The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-23
Alfred Dreyfus Writes to the
Minister of War.
HIS THRILLING PRAYER
This Dramatic Document is Destined 10 Create
Intense Agitation Among the Elements Of
The Political Groups for and
Against Dreyfus.
Against Dreyfus.
BY the Associated Press.)

Paris, April 2t-Alfred Dreyfus has
submitted to Minister of War Andre
lengthy letter in which he earnestly asks
for a re-opening of his case by means
of an investigation by the minister, as the
supreme head of military justice. The
letter, which is dated Paris, April Il, con-
firms the reports that Dreyfus has been
living quietly here for some time. 1t
promises to cause a tremendous agitation
among the various elements of the politi-
cal groups for and against Dreyfus. The
first part of the letter is an earnest plea
that the court which condemned him at
Rennes was improperly influenced, first
b .ythe annotated document ascrbe4 to
Emperor William, and second, by the
false testimony of one of the witnesses,
Czernuski.
After arguing on the extent to which
these contributed to his condemnation,
Dreyfus recalls in graphic terms the ong
series of horrors to which he had been
subjected.
The etter throughout is couched in
Highly dramatic stye which is ikey to
make it one of the notable papers of the
case.
It refers to Esterhazy as "one who
stands before the entire world as the cul-
prit."
One Of the passages, showing the rhe-
torical style, is as follows:
Il will not recall, Mr. Minister, what
have endured since 1894 Picture to your
selS the horrors of a soldier whose life
fad 70
and to profound devotion for his country
and who in an instant is stripped of his
good name and despOiled of the honor of
himself and his children. For five years
this soldier is subjected to horrible suf-
ferings. They seek to crush him phys-
cally, to annihilate him morally. He is
absolutely innocent of all crime and
struggles in vain to penetrate the mys-
terry, proclaiming his innocence and
struggling with all the forces of his
mind and body for that supreme pleas
ure of vindcating hs good name and char
acter. Days, months, years pass thus
in most cruel agony amid the tortures of
murderous climate. At last he is
brought back to France, the guilty one
is discovered and the soldier hears him
self proclaimed innocent by those who
before reviIed him as traitor.
1T was thus, Mr.. Minister, that I hap
pened TO see my martyrdom end But
alas, if [ returned to find the devotion
of friends who had battled for the truth
it was to find also that deadly hatred had
been unloosed.
I'm the processes of 1894 was stabbed
in the back: / cannot imagine how such
conditions can prevail through falsehood
and deception. But so it was any my
second condemnation was but an aggra
waited confirmation of what had occurred
in 1894 When the guilty one was known
and unmasked and E5terhazy was recog
nized as the author of the treason, the
same men who had cheated justice in 1894
again sought in 1899 to cheat justice for
the second time by the same criminal
manouevrs Conscious of these methods,
the government of the republic will not
permit itself to keep in prison one who
is known to be innocent
In constant thought of ultimate legal
revision, l have reassembled little by
little all the divergent elements of testi-
mony contributing to my conviction.
have scorned calumnies and faleshoods.
have remained silent with the firm con-
vction that justice would surely have its
day of triumph. The victim of criminal
tactics and violation of the law twice
committed against me, | now address my
self to the supreme chief of military
justice and, supporting myself by new
facts which have been elected and by the
existence of the pretended bordereau an
notated by Empror William, 1 beg to ask
that you institute an inquiry, first upon
the uses made of this false document at
Rennes and the consequences it produced
on those rendering judgment; second
upon the false and fraudulent testimony
of Czerniusk at RenneS
After a deferential salutation the let
ter is signed:
ALFRED DREYFUS."