New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-28
THE DREYFUS REVELATIONS.

CONSERVATION and wrath are said to charac-
tcrizc the state Of mind into which the anti
Dreyfusites have been thrown by the "Figaros s"
revelations There Is no denial of the truth of
the latter. They are conceded TO be what they
purport to be, literal transcripts of the testi-
mony given by army officers and others before
the Court OF Cessation 1t Is because they are
the truth that the Jew-baiters rage against
them. A more deplorable exhibition of blind
and unjust fury was never seen. 1t Is the des-
peration Of guilty conspirators driven TO the
wall. Hitherto they have kept up n bold front,
declaring that If the truth were made known
the guilt of Dreyfus would be established be-
yond doubt or cavil; only the truth must not
all be revealed for fear of some dreadful conse-
Quences 10 the Fathcrland. And now the truth
is being revealed, even to the most ultra secret
Of all the secret dossiers; and there Is no cata-
clysm nor any menace of one to the Father
land: and the guilt of Dreyfus is, to put 1t
mildly, made to appear less certain, indeed less
probable, than before. When an alde-de-camp
of the Ministry of War declares under oat that
the secret dossier only theoretically indicated
the guilt of Dreyfus. and that the chief accuser
OF Dreyfus, indeed the man who above all
others secured his conviction. was guilty of for
gerry in connection with the case-.n brief man
ufactured forged evidence against Dreyfus
wonders how much longer the wretched farce
of deeming Dreyfus guilty can be maintained
These revelations do not, it is true. establish
the innocence of Dreyfus. For all we know. he
may be guilty OF every crime in the Newgate
Calendar. They do show. in the clearest posi-
bic manner, that he was condemned through n
juggler's hocus-pocus of lies and forccries and
rawheadand-b bloody bones for which we shall
search history for parallel in vain. From the
beginning there has been continuous reference
10 certain secret and mysterious proofs which
were always just beyond the present roach
First the proof lay in the dossier. When that
was found empty of proof 1t was in the secret
dossier When that interesting compilation was
found TO be equally empty 1t was in the ultra
secret dosser And so on, and so on We all
remember the portrayal Of the Ring, with each
smirched scoundrel trying TO exculpate himself
by pointing with his thumb over his shoulder
at his next neighbor. as IL to say "'Twas her'
But the thumbpointIng went all around the
circle and accused every one in IT, So this shift
ing of responsibility In the Dreyfus case must
in time react upon each link in the chain And
II will be strange il il does not turn out that we
have now about reached the last link
Whatever comes Of IT, a tribute of honor is
due TO the agency through which the truth has
been revealed. How Figaro got hold Of tho
evidence we do not know. 1t does not greatly
matter 1t was fine bit of newspaper enter
prise Above that. II was splendid service n
the cause of truth and justice The name,ess
fears that have been hanging over France Of
some dreadful exposures that would involve I'm.
intheriand IN ruin have been swept away. 1t
Is now seen that all talk Of such danger wos
purely fictitious Instead of involving vast IN.
fcrnationa issues, the whole affair is pcttv nj,
o. Bureaucratic conspiracy. involving n mad.
man. crack-brained inventor of ghost sto,1es
ruined gambler and few women OF tho TOWN
That Is all. And of such material was con.
structed mass OF menace that overshodowad
france! Honor to Figaro" for having. nv
Whatever means. let in the light of sano and
lucid day upon the dark places,