Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-18
LOST DISPATCH OF 1870, ONE
CAUSE OF FRENCH DEFEAT
Fate of Empires Armies at Sedan Might Have Been
Avoided if Marshal MacNfahon Had Received
vitality Important Telegram

, de MacMahon should he wounded. the
| chiet command should fall to De Wimp-
lten' This repeated change Of conn
! manders produced Inevitable confusion,
put PROBABLY did not influence the final
| result.
Napoleon tTT, so i'll that he could
scarcely remain on horseback after
Vainly seeking death on the battlefield,
several of his staf being killed around
MIN, was Mortified at the useless butchery
OF his men and sent the following letter
to King William:
Not being able TO die at the head OF
my troops, can only resign my sword
into the hands of your Majesty
The immediate result of this terrible
catastrophe was the bloodless revolution
IN Paris of September 4, 1870, which over
threw the Napoleonic dynasty and inau-
gurated the present republic.
AS for Marshal Bazalne. as we have al
ready mentioned, he did little or nothing
to help Marshal dc MacMahon; he failed
entirely in his duty to his country, and
his conduct has ALWAYS been one of the
mysteries of history. Placed at the head
OF the largest and best French army he
deliberately threw away opportunities and
Fought useless and bloody battles. At the
battle of Rezonville August 16. 1870 he
might easily have badly defeated one
wing of the German army which was
separated from the other by the Moselle
River On August u.s. at the battle OF st.
Privat, he also had ouportunitlcs OF in
1icttng severe check TO the Germans,
but 1t has been proved that while his
men we're fighting and his corps COM
manders sending for instructions, Bazainc
was playing billiards at his headquarters,
miles away from the battlefield. After
allowing his army to be shut up in Metz
he assumed a "watchful waiting" policy.
After the overthrow of the empire. he
tn tItn Iinu ~
government, and sent emissaries to the
Empress Eugenic then at Hastings in
England Finally, on October ", 1870,
his army was starved into a surrender
to the Germans under Prince Frederick
Charles.
THE FATE OF BAzAINE.
After the war was over Bazaine was
tried by court-martial presided over by
the Due dAumale q son of the ex-King
Louis PHILIPPE, and after a full and inn
partial trial, condemned in November.
1873. to be shot for treason. This sentence
was committed to 20 years Imprisonment
by the President of the republic, then
Marshal de MacMa hon. BaZaine, soon
ESCAPED from his prison at the island of
st. Marguerite, near Cannes. and after
wandering about from place to place.
Stunned by every one, finally died in pow
erty at Madrid in 1855.
1t Is difficult to say what motive ac-
tuated Marshal BaZaine in his conduct.
Tho generally accepted theory Is that
when he realized that the war was going
against France he thought that by keep
ing his army In Metz and virtually in
tact, when peace was made, lie would
become the aIbiter of the political des-
TIMES of France whether under the Ma
poleonic regime or republic. 1t is
known that he intrigued to have the
Bonapartes restored 10 the throne i'm the
person of the prince imperial son of Ma
poleon III, Bazalne to be made regent
during the princes minority His whole
course of action is a warning TO gen
erals of armies to coniine themselves
strictly to their military duties and not
play politics.
And SO tho result OF the failure of a
telegram to reach Marshal de MacAIahon
may be said to have been the cause OF
the frightful disaster at Sedan on Sep |
tember /. 1t is easy to suppose that If |
he telegram had reached its proper des- |
ination, what a different course events |
night have taken Even at that late |
lay MacMahon's army might have fallen
pack to Paris and, Joined to the forces
llready there. whether under the empire
n the republic. might have effectually |
prevented the Germans from besieginG
he capital.