Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-07-13
TWELVE. PAGES
THURSDAY. JULY 10. 1899.
NOT ALL SCOUNDRELS AND
POLTROONS.

The Dreyfus case in France has es-
tablished the fact that not all French
men are scoundrels and poltroons,
though 1t has equally revealed that in
France. as elsewhere. the average man
Is "a very poor creetur." indeed.
1t is said that as "the stricken deer
Is abandoned by his kind. and that they
even drive him from them by horning,
putting and otherwise maltreating him,
so men treat their fellow who Is assail-
ed by misfortune. whether by calumny,
loss of fortune. or other disaster. 1t IS
true. we are assured. that 1t is n spec
tacle for the gods to admire, to see a
good and brave man struggling with
adversely; but no man desires to make
such a spectacle of himself: and when
ne most needs human sympathy, it Is
poor consolation that behind the clouds
all Olympus is applauding his manly
constancy under trials that any minor
deity might have averted by lnterpos-
Ing for truth and right against false
hood and injustice.
When the assailants of n man are the
power, wealth and position of a commu-
nifty. or persons supposed to represent
these. he has a small chance for right.
All the mean. paltry, rascally and cow
ardly instincts of the beast in man
at once side against the unfortunate
victim, and rally in applause behind his
prosecutors. His friends and kindred
shun him. and his enemies eXult over
and trample upon him. while the In
different public refuse to hear him
taking II for granted that he must be
guilty to band so great n combination
against him. The more innocent the
man is the more indignant and out
ragged he is: for 1t Is not in human ma
ture to endure meekly the Vaccinations
OF malice. or the cruel neglects of In
difference. or the insults of self-conceit
and superciliousness. 1t is very we'll
to talk of what concous innocence
ought to be and to do: but in reality II
go aggravates the wrong and inlames
Its victim that the wonder is that he
does not run a muck in his fury
Every true man is filed with defiance
revolt and contempt under such cir
cumstances. and If he does not exhibit
e"SiAi oeiphSiS All Tic SUSS ana does.
II is because common prudence re-
strains him from prejudicing his case
and provoking the liar of circumstance
into whose Jaws he has fallen. whether
by his own slip, or an enemy's trip
The Dreyfus instance is an APPALLING
and monstrous example of its kind. and
In all It's incidents from the beginning
to this moment Is so full OF perfdy. I'M
scrupulousness. humanity, brutality
ana ineffable villany that It would shat
ter all faith in human nature but for
the appearance on the dreadful scene OF
such noble and heroic characters as
Madame Dreyfus, Major Picouart
Monsieur lola (the novellsD, the coun-
sci Of NJ. Dreyfus and others. who have
20 steadfastly stood by the prisoner
through all obloquy, all hazard. all ter
ror. all intimidation. all costs and con.
sequences to this hour of re-hearing
and hope.
Suicide is confession" and the inno-
cence of Dreyfus is proclaimed by the
awful self-eXecution OF the principal
malefactors in the conspiracy to ruin
him and consign him to infamy. But
even If 1t were possible to appear that
Dreyfus Is guilty and merits the fate
apportioned him on Devils Island, no
whit nor little OF the honor attaching
to his defenders can be denied them, or
clouded by the acts OF others. Record
ed in heaven and earth. and in the
hearts OF men. the glory OF the chival-
rio rescue from the very mouth Of hell