The New York herald., 1873-10-24
Interests OF France, the Army and
the Monarchy.

columns some interesting facts and reflections
on the pending trial of Marshal Bazaine en-
braced in a letter from o special HERALD cor
respondent at Paris and in a letter from
Paris correspondent of the London Telegraph.
In the first of these letters we have some sug-
gestive comparisons between the case of Mar
shall Bazaine and the cases of Marshal Ney
and General Dupont, and some important in
formation concerning the superficial reorgani-
zation of the French army and it's serious de-
fciencies. In the second of these letters we
have glimpse behind the scenes at Metz IN
reference to the extraordinary part played
by M. Regnier for a capitulation, the essential
condition of which, in behalf of France,
was to be restoration of the Empire. 1t ap-
pears that the mysterious individual who,
upon his own responsibility, and unknown
and unbefriended, had gained the ear
of Prince Bismarck, the Empress Eugenie
and Marshal Bazaine, and who almost sue
ceeded in negotiating a treaty OF peace
between France and Germany without having
any authority from the principals, and who
thus came very near o restoration OF the En-
pire, in which he had no perceptble interest,
was this NJ. Regnier. This important person.
age is described as stolid looking yeoman,
with bushy white hair, square, sturdy face,
and in striking contrast with the glittering
soldiers around him, he appeared in the court
clad in light tweed shooting suit and bear
ing in his hand round felt hat and, thus
appearing, he was an object Of interest only
second to Bazaine.
In the official indictment against the unfor-
tunate Marshal it is asked, "Who was this
parsonage, who rose to the surface thus mop
portunely in the midst of these serious events,
and whose fatal Intervention was destined to
draw Marshal Bazaine into the most guilty
resolutions?" And the official answer is that
sRegnier was born in Paris in 1922, and that
he received very imperfect education isproved
by his strange style and his vicious orthog-
raphy." 1t appears, further, that che busted
himself with magnetism" and "exploited
quarry of paving stones" "a remarkable man,
and an extraordinary peacemaker. And yet
in making out its case against Bazaine the
prosecution to great extent depends upon
the evidence of this Regnier, who is de-
nounced as an audacious man, whose man
ners are vulgar, who is extremely vain, who
fancies himself a profound politician and who
has published numerous pamphlets. Never
theless, the story of this volunteer diplomats
negotiations for the restoration Of the Empire
through the surrender of Metz, does present
a strong though q ludicrous case of circum-
stantial evidence against Bazaine. The old
Marshal was devoted to his Emperor, and he
regarded with undisguised contempt the Pro-
visional Government Of National Defence,
which had taken the place of the
Emperor. Doubtless if Bismarck had
acted upon the hint from Regnier and
had proposed for the surrender Of Metz, to
treat as with the Regency of Eugenie and to
release the beleaguered French army, Bazaine
would have accepted the terms; but with the
German Chancellor the chaos which in France
followed the displacement of Napoleon was
preferable to his restoration on any terms.
But, so far, the crime of treason against
Bazaine is not established from the testimony
of Regnier, nor from all the evidence of all
the witnesses produced against him. Nor
uoCo tlc opAAAoA uPPCoA " pASVoAA W ohy "a
tent in France that Bazaine, if convicted of
treason, will be sacrificed. Considering the
time the place and the circumstances of this
trial it is a shrewd bit Of strategy in favor Of
the meditated restoration of the Bourbons.
In this view of the subject it is o curious
fact that outside the discussion which is kept
up concerning the guilt or innocence Of Mar
shall Bazaine, the questions which attract
most attention are, Why has his trial been de-
layed so long? and Why does it take place at
the present juncture? Apretty general opinion
has it that France is in need Of scapegoat for
her imperial sins and warlike misfortunes, and
that Bazaine is foredoomed to play that part.
1t is undoubtedly true that there exists among
oil Frenchmen a desire to vindicate the fight
ing nation against even a part Of its terrible
collapse in the face Of armed Germany; but
the shrewd monarchical scene-shifters who
are preparing the grand tableau of ''the Res
toration" have their own object in this
minor stage picture. While the beauties
of the peace and order which are to
follow the ascension of the throne
by the Count de Chambord as Henry v.
are preached all over France as salvation
from radical or Communistic excesses it is
something to be able to pillory the Empire in
the person of its faithful and once mighty
henchman, Bazaine. No Frenchman, filed
with the warm pride in his country's history
which is Characteristic Of the Gaul, will object
to Bazaines being found guilty. The
shrewd royalist leaders know this, and
they know that the more they iden-
tify Bazaine's alleged treachery to France
with q conspiracy to save the Empire
the more ready will the people be to accept
anything which relieves them from the odium
of o ruling power that could thus sacrifice the
nation to itself. With the Due d'Aumale pre-