THE DREYFUS MYSTERIES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10333, 29 April 1899, Page 8

THE DREYFUS MYSTERIES.

There has been a long succession of mysteries connected with this champion scandal of history. There were first mysterious documents, secret and extra secret "dossier-." There were tremendous reasons why these could not be revealed. Nothing less than a first class war would be the result. One by one tbe Powers have practically challenged publication and the popular theory as to the Power involved has changed again and again. There have been "veiled ladies," and threats and promises of "crushing proofs." There has always been a pretence of having a winning card in reserve. For two years t_e civilised world has been exp"octiug and expecting in vain. Mystery, succeeds mystery. WiUde Collins at his best could not bold a candle to the French military party in the creating of expectancy and in throwing tub reader off the scent. Above all this obfuscation, however, there rises, as

' i ' .■■ i vy. the '•National' Review*'- - •points out, champion mystery. The military party aijs* sume that the guilt of Dreyfus is so that revision can but confirm the Why, then, in the mane of reason, have they'll continued to oppose revision with the fury| of wild cats? Seeing that the danger of in-'* - tecovationaicomph'cationsis a hoax, why have, >- they not hastened to save the honour of the - army and its oowrtjrby proving their case up ",' to the h_A? Five mcceasive Ministers af.4 War have solemnly declared that there were J absolute proofs of the conviot'a guilt. Gene-' J rals and heads of deparfansnts by the bat-]£ taKon baro been ready tx> swear the - thing. Yet the very word revision was enough!!' to set them and their organs raving. Eng-i'l lishmeii can form no idea of the violence and-;V fury pf the raving of the French militjayr' journals except by seeing examples, Tho'j? "Oour de Cassation." is one of the ablest and I ', most dignified Courts in the world. The ~ first question submitted to it was not re-"" vision, but whether there should be any vision. Before they touched even this pre.--, h'minary question the military organs began '•- to pour out a torrent of abuse upon the - 1 judges, which is simply astounding. -The ' infamous Henri Rochefort is a chief coafi- ' dent of the generals, and this is how he writes in the "Intransigeant": "What pun- - "i'shmena is sufficient for the traitors who ' "have scfld us to William H.? To "smear them with pitch and make' "living torches of them, as Nero " did with tho Christians, would be gomewhat "of an antiquated amusement. An idea has "occurred to mc wliich might"give satisfac-' "tion even to the most exasperated. Let '•the members of the Court be drawn up in "single file, and let an executioner, duly " trained, cut off their eyelids, so as to leave "the eyeballs bare. Then let some most " venomous and hungry spiders be enclosed "in.nutshells'and applied to the eyeballs. '* The famished -spiders would not be fas"tidious, and would feed upon the eyeballs "till nothing but ghastly cavities were left. -" Then let these hideous blind men be • " chained to a pillory in front of the Pajais "de Justice, where their crimes have been ' committed, with placards fixed to their ," breasts: 'Thus does France punish traitors "who attempt to sell her to the enemy.' "Let them' reniain for-two hours exposed to "the hooting, invective, and spittle of the "crowd, etc." ' - This appeared early in last October, and if it stood alone would only prove that therewas one criminal lunatic at large in France. But the editor of the "National Review' 1 de-. Clares that this frightful sample can be,, matched any day" in the "Libre' Parole,"-' '-'Petit Journal," "-Echo Paris," or 'Gau- ' lois." The judges are held up to scorn as I traitors, scoundrels, hirelings, Jews, Protestants, Prussians, and what not, according ito the taste and fancy of the writer. In the j Chamber of Deputies the War Office also has 1 its spokesmen, who are put up to abuse the Court. Meanwhile the pusiuanimous Government look* tamely on, or, perhaps moves the previous question. It, is a great riddle to Englishmen how such things can be allowed month after, month. Is there no" reason and no conscience in the multitude who support these papers? Is.there no such thing as contempt" of Court in France ?' But of all the mysteries this, is the chief: If there is. absoluteproof agamst'Dreyfus, why this frantic,' hostility to an -impartial - inquiry? * The answer "is inevitable, - there is no absolute proof, but there is a hope of intimidating the court. " For this purpose*'the general staff baa not -topped at furious" writing, and orating. A band of 3000 ruffians is 'said to have been organised who boast that they will wipe out their enemies, including the judges. Now, the Court has three courses. J It can acquit Dreyfus, or it can confirm his sentence,,or refer him back, to the court-martial for a fresh trials "which would be the same thing as confirming his sentence. The champions of the generals already" boast that the Court had once-mfl.de up its mind for acquittal, but owing to clamour and threats, of which the judges receive some every day, they now intend to send the prisoner back to tm court-martial. For the sake of civilisation, and. for the sake of what was once a great and chivalrous,nation, we hope that the judges will do their duty and maintain the traditions of their office.'