Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-11
RELEASE OF pIcauART.


there stood i'm her path the French gene
raj stan. and nine-tenths OF the frehoi
army officers. These were supported by
majority OF the Senate, some three
fourths Of the Chamber OF Deputies th'
then President Of the republic tfaufe'
ana practically all oS the leading polu'
clans of the nation. And. I'm turn, th's
powerful combination was backed VIII
virtual unanimity by the Paris press, anc
bv that most powerful and DANCE Gus oil
influences I'm France. the Paris mob.
Yet. within the last two weeks Dreyfu'
has been granted new trial which mus
result in his acquittal; lola has found II
safe 10 return TO Paris and last, but py
no means least. Colonel Picquart has been
given his freedom. We say "by no means
least" for Picquart, next TO Dreyfus. mas
suffered most from the diabolical c0Ispl-
racy and the sickening travesty upon
/ right and truth. Barring the acuoh u
the Court Of Cessation in the matter u
| the latter, the release of Colonel flcqu'iN
from prison represents the greatest tri-
unph Justice has achieved. Nor does this
assertion involve any failure TO recognize
the credit due lola, or the conspicuous
and honorable place he deserves 10 oc-
cupv in the history Of the Dreyius case.
Zola's effort TO quicken the conscience OIL
the French nation and redeem the honor
of France was n magnificent exhibition
Of patriotism. Further, IL was grand
exhibition of courage; for he must have
foreseen that i'm view Of the public tenn
nor at the time the chances were that he
would be made to pay a greater penalty
than he did pay. But, aside from the
satisfaction that must come to him from
the vindicatOn of the cause he espoused'
there were other cOmpensations Tor the
pocuniary loss and the exile he hGd 10
bear. His course not only enhanced I'M
measurably his reputation. but threw
new and ennobling light upon his charac-
ter. In the eyes Of thousands upon thou-
sands IL raised him out of the slough OF
immortality I'm which he had revelled as
q novelist. and placed him on pedestal
in a pure atmosphere. Whether justice
for Dreyfus was TO be or not, Holas
az accuse"-his ringing and terrific in
dictment of the conspirators-Was de-
stincd 10 live. and keep green the memory
of his nobler and higher nature long az
ter his novels shall have been forgotten
Therefore. while lola stands in the ranks
of the worlds martyrs I'm the interest or
iustico II must be admitted that in any
event he had. in a sense more to gain
than lose by his martyrdom
Not so with Colonel Picquart, however
This officer succeeded in the War INTEL
lieence Office Colonel Sandherr, who was
one of Dreyfuss prosecutors, and who
died a mailman. and the facts in the
Drevfus affair coming under his scrutiny
he was not long in arriving at the conclu-
sion that the unfortunate prisoner or
Devils Island was innocent Through
torn postal-card, the petit bleu' in the
case. which came into his possession and
was addressed 10 EsterhaZy, he was lei
10 suspect that that now self-coniessed
forgor was the author OF the famous Dor
dereau and the real criminal. and upon
comparing specimens of Esterhazy's
with the bordereau his sus-
picion became to his mind a certainty
Colonel Picquart's next step was TO
communicate the result Of his invcstiga-
lions 10 Generals Come and Boisdeffre.
who at FIRST displayed great interest IN
the work in which he had been engaged
la al
Du Patty de Clam, the arch conspirator,
Of his discoveries Then marked change
came over his superiors, and Picquart.
failing TO heed their warning to be more
cautious" was. through the instrumental
itv Of Du Patty de Clam and Henry, the
suicide. transferred to Tunis. Meantime
however. Esterhazy had been tipped
and fed the country, but subsequently,
by "fnvitation." returned, and was tried
for treason. Esterhazy's trial was as great
a farce as was that OF Dreyfus. 1.-The
verdict acquitted the raven, but condemn
ed the dove" Under orders, as Iola
charged. the prisoner was found not
guilty. but out of the farce grew the ar
rest. conviction, and Imprisonment of COL
onel Picouart. The charges on which col
onel Picquart was arraigned were that he
exceeded his authority in the Ester
hazy investigation, and forged the petit
bleu." The reasons for convicting him
were that he deficd the War Department
cabal. I'm the great cause Of justice, and
had awakened public opinion in that
cause. In doing this he riskcd the prom
ise OF brilliant career. lie risked, in
decd. his entire future. He had, in short
everything to lose.
SO. we say that next TO that Of Drey-
fus. his martyrdom has been the great
est and that next to Dreyfus's vindica-
ton. his vndication is the most notable
triumph Of justice i'm connection with the
Dreyms matter And We repeat that,
having started justice is moving with
firm ana steady and rapid tread. Let NJ
hone that she will keep on thus 60 the
end. 1t is not enough that her hand
maiden righteous retribution, should
have overtaken Sandherr, Henry, Ester
bazv. and Du Patty de Clam 1t is not
enough that Dreyfus and Iola and Pie
quart should have been vindicated
II viii not have been enough until she
shall have crushed out every viper whose
poison brought France to the shame she
has endured and is responsible in the
slightest degree for what has been in
ficted upon Dreyfus and his champions.
Only when that shall have been accom-
nnsbcd will The demands Of French honor
upon justice have been fully satisfied.
POINTS ANOTHER MORAL.
The panviOo Register Commcnds Rich