The San Francisco call., 1899-09-20
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DARIS, Sept. 19.-The Council OF
- Ministers decided to-day to pardon
L Dreyfus in principle The pardon
will take effect in a few davs
Dreyfus has relinquished his appeal for
a reversal of the judgment of the court
martial.
1t is said that Dreyfus will be sent
abroad before the PRONUNCIATION of his
pardon in order to avoid demonstra-
tons
In principle" is an idiom sometimes
used in semi-official announcements of
forthcoming actions. 1t seems to have
but light bearing on the matter. except.
perhaps, that it implies the fulf1llment
Of various formalities before the par
don is actually issued therefore quail
flying the announcement of the pardon
with slight tentativeness. 1t is not
known yet whether the pardon includes
amnesty.
There is much remark here on the
strange coincidence of the death of NJ.
Scheurer-Kestner, the first champion of
Dreyfus, and to whom Dreyfus will vir-
tually owe his freedom, on the very day
the Cabinet decided to pardon the pris-
oner.
The decision of the Cabinet to par
don Dreyfus created less interest in
Paris than would the result of a big
horse race. In fact, it may be said that
it caused no excitement whatever
There was no rioting on the boulevards.
In front of the offices of the Libre Pa
role where a crowd usually assemblies
in the evening TO gaze upon the huge
cOlored transparencies outside the Win
dows of the leading anti-Semite organ.
there was not the slightest gathering
or the faintest sign of demonstration.
either for or against Dreyfus.
One would think that the fire of the
Dreyfus agitation had burned itself out.
The -Dreyfusard evening papers
tried 10 infuse interest into the Gov
ernment's action by a rabid attack
upon President LOubet, but their efforts
were futile. The peaceful crowds that
filled the tables in front of the cafes.
slipping their after dinner coffee, looked
at the newsboys who displayed the
front pages Of these sheets with their
violent headlines. but utterly refused
to get excited. The majority did not
even discuss the matter or only made
the passing remark that the decision
was just as had been expected and pre-
dicted by every Partisan newspaper
since the Rennes rt-martial deliv-
cred its verdict.
The -Dreyfusard newspaper, Soir,
had the most sensational caption, two
lines of enormous letters extending
across the entire front page annOunc-
ing The Traitor. Dreyfus Pardoned;
Outrage on the Army" Then, in the
course of an article violently attacking
President Loubet, it said: "Loubet has
given himself a coup de grace in par
doning Dreyfus. He should be prose-
cuted for committing an outrage upon
the army, for his decision amounts to
this BY a stroke of the pen he has
destroyed the effect of the sentences of
two court-martials and has declared
that two military courts have lied
The Soir adds: THE affair has be-
come grave when the chief of state as
sumes the leadership of the anti-mili-
tary movement and pardons a con-
fessed traitor under the pretext that
he has been condemned twice instead
of once"
The Press this evening says: "Drey-
fus withdrew his appeal to-day. This
was the various formalities' mentioned
in the official communication as re-
naming to be fulfilled before the par
don could be signed. The traitor will