New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-14
STRJ-GGIE BETWEEN VAST FORCES.
POI ITICAI. BEARINGS OF THE COURT MAN.
TIAL AT RENNES-A TRIAL
OF STRENGTH

POLITICAL BEARINGS OF THE COChl NAM
TIAL AT RENNEs-A TRIAL
OF STRENGTH.
Rennes. Aug 13.-Mrs. Emily Crawford writes
as follows ,,.,.,
The hattie has pegun in earnest Its politicai
bearings are shown in the arrest OF fau' De'ou
lede the Deputy and poet, and twenty-'hree Il
his numerous Royalist and Bonaparts' a''es'
who have pooled with him against the rePuoio.
As in the Bouangist conspiracy, the pool woulo
be OF little consequence but for the mi'i'aiS
caste. which has found representative men IN
General de Negrier and some other seneran
having great commands
II is strange how the fight thlckened arouhu
the shadowy and emaclated red haired Je"'
whose uniform of an artillery captain 50 III n''
and befits his figure and physiognomy.
Last Mondays sitting OF the court martial
and the subsequent non-public sittinss were 'he
first skirmishing operations; but yesterday was
a field day. in which the two hostile forces INTO
which France is divided, and has been since the
Revolution set themselves in array OF oattie
and drew the first blood. Each side stands COM
rnitted 10 q certain course, and has burned its
ships The actual Dreyfus trial is trial OK
strength / cannot see a possibility OF It's end
ing in drawn game. 1t is now neck or
nothing" combat, a desperate fight In which
neither side will give in unless utterly routed.
FORGERIEs NO LONGER POSSIBLE.
Their adversaries can no longer make use OF
the rope that hanged Lemercier Picard or the
razor that cut HenrJs throat The Minister OF
War could not. IL he wanted to. read Forged
document in Parliament. II is Impossible now
to stuff the dossier with fables fit for Mother
Goose's tale But organization, numbers. pres
tge and wealth mean staying power.
Doubtless the Dreyfusites are supplied with
Jewish funds without accepting NJ de Freycl-
nets estimate of 39OO0OOO francs. The sums
subscribed by English and German Jews must
be enormous; but like wealthy Gentiles. rich
Jews are fond of the pomp and vanites OF
life. the titles of arstocratc society. Many Of
them are already frightened at the onward pace
OF the Dreyfusies.
General Mercier's deposition was inaudible
unless to the judges and shorthand reporters.
1t fell fat his voice and delivery being bad.
But we have it now in print II has qualities
for which we did not give it credit during de-
livery They are easy, flowing statement,
plausibility and the art OF lulling suspicion.
AS the deposition appears in full in the reports,
il will everywhere be read with delight by those
already persuaded that Dreyfus is traitor
They will not se< what was Pecksnfian, what
was Of feline perfdy. Fguratively speaking, the
deposition, which was really speech for the
prosecution, shows MERCER TO be fautist OF
the highest order He never loses his way In the
most intricate variations. and keeps in view the
motif-namely. that Dreyfus is COOL calcu-
latng. well informed traitor.
The Immediate issue OF the fight is the free.
dom of Dreyfus. but yesterdays incidents and
episodes are the beginning OF a struggle OF far
reaching consequence.
must give the Natonallsts credit for hav-
ing from the very beginning foreseen what Re-
vision would lead to- They in many things
showed blindness. They accepted the madman
Quesnay de Beaurepaire as their spokesman.
But they had keen instinct for the ultimate
trend Of the revisionst movement.
THE PRISONERS EGOTISM
Dreyfus is generally unfortunate In the use
OF the pen. He lacks artistic sensibilities' ana
cannot disassociate himself from his Ego TO en-
ter into the feelings OF others one sees this
harsh egotism in his correspondence with MS
wife He was never more unfortunate thah IN
the letter complaining that NJ. Casiinir-ferier
did not keep a promise 10 him. IL exasperateo
Casimir- -Perer who treated as foul hpei the
assertion that he as President OF the Republic,
entered into a pact with an ofhcer accused OK
treason Casimir Perier has a hapit OF thihAihs
morbdly He has taken deep OFFENCE al sew
eral assertions Of Mercier and VIII try conciu-
sions with him tomorrow. We expect fur 10
fy-in Casimir- -Perier's case canine IN Mer-
cier's feline
some OF Countess Marie Won Minister'S letters
IN the secret dossier were to Mile Lucie Faure
They may be forgeres | cannot imagine that
she gave them 10 the Minister OF War as proof
that the family OF the German Ambassador
took an interest in Dreyfus
The Schwarzkoppen letter. speaking OF the
impetuous intervention in the affair Of the Ca