The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04

| we hereby break and annul the verdict OF
| guilt rendered on Dec %, 1894. by the first
Council OF War OF the Military Government OF
| Paris and send the accused before Council OF
| War OF Rennes. selected after special deliber-
alton In Council Cham ber. for decision OH the
following question:
| Is Droyfus guilty Of having In 1894 prac-
| tlced Vaccinations or entertained relations
| with foreign power. or its agents. to engage
1t to counsel hostilities or undertake war
against France. and having supplied it with
means thereto by delivering to 1t notes and
documents contained in o document called the
| bordereau 2"
The crowded court listened silently to the
| long statement Of the basis OF the judgme mt
| until almost In the last sentence the fateful
| words were pronounced which cancelled the
| greatest mistake TINT has been made In the
| name OF justice In this generation. Then
there was demonstration so spontaneous and
| so overwhelming that the President and tho
| forty red-robed Judges OF the highest court in
France made no effort to check It, This con-
ttnued for some moments, and before 1t was
| finished the court had adjourned. and the most
memorable sitting In its history came to an end
The news was all over Paris within few
! minutes. and although the newspaper extras
were eagerly purchased. there was no visible
eject on the public mind. The decree had. in
| fact. been discounted and all but the most
vicious and most insane OF anti-Dreyfusltes
were determined to accept 1t IN silence how
ever much they at heart resented 1t.
Tho principal danger to the public peace.
paradoxical though II may seem. now comes
from the Dreyfusards. This should not be
surprising. as they have been reviled and per-
secuted for moro than three years and they
would be more than human II they did not now
dam ranriRnla ia 10 dol nd WI iob nv
cause trouble. They refuse to accept Du Patty
de Clam as scapeRoat. They are clamoring
Tor the exemplary punishment OF Gems MERCER.
de Bolsdefre. Gonse and Pellieux and all the
others OF the wicked crew who have brought
| disgrace upon themselves and the army. There
is stern justice in this demand. but it is an
open question whether the public welfare
would not best be promoted by leaving them
to the odium already brought upon them and
to the obscurity from which they will never
emerge.
Rumors are widespread that tho Govern
ment contemplates the Immediate prosecution
OF some OF them. Tomorrow will probably
solve the problem. for II arrests are to be
made they will be imm ediate.
The formality Of retrying Dreyfus will be
fastened as much as possible 1t Is not I'M
likely that he has already EN- bark ed for France
and he will probably debark at St. Malo. st.
Nazaire. Granville or some other small port
having direct railway connection with Rennes
The proceedings will undoubtedly be public.
but Of the shortest and simplest description.
His acquittal. OF course. will carry with II res
toration to rank. with arrears OF pay. Then
he will be promptly invaded. for It will be a
long time before his physical and mental con-
dticns will regain their normal state. even
under the best conditions
The streets OF Paris were never queter than
they are tonight. The only incident worth
mentioning was the gathering Of a small Gro wd
in front OF the offices Of the Inransioeant early
in the evening. which tried to draw out Henri
Rochefort by ironical cries OF "Yive Revision ="
"Vive Dreyfus!" The crowd was quickly dis
persed by the police.
The Government has given Major Marchand
q leave OF absence to visit his father in tho
country. whittier he goes tomorrow. The OBJ
Iect OF this OF course, is to get him out OF Paris