Speech and Toast Proposed by Mr. Lacoste, Businessman “Ladies and gentlemen,
I beg the youngsters in particular who hear me now to pay much attention to the few words of fraternal affection that I wrote specially to them. The lack of experience, the conformity of our ages and the communion of our ideas give me assurances of your indulgence.
Friends, none of us has received the revelation of this sacred Doctrine with indifference, Doctrine whose new elements were compiled by our venerable Master in a wise book. Never has such a vast field been open to our imaginations. Never has such grandiose horizon been unveiled to our intelligences. It is with the enthusiasm of youth and never looking backwards that we become followers of the faith in the future and the pioneers of future civilizations. God forbid that I may say any word of discouragement! I know your beliefs very well, ladies and gentlemen, and I know them to be very solid to be shaken by mockery or the reasoning of some adversaries. Youth is full of privileges; an easy access to noble emotions; eagerness in their undertakings. Youth also counts on the enthusiasm of faith, that moral lever that lifts worlds. But if imagination drags it beyond the obstacles it will sometimes take it beyond the objective as well. It is against such deviations that I exhort you to be forearmed. Attracted by the excitement of the novelty, lifting the veil that hid the unknown from you, almost touching the solution of the problem of the primary causes, be careful not to be overwhelmed by the joys of triumph. Few paths are free from cliffs. Greater confidence always follows easy paths, and there is nothing more difficult to have out of young soldiers and young intelligences than moderation in victory. That is what I am afraid in you as in myself also.
Fortunately the remedy stands side by side with the illness. There are some here among us that unite the maturity of age with talent, the fortunate advantage of having been the enlightened propagators of the spiritist teachings in our town. It is to those more settled and thoughtful spiritists that you must submit the direction of your studies and thanks to that continual reverence and moral subordination you will be given the opportunity of bringing an unshakable stone to the common edifice. Let us learn, ladies and gentlemen, to defeat the puerile issues of self-love. Isn’t that nice the part that touches our youth? The future effectively belongs to us. When our parents in Spiritism are reborn in another world we will be able to watch the splendid irradiation of this truth, full of life and faith, a truth that they would have only foreseen in its mysterious dawn on Earth. Hence, ladies and gentlemen give me assurances that you can say with me from the bottom of your heart: To all our elders; to every known or unknown person; wealthy or simple worker from Bordeaux that became followers of the Spiritist Doctrine! To the prosperity of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies and of this Society here that strongly holds the flag before which we all aspire to align! May Mr. Allan Kardec, master of all of us, receive the assurance of a profound sympathy towards our Parisian brothers! May he tell them that our young hearts beat in unison with theirs and although we walk with a not so firm a stride we don’t concur less to the universal regeneration, here encouraged by your examples and your accomplishments!
