Description
FIRST EDITION.
SEND SELF-EMPLOYMENT signed :
"To M. Barthou in memory of all the battles that brought us face to face and brought us closer together.
Yours sincerely Jean Jaurès".
Below, an autograph signed letter from Louis Barthou to his chief of staff Louis Vitalis:
"With whom I've had nothing but friendly battles".
Jaurès refers to a real battle, a duel with Barthou which took place on Christmas Day:
During the parliamentary session of 24 December 1894, the day after Dreyfus was convicted, Jaurès called for a revision of the articles of the code of military justice dealing with assault committed in the line of duty, in order to abolish the death penalty: "Captain Dreyfus, convicted of treason by a unanimous judgment, was not sentenced to death. And in the face of these judgments, the country sees that simple soldiers guilty of one minute of misguidance and violence are shot without mercy.".
His speech provoked a parliamentary incident, with many people questioning Jaurès, until the Minister for Public Works, Louis Barthou, declared:"Monsieur Jaurès, I have only one word to say to you: you know you're lying!" The meeting was quickly suspended, but Jaurès did not intend to leave it there. He asked Barthou to take up arms. A duel with a pistol, at twenty-five paces and on command, took place the next day, Christmas Day, without any bloodshed.
SUPERB PROVENANCE.