From that moment on, he was the one who ‘invented’ Dreyfus the traitor, the one who orchestrated the whole affair and made it his own. And, although I have no desire to dwell on a story that is only partly known, Major du Paty de Clam entered on the scene as soon as the slightest suspicion fell upon Dreyfus. Handwriting samples were compared, as if this were some family affair, a traitor to be sniffed out and expelled from within the War Office. This interpretation, wrong on both counts, shows how superficially the bordereau was analysed, for a logical examination shows that it could only have come from an infantry officer. Information was ‘leaked’, papers were disappearing, then as they continue to do to this day and, as the search for the author of the bordereau progressed, little by little, an a priori assumption developed that it could only have come from an officer of the General Staff, and furthermore, an artillery officer. The bordereau had already been for some time in the hands of Colonel Sandherr, Head of the Intelligence Office, who has since died of a paralytic stroke. I am stating simply that Major du Paty de Clam, as the officer of justice charged with the preliminary investigation of the Dreyfus case, is the first and the most grievous offender in the ghastly miscarriage of justice that has been committed. I need say no more: let us seek and we shall find. And he was the one that Major Forzinetti caught carrying a shuttered lantern that he planned to throw open on the accused man while he slept, hoping that, jolted awake by the sudden flash of light, Dreyfus would blurt out his guilt. He was the one who came up with the scheme of dictating the text of the bordereau to Dreyfus he was the one who had the idea of observing him in a mirror-lined room. He appears to be the shadiest and most complex of creatures, spinning outlandish intrigues, stooping to the deceits of cheap thriller novels, complete with stolen documents, anonymous letters, meetings in deserted spots, mysterious women scurrying around at night, peddling damning evidence. He is the entire Dreyfus case, and the entirety of it will only come to light when an honest enquiry firmly establishes his actions and responsibilities. Colonel du Paty de Clam, who was at the time a mere Major.
#FROM THE ARCHIVE THE ACCUSATION TRIAL#
The truth, first of all, about Dreyfus’ trial and conviction:Īt the root of it all is one evil man, Lt. But to whom if not to you, the first magistrate of the country, shall I reveal the vile baseness of the real guilty parties? Knowing your integrity, I am convinced that you do not know the truth. My nights would otherwise be haunted by the spectre of the innocent man, far away, suffering the most horrible of tortures for a crime he did not commit.Īnd it is to you, Sir, that I shall proclaim this truth, with all the force born of the revulsion of an honest man. My duty is to speak out I do not wish to be an accomplice in this travesty. Dare to tell the truth, as I have pledged to tell it, in full, since the normal channels of justice have failed to do so. And now the image of France is sullied by this filth, and history shall record that it was under your presidency that this crime against society was committed.Īs they have dared, so shall I dare. A court martial, under orders, has just dared to acquit a certain Esterhazy, a supreme insult to all truth and justice. But what filth this wretched Dreyfus affair has cast on your name - I wanted to say ‘reign’.
You are radiant in the patriotic glory of our country’s alliance with Russia, you are about to preside over the solemn triumph of our World Fair, the jewel that crowns this great century of labour, truth, and freedom. Unscathed by vile slander, you have won the hearts of all. Would you allow me, grateful as I am for the kind reception you once extended to me, to show my concern about maintaining your well-deserved prestige and to point out that your star which, until now, has shone so brightly, risks being dimmed by the most shameful and indelible of stains? I accuse! Letter to the President of the Republic by Emile Zola 1898Įmile Zola 1898 Letter to the President of the Republic I accuse!įirst Published: L’Aurore, 13 January 1898.
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