The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-07-10
MARSHAL BAzAlNE.
rhe Exiled French Commander Talks
About the Surrender of Metz.

About the Surrender of Metz.
An interesting conversation witk Mar.
,hal Bazaine, at present living in exile
At Madrid, is published by a morning
paper Despite the volumes that have
been written on tho subject, the con-
versaton is calculated to throw some
additional light on the dramatic events
Of 1870. The Marshal is now seventy
Eve years old, bloated, white-bearded
and decrepid; and, according to his in.
terlocutor, he bears his dishonor and
his exile with the utmost resignation,
not to say Indifference. He began the
conversation by saying that he was very
little known in France because he had
always been in the field, where he won
his distinctions step by step, and fight
ing as a soldier. He was called "Thc
Man OF Metz" and was made re-
sponsible for all that had taken place,
although the capitulation had been ad-
vocated by the council of defense. Be-
sides, he did not take the command on
August 10, because the Emperor-who,
although he was very Ill, was the master
and arbiter of the situation-was pres
ent. Referring to the charge brought
against him of having mixed up politics
with his duty as soldier, the Marshal
denied this. His misfortune after the war
was to have been on good terms with NJ.
Rouher, and to have called on M. Theirs
instead of going to pay his respects to
M. Gambetta at the Hotel des Reservoirs
in Versailles, where the tribune was be-
ing made good deal of by certain Cen
erals. Moreover, tho task of pleading
the Marshal's cause with Gambetta was
afterward delegated to M. de Valfort,
who, instead OF doing SO, drew up a
hostile report against him, which de-
cided the tribune to act. 1t was not
true that he had done any thing in a
political way, except to remain firm in
his allegiancc to the Emperor.
"The worst of it was that after Sedan
the army was split up into Bonapartists,
,Orleanists. Lcgtimists and Republicans.
For my part, asked Prince Frederic
Charles of Prussia what Importance was
TO be attached to the Government of ma
itional defense? 1 only knew that it was
composed of four or five barristers. The
Prince replied that the Government of
national defense was not even reeog-
nizcd by oil the powers"
Asked whether he had not erred by
thus corresponding with the enemy,
the Marshal averred that he had
perhaps overstepped his limits by doing
so. His object was to assemble the
Chambers at Rheims and to get them to
appoint Government which should ar
range the treaty of peace. He was of
opinion that peace should have been
signed after Forbach. Again returning
ing to the subject of Metz, the Marshal
brought forward strong charges against
his colleague, Marshal MacMahon.
"MacMahon it is who should have
been most blamed. Why did he give
battle without chance of SUGGEST His
defeat produced deplorable impression
at Metz Instead of ordering out the
Third and Fifth army corps he opposed
to the Germans the First or African
corps, which is no good out Of Algiers.
He should ut least have gone into an en-
trenched position at Strasburg, and
after that all that was left to him was to
fall back on Verdun. Had he gone
toward Verdln l might have attacked
the rear of the Germans with one hun
dred thousand men,"
The Marshal repeated thatit was inn
possible to get out of Metz with safety.
The place might have been held little
longer had the garrison eaten rats, but
the prolongation of the situation would
have been useless. AS to his sentence of
twenty years Imprisonment, the Mar
shall seemed to lay the blame of it on
Marshal MacMahon, for he thinks NJ.
Theirs would have pardoned him alto
gether. Finally the broken soldier feebly
complained that he was penniless, and
that he might mt least have been allowed
his pension to keep him from starva-
ton. His wife, a Spaniard, had gone
to Mexico to look nfter some house
property given to him by the Emperor
MaXimilian in halcyon days, and his
rights to which were contested. Paris
Cor. London Telegram.
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