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Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1866 > September > The Davenport Brothers
The Davenport Brothers
The Davenport brothers have just spent some time in Brussels, where they peacefully gave their performances; we have numerous correspondents in that country, and neither through them nor through the newspapers we have heard that those gentlemen had been the subject of regrettable scenes as those that happened in Paris. Would the Belgians give the Parisians lessons of urbanity? One could believe it, by comparing the two situations. What is evident is that there was a preconceived idea in Paris, an organized conspiracy against them, and the proof of that is that they were attacked before people knew what they would do, even before they had started. They can boo those that fail, who do not do what they announced, it is a right acquired with the purchase of a ticket everywhere. But to scoff, insult and mistreat them, break their instruments even before they enter the scene, that would not be allowed against the last tearaway of the fair. Irrespective of the way those gentlemen are considered, such behavior has no excuse in a civilized people.
What are they accused of? For presenting themselves as mediums? For pretending to operate with the help of the Spirits? If it were, from their part, a fraudulent way of attracting the curiosity of the public, who would have the right to complain? The Spiritists could feel sorry for the exhibition of a respectable thing. Well, who complained? Who shouted against the scandal, the imposture and profanation? It was precisely those that do not believe in the Spirits.
But, among those that scream stronger that there aren’t Spirits, that there is nothing beyond man, there are some that after hearing so much about the manifestations, end up perhaps not believing but may fear that there is something. The fear that the Davenport brothers could prove it has clearly unleashed a true rage against them, which, if one were certain that they were nothing but skillful conjurers, the rage wouldn’t have more meaning than against the first illusionist that appeared. Yes, we are convinced that the fear of seeing them victorious was the main cause of such hostility, that preceded their public appearance, and prepared the means of aborting their first exhibition.
But the Davenport brothers were only a pretext; personally, they were not the target, but Spiritism that they thought could get a sanction, and for the great disappointment of its adversaries, enjoys the effects of slander through its prudent reservation from which it has never moved away, despite all the efforts made to force it to do so. To many people it is a nightmare. It would be necessary to know it very little to believe that those gentlemen, putting themselves in conditions that Spiritism disapprove, could operate as their helpers. Nonetheless, they served the cause by making people talk about it on the occasion, and the critic, unwillingly, reached out, provoking the exam of the doctrine.
It is noticeable that all the uproar created around Spiritism is the work of the very ones that wanted to muffle it. Whatever had been done against it, Spiritism never cried. It was the adversaries that cried out, as if believing that they were already dead.
We extracted from the Office de Publicité, a Brussels’ newspaper that is said to have a circulation of 25,000 copies, the following passages from two articles published in the last July 8th and 22nd issues about the Davenport brothers, as well as two letters of refutation, fairly inserted in the same newspaper. Although a bit worn out, the subject still has its instructive side.
What are they accused of? For presenting themselves as mediums? For pretending to operate with the help of the Spirits? If it were, from their part, a fraudulent way of attracting the curiosity of the public, who would have the right to complain? The Spiritists could feel sorry for the exhibition of a respectable thing. Well, who complained? Who shouted against the scandal, the imposture and profanation? It was precisely those that do not believe in the Spirits.
But, among those that scream stronger that there aren’t Spirits, that there is nothing beyond man, there are some that after hearing so much about the manifestations, end up perhaps not believing but may fear that there is something. The fear that the Davenport brothers could prove it has clearly unleashed a true rage against them, which, if one were certain that they were nothing but skillful conjurers, the rage wouldn’t have more meaning than against the first illusionist that appeared. Yes, we are convinced that the fear of seeing them victorious was the main cause of such hostility, that preceded their public appearance, and prepared the means of aborting their first exhibition.
But the Davenport brothers were only a pretext; personally, they were not the target, but Spiritism that they thought could get a sanction, and for the great disappointment of its adversaries, enjoys the effects of slander through its prudent reservation from which it has never moved away, despite all the efforts made to force it to do so. To many people it is a nightmare. It would be necessary to know it very little to believe that those gentlemen, putting themselves in conditions that Spiritism disapprove, could operate as their helpers. Nonetheless, they served the cause by making people talk about it on the occasion, and the critic, unwillingly, reached out, provoking the exam of the doctrine.
It is noticeable that all the uproar created around Spiritism is the work of the very ones that wanted to muffle it. Whatever had been done against it, Spiritism never cried. It was the adversaries that cried out, as if believing that they were already dead.
We extracted from the Office de Publicité, a Brussels’ newspaper that is said to have a circulation of 25,000 copies, the following passages from two articles published in the last July 8th and 22nd issues about the Davenport brothers, as well as two letters of refutation, fairly inserted in the same newspaper. Although a bit worn out, the subject still has its instructive side.