The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-18

llOI 70 INC minister OF war; VINO dcC(Lu-
ingiy wrote him the following letter:
Versailles. Sept. /. 1772
''on account of the report which have
received. sir, concerning the fashion Of
your compartment In the war and con-
corning the grave wounds which you have
sustained, 1 have accorded to you the
commission Of captain Of a corps Of light
cavalry. It gives me pleasure to tell you
this; and / am, NJ. le Capitaine. your
humble and very obedient servant. Mon
teynard. Minister of War. To NJ. lie Capt.
tame Antoine Dubois de BELGRADE. for
merry cornet Of the Hussars de wurenl
SER
A copy Of this was also sent to NJ. de
Sartine, that De BelleErade's patron
might know his recommendation 20 lave
been successful.
The commission bears date Of August
Is. 177S.
Having attained the same RANK as that
of Captain Alfred Dreyfns. De BelieRrade
found that his position OF authority cn
the general staff added to his RESPONSE
bilities-responsibilIties which ne could
not and would not sherk. He vas q
fighter as of yore. but now he had also
to look after the state department VIII Oh
had the charge of the army, and his hon
est soul revolted almost Immediately a.
the nefarious and corrupt administration
in the thick Of which he was. Only :aet
year swindling contractors sent British
troops to tramp the sands OF Egypt In
boots having pasteboard soles. and with
bayonets comparable to corkscrews. Only
last year swindling contractors fed the
flower Of American chivalry on timed
ambitions comparable to putrid ofal.
They did the same 40 years ago.
Captain de Bellegrade discovered II at
the gunpowder provided by the comp
ttroller of munitions would mol explode
He investigated and found that IL was
not gunpowder, but wood ashes. The
rascally contractor thought nothing of
of sending French soldiers into thc field
armed with wood ashes. The blood of his
fellow countrymen was no concern of
his goods. took pay for wares he did not
sell and was doing himself handsomely
when Captain De BELGRADE found him
out and tried to stop his little game.
Captain De Bellegrade was an honest
man, and he did his superiors of the gen.
eral STAFF the injustice OF thinking them
to be as honest as himself. Generald'Ai-
guillion had replaced monteynard at the
ministry of war, and was in turn re-
placed by Louis Nichols Victor de Felix,
Come de Muy and Marshal Of France
This Marshal Count de Muy was silly,
stolid, stern old martinez Of whom a con-
temporary historian records: HE MAIN
tanned his religious character even as
severe even to austerity.''
All the same he seems to have been
something of an obstinate fool, unabic to
distinguish between right and wrong and
whit was worse he was related to the dis
honest contractor, Just as Du Patty de
Clam was related TO Cavaignas. minister
of war.
So when De BELGRADE denounced the
swindler to him he refused 70 listen. Cap
tain De Bellegrade persisted, and his
persistency annoyed the minister. The
Marshal Count de Muy found the captain
very inconvenient He would not take a
hint. He scorned a bride. He said so
very loudly. There was no dealing with
such a man. All the officials of that per-
Tod had their price; but De Delles:ade
hel dhis honor higher than me finest
of fine gold. He would not hold his
tongue. Therefore. said the Marshal
Count de Muy. and the minister of war,
ne must be silenced.
Now, there was a certain General st.
Auban. "a second scrivener bred in CT
flee low" the walsin-Esterhazy, the
Henry, the Du Patty de Clam. of his time
He was clever with a pen. facile in mag
fnation, and at The bidding of his chiefs
he forged some papers which were to
prove Captain De Bellegrade a traitor.
Observe the coincidence. There was a
traitor on the general STAFF. De Belle
grade was unpopular, and evidence was
forged to fix the crime On him. Is not
that they way in which the Dreyfus
game was played?
Well. they had short sharp methods of
doing injustice 10 years ago. when the
press was not power. A lettre de each
ct coniskned Captain De Bellegrade to a
secret cell In the Bastile. A packed
court martial read the forgeries of Cen
eral st Auban, found De Bellegrade guilty
of selling state secrets to England, Prus-
STA and Austria, and sentenced him to
degradation from his rank to be drumm-
ed out of the army and TO the hideous
fortunes OF the galleys Of Toulon for the
term of his natural Hfe. So he disap-
peared.
Now It is the most awful thing in the
world to be at loggerheads with a corpor-
a 70 hody A man knovvs how IN daaI with
foes coming singly, but with an organiza-
titon like the army. the church or the
law it Is a hopeless stask " struggle.
No appeal to conscience will lie where no
conscience is. The members of a body
support each other in right or wrong. as
the case may be.
What hope was there for Dreyfus
against Mercier, Zurlinden. Boisdeffre.
Meline, Cavaignac. Gonse, Westminster
hazy, Henry, Du Patty de Clam, ETC. What
hope had Captain De BELGRADE against
hate him whomyouinjure. Tha was as
true then as now.
Well. He had a tender wife named
Lucie-Lucie de BeIlegrade and Lucie
Dreyfus! Curious coincidence of names,
And for her martwred husband. suffering
for righteousness sake in the obscene
torment of Toulon. Nine Lucie de Belle
grade labored with indomitable faith and
courage. just as Nine Lucie Dreyfus la
bored for her beloved one in the lie du
Diabie.
Captain de BELGRADE was condemned
in 177i, and the following year. las. his
chief prosecutor. Louis Nicholas Victor
de Felix. Comte de Muy. Marshal Of
France and minister Of war. died. and TO
II L., 4