The times., 1898-01-22

able doubt? His very short trial and
condemnation behind closed doors and
! the equally short hearing of Count Es-
terhaZy, also behind closed doors. war
rant the suspicion at least that there
is something rotten in Denmark and
that his guilt may not he SO strongly
established By proof as would satisfy
the public mind were the latter per-
mitted TO become acquainted with it.
/ COnceding, however, for the sake of ar
gument merely, that Dreyfus was real
ly guilty Of treason, is he the first and
only one to whom this stigma attaches?
Have not Christians betrayed their
country and their cause? Have there
not been Benedict ArnOIGs in every ma
ton and far more among the nations of
Europe than. heaven De praised. on this
side of the Atlantic? Should the Chris
tian religion. or any of the different
Christian Sects be condemned or as
persed or persecCted because any one
Of their adherents had 50 far forgotten
his self-respect and the duty he owed
his country as to betray to an enemy
anything that might bring harm to It.?
Whether the Dreyfus affair be re-
garded as cause or effect OF the anti
Semitic crusade that began with the
eviction of the Russian Jews and their
migration-through sheer necessity
into the eastern German provinces, and
which has gradually carried its waves
westward. the fact is patent that the
anti-Semitic agitation now running its
course in France is moving in the same
channels, is impelled by the same mo-
tiveS. is prosecuted for the same pUr-
poses. as those in Russia and Austria.
The very first thing heard is a threat
to curb the power of Jewish bankers:
a threat to authorize the reputation of
individual debts to them and to Jew
ish merchants: threat TO exclude
Jews from official station and. if pos
sibIe, to expeI them from the learned
professions. The Rothschiids have
their banking house guarded for fear
OF an attack by mob melted by some
designing rascal; they, the founder Of
whose fortune was implicitly trusted
by Napoleon and stood by him to the
very last.
1T will pass says some one. 1T is
but the ebullition of d mOmentGry pas
sion. Reason will return and men will
feel ashamed Of their present actions
Pleasant indeed. it would be if one
might believe this, Beautiful, indeed.
if one might trust thar the men who
now cry out against a whole race, be-
cause one of that race is supposed to
have offended. were To appreciate the
injustice Of their course. Let as hope
that il may be so. let us nope so Tor the
sake of that common humanity OF
which Christians. Jews. Turks and all
other heathens'' are common inher
itors,
But the warrant for such hope is
not to be found in the history OF the
past. The crest of the wave of preju-
dice and hatred may break against the
rock of common sense. and the surface
Of the waters may become quiet. but
down in the depths there is the never
dying activity that seeks q vent and
will come to the surface again and
again "'Tis true, tbs pity. and pity
tbs tbs true
The real cause OF the persecution of
the Jews. past and present, is to be
found in the natural weakness of hu-
man nature and in the inabl-
ity in all the countries of the
world. save only America and
England, to comprehend what is
understood by the equality of man,
what is meant by the inalienable
right to life. liberty and the pursuit of
happiness" When the fatherhOod OF
God and the brotherhood of man shall
be the actuating principle of every
member of the human family. then and
there Jew-baiting shall be known no
more forever. ID. L. D