1391. Subsequently to the printing of the articles under the head
of Corroborative Evidence, a pamphlet was received from which the
subjoined pages are translated, by my friend, Dr. Geib. It serves to
show the impression made by spirit manifestations in another part of
Christendom, upon one who belongs to the church.
_The Opinions of MM. de Mirville and Gasparin, on Table Turning and
Mediums, (considered in relation to theology and physics) examined, by
the Abbot Almignana, Doctor of the Canon Law, Theologian, &c._
_Introduction._
1392. “Mesmerism, table turning, and mediumship being phenomena which,
in my estimation, demand serious investigation before pronouncing
judgment on them, as soon as this became known to me, as an ocular
witness, far from judging of them, _ex abrupto_, as so many have done
under the same circumstances, I confined myself to make numerous
experiments, with the hope that they might in time furnish me with
some very useful facts, in searching for the cause of these wonderful
phenomena.
1393. “Being in possession of some of these facts, I thought the
present an opportune time for their publication, when two _savans_ of
the elite, such as the Marquis de Mirville and the Count de Gasparin,
are engaged in a scientific contest on this subject.
1394. “I consider the present moment the more opportune, that the
facts furnished by my investigation, being at variance with certain
leading points in the doctrines contained in the _Pneumatology_ of M.
de Mirville, and the _Supernatural in General_ of M. de Gasparin, may
induce those writers to give a new complexion to their doctrines, by
taking counsel from my facts. These, shedding a new light on the triple
phenomena, would powerfully aid in the solution of a problem which, up
to the present time, does not appear to have been solved in a manner as
clear and positive, as the interests of truth, science, and religion
demand. Such has been and is now my belief, as well as that of many
others whom I thought proper to consult before undertaking the task in
which I have engaged.
1395. “Simple as my language is, it will be seen to have issued
from the pen of a man who boldly seeks the truth, and is not to be
arrested in his course by any worldly interests. Persuaded that in
view of my position, my readers will grant me the indulgence which in
a similar case I could not refuse them, I will proceed to the main
question without further preliminaries. I divide my monograph into two
parts; facts opposed to the Pneumatology of M. de Mirville, and the
Supernatural in General of M. de Gasparin.
_First Part._
1396. “Table turning and mediumship are nothing more, in the opinion
of M. de Mirville, than the work of the devil! I give an abstract of
his doctrine as found in his Pneumatology. ‘In the letter,’ he says,
‘which I had the honour to address to the _Societe Mesmerisme_ of
Paris on the non-intervention of the devil in therapeutic mesmerism,
dated Sept. 20, 1847, and published in numbers 54, 56, and 57 of the
Journal of _Magnetism_, I established the existence of the devil, with
the attributes given him in the Scriptures, as well as the power he
possesses, with divine permission, to act morally and physically on
mankind, as set forth in the same holy books.’
1397. “In view of what I have just said, I cannot be mistaken by M. de
Mirville with respect to demonology. But while admitting the existence
of a devil, and his power over man, I cannot agree with the opinion
of M. de Mirville in his _Pneumatology_, which admits the direct
intervention of the devil in table turning and table talking, as well
as in the powers of mediums; a view of the subject which I hold to be
at variance with the teachings of the Catholic Church on the possessed,
and the manner of deliverance therefrom, the evil spirit, which I
proceed to explain.
1398. “It is an axiom as old as the world—in proportion as the cause
is removed the effect ceases; _sublata causa tollitur effectus_. The
truth of this maxim, in reference also to diabolical possessions,
is found to be explicitly proved in the Holy Scriptures. A mute is
presented to Christ to be cured: _oblatus est ei mutus_. The Divine
Master, knowing that dumbness is caused by the devil, hastens to remove
the cause, by chasing the evil spirit from the body of the possessed,
which being done, the mute spoke in the midst of the people ravished
with admiration. ‘And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And
it came to pass when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake, and the
people wondered.’ St. Luke xi. 14.
1399. “There was at Philippi, in Macedonia, a girl who, being possessed
of the evil spirit, had the gift of divination to such an extent,
that people came from all parts to consult her, much to the benefit
of her masters. St. Paul having chased the demon from the body of the
possessed, she lost the gift of divination; which exasperating her
masters, they dragged St. Paul before a magistrate like a malefactor.
(Acts xv.) Admitting these principles, it follows that if the devil
intervenes directly in tables and mediums, as Christ drove him from
the mute, and St. Paul from the girl of Philippi, then, _a fortiori_,
should clairvoyants lose their lucidity, tables be made to stand still,
and mediums be deprived the power of tracing a line however short;
_sublata causa tollitur effectus_. The cause being removed, the effect
must cease.
1400. “Our next object is to refer to the means for removing the evil
spirit wherever found; and consulting the Catholic ritual affords us
this knowledge. In fact, agreeably to these teachings, demons are
driven off by the sacred names of God and Jesus, by prayer, the sign of
the cross, by holy water, and exorcisms; and these means being known, I
am going to report the effect of these means on clairvoyant subjects,
tables, and mediums.
1403. “Having witnessed some extraordinary phenomena, and desiring
to assure myself as to the presence of a diabolical agency in these
manifestations, as I had been persuaded to believe—profiting by the
opportunity offered by some mediums magnetized by others, and not by
myself—I was induced to pray to invoke the sacred names of God and
Jesus, to make the sign of the cross on the subjects, and went so far
as to sprinkle them with holy water, with the design of driving out the
devil, should he have taken possession of them. However, as not one of
these mediums lost, in my presence, the smallest part of their powers,
I was led to infer that the devil had nothing to do with the phenomena.
1404. “The following fact should attract the attention of all observers
holding the orthodox faith: A youth of thirteen, put to sleep by his
mother, at my house, gave proof of the greatest clairvoyance, even
so far as to be in communion with supermundane beings. Alarmed, as I
acknowledge I was, at what passed under my eyes, and suspecting, as I
did, that the devil might be the agent of those phenomena, I took my
crucifix, and presenting it to the clairvoyant, conjured him in the
holy name of Jesus. But in place of repelling it, as I expected, he
seized the cross in the most affectionate manner, and, smiling, pressed
it to his lips; as much to the edification of his mother as of myself.
Should M. de Mirville desire the address of the parties, he can have it.
1405. “The means thus employed by me to discover if the evil spirit
actuated mesmeric subjects, have been employed also by other persons
with the same view, and with similar results. Should M. de Mirville
desire to know some of these persons, I will be happy to facilitate
the acquaintance. As to exorcism, it is known by the biography of the
celebrated clairvoyant Prudence, that although exorcised on several
occasions, the exorcisms failed to deprive him, in the smallest degree,
of his great clairvoyance. To the facts which I have just reported in
support of the non-intervention of the devil, some new facts of another
kind will be adjoined, which in some measure confirm the first.
