Last year was not more fruitful to Spiritism than the previous years but it is distinguished by several particular features. More than all others it was marked by the violence of the attacks, a characteristic sign whose dimension escaped no one. Everybody said: If there is anger there is fear; and if there is fear it means that there is something serious.
Since today it is well established that those aggressions helped the progress of Spiritism progress and instead of stopping the open attacks will naturally diminish but we must not relax with the apparent break or believe that the adversaries of Spiritism will not take advantage of that. Therefore it is necessary to be persuaded that the fight is not over but there will be a change of tactics.
That is the reason why we ask the Spiritists to be always alert about what is going on around them and remember what we said in our last December issue about the period of struggle, of the quiet fight and the conflicts; do not be surprised if the enemy infiltrate in your ranks; that God allows so to test the faith, courage and perseverance of the true workers. From now on their objective will be to find all possible means of compromising Spiritism to have it discredited; to push the groups with an appearance of zeal and the pretext that it is necessary to move on; to get involved with matters strange to the doctrine; to deal with politics or other subjects that may cause irritable discussions and spread division, everything with the intent of demanding its closure. The moderation of the Spiritists is what causes more admiration and annoys their adversaries the most. They will try everything to change that, including provocation, but the Spiritists will work around those maneuvers by their prudence as they have already done in several occasions and will not fall in the traps that will be laid for them; as a matter of fact they will see the antagonists embarrassed in their own webs for it is impossible that sooner or later they don’t show their faces. This is going to be a more difficult phase to go through when compared to the period of declared war when the enemy is known and seen face to face; however, the tougher the fight the greater the triumph.
That campaign had a great result that was the demonstration of the impotence of the weapons used against Spiritism. The most capable persons of the adversary party entered the arena; every resource of argumentation was employed and since Spiritism felt nothing each one was convinced that there was no evident point to use against Spiritism and the best proof of the lack of arguments is the sad and ignoble utilization of slander.
But the fact that they wanted to make believe that Spiritism said something contrary to what it actually does was hopeless because the doctrine is out there, written in terms so clear that defy any false interpretation, and that is the reason why the hatred that stems out of calumny falls back on those that employed it, convincing them of their impotence. That is a considerable fact that took place in the year that has just ended and if that had been the only result we would be satisfied but there are other not less positive events.
1863 was marked, above all, by the increase in the number of groups and societies formed in a large number of places where there was none before both in France and abroad, an evident sign of the increase in the number of followers and the propagation of the doctrine. Paris that had fallen behind yields to the general impulse and begins to move. Every day we see new private groups forming with an eminently serious objective and in excellent conditions. The Society we preside rejoices with the multiplication of vibrant newborns around it, capable of spreading the seed. The private groups, when well managed, are very useful to the initiation of new followers. Given the extension of its relationships the main Society is a center of convergence of groups from all corners of the world and must not deal but with the development of the science and issues of general interest that totally absorb it. Thus it must abstain from anything that is elemental and particular. Therefore the private groups come to fulfill the blank that is forcibly left out and that is why the Society encourages and seconds with its moral support the persons that dedicate to that kind of propagation.
If there was a momentary concern with respect to the effects of dissidences in the way of seeing Spiritism, the always growing number of societies in every country that spontaneously place themselves under the sponsorship of the Parisian Society, raising the Spiritist flag, is a fact that thoroughly dissipates that concern.
It is obvious that The Spirits’ Book is the point of convergence of the immense majority of the followers. The maxim “there is no salvation but through charity” united all of those that see the moral side of Spiritism since it cannot be interpreted differently and it does satisfy every aspiration.
Since the constitution of Spiritism in a body of doctrine many isolated systems have fallen apart and the few traces that there still remain have no influence upon the general opinion. The solid foundation of Spiritism will easily succeed from the divisions that its adversaries will certainly entail because they don’t count on good Spirits that protect their work and that utilize their own enemies to guarantee its success.
The formation of a doctrine without dissidences is unprecedented and if there is something that must surprise us is to see Spiritism’s unity happening so promptly. At any rate Spiritism has not yet penetrated everywhere and in many places it is only known by name. The rare followers found in those places attribute such a fact to two causes: first the characteristic of their populations much absorbed by material interests only; then the absence of contrary sermons. That is why they appeal to have sermons as those given elsewhere or to some remarkable manifestation of hostility that may draw attention and excite curiosity. However, they must be patient. Since everybody must get there the Spirits will find a way of providing for that need by other means.
But the most characteristic feature of 1863 was the movement formed by public opinion about the Spiritist Doctrine. It is surprising the easiness with which the principle is accepted by persons that not long ago would have repealed and led it to ridicule. The resistances – and we speak of those that are not systematic and out of interest – diminish noticeably. There are writers that in good faith fought violently against Spiritism and that today, dominated by their social environment, and without confessing defeat, resign to a fight that is considered useless. Fact is that the feeling that there is the need for a moral transformation grows more and more. The ruin of the old world is imminent because the ideas that it promotes are no longer compatible with humanity current level of intelligence. It seems that everything leads to Spiritism but, on another hand, new horizons are vaguely acknowledged; there is a feeling that something better is needed and that it is uselessly sought in the present world. There is something in the air like a precursor electric current and everybody has expectations but all say to themselves that humanity must not retrograde.
Another not less significant fact that has been noticed by many and that is consequence of the current vibe is the prodigious number of texts, serious or superficial, produced outside and probably without the knowledge of Spiritism, in which Spiritist thoughts are found. In particular the principle of the plurality of existences that has a tendency of being accepted by the masses and modern philosophy. Many thinkers are led to that by the logic of facts and soon that belief becomes popular. These are evidently the precursors of the adoption of Spiritism whose paths are thus paved and leveled. These ideas are all spread from several sides in texts that fall in the hands of everybody, making its acceptance progressively easier.
Hence the status of Spiritism in 1863 can be summarized as this: Violent attacks; multiplication of texts in favor and against; movement of ideas; remarkable expansion of the doctrine but without exterior signs to produce a general sensation; to roots grow and extend as the newborns, waiting for the tree to develop its branches. Time of maturity has not come yet.
Among the publications of last year that came to join the struggle and concur for the defense of Spiritism we place the following in the first line: la Ruche, from Bordeaux and la Vérité, from Lyon, whose editors deserve the encouragement and recognition from every true Spiritist for their demonstrations of perseverance, devotion and selflessness. The periodical la Vérité showed up like a fearful athlete, joining forces with the largest Spiritist center in France and perhaps in the world, with articles whose logic leaves no space for criticism.
Spiritism will soon have – we were led to expect that – a new and important media in Italy that, like its older brothers in France, will march in common agreement with the great principles of the doctrine.
