Jan 13, 2025 Book of the Week — J’Accuse…!

“The Truth is on the march, and nothing shall stop it.”
— Émile Zola

J’accuse–! : lettre au Président de la Republique
Émile Zola (1840-1902)
Paris: L’Aurore, 1904
xDC354 Z65 1904

Émile Zola was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, and most established author from the literary school of naturalism. Born in France, Zola had a penchant for the arts. Rather than pursue a law degree, as his mother had intended, Zola instead began writing. After moving to Paris at the age of eighteen, Zola and his childhood friend, Paul Cézanne, immersed themselves in the scene of the French bohemians. A seemingly aimless youth proved to be intellectually fruitful — he published numerous short stories, essays, and plays. In 1865, Zola published his first novel, La Confession de Claude (Claude’s Confession), a sordid, semi autobiographical tale that drew the attention of both the public and the police. Although he was subsequently fired from his job with the French publishing group, Hachette, Zola was not dismayed. With his next novel, Thérèse Raquin (1867), Zola began Les Rougon-Macquart, a twenty-volume series that would cement his fame not only in France, but around the world. 

On  January 13, 1898, Émile Zola risked his career and more with his open letter, J’accuse…! published on the front page of the literary socialist newspaper, L’Aurore (The Dawn). The open letter was addressed directly to Félix Faure, the President of France, for his complacency in the ongoing “Dreyfus Affair.” In the letter, Zola accused the government of falsely convicting and imprisoning Alfred Dreyfus, a French Army General Staff officer accused of espionage. He also accused the government of antisemitism, due to the cruel treatment of Dreyfus on trial and in the media. Zola drew the 4,000-word accusation broadly, with the intention of being sued for libel. Once the suit was filed, Zola and other Dreyfusards (supporters of Dreyfus) could highlight the dubious evidence on which Dreyfus had been convicted. The article caused a sensation, with some 300,000 copies sold.  Zola was indeed brought to trial for J’accuse…! and convicted just two weeks later. To avoid imprisonment, he fled to England, but continued to defend Dreyfus.

“These, Sir, are the facts that explain how the miscarriage of justice came about; the evidence of Dreyfus’s character, his affluence, the lack of motive, and his continued affirmation of innocence combine to show that he is the victim of the lurid imagination of Major du Paty de Clam, the religious circles surrounding him, and the ‘dirty Jew’ obsession that is the scourge of our time.”

The Dreyfus Affair began in September 1894, when French intelligence discovered that someone had been passing military secrets to the German Embassy. Dreyfus was immediately implicated, despite no direct evidence against him.  After a secret military court-martial, Dreyfus was sentenced, stripped of his rank, and sent to Devil’s Island, a penal colony located off the coast of French Guiana. It was soon revealed that another officer, Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, was the true spy. Rather than exonerate Dreyfus of his crime, the military made the decision to protect Esterhazy and ensure the original verdict would not be overturned — by forging documents to make Dreyfus look guilty. 

With new evidence pointing at Esterhazy, Dreyfus appealed for a retrial 1899. The government countered his appeal and, instead of an annulment, offered him a pardon provided that he admit guilt. Although he submitted to the demands, Dreyfus continued to fight for his innocence. In 1906, he appealed his case again and was not only exonerated, but also awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honour, for a “soldier who has endured an unparalleled martyrdom.”

For twelve years, the Dreyfus Affair created deep divisions among the French citizenry — the reactionary army and Catholic Church, on the one hand, and the more liberal commercial society, on the other. As socialist politician Léon Blum described, “People’s personal lives, and the life of the community, were completely absorbed, they were turned upside down by unparalleled passions.” The ramifications of the events continued for decades and influenced the political awakening for many people.

Today, J’accuse…! is considered to be one of the best-known newspaper articles in history. It not only led to a final pardon for Alfred Dreyfus, it also established the role of intellectuals in shaping public opinion, the media, and the state, essentially changing the future of France. One hundred years later, on the anniversary of its publication, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin called the Dreyfus Affair “one of the founding events in the history of our country.” In honor of Zola’s article, a 42-foot-high reproduction of L’Aurore’s front page hung on the facade of the National Assembly. 

The Marriott Library’s Rare Books copy was reprinted for the second anniversary of the author’s death as a supplement to the September 24, 1904 issue of L’Aurore. Verso includes commentary and a biographical sketch of Zola by Maurice Le Blond. Le Blond joined L’ Aurore in 1901, and seven years later married Denise Zola, the daughter of Émile. He would later devote all his energy to the memory of Zola by organizing the annual pilgrimage to Médan and by writing numerous commentaries on the work of his illustrious father-in-law.

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