Reincarnation in America.

People often wonder why the doctrine of reincarnation was not taught in America, and the unbelievers do not fail to take advantage of this fact to accuse the Spirits of contradiction. We shall not repeat here the explanations that were given to us and that we published on this subject [see Mysterious drawings], limiting ourselves to recalling that in this the Spirits showed their habitual prudence; they wished Spiritism to arise in a country of absolute freedom regarding the expression of opinions. The essential point was the adoption of the principle, and for this they did not wish to be hindered in any way. The same would not have been the case with all its consequences, above all with reincarnation, which would have clashed against the prejudices of slavery and color. The idea that a black man could become a white man; that a white man could have been a black man; that a master could have been a slave might appear so monstrous that it would have been enough for the rest to be rejected. Thus, the Spirits preferred to sacrifice the secondary for a time to the essential, and they always told us that, later, unity would be made on this point as on all the others. Indeed, this is what is beginning to happen. Several people from that country have told us that this doctrine now numbers many supporters there; that certain Spirits, after having caused it to be foreseen, come to confirm it. Here is what Mr. Fleury Lacroix, a native of the United States, wrote to us on the subject from Montreal (Canada). “ (…) The question of reincarnation, of which you were the first visible promoter, took us by surprise here. Today, however, we are reconciled with it, with this child of your thought. Everything has become comprehensible by this new light, and now the eternal road opens out before us a little further. And yet, this seemed absurd to us, as we said at the beginning; but if today we deny, tomorrow we believe – such is Humanity. Happy are those who wish to know, for the light will be made for them; unhappy are the others, for they will remain in darkness.” Thus, it was logic and the force of reasoning that led them to this doctrine; and, also, because in it they found the only key that could resolve problems hitherto insoluble. Nevertheless, our honored correspondent is mistaken regarding an important fact, in attributing to us the initiative of this doctrine, which he calls a child of our thought. It is an honor that does not belong to us: besides being taught to us, reincarnation was taught by the Spirits to other individuals, before the publication of The Spirits' Book. Moreover, its principle was clearly set forth in several earlier works, not only in ours and even in those that appeared before the advent of the turning tables; among others in Heaven and Earth [Terre et ciel - Google Books,] by Jean Reynaud, and in a charming little book by Mr. Louis Jourdan, entitled Prayers of Ludovic, published in 1849, not to mention that this dogma was professed by the druids, to whom, of course, we did not teach it. n When it was revealed to us we were surprised and received it with reserve and distrust; we even went so far as to combat it for some time, until its evidence was demonstrated to us. Thus, we accepted it and did not invent it, which is quite different.

This answers the objection of one of our subscribers, Mr. Salgues (of Angers), an avowed antagonist of reincarnation [see Letters of Mr. Salgues,] who claims that the Spirits and the mediums who teach it are under our influence, since those who communicate with him say the contrary. Moreover, Mr. Salgues raises against reincarnation special objections, which we shall, in due course, make the object of particular examination. [see The Spirits and the coat of arms,] While we wait, we observe a fact: the number of its supporters grows without ceasing, while that of its adversaries diminishes. If such a result is due to our influence, they attribute to us a very great one, since it extends from Europe to America, from Asia to Africa and even to Oceania. If the contrary opinion is the true one, how is it to be explained that it has not prevailed? Would error, then, be more powerful than truth?

[1] See the Spiritist Review of April 1858, Spiritism among the druids, an article that contains the Triads.