Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-18
THE VERDICT AT RENNES
Discourse on "Dreyfus and the Land of
Lafayette"
Rev. j. F. Heisse Speaks Before His
Congregation of "a Parti-
san Court"

A very large audience gathered in Wesley
Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church last
evening to hear sermon by the pastor,
Rev. ]. F. Heisse, on ''Dreyfus and the
Land of Lafayette" He spoke from the
words: Il myself also am man
Mr.. Heisse spoke in part as follows:
Sentences of power have fallen from the
lips of those mighty in science and ltera-
ture, war and peace, ethics and religion.
This statement throbs with dignity, power
and brotherhood If the principles of the
Declaration of Independence are accurate
then every man, whether rich or poor,
learned or unlearned, can stand by the side
of Peter and say. myself also am a man.
and by so being am possessed of certain
inalienable rights. There has been much
turmoil in France. The press has been
busy. The eyes of the civilized world have
turned toward Rennes. A world-sight was
presented. a man was on trial. Right.
liberty, justice, truth, government civiliZa-
ton and religion were on trial. 1t IS
sublime spectacle when a man locks into
the faces of judges and juries, and pleads
for Justice No matter how brilliant the
court room, gorgeous the environments his
toric the associations, the blood of no in
nocent man ought ever to be stified in its
appeals 1t cries from the pavement of
injustice.
I'm boyhood days we were charmed
with the school-book stories of the helping
hand of France during the gloomy days of
the revolutionary struggle. A voice was
heard. 1t was the voice of sunny France.
Our Congress was in despair. Statesmen
quivered. Soldiers deserted. Our army was
RI gged and diSheartened and worn ont
France threw the force of her arms into
the struggle and the colonies We're free.
There are those still living who remember
the trlumohal tour of Lafayette through
this country during 1925. He came by
invitation of Congress. He was the guest
OF the whole nation. Cities extended a
royal welcome. When he left this city of
Washington to return to his native land all
the people, from the President downward,
went to the vessel to give the farewell
Congress voted to him the sum of 50 :OOCO
ana a township of land. The hearts of the
distinguished guest and patriot X ndlest
feelings were held toward his country.
France IIlustrious.
ION many lines the history of France is
INDUSTRIOUS. Upon her honor rolls are
names mighty in science and invention,
hnance and craftsmanship, Jurisprudence
and theology But there is certainly a
changed feeling toward this people once so
favored in the thought of the world France
has Numbered again. Other nations have
also b!undered. France Numbered when
on September she suffered a partisan
court, in the presence of horror felt and
expressed by civilized nations, to shut
Its eyes to justice and place upon an inno-
cent man a fresh torture. This new ira
Vesty upon truth and right will yet rise
up In its sin to embarrass France
But some will say, what right has the
pulpit to touch upon a theme such as this?'
What forces have already spoken? The
press, secular and religious has filed its
columns. Ministerial associate have Mt
tered their emphatic protests against this
mighty wrong. Organizations. labor com
mercial, literary and ethical, have not
been silent The citizenship of this city
expressed itself in a mass meeting on Tues-
day evening last. The pulpit must speak
IT must join in this awful chorus of con-
domination, which will grow mightier in it's
tones until France will be compelled to
render justice. Alfred Dreyfus was charged
with treason. The crime was selling Sc
crets of the French army to an unfriendly
government
The speaker traced the history of the
first arrest down to the recent verdict and
said: "zola's letter of last Tuesday was
ful of pathoS, elOquence indignation.
warning. He had thought that Rennes
would be the fifth act in this monstrous
drama. He sketched the story of his own
sufferings. These were nothing by the side
OF the awful agony through which Dreyfus
was passing. Poor shreds of humanity
His former comrades passed by and kicked
him. His superior officers crushed him
Never sob Of pity Never a heartbeat of
generosity for this poor soul
THE verdict of the court-mart!al at
Rennes involves within it:
Il The man. A great cry about saving
the army, the honor of mlitarism at the
expense of suffering innocence. Never
Better let an army be buried than nation
saber itself by turning aside justice from
the one who deserves it.
-. The Jewish race. The modern world
owes much to the Jew. In music poetry,
literature. finance, philanthropy, Scrip
of good feeling and religious glory has
rapidly spread. The age of intolerance is
seemingly gone. The days Of persecution
ought to be numbered. Unless France does
right. our dream of liberation will have
been only a dream.
g. Liberty and justice. Both are noble
words For them armies have commended.
The pages of history are largely written IN
crimson ink-blood shed for the possession
of sacred right The vast wealth Of
Cornelius Vanderbilt is but a mere baga-
tel!e in the presence of the unmentioned
worth of liberty and justice.
-. Citizenship. 1t was the glory of the
old Roman to say. L am citizen of great
empire. Pride was there. 1t Is to US a
pardonable thing to point to the stars and
stripes and declare proudly, We are citi
Zens of a great land, land for which that
flag stands in its glory If nationally jus
tice has been ruthlessly trampled down,
no matter where done. members of that ma
ton cannot with JOY regard their citizenship.
-. international comfy. 6. Brotherhood.
I. Religion All these are involved Much
more is bound up in the strange decision
rendered by the court at RenneS.''
Mr.. Hcfssc closed the sermon with a dis
cuSSion of pardon for DreyfuS declaring
a pardon for innocence carries with it
disgrace. He touched upon the threatened
boycott, while deeming it not the wisest
course rather urging that all reputable
governments bring pressure to bear upon
France, com Delling her to that inst
is done Dreyfus.
Delegates to County Convention.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
FALLS CHURCH, Va, September Is, 1890
The republicans of Falls Church dis