The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1873-12-18
Marshal Bazaine's Sentence.

ARR long and very circumstance
I tail, Marshal Bazaine has teen found guilty
Of treason to France. and is condemned to
/ death, anI de IRA 1ation from his rank preyi-
Gus to execution. Although all the mem
/ barS OF the Court signed recommendation
for mercy, which the Due 'Aumais-pro-
baby remembering his own treachery 10
I Abd-el- kader in Algiers- conveyed IN
rerson 70 President MacMahcD, the sent
/ ence IS terrible retribution for the ofense
+ Of which Marshal ba-1ins was found guilty.
+ The real crime which he committed was
I his persistent adhesion to Napoleon after
. the downfall and exile Of the latter, and
his studied ignoring Of the Committee Of
Defense. That Committee, however, was
the o3Iv Government which France had
after the overthrow Of Napoleon and dur
ing the siege CT Metz. 1t was the only
source Of authority, and the only body
competent to give orders regarding the
conduct Of the wax A refusal to recognize
the only existing Government of France,
ard was therefore treason. Technically
therefore. from the ,rrefutabIe evidence
before it, the Court was obliged to fnl
him guilty, and declare the sentence pre-
scribsd by law.
The recommendation for mercy was prob.
ally based upon two reasons. In the
first lace, Marshal Bazaine was veteran.
lie has seen forty-fve years of active ser
vic2, and had done France good service, in
Alsiers, Turkey, Austria, Italy, and Mex
leo. lie had been skillfgl General and
q. brave soldier, and lie had done nothing
degrading in the eyes Of the world, up to
the time of the surrender of Metz, exc apt
his abandonment of Macmillan to bis
fate AMI il doing this he was only obey
ing the orders Of lis superior, the Emperor.
These services were evidently credited to
him 50 far as to Constitute an appeal for
mercy. Ia the geeoni place, it is probable
that tile Court, while it was compelled to
pass tie technical sen ence, stood ready to
ask for mercy ia view Of the uncertain
threads upon which political affairs hang
in that country, where the Reyolu
ton is not only IN accepted theory in all
contingencies, bat a palpabI9 fact, which
may manifest itself any day. So long as
the Revolution is superior to law, and so
long as all social and political possibilities
are liable to be referred to the Revolution
for solution, there Is no defnitive form Of
Government in France. The Due 'Aunale
j. Monarchist, and may be tomorrow a
Republican. President MacMahon is os-
sen>ibiy Tie Republican President Of France
synpathias, and may be Emperor at the
end Of his term. The Assembly itself is
a combination Of Communists. Radicals,
hep4lltr. IA, Rpnaparti-t., and Monarch
its all struggling and posting Ior power,
ami, pending these plots and struggles,
Franc j - E2PubIie BY Sutirr.tnca and
wirhoat Constitution. al dcdnire
plans for the future are necessarIy referred
to that indefinite time when constitutional!
low viii b. established. In this unsettled
stat. Of af.tirs, the uncertainty Of political
c3utnrnhr;e, must hay. exercised some in
,.4cnce ~ On the minds &c tie members 81
LlcrurJ, ant ped 10 .niuce them to
sppre fir mrles
Tnrr. j. 600! reason. tl believe that tins