The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-17

man.
"A third court-martial. when light has
been thrown on the matter. when the hiSh-
est nagistracy OF the country consents
TO leave 10 it the SsaEy OF making repair
alton for an error. dares to deny the fun
daylight, and a second time finds the In
nocent guilty.
This is irreparable. The last crime has
been committed. Jesus was condemned
but once.
This let final ruin come. lei France fan
prey 10 faction. let the country be afime
and perish in the embers. let the srmy
itself lose honor rather than confess that
some members OF it made mistake. and
that certain generals are liars and forgers-
The idea shall be crgciied: the sa5er
must remain king.
And so we find ourselves in shis giar-
ious condition before Europe AMI before
the world. The whole world is convinced
Of the Innocence Of Dreyfus. II doubt
had remained in the minds Of some far
away the binding glare of the Reanes
trial would have carried the full isght there
All the courts OF the powers thar are eur
neigh5ors are well informed. know the
documents have proof Of wirthlessness Of
three or four generals. and OF the shame
full paralysis OF our military justice.
"A moral Sedan has been lost-a Sedan
a hundredfold more disastrous than that
other one, where only blood was spiit
And I repeat. what fills me with dread IS.
this defeat OF our honor seems irreparable
for how are I'VE TO quash the judgement
OF three court martiaLs? Where shall we
find the heroism 10 confess our fault. TO
march onward with head apiifted proudly? ?
Where is the government with courage
to be a government OF public safety?
Where are the chambers that will under
stand and act before the inevitable final
crash?
The worst OF it all is that we have
come to a reckoning day Of glory. Frsnce
desires to celebrate its century OF labor.
OF science. of struggle for liberty. for
truth and for justice No century that
has passed has been marked by more su-
perb efforts; this will be seen later On.
And France has called together in her cap
ital all the people OF the earth TO gloriiy
her victory. liberty won. truth and JUS
tee promised 10 earth.
Thus, a few months hence, the people
will come and what they will find viii
be the innocent twice condemned. truth
trampled upon. justice assassinated.
I'VE have fallen beneath their contempt
and they will come and laugh at us In
our faces. They will drink our wines;
they viii kiss our maid servants as people
do in the low class inn. which Is not above
that sort Of thing
as all this p7ssible7 Are we going 20
allow our exhibition 70 be the foul. de-
spised place where the world Is willing 20
seek its pleasure only? MOI A thousand
times no. We must have, and that az once.
the fifth act of the monstrous tragedy,
even If we have TO lose our flesh and blood
In the effort. We must have our honor
restored before We salute the visiting pee
pies in a France healed and regenerated.
This fifth act haunts me and | am ever
recurring 10 Il. l am working on &.
build Il up In my imma eination. Has Il
been noticed that this Dreyfus anair. this
gigantic drama which moves the universe
seems to be staged by some sublime dram
atist DESTROYS OF making it an iucomgar-
able masterpiece?
II will not recall the extraordinary IN
cidents that have stirred our souls At
every fresh act passion has swollen hor-
Tor has grown more intense. Al every fresh
act passion has swollen. horror aas grown
more intense. In this living piece 81 b.
Fate that has genius Destiny is there.
actuatlng the players. discriminating the
incidents under the tempest n uBchains:
a. - -
to be complete and Is preparing us for
fifth act-a euperhuman act which viii
make France glorious once again and re-
place her in the forefront OF the nations.
For you may he sure % this-lt was
Fate that decreed the supreme crime-the
second condemnation OF the innocent. The
crime had 20 be committed FOR The SAKE
Of the. tragic grandure. the Sovereign
beauty. the explation. perhaps. which WI
allow OF the apotheosis. the nnal trans
formation scene.
And now that we have sounded The IT.
termost depths 81 horror. ! await tn hfth
act which will end the drama by Deliver
ing Us; by restoring US 70 health and fresh
youth
Il viii now speak plainly OF my fears
II has always been. as ] have allowed e
20 be understood on several occa slona. that
the truth-tae decisive. Overwhelming
proof-should come 70 from Germany. We
must look 70 the possibility ri, Germany
bringing out the hfth set . tas drama 90
a thuuder-clap sQuarely and c3uraK0usIy
IN the face.
Here IS my confession: Previous 20
my trial in January. 1gH. lsaYnea with
certainty that Esterhazy was tsa era Cor.
that he rad supplied Colonol schwa-.z-
k0pDen with : large nun4her - dec8gle-ltr.
that many % these documents were f.
his handwriting. and that complete e5I-
lection u them was % Be found IN the
war Office - Berlin
From that time on ! have ae Ro0s
Freno aman. been n constant Sfeaa
thought with horror that Germany sar
enemy q tomorfow. World perhaps slap
Us IN the face With TIRE proofs ln It's s1s-
sesslaon. Accordingly vfth I.sharlI se-
cided % cite a. wifnAzses the military
attaches. We were we5I aware W were
not likely 20 bring thefn 70 tire aar. lssf
We desired 20 Jet the government Know re
knew the truth IN ne hope that lt xaals
take action.
NO heed was taken Nack vas rsa5e
% Va The weapon Germany has IN hey
bands Tzs Jet there and matters re-
NAMED unchanged - - the ua1a - che
Rsnnez trfaI
-'ou my rstg-n "a Fraacs hurried -
80 Labor. .nesisd. wlih ne saerrg %
despair. On srept fseaE t-zen K. bring
che mater oe,ors the eaainst . seser-
rzins ne 5Teadfui sbaraeter ~ ;hs s.ssa-
ti7a aza 70 sex s. ths Esve-nrnert zsass