Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-31
FRENCH ARMY HONOR.

If there Is anything the Rennes court
martial has proved more cOnclusively
than that Dreyfus is innocent. 1t is that
the honor OF the French army, upon
which so much stress has been laid, would
be best served by kicking out Of It the
Merciers. the Gonses. the Rogets, and the
whole gang of lesser lights that has
trained with them.
The military witnesses for the prose-
cution. from the highest to the lowest
without an exception almost. have been
utterly .discrcdited. They have been
shown up as liars and knavcs of the first
water, whose sbemelcss disregard of
every principle the world associates with
honorable men IS only equalled by their
malevolence. As the Testimony" FOR the
government has unfoldcd from day to
day it has become more and more evident
that the conspiracy against Dreyfus was
conceived in cowardice, and has been
pushed at the expense Of the army's
honor. As for the one or two anti-Drey-
fus witnesses, who may perchance be err
titled 20 the concession that they are
honest. It IS simply a case of escaping
the odium that attaches 10 the others TO
be classed in che category Of the foo and
the dupe. Not one Of these has given "tes-
timony" that counsel and witnesses for
Dreyfus have not demolished as COM
pletely as they have exposed the venom,
the despicable Vaccinations and the cal
Iousness 10 tho dictates of honor Of the
Merc!er ring OF generals and its dirty
subordinate agents. Take the principal
officers that have appeared before the
court es personifying the honor Of the
French army. ard but for PIcquart, Frey
staetter, and one or two others-all wit
nasses for the defence, and the only mil
ltary witnesses whose testimony can real
ly be regarded as evidenCe-we would be
justified in concluding that French army
honor had ceased to be anything save
fiction.
However there IS no question that Pic
quart and Freystaetter do not stand alone
10 antagonizing such a conclusion. They
represent considerable class in the
French army, In which is numbered GEN
eral de Gallifet. the present Minister OF
war And the existence Of This class
and the fact that De Gallifet holds the
War PORTFOLIO removes one OF the great
est Dangers of the situation. not only so
lar as Dreyfus, but so far as the future
OF France IS concerned. As is well known,
behind Dreyfuss personality Is a
fight between the civil and the mill
tary authorities OF France. The army
Is the French fetch, and worship Of that
fetch has proved powerful weapon IN
the hands II he general stan cabal OF
couspirators, traitors, forgers, and per-
jurers. When treason was discovered
1t was clearly foreseen, not only by the
actual traitors, but 10y tier associate
leaders in the military party. that Were
the matter probed and the whole truth
disclosed, the army would 10 longer be
the idol Of the people. and the hands
OF the civil authorities would be strength
ened. The situation was a desperate one,
calling for desperate remedy. That
remedy was found in the nefarious pro-
ceeding that made Dreyfus a scapegOat.
Light on the position the MERCER ring
found itself in, and on the conditions that
menaced II was afforded i'm the stump
speech made Tuesday before the court by
NJ. de Freycinet. former Minister Of
War, former Minister OF Foreign Affairs.
and former Premier. Among other things
NJ. de Freycinet said "You know we'll.
gentlemen, that there is a higher d's-
cipline than even the military code. II
Is that more rigorous discipline which
comes from the confidence OF the solder
In his chiefs. How can that confidence
pe maintained ii these chiefs are de-
picted daily IN the blacklist coiors? Was
II not 20 be feared that at a given mo-
meni this confidence would disappear. and
what would be the result II we were en-
sased IN external dihcultiesg"
AS 10 the danger OF external difficulties.
thai, II has been demonstrated. was d
stalking-horse. but the conspirators pa.
Faded Al for all 1t was worth. with sue