The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-15
the circumstances OF the confession prsy.

|
He added that M. Dupuy, then premier,
was present when Captain LsT3run.
fenault called at the Elysee palace.
Moreover, said NJ. Casimir- Perier, here il
letter from NJ Dupuy, where ask may
| be read.
The letter assorted that Captain lie
Brun- Renault when questioned by NJ.
Dupuy replied that General Mercier had
sent him to the president to receive a
dressing down for his indiscreet dis
closures to the Figaro.
NJ. MERCER here nterposed, saying.
Captain lie Brun- Renault spoke to me
In regard to the confession In the pres-
enoe OF General CONF. who Will testity
thereto. 1t was then that l ordered him
to 80 to the president OF the republic"
Regarding General Mercier's declara-
tons on Saturday last on the witness
stand M. Casimir- Perier said; General
MERCER had no right whatever to inter-
vene in diplomatic conversation.
would have prevented such interference.
1t was | alone who conferred with the
minister and declare that the impress
sion ! derived from that conversation was
one of complete calm. otherwise the Incl.
dent would not have been closed by the
framing OF a note,
Eve had telegram from Berlin that
evening. II was in regard to note the
minister referred to Berlin. If there had
been any news in regard to the matter
on the evening OF the 9Th we should not
nave waited until the Sth to publish the
note. There was no dispatch addressed to
friendly power relative to the incident
The incident has Seen magnihed. Besides
In the event of Diplomatic complications,
the president would have communicated
with the minister Of foreign AFFAIRS
General Mercier replied that he went to
the Elysee palace as minister of war He
recalled that General Boisdeffre could tes-
tify in regard to the orders received. NJ.
De Mango seized upon this declaration and
insisted that General Mercier repeat the
statement that he had given orders to
General De Boisedeffre on the 6tn rels-
tive to mobilization.
NJ. Casimir Perier. resuming his tes,i.
mony. said he did not reply to certain OF
General Mercier's insinuations. Il do not
wish TO answer them said the former
president. The circumstances are ton
sad and too tragic for me to desire to open
the discussion | am master of myself
and of my conscience. ! would only state
that General Mercier has made every ef-
fort to mix me as deeply as possible in
this affair, But / have remained aloof,
affirm, during the progress OF the in
vestigation"
Therformer president then complained OF
the Incorrect behavior of his subordinate
toward the chief of state.
LAS an instance" said NJ. Casimir.
Perier, General Merclcr undertook to
shorten the term of service of 10000 men
without consulting the chief of state, thus
lacking in the respect he owed to the chief
OF state"
NJ. Casimir- Perier next protested against
the assertions made by General Mercier
in regard to the role adopted by the chief
of the state in this affair." whereupon the
general interfered and said he had spoken
of the attitude assumed by NJ. Casmir-
Perier because he had sworn to tell the
whole truth
M De Mango asked General Mercier
If he had explained to the cabinet how
he reconciled the relations of cause and
effect and the patriotic emotion aroused
by the treason with the communication
of the secret documents to the court mar
tial.
The general repeated his statement q
Saturday as his hypothesis Of thu sltua' II.
NJ, De Mango at once asked " IasimIr-
Perier If on the 9Th an understanding had
net been reached between France and
Germany on the subject II 7rcyiIs.
NJ. Casimir Perier replisd tsat before
his interview with the minister on the
9Th the question of Dreyfus had never
been raised between them and Germany.
NJ De Mango asked General Mercler Why
he had not included in the dossier of 1894
the doubtful translation of he TELEGRAM
OF the agent of his government under
the date of November >
In reply. General MERCER said not one
of the TRANSACTIONS of the kilograms was
communicated to the judges because there
still existed doubts In ais mihl.
NJ. De Mango remarked that the text
was delivered to Sandherr as official and
therefore doubts whether impossible.
NJ. De Mango then asked that NJ. Paleo- |
logue of the foreign office be recalled in
order to state that only a single version |
of the telegram was given him, as he
under General Mercier's uncertainty was
aroused by the receipt of semi-oficial
draft Of the telegram,
At this point Major Carriere. The repre-
sentative of the government. asked that |
it be clearly shown that two versions OF |
the telegram We're given one Official and |
one eemi-offcial.
NJ. De Mango said that in communicat-
ing the official text. November g Sand
herr emphasized it's official character,
Counsel next asked MERCER why the
explanations of the secret dossier were
not Included in the i)ssier relating to the
version.
The general replied that he considered |
these explanations We're given fJr his per
sonal use and that was WY ne destroyed |
the document. At tbs ". DE ManSc ex
pressed a sense Of astonIshnen' and |
asked General Merciqr /. be lid not have
reasons for suppressins the document.
The witness repudii al the suagestioh
Dreyfus at this point rose from his seat
and asked leave TO explain In regard TO
the assertion that he had traced on card
the itinerary of a certain journey OF the
general staff Both the itinerary and
journey. he asserted were purely fictitious.
NJ. Casimir- Perier then said he desired
to reiterate that he had never promised
anything TO Dreyfus, adding that II was
with NJ. Waldock- Rousseau alone that he
had spoken in regard to the condemned
man. Therefore, NJ. Casimir-Perier reit"
Grated his protests of the letters OF Drey-
fus referring TO negotiations.
This caused NJ. De Mango TO explain how
Dreyfus came to say that NJ. Casimlr-
Perier had promised him public trial.
After NJ De Mango had asked NJ. Waldeck-
Rousseau to intervene with NJ. Casimr-
Perier tthe president OF France) to obtain
publicity, NJ. Waldeck- Rousseau reported
that the president appeared favorable to
the suggestion and the counsel, therefore,
thought he might communicate the TACT
TO Dreyfus.
NJ. De Mango added that II must be re-
membered Dreyfus wrote the letter four
years after the occurrence and his Iecoi-
lection OF the fact naturally lacked pre-
cision. NJ. De Mango expressed regret at
the fact that the letter mad been nbiished
and apologized TO NJ. Caslmr-Perier' VINO
/. -. al. atsaNr nf