The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-01
The Report on the Dreyfus Case.

The decision Of the Court Of Cessation on
the application for n revision OF the sem
tence imposed upon Capt. ALFRED DREYFUs
has not yet been rendered, and, up to the
last moment, there may be some reason to
fear that majority of the Judges Will de-
eide against what seems to be the weight
OF evidence. Nevertheless the proceedings
that have taken place since the public sit
tings of the tribunal began on Monday
have been encouraging to those who be-
lieve that the unfortunate officer was un-
justly condemned.
1t is true that both the official reporter
and the Procurcur- General, whose task it
was to sum up the testimony, confined
themselves to requesting that the sentence
pronounced by the former court-martial
should be set aside and that new trial be
ordered. But it is incredible that second
court-martial will find DREYFUs guilty
upon evidence tho worthlessness OF which
Is now thoroughly exposed. The course
pursued by the new court-martial may be,
no doubt, affected in some measure by the
prepossessions of the officers selected and
by the atmosphere Of the place in which
1t sits, but we may take for granted that
due precautions will be taken to assure
the fairest trial possible NJ DE FREY
CINET, who has made no secret of his in
clination to uphold the General Staff. has re-
signed the place Of Minister OF War; and NJ.
KRANrZ, who has exchanged the Ministry
OF Public Works for the War Office, Is a
man Of Alsatan origin, and has announced
that he will shrink from no responsibility
imposed upon him by the decision of the
Court of Cessation. This means, II it
means anything, that II new trial be
ordered he will see that it is a fair one.
Meanwhile, the post vacated by him has
been taken by Senator, NJ. MoNEsTIER
who voted against the Government bill
transferring jurisdiction from the criminal
branch Of the Court OF Cessation to the
whole tribunal. This latter incident in
dicates that the section OF the Cabinet
which Is friendly to DREYFUs is now pre-
ponderant. That the sympathies of Presi-
dent LoUBET are supposed to take the same
direction may be inferred from the violent
attacks to which he Is subjected by the
Anti-Dreyfusards.
It appears that there Is only one way in
which the Dreyfus affair can be brought to
an end and that Is through the acQuittal OF
the accused officer by a second court-mar-
tial. The form Of the petition presented by
Nine. DREYFUs prevents the Court Of Casa
ton from forestallng the decision OF an
other military tribunal. Nine. DREYFUs
secures all she asks for when second
oourt-martial Is ordered. Should the new
court-martial, however. condemn DREYFUs
upon evidence which has been already pro-
NV b,,t 10 fpoio
porter Of the Court OF Cessation, the aglta
ton In favor Of the unfortunate officer is
certain to continue, and all the efforts
thus far made by the Government tc
quiet will have been fruitless. That the
agitation should cease, however, has be
como a matter Of vital Importance tc
France. for only thus can she reinstate her
self In the esteem OF her Russian ally anG
in that OF all the foreign nations whose
cordial concurrence In the Exposition o.
1900 she desires to obtain.
Moreover. the Dreyfus affair has ruined
80 many public men that it has created
sort OF panic in official and military circles
Nobody can feel sure that he may not b,
the next to be swept into the vortex. Their,
Is reason to believe that NJ. CAsIMIR- PER
RIER resigned the Presidency of the French
Republic because he was unwilling to con
nive ut the punishment OF an innocent man
The Brisson Cabinet was overthrown be
cause it favored revision. Five successiv,
Ministers of War have been driven out O
office. NJ. CAVAIuNAC, who looked forwarC
not unrcasonably to the Presidency o
the republic has seen his hopes irremedi
ably blighted by the widely placardet
speech in which he emphasized the valu
OF a document subsequently shown to hav
been forged by HENRY. dozen General
have been discredited, and, even If they ar
not subjected to penalties, will be, hence
forth. excluded from the chance Of brI