The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-13
In response to the usual questions, he

was formerly President of the Re-
public
Colonel Jouaust then asked: did you
know the accused prior to the acts OF
which he is charged?"
M. Casimir- Perier-No. Monsieur lie
Presidente.
Jouaust-You were President of the
Republic at the time of the arrest OF
Captain Dreyfus. In this position you
were able to have many particulars
upon the circumstances and causes OF
his arrest. I beg you to kindly COM
| municate them to the Court
Casimir-Perier Tin a loud voice)-
Monsieur lee Presidente, you ask me to
speak the truth and all the truth.
have sworn to do it. will speak with
out reticence. without reserve, in it's en-
tirety. Whatever / may have said in
the past, whatever people may be-
lieve. and say which unfortunately is
not always the same thing, that 1 alone
am aware of incidents and facts which
might throw light and that 1 have not
hitherto said all justice ought to know
that it is false. I will not leave this
place without saying all.
II intend to do this. not, because
Cou duu ally tIlliiS useful " WHAT nave
! already said, but out of respect to my
conscience and the judges and to take
the opinion of men of good faith.
will not leave this place until l have
left an unalterable conviction I know
nothing which might throw light or
the case and that I have said all
know
The former President then, in loud
and distinct voice, repeated the evil
dence he had given before the Court OF
Cessation. He leaned. while speaking
against the witness rail and referred tC
a bunch of papers which he held in his
hand. The witness read the text OF
! the dispatch received by Count Mum
ster-L edenburg, the German Embassa-
dor at Paris, from Prince HOhenlohe
the German Imperial Chancellor, which
| the former communicated to M. Cast
mir-Perier, during visit to the Ely
see palace. 1t read:
His Majesty, the Emperor, having
every confidence in the loyalty of the
President of the Republic and the Gov
eminent of the Republic begs your ex-
cellency to tell M. Casimir- Perier that
it is proved the German Embassy was
never implicated in the Dreyfus affair
His Majesty hopes the Government OF
the Republic will not hesitate to de-
clare so. Without a formal declaration
the legend which here continues to
spread regarding the German Embassy
would compromise the position of the
representative of Germany.
"HOHENLOHE.
NJ. Casimir-Perier then recountei
how he had expressed to the the1
Premier and Minister of War his as
constituent and indignation at the in
teryiew which Captain lie Brun- Renault
gave the Figaro" on the subject OF
Dreyfus.
The witness then told of Colonel Pic
quarts visit to the Elysee at the trial
in 1894, informing him that NJ. Bertil-
Ions demonstration had little effect on
the Judges.
He added: Il received NJ. Bertillon
December 14th and 10th at the in
stance of the Minister of War, who
thought his demonstration very Gu
rious, interesting and conclusive, but
must confess" said NJ. Casimir- Perier,
amid a, general litter in court, that ]
judged them differently"
He added: "All that was done and
said among the Ministers was done
without my knowledge"
The witness then related the facts in
connection with the futile efforts of NJ
Waldeck-Rousseau to prevent the first
court-martial in sitting behind closed
doors and said he. the witness, had
never received any member of the
Dreyfus family.
NJ. Casimir-Perier concluded this part
of his statement by raising his voice
and speaking very exictedly, saying:
For the honor of the chief magistracy
which 1 occupied. for the honor of the
Republic. 1 will not allow it to be said
that 1 had exchanged a word with a
Captain in the French army, accused of
treason"
This statement caused applause in
court, which Colonel Jouaust speedily
suppressed, threatening to clear the
hall if there was any REPETITION of it.
Many people in the court room
thought M. Casimir-Perier was some
what theatrical in his utterance, as he
turned and delivered as much to the
audience as to the court.
The former President ended his state
ment by saying:
Il affirm, before this tribunal of SOL
diers, that my resignation was not con-
nected with the diplomatic incident con-
corning Germany. 1t pains me not to
be able to second the court in the work
of justice confided to it. for the sake of
the country, reconciliation and peace.
l can do no more than tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth AS chief of the State, or when
citizen, l have always had my respect
for France, regarded her as free to
make a decision as she is herself rever-
ed" applause, which was quickly sup
pressed)
Various questions were then asked
NJ. Casimir- Perier by the Assistant
Judge and M. Demange on the question
of Captain de Brun Renault's state
ment that Dreyfus had confessed to
him. and the witness .aid emphatically
that he never had from Captain lie
Brun- Renault a communication such as
confession during the Captains visit
to him. He added that he was not pre-
pared to deny that General MERCER had
told Captain lie Brun-Renault to COM
municate this alleged confession, but
he affirmed that the Captain did not
speak of it to him.
NJ Demange then introduced the
question of the letter which the Anti
Dreyfusards asserted Dreyfus wrote to
NJ. Casimir- Perier, and in which it is
claimed he spoke of engagements en-
tered into by NJ. Casimir-Perier re-
speeding him.
The witness emphatically replied that
he had never entered into any such en-
gagement as alleged. and he asked that
tn letter, which was published by the
''Eclair" of Paris, should be produced