The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-01-29
FRANCE SIMPLY INSANE
now THE DREYFUS AFFAIR STIRS
Up THE PEOPLE.
Iola Charges the Whole Army With
Ilavingly knowingly aud Wilfully
Thwartcd Justice.

nNaTlfu Justice.
NEW YORK, January IA cable
to the Sun from Paris says Some
times nation, like an excitable indi-
vidual falls into a fit of rage almost
as unreasoning and irresponsible us
mild insanity. Such an attack has
seized France at the present moment,
and it is impossible to tell into what
excuses of prejudice and injustice 1T
will lead her. II is the outgrowth of
the interminable Dreyfus affair, but
that is no longer the issue before the
public. Instead France is indulging
in the blind, bitter passion of race ha-
tired, which during the past few years
has become such a prominent phase
in public affairs of the nations on her
eastern borders, especially in the life
of her ally, Russia.
This sentiment is so strong that it
is no eNaggeration to say that if com
plete proofs of the innocence of Capt.
Dreyfus were produced today. it
would he hopeless to secure justice at
the hands of the government or pub
lie opinion.
History, indeed. furnishes no coun-
terpart for such an extraordinary eff
feet of passion and prejudice upon the
men ordinarily sane and possessing a
sense of honor, as was demonstrated
at the close of the trial of Count Es-
terhaZv. Here was a man known to
be guilty of the vilest offense known
to law or human society. His person
al career has been one of low de-
bauchery. While an officer of the ar
my of France he had such sentiments
as these: at would be an immense
French men as captain of the Uh-
lans." And che hoped soon to see
all these ignorant, cowardly chiefs of
his go to German prisons"
1t was publicly known that he had
penned these and many other traitor
Gus words, yet when he was acquitted
of the particular crime for which Cap
tain Dreyfus was condemned, his judi
ges and brother officers FASTENED to
shake hands and congratulate him,
and the public claimed him as a mar
tyr of the army.
When the country has become calm
again and read Iola's letter in spin
it of rational judgment, it will find it
one of the most terrific indictments
ever brought against nation, and,
| although imprisoned, eloquent and
| sweeping in its language, one which
cannot be denied.
1t is a point blank accusation that
Minister OF War Billot and all his staff
have deliberately thwarted justice in
order to save the department from the
public discredit.
Then he puts the case compactly in
summing up which follaws: 81 do not
despair of final victory. 7 am more
certain of il than ever. In fact the
case only begins from today, because
now our respective positions are very
clear. On the one side are the gull
ty parties, who are against the light:
on the other side are the avengers, who
will devote their lives to the vindica-
ton of the truth. | accuse Col. Du-
patty de Clan of being the devilish au-
thor of this miscarriage of Justice. !
accuse Gen. MERCER of being, through
weakness, | suppose, an accessory to
one of the greatest iniquities of the
century. | accuse Gen. Billot of hold
ing certain proofs of Captain Dreyfus'
innocence and keeping them secret.
and of having committed this crime
against his country, mankind and JUS
tice for political purposes to save his
staff. | accuse Gen. Boisdetfre and
Gen. Gonse of being accessories to the
same crime. | accuse Gen. PelleuX
and Maj. Ravary of having carried IN
scoundrelly inquiry in a spirit of
monstrous, and. as the indictment
shows, of shameless partially. | ac-
cuSe the three experts in handwriting
of having made wrong reports, unless
they were insane. | accuse their staff
of carrying on in the press an abom-
Unable campaign to pervert public
opinion. / accuse the first court mar
tial of having violated the law in Civ
ing Judgment on a secret document:
the second of cloaking this fault by
order and of committing the crime of
wilfully absolving the guilty man. 7
have only one passion, and that is for
the light in the name of humanity,
which has suffered so much much and
which is entitled TO happiness. My
burning protest is but the cry of my
soul. Let them dare drag me into
the Assize Court and let the inquiry be
made in the full light of the day. t
await them"
Zola's challenge will be accepted
and Paris will soon witness what will
perhaps rank as the greatest trial of
the century.