New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-21
THE CASE OF CAPT. DREYFT1s
1T CAUSES A NEW GROUPING OF porJrr-
CAL PARTIES.
MILITARY PANAMA AVOIDED BY THE PATRIOTIC
APPEAL OF THE COUNT DE MUN-soc1A1-
ISIS SUFFER DECISIVE DEFEAT
THE REPUBLIC STRONGER
THAN EVER

ISIS SUFFER DECISIVE DEFEAT
THE REPUBLIC STRONGER
THAN EVER.
Paris. December g.
Inc Kaleidoscope changes OF the Dreyfus- Ester.
hazy AFFAIR have each day been presented by cah.
ID American readers. The sequence Of events dur
Ing this upheaval OF national pa sson and individual
animosty Is perhaps well known In New-York
as In Paris But new combinations OF political
social and religious forces are now In motion. ana
their Intensity and significance can scarcely h.
measured BY any one VINO has not passed the last
fortnight here in Paris amid the whirlpools which
al one moment seemed TO have engulfed the sobs,
judgment and comnon-sense OF Frenchmen OF every
class. calling creed
the first act OF the drama to an end with
remarkable scene in the Chamber OF Deputies on
Sa lurday evening. when the emotion attained such
tension to reveal to the close observer the very
fibres Of the political fabric, which at ordinary
times are concealed by parliamentary tactics cleo
pioneering interests and party strife On Saturday
Franco was on the verge or nothing less than q
military Panama. which would not only have swept
away the present Ministry. but would have put
the very existence OF the Republic Itself In jeop.
ardy. Fortunately. patriotism for the moment rose
above party interests. and the peril was averted.
In the United States there never has been. nor
can there be. a parallel to the Dreyfus- Esterhazy
scandal. Even the trial OF Benedict Arnold was
made public, otherwise his friends descendants
would 10 this day be proclaimng his innocence
Star chamber secrecy is made impossible by the
American Constitution.
But mild counterpart to the Dreyfus- Esterhazy
phenomenon may be imagined If It be supposed
that the sentence Of a court-martal composed OF
seven trusted officers OF the United States Army
based upon the testimony CT twenty-seven other
officers. and personally examined and approved by
the genera! commanding the Army, and the secre-
tary Of War. condeTning officer OF the Adju-
tant-Generars Derartm ent W lshington to
degradation and penal servtude for treason, should
two years afterward be suddenly impeached and
all inpica led. from Cabinet Ministers down TO the
junior member Of the martial be accused by
no less parsonage than the Vice-Presldent Of
bribery. reasonable conspiracy and feoniously pro.
curing forged evidence from another Army officer
TO sill and convict the one whom they knew 20
be innocent In addition to this. imagine that such
solid citizens the presidents of Harvard and Yale
universities venerable Judges. sedate scholars and
eminent bankers should forthwith rush into print
and call each other Judas Iscariots," "Shylocks"
"!mpos;ors" spiders OF HE'LL "blackguards."
towards" idiots" bandits "scoundrels"
liars" and "cut-throats"-these are TRANSACTIONS Of
OF the epthe,s banded about so brislsly dur.
ing the last ten days Imagine the public excite
ment worked up TO such pitch that the perform.
ances az the theatres and the proceedings In tho
law courts interrupted by passionate out
bursts provoked by supposed ausicns 10 tho ora
ail-absJrhiEg tons. Imagine the students Of Co.
lumbia College and the boys OF the public schools
breaking loose and paradlng the with
shouts yells. catcalls. drums and trumpets. Imas.
Inc Senators and members OF the House Of Reprs-
sentatives attended by seconds and surgeons, stand
ing stripped 10 the waist on the duelng ground
thrustlng at one another with swords, blazing
away ~ each other with halr-triggered duelling
pistols Such 4 picture. with a background COM
of no EfnDorOr
masked emssares bearded spies. mysterious let
ters and nil the stage properties OF the dime the
aires. conveys a feeble idea Of the pandemonivm
that has prevailed in Paris.
NEW POLITICAL COMBINATIONS.
The grouping % the political parties in France
has been turned topsy-turvey. Rochetort. the
spoiled chlld o. anarchy TO his amazement finds
himself. TO use his own words. "the champion o.
law and order the protector OF the army and the
defender OF the judiciary. against such bloodthrsy
Anarchists the Scheurer-Kestner and
tire perpetual candidate OF the Academy.
Emile lola" Ohio blanks replace epithets untrans-
latable and llbellous). Count Albert de Nun. the
eloquent representative Of royalty and tho Church.
together With " Paul &c Cassagnac. the militant
Bonapartlst. both stand shoulder 10 shoulder with
Rochefort. the ex-eader OF the Commune. Dru-
mont the apostle OF fervld Catholicism and fanati.
cal anti Semitir,n Joins hands with Marcel Semoet.
the atheist re olutlonisi. The conservative and
ultra IA shonabe Figaro" makes common cause
with the little ragged yellow Revolution Sociale
The partlsans OF Dreytus and those OF EsterhaEy.
DISTINGUISHED by the ti;les OF the newspapers In
their hands or projecting from their pockets. eye
one another in the streets and on the omniouses
and horsecars fercely as the adherents OF the
houses OF York OF Lancaster may have done
during the War OF the Roses.
On Saturday afternoon the excitement reached us
climax dismal fog hung over the city. Small
yroups eagerly discussing the situation were COL
ected In the Place de IA Concorde. and on the Pont
Royal Notices pacarded on the doors OF the
Chamber OF Deputies containing the formal denial
II General de Bosdefre. the Chief OF Stan OF the
army that he had ever written to or held any COM
municatlon with Major Esterhazy. Other posters
,nnounced that General Sausser, the Military Gov
nrnor OF Paris had ordered a court OF inquiry TO In
yestigate the charges against Major Esterhazy. AS
the writer entered the Chamber OF Deputies, the
air seemed 10 be charged with that indescr'oaole
which invariably precedes Stirring
events and at such times the Palas Bourbon Is
,l,yavs the best theatre in Paris. In the Hobbies
Ministers with black leather portfolios under their
arms were hurry.ng TO and fro Weknown Depu-
les each surrounded with little knot OF listeners.
we're talking. gestculat!ng. smoking cigarettes and
sending or receiving kilograms. The aspect strik-
ngly recalled that OF the memoraoie Fahatna seS-
sion six years ago.
The agitation seemed to increase each moment,
md one was reminded Of Voltaires famous with
ism addressed to Nine. du Deffand on November
H. 1866. when the philosopher OF Ferney wrote:
Your nation is divided into two species MONKEYS
who mock at everything. ana tigers who tear Al
o'clock the Deputies were in their places. Tho
Socialists. under the leadership Of Jaures and NIL
Grand were glowing with confidence and sia"ceu
bout like panthers about to spring on their prey
" Castelin NJ Sembat and the Count de Nun
hree Deputies respectively representing the MOD
rate. the Radical and the Conservative secuons'
.ff.,t. M tnGig
Ministry should supply the chamber with fuIl m
ormation, imperatveiy required by the couH-
ry which should indicate the honor OF the army
l. Meline the President OF the Council stated mat
"Dreyfus affair" did not exist: that now 10 OPP"
he question In the Chamber might LEAD 10 co"p,''
-nI,.