Trials (Obscenity) -- France -- History -- 19th century
My client's first thought, which unfortunately met with resistance, was
this: "There is only one thing to do: print the book immediately, not
with parts cut out, but the work entire as it left my hands, restoring
to it the scene in the cab." I was of his opinion, believing that the
best defense of my client would be a complete imprint of the work with
special indication of some points to which we would beg to draw the
Court's attention. I myself gave the title to this publication: _Memoir
of Gustave Flaubert for the prevention of outrage to religious morals
brought against him_. I had written on it with my hand: Civil Court,
Sixth Chamber, with the signature of the President and the Public
Minister. There was a preface in which was written:
"They have indicted me with phrases taken here and there from my book; I
can only defend myself with the whole book."
To ask the judges to read an entire romance would be asking much; but we
are before judges who love truth, who desire the truth, and who to learn
it would not shrink from any fatigue. We are before judges who desire
justice and desire it energetically, and who will read, without any kind
of hesitation, what we beg them to read. I said to M. Flaubert: "Send
this immediately to the printers, and put my name at the bottom beside
yours: SENARD, _Counsel_." They had begun the printing; arrangements
were made for a hundred copies for our own use; the work went on with
extreme rapidity, they were working day and night on it, when the order
came to us to discontinue the printing, not of a book, but of a pamphlet
in which was the incriminated work together with explanatory notes. We
appealed to the office of the Attorney-General--who informed us that the
prohibition was absolute and could not be removed.
Well, so be it! We should have published the book with our notes and
observation's; but now I ask you, gentlemen, if your first reading has
left you in doubt, to give it a second reading. You will willingly do
this, as you desire the truth; and you could not be among those who,
when two lines of a man's writing is brought to them, are sure to make
it fit any condition that may be. You do not wish a man to be judged
upon a few cuttings more or less skilfully made. You would not allow
that; you would not deprive him of the ordinary means of defense. Well,
you have the book, and although it may be less easy than you might wish,
you will make your own divisions, observations, and meanings, because
you desire the truth, because truth is necessary for the basis of your
judgment, and truth will come from a serious examination of the book.
However, I cannot stop here. The Public Minister has attacked the book,
and it is necessary for me to defend it, to complete the quotations he
has made, and show the nothingness of the accusation against each
incriminated passage; that will be all my defense.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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