Apostles of Spiritism in Spain.

Ciudad-Real, February 1869.

To Mr. Allan Kardec.

Dear Sir, The Spiritists who compose the circle of the city of Andújar, today disseminated by the will of God for the propagation of the true Doctrine, greet you fraternally.

Lowly in talent, great in faith, we propose to sustain the Spiritist Doctrine, both by the press and by the word, both in public and in private, because it is the same that Jesus preached, when he came to the Earth for the redemption of Humanity.

The Spiritist Doctrine, called to combat materialism, to make the divine word prevail, so that the spirit of the Gospel may no longer be truncated by anyone, to prepare the way of equality and fraternity, needs today, in Spain, apostles and martyrs. If we cannot be the first, we will be the last: we are ready for the sacrifice.

We will struggle alone or together, with those who profess our Doctrine. The times are come; let us not lose, through indecision or through fear, the recompense that is reserved for those who suffer and are persecuted for justice.

Our group was composed of six persons, under the spiritual direction of the Spirit of Fénelon. Our medium was Francisco Perez Blanca, and the others: Pablo Medina, Luís Gonzalez, Francisco Marti, José Gonzalez, and Manuel Gonzalez.

After having scattered the seed in Andújar, we are today in various cities: León, Seville, Salamanca, etc., where each one of us works in the propagation of the Doctrine, which we consider as our mission.

Following the counsels of Fénelon, we are going to publish a Spiritist newspaper. Desiring to illustrate it with extracts taken from the works you have published, we ask that you grant us permission. Furthermore, we would be very glad of your benevolent cooperation and, to this end, we place at your disposal the columns of our newspaper.

Thanking you in advance, we beg you to greet, in our name, our brothers of the Society of Paris.

And you, dear sir, receive the fraternal embrace of your brothers. For all, Manuel Gonzalez Soriano.

On many occasions we have already said that Spain counted numerous adepts, sincere, devoted, and enlightened. Here, it is no longer devotion, it is abnegation; not an unreflecting abnegation, but calm, cold, like that of the soldier who marches to combat, saying: Cost me what it may, I will do my duty. It is not that courage which flames like a straw fire and is extinguished at the first alarm; which, before acting, carefully calculates what it may lose or gain: it is the devotion of one who places the interest of all above personal interest. What would have become of the great ideas that made the world advance, if they had found only egoistic defenders, devoted in words while they had nothing to fear and to lose, but bending before a threatening glance and the fear of compromising some parcels of their well-being? The sciences, the arts, industry, patriotism, religions, philosophies have had their apostles and their martyrs. Spiritism too is a great regenerating idea; it is only just arising; it is not yet complete, and it already finds hearts devoted even to abnegation, even to sacrifice; devotions often unknown, seeking neither glory nor brilliance, but which, by acting in a small sphere, are not for that any less meritorious, because morally more disinterested. However, in all causes, devotions in full light are necessary, because they electrify the masses. The time is not far off, this is certain, when Spiritism will also have its great defenders who, confronting the sarcasms, the prejudices, and the persecution, will grasp its banner with the firmness given by the consciousness of doing a useful thing; they will support it with the authority of their name and of their talent, and their example will draw along the multitude of the timid who, out of prudence, have kept themselves at a distance. Our brothers of Spain open the march; they gird their loins and prepare themselves for the struggle. May they receive our compliments and those of their brothers in belief of all countries, because among Spiritists there is no distinction of nationalities. Their names will be inscribed with honor beside the courageous pioneers, to whom posterity will owe a tribute of gratitude, for having been the first to pay with their persons and contributed to the raising of the edifice.

Does this mean that devotion consists in taking up the traveler's staff to go preach through the world to all people? No, certainly; in whatever place one may be one can be useful. True devotion consists in knowing how to draw the best advantage from one's position, putting at the service of the cause, as usefully as possible and with discernment, the physical and moral forces that Providence has distributed to each one.

The dispersion of these gentlemen was not due to their will. Gathered, initially, by the nature of their functions, these called them to various points of Spain. Far from being discouraged by this isolation, they understood that, remaining united by thought and action, they could plant the banner in several centers, and that thus their separation would redound to the profit of the popularization of the idea.

Thus it happened in a French regiment, where a certain number of officers had formed groups, among the most serious and best organized that we have seen. [See: New Spiritist Society of Bordeaux.] Animated by an enlightened zeal and by a devotion proof against all, their objective was, first, to instruct themselves thoroughly in the principles of the Doctrine and, then, to exercise themselves in speech, imposing upon themselves the obligation of treating, each in turn, a question, in order to familiarize themselves with controversy. Outside their circle they preached by word and by example, but with prudence and moderation; not seeking to make the propagation at any price, they made it more profitable. The regiment having been displaced, they spread to various cities; thus the group dispersed materially, but, always united in intentions, it pursues its work in different points.