Correspondence - Letter from the President of the Mexican Spiritist Society Mexico, April 18th, 1861
“To Mr. Allan Kardec, in Paris,
Dear Sir:
My friend, Mr. Viseur, indicated in one of his previous letters
that you would like to know the objective and tendencies of the
Spiritist Society which I preside over in Mexico. I do that with the
greatest satisfaction and the strongest sympathy for your profound
knowledge about this subject, asking you to please take into account
our little experience but also to count us among the most eager supporters.
Although much later than you, Sir, we were fortunate to
learn about this gentle truth that the spirits or souls of the dead can
communicate with the living. Despite some publications that came
from the North, our attention and curiosity was not yet awaken and
we did not seek what was then called spiritual manifestations. It was
only when you’re the Spirits’ Book fortunately arrived here that our
eyes were opened, convincing us of the reality of the facts that take
place all over the world, helping us to understand them. We then started our own research and experiments, that we then took on the
task of preparing ourselves to receive manifestations, through a systematic
work. The advice found in your excellent book led us to the
great truth that the soul outlives death and that we can communicate
with our loved ones after they leave our planet Earth. I would not tell
you the truth if I said that we were the first ones around here to learn
about the manifestations. Several people in our city were already involved
with the subject, a fact that we learned later on. The principle
of reincarnation was what mainly impressed us in the beginning, but
our own communications with spirits of a superior order given their
language, did not allow us to have any doubt about a belief that
demonstrates that all these things belong to the natural order and according
to the justice of our Almighty God. A proof that demonstrates
the superiority of the spirits that guide us is the cure provided to the
physical sufferings and the consolation and resignation given to those
who suffer morally. Simple logic tells us that good can only come
but from a good source. It would be a sign of arrogance, however, if
we pretended to be the champions of knowledge about this sublime
doctrine. It is up to you, Sir, to teach us as demonstrated by the work
produced by your Society. Our Society is formed by experienced members
in matters of spiritist belief, and we welcome all those who wish
to learn. The fundamental laws that guide us are unity of principles,
fraternity among the members and charity with all who suffer. That
is how, Sir, the spiritist ideas spread in this region and we can even
gladly say beyond our expectations. If you find it convenient to send
us your good advice we will always receive it with the warmest regard
and as a firm indication of your sympathy.
Yours sincerely, etc.
Ch. Gourgues”
On the same day we received the following letter from Constantinople:
“Constantinople, May 28th, 1861
To: Mr. Allan Kardec, Editor of The Spiritist Review
Dear Sir,
Allow me to offer you in my own name and in the name of my
friends and spiritualist brothers of this city, two small gifts as a token
of appreciation not from people that you don’t know yet and that
only have the honor of knowing you from your work but which you
will accept as a testimony of our fraternal feelings that must unite the
spiritualists of all countries. You will accept them also as a proof of
the spiritist phenomena, as much sublime as extraordinary that it is.
Accept and kindly honor our good Sofia and her sister Angelica, since
they are the basis of propagation of Spiritism in Constantinople, this
capital city of the East, remarkable for its wealth of history. A true
Babel Tower, in this city gathers every religious sect, every nation,
where all languages are spoken. Imagine Spiritism suddenly propagating
among all that… What a starting point! We are still in a small
number but this number grows every day like a snowball effect. I
hope it won’t be long for us to be counted in the hundreds. The manifestations
we have obtained so far to date are, the lifting of tables,
one of them weighing more than 100 kg, flying over our heads like
a feather; direct raps by the spirits; transportation of objects, etc. We
are trying to obtain apparitions visible to everybody. Will we be able
to achieve that? They promised us and we wait. We already have a
large number of writing mediums; others make drawings, others still
compose music even when totally ignoring those arts. We have seen,
heard and studied spirits of all kinds. Some of our mediums have
visions and ecstasies; others play arias at the piano in their trance
state, inspired by the spirits. Two young ladies that have heard or
read nothing about animal magnetism apply magnetic passes on allsorts of illnesses, with the help of the spirits and do so using scientific
methodologies. There you have, dear Sir, a summary of what we have
done in terms of Spiritism so far. I shall provide the result of some of
our sessions for your assessment.”
(It is then followed by several communications of the highest
moral level, thoughtfully heard by the members of the Society).
“In case you find it useful for the propagation of the spiritualist or
spiritist science, since the title does not change anything to me or to
my friends for it does not change the form or the substance, I will
gladly send you other instructive and concluding messages from the
point of view of the spiritual manifestations. All spiritualists of the
world will soon be bundled together, as in one and the same family.
Aren’t we all brothers and creatures of the same father, our God?
That is the first principle that must be taught by the spiritualists to
human kind, without any distinction of class, country, language, sect
or social position.
Yours, etc.
Repos, Lawyer”
This letter was followed by a drawing representing a human head in natural
size, very accurately executed although the medium had no drawing
skills, and a piece of music with lyrics and score for piano, entitled
Spiritualism. The whole thing was packed with the following dedication:
“Offered to Mr. Allan Kardec, Director of The Spiritist Review, in Paris, by
the spiritists of Constantinople.”
In the case of the music it was only the lyrics and song that were received
by a medium. The actual piano scores were created by an artist.
If we published every letter of support that we receive we would have
to dedicate a few volumes to that alone. We would see the repetition of
thousands of touching acknowledgments to the Spiritist Doctrine. Many
of those letters, however, are too personal to be published. The two above
have a general interest, as a demonstration of the reach of Spiritism all
over the world, and also the seriousness with which it is considered now,
much different, as seen above, from the initial amusement of the turning
tables.
The moral consequences of Spiritism are understood everywhere and people
see it as the foundation of the Providential reforms that were promised
to humanity. We then feel happy to give our testimony of sympathy
and encouragement to our distant comrades. Isn’t this bond that already
brings together spiritists from several parts of the globe, who don’t know
one another but only through their common belief, isn’t that a sign of
what is about to come later? That bond is a natural consequence of the
principles of Spiritism. It cannot be broken but by those who ignore its
fundamental law: charity to all.
