The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-29
4 POINT FOR DRBYFUS.
Picquart's Court Martial May Now
Be Postponed, rs. ,...
THOUGH THE CHAMBER VOTED NO

Documents ForinerlyDenied the Court
Of Cessation VIII BE Turned Over by
the Government on the Demand Of
the Court.
Paris, Nov. 29-The minister of war,
M 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
4S7 to 70. 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 it was not necessary to
confound the army with a few i'm
prudent men. While the members OF
the court martial were above suspicion,
the prosecution of Picquart savored Of
reprisal. Colonel Picquart's secret i'm
prisonment, M. Poincare further as
serted, was beyond all precedent. and
there were guilty persons, he claimed,
who were enjoying scandalous i'm
munity.
NJ. Poincare, who was minister of
public instruction in 1895, created a
sensation by adding:
I'VE were attacked for the Dreyfus
prosecution in 1894, but 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 interjected:
Il am ready to indorse the words Of
M. Poincare, which are true"
This called forth more applause and
EXPLANATIONS of ut is absurd" at Is
Uncomfortable" Thereupon NJ 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 MERCER secured these con-
fessions."
General MERCER was minister of war
at the time Of the Dreyfus trial.
M. Poincare continued: Captain
Lebrun- Renault. when he wss 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, but was howled down.
Let us hear the hero of the for
gerry"
M. Poincare concluded by saying:
Silence has weighed heavily upon
me. and l am now happy to have had
the opportunity to tell what | know Of
the case"
M De F'reyclnet said; 1.-THE gov
eminent, 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 NJ Miller
and for postnonement of the Pie
quart court martial NJ Dupuy. the
premier. declared that the Dreyfus af-
falr must remain purely judicial, as |
the only means of reaching the truth, |
which may now be attained"
We decline to order postponemept
of the court martial said the premier,
TO give such an order, even if we
had the right, would be to strike a
blow at the principle of separation of
7 q ~ Al-t--
province Of parliament or the govern
ment to adjust the connection which
may exist between the Dreyfus and
flcquart cases. Our intervention
would he calculated to hamper the
work OF the court Of cessation. We
VIII respect the decisions Of the law.
We are government Of law. and re-
fuse to he a government of arbitrary
measure
The order of the day. approving the
statements Of the government respect
ing the principle of the separation of
me Judicial and executive powers was
then adopted by vote of 49, to 70.
In the lobbies OF the chamber Mr.,
pupuy's speech was interpreted as an
'nNltAton to the court OF cessation to
ask for the production of the petit
hleu and other documents in the Pic
quart case. which the government
would Immediately produce, thus indI-
ractly leading to postponemont of the
court martial, which the government
has refused to grant under durcss.
The vote in the chamber enables the
-Dreyfusites to sing a song of VIC
ory, since the Dreyfusite demand was
Tor the government to order the Pic
quart court martial postponed.
nevertheless. the whole debate serV-
ID to advance the cause Of Dreyfus. NJ.
Dupuy's speech is admitted on all
hands to have been masterpiece of
Craftsmanship. He did not deny that
The government had power to inter-
iene with General Zurlinden, but ex-
-lained that it would be better for the
'ourt Of cessation to do so
Perhaps the most significant feature
II the debate after NJ. Poincare's reve-
atoms, which served to draw even
loser the bonds Of suspicion surround
ng General MERCER is the changing
itutude of the chamber toward NJ,
.aNaienac. The latter's speech before
he period OF the Henry suicide was ac-
cpted and placarded throughout the
ountry As proof of the guilt of Drew
us. Now he is received with the bowls
# the deputies when he attempts to
Justify his attitude
The general belief Is that the court
t cessation will now demand the Pic.
uart dossier thus delaying the court
partial.
1t Is reported that General Zurlinden,
military governor of Paris, has already
eslgned. There is also a report that
,o!onel Flcquart will be released on
ail.
Venerable Couple AsphyAinted.