Simulated apparitions at the theater.

— “Sir, “The adversaries of Spiritism have just devised a new tactic in order to combat it. It consists in making specters and impalpable phantoms appear on the stage, which are presented as being those of Spiritism. Such apparitions occur every night at the Salle Robin, on the Boulevard du Temple. Yesterday I attended the second performance, and it was not without astonishment that I heard Mr. Robin tell his spectators that he proposed, with such experiments, to combat the strange belief of certain persons, who imagine that the Spirits move hands and make tables turn. “For my part, sir, I have never understood the analogy that can exist between these imitations created by recreational physics and the Spiritist manifestations, which are within the laws of Nature. Thus, such maneuvers should be little feared by the adepts of Spiritism. However, since the good faith of the public must not be allowed to be caught off guard, I have judged it fitting to communicate such facts, in order that you may devote a special article to them in the Review, if you find it suitable. And as I have the habit of acting in the open, and not in the shadows, I authorize you to make of this letter whatever use may please you. “Receive, etc.”

Simond.

Law student in Paris.

— For some time now there has been talk of a fantastic play, staged at the Théâtre du Châtelet and where, by a new and secret process, they make impalpable shadow-phantoms appear on the scene. It seems the secret was discovered, for Mr. Robin is exploiting it at this moment. As we have not seen it, we can say nothing about the merit of the imitation; we hope it is less crude than that imagined by Mr.

and Mrs. Girrood, Americans from Canada, (some translate: Girod de Saint-Flour), to simulate the transmission of thought through walls, and which was supposed to kill the mediums and the somnambulists irremediably. We hope, above all, that his invention does not bring him the same consequences brought to these latter. Be that as it may, Mr. Simond is quite right to think that such maneuvers should not be feared in the least, for, from the fact that one can imitate a thing, it does not follow that the thing does not exist;

false diamonds take nothing from the value of fine diamonds; artificial flowers do not prevent there being natural flowers. To claim to prove that certain phenomena do not exist because they cannot be imitated, would be exactly as if he who manufactures champagne with Seltzer water powder should thereby claim to prove that champagne and the sloth exist only in the imagination. Never was the imagination more ingenious, more skillful, and more witty than that of the second sight by Robert Houdin; and yet, this in no way discredited somnambulism;

on the contrary, because, after having seen the painting, they wanted to see the original.

The Girroodd couple had the pretension of killing the mediums by passing off all the Spiritist phenomena as sleight of hand. Now, as these phenomena are the nightmare of certain persons, they had gathered the endorsements, displayed in their prospectuses, of several Spiritism-fearing priests and bishops, most satisfied with the blow dealt to Spiritism. But, in their joy, those gentlemen had not reflected that the Spiritist phenomena come to demonstrate the possibility of the miraculous facts; that if it were possible to prove that these phenomena are nothing but tricks of cunning, it would be to prove that the same can happen with the miracles; that, consequently, to discredit the ones would be to discredit the others. One never thinks of everything. The tricks of Mr. Girroodd being a little worn out, will these gentlemen now make common cause with Mr. Robin for his apparitions?

— The Indépendance belge, which does not like Spiritism, we do not know exactly the reason, since the latter never did it any harm, speaking of this new scenic trick, in a June issue, exclaimed: “Behold the religion of Mr. Allan Kardec shipwrecked. How is Spiritism going to get out of this?”

Note that this last question has been asked many times by all those who claimed to deal it a blow, not excepting the abbé Marouzeau, and Spiritism was none the worse for it. [See the articles: Is Spiritism proved by miracles? and: Sermons against Spiritism.] We will tell the Indépendance that it is to give proof of complete ignorance to suppose that Spiritism rests upon apparitions, and that to suppress them is the same as to suppress the soul. If the fact of apparitions were officially given as a false invention, religion would suffer more than Spiritism, considering that three quarters of the most important miracles have no other foundation. The scenic art is the art of imitation par excellence, from the cardboard chicken to the most sublime virtues, which does not mean that one should not believe in real chickens, nor in virtues. This new genre of spectacle, by its singularity, will sharpen public curiosity and will be repeated in all the theaters, because it will result in money; it will make people speak of Spiritism perhaps even more than the sermons, precisely because of the analogy that the newspapers will be eager to establish. We must persuade ourselves that all that tends to preoccupy opinion leads necessarily to examination, even if only out of curiosity, and it is from such examination that adepts come. The sermons present it under a serious and terrible aspect, as a monster invading the world and threatening the Church in its foundations.

The theaters are going to address the multitude of the curious, so that those who do not attend the sermons will hear it spoken of at the theater, and those who do not attend the theaters will hear Spiritism spoken of in the sermon. As one sees, there is something for everyone. It is truly an admirable thing to see by what means the occult forces that direct this movement manage to make it penetrate everywhere, making use precisely of those who want to overthrow it. It is quite certain that, without the sermons on the one hand, and the jests of the newspapers on the other, the Spiritist population would today be ten times less numerous than it is.

