The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-09


IniquItics Of the Army Regulations.
Jeanette L. Glider dh9. Chicago
Tribune: Now that the eyes Of the en-
tire civilized world are turned upon the
Frsnch army, it would be hhfd to and
A more timely book than Trooper $500.
private Soldier of the Third Repub-
lie" by Lionel Decle, which the scrlb-
Ders will publish Immediately. The
most enthusiastic Dreyfusard could
hardly ask a worse showing for the
army than is here given. N. Decle
writes from his own experience as a
"yolontalre" in the year 1s7s-SO. Since
that time he had explored widest At
r.ea. but the hardshipa of the Jungle
we're as nothing compared 70 the hard
ships that he experienced, Bt the hands
OF his superior officers in,t1is native
land, \.
~ Decle has lived for some time in
England, and his book was apparently
written in England, of which Language
he seems to have perfect command.
HIS experience in the army evidently
ollenated him from his country, for his
sympathies are with the English In al
most every particular. There is not
the slightest doubt Of the truth Of his
statements, and after reading his book
one can only wonder that there is any
decency or honor among thesofficers of
the French army, Those who possess
those qualities are the exception.
The trouble seems to be with the sys-
tenn, which is brutalizIng and degrad-
Ing beyond belief. 1t is necessary to
resort to extreme measures to keep up
a. large standing army, but 1t is not
necessary to so to the lengths adopted
in France.
In his preface NJ. Decle boldly de-
cIares that nobody has done more TO
disgrace and lower the army in the
eyes Of friends and foes alike than
Frenchmen themselves. The treatment
of Dreyfus he brands US lone of the
greatest wrongs ever committed against
human being" ii5l
sill
Trusting to unworthy sybordinates.
he continues, the highest officers Of the
general stan made Of Dreyfus' guilt u
matter on which they staked their own
honor and reputation, and when they
discovered that they had been de-
ceIved-
They found themselves in the posi-.
ton of having either to acknowledge
that they had been betooled or else Of
having to stand by those who had led
them Into their awkward btadicament.
They chose the latter alternative, and
their friends and supporters played In
to the hands OF those who so fiercely
attacked the army, by refusing to adj
nit that there could be single black
sheep in it, and by thus linking together
the whole body OF French officers, and
making their collective honor depend
ent on the honor of every individual
member. ',N
"a time came however. when even
the most determined partIsank of this
system had to turn against these they
had extolled but the day before. First
came Esterhazy, the liar, the swlndler
and the traitor; then Henry. the forger,
and Du Patty de Clam, hIs'atsomplice.
at is a remarkable tact'Ihat amidst
all these scenes of violent abuse there
should be but one man who maintained
implicit trust in the good faith of his
worst enemies - Dreyfps himself = the
victim of this most abominable con-
spIracy. His case is, unfortunately, but
greatly magnifled example Of what
daily happens throughout the French
army, and the recollectIons am now
Offering to the reader os4he time I
served In its ranks will show that
Dreyfus has been victim, not SO
much of the malice Of individuals as Of
faulty system. 1t will be seen how.
IN regiment the colonel forms his
opinion Of private from the charae-
ter given to him by his corporal, or ser
Ecant, and how the mere fact OF APP
pealIng against n punishment is con-
sldered as an act OF characterization. 1t
IS always the same princlple-le re-
pet dc la chose jugee (the upholding
ia Judgment, without considering up
an what Urounds or evidence II has
been dellvered).
Il wish 1t to be clearly understood
that this little book has not been writ
ten for the purpose of attacking the
French army as represented byits OH
GERS. 1t is intended merely az a faith
ful account OF the hardshlps endured
when | served my time in the ranks
hardshIp3 which every Frenchman has
still to bear. cannot follow NJ. Ur-
balm Goblcr In his vIrulent and indls-
oTimInate attacks upon all French OFF,
cers-among whom individuals diner
as IN other classes OF men. but each
one NJ my readers win be able to draw
his onu conclusions with regard to the
system which, in practice, is uniVer-
sally In force" ,.f
Before NJ Decle starts in upon the
story or Trooper $500, he gives a long
Introduction. In which he quotes freely
iram the army biue-books TO show the
iuqultIes OF the system. Every French