The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
ton with Dreyfus, influenced thousands of
patriotic people.

It Is not, of course, the business OF the
writer Of this book to recount at length
the story OF Dreyfus; 1t is rather his duty to
confine himself to narrating what lola him
self did to rescue Dreyfus from the hell in
which he suffered for many years--merely
recapitulating as he proceeds the facts
which are essential for proper understand
ing of zola's role Those readers OF the
book before us who desire detailed and
AUTHENTIC recital of the Dreyfus story are
referred In a foot note to the volumes in
which M. Joseph Reinaoh has set forth the
"Histoire de TAfaire Dreyfus.'
1t was only after quitting Medan for his
town residence late in the autumn OF 1897
that lola began to give serious attention
to the Dreyfus case. The various attempts
which the Dreyfus family and Col. Pic
quart influenced by his own disooveries)
had made in 1895 to bring about careful
demonstration Of the whole affair, had
yielded scarcely any result. In 1897. how
ever, the matter was taken up by M.
Standardization much respected vice.
president OF the Senate, who came to the
conclusion that the offence of which Drey-
fus had been convicted had really been
perpetrated by Major Walsin- Esterhazy.
Some of zola's friends, interested in the
|
presently several documents were shown
to him at his house. The papers made
deep impression on his mind. In order to
appreciate the unselfshness Of Zola's course
it is important to keep in view the fact that
he had no personal acquaintance with
the Dreyfus family; that he never saw Nine.
Dreyfus till she appeared in court during
the novelist's own trial in February 1903,
| and that ~ a 6nzap snpa n the
utmost he met NJ. Matthew Dreyfus and
discussed the case with him, all such inter-
views took place posteriorly to his inter-
vention. The novelists interposition was
based on a dispassionate study Of the facts
| and documents laid before him. He
weighed them with his usual care, exactly
as he weighed the documents collected for
his books There could be no greater mis-
take than to assume that the charges even
tually formulated by him We're brought
in haphazard fashion.
1t has sometimes been assumed that Z1la's
intervention began with his famous letter
"JAccuse." This. evidently, is mistake.
1t seems that one day in November, 1897,
while he was out walking, he met NJ Fer
nand de Rodays the director of lie Figaro,
and they talked Of the affair together. OBJ
serving that NJ de Rodays had arrived at
| much the same conclusions as himself, Zola
offered to write some articles for him. The
offer was accepted and, in November, 1897
ten days after NJ Matthew Dreyfus had
| formally denounced Major Walsin- lister
hazy as author of the notorious borderedu,
the Figaro began to print series Of con-
tributions from Zola's pen. The articles
We're temporarily worded, appealed to theH
readers judgment, and protested in a sober
| way against all attempts to inflame the
popular passions. Unquestionably, how
ever, they indicated belief in the innocence
| Of Dreyfus and asked for a full inquiry.
Consequently they angered the readers
of the Figaro who, being for the most part
society people, sympathizsd with the Jew
baiters. Moreover, the anti. Semitic and
| Nationalist prints, alarmed to find so capa-
| BILE man as lola espousing the cause Of
| Dreyfus attacked him savagely. So it
| came to Iass that lola had to withdraw
| from the Figaro, whose director, while adj
herring to his personal or inion in favor CT
Dreyfus, was unable to Withstand the clamor
OF his readers and shareholders. AS it
seemed doubtful whether any other paper
of standing would print what Z2la mi ght
write about the case, he decided to continue
his campaign with pamphlets, the first Of
WHICH,, "A lIttttT 10 1OuIIR wen,
was published on Dec IA, 1897. The pamph-
let was resented by those for whom it was
intended, and few days later, when ola
appeared as one of the pallbearers at the
funeral of his friend and fellow novelist,
Alphonse Daudet. he was hissed by the on
lockers. lola was a stubborn man, how
ever. Soon after Daudet's funeral, that
is to say in January. 1893. he issued
| opnther nonnblef this TINA Tatta RI
France" in which, after recurring to the
approaching arraignment of Major Walsin-
Esterhazy before a court-ma rtial he pro-
tested against the violence of the press,
and while disclaiming all idea OF insulting
the army, pointed Out the dangers OF mill
tarism, the threatening shadow Of the
sword, which, unless France were careful,
would lead her to a dictatorship. Behind
all else Cola depicted the Catholic Church
as bent ON revivng theocracy and into!.
erance. With respect to the affair itself
after complaining that the public mind had
been poisoned against those who had re-
solved to bring to light the truth he pointed
out that IL D-eyf,is had been condemned
on document written by another ester
hazy), whose guilt could be proved. a re-
vision Of the Dreyfus case would be an i'm
perative, logical necessity, for there could
not be two persons condemned for the same
crime.
1t is we'll known that the French War
Office, as it was then constituted, was deter
mined that the authorship OF the Dor
deredu should not be brought home to Wal
sin Esterhazy who accordingly was ac-
quilted unanimously by the court-martial
On the morrow of the real criminals ac-
quittal, the gallant Col. Picquart, who
had striven to prove his UNIV orthness, y as
arrested and imprisoned in the fortress Of
Mont Valerien. Cola now comprehended
that the military authorities were resolved
on denial Of justice. No ordinary means
could bring about a manifestation of the
truth There remained "the sacred right
of nsurrection, which only in great ex-
tremity could justifably be Put to use.
In Zolas opinion, such an extremity had
arrived, The sole means of eliciting the
truth lay in carrying the affair from the
military tribunals to a civil court Of justice,
where some equity might, perhaps, be
found. This could only be achieved, how
ayar hv rpefhod virtually rayol,t;o,,r,,