Baron Clootz
With the title of: A humanitarian vow, Anacharsis Clootz, Prussian Baron, French conventional, to his fellow citizens of Paris and Berlin, the Progress of Lyon, on April 27th, 1867, published, in the form of a letter, supposedly written from the other world, by the conventional Clootz, a rather long article starting as follows:
“In the other world, where I live since the terrible day of March 24th, 1794, that I admit, disillusioned me a little about men and things, only the word war has the privilege of reminding me the concerns of earthly policy. What I liked the most, what am I saying? What I adored and served when I lived on your planet, it was the brotherhood of peoples and peace. To this great object of study and love, I made a rather serious pledge: my head, to which my hundred thousand pounds of income that to the eyes of many people added an important value. What even consoled me somewhat, as I climbed the steps of the scaffolding, were the considerations by which Saint-Just had just justified my arrest. It was said there, if I remember correctly, that henceforth peace, justice and integrity would be on the agenda. I would have given my life, I declare it out loud, without hesitation, and twice rather than once, to obtain half of that result. And please notice that my sacrifice was more complete and deeper than most of my colleagues could have been. I was in good faith and kept respect for justice at the bottom of my heart; but, without speaking of the cults that horrified me, the Supreme Being of Robespierre himself irritated my nerves, and the future life had for me the appearance of a pretty fairy tale. You will probably ask me what it is. Was I wrong? Was I right? This is the great secret of the dead. Judge for yourself at your own risk. It seems, however, that I was going a little too far, since I am permitted to write to you, on this solemn occasion."
Since the article is exclusively political, and outside our scope, we only quote this fragment to show that in these very serious issues, we can take advantage of the idea of the dead addressing the living, to continue with their interrupted relationships. Spiritism sees this fiction being realized at every moment. It is more than likely that it was Spiritism that gave this idea; moreover, if it would be given as real, Spiritism would not disavow it.
