Vol 12 Page 379

[Translation of the foregoing French text.]

TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN FRANCE.

In view of the above quoted paragraph, the undersigned takes this occasion for addressing all the members of the Theosophical Society in France, who are serious and honorable Theosophists, men and women who endeavor to adapt their lives to their professed beliefs, in order to give them a few details which may be of service to them.
In London, as well, another suit of the same nature will shortly come up for trial. This has been brought by one of the members at Headquarters against a certain individual, who, once a member of the society but now for a long time without the slightest reason an enemy, has become an amateur adherent of the same brand of conspirators, all

Page 380

expelled members, who are bound together to attack, without truce or cessation, the honor of our society and its founders. It would appear that for nearly eighteen months back, some ex-members in America and at London have actively corresponded together with this object in view, and with the intention of endeavoring to ruin the Theosophical Society by dishonoring its founders and foundress, by incessant calumnies and infamous lies, which they spread in an underhand manner amongst the public. They are assisted in this, to our great shame, by one of our most active members in France, who has once or twice crossed the Channel for this honorable purpose, bringing with him others (ex-members also) whom he has introduced to our personal enemies in London. Vain efforts! For Karma does not seem propitious to them. A suit, which was brought against me in July 1889, on some pretext or other, by one of these unhappy persons, with noisy preparations, from which great hopes were entertained, has ended, some two months ago, in a deplorable fiasco! On the very day of the trial, before the assembled court, witnesses and public, the counsel for the plaintiff, having read a certain letter written by his client which was once in my possession, refused point blank to proceed further and withdrew the suit just as the case was about to begin!
But everything, even theosophical patience, has an end. For the six years during which this state of affairs has lasted—the first halloo of this shameful and unmerited reputation-hunt being shouted by the London Society for Psychical Research in 1885—I have never sought to obtain redress through the courts of law.
In fact, the objects pursued by the members of the Theosophical Society, and the methods of the law do not agree well together. I have kept silence in every case of defamation (save in one single instance), refusing to answer such cowardly attacks save by a contemptuous silence.
But this is no longer possible, seeing that this very silence seems to have lent new strength to my enemies. But now that I have just accepted the responsible office of President of the entire European Section of the Theosophical Society,

Page 381

and the President-Founder has transferred in my favor all his rights over the members of our Society in Europe, it is my first duty to protect the reputation of her who is at the head of the Theosophists; to prove that the shameful calumnies spread about her by certain ambitious members and revengeful ex-members of our Society cannot stand the light of day and truth before a jury; and finally to remove these members and separate them forever from the Society, by requesting them to send in their resignations, or else, in case of refusal, expelling them publicly.
As I have a quiet conscience, I fear no one.
It is evident that if Colonel Olcott and myself have not been afraid to expel publicly from the Theosophical Society a scholar of note, and a man as wealthy and of as great a scientific and intellectual reputation as Dr. Coues, for intrigues and calumnies, we should not hesitate a moment to do the same with every other member who deserved such treatment. In fact, a member who, forgetting the most simple duties of an honorable man, and the first of the three fundamental rules of our Statutes, spends his time in intriguing against his brothers in Theosophy, and in endeavoring to befoul the reputation and honor of the leaders of this Society, by his tittle-tattle and by lies unworthy of a gentleman, can claim no place in a fraternity composed of honorable men and women.
I conclude by announcing that as I have in my possession all the documents which prove that we have in our midst Judases who do not blush to put on paper and over their full signatures the most shocking calumnies against myself, I advise them to withdraw from our ranks quietly. Otherwise I should have the disagreeable duty of announcing their expulsion publicly, and then summoning them before the tribunals of France, to prove, if they can, the accusations which they have allowed themselves to bring for now almost two years against the undersigned.
H. P. BLAVATSKY,
President of the European Section of the Theosophical Society.
London, Sept. 23rd, 1890.