What the history of Spiritism ought to be.

Concerning that history, about which we said a few words [see Thus is history written!], many persons have asked us what it would comprise and, in this regard, have sent us various accounts of manifestations. To those who thought thus to bring a stone to the edifice, we thank them for the intention, but we will say that it is a matter of something more serious than a catalogue of Spiritist phenomena, found in many works. Since Spiritism is to make itself notable in the annals of Humanity, it will be interesting for future generations to know by what means it will have established itself. It will be, then, the history of the vicissitudes that will have marked its first steps; of the struggles it will have faced; of the impediments that will have been raised against it; of its progressive march throughout the whole world. True merit is modest and does not seek to make itself valued. It is necessary that posterity should know the names of the pioneers of the work, of those whose devotion and abnegation will deserve to be inscribed in its annals; of the cities that marched in the vanguard; of those who suffered for the cause, in order that they may bless them, and of those who made them suffer, in order that they may pray, that they may be pardoned; in a word, of its true friends and of its enemies, avowed or hidden. Intrigue and ambition must not usurp the place that does not belong to them, nor a recognition and an honor that are not due to them. If there are Judases, it is needful that they be unmasked. A part no less interesting is that of the revelations which, successively, announced all the phases of this new era and the events of every order that accompanied them. To those who find the task presumptuous, we will say that we have no other merit than that of possessing, by our exceptional position, documents that are not in anyone’s possession, and that are sheltered from any eventualities; that, Spiritism being called to play a great role in History, it matters that its role not be distorted, and that an authentic history be opposed to the apocryphal histories that personal interest could engender.

When will it appear? It will not be so soon and perhaps not in our lifetime, for this work is not destined to satisfy the curiosity of the moment. If we speak of it in advance, it is so that no one may be mistaken as to its object and to make our intention clear. Besides, Spiritism is making its debut and many other things will have to happen before then; and, moreover, it is necessary to wait until each one has taken his place, rightly or wrongly.