The times., 1899-08-18
Frances Shamc.

Frances Sbamc.
The conclusive evidence of Bertullus,
and the splendid testimony of Picquart.
delivered yesterday before the court-mar-
tial at Rennes. with the bravery and self
immolation of a true soldier leading
forlorn hope would make the immediate
acquittal of Captain Dreyfus certain in any
country claiming civilization. Yet the
correspondents of leading English journals,
speaking on the strength of long acquaint-
ance with the French people. and Gallo
affairs, one and all express the belief that
Dreyfus will be condemned.
The country whose estimate of French
men for century has been based Upon
the characters of such men as Lafayette
d'Estaing de Noailles and a hundred
other gallant gentlemen who helped US
to gain our liberty in the War of
Independence, cannot easily understand
how France today should be represented
by such canaille as Mercier Roget, Ester
hazy. Du Patty de Clam, and similar crea-
lures.
Yet they seem to be the heroes of The
people. and all the more so since their
criminal connection with the viIest and
most inhuman conspiracy against honor
and innocence known in the whole history
If the nineteenth century has been made
plaini We Americans have believed the
honest common people of France true to
the Republic and what ii is supposed to
represent; true to Lafayette's ideals of
liberty. equality before the law, and relI-
gious toleration. If all We hear be fact,
on the contrary the masses Of the French
people are savage, drunken fanatics. ready
at this moment to make another st. Bar
tholomew's day for the massacre of the
Jews, a religious element that even the
chief Jesuit in Paris declares to be an
honor to the nation.
Well, thank God, we shall not have TO
wait long for the worst In an Anglo
Saxon country the evidence of Ber-
tullus before the court martial yester-
day would have forced nolle prosequi if
not molten TO acquit from the prosecu-
tion. The testimony OF Lieutenant Colo
mel PiZuart before any military tribunal
save in France would have precipitated in
slant exoneration of the accused But at
Rennes, although the innocence OF Drey-
fus is demonstrated to be complete ard ir-
REPUTABLE, foreign journalists best acquaint-
ed with the situation and the public senti-
ment back of il, say that conviction is all
but certain.
We said yesterday that it was not Drey-
fns who was primarily on trial, but the
French Republic. That fact is more ter
,lo
hours ago. The people who could tolerate,
promote. and acclaim the hellish conspir-
aey against this poor officer. and not against
him alone, but all his co-religionists in the
country. are not fit for anything except
political slavery under merciless despot-
ism.
Do they think to crush. exterminate or ex-
pei the elements Of population that support
the principles Of representative government,
that the kingship of degenerate descend
ant Of Louis Philippe may come? Do they
think that the proprietorship of their pub
lie debt, of everything they claim in the
way of industry or material enterprise, will
change hands in consequence OF massa-
ere of individual Jews?
We fear that the plane of average intelli-
gence is SO low, and the temperature Of
crazy passion is so high that the French
masses actually believe massacre of Sem
ties and Dreyfusards would leave the nation
In the hands of its monarchical and strange
" associated anarchical agitators.
1t would be useless to sound the trumpet
of sense for the benefit of these lunatics.
They feel that they have the numbers the
hatred, and the petroleum and dynamite
10 wreak their will; but the day of sober
thought must come some time, and then
perhaps they may remember that in the
ultimate analysis. 1t is not they but the
hated Jews who rule France; that Louis
Philippe owed his throne to the Roth
schilds. who deposed him when he refused
to deal fairly with them: that it was the
same imperial house of finance which put
Louis Napoleon at the head of the nation
and compassed his downfall when he was
found unfaithful, History is as likely to
repeat itself in 1899 as 1t was in 1S48.