Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1874-08-22

at home. So the less said OF them the
better. What is beyond doubt is that
in his present spouse the Marshal got
u much more useful partner in life,
Notwithstanding that the Herald
speaks of her with q certain air Of con
tempt, as Of a lady who never saw a
boat in her in life except on the lake
Of the Bois de Bouiogae. Madame
Bazaine has never been q, very fash
ionable woman, but she4 has always
been handsome, full 81 the hot Flood
Of her country, aud full Of courage to
act whenever the moment for action
came. Though it may turn out that
she did mot herself low the boat in
which the Marshal escaped, a telegram
states that she made all the arrange
ments for the escape, and for the sake
of the name she bears, and ont Of a
feeling of natural pride, she will prob
ably not allow the Marshal to remain
quiet and to lead the miserable life Of
an escaped convict.
Besides Bazaine's own disposition
does not admit of it. lie Was not fully
twenty years OF age when, averse to
any reguler study IN the Polytechnic
School Tor which he was being prepur-
ed, he entered the ranks Of the army
as Il simple volunteer in Africa. AZ
ter three years of desperate fighting
with the Arabs he was Il lieutenant
and chevalier OF the Legion Of Hon,
or, and since that time his whole lie
has been one effort to rise us high as
any man ever could aspire. He new
er waited for chance for distinction
to present itself to him: he hunted ur
these chances. When he saw, after
having obtained the rank of captain.
that promotion in the regular army
would now become more difficult, Le
Joined tie Foreign Legion, which
France in con jnhc'ion wl'h Eng gland
and Portugal, sent to Spain TO fight
the Car'isls, Subsequently, he Was IN
Morocco, in SYRIA in a 9eril ag* III,
everywhere where fighting was soin-
Oh. After twentv.hvr wears service
of this sort lie was =, hrisllier-seacral
at the outbreak Of rhe Cllmean war,
and it is only since that time tn his
CONNECTION with the Freuch army can
be considered as regular.
As soon as he had obtained post of
Dnnriuprttrec1ed all hls
capacity for intrigue, and all his am
bition toward reaching the highest dig
ni'v ,l.e Empire could give hi!n. His
first success and first st,|. toward pop.
Nlar!ly w,s hi> 1overnor>hip ot SebaS
1n,~ol. Dnriny the ltaiin oampMSn
he psaEaycl to get wounded slightly,
Ane; took pr,2nlnent part II lie Dat,
tie oi Solieyino. Wncn, in lS62, tie
Mexican expedition wees uniertAkcn,
lac went ont as ro,nm,ri(rr Of a hivis-
ion, bat soon surreri,l Marshal l'orey
in the general c,u!iA md. The feroci
t. with which !!r treated the paltisans
rt juarrh, his iouble dealing viii.
Maximlllan, and his evident intention
to ,rize the Supreme power in Mexico
will he remclu urred. On his return
IT, France he was Scrioasl Y attacked
by tAe ral;cs1 party; bat tHat did not
prevent him from quietly taking his
seat in the Senate, Whiting -tor the
IN oment when the saiae opposition
would call TINA through their mouth
r-ce, (;1mbetta, the subiime, the lac
re;c Basaine.
When after the first defeat of ,hc
army OF the Rhine, hc WAS appointed
to he general command Of it in thr
place Of Napoleon, whom he 'tecl 'rc,I
to be incapable, and under whom he
sal! he would not hold any response.
blc post, he was by far not the senior
of the generals; bIt his impuIeuce and
his ambition helped him to jump over
all of them, including the Empero,
himself, and the " hole Of France ap.
plaudcl the event. Had the warout-
side of Metz taken less fatal course
and had the Republican party not
come into power, we have no doubt
that BazaiLe, stimulated by his ambi.
ton, would have managed to get cut
Of Metz, even if it were at the loss o.
half of his army; but as things took 4
turn which predicted bnt little chance
of success for him in Paris, he yer,
stupidity preferred to negotiate viii
the enemy and to expose himself t,
the accusation of treason. 1t was
! treason, but not military treas IN; il
was political treason; and his capltu
lation Of Metz was not the act of
cowarlly or incapable soldier; it wa
the surrender OF a great advent,lrei
such as history presents more than ont
example of. True, it is very easy Il
comment upon facts and to exnlair
them when they have taken place; ;bu
it seems to Us now that u very look al
BAzains would always indicate what
the man is capable Of doing. Hi:
quiet, stoutl>h face, with usuallya lazy
expression, becomes al at once lightet
up as by electricity when any impor
y tant subject Of politics or military af
fairs is discussed His manners are
not only rude, but frequently brutal
but this rudeness and brutality are o
Il kind which captivates every on,
~hom EHHline wants to oaptlvate
II