The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-28

Letters on the DreyfUs Case and Con-
dftfOn of Affairs i'm Paris.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
The following extracts from letters writ
ten home by young American girl in Paris
come fresh from the scene of the emotional
and political crisis in which France now
finds herself. The writer is graduate of
women. and during her summer spent in
Paris has not only been dligent student
Of Of the the French ,newspapers but has been en-
thrown much with army people and men OF
letters in the French capital, so that her
point Of view, while essentially Anglo
Saxon has not been biased by association
with either the Dreyfus or the anti-Dreyfus
sympathizers alone:
Sept. 6-You know, of course, what an
explosion We've been living in here for these
last few days. Doubtless you know quite
az much of it w do: but [ tell you it's
jolly to be in France during this. If we
horrid. perhaps, to say this now-poor
France in the midst of her desolation-
tremendous, and that the country is trem-
bling on the edge of ruin. But l certainly,
as we all must, ] suppose. do take the alien
attitude of delight and triumph at the idea
of this whole dreadful Dreyfus business be-
ing at last closed up. After all, It's the
triumph Of the best Of FTance-if 1t does
triumph-the friends of truth, the people
who put truth and justice and honor and
humanity and some things like that above
the catchwords of the army, the credit
ton" There are plenty still, it seems, who
are ready to see justice done at any cost.
But it's these whom the most of the French
call 1.-The friends of the traitor 1.-The ene-
mics of France.
Of course the whole thing involves an i'm
menSe amount of calling of names. On this
subject every one. intelligent or not, seems
TO fling the rein to passion: and even with
the intelligent on the conservative side, in
telligence and right reason seem to have
very little to say. They are all frightfully
emotional over it. Did you see the aniable
little note of General Pelieux to one of the
'Dreyfusards?" Take Professor -: ION
France" Apparently every enc who sup
ports DreyfuS must pso facto be Jew.
and to be a Jew here nowadays is in itself
a great crime, and almost puts you beyond
the pale of humanity. To quote Professor
Germany (Which he confidently expects will
be the results of this agitation) there would
De a massacre of the Jews IN the Paris
like that!
At the end of my last letter was writing
case didn't expect the key SO soon. But
the very. next day the bomb exploded-the
arrest OF Colonel Henry-and the eclaircis-
sement began Since then, you know, we
have lived on sensations. i buy papers
whenever | go into the street. and for the
first days | rode about the city with them
spread out on my knees. devouring the news
and with, l fear, bitter greed pervading
my countenance. The press has been most
intereSting-the Conservative side at first
quite broken and pitiful, fairly crying and
bowling over the frightful condition of
things; the other side. of course. bursting
into shouts of triumph. Only lately the
anti-Dreyfus papers have plucked up some
spirit again. And now. of course, you know
many of the Conservative side, l suppose a
large proportion, have taken to clamoring
for the revision, as the only way of finish
ing the whole dreadful business: Lets get
pers must say, though generally assuming
the Dreyfus guilt as fact, are on the whole
very fair and judicial.
Sept 9-The DreyfuS controversy keeps
up: Heavens knows whether the revision
will really go through or mott They seem
to be undecided again. don't believe they'll
that ms n hack France alive
if they do try l think he'll be assassinated.
If they decide for the revision l don't be-
.lieve he'll ever live to be tried. Lately some
of the shops have taken to putting pictures
of Picquart in the windows-taken standing
IN IN uniform ana with MS hands . resting on
Frenchman (?)-still young and with the in
.evitable mustache, but good and resolute
face. The determination one would expect
is there and with it a good deal of gentle
ness and sadness The eyes (Which are deep
set, as like to see them) good, straight out
troubled. The papers have lately been get
ting up stories-the flight Of Esterhazy, the
suicide of Esterhazy, etc., which are quite
In an earlier letter. Sept IL have really
spent a great deal of time this summer in
comparing things here to America and Ger
many almost always to the discredit of
the French. In comparison with my much
admired German army for instance, l make
soldiers, who strikee me in general as a
sloppy lot Poor fellows! They haven't at
III the cOnQuerlng air OF the Germans, Wn1cn
reminds me of the national grief of the army
and of France over the recent developments
of the Dreyfus case. It's hard to realize
say, in the streets-that the city is in
mourning so little do such things touch the
outward face of life, but the newspapers
make one feel how high the excitement runs.
Many people, seem to feel quite a despair
about the whole affair, and to anticipate
nothing less from the revision of the Drey-
fus case than war with Germany. In
which case poor France!' but infinitely
better Off at whatever cost than hitherto
with the stain of national dishonor and cow
ardice You can imagine that for these last
few days it has been pretty exciting to be
in Paris. Much of the French opinion seems
to my Anglo-Saxon mind blind and childish
with prejudice With most people it seems
thoroughly an affair of the emotions; reason
seems to have little to say. OF course, this
intense race hatred of the Jews is thing
foo alien To IFS To he eaSV to understand.