The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-18
TWO FRENCH CHARACTERS.
Something About AeitatOr Derou-
Iede and CasimIr-PerIer
From the Chicago Times-Herald.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
Paul Deroulede, who has just been ar
rested at Paris, was born Sept 2. 1916. At
50 his chief claim for distinction is that
he is one of the most violent and most
silly of all the enemies of Dreyfus ana
of the French republic When the Fran
co-German war broke out he went to the
front, but was captured al Sedan. The
Germans carried him TO Breslau, but he
escaped and returned to the French army,
where he remained until peace was de-
clared Then he wrote novels and plays
preaching the doctrine of revenge against
the Prussians, and tending to the apothe-
osis of that army which seemed 10 him
more noble in defeat than It could have
been in victory. He is tall and slight,
wears a beard, and looks Ike an English
man. He is intensely patriotic, and makes
no attempt to conceal his hatred of all
foreigners He hates Dreyfus, too. and on
Sunday, Sept. 25 1885, al a meeting to
protest against the revision of the Drey-
fus case, he presided and delivered a flu
riOus TRADE against Prime Minister Brs-
son and all who had shown a desire for
revision. He declared that II a revolution
occurred and the scaffold was erected in
was that of Clemenceau. and that If Drey-
fus ever returned to France he and his
partisans would be lynched. This meet
ing was in furtherance of the reorganiza-
ton of the League of Patriots. which had
been suppressed some years before by the
government or this reorganized league
Deroulede became president He hates so
much that he hates also the constituted
government of France, and at the death
of President Faure undertook to over
throw the republic and establish a gov
eminent with the army as a basis. He
led a procession Of kindred spirits through
the streets TO the barracks, and was sum-
marly arIesIed-not on the charge Of trea-
son, or attempted coup d'etat, Of which
he would have been proud but on the
more common accusation of trespass. IL
almost disguised him with the profession
of patriot. He is, however, still intensely
bitter In his enmity to Dreyfus, and the
formation of the League of Patriots is
largely his own work. Besides, he Is an
inspiring spirit of the anti-Semitic leagues
that have lately been formed in Paris.
Since the affair OF the barracks, Feb. %,
1899. Deroulede has boldly proclaimed his
purpose to overthrow the republic. His
present arrest was decided on as a means
Of checking what otherwise might in time
become dangerous organization. 1t Is
found that the League of Patriots has
had an existence since July 1885 with a
lingering plot TO seize the government by
force. The documents captured leave no
room to doubt, and a clear case seems
assured against this spectacular and an,
noyng, but not really dangerous French.
man.
Jean Caslmir- Perier, ex-Presldent Of the
French republic. was "a witness at the first
Zola trial. His sudden resignation Of the
presidency In 1896. not long after the be-
ginning Of the Dreyfus agitation. is
shrouded IN mystery. One explanation ls
that, upon receiving an autograph letter
from the Emperor William Of Germany.
pledgng the honor OF the imperial writer
as 10 the innocence OF Capt Dreyfus and
indicating the re0l culprlt President Cas-
imir- Pericr resigned because he would not
as an honorable man. be party to tie
Drcyfns persecution. Another and a
moro Fag0ul vcrsl9u of the affair Ia that