General de Pellieux.--“Ah! that is the question.”
M. Labori.--“No, that is not _the_ question, for there are several
questions.”
General de Pellieux.--“It is one of the questions.”
M. Labori.--“The question is whether the note to which General Gonse
attributed the date of August was really written in February. Whether
some pages were omitted or not does not alter this fact. If the report
has not been published entire, I ask that it be published entire. And
I shall have only to congratulate myself when it appears, because thus
we shall arrive at that light for which we are continually asking, and
which will never be made too complete to suit us. General de Pellieux
sends for General de Boisdeffre. He is right, but I wish to say--and
within forty-eight hours my words will be recognized as prophetic--that
it will not be possible to stop the debate at the words of General de
Pellieux or at those of General de Boisdeffre. Either these documents
must not be spoken of, or else they must be shown. That is why I say to
General de Boisdeffre: ‘Bring the documents, or say no more’.”
M. Clemenceau.--“General de Pellieux told us that at the time of
the Castelin interpellation they had absolute proofs. Does that mean
that, before that, they had only relative proofs? I ask General
de Pellieux--and it is a question that is beginning to be asked
everywhere--how it happens that it is in an assize court that so
serious an assertion is made? How happens it that General Billot, in
the course of the Castelin interpellation, did not speak of these
secret documents to the chamber, any more than he threatened the
chamber with war? It is to an assize court that they come to say these
serious things, and reveal secret documents.”
General de Pellieux.--“I have not threatened the country with war.
All this is to play upon words. It is none of my affair whether
General Billot spoke of this document at the time of the Castelin
interpellation. General Billot does as he sees fit. Surely he said to
the chamber several times: ‘Dreyfus was justly and legally convicted.’”
M. Labori.--“I interrupt to say that at least one of those two words is
false.”
General de Pellieux.--“Prove it.”