The New York herald., 1874-09-25

the responsibility oil 1t on the Emperor, VINO gra-
PRAYING FOR FRIENDLY BULLET
An how ! should have blessed the piece OF
piece OF my epauiette, Il instead of confusing IL
mad broken my shoulder | could theu also, have
taken was In refusing TO abandon my army ana
escape With lew horsemeni ! could then hke IKE
General Irocha have left another to cspItRsaIe Rnar
IN my place. Why had | not. like General heisn nUui
oaki, the moral weakness TO seek In suieioe
refuge from arcusationsf
THE CAUSES OF THE FRENCH DISASTERS.
do not know what will happen IN the next war
10 vanluisned generals; out everyiIn'nHs yI ~ mo oIS
Turkish Pachas' they viii be obliged TO strangle
themselves with cords sent FOR TINS purpose, o,
sabres e syerv one viii not have, IKE General
Trochu the lorce OF character 10 allow MS nsghla
to he torn away by the chiefs OF 0arrcades without
a word or test. on the other hand military
sufeide mas not yet entered lnto our code, aud
Marshai LepGuI, formerly Minister OF War to
the Emperor perceiving, too late, our complete
inierlorty, aad believing himself chiefly respon-
slbe for our misiortunes, insisted on remaining
under my orders. Zen times he went under fire
TO seek death where danger most threatened,
soliciting 1t TO come but the projectiles which
moved down his stan about him would not even
innict on hlm scratch. Far from accusing
any one, believe that each one has done wnat he
was able. My countrymen. accustomed TO score
victories believed In good lalth that they could not
be conquered. In tais respect the campaigns OF
them. In addition, too mucn Importance had
been attached In France to the victories won IN
Africa
our mls;ortunes came from our numerical infe-
rlority and the evils OF our organization. If Mac
Mahon and myself Tad been able 10 oppose the
Germans troops with equal forces ana as
promptly mooiized Notwithstanding the talents
OF Field Marshal Won Motke and the superiority OF
the Prussian cannon, we could have fought with
equal chances.
have no spite against any one. not even the
Due d'Aumale, VINO pronounced my sentence. l
only think he showed want OF taste In interfering
In this matter and pretending TO pass Judgment
on Marshal OF France such as me. This young
soldier has performed but one feat OF arms Ia his
life; oy an adventurous march on one occasion ne
surprised the camp OF Abd-el-kader and carried
Off the women and cattle Of the Emir. But this
TACT aud that OF having passed few months in
Alglers are not sufficient to form a warrior and
permit him to Judge the litary actions OF COM
mander-in-chiei OF the Imperial Guard
1t may be objected that the Duke regretted very
much not being permitted TO take part IN our glo-
rous campaigns, and tnat his exile was the cause
But can answer without further discussion tnat
his exile and his long inactivity are facts, and
that besides, IN 1871 he could, like MacMahon,
have solicited command agalnst tne COmmuae. ne
But, careful OF his prospective popularity, ne oc-
manded nothing. Yet, at that moment, his In
terests as soldier and his duty as conservative,
should have induced him to fight against the dema-
gogues. He would thus Tor the nrSt time, have seen
service in Europe and essened somewhat the sad
souvenirs LETT by the conduct OF his athers IN our
revolutions In place oil tnat he preferred TO return
to active service by accepting the Presidency OF
the Council OF War appointed TO try me.
All wlsn to the DUO d'Aumale is that he may
not be forced to take the command-in-chief OF an
army destined to ngnt NJ Won Moitke ana inc
conditions as those IN which found myseli-that
Is to say, with an army in process OF formation,
not yet under the control OF It's chiefs, whose
equipment had not yet been completed, with It's
right wing routed, and in TINS state be called upon
with his nank already turned; or find himself
surrounded under fortress, in an intrenched
pIete And ali this While sehind MIN, the legal
government OF the country Is overthrow, the
government recognized by Europe ana which had
invested nIm With the command.
