The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-11-29
A POINT FOR DREYFUS.
Picquart's Court Martial May Now
Be Postponed,
THOUGH THE CHAMBER VOTED NO

the Court.
Paris, Nov. 29.-The minister of war,
NJ De Freycinet, in the chamber of
deputies yesterday, refused to inter-
Vene in the Picquart affair." and the
house approved the governments dec
laration, regarding the separation of |
military and civil powers by vote of |
437 to 49, During the debate the presi-
dent of the chamber was frequently
obliged to intervene in order to quiet |
the uproar on all sides.
M Poincare, Republican, made an |
impassioned speech in the course of
which he said 1t was not necessary to |
confound the army with few i'm
prudent men While the members of
the court martial were above suspicion,
the prosecution of Picquart savored of
reprisal. Colonel Picquarts secret i'm
prisonment, NJ. Poincare further as
serted, was beyond all precedent, and
there were guilty persons, he claimed,
who were enjoying scandalous i'm
munity.
M. Poincare, who was minister of
public instruction in 1885, created
sensation by adding:
I'VE were attacked for the Dreyfus
prosecution in 1894, but l learned of the
| Dreyfus affair through the newspa-
! pers."
Tremendous applause and uproar fol-
| lowed this assertion.
M. Barthou, who was minister of
public works in 1894, here nterjected:
"I am ready to indorse the words of
M. Poincare, which are true"
This called forth more applause and
exclamations of ''it is absurd" ut is
inconceivable." Thereupon M. Poin-
care added:
THE only proof of Dreyfus' guilt in
1894 consisted of the bordereau. No
cabinet minister, nor even the presi-
dent of the council Of ministers, heard
any mention of the confessions Dreyfus
is alleged to have made to Captain
| Lebrun- Renault."
NJ. Cassagnac, the former minister Of
war, said:
General Mercier secured these con-
fessions."
General Mercier was minister Of war
at the time of the Dreyfus trial.
M. Poincare continued: Captain
Lebrun- -Renaut, when he was examin-
ed by the president of the council. did
not mention the Dreyfus confession"
This statement caused applause to
break forth from all parts Of the house,
during which NJ. Cavaignac tried to
| speak, DuI was HOWleu uOWH
Let us hear the hero of the for
gery'
M. Poincare concluded by saying:
"Silence has weighed heavily upon
me, and am now happy to have had
the opportunity to tell what know of
the case"
NJ. De Freycinet said: "The gov
ernment, on assuming office, found the
. proceedings pending. We have only
one anxiety, and that is to ascertain
the truth. We do not object to furnish
ing the court of cessation with all the
evidence available excepting the evil
dence involving the national defense"
After another appeal from M Miller
;, and for postponement of the Pic
, quart court martial, M. Dupuy, the
6 premier declared that the Dreyfus af-
fair must remain purely judicial, as
. the only means of reaching the truth,
a which may now be attained"
G I'VE decline to order a postponement
y of the court martial" said the premier.
/ ITO give such an order, even If we
+ had the right, would be to strike a
blow at the principle of separation of
the public powers. 1t is not within the
province of parliament or the govern
J. ment to adjust the connection which
0 may exist between the Dreyfus and
Picquart cases. Our intervention
K would be calculated to hamper the
k work of the court of cessation. We
g. will respect the decisions of the law
q We are a government of law, and re-
- fuse to be a government of arbitrary
measure
40 The order of the day approving the
statements of the government respect
s. ing the principle Of the separation OF
the judicial and executive powers, was
8. then adopted by vote of 437 to 73.
In the Hobbies of the chamber Mr.
" Dupuys speech was Interpreted as ar
invitation to the court cf cessation tC
ask for the production of the peti
bleu md othe~ 1crumerls in the Pic
nd quart cese ',uich h. govern 'nen
,o would iramedla'r'Y produce, thus indi
M rectly leading to a pcstponement of tn
a- court martial, which the c1vernmen
., has refused to grant unde: dureos.
The vote in the chamber enables th'
&c arti- Dreyfr7ites to sing song OF vic
n' tory, since TIE Dreyfusite demand wa
for the government to order the Pic
- quart court martial postponed.
y, Nevertheless, the whole debate serv
ut ed to advance the cause of Dreyfus. M
Dupuy's speech Is admitted on al
-. hands to have been a masterpiece o
nt craftsmanship. He did not deny tina
the government had power to inter
=, vene with General Zurlinden, but eX
49, Tlained that it would be better for tn
court of cessation to do so.
Perhaps the most significant featur
of the debate after NJ Poincare's reve
lations, which served to draw eve
closer the bonds of suspicion surround
ing General MERCER, is the changin
attitude OF the chamber toward NJ
Cavaignac. The latter's speech befor
:. the period of the Henry suicide was ac
H. cepted and placarded throughout tn
l., country as proof of the guilt of Drey
~ fus. Now he is received with the howl
Of the deputies when he attempts I
III Justify his attitude.
The general belief is that the couI
of cessation will now demand the Pic
quart dossier thus delaying the cour
martial.
1t is reported that General ZurlindeI
military governor OF Paris. has alread
resigned. There Is also a report tina
n Colonel Picquart will be released o
- bail.
~