As we are amidst the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, we have the honor to share this study, as a small homage to the tireless doctrinal work which Kardec had as he ran wisely the first Spiritist Center in the world. So, coming up, the Spiritist Magazine aforementioned (3), in which it is, recorded the first of the dialogs (there are 2 interviews) between Kardec and this personage, which is the object of our research. The evocation dates back to 10/6/1859, only six days after his disincarnating (4/6/1859) General X... in the terrible combat of Magenta (city near Milan, today in Italy).

A HIGH OFFICIAL DEAD IN MAGENTA

(Society, June 10, 1859)

1. Evocation. – I am here.

2. How come you answered our request so quickly? I was aware of it already.

3. Who told you that? An envoy from Luis.

4. Have you heard about our Society before? You know it.

Observation – The soldier in question had really helped the Society to get it up and running.

5. How did you consider our Society when you decided to help? I wasn’t completely decided, even though I was about to; had it not been for the events that happened, I’d definitely be among you now.

6. There are some important names who agree with the Spiritist ideas, but they don’t do it publicly. Do you think they should start doing so? Patience; God wants so and, this time, the expression is true.

7. From which part of the society do you think the example should come first? In the beginning, of some; then, all the others.

8. As for study, do you believe you can think clearer than the one who was here before, even though you had died at almost the same time? A lot. What he told you, witnessing a certain elevation of thought, was told him before, because he is good but too ignorant and a bit naive.

9. Are you still interested in our army? More than ever, because now I know the objective.

10. Please be clear; the objective was known way before, even more in your position, don’t you think you should know it? God’s objective, do you know it?

Observation – Everybody would know how deep this answer was. Like this, as alive, he knew the objective of men; as a Spirit, he sees what God is up to.

11. What do you think about wars in general? Resp. – I hope you make progress soon, so that it can become as impossible as it is useless. This is my opinion.

12. Do you believe there will be a day when wars will be useless? Aye, I have no doubt, and I can tell you this moment is not as far as you assume, even though you will probably not see it.

13. Did you recognize yourself immediately after death? Almost immediately, thanks to the little I know about Spiritism.

14. Can you say anything about M..., also dead? He is still attached to the matter; it’s been very rough for him to break loose; he had never thought about this before.

Observation – Knowing Spiritism helps the soul to break loose after death; this way, the perturbation that follows death can be shortened; the Spirit knew beforehand where he is now.

15. Did you watch the entrance of our troops in Milan? Resp. – Yes, I was glad. I got so happy at how welcome we were, first for patriotism; then, for the future that expects them.

16. As a Spirit, could you help at all in terms of strategy? Don’t you think it has been done since the beginning, and do you wonder who?

17. How was it possible for the Austrians to give up so quickly a strong site such as Pavia? Fear.

18. So they are afraid? Completely. All in all, if you influence our people in a way, you should assume another influence of different nature is attacking them.

Observation – Here there is intervention of the Spirits in the events. They prepare the ways for the accomplishments of the will of God. The ancient would have said this was the work of saints; we say it is done by the Spirits, ordered by God.

19. Can you give your opinion about the General Giulay, as a soldier, setting aside any differences? Poor, poor soldier!

20. Would you come back again if we asked to? I’m at your disposal, and willing to come back. The way I felt towards you has just increased. So long.

GENERAL X...

Let’s see now what Allan Kardec himself talks in Posthumous Works (4) about this important legal authorization for the functioning of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies (SPEE):

«[...] But, then, it was necessary a certain legal authorization, in order to avoid any further complications. Mr. Dufaux, who was friends with the Chief Policeman, got responsible of it. The authorization also depended on the Interior Minister. So, General X..., who was, without anybody knowing, agreeable with our ideas, even though he did not quite know them, got this authorization. This one, thanks to his influence, was issued in fifteen days, when it usually takes three months to happen. [“...]»

