Banquet

Speech and toast by Mr. Lacoste, merchant.

Gentlemen, I beg above all of the young people who hear me the kindness of paying attention to the few words of fraternal affection written especially for them. The lack of experience, the similarity of our ages, and the communion of our ideas assure me of their indulgence.

None of us, gentlemen, received with indifference the revelation of this holy doctrine, whose new elements were gathered by our venerated master in a wise book. At no time has a vaster field been opened to our imaginations; never has a more grandiose horizon been unveiled to our intelligences. It is with the ardor of youth, it is without looking back, that we have become adepts of faith in the future and pioneers of the civilization to come. May God not permit me to utter words of discouragement! Your beliefs are well known to me, gentlemen, and I know them to be too solid to believe that the mockery or the false reasoning of a few adversaries could shake them. Youth is rich in privileges, prone to noble emotions, and ardent in undertaking; it possesses, moreover, the enthusiasm of faith, that moral lever which lifts worlds. But if its imagination pushes it beyond obstacles, it often makes it overshoot the goal. It is against these deviations that I exhort you to be on your guard. Left to yourselves, drawn by the charm of novelty, lifting at each step the corner of the veil that hid the unknown from you, almost touching with your finger the solution of the eternal problem of first causes, beware of letting yourselves be intoxicated by the joys of triumph. Few paths are free of precipices; the greatest confidence always follows easy roads, and nothing is more difficult to obtain from young soldiers, as from young intelligences, than moderation in victory. There is the evil I fear for you, as I dread it for myself. Fortunately the remedy is near the evil. There are among us, gathered here, some who, to the maturity of age and talent, join the happy advantage of having been, in our city, enlightened propagators of the Spiritist teaching. It is to these calmer and more reflective Spirits that you must submit the direction of your studies, and, thanks to this everyday deference, thanks to this moral subordination, it will be given to you to bring to the construction of the common edifice a stone that will not waver.

Let us know, then, gentlemen, how to overcome the puerile questions of self-love. Our portion as our youth, is it not so beautiful? Indeed, the future belongs to us; to us who, full of life and faith, will be able to witness, when our fathers in Spiritism live again in a better world, the splendid radiance of this truth, of which they will have glimpsed on Earth only the mysterious dawn.

Let me hope, then, gentlemen, that you may say with me, and from the bottom of the heart:

To all our elders in age; to all those who, known or unknown, beneath the coat of the rich man or the apron of the workman, have made themselves adepts and propagators of the Spiritist Doctrine, in Bordeaux! To the prosperity of the Spiritist Society of Paris, of that Society which holds so high and so firmly the standard beneath which we aspire to place ourselves! May Mr. Allan Kardec, our common master, receive through our brothers of Paris the pledge of a profound sympathy; may he tell them that our young hearts beat in unison and that, although with a less sure step, we nonetheless contribute to the universal regeneration, stimulated by their examples and successes!

TOAST BY MR. SABÒ.

Once more, gentlemen, the Spirits wish to assure us that we can win their sympathy by uniting their wishes to ours for the prosperity of this holy doctrine, which is their work. The Spirit Ferdinand, one of our protecting guides, spontaneously dictated the following teaching, which I am happy to transmit to you:

“The great Spiritist family, of which you form a part, sees the number of its children increase daily and, soon, there will be no longer in your beautiful homeland either cities or villages where the tent of the members of this tribe blessed by God has not been established.

“It would already be impossible for us to point out the numerous centers that gravitate around the luminous focus whose seat is Paris, because the centers of the great cities are known only to us. Among these is distinguished, by its knowledge, intelligence, and fraternal union, the Society of the Spiritists of Metz; it is destined to bear fruit in abundance and, if you seek to establish friendly relations with them, founded upon a reciprocal esteem, you will fill with sweet joy the paternal heart of your chief here present.

“The eminent Spirit Erasto told you yesterday: Be united; union makes strength. Make, then, every effort to attain it, so that, in a short time, all the French Spiritist centers, united among themselves by the bonds of fraternity, may march with giant strides along the path traced out.”

Ferdinand.

Spiritual guide of the medium.

