The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JULY 16, 1906. VINDICATED OFFICERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1809, 16 July 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JULY 16, 1906. VINDICATED OFFICERS.

| Tiie reinstatement of Major Dreyfus | to a position of honor in the French 8 army is a tardy reparation for one of the most monstrous miscarriages | of justice in modern history. Were a \ work of tiotion to contain tho many dramatic incidents and examples of deep-dyod villany that actually in real life in regard to Major occurn. " : '’ a dier General Pic-

Dreyfus and jd^ o . ' —■ been quart, the author would naycredited with more than ordinary powers of imagination. Few men could have so valiantly withstood the shameful treachery, tho horrible perjury, and the storm of invective that ' was endured by these two brave and - upright officers. Most men in like i circumataucos would have given up tha s

fight in dospair. and roaignodly rand 0 t.)i» donirod admisaionn tliut would havo oxonoratod tho seoundrola implicated,

ami no doubt liavo securod immunity from further punishment of those whoso admissions had established tho case of tho conspirators. But Dreyfus arid Piccjuart wore made of stornor stuff, ' and however hopeless tho strugglo for tho right must have aermod at times, they remained firm in confronting the conspirators. Unfortunately tiio prevalent idea that tho honor of tho Proncli army was .at stako. and that to savo its reputation tlieso men must bo sacrificed, whothor 1 innocent or not, lod to a chain of circumstances that made a return to the path of honor a very difficult Ono false accusation involved, even worse docoit until tho most impartial judge could hardly find a redeeming point in tho blackened characters of the mon. Yet time has been kind to them, and by their own righteous persistency and tho efforts of a few devotod friends, tho outcome after this terrible ordeal is a complete vindication of their characters ; their innoconco is declared, tho'r honor uphold, and by way of recognition of tho result they havo boon promoted. This is a poor consolation for. tho years of mental torture, but it is a wonderful examplo of how men so borne down and trampled in tho miro of malevolence and falsity, could yet strugglo to the surface and at length overcomo their onemios and securo a triumphant vindication. It Beems strange that thero should be any hesitation in ordering tho punishment of the forgers, but probably that is beoauso it might bo taken as a vote of censure on tho Government, the latter boing in duly bound to take the necessary punitive stops.