Evening journal., 1899-09-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
DREFYus.

DREFYUS.
Tc the Editor Of the Evening Journal.
Sir: The recent qualified pardon ex-
tended to Dreyfus by the French Gov
ernment seems to have met with
measure. of approval from the great
eoncourse of the worlds people. But
it would be as well to remember
that the pardon in question was not
granted because the French Govern
ment believed Dreyfus to be any the
less guilty of the offense for which he
by reason of a desire on the part of
that Government to avert anything
sayoring of revolution by the masses.
Indeed, the freeing of Dreyfus was an
eminently wise and polite move,
matter of expediency. But the mere
act of giving Dreyfus his freedom does
does it in the least establish his inno-
eence 1t would be equally as logical
to affirm that the recent pardoning of
Skin the Goat" and the men who as
sisted in the killing of Burke and Cav
endish, some fifteen years ago, is a
proof of their innocence. And 1t would
be equally as logical to assert that the
English authorities deemed Mrs May
brick innocent of murder simply be-
cause the sentence OF death passed
upon her was commuted to one Of
penal servitude for life. Had it not
been that Florence Maybrick was a
citizeness of the States: that there is
ever a prejudice against the execution
OF a woman: and that Her Majesty
quietly urged a respite-had it not
been for all this, then Mrs. Maybrick,
that modern Lueretia Borgia, would
have been hanged. And it is owing to
reasons of State-reasons which look
ahead, and which very naturally de-
sire that France should not be plunged
into civil strife by reason of the trait
orous conductor of set of knayes-
that Dreyfus breathes the fresh air to-
day. And if there be those who imag-
inc that the French nation is a nation
Of scalawags, that her officers Of State
are corrupt to the very core, simply be-
cause a traitor has twice been found
guilty, then all such people have allow
ed themselves to formulate an exceed
ingly false and erroneous conception Of
the French people and the great French
Republic Of to-day. When the pres
ent false sympathy for the man Drey
fus has subsidized (and it has in a grea
measure subsided) and when the maud
lin compassion, the sort of compassion
which prompts the feminine portion o
the public to throw bouquets at ever!
commonplace murderer, shall hav,
died out. it is just probable that thu
lam and judicial intelligence of tn
'orld will then admit that the convic
IN of Dreyfus by the recent Renne
ourt-martial was fully justified b.
the evidence presented.
The rehearing of the Dreyfus affail
as also the original trial, provoked
vast amount of adverse and unneces
sary criticism of French methods c
justice. And the proceedings at tn
recent eourt-martial at Rennes hav
served as an excuse for the people {
other and opposing nations to expires
their disapproval of, and contempt TO
anything and everything characteristic
of the French nation. But, then, no al
preciable amount of love has ever bee
lost between the natives of France an
the English-speaking people. The an
mostly existing, and which has su
vived for nearly a century, was qui
sufficient to provoke a measure
biassed and unjustifable comment r
garding the probable outcome of Il
recent trial at Rennes. In fact, the
irrepressible critics kept up a runnil
comment Of abuse even whilst the ca
was under consideration. The Englis
speaking people, especially those
England, have not espoused the eau
of Dreyfus. and INDUCED in loud al
irresponsible declarations of his inn
csnce. by reason Of any positive /