The National tribune., 1906-07-19

The sensational trial OF Capt. Alfred
Dreyfus, of the, FIench army. has taken
another still more sensational form in
the decision Il of the French Supreme
Court affirming his complete innocence.
The Ministry announces that 1t will pre-
sent an urgent bill in Parliament to re-
store Dreyfus to the army with adj
vanced rank and to otherwise make
most ample reparation. The matter
began In 1894 with Dreyfus's arrest as
being the author OF intercepted COM
munications which revealed French
military secrets to the German authori-
ties. A secret court-martial was held.
which condemned Dreyfus to deporta-
ton for life, and he was publicly de-
graded before the army He was sent
to the lie du Diable, Off French Guiana
where he was treated with the utmost
severity. A year later evidence was dis.
covered pointing to Commandant Es-
terhazy as the guilty party, and then
began most intense agitation, into
which M. Emile lola, the great novel;
LIST, entered with energy, and the inves-
legations showed an inconceivable rot
tenness In the upper circles of the
French army. The clique succeeded in
bringing lola and his publisher to trial
and conviction, but they avoided i'm
prisonment by flying to England. M.
Cavaignac, the Minister Of War, tried to
stop the agitation by stating officially in
the Chamber of Deputies that Dreyfus
had been justly found guilty. The next
month Col. Henry confessed that he had
forged the documents which he had
shown M. Cavaignac, and which con-
WINGED him of Dreyfus's guilt. Henry
committed suicide by cutting his throat
and Cavaignac was forced to resign. All
these proceedings were attended with
the utmost excitement among the peo-
pie. Esterhazy fed to England. and
there confessed that he wrote the treas
enable communication. Dreyfus was
brought back from lie du Diable and
given a new trial. which resulted In a
verdict Of guilty and a sentence of 10
years imprisonment He was imme-
diately pardoned by President Loubet.
and the Government tried to check all
further agitation by passing an amnesty
bill. Dreyfus'sI friends still continued
their efforts TO secure justice for him.
and the case2finaily reached the French
Supreme Court June Is and was decid-
ed July IL. lPfeyfus is a Jew, born in
Alsace in 1859. A4d had had a brilliant
record In thes Military School and in the
army. arriving at the rank of Captain
of Artillery IN; 1889. His vindication is
largely due to the incessant work of his
wife. who never for a moment doubted
her husbands Innocence. and spent her
| large fortune in her efforts to demon
| strate it. She Visited Emperors and
Kings. pleading, her husbands cause,
and neglected no opportunity to inter-
est friends n,his behalf.
The case VIII have colossal benefits
| 1t will break up the corrupt ring which
has been dominating the French army.
1t has awakened the whole French peo-
pie to justice, as justice is understood in
countries. and it will
go far to destroy the inquisitorial meth
DDS of investigation and trial which pre-
vail in all Latin countries and which
are directly opposed to the methods of
justice in England and the United
States. Such a case as that of Dreyfus
| could not have happened in Great Brit
ain or the United States, faulty as our
systems are. 1t Is only possible in Il
Latin country. which has been educated
by the inquisition and by the methods
Of the civil law to secret trials and con-
formations by juriss insead Of judges.