1t Is because all TINS has oelalen me that do
not wish it to happen to the Due d'Aumale, this
s'young soidier,n who needs to make many CAM
palgns and TO command for long while before
exacung that we shall seriously attach import
ance to his grade OF amateur general
they accuse me Of having daboed in politics. If
/ did 1t was because could not avoid IT, and be-
cause the revolutloDists had done so before me
and are now dong so daily.
DEVOTION To THE EMPEROR.
remembered that had taken an oath to the
Emperor to mis- family ana to the imperial c0nstl-
tutlon il | remembered that the command had
been conferred on me by the Emperor, and not by
ment, elder brother OF the Commune, OF which the
pamphlet teer Rocnefort, was member; II to De
indgnant tnat faction should take advantage OF
peror and OF the army, TO invade the
Corps LeglsatIf drive out the Deputies seize on
power deck themselves out in gold lace and play
at soldiers instead OF organizing the forces OF the
I country by practical and rational measures; II TO
be convinced tnat the Emperor OF Russia the only
person VINO could AID us, would never strike hands
with NJ Gambetta and the political BobeHlans
installed at Tours; II to have believed that King
Victor Emmanuel would not be in hurry to cross
the Alps in order TO pay Messrs. Giais-8 8lzoin and
! Cremleux O debt OF gratitude he owed to the En-
peror Napoleon since Magenta and SolferlnO; after
/ the first Paris lnsurrection to nave 1oreseen the
! Commune; If TINS be to engage IN ponies men men
! did so. But what Is strange Is that the men
/ VINO make 1t crime in me to nave engage "a
! in politics were themselves engaged IN pohtics
and no ,hng else, Wnue Was hoiuinR out uuuer
Wnar most astonished me in my trial was
neither the composition OF the council nor the cir
cumstance OF seeing myself brought before Il, but
rather the verdict 1t renaered.
rhe court martial found a way to condemn eI ana ana
acquitted me The same day. 1t degraded and
pardoned me, declared me at once guilty ana
| innocent, worthy OF death and OF pardon. called
me criminal and hero, and finally saw dt to
leave NE nay honor.
Either was guilty or was not. II my Judges
thought me so they ought not to have considered
the extreme penalty too rigorous punishment.
But, instead, they hasten to demand pardon Tor
me IRON the man who had been nv subordinate
during the war In letter tqat mas remained % aea
command IN the midst of unneard OF difficulties"
"He was constantly under tire, none
have surpassed him In courage" &c, &C., &c.
Evidently tue judges were puzzled. Their duty
was to apply Draconian law, made by men VINO
could never have foreseen my case, and their con-
science told them was not guilty. The accuse,
ton declared thai could neither be accused o
treason nor conspiracy but pretended had not
fulfilled my military duties Thus three years
alter the events, interiors sat IN Judgment on the
conduct OF the General Caie, who according t(
the statement OF the Advocate General, maintained
ms troops and prese we'd MS positions until MS las
morsel of bread mad oeen consumed, when the
country was exhausted, according to the oficIa
declaration OF the army administration. iknow
very well that there are lawyers who pretend tha
armies are made to die words OF NJ CremleuX a
Tours but the conscience OF The general OF Al
army lorbds him to useessly sacrlnce the soldiers
| intrusted " him Dy the country, and tbis con
science Is worth more than empty phrases
! WANTED VICTIM.
Peace once declared, ALL little ana great sol
diers and generals, royaiists and republicans. fei
the need OF dlscnarglng on some one tue anger
which animated them. victim was needed the
Emperor dethroned, out he was no longer
present. They selected me- Accusations the mos
unounded were directed against me. Not alone
had betrayed France and received Prussian gold
not alone had conspired against the Republic
but also against the Empire. In this genera
| chorus those who most distinguished themselves
were precisely the Deputies and journalists who
before the war, had demanded the disDandmenI
of the army and universal disarmament. ant
who would have raised the standard OF reyol
throughout France II the Emperor had attempted
to apply the Prussian military organization s.
readily accepted today