The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-14


diced when 1t comes to criticising the let
tiers of Alfred Dreyfus, but 1t is certain
that the letters in many respects bear
witness to the truth of his statement. This
Is how lola described them: They are
admirable. ! do not know of any pages
OF a higher conception or more eloquent,
They have attained the sublime in sor-
imperishable monument when our own
writings. perhaps, shall have passed into
oblivion. For they are the sob itself OF
all human suffering. The man who wrote
these letters can not be guilty. Read
them, read them some evening, with your
family gathered around your hearthstone.
You will be dissolved in tears
The Dreyfus affair hitherto has been
like a novel without a hero-that Is, The
hero disappeared in the opening chapter,
and 1t has taken ever since to develop
the plot and work up climax which is al
most without parallel for it's dramatic
quality. Enter the hero, mete out justice
TO the villain, and the world is satisfied.
These little plays with destiny the great
est and most artistic stage manager the
world has ever seen, never fail oil their
efiect, and there is more Joy in the world
over their happy ending TO this great his
be derived from the best novel or short
story In the word, because the degrade
ton OF this innocent man was a thing
which came home with startling power to
all peoples. The hero of the tragic story
was lost sigte Of after In the first chap
ter, 1t was known where he was and
that was almost all. The scene of the
story as told hitherto by the newspapers
was laid almost altogether in France, OF
the scenes laid in I'lle du Diabe, and OF
the feelings which ruled in the heart OF a
man, torn from his family and his honor,
the newspapers have not been in posi-
ton to speak 1t had been left entirely
to our Imagination to piece out that part
OF the story until the publication OF Cap
tain Dreyfus letters to his wife closed the
gap and completed the sad history OF
i'affaire Dreyius.
The translation of these letters, which
Harper Il Brothers are about TO publish
under the title of The Letters of preytds
to His Wife" gives us for the FIRST time
the story In the prisoners own words;
and it is a story that for pathos, tragedy,
despair aud true Spartan heroIsm l. un-
surpassed in the annals of either history
or fiction. The arrest, which took place
en- October 10. 1894, came upon Dreyius
like bolt out Of a clear sky. For almost
two months the liberty of writing even
TO his wife was forbidden, but on Deem
Der the longedfor permission was OBJ
tanned, and thereafter letters passed be-
tween husband and wife daily and sonie-
times almost hourly. until he was removed
to Devils Island. The letters published
in this volume cover the period from De-
cember 5, 1854, to March >, 1898.
1t goes without saying that the entire
CORES pondence should he read to appre-
ciate their pathos and the hopeless tragedy
of the writer's lot. The extracts WHICH
this article contains viii give some con-
ception of their general character. lpey
also give for the nrst time an Intimate IN
sight into the hereto soul of their author.
II Will be. perhaps, best to begin with the
second letter of the series. dated Decem-
Der .. 1894 when Dreyfus as yet had hard
ly realized the danger tnat menaced NM
II am waiting with impatience for
letter from you. You are my hope,
you are my consolation; were 1t not
for you life would be- burden. AT
the bare thought that they could ac-
cuse me of a crime so frishtful, so
monstrous, my whole being trembles.
my body revolts against IT,. To have
worked all my life for one thing alone.
20 ayenge my country. to struggle Tor
her against the infamous raylsher who
has snatched from us our dear Aisace,
and then 10 be accused OF treason
against that country-no, my loved
one my mind refuses to comprehend
it! Do you remember my telling you
how, when | was in Mulhouse, ten
years ago. in September. | heard
German band under our windows cele-
brating the anniversary of Sedan? My
grief was such that ] wept; bit the
sheets of my bed with rage, and
swore an onth to consecrate all my
strength, all my intelligence to the
service of my country against those
who thus offered insult to the grief
Of Alsace.
mo, no. will not speak of 1t, for
| shall go mad, and | must preserve
all my reason. Moreover. my life mas
henceforth but one aim--to find the
wretch who has betrayed his country;
TO find the traitor for whom no pun
ishment could be too severe. Oh, deW
France. thou that ] love with all my
soul. with all my heart, thou u whom
l have consecrated all my strength
all my intelligence, how could one &C
cuse me OF n crime so horrible?
will not write upon this subject, my
darling; for spasms take me By the
throat No man has ever borne the
mArlyrdum that I endure, No physi-
cal suffering can be compared TO the
tnental agony that I feel when my
thoughts turn to this accusation. II
had not my honor TO defend. / assure
you that ! should prefer DEATH at
least death would be forgetfulDess.
Write to me soon. My love to all.
alfred"
From the letter written on the day pre-
ceding his trial II is seen that he was still,
after two months Imprisonment, sanguine
and hopeful, with never a doubt about his