The record-union., 1899-09-18

its steps, and submit to the discharge
it cannot be justly charged however,
that the French Government through
any of its Ministers has reflected the
popular anti-semitic sentiment. The
Jew therefore is safe from any Govern
mental attack in France, however much
mobs may set upon him and the shout
of the anti-semites dismay him.
The French noblemen always had
contempt for any sort of money-pro-
ducing labor Knowing this, Napoleon
l., who was contemptuous of the an
cient nobility, sought to destroy their
power, foreseeing that these mobiles
would in three generations be COM
PEELED to part with their large landed
estates. The Jew has, in many in
stances, become the proprietor of these
estates, and has thus acquired great
influence in different communities. He
is always a good citizen, very liberal
in his charities, conservative and pro-
pressive, proud of his French nation
ality, and always law abiding. BY rea-
son of his wealth and his landed pro-
prietorship he wields a large political
influence, and the candidate for the
French Chamber is seldom too modest
| to accept his financial aid.
Mr.. Eustis says that the mistake of
the French Ministry was in attempting
to stif1e inquiry into the Dreyfus case
for the sole purpose of protecting the
honor of the army. Had they treated
the case as involving the acts only OF
certain individuals, they. could easily
have extricated the Government and
the army from any difficulty in the
matter, and French institutions would
have been spared from the mercilesS
criticism of the foreign press. But
whenever a new Ministry was formed
it was Immediately called upon to de-
clare itself upon the Dreyfus case. They
all sheltered themselves behind the
sacramental formula of ia chose
jugee," although every lawyer IN
France knew that the law expressly
provided for a new trial in such a case
as this.
! Another mistake made by the Minis
try was the subterfuge that revela ions
of what took place at the secret trial
would lead to serious international
complications This position greatly
impressed the French Chamber and the
public It was apparently patriotic, for
France always breads foreign compli-
cations. But the hypocrisy of the posi-
tion was exposed by. the declaration Of
the Powers in the Triple Alliance that
the French Government was at liberty
to raise the diplomatic curtain if 1t
wished to- This drove the prosecution
to the declaration that it would pub
licly establish the guilt of Dreyfus.
This task-the making of the declara-
tion-was assigned to the Secretary OF
War, NJ Cavaignac. His speech was
made, was hailed as a godsend, and
was ordered posted throughout France,
But students of the case discovered
that it was a lamentable failure, ano
that the impression it made was in
fact shallow.
Then came the confession Of Colonel
I Henry, causing a sudden revulsion OF
feeling, and compelling a revision OF
ton that extricated her from her di-
lemma The Court Of Cessation is one
of the most august and able judicial
tribunals of the world. The honesty
of it's judgment is always above sus-
picion. 1t has survived all revolutions
and changes of government in France.
It's impartiality has never been as
sailed, and no attempt dare be made
to lower the respect Of the French peo,
pie for it. That body reviewed the
case as calmly as if acting upon a
simple case involving a promissory
note. It was a unanimous court upon
the question of annulling the judgment
of conviction of December, 1894.
This brings Mr.. Eustis' view OF the
case down, so far as it involves preJu'
dice against the Jew, to the date o.
the beginning Of the new trial. He
calls attention to the fact that such
a trial as that of Dreyfus would be
impossible in our country What we
consider irregularities and illegalities
in France is regular and proper pro-
cedure. To the French law the dis
tinction between legal and illegal evi-
dence is unknown in criminal trials
and no objection can be made to any
statement whatsoever which a wit
ness chooses to make. No objection car
be taken to the admissibility of any
testimony. Though it Is hearsay
through two, three, four or more
mouths; though it is surmise, opinion
gossip, it is all admissible, even though
the life of the highest officer in the
army is involved.
These statements are made on the
authority of NJ. Lachaud, that eminent
criminal lawyer. perhaps the foremost
in France, for Mr.. Eustis was present
at the great trial of Mar.,ha. Bazaine
and was guided through it's mazes by
Nj. Lachaud.
The right of bail, the writ of habeas
corpus and the usual protection of the
accused familiar to US are unknown to
tho French Constitution. In criminal