Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-14
An Eyen-Hauded Justice.


sentenced by cnurt-martial to be degrade
from his rank and shot. The presider
Of the republic has, indeed, commute
this stern judgment TO secusion for TWEEN
ty years in the fortress at Cannes. Blu
the more lenieut punishment is doubles
life-seutence to the obscurity, inactiou
and disgrace OF prison. wow
The court-martial, conducted with sin
gular dignity, skill, aud temperance, di'
not find Bazaine guilty of reasonable in
tent, but of such assertion Of his own will
judgment, and private prejudices as com
passed the same ends of disaster tina
treason would have aimed at. He is alSt
convicted Of failing to exhaust all mean'
which duty and honor demanded for thu
saving Of bis army and his post from sur
render. His plea was that the obedienc,
he refused to the Committee of Nationa
Defense they had no right to exact. They
were not the government. There was nc
government. There was nothing but an.
arcby. The president of the court-mar.
tial, the Due d'Aumalc, shattered the de.
Tense with breath when he answered qui.
city, There was still France!"
Yet though this heavy penalty seems an
honest and Just verdi,t, it should not be
forgotten that Bazaine himself doubtless
believed his conduct to have been honest
and just. 1t is said that when a criminal
is accused before Chinese court OF JUS
tice, the charge is examined with relation
TO the man, and the man with relation to
his circumstances. There is an attempt
to ascertain the character of his impulses,
the degree of his sei.restraint, his aud
his predecessors history. all Of which
shed light upon the question of bis re-
sponsibility. Tried by such a tribunal.
though the gallant marshal might be con-
victed Of criminal errors Of judgment he
would stand absolutely acquitted Of treach-
cry, lncrtness, or cowardice.
Forty-two years ago Citizen Bazaiue
entered the army as private soldier
Brave aud alert, he rose from the ranks
to the lower grades of command. Louis
Napoleon saw in him one of the capable,
daring cIose-mouthed, not ovcr-scrupulous
tools which he best liked 10 handle. The
emperor had more Use for him than the
citizen president had had. Promotion fol-
lowed promotion, aid income kept place
with rank To Bazaine Napoleon Ill
was his visible Providence not less than
bis august master, for whom he held army
and munitions of war in trust.
When the shameless Mexican expedi.
ton was organized, no man was found so
tit as the loyal general Of division to C, m.
mand that invasion. And for obedience
that stuck at nothing, easily sacrificing
Maxlmiian to save the secrets of the court,
the soldier of fortune received the baton
which Turenne, and Sake, which Villars
and Soult had borne on worthier fields.
When the only remaining military honor
tell to him, that of commaDder-in. chief OIL
the Imperial Guard, what wonder that
the graf etul aud dazzlcd soldier cUnldscd
France with the dynasty in his VOWS of
faithful service ? What wonder that the
overthrow of the mighty emperor seemed
too incredible to be more than Il brief
eclipse of his prosperous Staff What
wonder that the jealous servant of the
crown felt it his irst duty to save to the
crown the arm which had been trained to
consider ouly its abbanage and instrument?
What wonder that the desertion Of his
imperial benefactor in that bencfactors's
need, assumed 10 him the abhorred shape
't the treason of which be now acouits
lis conscience 2 What wonder that in
hat hideous battle-summer obedience to
Paris mob, disclaiming all allegiance to
is lawful sovereign, seemed to him the
'ne course of conduct unbecomng to an
'iilcer and gentleman2 Doubtless he
poke truth when he called Christ to wit
less that he had never mcditated treach-
Try to France. But to him the empire
VasFrance.
: With this court.martal, Nemesis would
eem to have completed her revenge for
he wicked episode of the French oeGu.
'ation of Mexico. The crowned iutrlguer
Who devised it lies in his grave on alien
oil, the bnbbl Of his hollow reputation
rlcked by the i5ayonets of Prussia. The
Jay and reckless council Of cor ntiers
Which urged it has dissolved INTO the
othlogness of death or insigpifcance.
laxmillan, the single lofty figure of the
roup OF conspirators who dreamed of a
christian empire to be erected on the
nlns OF supers,itious tyranny, expiated
is mistake with his life. Bazaine, the
prosperous soldier, the marshal of France
'ho found III that campaign riches, and
onor, and love, suffers the awful retri5u.
Ion of a living death. France herself
recdy OF conquest, has been saved from
estruction by the skin of her teeth.
NO true man reoices in the crash of
quotations or the ruin of past prosperity.
'eI he may yet see that the public vel.
are requires those sacrifices. We have
ad many instances in proof. This French.
'ans story adds one more. Bazaine's
enteoce testihes to the people that loyal.
y TO dynasty, or creed. or friendship, is /
rlme when it conflicts with loyalty to +
hat ineiiablc existence called nationalit, /
! iestlties that the army is net the law.
maker, but only the enforcer of law.
Ana both these lessons millions of French.
nen need. Hearth and Home.