L’Avenir

For a long time we battled almost alone to sustain the struggle plotted against Spiritism. But behold, champions have arisen on various sides and have entered courageously into the lists, as if to give the lie to those who claim that Spiritism is on the wane. First, the Vérité, in Lyon; then, the Ruche, the Sauveur, and the Lumière, in Bordeaux; the Revue Spirite d’Anvers, in Belgium; the Annales du Spiritisme en Italie, in Turin. We have the satisfaction of saying that all bravely grasp the banner, and have proved to our adversaries that they would find someone to reckon with. If we render just praise to the firmness of which these journals have given proof, by their refutations full of logic, we must, above all, praise them for not having departed from the moderation that is the essential character of Spiritism and, at the same time, the proof of its true strength; for not having followed our antagonists onto the ground of personalism and of insult, an incontestable sign of weakness, since one does not come to such an extreme except when one is in want of good reasons. He who is in possession of serious arguments makes them prevail; he does not replace them or take care not to weaken them by a language unworthy of a good cause. In Paris, a newcomer presents itself under the unpretentious title of Avenir, Moniteur du Spiritisme. The majority of our readers already know it, as well as its editor-in-chief, Mr. d’Ambel, and were able to judge it by its first feats of arms. The best publicity is to prove what one can do; afterward, the great jury of opinion pronounces the verdict. Now, we do not doubt that this verdict may be favorable to it, judging by the sympathetic welcome received on the occasion of its appearance.

To it, then, also our personal sympathies, won beforehand by all the publications capable of valuably serving the cause of Spiritism; for we could not conscientiously support, nor encourage, those who, by the form or by the substance, voluntarily or through imprudence, were more prejudicial than useful to it, deceiving opinion as to the true character of the doctrine, or offering fuel to the attacks and to the founded criticisms of our enemies. In such a case, the intention cannot be judged by the fact.

[1] See, further on, the detailed announcements concerning the various works on Spiritism.