1406. “One of the models of sacred eloquence, the R. P. Lacordaire,
speaking of mesmerism in 1846, far from qualifying it as _satanical_,
as M. de Mirville has done, proclaimed from the pulpit of truth, in
the church of _Notre Dame_ of Paris, that this phenomenon belonged to
the order of prophecy, and that it was a provision of the divinity to
humble the pride of materialism. This language, descended from the
summit of the sacred tribune, is known to have received the public
approbation of Mgr. Affre, the centre of Catholicism of the diocese of
Paris, who, addressing the faithful, said to them: ‘My brothers, it is
God who speaks with the mouth of the illustrious Dominican.’
1407. A very pious female, abandoned by her medical adviser, being in a
state of despair, was magnetized by one of her parents, and fell into
the most complete trance. In one of her first sleeps, she said she saw
a person who, according to the description she gave of him, appeared to
be the clairvoyant’s great-grandfather, deceased several years before
the birth of his grand-daughter. The latter was cured by the advice
received during her trance condition from the said great-grandfather.
This fact appeared to me so grave in its nature, and so interesting to
science and religion, that I thought proper to publish it in number
nineteen of the _Magnetisme Spiritualiste_, with an appeal to all those
who, by their knowledge, might be able to explain this phenomenon.
1408. Among those to whom our appeal was made, figured the theologians,
to whom, in speaking of the person who appeared to the clairvoyant,
I said: ‘Should this not be considered the devil, who, assuming a
fantastic personation, took that of the great-grandfather of M. R.,
and appearing thus to him, cured him of a disease which he himself had
originated?’
1409. Some copies of the number of the journal in question were sent
to the sovereign pontiff, through his apostolic nuncio at Paris, to
Mgr. the archbishop of Paris, to the faculty of theology at Sorbonne,
to RR. PP. Jesuits of the _Rue des Postes_, to R. P. Lacordaire, and
to the Calvinistic Consistory of Paris, begging them to enlighten me
on a fact of such grave importance. But to the present time, a period
of three years, not one of these great personages has informed me that
the phenomenon to which I invited their attention is the work of the
devil, which proves that, in their opinion, the evil one is a stranger
to this phenomenon; for otherwise they would not have failed to answer
my inquiry, if only from interest for religion, or through charity to
myself. Should M. de Mirville desire to know the clairvoyant I refer
to, he can be conducted to his domicile.
1410. Mgr. Sibour, on mesmerism, and _La Grandeur_, if interrogated,
will tell you that the thoughts expressed by clairvoyants are only
reflections from their magnetizers, without saying a single word to you
about the devil. But we have said enough on clairvoyants, and will pass
to the tables.
1411. I have made a great many experiments in table-turning and
table-talking with pious laymen and with ecclesiastics, men of prayer
and serious habits, and even with a venerable bishop, and always in a
very serious manner; desiring to know, for the sake of religion and
our souls, if the devil is in reality the agent who conveys movement
and language to the tables. Besides exorcism, we have employed all the
means taught and prescribed in the Catholic Church to drive out the
devil, and we have never obtained any results; for neither prayer, nor
the sacred names of God and Jesus, nor the sign of the cross made on
the tables, nor the crucifix, nor the chapelet, (the beads,) nor the
Gospels, nor the image of Christ placed on the tables, nor holy water,
could stop their turnings, knockings, and replying to our questions.
But far from it, and much to our astonishment, we have seen the table
turn over before the image of Christ crucified. I will say no more. In
the experiments made with the bishop just named, and the person with
whom I was boarding, it was the venerable bishop himself that made the
sign of the cross on a stand, without in the least retarding the motion
of that small piece of furniture. Monseigneur then asked the stand if
it loved the cross, and it replying in the affirmative, it was with
surprise that Monseigneur saw the stand turn over before his _croix
pastorale_, and speak to him in orthodox language of a future life.
1412. If, according to all the facts which I have just reported, it
be necessary to reason agreeably to M. de Mirville, behold what that
reasoning must be. The teachings of the Catholic ritual give to prayer,
to the sacred names of God and Jesus, to the sign of the cross, to
the holy water, and the exorcisms, the virtue of driving the devil
(_le démon_) out of the possessed. Now, as neither prayer, the sacred
names, the sign of the cross, &c. are able to drive the spirit out of
mediums, nor out of tables, which, according to M. de Mirville, are
also victims, then the Catholic Instructor, which assigns these means
for removing evil spirits, must be in error. Then the Scripture, the
SS. PP., and the Church, authorities on which the Catholic teachings
are based on the subject of possessions, and the manner of delivering
the possessed of the evil spirit, (_les démons_,) are in error.[31] And
what true Catholic dare entertain this language? It is then to avoid
getting into so unfortunate a position, that I have thought proper to
reject the opinion of M. de Mirville on the manifestations of spirits.
I shall be told that if the prescribed means sometimes fail, it is from
want of faith on the part of those who employ them. This is my reply to
that objection. The peasants do not possess a large quantity of faith,
and, notwithstanding, Origen says the name of God, pronounced even by a
peasant, chases the demons.—_Origines contra celsum._
1413. There are a great many people, and among them figure some
pious ecclesiastics and laymen, who quite frequently partake of the
sacrament, who have experimented with me, who have prayed with me,
have invoked with me the sacred names of God and Jesus, &c.; is
it then credible that among these persons, not one should be found
possessing a portion of faith equal to that of a peasant, which is
able, according to Origen, to drive out the devil in the name of God? I
am unable to believe it. What! the venerable bishop, who experimented
with me during four years, had sacrificed himself in propagating the
faith in distant lands, should he not have as much faith as a peasant,
in order to be able to remove an evil spirit in the name of God? This
would be to insult the sacred labour of propagating the faith in the
person of one of its most distinguished apostles.
1414. But this is not enough; notice how St. John teaches us to know if
a spirit is of God or not. ‘My well beloved, this is how to know that
a spirit is of God: all spirits who confess that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh, are of God, and those who do not confess that he is come
in the flesh, are not of God.’ (1 John ix.) Instructed by St. John in
the manner of knowing the spirits of God, to assure myself further on
the nature of spirits or occult forces, exhibited in the movement and
language of tables, I have used the method indicated by St. John. It
was with this view that, my little table being in motion, I addressed
to it the following questions: Do you confess that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh? Yes, it replied. The same question, repeated several
times, produced uniformly the same answer. Having this experiment alone
at my house, I was desirous of seeing whether the same results would be
obtained in company. With this design I went to the houses of persons
acquainted with these phenomena, and begged a gentleman, a medium, to
place his hands with mine on a stand. The movement of the stand being
felt, the same question was answered in the same manner. And after this
experience can I conscientiously believe in the intervention of the
devil in the turning and speaking of the tables, without regarding the
testimony of St. John as erroneous; and should I regard it as such? It
is for M. de Mirville to answer.
