The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-07-05
Marshal Bazaine.

T0uU Will Us IuuCu CurlOclCJ aS. tuoSc VI
the victorious. 1t must be owned that
they are often better written, for q
soldier under reverses in the field is apt
to take his revauche by showing himself
a mastery strategist on paper. 1t was
Proudhon who first remarked that as of
two contending armies one is bound to
win, every battle must needs cover some
general with honor, til ugh the recipient
of the honor may be a very inferior
creature, The question as to what con-
stitutes military genius will certainly
suggest itself with some uneasy retiec.
tions to every reader of book which
ex-Marshal Bazaine has just issued to
describe his share in the Franco German
War. Here is soldier, who, in dedica.
ting his book to Queen Isabella II, signs
himself eek Fusiller Of the Thirty-sev-
enth Line" 60 as to remind the world
that he sprang from the ranks to the
proud grade of Marshal of France, and
was, consequently, no dullard. He was,
in fact, an admirable soldier, whose
record will challenge comparison with
that of any officer in the world. With
no wish to press hardly on a soldier
whose punishment has been very heavy,
we are compelled to observe that the
reasons which the ex-marshal adduces
for surrendering the strongest citadel in
France with an army of over 14O, 900
men would initiate against the winning
of victory under any conditions but
those of superior strength and position.
NJ. Bazaine's defense is practically a
grumble that in his game with Prince
Frederick Charles he did not hold all
the trumps in his hand.
It has been known for some time that
NJ. Bazaine was preparing this book, and
interest has been excited about it, as it
was hoped that there would be some
new disclosures concerning the mysteri.
out negotiations between the Marshal,
the Empress Eugene and Prince
Bismarck during the seige of Metz. The
author, however, adds little to what was
made public through the evidence given
at the court martial in 1878, though atten.
ton may be called to dispatch Of
Prince Frederick Charles to Bazaine,
which certainly contains curiously
misleading statement. 1t will be re.
membered that when Bazaine failed to
effect his junction with MacMa-
hon and was driven back upon Metz, he
was temporarily cut of from all commu-
nication with the rest of France. A SOL
der who had been made prisoner by the
Prussians, but escaped, brought into
Metz the news that the emperor had cap
ltulated at Sedan, and that republic
had been proclaimed in Paris. There.
upon Bazaine wrote to Prince Frederick
Charles to inquire if these tidings were
accurate, and the Prussian commander,
in his reply. stated that the republic
had, indeed, been proclaimed, but was
not recognized by all the country"
Now, this was true only in a certain
sense. There was lurking disatfection
towards the republic among all French
tons; but not a single city, town or
village had refused obedience to the gov
eminent of national defense. If Bazaine
had honestly inferred from the prince s
report that civil dissensiOns were raging
in France, he would clearly have been
justified in refusing to hold any terms
with the irregular government at Tours.
Unfortunately, he did hold terms with
the government, while, at the same time,
he commenced o ciandestine negotiation
with the ex.empress and with Prince
Bismarck through man named Regnier.
His desire was that he might be allowed
to leave Metz with his army and march
to Paris to put down the republic and
restore the empress regent with or with
out Prussian aid. The Germans lured
him on to hope that his proposals
would be accepted, kept him inactive
during the negotiations, obliging him in
the mean while to consume his proyis-
ions, and when they ascertained that his
resources in food were near to the fam
ishing point, they forced him to cspitu
late without conditions. 1t was for this
that he was brought to trial, and event
ually sentenced to death. on the ground,
that che had not done all that duty and
honor commanded to cope with the
enemy" As to this last count, NJ.
Bszaine says in his book that he was
much worried by base republican news
papers in Metz, which melted his soldiers
to mutiny. But Why did he not suppress
those newspapers? He held supreme
power over o city that was in q state Of
siege, and by stroke of the pen he could
have made short work of fictitious jour
nails. Again, the ex-martial complains
that the supply of salt in Metz failed,
and that saitless bread, being indigesti.
BILE, his soldiers werc out of sorts and
unfit for much fighting. The soldiers
declared, however. that they were eager
70 fight, and to them the marshsl made
NO remarks about the salt, but objected
that the heavy rains which fell during .
fortnight in September rendered mill
tary operations difficult. There would
have been something in this argument il