From Doss McDavid (San Antonio, Texas)

The  views expressed  by  H.P.B. in  the  letter  to W.Q.J.  which  was  published  in  your  last  issues should not be taken out of context. It is true that for a period of time H.P.B. distrusted and talked against  Dr.  Hartmann  to  Judge,  Sinnett,  and others. It is also true that she came to see things somewhat differently after receiving further facts from her Master.  In a letter to Dr. H. dated April 3, 1886 and published in a series of letters in The Theosophical Quarterly beginning in January 1926 H.P.B. wrote:

“Mind you, Doctor, my dear friend, I do not justify Olcott in what he did and how he acted toward yourself—nor  do  I justify  him  in anything else. What I say is:  he was led on blindly by people as blind as himself to see you in quite a false light, and there was a time, for a month or two, when I myself—not withstanding my inner voice, and to the day the Master’s voice told me I was mistaken in you and had to keep friends—shared his blindness.”

 An undated letter from the same series adds the following:

“If I could see you for a few hours, if I could talk to you; I may open your eyes, perhaps, to some  truths  you  have  never  suspected.  I could show you who it was (and give you proofs)  who  set Olcott  against  you,  who ruined your reputation, and aroused the Hindu fellows against you, who made me hate and despise you, till the voice of one who is the voice of God to me pronounced those words that made me change my opinion.”

Perhaps this change of heart explains the favorable treatment  which Franz  Hartmann  has received from Boris de Zirkoff, Sven Eek, and other historians. I would be interested to know if any of your readers  has  further  information regarding  the identity of the unnamed trouble-maker(s).

First published in The Theosophical History Journal,  “Letter to the Editor”  vol. v, No. 4 (October 1994)   p. 123.