The Bush Advocate. TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER 26

Bush Advocate, Volume XII, Issue 1752, 26 September 1899, Page 2

The Bush Advocate. TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER 26

END OP THE DREYFUS CASE ' 1 — « The Franoh nation hug at last been compelled to give Captain Dreyfus his freedom, but it Yns been dono und«r presmre and in mch an equivocal inannvr a« to liayfl beeu robbed of all magnanimity. President Loubet has beeu pleated to grant Dreyfus a pardon ; but really there can be no pardon in the true sense of word, where guilthai notbten proved, consequently Dreyfus has got liig freedom because there was nothing against him, and on account of tho great outcry which has be«r. raistd throughout the civilised world against the inhuman treatment which had ba«n dealt out to him. However, the gcurvy way he has been ci«»t out is so un-English as to bring down indignation on the heads of the French people. It ii admitted that Dreyfus was wrongly convicted. All the ividsnee against "him was giv»n by perjured and lying agents of the army, who wer». prompted to do so to save the, reputation of «,lot of unprincipled generals. T^osc generals who consigned Dreyfus to Devil's Island did so ou the ipse dixit of such men as Esterlmzy, Colonel Henry, Paty dv Clam, and others of that class, who perjured themselves in order to get rid of Dreyfus, and save tho scandal they knew he had the Itoy to. While incarcerated theio everything was dono to induce him to commit suicide, or cause his death through brok»n health ; but Dreyfus, with a conscious sense of innocence, and a wonderful tenaoity, clung to life, buoyed up with the hope that he would T«t b» rascuad from a living gr«ve. He whs correct in his estimate, as his friends wero always on the alert, and keeping his case bafoi.t the public, ,io in due course the Court of ■Cassa'tioncommmiced its inquiry, and after a patient hearing quashed the Dreyfus conviction, proving that he had beon, convicted wrongfully, and g'raiiiect'li' new trial. In due course Dreyfus waS brought back to France, and n trial by Court-martial instituted, whiohproved a perfect flaso. The Generals, who formed the Court were prejudiced against Dreyfus to such nn extent that it was a foregone conclusion that whatever evidence was produced in his favor he would bo condemned, and the spquel bore out that this opinion was based on reliable grounds • but the people wore aot prepared to stand by quietly and sco an innocent man sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, after having done five, years at the galleys, rhe verdict fall on the world nt-laree like an electric .hock. The Socialists m Franco at first took it up, and as the news reached country after country, a general condemnation of French methods, especially French justice, was thn result, which , went.so for that a general boycott of the Paris Exhibition wes threatened Now, if there is one point more th m another that mankind is vulnerable upon it is his pocket, and tho idea of boycotting the Exhibition meant the ! loss of millions to Fnince. Therefore, ' us we have said, President Loubot, out ( of his magnanimity of heart, pardoned ! Dreyfus because the boycott meant a • loss that France could not afford. ' Certainly «H'g well that ends wall, but the pardon w»uld have como with far better grace from the President had he added a, douceur of oue million ' francs as a solatium to Captaiu Dreyfus' outraged feelings. '