Papier à lettre

Déjà dactylographié à gauche :

Frederick W. Peabody,

Counsellor at Law.

531 Tremont Building

Dactylographié à l'encre violette :

Boston, February 25, 1898.

1. Emile Zola,

 Paris, France.

My dear Sir :-

            I confidently believe that the whole people of this nation feels, as I feel, that your conviction and the imposition of a sentence of a year's imprisonment are an unspeakable outrage, and an ineffaceable stain upon the reputation of your Country. I believe also that this whole nation feels, as I feel, that your action in attacking, single-handed, enthroned injustice and corruption has been superbly unselfish and courageous. In fact, every manly man the world over, who knows the incident and has followed your brave course and the extraordinary methods employed by the court to suppress evidence and insure an unjust conviction, must feel the warmest sympathy and more intense admiration for you, and must feel and equally profound contempt for the civil, military and judicial authorities of France.

            You have completely succeeded in proving the innocence of Dreyfus and the guilt of Esterhazy ; and if the inhuman sentence of the court shall be carried into execution, you will, in your imprisonment, have the confident consciousness that all true men praise your action and rejoice that you have so emphatically vindicated the manliness and the nobility and the magnificient courage of man. The name of Emile Zola will be remembered and honored age after every one of his persecutors has passed into endless oblivion.

            We in America had supposed that the French Republic was a Republic of free men in the same sense that the United States Republic is a Republic of free men, and we had supposed that justice and equity and law were held in the same honor by Frenchmen as by Americans ; but the extraordinary legal proceeding resulting in your conviction has compelled us to believe that the judicial proceedure of France is a mockery and a sham and a fraud. Compared with that of English or American courts we believe it to be the merest parody, or burlesque, of methods calculated to maintain truth and execute justice.

            I beg you to accept the deep respect and the immense admiration of a lover of justice and a worshiper of truth.

            Faithfully yours,

Signature : Frederick W. Peabody