The times., 1899-02-15

of his high capacities and full OF confidence
in what General Gonse called his -'pru-
dence.' judged it better to send him far
I away in order TO let him get rid OF what
General de Boisdeifre styled his idee
! fixe.'
But what is interesting to point out at
the moment when Picqusrt is being prose-
[ cuted for disclosing secret documents is
! that during the time he spent in the Intel
/ ligence Office he showed an absolute dis
/ cretion. His secretivensss was pushed so
I Tar that he was six months at the head OF
/ that department before his mother. on
whom he called almost every day in Yer
sailies, where she lived. knew II. lie never
cared to talk even with his friends and
relatives Of his military business. and
/ neither his cousin NJ Cast mayor OF Vile
d Avray. nor his brother-in-law. NJ Gay.
realized before they saw it in the papers
that he had anything to do with the Drey-
fus case.
His chief officers knew quite well how
prudent and discreet he was. One needs
only TO read the dialogue between him and
General Gonse, in which the general said,
when Picquart had explained what he
thought to be the truth. is that so? Then
we have been mistaken" And when pic
quart pointed out the necessity for revi-
sion. Gcnse told him:
What do you care? II is not
you who are at Devils Island
But II Picquart during the time he was
at the Intelligence Office gained the con-
hdence of his chiefs. he also aroused a
great jealousy among the officers. Es-
peclally, Lieutenant Colonel Henry. that
stubborn soldier, who did not know any
foreign language. and who was not worthy
TO be Picquart's orderly. hated the man
who had obtained Colonel Sandherr's po-
sItion. which he coveted for himself
The only mistake. from a strict military
point CT view. it is possible to fix on
Colonel Picquart is the advice he some
times asked from his old friend Leblois.
VINO ctten called on him at the ministry.
But Leblois was lawyer who gave merely
sratuitcus advice on some legal points
and 1t IS pure nonsense and mere rub
bish to talk about disclosure of secret
documents
The truth is that in this whole affair. as
VI Labori pointed out in his splendid ad
dress for Zola, Colonel Picuart is the onIv
offlcer OF the staff who did not communi
cate with the newspapers like Henry and
Du Patty de Clam. and the cnIy one who
did not give up the secrets he had to keer,
Even during the Zola trial | recall
ms lnnnite tact and discretion when La
bori was examining him. and whom
he told that dramatic story of his efforts
10 discover the truth. Labcri was asking
the questions with his loud deep voice,
ana Plcquart, looking at the Jury. au-
swered with his clear. soft voice. some
times he uttered only a monosyIIabIe
sometimes he said with decision. Il can
not answer: that is secret And 1 recall
also the deep impression he made upon
the audience when he appeared sor the
hrst time in the court. coming straight
from the jail of Mont Valerien. and en-
tered that large room. dressed in his blue
uniform OF the Algerian tirailleurs. a giant
with swinging gait a cool and firm an
pearance, pale face, and then began to
give his testimony without fear or passion.
ANA one could not help admiring that man
VINO was compromising his whole military
career by stating publicly the truth, well
aware that he would be driven out CT
mat army which he loved and to which he
mad given twenty years of his life, to
quote his own words
The day after. in one OF our clubs of
the Latin Quarter, some friends and NY
SELF sent to him a letter congratuIating
the soldier for his coolness, his bravery.
and his tact. \ week afterward we re-
ceived his answer, a short but eloquent
note in which he expressed his hope in
the triumph OF truth, and one OF his strik-
ing phrases was this, which I will never
forget: La yerite finira par vaincre.
Qu importe 81 quelques uns tombent mzur-
tres en- lui frayant un chemin,''