National Republican., 1873-11-06
MARSHAL DAZAINE,
A Digest Of his cnsc Before the Court-srnr-

MARSHAL BAzAINE.
A Digest Of III, Cnsc Before the Court-ninr-
| tlnI.
The trial Of Marshal Bazalne Is attracting very
general attention because OF the Interesting tes-
timony developed In relation to tho siege OF
Metz as well as the distinguished rank OF the
veteran prisoner. Tue digest Of the case, writ.
ten by Paris correspondent, will help our read
ers TO an intelligent understanding Of the case;
must endcavor 10 assist your readers by
sketohing. as distinctly as possible, the main
.1n1 ent1nses o. me bill which has been made out
70 30 formulated Ia whether Marshal BaZaine
@ nas neen guilty OF treachery and incapacity-the
sianoe-.or whether ho has only been Inc victim
OF events In other words, did he strain every
nerve In the defence Of his country as Marshal
OF france, or uld no subordinate his duty to his
own ambition and his allegiance to the En-
psror7 1hrce distinct points arise out OF this
T.na was s,steInsni The rst Il whether the
under the walls OF Metz, and thus solatinR hini-
sell from Marshal MacMahon, notwilhstaniinr
which led to the disaster of Sedan. Irhe second
y whether, instead Of doing his utmost 10 brenE
| through the German lines which paralyzed his
every attempt made 10 that effect, In Inc hene
OF being able to make terms with the enemy In
the name and for the pfont OF the Imperial tloy-
| crnment.
WAS BAzAIsH's ARMY kxHArsrHDs
The third point Ia whether he dd not surren-
/ der before his means OF resistance and subsist-
| cnce were exhausted, and show a feadiness TO
comply with every desire q the enemy, amount
Ing 20 positive treachery. II Will be remembered
that the hrst point, the one relating TO the fall
| urc which attended Bazsincs march TO the as
sistance OF MacMahon, Is complicated by the
| historical dispatch which the latter sent TO his
colleague towards the end OF August. II was
| thus worded:
"Recelved your dispatch Of the 10th. ! am ut
lnedy; tomorrow shall he on the Alsne, where
vii assist you according to circumstances"
The date OF thls dispatch was for q long time
| mystery, hut the duplicate OF the document hns
hctn found, and leaves no doubt al TO the Act
that u was written on the 18th OF August. 1t
sent On oy 5se each o. whom
and who, In order to cross the whole breadth Of
the Prussian lines, started at seperate Intervals
reach BszaineY Did he receive IL be lore or after
| the council OF war held at the Chateau de Orr
mont on the roth OF August, when he impressed
under the walls OF Metz, giving as his Teasoh
| that the army under his command was COM
pletely abandoned by MacNiahon2 IL is sum
ready to swear that this dispatch was given 10
the Marshal on the 2od OF August.
| REGyrERs MISSION.
1t was month after this date, on the 99l OF
| September, when the army had almost ceased to
that NJ. Regnier. better Known as IN. H." ar.
| rived at Metz, and, after private conversation
with the Marshal, was authorized TO take the
gallant General Bourbakl out OF the fort forthe
ayowed purpose OF learning whether the EMPRESS
Was was prepared to sign q peace with the enemy.
| tervlew win Count bismarck at Versailles, the
confidence with which he inspired the astute
diplomat, and his account OF the interview with
the Marshal, arc all very remarkable in them
selves, and IN the present trial viii form ono
OF the principal points OF interest. Tho Import
ance OF his testimony may he estimated when IL
s considered that on his statements will turn ali
| ACCUSATIONS or POLITICAL ISrWorx
and treasonable communication with tho enemy
which have been lavished on Marshal Dszaine.
Then, flnally, the nature OF the capltnlation,
necessarily aud incomprehensiby disastrous.
will form the subject OF the most searching ex-
/ animation. In the text OF the capitulation the
Third article has been severely criticised. II
"Thc arms, as well as the army material, con.
slsiing OF nags, eagles, cannon, mtrailleuses,
shall lie left at Metz and in The forts, under the
charge OF special military commissions Instituted
BY Marshel Dazalne, so that they may be made
over Immediately TO the Prussian commissioners.
| The troops without their arms shall be brought
out, ranged according to their regiments or
corps, and In military order, In the places as
return at liberty Into the entrenched camp on
the condition they glye their word OF honor not
T. Leave The fort without the consent of the
Tho surrender OF trophies. arms and ammunl-
| tlon, when these might have been DESTROYED be-
lore the fort was surrendered, has also 10 be ex.
planned.
