The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-28
.IOLA ON HIS EXILE
Not a Coward Flight but a
WeII-Studied Maneuver
I'M THE CAUSE OF TRUTH
Fresh Walls of Wrath Poured
on Dreyfus' Prosecutors.

tional silence. 1 was in the position o.
one who, willing to give up his life, lie:
In a hidden grave and waits for the com
Ing of truth and justice.
And now today that truth has conquer
ed and justice at last rules. l am eorr
| again and return home to take my piece
once more on French soil.
The 18th Of July, 1898, viii remain the
most dreadful day IN my life. On that day
it was that l, obeying tactical necessities
and the warnings Of my comrades in the
fight for the honor Of France, torsook al
that loved and tore myself from all the
| associations dear to my heart and mind
Among all the sufferings. tor which people
pitied me, this sudden parting was surely
the most terrible. the greatest sacrifice for
the soul. The low and narrow souls. vino
continually repeat that fed from impris-
onment, exhibit thereby as much stupid
ity as meanness. Imprisonment, good
God! 1 had already demanded imprison-
| ment! 1 am even today ready to undergo
| it, il 1t is necessary.
They who condemn my fight must have
| forgotten this whole case. and especially
the trial, which desired in the sole hope
that it might prove the soil which the
harvest of truth would grow. l made the
complete sacrifice of my peace and freedom
and submitted Internationally to ruin, de-
string only that justice might triumph.
Is it not clear today TO adj eyes that our
long campaign was an unselfish war to
shed as much light as possible on the
truth? If we endeavorcd to gain time, II
We opposed procedure byprocedure, It was
because the guardianship of the truth was
conflded to us, to be cared for Ike the
souls of men. and because We did not wish
to see extinguished the weak flame which
every day was becoming brighter 1t was
the little sacred lamp which we had 10
carry in the dreadful storm and to protect
against the rage of the multitude which
had allowed itself to be fooled by lies. We
had only one policy-to remain masters of
our cause. to carry it forward as long as
was humanity possible, so that events
might make the truth absolutely clear, as
We had promised they would. We have
never thought Of ourselves, We have al
have been ready to purchase it with our
freedom and our life.
I must recall the position In which I
was placed at Versailles in July last.
They merely put us out of court, but 1
would not he thus suppressed. 1 was not
content that in the absence Of Parliment
they should condemn me to endure the
passions of the mob We wished to delay
the case until October. in the hope that
the truth would then become clearer, so
that justice would be Inevitable. One
must not forget, moreover the malignant
underhand work that was being carried
on against us. and what We expected from
the secret trials of Major Esterhazy and
Colonel Pfcquart. Both were In prison,
and We knew well that startling evidence
would necessarily be produced by the
trials II they were conducted honorably.
And although We did not foresee the con-
feSsion and suicide of Colonel Henry, we
knew after 1t occurred that the facts I'M
DERIVING this dreadful event must eventu-
ally appear in their true light.
Under these circumstances, does not our
desire to gain time appear reasonable?
Had we not the right to employ all legal
means, so that We might choose our own
hour in the interests of justice? Is not
enduring the same as fighting in the most
sacred battles? At any cost We had to de-
lay. for all that we knew, all that we
hoped councelled US to defer the fight IN |
til rhe autumn. repeat. our own inter |
ests counted nothing: the only question |
was to save an innocent man and to spare |
the fatherland an appalling moral catas-
trophe by which It was then oppressed. |
These grounds have such strength that I |
went quietly away. having announced that |
I would return sn October, with the GER
tanty that In this way should be a good |
worker for the cause and insure Its tri- /
uuIph.
cannot today say, but will some day,
what a sacrifice, what a bitterness this
was. They forget am TO con-
troversiahst no politician, who draws adj
out of strife. am a free writer,
who has known only one passion in his
life. that of truth. and tas fought for Il in /
every field. For nearly forty years have
served my country with my pen, with all /
my WILL with all my strength and IN ali
sincerity. And swear 10 you that Il is
dreadful pain to go away in utter dark
ness, to see the lights of France fade away
IN the distance, when one has only desired
her honor and her greatness as a doer OF
justice among the peoples. !, VITO have
glorified her in more than forty works. I
whose life has been a long struggle 20 give
honor 20 her name n the four corners OF
the world. Twas forced % go, to ny, with
he mob Of knaves and fools yelling sland-
ars and insults at me.
Those were terrible hours. from which
NY soul came steeled, invulne-abls in
'uture to unjust attacks. Can you oon-
>eive what a torment It was for ne IN the
ong months OF Punishment. TO be stricken
rom the ranks OF the living 10 be daily
the awakening OF justice, watch
every day was deferred?
I would not wish the worst criminal 20
suffer as did during those eleven months
ne pain vhici the news from France
,atsed me every morning on foreign soil,
where IL was received with an echo OF
'aseness and stupidity. One mus,have en-
iured tins pain for long solitary hours.
me must have lived far away while the
atserlsnd was going to ruin. in order 10
now what Punishment means under these |
circumstances as I have known IL Those |
rho believe that went away because I
vas afraid Of imprisonment and to amuse
Myself with Jewish gold are miserable
FEATURES for whom have Et,ls loathirg
nd a great deal OF pity.
/ intended to return in October. ard IRE
ad decided 70 delay sae ea$S until the re-
sseuIbstng % the Chambers. wherein re
Ousted on ar event watch could not be