The record-union., 1899-07-14
the DREYFUS LETTERS.
THE LAST CHATTER OF THE
DREYFUs AFFAIR.
Certainly One Of the Most Tragic
Dramas in All
History.

loiH lnat the letters in many feSpeCls
pear witness to the truth of his state
ment. This is how Zola described
tnem: They are admirable. l do not
know OF any pages Of a higher concep-
tlon or more eloquent. They have at
tanned the sublime in sorrow, and al
terWard will endure like an imperish-
able monument when our own writings,
perhaps. shall have passed into obllv-
ION. For they are the sob itself OF all
human suffering. The man who wrote
these letters cannot be guilty. Read
them, read them some evening, with
your family gathered around your
hearthstone. You will be dissolved in
tears"
The Dreyfus affair hitherto has been
like novel without hero-that is, the
hero disappeared in the opening CHAP
ter. and it has taken ever since to de-
velop the plot and work up climax
which is almost without parallel for its
dramatic quality. Enter the hero mete
out justice to the villain, and the
world is satisfied These little plays
with Destiny, the greatest and most
artistic stage manager the world has
ever seen, never fail of their effect, and
there is more joy in the world over the
happy ending to this great historic
play, the Dreyfus affair, than could be
derived from the best novel or short
story in the world, because the degra-
dation of this innocent man was a
thing which came home with startling
power to all peoples. The hero of the
tragic story was lost sight of after in
the first chapter. 1t was known where
he was and that was almost all. The
scene of the story as told hitherto by
the newspapers was laid almost alto
gether in France. OF the scenes laid
in l'Ile du Diable. and of the feelings
which ruled in the heart of man,
tornfrom his family and his honor, the
newspapers have not been in a position
to speak. 1t had been left entirely to
our imagination to piece out that part
of the story until the publication of
Captain Dreyfus' letters to his wife
closed the gap and completed the sad
history of raffaire Dreyfus.
The translation of these letters, which
Harper & Brothers are about to pub
lish under the title of 1.-The Letters Of
Dreyfus to His Wife, gives us for the
first time the story in the prisoners S
own words; and it is story that for
pathos, tragedy, despair and true Spar
tan heroism is unsurpassed in the an
nails of either history or fiction. The
arrest, which took place on the 10Th
of October, 1894, came upon Dreyfus
like bolt out of a clear sky. For al
most two months the liberty of writing
even to his wife was forbidden, but on
December 9TH the longed for permission
was obtained, and thereafter letters
passed between husband and wife daily.
and sometimes almost hourly, until he
was removed to Devils Island. The
letters published in this volume cover
the period from December 5, 1894, to
March 5, 1898
It goes without saying that the en-
tire correspondence should be read to
appreciate their pathos and the hope
less tragedy of the writer's lot. The
extracts which this article contains will
give some conception of their general
character. They also give for the first
time an intimate insight into the heroic
soul of their author 1t will be, per-
haps, best to begin with the second let
ter of the series, dated December 5,
1884, when Dreyfus as yet had hardly
realized the danger that menaced him.
Il am waiting with impatience for a
letter from you. You are my hope; you
are my consolation. were it not for you
life would be burden. At the bare
thought that they could accuse me of
crime so frightful SO monstrous my
whole being trembles; my body revolts
against it. To have worked all my life
for one thing alone, to ayenge my coun-
try, to struggle for her against the in
famous ravisher who has snatched from
us our dear Alsace, and then to be ac-
cused of treason against that country
no, my loved one, my mind refuses to
comprehend it Do you remember my
telling you how, when / was in Null
house. ten years ago. in September,
heard a German band Under our win
dows celebrating the anniversary OF
Sedan? My grief was such that I wept;
I bit the sheets of my bed with rage
and l Swore an oath to consecrate all
my strength, all my intelligence to the
service of my country against those
who thus offered insult to the grief OF
Alsace.
mo, no. I will not speak of it, for
/ shall go mad. and 1 must preserve all
my reason. Moreover my life has
henceforth but one aim; to find the
wretch who has betrayed his country;
to find the traitor for whom no punish
ment' could be too severe. oh, dear
France, thou that I love with all my
soul, with all my heart! thou to whom
1 have consecrated all my strength, all
my intelligence, how could one accuse
me of crime so HORRIBLE! I will write
upon this subject, my darling: for
spasms take me by the throat. No
man has ever borne the martyrdom
that I endure. No physical suffering
can be compared to the mental agony
that feel when my thoughts turn to
this accusation. If I had not my honor
to defend, I assure you that 1 should
prefer death; at least, death would be
forgetfulness. Write to me soon My
love to all. ALFRED"
From the letter written on the day
preceding his trial It is seen that he
was still, after two months imprison-
ment. sanguine and hopeful. with never
q doubt about his ultimate acquittal
It is in striking contrast to the letter
written after the trial, when the wors,
had happened and the nightmare had
come true We subjoin both letters:
cat last I am coming to the end ol
my sufferings, to the end OF my agony
Tomorrow shall appear before my
judges, my brow high, my soul tran