The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-22

:. s,m a Ceuntry or Human Rights asa
u,u,p Liberty "-Audisnce in nj Uprosr.
S,,ciol Gable Despdtch TO THE SUI.
p,,,s. Feb. 21.-Zola faced his enraged and
,',,dad countrymen In the Assige Court to-day.
VA addressed TO them a speech which was both
.a.nncal and a defiance. AS an appeal It was
sor.,sss. and he knew 1t. As q defiance 1t was
,.,r.nid. prophetic. magnificent. It was re-
lived with jeers OF intolerant rage. which no
.roy,ea TO pass unheeded. On Wednesday no
ill he punished for warning France that IL she
,ovs the wind she will reap the whirlwind. But
n needs no prophet to foresce that the angry
crowd which to-day reviled him will one day ap
MAUD him as one of tho defenders OF his ooun-
try's honor,
TIbe third week OF the trial begun without
particular incident. The Acknowledgement. ne
mon rs court opened. began his closing plea.
He entirely ignored the rule imposed at the out
act OF the trial forbidding references to the
nrsvfus case. This rule has boon enforced from
The outset against tho defence, but IL has boon
.r,ire,y imperative against the prosecution
and its witnesses. Tho Acknowledgement made
an elaborate argument as to tho origin Of the
bordereau, insisting that the opinions Of the
oscinl experts had not been impeached, whereas
Tho testimony Of the defendants experts was
vorthloss because il was based upon . facsimile
and not Upon the original. He argued that It
was impossible for Esterhazy to secure access
To the documents named in the bordereau, and.
therefore, impossible that he was guilty.
The Acknowledgement spoke almost two
hours. His address. on the whole. was aston
isbinRIy weak, especially in his p~eroration.
when he descended to the puerile suggestion
that lola was merely seeking self-advertise-
ment and making q market for q new book.
which he 10 soon to write. TIL strongest point
of his plea was his insistenco that the sole
question for the jury was whether lola was
justified In his allegation that the military
court Of inquiry In the Esterhazy case had rem,
dercd Judgment according to tho orders Of the
chief officers of the army.
A recess was taken at 2 O'Clock. after which
II. lola read o statement to the Jury. He said
substantially:
IN. Meline, President OF tho Cabinet, do
clsred, amid the applause of o majority of the
Chamber Of Deputies, on Jan. %, that he had
full confidence In the twelve citizens into whose
hands the defence Of the army had been placed.
It was Of you he spoke, gentlemen. and oven as
Gen. BIlot dictated TO the Council of War the
~acquittal Of Count EsterhaEy, 30 M. Moline has
wished to order you to condemn me in tho name
Of the reputation Of the army. which he accuses
me OF outraging."
The President Of the Court. interrupting-M.
Meline has given no such order.
Continuing N. lola said: II d~enounce before
the bar OF conscience this pressure Of the public
authorities upon the Justice of the country. It
Is abominable. 1t is political customs such as
this which dishonor q FREQ nation. We shall
see, gentlemen, II you will obey. but It 10 untrue
that ! am here before you by tho will Of NJ. No
line. Ho only yielded TO necessity. He prose-
sutss ma IN terror of ~thsronvard -maFsifsof
truth. which he hoped thus to check. This 10
known OF all men. l am before you voluntarily.
i alone decided that this obscuro. monstrons
affair should be brought under your jurisdic-
ton; that you. the incarnation of French JUS
tiee, should pass upon It. My act has had no
other object. My personality is of no account.
Imade the sacrifice simply to place In o
hands not only the honor of the army, but the
imperilled honor Of the whole nation.
you should pardon me then II tho light has
not been wholly revealed. It has not been my
fault. They have taken away from you with
tho left hand what they seemed to give you
with the right. They have pretended con-
hience in you and affected to submit to you the
vindication Of the members of tho court.mars
tial. but have held other officers to DO beyond
your Jurisdiction. It is the last absdurdity
OF hypocrisy. They have really doubled
your good sense, and have not dared to
run the risk OF leaving you to Judge the whole
situation. They pretend that they wish to limit
the scandal. and what think you Of this scandal
ana OF my act In seeking TO bring 1t home to you
IN all It's significance to the French people in
carnated In you, that you might judge of ii
lhe'r real fear Is that you should provo mightier
thah they. The law has Its whole representation
IN you, and 1t Is this law that / invoke, not his
crooked proceeding by which they hope to
battle you.
Task pardon. gentlemen. for deranging your
business In bringing you here without having
Tue power to submit to you the full light which
iefave upon this scandal. We have had to hRht
eep oy step against the powers of darkness.
We nave mad to light for every spark OF truth.
everything has been refused US. They terror
.1ea our Witnesses In the hope to prevent rs
IRON producing proof. 1t 10 for you alone We
Fought in order TO bring out the truth to enable
'ou 70 Judge with q clear conscience. / hope
you VIII acknowledge our efforts. and certainly
'ome iisht has been thrown on the situation.
lou nave heard the witnesses. You will
near my counsel. who will tell you the true his
.ofy OF the case which the world has gone mad
over but which nobody understandG There
lore my mind is easy. for the truth is in you and
1t will out.
A. eline believed thai he had made your
,eruict q foregone conclusion by representing
.u"' the issue conaded to you was the honor Of
= army. but 1t Is in tho name Of tho honor of
.ne army that appeal to you for Justice. I con.
.Aaict NJ. Meline when he accuses me of At
saeAing either the army or It's chiefs. Do
.ou mean TO say that I insult the whole
my II accuse a few individuals at the
war once OF compromising tho army BY
en actsf Is 1t not. on the contrary.
,t 'fluous act OF a good citizen thus to clear
= army OF sweeping implications, to raise q
alarm that these mistakes do not lead us
. future debaclef What greater dishonor
= oe done the army than by tho spectacle of
= u armes kissing Count Esterhazy after the
h onn letters he has written : It IL those
J.nuils who mlngle the cry OF Down with the
with 'Vive lArmee' that arc its real
o''aners, They even cry .vive Esterbaxyl'
uoi' The nation of st. Louis. of Bayard,
%uoAue' OF Hoche. the nation that counts hun.
s'euS OF great victories, the nation Of areat
as Of Republic and Empire. the people whose
~ enSth' grace. and generosity have dazzled
inverse shouting 'Viye Esterhazyr II Ia
tbs ,'n stain from which only our struggle for