In the November 1863 issue of the Spiritist Review we published a letter from an inmate in a prison as a proof of the moralizing effect of Spiritism. The letter transcribed below from another prisoner in a different prison is an example of that powerful influence. The letter is dated December 27th 1863. We transcribe it textually as for the style. We only corrected orthographic typos.
“Dear Sir,
A few days ago we I learned about Spiritism for the first time and the revelation from beyond the grave I laughed and said that it was not possible. I spoke as an ignorant person that I am. A few days later and in the horrible situation that I find myself I was fortunate to have been presented with your excellent The Spirits’ Book. In the beginning I read a few pages with skepticism not willing, or even better, not believing in this science. I finally and without noticing began to like it; I then took it more seriously; next I read your book a second time but then with a different mind frame, that is, with calm and the whole intelligence that God gave me. I then felt the awakening of an old faith that my mother had planted in my heart and that was dormant for a long time. I felt the desire to clarify myself with respect to Spiritism. From that moment on I made the decision of learn, see and only later judge. I put hands on with the whole belief in God and in God’s power. I wanted to see the truth. I prayed with fervor and began the experiments.
The first ones were null, without any result but that did not discourage me. I persevered with the attempts and my word I doubled my prayers that were not perhaps strong enough and fully dedicated to the work with the conviction of a believer that waits. After a few evenings, since I only can work at night, I felt my fingertips trembling and a slight sensation in the arm as if I had felt the current of a lukewarm creek over the arm, stopping at the wrist. I was then highly concentrated with a lot of faith. My pencil delineated some perfectly legible lines but not correct enough to preclude me from thinking that it could be hallucination. I then patiently waited for the following evening to restart the experiments, this time thanking God from the bottom of my heart for I had already obtained more than I would dare expect.
Since then every other evening I work with the Spirits that are good enough to respond to my appeal and in less than ten minutes they respond with charity. I write half pages or full pages that I could never do from my own intelligence alone because sometimes they write about philosophical and religious matters that I have never thought about or practiced; at the first results I used to tell myself: Aren’t you a toy of your own hallucination or will power? Reflection and examination demonstrated that I was far from that intelligence that had scribed those lines. I would then lower my head, believed and could not go against the evidence, unless I was completely mad. I then sent two or three of those communications to the person that had charitably given me your book so that she could sanction my work. I herein ask you Sir, since you are the soul of Spiritism, to kindly allow me to send you whatever I may have obtained and that is serious in my conversations with the beyond the grave if you think it is okay. If that pleases you I will send you the dialogues established with Verger, the one that hurt the Archbishop of Paris. In order to ensure that the manifesting Spirit was the person he said he was I evoked St. Louis that responded positively as well as another Spirit that I trust a lot…etc.”
-o-
The moral consequences of that event are deduced by themselves. Here is a man that had abjured any belief and that caught by the law is mixed with the scum of society. That man returned to his faith amidst a moral swamp. He sees the abyss in which he has thrown himself; he is regretful; he prays and we must say, he prays more sincerely than many people that exhibits devotion. The simple reading of a book was enough for that, a book in which he found the elements of faith that could be admitted by his reason, animated his hopes and allowed him to understand the future. Besides, and that is remarkable, he initially read with prevention and his disbelief was only defeated by the superiority of logic.
If such results are produced by a simple reading done, say, in hiding, what would that be if it could have been added to the influence of verbal explanations! It is well true that given the current spiritual condition of these two men (see the reported fact in the last November issue of the Spiritist Review) they will not only don’t show any reproachable behavior but will also enter the world with a firm resolution of living an honest life. Considering that these two condemned men could have been redirected to the good path by the faith that they found in Spiritism it is obvious that had they had such a faith before they would not have committed their crimes. Hence the propagation of a doctrine with such a moralizing power is then in the interest of society. That is what begins to happen.
Another consequence taken from the reported fact is that the Spirits are not blocked by the shackles and that they take their consolations to the furthest places in prison. Consequently nobody has the power to impede their manifestation in a way or another. If it is not in writing it is by hearing. They face any prohibition and laugh at any attempt to stop them, transposing any physical obstacle. Which barrier then can the enemies of Spiritism impose on them?
