St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-16
WAR NEWS.

Rennes, Aug. 15.-The battle has begun
In earnest. Its political bearings are
shown in the arrest of Paul Deroulede,
the deputy and poet, and 20 of his num-
erous royalists and Bonapartists allies
who have pooled with him against the
republic. AS to the Boulanglst conspir-
acy, the pool would be Of little conse-
quence but for the military caste which
Las found representative men in General
Negrier and some other generals having
great commands.
1t Is strange how the fight thiGkened
around the shadowy and emaciated red
haired Jew, whose uniform of an ar
tillery captain so lifts his figure and
physiognomy. Last Mondays sitting of
the court-martial and the subsequent
non-public sittings were the first skir-
mishIng operations; but Saturday was
field day, in which the 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 certain course and has burned its
ships. The actual Dreyfus trial Is
trial Of strength. / cannot see a posi-
bility of Its ending In drawn game. It
is now meek or nothing" combat, a
desperate fight in which neither side will
give In unless utterly routed.
The moral situation of the forces en-
gagged 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 flexibility. At the same time
they are raw recruits, gathered spon-
taneously from the four parts of the com
pass. Hatred of the military caste, and,
1t may be, the secret hope of rewards
have made them homogeneous.
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 81, 900 officers. and
their right wing consists of the church.
All profess respect for legality, but only
from the lips out.
One side Is just as unscupulous as the
other; but the most active and less
cause of humanity, justice and truth.
Doubtless the Dreyfusites are supplied
with Jewish funds without accepting M.
de Freycinet's estimate of 80 900, 900
francs. The sums subscribed by Eng
fish and German Jews must be enor-
nous; but like wealthy gentiles, rich Jews
are fond of the pomp and vanities of life.
the titles of aristocratic society. Many
of them are frightened already at the
onward pace of the Dreyfusites.
The immediate issue of the fight is the
freedom of Dreyfus; but Saturdays in
cidents and episodes are the beginning
of struggle of far reaching conse-
quence.
l must give the nationalists credit for
having, from the very beginning fore.
seen what revision would lead 60. Thew
in many things, showed blindness. They
accepted the mailman, Quesnay de
Beaurepaire, as their spokesman. But
they had keen insight for the ultimate
trend of the revisionist movement.
Dreyfus is generally unfortunate in
the use of the pen. He lacks artistic
sensibilities and cannot disassociate
himself from entering into the feelings
of Others One sees this harsh egotism
in his correspondence with his wife. He
was never more unfortunate than in the
letter complaining that Casimir- Perier
did not keep a promise to him. It ex-
asperated Casimir-P erier who treated
as foul libel the assertion that he. as
president of the republic, entered into
a pact with an officer accused of treason.
Casimir-Perier has habit of think
ing morbidly. He has taken deep Of
Tense at several assertions of MERCER
and will try conclusions with him. We
expect fur to fly; in Casimir- Perier's case.
canine, in Merciers, feline Some of
Countess Marie Won MINISTER'S letters in
the secret dossier were to Mile Lucie
Faure. They may be forgeries. can
not imagine that she gave them to the
minister of war as proof that the family
of the German ambassador took an in
terest in Dreyfus.