Let’s remember the historical, politic and social French context of the XIX century: a Law of the time, the Law of general safety, voted on February 19, 1858 and signed on 27/02/1858, prohibited reunions with more than 20 people without the authorization of the Royal Police of Napoleon III, who had suffered a plot in part of the Italian revolutionary Felix Orsini, who almost killed him on January 14, 1858. Because of this, Orsini suffered death penalty, being killed on the guillotine on March 13, 1858, it means, only twenty days before (01/04/1858) the SPEE got established and exactly a month before (13/04/1858) the necessary authorization (5). Orsini had been a congressman in Rome in 1849 but, as the Republic broke down, he fled to Paris. According to him, he attempted against Napoleon III because he had reestablished the authority of the Pope. Because of this reason the Police control got tighter over the reunion with more people held indoors.

This episode provoked the Law of General Safety, in which the Interior Minister could convict any French citizen who was assumed guilty to attempt against the safety of the State. It was a very tight law, which lasted 12 years, until 1870. «(...) The social status [of the SPEE] should be submitted to the authorities under this regime which, would focus on the object and the list of names of the components. (“...)» (6)

THE GENERAL CHARLES-MARIE-ESPRIT ESPINASSE

As we just read in Posthumous Works, General X... was, at the same time, Interior Minister of France, whose high rank had, at the time, the dual role of Minister of General Safety. Our investigation of French politics teaches us that Napoleon III (1808-1873) appointed for this role a general, on February 7, 1858.(7). History registers it is the general Charles-Marie-Esprit Espinasse (Castelnaudary [Aude], France, 02/04/1815 – Magenta [Milan], today Italy, 04/06/1859), who occupied this Ministry until June 14, 1858, and three days after he had stepped down he was appointed senator by the royal regime. The General Espinasse participated in the War of Italy (see further below its historical context) and died in the battle of Magenta. Years before (1842) he had been appointed knight of the Legion of Honor. On December 2, 1851 he took part of the coup d’état of Luis Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon I’s nephew (1769-1821).

Following are the words Kardec himself puts in the title and subtitle of his article in the Spiritist Magazine :( 2) «Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, established in Paris on April 1, 1858, and authorized by the Chief of Police, with the consent of the Mr. Minister of Interior and General Safety, on April 13, 1858». This legal authorization was obtained – as we just saw – in the period when the General Espinasse was ahead of the ministry (from 07/02/1858 to 14/06/1858). Wisely, and with his usual caution, Allan Kardec names this general with the letter X, for obvious reasons and also because the constitution of the Parisian Society did not allow political propaganda. Today this new information about the real name of General X... has only the character of historic register, so that we can know the people who contributed and took part in the beginning of Spiritism.

In another context, Kardec himself is going to refer twice –now using the name– General Espinasse, after being killed in battle of Magenta: in the question nº 37 of RE jul. 1859–III a +: Familiar Conversations of the Other Side – News of the War: the soldier of Magenta (First talk – Society, June 10, 1859), p. 281, and also in the question 40 of RE jul. 1859–III b +: Familiar Conversations of the Other Side – News of the War: the soldier of Magenta (Second talk – Society, June 17, 1859), also p. 281. As well, the Spirit Espinasse seems to be the same (exception for the first letter added: Lespinasse) who dictates a communication in the bottom of article RE may. 1862–II a: Familiar Conversations of the Other Side – Captain Nivrac, p. 200, where another Allan Kardec’s note informs the objective to register there that communication, which covers the good influence of Spiritism in the soldiers.

Finally, to understand better, let’s have the political, social and historical context of the War of Italy, in which France took part and, also General X... Let’s remember that in Posthumous Works (2nd Part – Events, May 7, 1856, at Mr. Roustan’s house; medium: Mrs. Japhet) there is a clear reference to this serious battle, historical message in which the Spirits already foretold Kardec that the war would break out in Italy, and this would take great proportions covering the Earth. And so did it happen, as the Spirits announced 3 years before.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE WAR OF ITALY

