army could
do, The court that tried Bazaine was
composed largely of men who started
from Paris to riot under the lindens al
Berlin, or sought to break the victorious
line that gathered around Paris at last,
and failed. Such court, sittiug to try
aGeneral only guilty of the same offense
hey might be charged with, will not
command for their laborsthe unqualified
respect of mankind.
It's not possible to view the proceed
Iags Of this court with respect, when
We contemplate the evidence that was
used to secure the conviction of the
pfisoner. We remember of reading,
VuFinC the trial, that an innkeeper testi.
Ded that some German officers told hml
mat they should have no trouble with
Nelz, for ''Bazaine is with us, ;" and tha,
'nls created a sensation in court. This
Hlnd Of evidence does well for camp ru
'aors, but that it should be received tc
convict man Of a chine is an outrage
10 The name of justice, that should cal
q protest from civilization. Francs
made war with Germany. She was de
iealed. The lustre of her Ienown wa
unmed by the ..valor of the German
0idlery, who met with no repulse, bu
marched from victory TO victory unit
Tue French nation was exhausted ant
conquered. French honor was hulnili
Med, and has sought satisfaction in tn,
0Iood and degradation of Banaine, who
as he said to his judges, 81 have tw,
words in my breast Honor and Coun
ny. ! have never been wanting toward
This proud motto for forty-two years 8
service. swear before Christ that I hay
not betrayed France Bazaine is con
demned, he may be executed, but ii i
uot death he fears but the degredatio
VIII enter as an iron into his soul. T
france, however, the loss of this yeteY
sn soldier Is irreparrble, II is the yei