DREYFUS CASE] - VAUGHAN (Ernest). The Literary,... - Lot 146 - Ader

DREYFUS CASE] - VAUGHAN (Ernest). The Literary, Artistic, Social Aurora. Paris, Thursday, October 31, 1897 - October 31, 1899. - 742 issues in 4 large folio volumes, 606 x 440. Half-percaline, later covered with green velvet for volumes 1, 2 and 4, smooth spine (period binding). Very rare head of collection including the first 743 issues, except 97, i.e. the first two years of this socialist republican newspaper created by Ernest Vaughan. The latter's ambition was "to create a newspaper where all liberal, progressive, humanitarian opinions, however advanced, could be freely exposed" (Ernest Vaughan, Souvenirs sans regrets: la constitution de l'Aurore, L'Aurore, 16 April 1901, p. 1). All the issues of this newspaper appeared between October 31, 1897 and August 2, 1914. Paul Adam, Jean Ajalbet, Paul Alexis, Georges Clémenceau, Lucien Descaves, Gustave Geffroy, Urbain Gohier, Camille Mauclair, Octave Mirbeau, Laurent Tailhade, Zo d'Axa and, of course, Émile Zola all contributed to it. He became the main spokesman for the supporters of Captain Dreyfus's innocence and for the revision of his trial. Numerous issues were devoted to this affair and the most famous is the 87 of January 13, 1898 containing the J'accuse...! by Émile Zola. This article appeared two days after Esterhazy's acquittal by the council of war, when Lieutenant-Colonel Picquart had just proved that he was the author of the famous slip that served as a masterpiece in the accusation against Dreyfus. With hopes of a review of the trial fading, Zola, disgusted by the acquittal, wrote this letter, which Clémenceau published in L'Aurore under the title J'Accuse...! In it, Zola gives the history of the trial, showing in particular that the second council of war, the one that acquitted Esterhazy, was "necessarily criminal."He ends with a series of accusations concerning the generals and other officers responsible for the miscarriage of justice, as well as the clerical experts guilty of "lying and fraudulent reports." Zola finally makes this courageous conclusion: "the act I am performing here is only a revolutionary means to hasten the explosion of truth and justice . I have only one passion, that of light, in the name of humanity which has suffered and which has a right to happiness. My fiery protest is but the cry of my soul. Let them dare to bring me before the court of assizes and let the investigation take place in broad daylight!" The article had a considerable effect, and many intellectuals signed a petition for a review of the trial . However, Zola was condemned several times and went into exile in England for eleven months to escape prison, until the revision ruling referring Dreyfus to the Rennes council of war was handed down on June 3, 1899.It was really with this text published in L'Aurore that the real Dreyfus Affair began, the one that still fascinates so many people . In addition to national and international political affairs, the newspaper dealt with literature, art and sport and offered serialized novels, notably Belle-Rose by Amédée Achard, Par étapes by Maurice Guillemot, Je pardonne! by Paul Alexis, La Croyante by Jean Psichari, Fécondité by Émile Zola, etc. There are also illustrations by Steinlen, Henry Oulevay, André Gill, Louis Bochard, Hinard, Ibels, etc., present mainly in the first issues. Volume 1: from number 1 of 31 October 1897 to number 194 of 30 April 1898 . The volume is complete with the special issue accompanying number 7 of October 25, 1897, bound at the head, containing "all that has appeared from the two current feuilletons" up to that date, i.e. the first chapters of Charles-Edmond's Nephew of Count Sérédine. Volume 2: from number 195 of May 1, 1898 to number 378 of October 31, 1898, with no gaps . Numbers 375 and 377 are complete with their supplement. - Volume 3: from number 379 of November 1, 1898 to number 559 of April 30, 1899. Number 397 is duplicated. Volume complete with supplements to numbers 406, 407, 408, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416 and 417, containing the list of "names of citizens who sent their protest in favor of Colonel Picquart," as well as those of numbers 480, concerning the Mazeau case, 482 (conference of F. de Pressensé), 501 (Picquart affair), 535 (deposition of General Roget), 543 (on a sheet and bearing the date of 15 April instead of 14), 544, 545, 546, 547, 548, 549 and 555 (the latter proposing depositions from the Cour de cassation). Volume 4: from issue 360, May 1, 1899 to issue 743, October 31, 1899 . Complete with supplements to numbers 589, 590, 591, 592, 593 on the hearings of