New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-10
CONCEIVED. But NOT CONVICTED.


Captain Alfred Dreyfus is again condemned.
That is the outcome Of the Rennes court martial
After days and weeks of trial, after the expos
ures and cynical confessions of fOrgeres, perju-
Res and all manner of wickedness on the part of
the prosecution, after the wretched fiasco OF the
creatures Muller and Csernuzky. after the
straightforward and convincing testimony OF
Colonel Picuuart Captain Freystaetter, NJ. Ira
tieux and others, after the repeated personal as
surance Of the German Emperor that not one of
bis agents had ever any dealings with the ac-
FUSED officer after the unblushing Partially Of
The Judges for the prosecution and their refusal
10 admit testimony Of the highest importance In
behalf OF the accused. after the resOurceful
strategy of NJ. Labori and the impressive elo-
Quence Of NJ Demange after a thousand Incl
dents and circumstances indicating the limo
renee Of Captain Dreyfus and the malignant
salsity of the charges against him-after all
these the court by the narrow margin of a
single vote, has found verdict Of guilty. with
bome "extenuating circumstances" of wondrous
lncomprehensbity, and has condemned the &C
FUSED TO a renewal Of his former sentence for at
least five years. 1t is condemnation, but It is
bot conviction.
Railing against the decree OF court OF JUS
ice is usually poor work. That however does
not apply TO criticism of the judgment at
Rennes. On no principle known 10 our juris-
prudence was that astonishing tribunal entitled
10 be considered a court Of justice. Military
courts are, we know. constituted and conducted
far differently from civil courts In some cases
they are even more just than the latter. But
what presumption of justice was there. or could
there be, at Rennes when the judges We're all
The subordinates. the creatures, of the prose
tutors sworn by oath to obey them. bound by
military tradition and discipline 10 be subserv
lent to them, and moved by every selfish hope OF
Advancement and fear Of punishment TO truckle
10 them? The example Of Colonel PiCquart was
constantly before them That gallant officer
Ind upright man was hidden by the General
staff TO do some dirty work. He refused and
sid the works of truth and justice instead. The
result was that. under orders of the General
staff his life was first put into extreme peril
md then he was. on perjured testimony de
yraded, expelled from the army and cast into
prison. The judges at Rennes were practically
told that unless they wanted to suffer like
late they must condemn Captain Dreyfus. And
hey have condemned him.
But they have not convicted him. they nor all
and browbeating generals. We know not what
are the mental processes Of the five who voted
for condemnation II may be that they are
themselves convinced of Captain Dreyfuss guilt.
Some men believe that black is white, and at
least one insists that de sun do move" But to
the minds Of the overwhelming mass Of ight
seeing, clear thinking justice loving mankind
The world around no such conviction has been
brought On the contrary, the original thought
10 which under our code every accused man Is
untitled in advance of tudgment-that Captain
Dreyfus might be innocent. has been deepened
and confirmed into n conviction that he Is limo
cent and that the Rennes court, knowingly or
hnknowingly under the influence OF some mon
,trous. foul obsession. has wrought work OF
hideous injustice. And in that conviction there
Is no general disrespect 10 France, for assur
ance is not lacking that the clearest minds anc
purest souls In that country to-day share thai
conviction 10 the full.
And afterward? Not, we hope, the deluge
But IL will need the utmost efforts OF all true
hearted Frenchmen to avert IT, There WILL We
assume be appeals against the verdict to Tho
military Court Of Appeals and TO the supreme
Court Of Cessation. There is ground for hope
that the latter at least will be OF some avail
The court that ordered revision OF the verdict Of