The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-07-09
DEMOCRACY AND DREYFUs.

In last Sundays issue we pointed out
some Of the causes that stirred France
so deeply over The Dreyfus affair. But
It is not only with the causes that we
are interested. There are matters con-
nectrd Will this incident Of far more
moment for us than the history Of the
effect on French character Of the forge
ries ana fears of the War ONCE u viii
not 90 for the student Of political forces
10 soothe himself by saying that the
Latin races are innammable; that the
French are VIGOROUSLY prone TO regard
themselves as mere cattle whose leaders
hetray AZ viii for British or German gold.
Nor can We point TO the antiJeWish feel
Ing I'm France as sufficient to account for
this social phenomenon I'm France. while
leaving us free from an fear OF any such
occurrence here II is true that all Of
these forces existed in France and that
the identical forces do not exist here I'm
the same outward form, but # by no
means follows that we have not I'm our
midst fermcnts that may create even I'm
America such mad mobs as those that
surged through Paris and Rouen.
True. the Anglo-saxon is more phleg-
matte and does not tend TO doubt his
leading public men. But the Anglo-saxon
can be stampeded as witness the J. Horne
Tooke excitement. And the Anglo-saxon
SIS after an only a human being. and
human beings when once they are gath
cred into mobs become collectively as r.
responsible as the veriest savage. We
in America need not argue this point.
We have had too many demonstrations
of Il. The English themselves know that
it is true even of their own race, and
the only question is when will the occa-
sion arise that Will turn a body of
peaceable citizens into that extraordin-
airy amaigamation Of individuals that is
called a mob. and when this mob is Gre
atcd what power is there 10 stand be-
tween Il and it's desires. In France
where everything combined 90 favor the
power of the mob fear, race hatred,
envy. hunger and the desire for others
gold. an added fury to the hatred that
was felt against the so-called traitor, and
set I'm the presence of these enormous
forces a body of men. very small and de-
risivoIy called "the intollectuals." stood
out and as far as can be now seen won
a victory for justice and truth. IT is a
wonderful example Of the power for right
that remains in domocracies, but it is
also a striking Illustration of the enor-
nous power that can be exercised by
people under a form Of government whose
stability depends not upon hired armies
of an individual. but upon the will Of
the majority This Drcyfus matter viii
furnish for every believer in Democratic
principles a fruitful theme for thought
and though for the present the mob has
not been able 20 overwheim the spirit of
fairness and justice which resided I'm
the breasts of a few, yet it has furnished
am object lesson of the enormous power
that can be welded by an irresponsible
body. and has given rise to the line Of
thought that past history seems to bear
out. namely that Democracies fan from
their own inherent weakness and not
from external force. and when the weak
ness becomes sufficiently great the De
mocracy must go of its own weight,
though this end Of the nineteenth CEN
fury has witnessed a marvellous exhi-
bition of the power Of the few for right
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