New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04
THE FRENCH CRISIS.


Revision of the Dreyfus case. men say will
entail war That is the last desperate arsp-
ment of the conspirators who have been send
ing innocent men to prison. establishing mill
tarv reign Of terror and dragging the justice
and the honor Of France in the mire. IT the
case he reopcned IT will have TO be done in pub
lie: the secret testimony of the former trial VIII
be blazoned 10 the world: awful revelations will
be made regarding the Vaccinations OF an
other Government and as final consequence
France will be involved in war with germany
That is WHY revision has been so stubbornly re-
sisted. That is why the wretched Henry COM
m,tod foreery-to dissuade the Government
from revision and thus TO avert the dreaded
menace of foreign war; the latter, we suppose
being something of which the French Army
and the whole militant party in France nave
an especial dread.
Well. if all that were true, the answer would
be ready. Let war come. We may say that de-
liberate,y and advisedly. with keenest recollec-
lions of what the former war between those
countries meant and with the nameless nor
rors of our own last war still before our eyes
IL n nation must choose between war on the
one hand and on the other hand lies, forgery
periury, prescription Of virtue and reward OF
vice destruction Of liberty and debasement OF
spirit why In the name OF truth ana righteous
ness let II choose war by far the less OF two
evils. 1t is not we'll TO be gladiator, nut ~ ls
far worse to be helot. IL Is FAR better Tor
nation TO suffer the agonles Of the battlefield
Than OF the leper hospital, 70 die or rihe bullets
and cannon balls than 10 perish from gangrene
of the mind and heart and soul If honest men
must be exIled TO screen knaves. and other hon.
TO- frr1fh
while forgers and profigates are honored ana
exalted as the alternative to war, let there be
war.
..If that were true" But what reason as there
for believing 1T 70 be true? None, but the word
: of those who concocted the Henry forgery and
who now cry "This is too terrifying and turn
TO fresh lies to save their own precious necks
BEYOND that there is not a scintilla Of evidence
that there have been any "machinatlons OF an
other Government" 1t Is not TO be believed
that there have. A certain letter purporting to
be from one foreign a,tache 10 another indicated
that there had been. Bu, that letter was forged
by Henry, under orders from a superior officer.
The original ''bordercau' seems 20 indicate it,
But there is no reason to suppose ii ever passed
or was intended to pass into the hands OF any
foreign Government or its agent. There is. in
brief not a single reason for believing that any
foreign Government Is In tir least degree I'm
plicated I'm the case or that any such would be
In the least degree inclined to so TO war with
Franco were the whole foul business exposed to
public view.
LET us. however go one step further, and sup
nose for the sake of argument that some foreign
Government has been corruptly Intriguing with
French officers. To be explicit. let us suppose
Germany has been purchasing French military
secrets from some one-Esterha2y or Dreyfus or
Jean Crapaud no matter whom. Why should
the exposure OF the circumstance cause war!
Certainly II would not mpel France TO It, for
the French Government Is already supposed TO
have known all about 1t for the last four years.
II II did not fight when it learned the truth, why
should II do so now? The wrong II has suffered
10 made no more wrong by being exposed and