TIrH INDICTMENT.
The following arc the principal charges TN
boiled In the report.
Marshal Bazaine has deceived the confidence
o. the Emperor, who had ordered q retreat. 1.
by delaying the departure Of the army until Au-
gust u; 2. In falling to destroy tho bridges
which the enemy might use. 0. In falling TO
avail himself at the sortie from Metz OF more
than one route for the march Of the army, when
there were four available roads. 4. In giving
order 10 discharge the auxiliary corps which
carried csr,,n me provisions Of the army b. In not
Marshal Bazainc allowed to be crushed, In the
battle OF August Is, one of his lieutenants-
Marshal Canrobert-in spite Of the pressing ap-
active almost the whole Of his reserves Marshal
bazaine has deceived the Emperor and the Min.
ister OF War until tho month Of August regard.
ing the state OF Affairs, as well as regarding his
plans, IN falsely announcing to the minister on
August %, when he know the march OF The Army
a Oha,ons, tnat u was impossible to force the
MacMahon that he could pierce them whenever
he wanted to do 30. Marshal BaSaine has made
MssWsn 70 come to the aid Of Marshal
me latter, which In leaving his lieutenant to
bear the whole weight Of the struggle has |
brUught about the disaster of Sedan, |
Marshal Bazaine has abused the confidence Of |
ms lcutenants In tho conference held at Grin |
!: In eonceSling from them the march of the
2. In not communicating to them the dis |
patches sent 10 tho Emperor, the Minister OF |
War and Marshal MacMahon.
.. In stating that the army had only ammunl- |
lions Tor one battle when no knew that since
August q, new supplies had teen obtained.
gcnce given by the enemy TO Nj, Debains. which
was OF naturo TO destroy the spirit OF ths army,
am, part OF which was false.
MaIshal Bzaine has, after recognizing the |
new Government, lent ear To the proposltions
brought from France by one Regnier and 10 the |
plans o. re,toratlon formed by that agent.
date when his proyisions would awe out, sur
rendering thus State secret to an Individual |
WI, Mm9js IDENTITY was only established by pass
Marshal Bazalne has instructed NJ. Regnler to |
declare that he was ready to capltulate win hjs |
army on on condition OF obtaining the honors OF
month AND ammunition even beyond his need, |
HIS MILITARY RECORD.
The following Ia the official record Of Bazalne,s
mlitary services, up to the war with Germany,
which ended so disastrously for France and Ba.
u, iss,l France; sub-ollcer, duly 10, isssJ Al
gerla; sub-lieutenant, (Noy. 2, iss2J ditto; lieu
tenant ,esa lJuly ~ ls2s SPAN; captain, (6ct 90
colonel; lApril II, 1881 alto; Colonel, i June
issol ditto; general q brigade, (Ott. %. iss4,i
Cnmee; general Of division, isept. ~, 1885,,
dsto; Marshal Of France, tsept. D, ls6l.) Mexico.
The following are his nominations in the
cadre Of the Legien OF Honor,
Knight lNoy. %, lsa6,) combat OF la Macta,
iAirca0 oflcer, tNoy. b, 1897 combat Of Sidy
hanf; commander, aug. 10, 1885, taxing OF KIN
burn, tCrimeaD grand orricer, dune 70, lsso.I
combat OF Marignan, Qtalyo grand cross, duly
y, lsc5,l battle OF san lorenzo, (dexico) mill.
tary medal, (April 2s, 1857 storIning OF Oajaca,
iMellcoD medals OF the Crimea, Italy anu
as folloWs: "' "'""''r'
Africa.Constantina and oran, 1893, ~, rs,
!nrst hAlfl spain-lss5 (second halfj I'D, Al,
IS Afrlea.Aglers and Oran, 1870, II, AZ, AZ
haii) Crimea-lssi, second half,) 10, 80. Al
,iGaTisS,; lf ~ "a r.as.iss9 70. Mexlce-is0a %,