New-York tribune., 1898-01-25
THE FRENCH DILEMMA.

The French Government Is doing the best II
can In difficult circumstances. But its action
does not make the circumstances less difficult
or less ominous. NJ. Melne, the Prime Minis
ter made an excellent speech on Saturday. It
was both courageous and polite. II was. more
10 the immediate purpose. effective; but only for
the time being. II probably avered a Minis
terlal crisis for a day. and perhaps for fort
night But IT brought the tangled and unsavory
Dreyfus problem not the nhnitesimalest frac
ton of degree nearer solution Two weeks
hence the trial of NJ Zola may or may not pro
duce some tangible results 1t probably will
not II. as now announced, army officers are not
TO testify in IT, and the main points at issue
are to he avoided by the court. The Govern
ment is evidently trying to keep down agitation
until that trial. and IS hoping that the trial Will
end the whole trouble. In the former it will
probably succeed In the latter II is almost
certainly hoping against hope.
The circumstances of the Zola case are these
A fortnight ago Count Esterhazy was tried by
a secret tribunal and acquitted. The partisans
of ex-Captain Dreyfus. including some Of the
most intelligent. judicous and respected men
in France. had charged Esterhazy with having
been the real criminal. to screen whom Dreyfus
was sacrificed. But Eserhazy was not tried
on such charges but on others of minor impor-
tlnce, not touching the root of the matter I'm
me1iately after Esterhazy's acQulttal VI. Zoa
published in the Paris newspaper "LAurore'
an article eight columns long. headed IL Ac-
"cuse. Letter 10 the President Of the Repub.
"lic.' In this, personally addressing NJ Faure
he reviewed the whole case. reaffirmed his faith
In the innocence Of Drcyfus. and specifically
accused various army officers. including the
Minister for War. the Chief Of Staff the first
Sub-Chief. and the commanding General Of an
army corps. Of having made themselves ac-
completes in the hdeOus crime Of condemnIng
an innocent man, preventing n reopen,ng Of his
case and screening the real criminal. Here orc
his words
accuse Lieutenant C Colonel du Patv de Clam
of having been the diabolical author OF tbe
judicial error-unconsciousy | am ready TO be-
lieve-and Of having then defended his per
ncious work for three years by the most ab-
surd and culpable Vaccinations. / accuse Cen
eral Mercier OF having rendered himself the ac-
complice. at least by want of hrmness Of one
Of the greatest iniquities OF the century. | ac-
General Bot Of having had in his hands
certain proofs of the innocence of Dreyfus and
of having hushed them up. Of having rendered
himself guilty of the crime Of lese- -humanite
and lese justice with a political object and I'm
order 10 screen the compromised general staff
accuse General de Boisdeffre and General Gonse
Of having made themselves accomplices Of the
same crme-the one, doubtless. through Clerical
passion. the other, perhaps. from that esprit de
corps which makes the War Office bureaus n
sacred unassa able ark ! accuse General de
Peeux and Major Ravary OF having made a
wicked inquiry, mean by that an inquiry OF
the most monstrous partiality. of which we have
in its report an impershable monument OF
naive audacity. | accuse the three experts
Sieurs Behomme, Varinard and Couard of hav-
ing made false and fraudulent report unless
a medical examination declares them to be suf-
fering from diseased vision and Judgment |
accuse the War Office bureaus of having car
ried on in the press particularly In the "Eclair'
and the Echo de Paris" abomlnable cam
paign in order to mislead the public and screen
their mistake. Lastly. | accuse the first court
martial Of having violated law by condemning
an accused man single document kept Sc
cret. and / accuse the second court-martlal OF
having. In obedience TO orders. screened that
iegality by committing In its turn the judi
cial crime OF knowingly acquitting a guilty
man.
In conclusion, NJ. Zola said he knew this pub
lication made him liable to criminal prosecution.
He did not fear 1t. II 1t would aid the estab-
lshment OF justice he would welcome H. Let
them bring me before the court and let in
''quiry be held by broad daylight. I am wait
Ing" To that impassioned challenge the only
possible answer was acceptance, and It was
promptly given. The trial Of NJ Zola has been