1415. But I do not stop here. It is said in the ritual of Paris
and others, in the chapter of the possessed, as follows: _Signa
energumenorum sunt. Ignota lingua liogni idque, maxima serie verborum
quæ previderi non potuerunt velita loquentem intelligere distantia, et
oculta patefacere et vires supra etatis suæ naturam ostendere._ Very
well, if demons, as the ritual says, speak all languages, even those
unknown, after the great number of experiments which I have made, I
am prepared to declare that tables do not speak all languages, even
the known ones, nor do they understand them. Let some one who does
not understand Greek, addressing a question to the table in French,
request it to reply in Greek, and we will see if the table does it. Let
a stranger give to an inquirer at the table a question in a language
unknown to him, limiting himself to merely reading it, and we will see
if the table respond; I defy all the tables in the world to do it. If
M. de Mirville desires to make these experiments with me, I am entirely
at his service.
1416. I have endeavoured to discover if tables have the faculty which,
according to the ritual, is possessed by the devil (_les démons_) to
penetrate the hidden and the future, and I have found in this direction
more error than truth. As to the superior physical force which,
according to the ritual, is possessed by the devil, (_les démons_,)
there is not a single turning table in the world, whose movement cannot
be arrested or retarded by enveloping the hands of the experimenters in
silk; which proves that the tables have not a power _supra naturam_,
and that of course it could not be the devil who furnishes the
momentum. But what gives more force to the reasons on which I rest,
for not referring the motive-power to an evil spirit, is this: that
having made them separately known to four prelates of the church of
France, three of whom are conspicuous in the religious investigation
of these phenomena, begging a due examination and report if my opinion
is in error, that I may retract and write against the tables, not one
of these prelates has pronounced me wrong, nor in the least blamed my
exposition of facts. And in case it may become necessary to establish
this fact, I retain the letters of these prelates. Let us now pass to
the consideration of the mediums.[32]
1417. Hearing that there were persons whose hands, without their will,
were made to write some very extraordinary things, and that these
persons were called ‘mediums,’ one day, in order to assure myself
of the fact, I took a crayon in my hand, and placing it on paper,
concentrated myself as much as possible. But a few minutes had passed,
when I felt my hand controlled without my will, and saw it trace some
lines, letters, and words. This experiment being repeated often
with the same success, I have therefore become a medium, though of a
secondary degree.
1418. Desiring to know whether, in this phenomenon, there might not be
some diabolical agency, in order to satisfy my mind on that subject, I
asked of the occult power, or the spirit that controlled my hand, if
it was the devil; being answered in the negative, I requested to have
proof of it. Scarcely were those words uttered, when my hand, moving
with energy, drew a large cross. Seeing this, I put the same questions
about J. C. that were put at my table, and the answers, being written,
were the same; from which I concluded that the agency in the writing of
mediums is the same as in moving the tables, which, in my opinion, is
not that of the devil, as already said. However, in order to confirm
my assurance of the non-intervention of the devil in the phenomena of
mediums, I desired to add another experiment, which follows:
1419. As the devil speaks all languages, according to the ritual, even
those unknown, to see whether the occult power or spirit which caused
me to write possessed this satanic attribute, which, being so, would
prove the intervention of the devil in the performance of mediums, I
asked the invisible agent if it would cause the Lord’s prayer to be
written in several languages, and was answered in the affirmative.
Yielding my hand with a pen to the motive power, the _Pater_ was
written in two ways, which the same power, also by writing, said was
in Valaque and in Russian. Then requesting the same to be written in
French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin, it was immediately done; when
requesting it to be written in English and German, was answered it
could not be done. Why not? I inquired. Because you neither speak nor
write those two languages, which is necessary.
1420. In what languages then, I asked, are you able to make me write?
In the languages which I spoke on earth, as the Valaque and Russian,
and those which you speak. The _Pater_, thus written, I had the honour
to present it personally to Monseigneur the Archbishop of Paris, by
his request. Having mentioned this, I was advised to request my spirit
friend to write something in Valaque, and have it submitted to some one
acquainted with that language, in order to determine the fact of its
being so; which proposal I willingly accepted.
1421. But, returned to my house, the idea occurred to me to make an
experiment to control my familiar spirit myself. I wrote on a piece of
paper a phrase in French, and took a separate copy of it on another
piece of paper. I read this phrase to my spirit, and requested him
to render it in Valaque. The spirit, having made some lines, told me
by writing that the translation was already made. I requested him to
do the same with it in Spanish, Italian, and Latin, and it was done.
Requesting him further to write the same in English, he replied it
could not be done, as I did not speak that language. Allowing a few
minutes to pass, I took the copy of the phrase, and requested the
spirit to do the same with it that he had done with the original. The
spirit having caused me to write, as he professed, the same phrase in
the same languages as he had caused me to write it in previously, I
hastened to compare the two translations; but what was my surprise when
finding the Spanish, Italian, and Latin translations of the copy like
those of the original; I found the Valaque translation of the original
and that of the copy not at all alike!
1422. “Convinced, then, that my spirit did not understand the
_Valaque_, which proved to me, according to the ritual, that it was not
a devil, (_un démon_,) but that notwithstanding he had deceived me, I
gave him a severe reprimand, treating him as an infamous cheat, and
driving him from my presence. At this juncture, my hand was caused to
tremble excessively, which terminated by writing in large characters:
‘I am the devil, and you are a bad preacher that seeks to find out
the secrets of God!’ Very well, I said; your proclamation in large
letters that you are the devil, is no reason why I should believe it.
The devil, according to the ritual, speaks all languages, and you
do not speak the Valaque nor English, and therefore you are not the
devil. If I am a bad preacher, that does not concern you. It is God
who will judge me, and I submit to his holy will. Could I see you as
I feel you, I would fix you well; but as it is, I decline any further
correspondence with you.
1423. “Scarcely had I expressed these words, when my hand, being
influenced, wrote as follows: ‘Pardon! pardon! I am not the devil. If
I said so, it was to frighten you, because you continued to plague
me with your questions; but I see you are a man that fears nothing.
You are not a bad preacher, but a great thinker. Continue then to
experiment with me, and I will always tell you the truth!’
1424. “Very well, I pardon you, and request you to say, without
deceiving me, what languages you do speak? ‘I speak no other languages
than those which you speak, and if I did otherwise, it was for
amusement.’ Then what are the languages which the spirits speak? ‘Those
of the communing person, and no others.’[33] And this ended the meeting.
1425. “Wishing still to test what had been said to me by my spirit, I
went to the house of a writing medium, like myself, and begged him to
try some experiments in writing. In the midst of our experiments, I
wrote the following words on a small piece of paper in Spanish: _Como
té llamos?_ and without making their signification known to the medium
in French, requested him to read them to the spirit friend. This was
done, but the spirit was silent. The medium, however, insisting on
an answer, was impressed by the spirit to write the word _malheur_,
(misfortune.) The reply not agreeing with the question, I told the
medium to say to his spirit that he had badly replied. Then the spirit
made the medium write as follows: ‘If I have not complied with your
request, it is because I do not understand that language.’
1426. As the medium did not understand what had been read to the
spirit, which in French would mean, _Comment vous appelez-vous?_ (What
is your name?) I perceived that if the spirit did not reply to the
Spanish, it was because the medium neither spoke nor understood that
tongue; which agreed with what my spirit had told me. Then I requested
the medium to ask his spirit to make me write. On the affirmative
response of the spirit, I took the pen, and addressing the same
question to him: _Como te llamos?_ he replied in Spanish—_Benito_.