Finally, and as faithful interpreter of the sentiments expressed by this good Spirit, I propose a toast to our brothers of Metz, in particular, and to all French Spiritists, in general.

Gentlemen, Convinced that the warm words pronounced yesterday in your midst by our honored Spiritist chief did not fall upon stones and thorns, but upon your hearts, now disposed to tighten the bonds of fraternity, I come to propose a toast to our Spiritist brothers of Lyon. They began their tasks before us and, in order to organize themselves, had to pass through the same difficulties that formerly made us suffer so much. But, thanks to the impulse that our well-beloved chief gave them last year, they took an immense step on the blessed road into which the good Spirits are making Humanity enter. Let us imitate them, gentlemen. May a praiseworthy emulation unite to those of Bordeaux the Spiritists of Lyon, so that the communion of thoughts and sentiments with which all are animated may make them say: the people of Bordeaux and the people of Lyon are brothers. I propose a toast to the union of the brothers of Bordeaux and Lyon.

SPEECH BY MR. DESQUEYROUX, MECHANIC.

In the name of the group of workmen.

Mr. Allan Kardec, our dear master, In the name of all the Spiritist workmen of Bordeaux, my friends and brothers, I take the liberty of raising a toast to your prosperity. Although you have already attained a high perfection, may God make you grow still more in the good sentiments that have animated you to this day and, above all, make you grow in the eyes of the Universe and in the heart of those who, following your doctrine, draw near to God.

We, who are among the number of those who profess it, bless you from the bottom of the heart and pray to our Creator to leave you still a long time among us, so that, when your mission is finished, we may already be firm enough in the faith to conduct ourselves alone, without straying from the good path.

For us it is an ineffable happiness to have been born in an epoch in which we can be enlightened by Spiritism. But it is not enough to know and to enjoy this happiness; with the doctrine, we contract commitments that consist of four different duties: the duty of submission, which makes us listen with docility; the duty of affection, which makes us love with tenderness; the duty of zeal, to attend to its interests with ardor; the duty of practice, which makes us honor it by our works.

We are within the bosom of Spiritism, and Spiritism is for us a firm consolation in our sorrows. We cannot deny that there are moments in life in which reason might perhaps sustain us, but there are others in which one has need of all the faith that Spiritism gives, in order not to succumb. In vain do the philosophers come to preach a stoic firmness, to enunciate their pompous maxims, to tell us that nothing disturbs them, that man is made to possess himself and to dominate the events of life. Sad consolations! Far from softening the pain, they make it more bitter; in all their words we find only emptiness and sterility. But Spiritism comes to our aid, proving that our very affliction may contribute to our happiness. Yes, dear master, continue your august mission. Continue to show us this science, which is dictated to you by the divine goodness, our consolation during life and the unshakable thought that will sustain us at the hour of death.

Receive, dear master, these few words, sprung from the heart of your children, for you are the father of us all; father of the laboring class and of the afflicted. As you well know, progress and suffering march together; but, when despair oppressed our hearts, you came to bring us strength and courage. Yes, in showing us Spiritism, you said: “Brothers, courage! Bear courageously the trials that are sent to you, and God will bless you.” Know, then, that we are devoted apostles and that in this century, as in those that will follow, your name will be blessed by our children and by our friends the workmen.

SPEECH AND TOAST BY MR. ALLAN KARDEC.

