ZOLA AND DREYFUS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4295, 2 March 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

ZOLA AND DREYFUS

THE NOVELIST'S NEW LETTER. The “AnroriV’ bp. published a nev letter from Zola addressed to ,M. Lou bet, which fills eioJa of its columns 31. Zola begins by recalling bis lotto; to 3,1. Faur« of January 12, 1821, ivhicl J.I. Faur© ignored, committing a mou-s-inuv iniquity. 31. Zola claims, by which In’s memory is clouded. 31. Zola condemns the Amnesty bill as a supreme denial of justice. v.’hioh history will stigmatise as "the infamous amnesty.” “The IValdeck-Eousseau i.linislry r.nd the President are,” he says, “committaag the same fault ns their prcJeec-sors after a silence of 18 months, in order to avoid being a source of difficulty to the Government.” 31. Zola nhe.i speaks of'the •‘terrifying sentence of the Rennes courtmarital, that insolent provocation, the iniquity of which caused the whole world to shudder.’’ He condemns the Government for iiconicscing in that sentence, and slates that the Court of Cassation should have boon again summoned. He deplores the necer-Uy which inis led 3131. Prison and WaJdeck-Eousseau to condone crime for State- reasons. “Franco in running into fresh catastrophic*: the truth will awake, its clamour will be heard and will unchain the tempest. Whence it will come J know' not. but the storm will come.” 3,1. Zola, deplores the result of the Govern-

inoritV. no i icy with regard to its effect on the- Republic. -'What sort of ifiSSOll? are you giving the democracy wlien you iench that at certain moment; truth and justice no longn' exist, when interests of .State are p.x stake? This is restoring the reason of State to the pine,, of honour by men who condemned it in -Mona; ohy and the Church.” M Zola regrets that, several of his friend:', of such rank should welcome the amnesty for too sake of the immunity secured hy fib Pic-quart. He pours scorn cn a measure that- includes in the same hatch .(’icquart, Estcrhassy, Reinnch, Hu Pa.ty do Clam, Merrier. and himself. He denies the statement that the Dr"--. fus affair has done, groat harm to Franco as compared with the. admirable spectacle given by the Titanic struggle for .umtico and the conflict of all living forces for the same ideal. The affair, ho claims, has saved the Republic, has unmasked enemies who wore plotting its destruction, whose .schemes it. disclosed before they were ripe for execution. XI. Zola. reiterate; the charger made in his fa,mons "J'accuso” letter. 'Lc claims they have boon proved by evidence before the Court of Cassation and or, R; imc.s. As regards himself, ho says he is tranquil, as lie did his duty as honestly as he could. He will now return to his books, but history will judge. Mis eyes aiul c«U’s remain, open, for “I haw n tennc'ou.s hope that I may sco ••rath and justice srrivo- from distant f\ e! dn in the future.” Another part of the loiter says; “I shall not cease repeating that the affair cannot cease as long as Franco does not know and repair the injustice. I said the fourth act was played at Rennes, and that there would have to boa, fifth act. Anxiety remains in my heart. The people (if France always forget that the Emperor of Germany is in possession of the truth, which ho may throw in our face when the hour strikes. Perhaps he has already chosen his time. This would be the horrible fifth act which I hare- always dreaded, of which the French Government should not for ono hour accept the terrible contingency.”