25th Feb.
'Tue telegram' quoted below, dated Lon~ -don,-the 81st ult,, is-delicious. Dreyfus davis oundledto a' living grave—worse than' a'gritve; because all'agony of mind and body ceases in the grave—because the'Frénch -people were deluded by "their Goverinienit into the belief that he Ind: treacherously sold: military secrets to Gevinnity, the 'Power'on: which: they still hope to' avenge themselves, 'The "heads of the French: Army must-have kvown'all'the time that it was their fond: ally, 'Russia, Which' had bought the secrets from Dreyfus or -somebody else; but they dare not tell the people the'trath,-and it'lias even been thought possible that they will provoke a war with England to divert the thoughts -ofthe French, - Russiais, no doubt; urging Frauce"on, for Russia will surely feel sore at lier defeat-by England and Ger-moly sit Pekitig. "I'he telegram says:—"ihe Novosti hints that the Power -eouceried inthe Dreyfus affair was a ftiendof' France ititereésting itself'as to theatre" condition of the country, and HMor-. purely diplomatic reiisons. The 'Novosti adds that Dieyfus'was not a traitor, but' "merely violated official secrecy; and'that-a revision of the trial is unavoidable' by Fravice."
"Bmile'Zbla-had the courdige"to say that Dreyfus-was unjustly condemned but Dreyfus is: a "Jew, and the - Paris: mob is"at the monieuit possessed mad distrust of the Jews. -It suits'the san thorities at: Paris to foster this feeling in the mob-ini order to divert: attention "from the judicial crime committed atid enifirmed; and now to what seems the disgrace of -the French Courts, one -of France's: greatest living writers, a man who shas spread the' fame "of French Jitérature all over' the civilised" world, has-been condemned to ayeer's imprison: ment anda' fine, the' severest punish. ment possible for the crime with' which was charged; in order to cover up the original mistake of trying Dreyfus secret, because if he had been tried in public, the truth might have come out as to the Power with whom Dreyfus was accused of having trafficked. 'I'he French-are naturally -a very generous people, and fond of justice, and we ean-not believe that there will not be a re-he tion in Zola's favour and "that of' the man he is punished for defending, when the present anti-Jewish passion in Psiris dies down. as it surely-will,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.