On Jan. 13, 1898, a Paris newspaper carried the headline, "J'Accuse," giving title to an article penned by famed resident novelist Emile Zola. In this open letter to the President of the French Republic, Zola thoroughly exposed the corruption evident in in a high profile case of wrongful conviction, known as the Dreyfus Affair. To avoid embarrassment and to protect one of their own (and likely in an act of anti-Semitism as well), judges and generals robbed a Jewish army officer of a fair trial, convicting him to prison with manufactured evidence in secret sessions. Zola's brazen outrage was a huge sensation that drew the attention of the European and American press, and generated great public outcry. As he had hoped, Zola was brought to trial for criminal libel, where he was able to introduce evidence regarding the Dreyfus case that brought a retrial and eventual release of the unfortunate prisoner. Zola himself was further persecuted for his involvement, losing his personal fortunes in legal defenses, living for some time in exile to avoid imprisonment, and suffering anti-Semitic persecution, which may well have resulted in his "accidental" death in 1902.
"J'Accuse" stands as a monument to civil rights activism, and to the power that journalism can have to bring truth to light, and justice back to the people. Our pain and outrage at injustice can be channeled into powerful movement for change.
To learn more:
“J’Accuse ...!” Emile Zola, Alfred Dreyfus, and the Greatest Newspaper Article in History. Donald E. Wilkes, Jr., Flagpole Magazine, p. 12 (February 11, 1998).
Written by a professor at UGa School of Law, this is a great overview of the case, Zola's participation, and the larger import of Zola's actions.
“I ACCUSE…!” Open Letter to the President of the French Republic by Emile Zola. Translation and notes by Shelley Temchin and Jean-Max Guieu, Georgetown University, 2001.
Extensively notated translation of the original. The endnotes provide much explanation and insight into the social, historical and individual factors involved.
