New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-04
how NJ Hanotaux's successor csn fall to main
tain that principle.
The DREYEES RETISION

We need not ask why the Court or Cessation
decided in favor OF revision Of the Dreyfus
case. 1t could not do otherwise After the
report OF NJ. Bard and the arguments OF NJ
Manau. revision was a necessity. General,
n Chief Of staff even War Minister, on being
informed that a man has been unjustly con-
dcmned. may say. What of thatT court OF
justice cannot. IT must take cognizance OF the
case and act upon It; else stnltify itself,
abrogate its functions. and rcpudate its own
sole reason for existence. We may pass by all
that with The briefest notice. The work or those
two brave and honest advocates and OF that
justiceoving court. needs no encomum Ii Is
it's own best vindication. enloglum and memo
rial. But II may be profitable now. for the last
time. TO note the reasons, ostensible and actual,
why revision long and so bitterly OPP
posed. These were just three In number: The
first one. openly expressed and absolutely false;
the second partially expressed and partially,
in one sense true: the third, entirely concealed
and entirely true.
The first that foreign Government
Germany Of cOursc-waS 80 deeply involved IN
the Dreyfus business that any public revision
of the case would instantly provoke war. for
which France was not prepared. And the pre-
posterous Dupaty who dubs himself Du Patty
de Clam told weird tales about letters from
the German Emperor. and the cause OF Pres-
dent Caslmir-Perers resignation, such as
would have excited the admiration Of Hoffman,
and Poe. Had that been true, 1t would not
have been a valid argument against revision
The doing Of justice Is more precious and more
important than the preservation Of peace
Even II France were unprepared FOR such
war-of which we are by no means persuaded
why then, repetition Of the Terrible Year
would be preferable to the subversion Of JUS
ticc For France survived the Terrible Year.
but no nation has ever long survived the of
fetal dethroncmcnt of justice. But that rea-
son was not true 1t was utterly. consciously.
purposcly and maciously false from begin
ming to end The German Emperor and the
German Government have been 10 more in
voved in this business than has the Akhoond
Of Swat
The second reason was that the honor of the
Army must be preserved. So far rs II meant
anything that meant that the army, or a few
members of It, ike Dark Lantern Dupaty and
the forgcr Henry and those who forced him To
his crime and to his death, were to he screened
and upheld in any wrong-dong they might be
guilty Of. that they were not 10 be amcnable
to the common principles OF civil law and JUS
ticc. that in time of peace the civil authorities
were TO he subordinate to the military. and
that France was to be 10 longer republic but
q military dcspOtism Well. If 1t has come To
that, the sooner the ISSUE is fought out the bet
ter Louis Napoleon transformed France from
a republic into q military despotsm, which
had It's ending n Sedan. If there are any ST.
Arnauds and De Mornys in the army now who
want TO repeat that process IT had best be
known. That statement of the case Is potent
argument for revision and for n prompt and
permanent settlement of the question whether
the army is TO be the servant or the master Of
the nation.
The third reason unexprcssed, Is the real
chief Of ALL and the one for which the others
are mere stalking horses. Ii is that revision
will probably expose the evil deeds of The con
splrators who have been responsible for the
whole scandalOus business They have not all
the courage of Henry, cannot command the
final service that was performed for him. One
Of them is now in exile, and wants immunity
TO return TO Paris and walow in his pet de
baucheries. Another wants further to indulge
his fantastic fancy for dark-lanternS and mir
ror-lined cells and dark conspiracies and coups
detat Others want to retain their present
lucrative places. and TO improve further OppOr-
tunlties OF INDUCING their appetlteS AT the ex-
pense of the armys honor and the republics
treasure That is all Tho French Army ms
whole is sound and honorable and patriotic.
But little coterie Of traitors and knavcs have
made use of its name and Of its esprit du corps
to compromise i: and TO make it the tool Of
their vicious devices.
Revision will burst the bubble which Dupaty
has blown. 1t will serve the purpose Of the
last vcstges of the former Terror. II Is 10 be
hailed as the yindicatiOn and the salvation of
the republic.