Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-14
1T is A BATTLE ROYAL
Influence Of Dreytus Trial Extends Through
cut French Nation.
Last Weeks Developments Only
Stimulating. Which May Precede
Political UpheavaI.

special correspondent of the Associated
Press at Rennes gives the following resume
of last weeks proceedings in the Dreyfus
case at Rennes:
The battle has begun in earnest. It's
political bearings shown in the arrest
of Paul Defoulede. the deputy and poet.
and twenty-three of his numerous royalist
and Bonapartist allies, who have pooled
with him against the republic As in the
Boulangist conspiracy. the pool would be
of little consequence but for the military
| caste. which has found representative men
in Gen de Negrier and some other generals
having great commands.
1t is a strange thing how the fight thick
ened around the shadowy and emaciated
red-haired Jew, whose uniform of an artil-
lery captain so i'll fits and BELTS his figure
and physiogonomy.
Last Mondays sitting Of the court-mar-
tial and the subsequent non-public sittings
We're the first skirmishing operations but
yesterday was a field day. in which two
hostile forces, into which France is divided,
and has been since the revolution. set them
selves in array of battle and drew the first
blood.
Each side stands committed to a certain
course. and has burned its ships. The ac-
tual Dreyfus trial is trial of strength. l
cannot see a possibility of its ending in
ing combat desperate fight. in which
neft her side will give in unless utterly
routed.
The moral situation of the forces engaged
reminds one of that of the armies of the
French revolution and those they had to
fight. The Dreyfusites have the brains. the
forward impulse. the dash and the fexibil-
1ty. AT the same time they are raw re-
cruits, gathered spontaneously from the
four points of the compass Hatred of the
military caste, and, it may be- the secret
hope of rewards have made them homo
geneouS.
The nationalists have social and other
prestige, numbers and organization. Their
center is composed of the majority of
Frenchmen and Frenchwomen; their left
wing is formed of 22,oO0 officers and their
right wing consists of the church. All pro-
TESS respect for legality. but only from the
lips out One side Is Just as unscrupulous
as the other. but the most active and less
| numerous side does really fight for the
cause of humanity, justice and truth. The
Dreyfusites have, at any rate, won bellig-
erent rights, and they are sure of the
friendly neutrality of the government.
Their adversaries can no longer make use
of the rope that hung Picard, or the razor
war could not, If he wanted to, read a
forged document in parliament. 1t is i'm
possible now to stuff the doss!er with fables
fit for Mother Goose's tales. But organi-
cation, numbers, prestige and wealth mean
staying power.
Doubtless the Dreyfusites are supplied
W.
de Freycinet's estimate of 39.o00,o00 francs,
the sums subscribed by English and Ger
man Jews must be enormous, but. like
veal ny Gentles, rich Jews are fond of the
pomI and vanities of life, the titles of
aristi ocratic society Many of them are
frighi ened already at the onward pace of
the Ireyfusites.
General Mercier's deposition was inaudi-
BILE unless to the judges and shorthand
porters. 1t fell fiat, his voice and delivery
being had. But we have it now in print. 1t
has qualities for which we did not give it
credit during delivery. They are easy, flow
ing statement. plausibilfty and the art of
lullnS suspicion. AS the deposition appears
in full in the eports, 1T will everywhere be
read with delight by those already per-
suaded that Dreyfus is traitor. They will
not see what was Pecksnitfian, what was of
feline perfidy. Figuratively speaking, the
deposition, which was really a speech for
the prosecution, shows MERCER to be a
fiautist Of the highest order. He never
loses his way in the most intricate varia-
tons and keeps in view that Dreyfus is
cool, calculating, well-informed traitor.
The immediate issue of the fight is the
freedom of Dreyfus, but yesterdays Incl
dents and episodes the beginning of
struggle of far-reaching consequence. 1
must give the nationalists credit for hay
ing, from the very beginning, foreseen what
revision would lead TO. They, in many
things, showed blindness. They accepted
the mailman QueSney de Beaurepaire as
their spokesman But they had a keen in
stinct for the ultimate trend of the revi-
SioniSt movement.
bTeSluS is generally unfortunate IN the
use of the p n. He lacks artistic sensibil-
ties and cannot diSassociate himself from
his ego to enter into the feelings of others.
One sees this harsh egotism in his cor
respondence with his wife. He was never
more unfortunate than in the letter COM
planning that M. Casimir-Perier did not
keep promise to him. 1t exasperated Ca
simir-Perier, who treated as a foul libel
the assertion that he, president of the
republic, entered into compact with
officer accused of treason. Casimir- Perier
has habit of thinking morbidly. He has
taken deep offense at several assertions of
MERCER, and will try conclusions with HIM
tomorrow. We expect fur to fy-in Cash
mir-Periers case canine, in Mercier's feline.
1t is understood that even more thrill
ing incident than that which ended Satur-
days session was expected by the counsel
of Dreyfus, and would have occurred but
for General Mercier's prudence. Dreyfus
intended and had actually declared his de-
termination, to slap Mercier's face before
the whole court If he brought up the story
of the relations of Dreyfus with Nine. B.,
who, some newspapers have asserted, acted
as go-between for Dreyfus and the attache
to whom he is alleged to have made trea-
sonable revelations.
MERCER abstained from all reference to
the story, but despite this the people in
the court though for a moment that
Dreyfus was about to strike MERCER, until
captain of gendaFmes took him gently by
the arm and pushed him back into his seat,