Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-16
FRANCE MUST CHOOSE.

hnent the dastardly attempt upon III"
life 81 Labor. Of counsel for DreyiuS'
Tho Figaro saws that this pistol-shot
marks the elimination of the Crisis anu
will restore us France TO the pain OF
GOOD sense" on the other hand' inc
Iiberte expresses the opinion that 'ne
outrage is "only one incident in the era
~, catastrophes towards which the coun-
try is rushing"
IIere we have what may be termed 'he
extreme optimistic and the extreme pes
simistic view, but none the less 10 the one
extreme or the other France must co.
ps,ween these alternatives she must
choose. There is no middle ground upon
,,bicb she can halt. She has reache1
the parting Of the ways, and must pui-
ene one or the other Of the roads Ihat
stretch out before her. Reason, justice
ci,,ilization, humanity, PATRIOTISM ana
tho rocrai sense of the nation must as
..r, themselves in the establishment OF
rational government by STEADY ho"-
violent. reactionary evolution or she
must press madly on TO conditions Wih'h
VIII necessitate clearing the atmosphere
with shot and shell. And if the at er Is
20 no the alternative chosen, VINO Small
cav that the clearing process VIII not
he preceded by another commune ana
another orgie OF anarchism? VINO shaii
saw whether, when the curtain rails upon
the scene OF carnage, 1t will fan 10 hse
upon a republic or to admit the ndA OH
horseback?
No, a few Of the friends of France seek
70 extract consolation In the presC"'
crisis from the Panama canal ana bou-
LANCER episodes. They argue th"I '"e
history of these should minimize the rear
os to the danger and the gravity OF tho
existing situation. But there is no ana
,osv between the Panama canal anu
Boulanger issues and the DreyIus ISSUE
The question involved in the fah"i""
canal scandal was comparatively circ"i"-
scribed those implicated in the seaman
renresented little beyond the matter "a
horestv ar dishonesty, and the connec-
,tor 10 tho government with II was
through the faint OF bribery, corrupuioh'
and iObbery, pure anu slHiPiN'
bv prominent politicians. In many OF It's
features IL was akin 20 the Creul'
Mob,lier scandal in this country ANU
as the sequel showed, when IT simmer'u
down. II affected comparatively siA"h
circle only. The Boulanger affair." wn9n
reduced 10 its last analysis, proved TO DC
a farce. revolving almost solely arouhu
the individuality of Bombastes Furioso.
As 70 the Dreyfus issue, however t
has rent France into two hostile camps
7, renresents the death-grapple between
tho military and civil powers IL
represents the struggle Tor even-handea
Justice. freedom of conscience and "or
shin. honesty, manhood, and true love OF
country. against injustice, slavery TO
shoulder-strapism, prescription, cowardly
,ubserylency 10 corrupt authority, In
famous intrigue, and treason. While we
can never lose sight of the vlndication
France owes Dreyfus in his individual
eanacity. in a sense his individuality is
swallowed up I'm the momentous conTe-
ouences involved I'm the crisis that has
grown out OF his arrest and persecution
a crisis which, as we have said, has
brought France 10 the parting OF the
WAYS. and where there can be no compro-
mise as between reason on the one side
and bioodshed on the other.