Answer me in French—_Benoit_. In Latin—_Benedictus_.
1427. This experiment confirming what my spirit had told me, that
the spirits could produce only the language of those with whom they
communed, was a new proof for me of the non-intervention of the devil;
seeing, according to the ritual, that he is master of all languages,
and that mediums only write those they understand, and have previously
learnt.[34] If M. de Mirville desires to make some such experiments
with me, it will afford me great pleasure to do so.
1428. _Nota bene_: What merits particular regard in the information
received from my spirit friend as to the language used by spirits in
communing with men is, that the same was said one hundred and five
years since by the ecstatic Swedenborg. See No. 236 of his Treatise on
Heaven and Hell, by Le Boys des Guays.
1429. This will suffice for the present for M. de Mirville. It remains
for him to explain the facts we have reported, and to reconcile them
with his _Pneumatology_: in expectation I proceed to notice the
_Supernatural in General_ of M. de Gasparin.”
_Second Part._
1430. “All the prodigies of the mesmeric subjects of clairvoyants, the
sorcery, haunting spirits, apparitions, visions, &c., owe their origin,
according to M. de Gasparin, to nervous excitement, fluidic action,
and sometimes are hallucinations. As I do not design here to make a
critical analysis of M. de Gasparin’s work, not considering myself
capable, and leaving this honour to those who are in some scientific
line, I design merely occupying myself with some facts which refer
personally to me, and which appear to me to oppose some points in the
doctrine of M. de Gasparin in his table-turning, or _Supernatural in
General_, as already noticed in the introduction to the monograph, and
I commence with the subject of ecstasy.
1431. “Speaking of ecstatics, M. de Gasparin explains himself as
follows: ‘As to their intellectual faculties, they are capable in those
cases of prodigious development. The ecstatics declare themselves that
they have two souls; that a voice foreign to their own causes them to
speak; that they suddenly receive ideas entirely unknown to them, and
terms of expression entirely strange to them. It happens even that the
peasant accustomed to _patois_, speaks French, and that illiterate
men express themselves in Latin. Now, have we something here that is
_supernatural_? Certainly not; it is a physiological state, or often
the treasures of reminiscence, which the subject possessed, though in
fact not aware of it. The peasant may have known how to speak French;
she may not have known it, and still it may all have been engraved
on the deep recesses of the memory, where nothing is ever really
effaced. Exalted or sick, she finds herself in possession of the French
language. A merchant, who has scarcely passed the first classes,
and who never knew Latin, finds himself the possessor of the Latin
language, and embarrasses his doctor, whom he addresses in that tongue.’
1432. “According to this ecstatic theory of M. de Gasparin, it follows
that the ideas expressed by the subjects, and which were unknown to
them in their normal state, are nothing more than reminiscences. I
admit, with M. de Gasparin, that reminiscence is only the return of the
soul to the recollection of a thing or an idea, which, though engraven
on the memory, was forgotten. This return, however, does not happen
without some remarks, which, from the recollection of some ideas or
incidents, conduct the mind to the recollection of what was forgotten.
1433. “I am a medium: according to the received opinion, a medium is
a waking magnetic subject. Now, every magnetic subject is in a degree
ecstatic; therefore I, being a medium, am ecstatic. Well, I being
ecstatic, take a pencil, and concentrating myself in that state,
request the occult power that moves my hand without my volition to
cause it to write, if it is possible, something on the creation. The
last word is scarcely pronounced when my hand proceeds to write,
without interruption, something true or false, on the creation, which
surprises me.
1434. “This interview terminates, and desiring to know if these ideas
on the creation come from reminiscences, I seek to discover if they
could have been engraven on my memory, either from reading or hearing
them related. With this view I commenced by reading religious and
philosophic books that would be likely to discuss the question, but
could find nothing like what I had written. I consulted the public
libraries, and they contained nothing on the creation similar to what
my hand had communicated. Not a professor, philosopher, naturalist,
physiologist, theologian, or historian, with whom I had ever had any
intercourse, could recollect any thing of the kind.
1435. “After this, I reason as follows: having examined all the
means by which what was written by my hand on the creation could
have been impressed on my memory, nothing appears to warrant that
belief; therefore, these notions on the creation cannot be regarded as
reminiscences.
1436. “But it is not enough, we have said, that in reminiscence, are
necessary, which, by the recollection of an object, idea, or notion,
we are led to the further recollection of something forgotten. That
this should take place, some time is required, however little it may
be. However, in the case related, not a moment was required, and this
breaks up the required process, in order to respond to the theory of M.
de Gasparin.
1437. “Now, if these ideas on the creation are not reminiscences—if
they do not emanate from the devil, who, agreeably to our author, is an
entire stranger to these phenomena—if it is not the soul of a deceased
person that controlled my hand, as M. de Gasparin, being a Protestant,
does not believe in returning spirits nor in communion with the dead,
who then caused to be written by my hand such strange things, without
my knowledge or assistance? And I beg M. de Gasparin to be so good as
to explain this phenomenon, which appears to be in opposition with his
theory on the prodigies of ecstatic subjects. Should M. de Gasparin
desire to see what I have written, he can be gratified. But what will
he say, when having requested my spirit to reply in writing on some
subject familiar to my mind, he is unable to do it, or replies contrary
to my thoughts and convictions? Can this be called reminiscence? I pass
now to consider mesmerism.
1438. “In speaking on this subject, the _Supernatural_ of M. de
Gasparin says, ‘The clairvoyance of mesmerism appears in general
to have only the character of an echo. Its wonders are those of
reminiscence or perception of images and thoughts, which occupy the
intelligence of the person with whom the clairvoyant is in rapport.
This appears to be the balance-sheet of animal magnetism, and it has
changed but little since its origin.’ (Tome ii. page 311.)
1439. “According to what M. de Gasparin has just told us, it follows,
that when a clairvoyant tells us in his sleep that he sees the spirit
of a deceased person, and gives us an exact description of his person,
we are not to regard it as the deceased person that the clairvoyant
sees, but his image impressed on the memory of that clairvoyant from
acquaintance with the defunct when living, or in the memory of the
consulting visitor in rapport; so that the clairvoyant, in these
apparitions of the dead, is governed only by reminiscence or the
reflection of images or of thoughts. Now, having allowed M. de Gasparin
to speak, I desire in my turn to speak also.
1440. “In January, 1848, a work was published, entitled _Les Arcanes
de la Vie Future Révelée_: The Arcana of a Future Life Revealed. My
attention being attracted by the title of this work, it was procured,
and proved to be nothing but a collection of the apparitions of
deceased persons to clairvoyants.
