M. Cahagnet was finally persuaded to give the results of

his wonderful seances to the world, under the name and style of The Celestial Telegraph, or, Secrets of the Life to Come.
The author of Art Magic says: ."-The narrow conser- vatism of the age, and the pitiful jealousy of the Medical Faculty, rendered it difficult and harassing to conduct magnetic experiments openly in Europe within several years of Mesmer's decease. Still such experiments were not wanting, and to show their results, we give a few excerpts from the correspondence between the famous French Magnetists, MM. Deleuze and Billot, from the years 1829 to 1840. By these letters, published in 1836, it ap- pears that M. Billot commenced his experiments in mag- netizing as early as 1789, and that during forty years, he had an opportunity of witnessing facts in clairvoyance, ecstasy, and somnambulism, which at the time of their publication transcended the belief of the general mass of readers. On many occasions in the presence of entranced subjects, spirits recognised as having once lived on earth in mortal form — would come in bodily presence before the- eyes of an assembled multitude and at request bring flowers, fruits, and objects, removed by distance from the scene- of the experiments.
" M. Deleuze frankly admits that his experience was more limited to those phases of somnambulism in which his subjects submitted to amputations and severe surgical operations without experiencing the slightest pain. . . . In a letter dated 1831 M. Billot writing to Deleuze says : — ■
"' ' I repeat, I have seen and known all that is permitted to man. I have seen the stigmata arise on magnetized subjects ; I have dispelled obsessions of evil spirits with a single word. I have seen spirits bring those material objects I told you of, and when requested, make them so light that they would float, and, again, a small boiteau de bonbons was rendered so heavy that I failed to move it aa inch until the power was removed.
"' " To those who enjoyed the unspeakable privilege of listening to the " somnambules " of Billot, Deleuze, and Cahagnet, another and yet more striking feature of unani- mous revelation was poured forth. Spirits of those who had passed away from earth strong in the faith of Roman Catholicism — often priests and dignitaries of that conser- vative Church, addressing prejudiced believers in their former doctrine, asserted that there was no creed in Heaven —no sectarian worship, or ecclesiastical dogmatism there- prevailing.
" ' They taught that God was a grand Spiritual Sun — ■ life on earth a probation — the spheres, different degrees of comprehensive happiness or states of retributive suffer- ing— ^ach appropriate to the good or evil deeds done on earth. They described the ascending changes open to every soul in proportion to his own efforts to improve.
" • They all insisted that man was his own judge, in- curred a penalty or reward for which there was no sub- stitution. They taught nothing of Christ, absolutely-
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denied the idea of vicarious atonement — and represented man as his own Saviour or destroyer.
" ' They spoke of arts, sciences, and continued activities, as if the life beyond was but an extension of the present on a greatly improved scale. Descriptions of the radiant beauty, supernal happiness, and ecstatic sublimity mani- fested by the blest spirits who had risen to the spheres of Paradise, Heaven, and the glory of angelic companionships melts the heart, and fills the soul with irresistible yearning, to lay down life's weary burdens and be at rest with them.' "
Having shown that Spiritualism arose in France as in Germany from the awakening of psychic powers evolved by magnetism, and traced the footprints of the great temple builders who have laid the foundation stones of the spiritual edifice in the human system and steadily worked upwards from matter to force, and from thence to spirit in every gradation of sphere, life and progress, we recall the pithy words of the Baron de Potet, who, in addressing the would-be leaders of public opinion in his essay on the " Philosophical Teaching of Magnetism," says :
" You savants of our country ; you have -not shown yourselves better informed than the Siamese.
" For these sixty years it has been shouted in your ears : The Magnetizers march to the discovery of a moral world ; all the phenomena they produce indisputably proves its existence.
' ' You have declared that they were impostors, imbeciles, and the most illustrious amongst you have only pronounced a verdict which will attest to future ages your ignorance or your insincerity.
" Before the soul is disengaged from matter, it can, and does, converse with pure spirits. Already it can gaze prophetically on its own future destiny, by regarding the condition of those who have gone before — but a step — - yet one which the eye of spirit alone can measure, and if men are spirits already, who can stay the eagle glance of the soul into the land of its own inheritance ? "
In following up the history of Spiritualism in France, although we find it has gained an immense foothold, and exerted a wide-spread influence upon the popular mind, it is nevertheless evident, that one of the chief obstacles to its general acceptance has been its lack of internal unity, and the antagonistic sentiments which have prevailed amongst its acknowledged leaders.
Two of those who have figured most prominently in the grand drama of French Spiritualism, and in all probability exerted more influence upon public opinion than any other members of its dramatis persona, were MM. Allan Kardec and Pierart, the respective editors of the two leading Spiritual journals, entitled La Revue Spirite and La Revue Spiritualiste. These may also be regarded as the repre- sentatives of the two opposing factions known as Spiritual- ists and Spiritists, the former teaching that the soul of man undergoes but one mortal birth, and continues its progress through eternity in spiritual states, the latter affirming the doctrine of Re-incarnation, and alleging that the one spirit in man can and does undergo many incarnations in different mortal forms.