The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-05
TRIUMPH OF JUSTICE IN
FRANCE.

there shall be revision in the Drey-
fus case, and new court-martial has
been ordered. The unhappy ana inno-
cent officer will now be- Immediately res
turned from the island prison to his
native land, and when the new trial
fair, and acquittal will be the outcome
of but a brief session of the new mill
tary court
The case will go down in history as
remarkable one, because it came SO
very near bringing about a revolution
! in France. It is now clearly estab-
lished that Dreyfus was not the au-
thor OF the bordereau, letter with
several notes of revelation Of military
notifications and changes in the
French military system, supposed to
have been addressed to the Ministry
of some foreign Power Esterhazy now
confesses that he wrote the document,
and adds that he did so by direction
of his superior officer, Sandherr, VINO
was bitter enemy Of Dreyfus. The
other documentary evidence upon
which Dreyfus was convicted consisted
of anonymous letters, which it is now
admitted were never shown or COM
permitted to inspect them.
Beyond these things nothing was
proved against the unfortunate Cap
tain, who was selected as the victim
of unparalleled conspiracy to create in
the minds of Frenchmen the idea that
the army was especially watchful over
the interests of the country, while the
civil power was negligent and ineff1-
cient, and that schemes were afoot to
give foreign Powers superior knowl-
edge Of the internal military affairs
of France For time it succeeded,
and militarism was practically DOM
inant in France and went so far as
to dictate to the courts, defy the civil
tribunals, and arouse the people to an
intense pitch of excitement against the
Semites, who were denounced as the
enemies of the nation.
This threatened to bring on a revo-
luton, and thus the stability Of the
eminent proved weak and fearful, and
permitted the injustice to be done
which it is now clearly shown it must
have known all along was cruel and
L
Elections concerning the whole affair
are that courts in the end recovered
| themselves, and that the French pub
lie appears to be quick to rectify the
wrong that has, been done Instead of
being stubborn and continuing it's mad
shout of down with the Jews and live
| the army, it has become sensible of
the grievous error committed, and is
to-day filing the air with vivas for
| justice and the civil courts, and scorn-
| full cries against the military heads
| who plotted and permitted the infamy
that followed the selection of Captain
| Dreyfus to be the sacrifice of in
| famous crime
| The French people certainly are vola-
| tile, easy to arouse, quick to anger
and hasty in judgment. But they prove
now that they are quite as quick to
| right wrong and to confess error. The
| revulsion Of public feeling is so COM
plete, say the correspondents, that it
| takes the form of open expression of
condemnation Of the military chieftains,
and Of officials of former Cabinets who
| We're in one way or another parties to
the shame. While the army will con-
tinue to be the pride of the French,
it is safe to say that it's domination
| will not be so complete as heretofore.
1t will not attempt again for a long
time to override the civil courts and
to COW public opinion, so coarsely at
least as in the last three years during
the Dreyfus excitement
| In short, France has passed through
the trial that tested the stability Of
! her courts as against distinct assaults
made by the military power upon their
jurisdiction. For it has proved equal
to taking a victim from the army
claw, and affording a military citizen
the justice of new trial before a
| court-martial in another Jurisdiction.
|