1441. “On so delicate a question, I thought it best to consult the
Scriptures, to see whether the appearance of the dead to the living
was admitted by the sacred volumes. I opened, then, the Bible, and
the first passage that met my eye was the chap. xxvii. of the first
book of Kings, where it said that Samuel had appeared to the witch
of Endor, and that, by the intermediation of the latter, the prophet
spoke to Samuel; an apparition on which were sketched those reported
by M. Cahagnet in his _Arcana_. I saw afterward in the second book of
Maccabees, the high-priest Onias and the prophet Jeremiah appearing
to Judas Maccabeus. I see in St. Matthew, chap. xvii., the apparition
of Moses and Elias to Peter, John, and James on the Tabor. Finally, I
read, in chap. xxviii. of the said St. Matthew, that at the death of
our Saviour Jesus Christ, many of the dead appeared to a great number
of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
1442. “Convinced by the holy volume of the possibility, or rather of
the reality, of the apparition of the dead to the living, I put to
myself this question: Can these apparitions of the dead to the living
which, according to the Bible, took place in former times, be permitted
to occur at the present time? In order to resolve that question, I
desired again to consult the Bible, and found the Holy Spirit, in
Ecclesiastes, holding the following language: ‘_What has been, is what
shall be; and what has been done, is what shall be done again._’
1443. “Then, I said to myself, the appearance of the dead to the living
has taken place, according to the Bible; therefore, agreeably to the
same sacred volume, what has existed at one time may exist at another.
Therefore, there is no reason for rejecting the doctrine of communion
of spirits, God willing, at the present time.
1444. “But it is to be found out whether the apparitions reported in
the _Arcana_ were realities, or were only illusions, so called. The
solution of this problem belongs to me. And with this view I found
myself at the house of the author of the _Arcana_, where a very
serious discussion took place between him and myself on his work,
which ended with the apparition of my brother Joseph, the third one
that figures in the second volume of the _Arcana_. In fact, I called
for the apparition of my late brother, and scarcely had a few minutes
passed when the clairvoyant, Adile, told me she saw a gentleman, and
by the description she gave of the stature, costume, character, the
cause and place of the death of the person appearing, I could not avoid
recognising in the said person that of my brother Joseph.
1445. “This apparition had such an effect on me, as to keep me awake
the whole night, seeking to explain the phenomenon. But becoming
fatigued with researches, I thought, as a magnetizer, to be able to
explain these apparitions by the same means as M. de Gasparin pretends
to explain them at the present time. I said to myself that clairvoyants
saw the image of things impressed on the memory of the persons with
whom they were in rapport; the image of my late brother being engraved
on my memory, it was enough for M. Cahagnet to put me, by an act of his
will, in rapport with his clairvoyant, for the latter to have seen the
image of my brother on the tablets of my memory.
1446. “With this impression, I wrote to M. Cahagnet, saying to
him, that in spite of my assurance yesterday of the reality of the
apparition of my brother, my knowledge of magnetism had caused
me to-day to think otherwise, and that further evidence would be
necessary to convince me of its reality. M. Cahagnet having complied,
two spirits were evoked; one of my aforesaid brother Joseph, and the
other of Antoinette Carré, the sister of my domestic; apparitions
reported in the second volume of the _Arcana_, and the description
given by the clairvoyant could not have been more correct. But as I
still entertained the idea that these images could not be traced by
the clairvoyant in my mind, this meeting produced no results. Curious,
however, to know whether other clairvoyants possessed the same faculty
as the clairvoyant of M. Cahagnet in regard to these apparitions, in
the sense I understand them, I begged M. Lecocq, clockmaker of the
navy, living at Argenteuil, to try some experiments with his sister, a
very lucid clairvoyant.
1447. “Five apparitions appeared, of whom three were unknown to him
or his clairvoyant, knowing only their names; and their identity was
determined by the assistance of other persons present who had known
them, as reported from two sources, the letter written me by M. Lecocq,
which M. de Gasparin can see, and the report made by the former to M.
Cahagnet, which was published in the second volume of the _Arcana_,
page 244. In view of this fact, and others of the same nature come
to my knowledge, my opinion as to the derivation of appearances and
thoughts from the mind of communicants through the clairvoyant begins
to be modified. However, to be entirely convinced of the reality of
these apparitions, I should require similar facts to be presented to my
own eyes.
1448. “Animated by these sentiments, I requested a person in whom
I reposed entire confidence, to give me the name of a defunct,
entirely unknown to me, and that of Joseph Moral was given. The young
clairvoyant of thirteen years, whom I named at the beginning of this
monograph, being one day put to sleep by his mother at my house,
I used the opportunity to request the subject to invoke the spirit
of Joseph Moral. Scarcely had two minutes elapsed, when the young
clairvoyant announced the presence of a person, whom she described.
Having never seen the said Joseph Moral, and therefore not able to say
any thing about him, I was limited to writing down a faithful account
of him as given by the clairvoyant.
1449. “The meeting ended, I sought the person who had furnished the
name, and reading the description, and much surprised to find it
correct, she said to me, ‘How, sir, were you able to give such an exact
description of M. Joseph Moral, whom you never knew and have never
seen?’
1450. “This fact was for me a positive conviction that clairvoyants,
in their communion with the dead, do not simply see the image of the
deceased in the memory of the consulting party, but that they see
the veritable _souls_ of the departed, as the witch of Endor saw the
soul of Samuel, according to our creed, called the Holy Spirit of the
Ecclesiastic. And should M. de Gasparin desire to know the person who
gave me the name of M. Joseph Moral, it will give me pleasure to wait
on him to her house.
1451. “Here is another fact like the preceding, but still more
interesting. M. de Sarrio, of Alicant, in Spain, a cavalier of Malta,
gave to my brother Joseph, of whom I have already spoken, fifteen
thousand francs, to be distributed among the poor; for which sum my
brother aforesaid gave a receipt to the benevolent donor. At the death
of M. de Sarrio, his brother, the Marquis of Algolfa, becoming his
heir, found this receipt among the papers of the deceased. At the death
of my brother, the Marquis desiring to know if all the amount had been
disbursed, addressed my sister, who became his heir, on the subject.
But my sister, being unacquainted with his affairs, not having lived
with him, submitted to the marquis the schedule of the deceased; which,
showing only the distribution of half the amount, the other half was
claimed by the marquis, and finally made the subject of a lawsuit.
1452. “My sister, much aggrieved, made me a party to her troubles, in a
letter from Alicant. Discomforted by what had happened to my sister, I
visited my young clairvoyant and demanded the presence of my brother,
who, as she had said, had several times been with her. He was reported
present, and I questioned him in relation to the money received from
M. de Sarrio, reproaching him in regard to the reversion of the said
balance, and the pain he had caused my sister.
1453. “My brother, astounded at my language, said, that he owed nothing
to anybody; and as to the amount referred to, he had given it to Father
Mario before dying, to be distributed to the poor; to prove which it
would be necessary to call Father Mario. Scarcely had my brother said
this, when the clairvoyant said she saw a man with my brother, and from
the description she gave of him, I thought I recognised a Capuchin
friar, who, interrogated by my brother, confirmed what he had said.
