The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-11-18
'ctivc disposition Of the landwher, and

effective disposition OF the landwher, and
supposed that his fcnts would so engross
the Third and Tenth Army Corps as 10
prevent them from aiding this body. Ho
was enfaded from all points, aud his
want Of field artillery rendered such a
sorte foolish waste Of men and ammu.
milton. 1t may be urged in Bazaine's
favor that his provisions were getting
short, bat nothing can excuse his apathy
and the surrender of so important posi-.
tion without long and severe fight Ga
the 9th Of October, 1870, seventy days
after the battle of Gravelotte, Marshal
Bazaine and his whole army, including
three Marshals of France, 5000 officers
and 10000 men, marched out of Metz,
and surrendered ANONYMOUSLY to the
Prussian army. SO easily won a victory
was in itself disgrace to the French
military glory, and we do not wonder
they should determine to try and punish
the man who thus trailed in the dust tho
glorious eagle of Marengo.
This imposing trial will recall to the
reader few Of the celebrated military
and naval trials of history. The longest
and perhaps the most important was that
Of Warren Hastings, first Governor Gen
eral Of the British India. lie may be
said to have been the first man who, dur.
ing those perilous times, placed the Aag
Of his country securely in the Eastern
world. He fought the increasing power
of Hyder Ali, tho sovereigns of Mysorc,
aided by the sea and land forces Of
Fran,e, and although his actions were not
uumingled with severity. he lived to see
his plans for the security Of India fully
applauded. On his return to England in
1856 party feeling had turned against
him and he was accused Of having gov
erned arbitrarily and tyrannically Of
having extorted immense sums of money,
and OF having exercised every species of
oppression. This celebrated trial lasted
nine years. and the mugndcen, impeach-
ment speech Of Burke stands as a mona.
meut of splendid cloquenco and forsenc
ability. At the end of this tedious and
shametully protracted trial. Warren Has.
tings was acquitted and sentenced to pay
the COST Of the defense, which amoun;ed
to above s350,000. For this the East
India Company iDdcmnifed him By
p enson Of $4,000 for life.
The trial of Admiral Byng was one Of
the causes cele5re of English naval annals.
In this gallant sailor was tried for sur.
rendering his ship to the enemy after
having fought it until it had almost given
out. He was shot at the quarterback OF
a mau.of-war, and history has generally
regarded the sentence as harsh and arbi.
trary.
In France one of the most celebrated
trials was that OF the brave and dashinr
Marshal Ney. THIS splendid soldier, the
right hand nau Of NapoIeon,v who received
the universal soubriquet OF the "Bravest
ofthe brave" after serving with the Army
Of the Rhi ne, being loaded with houor5
and decorations, left his retirement to ioiu
the once more victorious arms of the great
Napoleon. Having determined, however,
that the return of the Emperor would
prove disastrous to France, he paid olleg-
lance to Louis XVIII. Arriving at Be.
sancon and finding that the whole country
was Fastening to meet the Emperor, b.
became again infatuated, aud went over
to his early friend The fate of Napoleon
sounded the death. knell of the gallant
Ney. Ga the return Of the King, al
thorgh advised to quit France, ho was
seized, tried BY the Court of Peers, his
companions in arms having refused to sit
in couri-nartial against him, and SEN
fenced to death The day that Marshal
Ney gave up his life to France must ever
remain slur upon the chivalry of the
French Monarchy.
Whatever may be thought of Bszaiue
by the general voice of his judge, it is
clear that the opinion of the people must
be decidedly against him. When the
Marshal left Metz to proceed to Nancy,
it was difficult to prevent the good peof e
of Metz from lynching him. They fol.
lowed his cortege to the station,a when
asked what they wanted, they cried out
with fierce yells of hate: "NouS somnics
rerroms ici pour cracher u Ia .fgtre dc
Ba-aine," the translation and import Of
which will be apparent to the poores;
French scholar. Upon the walls Of the
city we're sketchcd in chalk, 'Bazaiee
and Cofiiniere, traitors and cowar,s. '
Upon the question of his military guilt il
may not be out Of place to quote the
words of the London Daily News' CORES.
pondent mo mean authority, as given at
the time. His policy is explicable Gu.
ough viewed in military light. His cue
evidently from the first has been to keep
the fortress so as to be able to maintain
his resistance. He has made effort after
effort to get his army out, and his penul.
timatc proffer to Prince Frederick Charles
was to surrender the army aud let the
fortress to stand. When this was reject
ed. what good purpose could it have an
swered to dcplete the forts to enable the
army to hold little longer in its fruitless
efforts Thus far on the military grounds
no one can blame him but that he has
let men starve while he had food any
where that he could give them consii-
tutcs very grave moral responsibility,
Such is the opinion Of close observer at
the time. What will be the opinion aad
decision of his peers remains to be seen.-
Inter- Ocean,