The Spiritualist newspaper > No.155, August 13th 1875

THE SPIRITUALIST. # 75
Aug. 13, 1875.
edition of Pneumatologie Positive of the Baron de
Giildenstubbe—Stuttgart, 1870—page 87.) This circle
was also joined by the Abbe Chatel and the three
Demoiselles Bouvrais ; it consisted therefore of nine
persons. This circle met once a week at the house of
Madame Japhet, 46, Rue des Martyrs; afterwards,
almost up to the time of the war of 1870, it met twice
a week. In 1855 the circle was composed of the fol¬
lowing persons : M. Tierry, M. Taillandier, M. Tillman,
M. Ramon de la Sagra (since dead), Messrs. Sardou
(father and son), Madame Japhet, and M. Roustan,
who continued a member of it until about 1864. They
began by making a chain, American fashion, in form of
a horse-shoe, round Madame Celina, and they obtained
spiritual phenomena more or less remarkable; but
soon Madame Celina developed as a writing medium,
and it was through that channel that the greater part
of the communications were obtained.
In 1856 she met M. Denizard Rivail, introduced by
M. Yictorien Sardou. He correlated the materials by
a number of questions; himself arranged the whole in
systematic order, and published The Spirits' Boole
without ever mentioning the name of Madame, C.
Japhet, although three-quarters of this book had been
given through her mediumship. The rest was obtained
from communications through Madame Bodin, who be¬
longed to another spirit-circle. She is not mentioned
except on the last page of the first number of the
Revue Spirite, where, in consequence of the number of
reproaches that were addressed to him, he makes a
short mention of her. As he was also attached to an
important journal, L'Univers, he published his book'
under the names which he had borne in his two previous
existences. One of these names was Allan—a fact
revealed to him by Madame Japhet, and the other name
of Kardec was revealed to him by the medium Roze.
After the publication of the Book of Spirits, of which
Kardec did not even present one copy to Madame
Japhet, he quitted the circle and arranged another in
his own house, M. Roze being the medium, ^hen he
thus left he possessed a mass of manuscript which he
had carried otf from the house of Madame Japhet, and
he availed himself of the right of an editor by never
giving it back again. To the numerous requests for
its return which were made to him, he contented
himself by replying, “Let her go to law with me.”
These manuscripts were to some extent useful in the
compilation of the Booh of Mediums, of which all the
contents, so says Madame Japhet, had been obtained
through medial communications.
It would be essential in order to complete this article
to review the ideas on pre-existence and on reincarna¬
tion which were strongly in vogue in Trance just before
1850. An abstract of these will be found in the work
of M. Pezzani on The Plurality of Existences. The
works of Cahagnet should also be consulted. As I am
now away from my library, it is impossible for me to
give the relative points exactly.
In addition to the foregoing, supplementary details
bearing upon the origin of The Book of Spirits, and the
different points connected therewith, can and ought to
be obtained from living witnesses to throw light upon
the conception and birth of this book, such as Madame
Japhet, Mdlle. de Giildenstubbe, M. Sardou, and M.
Taillandier. The last continues up to the present time
to work with Madame Japhet as a medium; she is still
in possession of her somnambulic powers, and continues
to give consultations. She sends herself off to sleep
by means of objects which have been mesmerised by
M. Roustan. I think it a duty on this occasion to
testify to the excellence of her lucidity. I consulted
her about myself, and she gave me exact information
as to a local malady, and as to the state of my health in
general. Row is it not astonishing that this remarkable
person, who has done so much for Trench Spiritism,
should be living entirely unknown for twenty years,
and no notice or remark made about her ? Instead of
being the centre of public attention she is totally
ignored ; in fact, they have buried her alive! Let us
hope that the reparation which is due to her will be
made one day. “ Spiritualism ” might, in this matter,
offer a noble example to “ Spiritism.”*'
Now to return to the question of Reincarnation. I
leave it to English critics to draw their deductions from
the facts which I unravelled by my researches, incom¬
plete though they be; I will do no more than throw
out the following ideas: That the propogation of this
doctrine by Kardec was a matter of strong predilection
is clear; from the beginning Reincarnation has not
been presented as an object of study, but as a dogma. To
sustain it he has always had recourse to writing
mediums, who it is well known pass so easily under the
psychological influence of preconceived ideas; and
Spiritism has engendered such in profusion ; whereas
through physical mediums the communications are not
only more objective, but always contrary to the doctrine
of Reincarnation. Kardec adopted the plan of always
disparaging this kind of mediumship, alleging as a pre¬
text its moral inferiority^. Thus the experimental
method is altogether unknown in Spiritism; for twenty
years it has not made the slightest intrinsic progress,
and it has remained in total ignorance ef Anglo-American
Spiritualism ! The few Trench physical mediums who
developed their powers in spite of Kardec, were never
mentioned by him in the Revue; they remained almost
unknown to Spiritists, and only because their spirits
did not support the doctrine of Reincarnation ! Thus
Camille Bredif, a very good physical medium, acquired
celebrity only in consequence of his visit to St. Peters¬
burg. I do not remember ever to have seen in the
Revue Spirite the slightest notice of him, still less any
description of manifestations produced in his presence.
Knowing the reputation of Mr. Home, Kardec made
several overtures to get him upon his side; he had two
interviews with him for this purpose, but as Mr. Home
told him that the spirits who had communicated through
him never endorsed the idea of Reincarnation, he
thenceforth ignored him, thereby disregarding the value
of the manifestations which were produced in his
presence. I have upon this head a letter from Mr.
Home, although at the present moment it is not within
reach.
In conclusion, it is scarcely necessary to point out
that all that I have herein stated does not affect tho
question of Reincarnation, considered upon its own
merits, but only concerns the causes of its origin and
of its propagation as Spiritism.
Chateau do Krotofka, Russia, July 24th, 1875.
Levitation of a Baby Medium.—In a letter written on
Friday last Mr. H. D. Jencben says: “ Only fancy, last night
little Ferdy was taken out of his crib and carried across the
room into his mother’s arms, so gently that even our exclama¬
tion of surprise did not wake him. They then rapped out on the
down pillow—‘ We moved him to break the influence / ’ ”
* The address of Madame Japhet is Paris, Rue des Enfants Rouges, 6.