The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-06-07
Review Of the Dreyfus Case.

Cars peace congress at the Hague.
The concrete fortunes Of Que man, suf- |
fering fearful punishment for crime
OF which the world at large believes
him innocent, transcend in public SYM
patty the abstract schemes of kings
and emperors and the diplomats en-
gag, in exploiting them.
The world is weary of the Dreyfus
case, but there is no tagging in lis
hopes and prayers sthat justice, clear a 8
the sunlight, untainted as the sweet
mountain air, shall be done the unfor-
tunate tenant of DEVILS Island.
The review of the Dreyfus case, by
Ballot de Beaupre, president of the
civil section of the court of cessation, -
the highest court of appeal in France,
having the power to quash (caSser) or
revise the decisions of inferior courts
is interesting as legal presentation o.
the leading facts of the case, of the
charges against Dreyfus and his de-
Tense. The president recalled the con-
ditons under which the prosecution
was instituted in 1894, dealt with the
contradictory evidence of the experts in
handwriting and the accused's profess
tations of innocence. The first susp-
cion of Dreyfus emanated from an
army colonel who was struck with the
similarity of the word artillery" in
the "bordereau," or statement of the
military strength and situation in
France which, it was alleged, had been
sent to Germany, and which Dreyfus
was accused of preparing and furnish
ing, in the latter's handwriting.
The report recalled the conversation
between Dreyfus and Col. Henry after
his imprisonment. The prisoner de-
clared that he was "accused of a fright
full thing" Asked of what he was ac-
cused, he replied "of high treason"
On what ground he could not say. The
accusation drove him nearly mad. He
would have preferred bullet in HE
head, and he Indignantly asserted his
innocence. He was accused, he said,
of giving documents to foreign pow
er, which du Patty de Clam had refer.
red to as "secret and confidential docu-
ments, without further explanation"
Dreyfus had been on the general staff
and many documents passed through
his hands, shut communicated them
to nobody" he protested.
President Beaupre read eulogistic re-
ports of Dreyfus while on the general
staff, his persistent denials of relations
with any foreign embassy, and described
the scene in du Patty de CLAIMS office,
in the presence of the chief of detec-
tives. When he saw the resem blance
to his handwriting, according to du
Patty de Clam, he exclaimed "They
have stolen my handwriting" 1t was
pointed out that at the court martial,
in denial of certain adverse report, he
protested that he had never seen GER
tain arms that were mentioned, and
did not know, till date later than the
time the alleged documents and infor-
nation were furnished foreign en-
bassy, the disposition of the frontier
forces, had not copy of the firing
manual, knew nothing of the documents
respecting Madagascar, and declared
that the martyrdom he suffered was
atrocious.
The president read from the defence
which maintained that material anC
moral evidence pointed to Esterhazy
not Dreyfus, as the culprit. He deal
with the question of motive, showing
that Dreyfus could not have acted from
anger or disappointment, as he had thu
finest prospects of military career
and an ample fortune, while on thu
other hand, Esterhazy was soldier O.
fortune, had written letters abusing
| France and the French army, and wa
always begging from the money lenders
, This was the status of Esterhazy OF
lDc CNt WI tuC NhtC WhCh thC OOiuCl
eau" was placed. The inference wa
that the latter sought, in treason, re
sources necessary to carry on life o
dissipation.
The court quoted the statement o
the defense that "although justice ha'
been rendered more or less impotent
by the acquittal of Esterhazy on tn,
charge of being the author of the Dor
dereau, it was "none the less the dut,
of the supreme court to restore to lib
erty an innocent man, unjustly con
demned" Reviewing the judicial his
tory of the case, M. Beaupre contende,
that revision was imperative by reason
of the presumption that serious error
and doubts existed, but said that, il
his opinion, the court ought not t
consider the idea of annulling the sen
tapoa uyithout q 70 haa Of Tho ooeo