"J'Accuse...!" (French pronunciation: [ʒakyz]; "I Accuse...!") is an open letter, written by Émile Zola in response to the events of the Dreyfus affair, that was published on 13 January 1898 in the newspaper L'Aurore. Zola addressed the President of France, Félix Faure, and accused his government of antisemitism and the unlawful jailing of Alfred Dreyfus, a French Army General Staff officer who was sentenced to lifelong penal servitude for espionage. Zola pointed out judicial errors and lack of serious evidence. The letter was printed on the front page of the newspaper, and caused a stir in France and abroad. Zola was prosecuted for libel and found guilty on 23 February 1898. To avoid imprisonment, he fled to England, returning home in June 1899.
Other pamphlets proclaiming Dreyfus's innocence include Bernard Lazare's A Miscarriage of Justice: The Truth about the Dreyfus Affair (November 1896). As a result of the popularity of the letter, even in the English-speaking world, J'accuse! has become a common expression of outrage and accusation against someone powerful, whatever the merits of the accusation.[1][2]
J'accuse! is one of the best-known newspaper articles in the world.[3]
- ^ "Definition of J'Accuse". www.merriam-webster.com.
- ^ Jacoby, Jeff (30 March 2008). "When Zola wrote 'J'accuse!'". Boston.com – via The Boston Globe.
- ^ A. Pagès, Une journée dans l'affaire Dreyfus, p. 7.