The context of this article of the Spiritist Magazine is the War of Italy (1859), which still hadn’t got their independence and its unity as a country (only in 1870-1871 it finally happened). Several Italian states were in the hands of Austria, which with their army reprimanded any sort of revolutionary movement. Victor Emmanuel II (1820-1878), king of Sardinia in 1849 [and later on king of Italy, in 1861], appointed minister in 1850 Camilo Benso, conte di Cavour (1810-1861), who he worked for the unification of the kingdom of Italy. With the consent of Victor Emmanuel II, on July 22, 1858 the French emperor Napoleon III summoned Cavour in Plombières, to talk about the future Italy, conversation that resulted in a treaty, which would be signed on January 26, 1859, in which France guaranteed to Piedmont in the case of suffering an Austrian aggression. It was sealed the alliance between Victor Emmanuel II and Napoleon III against Austria, whose emperor was Franz Joseph I (1830-1916). On April 27, 1859 the Austrian army crossed the border. On May 3, 1859, France declared war against Austria. Napoleon III was the head of his army, which had more than 100,000 men. The Frenchmen defeated Austria in Montebello (May 20) and in Magenta (June 4), which allowed the entrance of the French army in Milan on June 7, 1859. The Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I was ahead of his troops but couldn’t do anything (June, 24) in the battles of Solferino and São Marino, which cost a high number of casualties in both armies and could not ease the public opinion.

Only then, though, when Napoleon III offered truce which the emperor Franz Joseph I accepted immediately. Both emperors gathered on July 11, 1859 in Villafranca, and signed an armistice, in which Austria conceded Lombardy to France that, for its turn, would concede Piedmont. Piedmont, which was informed later, received it furiously, and Cavour, who could not convince Victor Emmanuel II to reject the terms of the armistice, stepped down from the presidency of the Council of Ministers on the 12^th. After the armistice of Villafranca, France and Austria signed a peace treaty in Zurich (on November 10, 1859), in which was allowed Lombardy to Piedmont. The Italian nationalists got upset because of the desertion of their French ally, while Napoleon III could not ease the internal opposition nor increase his international prestige. The only right greed was the acquisition of Nice and Savoy, on March 24, 1860 (Treaty of Turin). Despite this, Victor Emmanuel II, in February 1861 would be appointed king of Italy, after adding the kingdom of Naples and, later on, the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with the help of Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882), who was ahead of his troop of volunteers and who also contributed to the unification of Italy (see also RE mar. 1861–II: The head of Garibaldi, pp. 121-125). Victor Emmanuel II, favored now by his alliance with Prussia, obtained from Austria, in 1866, Venice and, later on, Rome, where they established the capital in 1870-1871. The unity of Italy was consolidated as a country.

Bibliography:

(1) KARDEC, Allan. Spiritist Magazine: Journal of Psychological Studies. September 1859. 2nd ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 2004. Translation by Evandro Noleto Bezerra. Article: RE sep. 1859–III a +: Familiar Conversations of the Other Side – A soldier of Italy (Second interview – Society, July 1, 1859.), pp. 362-364.

(2) KARDEC, Allan. Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies, established in Paris on April 1, 1858. Spiritist Magazine. May 1858, p. 233. 2nd ed. Rio de Janeiro, 2004.

(3) KARDEC, Allan. Spiritist Magazine. July 1859. Article: RE jul. 1859–III c +:  Familiar Conversations of the Other Side – News of the War: a high official dead in Magenta (First interview – Society, June 10, 1859), p. 283-287.

(4) KARDEC, Allan. April 1, 1858 foundation of the Parisian Spiritist Society. Posthumous Works. 26th ed. Rio de Janeiro: FEB, 1944. Translation by Guillon Ribeiro, p. 295.

(5) CEI. International Spiritist Council. Historical context extracted from translator’s note nº 150 (Law of General Security) 1858, Spiritist Magazine: Journal of Psychological Studies, by Allan Kardec, translated from French to Spanish by Enrique Eliseo Baldovino, 1st ed. Brasília: CEI, 2005, p. XLIII.

(6) BARRERA, Florentino. La Sociedad de París. In: ______. La Sociedad de París: Société Parisienne des Études Spirites: 1858-1896. 2nd ed., 100 pp., ilus. Buenos Aires: INFINITE LIFE, 2002. P.14.