New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-16
PARIS IN FRENZY.
ALMOST UNEXAMPLED POPULAR ANTI
SEMITIC EXCITEMENT.

is REGARDED AS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
tiles OF FRENCH PROCEDURE
fBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Paris Jan 1b-The ff.ieth anniversary Of a
memorable Fren n revolution finds the ir,pulsve
Partisan populace enthralled by a controversy
as passionate as that which in the winter OF 1913
swept away Louis Philippe. and. embittered by
prejud.ces OF race and religion unsurpassed
since the revocation Of the Edict &C Nantes. The
narrowing shouts OF the news vendors in the
straete: the bands Of students chanting Cons
nuez Zola, Conspuez Kestner." occasional bon
Ares in the boule.ards made With newspapers
containing Zola's famous letter TO PresideHt
Faure. the burning in efIigy Of ZOla, Kestner
and Matthew Dreyfus; the massiag OF police to
protect the homes Of lola. Kestner and Clemen-
ceau: here and there a spirited but bloodless
duel-all lend the episode pcturesqueness es-
sentially Partisan.
With each new phase the Dreyfrs affair as
surres wider and deeper propoTIoc5 The ques-
ton is no longer 10 Dreyfus guilt or limo
cence; but tie army itself perhaps even the ma
tional systen, OF justice. is trial There are
three cardinal causes which produce strong GOV
eminent majorities in the Chamber and Senate;
the blind. patriotic confidence in the army. the
repugnance against stultifying the judg tents
Of constituted tribunals. and the irresistible
anti Semitic undercdrront in the present Parl!a-
rent. together with the ovefwroIgh. temper or
the Parisians, who orc eager I" support the
Cab,ne. TO any length in the series OF so-oalled
,h,s,seroents about to be undertaken against
Zola. Matthew Dreyfus and Plcluart. Cohse'
nrortlv the era OF secret trials IS by no means
over. for even in the civil courts secrecy is al
wavs lawfully invoked by the mage words IN
the interest OF national defence.
- ,nust he remembered that the French judi
o,o, procedure was almost the only institution
unchanged by the Revolution Of 1i93 for the
Coao merely crystallized and perpetuated the
..o,,, ~ iuris2lrld -nCe as II then existed. The
r.onch are accustomed to arbitrary procedure,
. oo ,ettres de cachet and flats, against
..,o, Americans are protected by habeas cor
49,. ord omen trial by jury. Consequently the
.,,- n Dreyfus and Esterhazy did not arouse
hora the repusior they would create In America.
u,hor mon Of undoubteJ prob!ty and honor. like
,ho Coun, dc Nun. see TO harm in secret trials,
chat can one expect Of the man in the street ?
Nororthe,ess f. is clear that large portion OF
tbe French nation is convinced that an impartial
onnlication Of the method by which Dreyfu5
was condemned would also have condemned
Esterhazy. and in the interest Of individual lib
ertv consider that the country has a right to
know whether the court which condemned
Dr,vfus in 1894 based It's judgment upon evil
da,ce not communicated to The accused
The public conscience is daily becoming more
sensitive on these points. AS for lola. even his
| b,tterest enemies admire his courage in fling
| ing himself in the face Of an angry nation. and
| recognize the fact that his indictment OF the
Government contains some OF the most master
| full passages the author OF La Debace" has
ever written; but the prevailing opinion is that
| he Is leading magnificent forlorn hope which
Will inevitably bring about his own downfall
France to-day is 80 hypnotized by the Dreyfus
! affair that neither Hainan nor Fashoda exist
| Strange as IL may seem. should Commandment
| Marchand suddenly appear in the boulevards
| the poou'ar hero could not be acclaimed with
greater effusion than Vas Commandant Ester
hazy on the occasion Of his acquittal.
| The Prefecture Of the Seine and the munich
pality Of Paris have virtually agreed that the
| Greater Paris scheme shall go into effect with
! the razing Of the fortifcatlons thereby extend
| ing the city limits to the BANKS of the large
| northern bend Of inc Seine annexing the
suburbs Of Neuilly, Levallois. CIchy. Boulogn
| and Aubervillers. and adding 100000 inhabi