The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
The Second Condemnati on of Dreyfus.

The news that the Rennes court-martial
| by a vote Of 3 to 2 has convicted ALFRED
DREYFUs OF treason will provoke an out
burst Of Indignation throughout the civil
lied world. Unprecedented onlookers, who
| have closely watched the proceedings. can
harbor in their hearts no feeling but one OF
execration for the judges who condemned
| him, OF contempt for the army which
applauds the decision and Of pity for France,
| H. what seems Incredible, the Infamous
| Judgment is allowed to stand.
| In the downward career Of doomed gov
eminent there is stage OF decadence when
the very fountain Of justice seems polluted
at its source, and when it is the judges
themselves and not the victim Of their
obliquity who are destined to stand
arraigned at the bar Of history. The whole
| judicial machinery OF eighteenth-century
| France and with 1t the political framework
OF the ancien regime were DETAINED tenn
| porarily in public opinion by the travesty
| Of justice enacted in the case OF CALAIS, and
| the present French Republic will forfeit the
| respect Of mankind, II means be not
| found to rectify the shameful decision
| Of the second Dreyfus court-martial.
| The seven officers deputed to form at
Rennes military tribunal were under oath
| to deal impartially as between the accused
| and his accusers, and to render judgment,
| not according to alleged exigencies OF army
| discipline, but according to the weight OF
| the evidence bearing upon the single ques-
tion whether DREYFUs was or was not guilty
| OF a specific crime. The conclusion reached
by five Of them proves that they are either
disgracefully lacking in intelligence or
that they have deliberately committed per-
Jury. There is no sin OF commission or
omission whereof a wicked Judge is capable,
which these five men have not perpetrated,
and there is no decent impulse Of the heart
| which they have not outraged and defied.
| 1t Is, in truth, the crime Of the
century which the majority Of the second
court-martial have committed, for, in
| their purblind resolve to shield from
castigation a gang OF military scoundrels,
| they have conspired not only to sacrifice
an innocent man, but to aim deadly
| blow at the repute and welfare Of
| their country. Neither let them imagine
that no Nemesis awaits their pertidious
and cruel deed. II the foul wrong shall
| be unredressed by the military Court Of
Review or by the Court OF Cassa-
ton, there lies an appeal to the great
assize wherein the nations are arrayed
| as jurors. The voice OF that sovereign
tribunal Is already heard. Heartfelt COM
passion will attend the unfortunate DREY-
FUs to the prison to which he is recon-
signed, and scorn will chase his judges to
their dishonored graves.
1 - 70 No OF - ho tcio nj o.
there were some faint and ftful CLEANS Of
pretence at fairness on the part Of the
presiding Judge. 1t is true that no attempt
was made to check the food OF hearsay tes-
timony poured out by conspicuous Generals
and ex-Mnisters OF War, implicated in
what must be recognized as a neiarious
| conspiracy against DREYFUs and PICQUART.
1t is true that angry expressions Of indi-
| vidual opinion on the part Of the accusers
were listened to with Difference, as il such
eructations OF spite constituted valid and
cogent evidence. On the other hand, up to
the last week OF the trial, considerable ati-
tude in cross-examnaton was allowed to
the counsel for the accused, who did not
| fail to point out the contradictions or
the emptiness of much Of the evidence
for the prosecution. Ii looked as if the
presiding Judge were anxious to avoid
Offering any fragrant ground for an appeal
on the score OF irregularlty, reserving to
himself and his colleagues the dishonest
privilege OF giving undue weight to such
shreds oflegal testimony as were produced
by Government experts touching the au-
thorship OF the borderedu, and concerning
the confession imputed by LEBRUN- RENAUD
to DREYFUs.
But, as the trial approached a close,
and the overwhelming strength OF the
evidence on behalf OF the accused
startled and staggered the tribunal,
the presiding judge dropped the mask
and made rulings, which lacked even
a semblance of impartiality, which would
shock even the most elementary sense OF
equity, and which betrayed a relentless
purpose to find DREYFUs guilty regardless
Of the facts. Then it was that Col.
JoUAUsF rescued tortured and squirting
perjurers from the probe of the counsel for
the accused. brushed aside with disdain the
lAuthority Of the COURT Of Cessation and