1454. “Having never heard the name of Father Mario, as I had left
Alicant thirty years before, I requested some particulars of his
country and family, and was told he belonged to St. Vincent du Respect,
one league from Alicant, &c., and I put the following questions to my
sister, by letter: Was your brother Joseph visited in his sickness by a
priest named Father Mario, having a sister at St. Vincent du Respect?
and do you know if this Father Mario is dead? Following is the answer:
1455. “‘As to Father Mario, he left this country several years since,
and it is not known if he is in France or America. He did not visit
our brother in his last sickness, because he had left some years
before. He has two sisters, one was in Algeria, and the other went
with him.’ The letters written by me to my sister on this subject, and
her replies, with other details, were published in the third volume
of the _Arcana_. The originals are at the disposal of M. de Gasparin,
and I would desire to ask that gentleman one question: Whether the
apparition of Father Mario, as established by the letters of my sister,
confirming the existence of Father Mario, is not a positive fact,
and not an hallucination? Whether, as this monk had never been seen
nor known by me, his image could possibly have been perceived by the
clairvoyant through any impression made upon my mind? Of course, it
could not have been the devil who personated Father Mario, if M. de
Gasparin _correctly_ repudiates the intervention of Satan in spiritual
manifestations.
1456. “Can M. de Gasparin explain to me the appearance of Father Mario
consistently with his _Psychological hypothesis in General_. These
are the facts which I have at present to oppose to the _Psychological
Rationale_ of M. de Gasparin. At a future time I shall be prepared to
say more to him as well as to M. de Mirville, both on mesmerism and
table-turning, as well as in regard to mediums.
1457. “If the marquis and count do not respond to my call, their
silence will do great injury to the cause of truth, science, and
religion. It is, then, in order not to act against interests so sacred,
that I take pleasure in hoping that these gentlemen will comply with my
wishes.”
_Mechanical Movements without Contact. By Mr. Isaac Rhen, President of
the Harmonial Society of Philadelphia._[35]
1458. Among the most distinguished and eloquent advocates of
Spiritualism in Philadelphia, is Mr. Isaac Rehn, President of the
Harmonial Society. It is said that a good countenance is a constant
letter of recommendation. The truth of this adage is conspicuously
realized in the instance of this sensible and agreeable spiritualist.
There is an air of good feeling and sincerity in Mr. Rehn’s tones and
expression, which would cause him to be viewed as a reliable witness
before any honest and intelligent jury.
1459. The fact of mechanical movements being induced _without muscular
contact, direct_ or _indirect_, is one of the phenomena which scarcely
any one will believe without intuitive proof. It will be seen that
on the third of February, 1854, after I had been engaged in the
investigation of spiritual manifestations for more than two months, I
was still so incredulous as to employ this language to Mr. Holcomb:
“You believe fully that tables move without contact, because you have
seen them thus moved; I am skeptical, because I have not seen them move
without human contact, although I have been at several circles.”
1460. But one of the forms of this phenomenon, which has excited the
most wonder and incredulity, is that of the carrying of Mr. Henry
Gordon, a medium, through the air without the contact of any mundane
body. Mr. Rehn having been among the witnesses of this fact, I
requested him to give me a statement of it, as well as of others of
a similar kind. Subjoined is a letter, written in consequence of my
request:
PHILADELPHIA, August 1, 1855.
PROFESSOR ROBERT HARE:
1461. _Dear Sir_: In obedience to your invitation, I will proceed to
make a brief statement of the more prominent facts supporting the
hypothesis, that the spirits of those who once dwelt with us do still
hold intercourse with mortals.
1462. During the early part of the year 1850, some friends of mine,
in whom I had full confidence, stated to me the result of several
intercommunions had with these mysterious agents, by which I was led
to a determination to test the matter for myself; and, accordingly, on
the fifth day of July, in company with a friend, I visited New York,
that being the only accessible point known to us at which to gain the
object of our visit. The Fox family, consisting of Mrs. Fox, Mrs.
Fish, (afterward Mrs. Brown,) Catherine and Margaret Fox were then at
Barnum’s Hotel, giving to the public opportunities to test the reality
or imposture of the so-called spiritual phenomena. We called at the
rooms of the family, and obtained a sitting during the afternoon of
the same day. A dozen or more persons were present at the sitting, the
result of which was the conviction that the sounds were not a deception
on the part of the mediums, but the result of some occult force and
intelligence, independent of the ladies themselves.
1463. Without entering into any detail of the incidents of the visit
above referred to, or speculations upon the general subject under
consideration, I propose to cite incidents in my own experience, which
go to establish the truth of spiritual intercourse.
1464. Shortly after the commencement of the sounds in the first
circle instituted in this city, and of which I was, from the first,
a member, demonstrations in the form of movements of tables, chairs,
and other articles commenced. Many times they were very violent, but
in most instances it was necessary that the hands of the company, and
especially those of the medium, should be upon the table. During the
session of a circle, however, held in the afternoon—and of course in
daylight—these movements became unusually violent. Two card-tables,
around which the company sat, having been drawn to the centre of the
floor, were thrown backward and forward with great force. After moving
thus for some minutes, one of the tables started toward some two or
three of the company, and pressed heavily against them, causing them to
recede until they had reached the wall; the table would then retreat
to the centre of the floor, and, as it were, charge some two or three
more, whom in like manner it would press back. Thus it continued
retreating and attacking, until the entire company were seated around
at the sides of the room.
1465. Having thus cleared the floor in the central part of the
room, the table rose deliberately at the side next to myself, and
so continued until it had turned some distance beyond the point of
equilibrium, with the evident design of performing a revolution.
1466. These and other manifestations were at the time so wonderful
and strange to that part of the company present which had never
before met in a circle, as to cause great terror. One lady became so
much alarmed during the performance of the spirits with the table as
above described, that she screamed aloud, which interfering with the
requisite conditions for success, the table fell heavily upon the
floor, breaking off the top.
1467. During the rising of the table on the side toward myself, I
reached my hand and pressed upon it, with the view of seeing what force
was employed in raising it. Upon removing my hand, it would spring up
as if it were suspended from the ceiling by an elastic cord.
1468. At the time this phenomenon was occurring, a friend of mine, Mr.
J. A. Cutting, of Boston, Massachusetts, being seated by my side, found
himself moved, as though some one had drawn the chair on which he was
sitting. He then placed his feet upon the front round of the chair,
so as to entirely insulate himself from the floor, and while in this
position he was raised from the floor, chair and all. This gentleman
was quite large and stout, weighing, I should think, not less than one
hundred and seventy pounds.
1469. I would here state particularly and emphatically, that at the
time of these most violent movements of the table, _no hands were upon
them, nor was there any physical contact with the objects moved_.
1470. At the same session, a tumbler and pitcher being upon a washstand
in a corner of the room, some five feet distant from any person
present, suddenly a crash was heard in the direction in which those
articles were situated. Upon examination, the tumbler was found to be
broken into several hundred pieces, and what is still more strange, the
pieces were not scattered around, but occupied a spot which did not
exceed eight or ten inches in diameter! It seemed as if the tumbler
had _collapsed_; even the bottom, thick as it was, was broken into
many pieces. These facts occurred at the house of Mr. George D. Henck,
dentist, in Arch street, who, with the other persons present on that
occasion, will at any time corroborate these statements.
