The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-17
The Condemnation of France.

has brought upon France
storm of condemnation and de-
nunciation which, by reason of its uni
versatility, stands without parallel in
| the history of the world.
That the French people are writbing
under the singing criticism so unspar-
ingly visited upon them is plain to all
who note the tone of their press and the
utterances Of individuals In America
the plea has been made with some
pathos that we should be charitable
and remember that had it not been for
France the independence of this coun-
try might never have been achieved 1t
is true that France was our ally during
the revolution, and it is equally true
that Lafayette, acting simply as an in
dividual, rendered us a service at that
time which has enshrined him forever
in the grateful hearts of the American
people.
But what has all that to do with the
Dreyfus case? If the treatment of that
unfortunate man has been grossly and
outrageously wrong, as almost every
body in the United States believes it to
| have been, the French nation of to-day
| cannot escape the consequences by
| pointing to what the Frenchmen of
| for the United States.
No American thinks for a moment
that Frenchmen are all corrupt, any
more than are the people of other ma
| tons. All must recognize the fact that
there has been and is a party in France
laboring earnestly for justice in this ex-
! traordinary cause. The general con-
| domination rests upon the fact that the
party seems to constitute a minority,
and that fraud, perjury and corruption
have such a hold upon the French gov
eminent that the most heroic effort is
unable to cause justice to be done if 1t
be against the interests of those in
power.
A nation must expect to be judged by
its official acts and not by the good
qualities of certain individuals. So Ear
as the outside world can see, there was
| literally no evidence of Dreyfus' guilt.
1t was an admitted fact in the case tina:
|
| forged and perjured testimony a num-
| Der of those connected with the forg cry
| having committed suicide to avoid the
| shame and disgrace of exposure. This
is the most conclusive proof that strong
| influences We're at work to procure the
conviction of Dreyfus by fair means or
FOUL and such methods are never
!
the only possible motive must have
been to screen the one or ones actually
guilty.
The cry that the "honor Of the army
required the conviction of Dreyfus
proved the existence of an unhealthy
sentiment, not merely in the army it
self, but in the hearts and minds of
vast numbers of people outside the mill
tary caste. Love of glory and hero
worship are the weak points in the
Frenchmans character, and the simple
suggestion that the honor of the army
was at stake was sufficient to cause
millions of them to demand the convic-
ton of Dreyfus regardless of his guilt
or innocence.
We are told that the court stood five
| against two for conviction, and that
originally it was four to three, but that
one of the judges was induced to change
his vote to guilty by the promise of the
court to take into consideration the
''eXtenuating circumstances" What
"extenuating circumstances" could pos
sibly exist in deliberate case of trea-
son it is hard to see. Dreyfus was
either innocent or his guilt was of the
blacklist hue. The 'extenuating cir
cumstances" probably We're that rhe
court did not believe him guilty at all
and only found him so in order to save
the honor of the army" Hence the
mildness of the sentence, the recon-
mendation that he be not degraded d
second time and the talk of a pardon.
The only way Frenchmen can hope tt
escape such criticism as that whicr
they are now receiving is to make such
outrages impossible in their country.