The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-14

New York, July 13.-Emile lola may
be somewhat prejudiced when it comes
10 criticising the letters of Alfred Drey-
fus, but it is certain that ne letters in
many respects bear witness to the truth
of Mis- statement. This is how lola de-
scribed them: They are admirable. l
do not know of any pages of a higher
conception or more eloquent. They have
attained the sublime III sorrow. and af-
forwards viii endure like an imperish-
able monument when our own writings,
\ perhaps, shall have passed into obliv-
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 a novel without a hero-that is,
the hero disappeared in the opening
chapter. and it has taken ever since
10 develop the plot and work up a eli
max which is almost without parallel
for its dramatic quality. Enter the
hero, mete out justice to the villain,
and the world is satisfied. nese little
plays with Destiny, the greatest and
Snost artistic stage manager the world
mas even seen, never fail of their eff
feet, 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
degradation of this innocent man was
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
gethsr in France. OF the scenes laid
in Tile ou Diable. and of the feelings
which ruled in the heart of man, torn
from his family and his honor. the
newspapers have not been in posi-
ton to speak. 1t had been left entirely
to our maginatior 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
Story in His Own Words.
The translation of these letters.
which Harper & Brothers are about TO
publish under the title of THE Letters
of Dreyfus TO His Wife, gives us for
the first time the story in the prison.
er's own words; and it is story that
for pathos. tragedy, despair and true
Spartan heroiSm is unsurpassed in the
annals of either history or fiction. The
arrest. which took place on the 18th Of
October, 1894. came upon Dreyfus like
a bolt out of a clear sky For almost
two months the liberty Of writing even
20 his wife was forbidden. but on Dec. |
n the longed-for permission was OBJ
tanned, 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 pc
Rod from Dec. :. 1894. to March >, 1885, |
1t goes without saying that the entire
correspondence should be read to ap-
preciate their pathos and the hopeless
tragedy Of the writer's lot. The ex-
tracts which this article contains will
give some conception OF their general 1
character. They also give for the first
time an intimate insight into the heroic I!
soul of their author II will he, per-
haps best 10 begin with the second /
letter of the series, dated Dec = 1894 |
when Dreyfus as yet had hardly re-
allied the danger that menaced him. |
Dreyfus' First Letter.
II 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 a crime 50 frightful, SO mon
strous, my whole being trembles; my l
body reVolts against il To have worked |
all my life for one thing alone, TO |
ayenSe my country. to struggle for her !
against the Infamous ravisher who has |
snatched from US our dear Alsace. and |
then to be accused of treason against |
that country-no. my loved one. my I
mind refuses to comprehend it, Do |
YOU remember my telling you how, !
when was in Mulhouse, ten years ago, |
in September, l heard German band |
under our windows celebrating the an |
niversary of Sedan? My grief was
sucs that / wept; 1 bit the sheets OF I
my bed with rage, and swore an oath |
b consecrate all my strength. all my |
Intelligence. to the service of my coun- |
try against those who thus offered in |
suit 10 the grief of Alsace-
mo. no. l will not speak of ii, for / |
Shall go mad. and l 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 / love with all my
soul. with all my heart, thou to whom |
/ have consecrated all my strength, all |
my intelligence, how could one accuse
me of crime so horriblei | will not /
write upon this subject. my darling
for spasms take me by the throat. No
man has ever@Dorn the martyrdom that |
endure. No physical suffering can be
compared to the mental agony that /
feel when my thoughts turn to this
accusation. If l had not my honor to
defend, / assure You that ] should pre-
fer death: at least. death would be for
getfulness. Write TO me soon. My
love to all. ALFRED"
Was Still Hopeful.
From the letter written on the day
preceding his trial it is seen that he
Iii Of fr7vn f,9nnfhS' |
mert. sanguine and hopeful with
never a doubt about his ultimate ac-,
ouittai It is IN striking contrast Ito
the letter written after the trial, when
to worst had happened and the night
ARE had come true. We subjoin both
letters:
"At last am coming to the end Of