1671. On another occasion, at the house of Mr. J. Thompson, of this
city, during a sitting, I requested, among other things, that the
spirits would move the table without physical contact. Mrs. Thompson,
Mrs. R-—-, and myself, the only persons in the room, drew back from the
table, and it was then moved some six or eight inches. In addition to
this, it moved from various points, and objects were retained on the
table, when under ordinary circumstances, from the inclination of the
table, they must have fallen off.
1472. At a sitting at my own residence, some two years since, some very
strange phenomena occurred. At the close of the session, a young man,
of slender frame and constitution, (Mr. H. C. Gordon,) had his hand
thrown violently upon the centre of a large dining-table, weighing not
less than eighty or ninety pounds. Some of the company were requested
to raise Mr. Gordon’s hand from the table. This, after much effort, was
accomplished, and, strange to relate, the table accompanied the hand
until it was entirely isolated from the floor. This was a result which
I would have doubted, had it not come under my own personal observation.
1473. About the same time, a company of persons, whose names, as far as
I can recollect, I shall mention, were seated around two tables, joined
together, in order to furnish room sufficient to seat the party. The
house in which I then lived had two parlours, with folding doors. The
two tables referred to occupied the entire length of the front parlour,
leaving barely room enough for the chairs at the front end of the
room; the other end of the table extended quite to the folding doors,
leaving, of course, no passage on either end. It so happened that I
was seated at that end of the table projecting into the doorway. The
medium, Mr. Gordon, was seated about midway of the tables, on the left,
the other seats being occupied by the rest of the company.
1474. After a variety of manifestations had occurred, the medium was
raised from his seat by an invisible power, and, after some apparent
resistance on his part, was carried through the doorway between the
parlours, directly over my head, and his head being bumped along the
ceiling, he passed to the farther end of the back room, in which there
was no one beside himself.
1475. Although all the individuals present had not equally good
opportunity of ascertaining the facts in this case, the room having
been somewhat darkened, still his transit over the end of the table at
which I was seated, and the utter impossibility of the medium passing
out in other way than over our heads, his continued conversation while
thus suspended, and his position, as indicated by the sound, with other
facts in the case, leave no reasonable doubt of the performance of the
feat.
1476. There were present on the occasion alluded to, the following
persons, viz.: Aaron Comfort, George D. Henck, Rebecca Thomas, Naomi
Thomas, Marianne Thomas, Esther Henck, Mrs. Rehn, J. S. Mintzer, M. D.,
and many others. Respectfully, I. REHN.
1477. The truth of the elevation and carriage of this medium aloft, by
invisible agency, from one part of a room to another, does not depend
on the testimony of one set of observers; several other respectable
eye-witnesses have alleged the occurrence of a similar manifestation in
their presence.
_Communication from J. M. Kennedy, Esq._
1478. One of our most zealous and eloquent spiritualists, is my
friend, J. M. Kennedy. He has done me the favour, out of many striking
manifestations observed by him, to communicate two, which are among the
most demonstrative of a physical power and mental intelligence, and
which cannot be ascribed to mortal agency. That in which the magnetic
needle was moved by his request, without physical contact, is, as I
conceive, pre-eminently interesting.
PHILADELPHIA, August, 1855.
“PROFESSOR HARE:
1479. “_Sir_: You ask me to state some facts I have witnessed, which
tended to convince my mind that the varied phenomena, occurring among
us, are truly ascribable to the direct action of disembodied spirits. I
will state two matters, remarking, however, that I have had other and
different forms of evidence equally satisfactory to me.
1480. “About two years since, I was invited to meet a private circle
to witness physical manifestations. I met them at the house of a
near neighbour, whose lady is a medium. There were about ten persons
present. The circle being seated, the movement of the table and tipping
in answer to questions occurred. I now asked for a communication with
myself, which was assented to. I then inquired if the spirits would
move the table, despite of my power to hold it still, the company to
withdraw from the table, excepting the medium and myself. The answer
was, ‘_We will!_’ The company all arose, and removed their chairs; I
stood up and took hold of the table, exercising my best judgment as to
the use of my strength in the pending contest. The medium having placed
her hand on the table, I promptly announced, _‘I am ready_.’ At once,
the movement of the table commenced, despite of my efforts to prevent
it, and having slightly pushed me backward, it began to draw me in the
opposite direction. It moved entirely across the room, dragging me
along with it, my feet sliding on the carpet. I resisted the motion of
the table with all the power I could command, and no visible being but
myself had any contact with it, excepting the medium, whose hand (not
_hands_) was on the top of the table.
1481. “I then said, ‘If I sit on the table, will you throw me off?’
_Answer._ Yes. I at once sat on it, and the medium placing her hand as
before, I said, ‘_I am ready_,’ and almost instantaneously the table
was turned over on its side, of course, throwing me off. All this
occurred at a private house; the room was light enough to read small
print, and there was entire freedom to search for trick, machinery, &c.
There was to me evidence of an intelligent, invisible power, giving us
the tests we suggested and asked for, to prove its presence and power.
1482. “On another occasion, there were present, at the dwelling of
another friend of mine, my friend and his lady, also a lad learning
business with him, and myself, the apprentice lad being the medium. We
sat in the parlour in the afternoon, windows open, room well lighted.
1483. “Among other manifestations which occurred was this: I placed on
the centre of the large dining-table a glass tumbler, on which I placed
a compass, the needle being one foot in length. On the periphery of the
compass, the alphabet, as well as the various points, was painted, and
at each letter there was a small metallic pin permanently fixed. After
changing the compass freely, to see if the needle worked free and true,
I left it so placed that the needle pointed due north, according to the
points marked therefor. We then removed our chairs from the table some
distance, no one being in contact with it. My friend was on the east,
his lady on the south, the medium on the west, and myself on the north
side of the table. I then requested that the spirits would move the
compass needle to such points as we might designate; and naming north,
south, east, west, north-east, south-west, &c., perhaps, in all, nearly
twenty different points, I saw the needle promptly and quickly moved
to each point, as and when designated by me, and there held steadily
for a brief time; and on each occasion, after having been thus held,
I saw it fly back to the north point. I also requested that they (the
spirits) would spell _John_ by moving the needle to the letters, and I
saw the needle promptly moved to the several letters required to spell
the name, stopping at each, tipping and touching the small pin opposite
the letter, and then immediately returning to its position due north.
1484. “This manifestation I was compelled to regard as clearly proving
the action of an invisible, intelligent power, present with us, and
purporting to be a disembodied spirit once known among us as a man.
There was here also perfect freedom to search for trick, machinery,
&c.; and all these suggested explanations occurred as clearly to my
mind as to men generally, and were duly cared for by me; for I was then
an investigator of the truth of spirit manifestations, and did not
wish to be _humbugged_. These cases, however, are but a sample of the
chain of testimony that has satisfied my mind fully on this question.
JOHN M. KENNEDY.”
