The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-10
The Dreyfus Case to BE Reopened.

From the proceedings which took place
in the French Chamber Of Deputies on
April Q and April it is evident that the
Dreyfus case will again be made the
subject of inquiry. This time. more
over. a court-martial will not be per-
mitted to whitewash, by reaffirming the
original sentence against DREYFUs. the
Generals and officers who are accused
Of completely in concocting and sup
dressing evidence. The investigation
will be conducted by a civil tribunal, a
course allowable under the Code, for
the reason that new facts have been
discovered.
II will be remembered that the Court
of Cessation set aside the sentence rem
dered by the first court-martial, in pur-
suance of which Capt. DREYFUs was de-
graded from his rank in the army and,
after suffering horrible indignities, was
condemned to cage on Devils Island,
of the coast of Cayenne. The Court OF
Cessation ordered that DREYFUs should
receive a second trial, to which end
court-martial was convoked at Rennes
In Brittany. Although, in the almost
unanimous opinion of onlookers, the
evidence produced failed to sustain the
charge, the second court-martal ar
rived at the curious decision that DREY-
FUs was guilty, but deserved to be recon-
mended to mercy. We call the decision
curious because, il DREYFUs really COM
mitted the crime imputed to him, no
punishment could be too severe for him.
Not a few Of DREYFUs's friends, and,
conspicuously, the late EMILE lola,
thought that q pardon rendered under
such circumstances should be rejected.
When Q pardon was ordered by the Min
istry Of the day, however, DREYFUs &C
copied II, submitting to the loss Of his
military rank and to the apparently
permanent consignment OF his name
and memory to infamy. There were
stin those, however, who believed that
crime had been committed in subjecting
an unfortunate man to an appalling
alternative. and who were resolved that,
should fresh light ever be cast on the
mysterious affair, the real criminals
should be held up to obloquy.
The desired fresh light was at last
secured, in the shape of two significant
documents, after Gen. ANDRE became
head Of the War Office, and NJ. JAUREs,
ono Of the most eloquent men in public
life, was deputed to present them to the
Chamber Of Deputies. 1t will be remem-
bered that the members OF both courts
martial were charged with having been
materially influenced by documents not
openly produced, but privately exhibited.
Az neither the accused nor his counsel
were permitted to inspect the documents,
their exhibition 10 the court was glar-
ing violation of justice. NJ. JAUREs
showed that one of the documents which
helped to convict DREYFUs was a paper
bearing notes ostensibly in the hand
writing of the Emperor Of Germany,
but now known to be forgeries, perpe-
trated, like Col. HENRY's forgery, in the
War Office. The second incriminatory
document was letter written by Gen.
DE- PELLIEUx. in August, 1898, the day
when Col. HENRY committed suicide, 20
NJ. CAvAIGNAC, then Minister of War,
asking permission to resign, because he
realized that he had been the dupe OF
men devoid Of honor, and was unable
longer to rely on the good faith Of his
subordinates and unable to trust his
supcriors, who had made him work with
forgeries A copy Of this letter was read
by NJ. JAURks on Monday. April 0,
and on the following day Gen. ANDRE,
the present War Minister, laid the origi-
nal before the Chamber.
When the copy was read NJ. BRIssoN,
who had been Premier in August, 1895,
denounced CAvAIGSAC as unworthy to be
called Republican. or to be treated as
an honest man. pointing out that he had
concealed from his official chief for six
teen days the forgery committed by Col