Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-09-14
SKETCH OF DEMANeE.
Accent of Truth in His Plea More
Impressive Than Eloqmcncc.

accent Oh 1fuCu III HIS 1>lC0 MOFo
Impressive Than Eloquencc.
New York, Sept. 0.-Marcel Provost,
New York Herald correspondent at
Rennes, gives the following pen picture
of Demange;
Maitre Demange, whose splendid
speech for the defence will, hope, be
read by all the world over, has the face
and outward appearance generally OF
wealthy French farmer. Take off his
lawyers gown, put in it's place one of
those fine, shining blue blouses
adorned with embroidery that are
worn by the well-to-lo peasants of the
Beauce and Berri, and you will have
before you the classical type of the ru-
raj land owner as lie was described, for
instance, in the rustic romances of
George Sand.
He has the robust form of the French
farmer. His expansive, high colored
countenance is framed in grayish
Mhiskers. His eyes are placid and Mt
the same time harbor spice of cum
ming The lips IRE sensual. "A perma-
nent but slightly marked smile con-
| tracts the corners of the carefully
shaved chin. His gestures are ample
and mcdulated. His intonation is very
clear, but none the less a little coun-
trifiet. His phrasing admits the ab'
breviations, all the familiarities of
pronunciation of the spoken language;
there is no affectation, no apparent re-
search after eloquence.
In the first words he uttered he i'm
formed the judges it would be so. What
is marvellous in his speech and what is
worth more than all the tricks of rhct-
oric is the accent of truth which in
forms it. A speech of such manifest
sincerity would almost suffice of itself,
without there being any need of back
ing it by minute arguments.
But Maitre Demange is a dialectician
of the highest order. He spoke TO the
Judges as if he We're addressing intel
lects accustomed to mathematical de-
auctions. His discourse was Il veritable
succession of theorems, advanced with
solid demonstration.
| /. lie himself had perceived and was,
able to tell the court in no concilintory
tones that the military witnesses and
the famous ministers of war We're
preiudiced witnesses, blinded by the
/, they believed to be injurious to the
!! army.
4 2. He made the court feel that all
the dispositions of a strongly marked
/, tendency which might have had a
"raison d'tre" in the court of cassa,
ton inquiry, where a proof of inno-
cence was being sought for, could have
no value here before a court-martial
which is seeking a proof of guilt. In
what respect. indeed, did those deposit
tions prove that Dreyfus was traitor?
3. With marvellous skill he demon
stratcd that, despite the legitimate
suspicion attaching to the denials, rs
well as to the declarations that had
come from diplomatic quarters. it was
still not possible to suppose that the
military attaches. had died tn their SUI
pcriors, and thereby exposed them
selves to frightful misadventure.
Now, to summarize. the in
quiry by the Italian govern
ment had elected this reply from
the attache: you can deny all rela-
tions with Drevfus, but don't mention,
/ Esterhazy." Was that not an aclSnowl-
ment of llsterhazy's guilt?
! 4. He made admirable capital of
! the Schneider document. That docu-
! ment proves that the German and Ital-
] ian attaches began to deny the guilt o.
Dreyfus Immediately after the publica-
ton of the bordereau in 81 Paris news
: paper. Consequently they acknowl-
/ edged that the document did not come
from Dreyfus.
| Such are the most salient features OF
1 the illustrious advocates speech. His
main idea is, briefly, this: You are too
honest people to condemn man with
out proof. Now ! defy you to discover
a proof.