— Thus, we say that these imitations, even supposing them as perfect as possible, can cause no harm; we even say that they are useful. Indeed, here is Mr. Robin who, by means of some process or other, produces surprising things before the spectators, which he affirms to be the same as those of Spiritism, produced by the mediums. Now, among those present, more than one will ask himself: “Since with Spiritism we can do the same thing, let us study Spiritism, let us learn to be a medium and we will be able to see at home as much as we want and without paying, that which is seen here.” Among this number many will recognize the serious side of the question, and it is thus that, even without wanting to, they serve those whom they want to harm. What serious persons fear is that these jugglings may deceive certain persons as to the true character of Spiritism. Without doubt, there lies the bad side; but this inconvenience is of no importance, because the number of those who let themselves be deceived is minimal. Those very ones who say: “It is only this!”, sooner or later will have the opportunity to recognize that it is something else. In the meantime the idea spreads, people grow familiar with the word which, under a burlesque cloak, penetrates everywhere; they pronounce it without reserve, and when the word is everywhere, the thing is quite near to being there. Whether this be a maneuver of the adversaries of Spiritism, or simply a personal scheme to bolster the receipts, it must be admitted that it lacks skill. There would be more cleverness on the part of Messrs. Robin and consorts in denying any parity with Spiritism or magnetism, for, in proclaiming such parity, it is to recognize a competition – and we speak from their commercial point of view – it is to give the desire to see that competition and to confess that one can do without the two.

— Since we are on the chapter of imbecilities, here is one, as there have already been so many others. We regret to present it alongside that of Messrs. Robin and Girroodd, but it is the analogy of the result that forces us to this. Besides, considering that the dignitaries of the Church did not judge themselves beneath them in sponsoring a conjurer against Spiritism, they cannot be scandalized at finding a sermon in this chapter. One of our correspondents writes to us from Bordeaux:

“Dear master, I have just received a letter from my sister, who resides in the small town of B… She was in despair at not finding anyone with whom she could converse about Spiritism, when the adversaries of our beloved doctrine came to draw her out of the difficulty. Some persons, having heard it vaguely spoken of, resolved to turn to the Carmelites to learn what it was. These, not content with diverting them, preached four sermons on the subject, whose principal conclusions are the following: “The mediums are possessed by the demon; they act only with a view to self-interest and use their power only for the finding of hidden treasures or of precious objects that are lost; but, at the contact of a holy relic, you will see them stiffen and writhe in terrible convulsions. “The times predicted by the gospels have come. The mediums are nothing more than the false prophets announced by Christ; soon they will have for their chief the Antichrist. They will work admirable miracles and prodigies; by such means they will win to their cause three quarters of the population of the globe, which will be the sign of the end of times, when Jesus will descend upon a celestial cloud and, with a single breath, will hurl them into the eternal flames. “The consequence of this state of things is that the whole town has been thrown into turmoil; everywhere Spiritism is spoken of; people are not content with the priest's explanation, they want to know more, and my sister, who saw no one, on certain days receives more than thirty visits; she always sends them to The Spirits' Book, which will soon be in every hand, and many of those who already have it say that this in no way resembles the picture which the preacher made of it, and that it is exactly all the contrary. Thus, we now count several serious adepts, thanks to those sermons, without which Spiritism would not for so long have penetrated into these remote regions.”

— Were we not right to say that it is yet again a lack of skill, and would we not be right to wish well to adversaries who work so well for us? But this is not the last; we await the greatest of all, which will crown the work. A year ago they committed a very grave one, which we refrain from revealing, because it must go to the end, but whose consequences we will see one day. About two years ago we asked one of our spiritual guides by what means Spiritism could penetrate into the countryside. We were answered: “By the parish priests. – Q. Voluntarily or involuntarily on their part? Answer. – At first involuntarily; later, voluntarily. Soon they will carry out a propaganda whose reach you cannot foresee. Do not trouble yourselves about anything whatsoever: the Spirits watch and know what is necessary.” As one sees, the first part of the prediction is being realized as well as possible. Furthermore, all the phases through which Spiritism has passed have been announced to us, and all those it must still traverse until its definitive establishment are equally announced to us, and every day the event is verified.

It is in vain that they seek to dissuade from Spiritism, presenting it under horrifying colors. As one sees, the effect is entirely different from what they expect. For ten persons turned away, there are a hundred who adhere. This proves that it has, of itself, an irresistible attraction, not to mention that of forbidden fruit. This brings to our memory the following anecdote:

One day a proprietor had a barrel of excellent wine brought to his house; but, as he feared the unfaithfulness of the servants, he affixed a label in large letters: Horrible vinegar. Now, as the barrel let escape a few drops, one of the employees had the curiosity to taste it with the tip of his finger and found that the vinegar was good. Little by little the novelty spread; and, because each one came to try it, after some time the barrel was empty. As the proprietor gave his people poor-quality wine to drink, they said among themselves: “This is not worth the horrible vinegar.” However much they may say that Spiritism is vinegar, they will not make those who taste it find it other than sweet. Now, those who taste it will tell the others, and all will want to taste it.

[1] Translator's Note: Our emphasis. Aï in the original. Mammals so designated for the remarkable slowness of their movements.