Questions from a Spiritist of Sétif to Mr. Oscar Comettant.

The following letter was sent to us by one of our subscribers in Sétif (Algeria), where there are numerous adherents who receive remarkable communications, with which we have already entertained our readers. Sir, Mr. Dumas has already spoken to you of an extraordinary phenomenon that occurred some time ago with my son of sixteen years, bearer of a singular mediumship. Each time an evocation is made, he falls asleep without being magnetized and, in such a state, answers all the questions that, through his intermediary, are addressed to the Spirit. Upon waking, he retains no memory. He even goes so far as to answer in Latin, English, and German, languages of which he has no knowledge whatsoever. It is a fact that many persons have been able to verify, and I affirm it upon what I hold most sacred, even to Mr. Oscar Comettant. I have in hand a feuilleton of his, of October 27, 1859, in which it is written: “But in what do you believe? Mr. Allan Kardec may perhaps ask me.” I, Sir, will not ask him whether he believes in anything: first, because this matters little to me and, then, because there are men who believe in nothing at all. Mr. Oscar Comettant relies on the authority of Voltaire, who did not believe in that which his reason could not comprehend. He is wrong because, notwithstanding the immense knowledge that God had given to Voltaire, there are thousands of things known today of which his reason never suspected. Now, in denying a fact whose reality one does not wish to verify, I ask, in conscience, on which side the absurdity lies. [see Reply to Mr. Oscar Comettant.]

I address myself directly to Mr. Oscar Comettant and say to him: Let us admit that it is not the Spirits who speak to us; but, then, give us a logical explanation of the fact I have cited. If you deny it a priori, I summon you to the tribunal of reason, which you invoke; if you surprise me in flagrant delict of lying, I agree to apologize or to pass for a madman. Otherwise, I am ready to enter into combat with you, on the ground of facts. But, before opening the discussion, I will ask you: 1st If you believe in natural somnambulism and if you have seen individuals in that state? 2nd Have you seen somnambulists at the moment when they were writing? 3rd Have you seen somnambulists answering mental questions?

4th Have you seen somnambulists answering in languages unknown to them?