Story of a perjurer, by Michel Habart, Héritage editions

“Any man devoted to his country must pay his country its tribute of patriotism: by telling it everything that he believes, in his conscience, to be the truth”. (Sulley).

Why reveal and torment the wound which, for forty years, has disfigured this romantic France which remains so justly fraternal to us? It was, it seemed, a pious lie of omission that harmed no one and saved us from brooding over our shame.

We are all united and, to the extent of our consent, responsible for or accomplices in what is being done in the name of France. I tried to persuade myself that a unanimous disapproval or some burst of lucidity would incite our Masters to dominate the pretensions which lead them and to close an enterprise so obviously contrary to the interests of their country.

However, they have persisted for six years in a war that is more ferocious every day. Our silence becomes in their hands only one more weapon to disfigure, in turn, the French people of the 20th century, to humiliate the Algerian people, to lead them both to the same disasters and to punish the patriots who oppose it.

When scruple turns to complicity, and pious omissions to conspiracies of falsehood, there is no recourse but in the truth, however bitter, however scandalous it may be.