My dear brothers in Spiritism, Expressions fail me to convey what I feel for your reception so sympathetic and benevolent. Permit me, then, to say in a few words and not in long phrases, which would add nothing more, that I shall count my first stay in Bordeaux among the happiest moments of my life, and that I shall keep an eternal remembrance of it. But neither shall I forget, gentlemen, that this reception imposes upon me a great responsibility — that of justifying it — which I hope to do with the help of God and of the good Spirits. Moreover, it imposes upon me great obligations, not only toward you, but also toward the Spiritists of all countries, of whom you are representatives as members of the great family; toward Spiritism in general, which you have just acclaimed in these two solemn gatherings and which, have no doubt, will draw from the enthusiasm of your important city a new strength to struggle against the obstacles that some will wish to cast in your path. In my address yesterday, I spoke of its irresistible force, of which you are the evident proof. Is it not a characteristic fact, the inauguration of a Spiritist society which, like yours, begins with the spontaneous gathering of nearly three hundred persons, drawn, not by a vain curiosity, but by conviction and by the sole desire of grouping themselves into a single bundle? Yes, gentlemen, this fact is not only characteristic, but providential. Here, in this regard, is what the Spirit of Truth — my spiritual guide — was still telling me yesterday, before the session: “God has marked with the seal of his immutable will the hour of the regeneration of the children of this great city. To the work, then, with confidence and courage. This night the destinies of its inhabitants are going to begin to emerge from the routine of the passions, which their wealth and their luxury made germinate, like the tares amid the wheat, in order to attain, through the moral progress that Spiritism will impress upon it, the height of the eternal destinies. As you see, Bordeaux is a city beloved by the Spirits, for it multiplies within its walls, under all forms, the most sublime devotions of charity. For this reason they were afflicted to see it in the rear of the progressive movement that Spiritism comes to impose upon Humanity. But the progress will be so rapid that the Spirits will bless the Lord for having inspired in you the desire to come and help them enter this sacred path.” You see, then, gentlemen, that the impulse that animates you comes from on High, and very rash would be he who would wish to halt it, for he would be struck down like the rebel angels, who wished to struggle against the power of God. Thus, do not fear the opposition of a few interested adversaries, who strut about in their materialist incredulity. Materialism sees its last hour arrived, and it is Spiritism that comes to announce it, being the dawn that dispels the shadows of night. And, providential thing, materialism itself, without wishing it, serves as an auxiliary to the propagation of Spiritism, because, by its attacks, it draws to itself the attention of the indifferent. They wish to see what it is; as they find it good, they adopt it. You have the proof of this before your eyes: without the articles of one of the newspapers of your city, the Spiritists of Bordeaux would perhaps not be half of what they are today. Such an article naturally aroused curiosity. As is generally said, where there is smoke there is fire; they measured the importance of the fire by the length of the article. They asked: Is it good? Is it bad? Is it true? Is it false? Let us see, in order to believe. They saw, and you know the result. Far, then, from attacking the author of the article, we ought to thank him for the free propaganda; and, in case some friend of his is here, we ask this one to advise him to begin again, so that, if yesterday we were three hundred, we may be six hundred next year. On this subject I could cite for you curious facts of similar propaganda, made in certain cities, by furious sermons against Spiritism.

Like Lyon, Bordeaux comes, then, to plant proudly the banner of Spiritism, and what I see assures me that it will not be torn down. Bordeaux and Lyon! Two of the greatest cities of France; foci of light! And still they say that all Spiritists are madmen! Honor to madmen of this kind! Let us not forget Metz, which has also just founded its society, in which figure in great number officers of every rank, and which claims its admission into the great family. I hope that soon Toulouse, Marseille and other cities, where the new seed already ferments, will join their elder sisters, giving the signal of regeneration in their respective regions. Gentlemen, in the name of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, I raise a toast to the Spiritists of Bordeaux; to their fraternal union to resist the enemy who wished to divide them, in order to more easily prevail.

To this toast I associate, from the depths of my heart, and with the most lively sympathy, the Spiritist Group of the workmen of Bordeaux who, like those of Lyon, give an admirable example of zeal, devotion, abnegation, and moral reform. I am happy, very happy, I assure you, to see your delegates gathered fraternally at this table, with the elite of society, proving, by this association, the influence of Spiritism upon social prejudices. It could not be otherwise, when it teaches us that the one placed highest in the world may have been a humble proletarian and that, in shaking the hand of the lowliest servant, one perhaps shakes that of a brother, of a father, or of a friend. In the name of the Spiritists of Metz and of Lyon, of whom I make myself the interpreter, I thank you for having included them in the expression of your fraternal sentiments.

To the Spiritists of Bordeaux!

Gentlemen, Spiritists must not be ungrateful. I believe it a duty of gratitude not to forget those who, even without wishing it, serve our cause. Thus, I propose a toast to the author of the article in the Courrier de la Gironde, for the service he rendered us, expressing the wish that he repeat, from time to time, his witty articles. And, if God wills, soon he will be the only sensible man in Bordeaux.