_Communication from Wm. West, Esq._
1485. As respects the communication which follows, I have only to say
that I consider the author as quite reliable, both as to his capacity
to observe accurately, and his disposition to exert that capacity
faithfully. I believe him to have one of those minds which, like the
scale-beam, allows every thing _pro_ or _con_ to have its due weight.
“PHILADELPHIA, September 6, 1855.
“PROFESSOR R. HARE:
1486. “_Dear Sir_: At our last interview you wished a few facts from my
experience.
1487. “About three years since I lectured in this city against the
_spiritual_ agency of ‘the modern manifestations,’ and advocated a
nerve aura, obedient to the will. At that time I had the power to stop
the physical movements. Subsequently, the agents in these phenomena
refused to obey me. I have since been informed by the spirits, that
they permitted me to control them for a time, in order ultimately to
convince me by depriving me of said power.
1488. “Having read your statement of the message transmitted by you,
through your spirit sister, from Cape May, in July last, to this city,
I have thought that an account of a similar despatch from myself,
through my spirit wife, to a circle in this city, might be acceptable.
1489. “On the evening of June 22, 1853, while sitting at the table
at Mrs. Long’s, (a writing medium, living at No. 9 Thompson St., New
York), my deceased wife purported to be communicating with me. At that
time I had been appointed, by the spirits, dictator to a circle, which
convened every Wednesday evening at the residence of H. C. Gordon,
103 North Fifth St., Philadelphia. I inquired of my wife if she could
convey a message to the circle then assembled in Philadelphia. She
answered, ‘_I will try_.’ I then requested her to take my respects
to the circle, and inform them that I was succeeding admirably in
my investigation, and becoming stronger in the glorious truth of
spirit intercommunion. In the course of seventeen minutes, the spirit
again announced her presence, and informed us she had delivered the
message. On the next Wednesday evening, I was present at the circle
in Philadelphia, and was informed by all the members present that my
communication had been duly received. Another spirit, I was informed,
had been communicating, when an interruption occurred, and my wife gave
her name, and, in substance, the communication, through the hand of Mr.
Gordon.
1490. “There were present about twelve persons of high respectability,
among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Howell, Mr. and Mrs. Laird, Mr. Aaron
Comfort, Mr. William Knapp, &c.
1491. “At Mrs. Long’s there were three or four persons present, among
them, I think, Mr. Ira Davis.
1492. “I am not a medium, therefore the objection of _medium sympathy_
is out of place. Yours, &c. W. WEST.
“George St., 4th house west of Broad.”
_Koons’s Establishment._
1493. Among the wonders of Spiritualism, none have excited so much
astonishment as the manifestations which have occurred at the
establishment of Mr. Koons, in Athens county, Ohio. The phenomena
are so extraordinary, as to be difficult to be believed, even by
Spiritualists; and yet there is far more evidence of their truth than
of any of the miracles recorded in Scripture. In no instance has any
of these been attested in due form by known spectators, and admitting
that, in this respect, there is no deficiency, they were not of a
nature to be repeated before a succession of observers. Those at
Koons’s have been repeated, and are still being repeated. I first heard
that there was such an establishment from my spirit brother, at least
fifteen months ago. My spirit friends confirm the truth of the account
received, and sanction the idea that there is something in the locality
which favours mediumship. I subjoin the narratives of several visitors
to the establishment in question:
_Communication from Joseph Hazard, Esq._
1494. Joseph Hazard, Esq., of Narragansett, R. I., is very well known
in Philadelphia, as well as in the vicinity of his residence. Mr.
Hazard accompanied me, in some of my investigating visits, to spiritual
circles, and was present, as I have mentioned, (139,) on the occasion
when I first saw a table move without contact. There is no doubt but
that he is a truthful witness. If he has overrated what he heard or
saw, it must be from the enthusiasm with which he was inspired.
ATHENS CO., _Ohio_, May 4, 1855.
1495. _My Dear Sir_: I have been here these three days, witnessing the
wonderful spirit manifestations of which we have heard so much. Allow
me to assure you that the published account of them is no more to the
reality than shadow is to substance. No pen can describe, and if it
could, I believe no mind could believe that had not witnessed them. The
spirits talk audibly through a trumpet, not with good articulation,
but as if the process were mechanical. On the accordeon, however, the
language is exquisitely articulated, being some beautiful air or catch,
according to the number of words; the harmony being perfect, and every
note forming a part or whole word. They frequently move overhead, next
the ceiling, with a rapidity of motion inconceivably astounding,
blowing a trumpet with deafening blasts at times, or beating a
tamborine or some other instrument.
1496. One of the exhibitions represents a spirit hand during this
circuit, beating a tamborine, there being a piece of sand-paper with
phosphorus on it, which they use for illuminating the hand. I saw them
begin the work and complete it. The hand was small and delicate, and
flew all over the room with something like the rapidity of light on a
broken surface of water, frequently snapping the fingers, and stopping
often near to myself and others, that we might see it to full advantage.
1497. Another hand, which I could not see, touched me, but I took hold
of it. It seemed as if covered with buckskin.
1498. The spirits are now contriving a plan to exhibit in the light.
They say that light destroys the conditions necessary by their present
system, even that evolved by the phosphorus rendering the operation
very difficult.
1499. It appears evident that spirits to be seen with material eyes are
obliged to materialize themselves, or else spiritualize our vision; and
these things have been done repeatedly.
1500. I have not yet seen them write. I have heard them talk and play
on many instruments by the hour. There is a base and tenor drum on
which they perform with such violence, that it is almost deafening at
times, and the whole house resounds till it shakes throughout. Some of
the music is seraphic, especially when they speak with the harmonicon,
when it is more unearthly in its character than I should have been able
to imagine.
1501. The spirit houses are distinct buildings of one room, dark
as Erebus, and rather lonesome places, in this wilderness. I have,
nevertheless, obtained permission to sleep on the floor each night in
one: and during two of those nights I have been favoured with faint
music on the drums. Last night, from the moment I extinguished the
light, drumming was continued throughout the night, accompanied by a
few notes on the violin.
1502. The spirit said last night, “I can’t play a bit,” but,
nevertheless, he played some things delightfully. This was a new
performer, who had sent word he would perform this night, and that he
was a German.
1503. One spirit attempted to sing through the trumpet, but could not
make music; after each failure he would stop a minute, and then, very
good-naturedly, say, “I will try again.” This he did several times,
when he added “What shall I do for you, if I can’t sing?” He at length
took up an accordeon, and succeeded better on that; but I presume did
not suit himself, as he would exclaim every once in a while, “Oh,
dear!” very despondingly.
1504. The effort the spirits make to manifest themselves is very
great, evidently, and the amiability of their demeanour here is
striking. However, I cannot tell you but a small portion of what I
have seen, but believing you would be interested in this sketch, I
have hastily made it, and hope you will excuse the rudeness of it. If
I could not witness again what I have seen during the last seventy-two
hours, I would not part with the consciousness of it for the whole
State of Ohio.
I am very sincerely your friend,
JOS. P. HAZARD.
To PROF. ROBT. HARE, Philada.