CHAPTER XVII.

BANISHMENT OF POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.

Seeing the evils of popular superstitions, what course shall we adopt

for their banishment? Or, in other words, how shall we best lend a

helping hand to hasten the downfall of ignorance, error, and sin?

1. We must deliver ourselves from their domination; for we are all more

or less under their influence. When any of the common signs of good or

evil fortune appear before us, our thoughts involuntarily recur to the

thing supposed to be signified. Sometimes a momentary shudder is

communicated to the whole system; unpleasant sensations are often

excited; and frequently a depression of spirits is produced. And how

can we free ourselves from this thraldom? By the exercise of our

reason. A proper use of our reasoning faculties will enable us to

accomplish this undertaking. We must endeavor to convince ourselves

that all these things are the offspring of ignorance; that they have no

foundation in reason, philosophy, or religion; and that they are

exceedingly pernicious in their consequences. When fully persuaded of

these truths, we must strive to make our feelings coincide with the

dictates of our understandings. And this we can effect by persevering

self-discipline. Such exertions, with the blessing of Heaven, will

eventually deliver us from the inconvenience, vexation, and slavery of

popular superstitions. And as such a consummation is most ardently to

be desired, we must enter upon the duty with a zeal and earnestness

commensurate with its importance.

2. We must also assist our fellow-men in the performance of this great

and good work. When we meet with those who believe in ghosts, in signs,

enchantments, and divination, we must try to persuade them that no

dependence whatever can be placed on any of these vanities--that they

are all fictions, absurdities, and abominations. And perhaps, in some

cases, if we cannot produce conviction by sober sense and sound

argument, we may be justified in resorting to ridicule.

It is a lamentable consideration that so much time should be criminally

wasted in many families in explaining tricks, relating and expounding

dreams, telling fortunes, and in detailing stories of haunted houses,

hobgoblins, and spirits of the supposed uneasy dead. In this way, the

evil is cherished, and transmitted from generation to generation. But

if we can succeed in giving an opposite direction to conversation; if

we can induce people to reason upon these things, and inquire into

their origin, causes, and effects, and investigate the evidence on

which they are imagined to rest, and adopt rational conclusions, we

shall be usefully employed. A course like this would eventually lead to

the banishment of popular superstitions, with their baneful effects

upon our peace and happiness; especially if we labor to impress upon

the minds of others the existence of an all-wise Providence, that

controls and governs all things for the highest good of all, calling

upon us to place our trust in Him, without whose notice not even a

sparrow falleth to the ground.

3. We must likewise attend to the early education of our children. It

is during infancy and childhood that our heads are filled with "nursery

tales" and marvellous stories. They are told us by those to whose care

we are early intrusted, either to frighten us into obedience, to

gratify our thirst for the new and wonderful, or to while away a

tedious evening. They sink into our confiding hearts, and leave

impressions the most pernicious and the most lasting. Could a child be

educated without any knowledge of such things, he would never be

troubled with their baneful influence. Our duty is therefore plain. In

taking the principal care of our children at home, we should not permit

them to learn any such things from our own lips; and we should evince,

too, by our daily conduct, that they exert no influence on our own

feelings, character, or happiness. In intrusting our offspring in early

life to the care of other persons, we must charge them, as faithful

guardians of the young, to conceal every thing of the kind from their

knowledge. And after our children become of sufficient age to associate

with others, we must caution them to avoid believing or relating any

superstitious tales as they would shun known falsehoods. By persevering

in this course, we shall save them from the degrading influence of

popular superstitions.

4. We must, moreover, endeavor to increase the means of public

education. We generally find that the most enlightened are the most

free from superstition; and it therefore follows that a high degree of

mental cultivation will effect a general deliverance. And how shall

this great object be accomplished? We must reason with them upon the

immense value and importance of knowledge. We must show them, by an

appeal to facts, that all our civil, social, domestic, and religious

blessings depend on the intelligence and virtue of the people. But

perhaps many will complain of the scarcity of money and the want of

means. If so, we must also show them, by an appeal to incontrovertible

facts, that more money is annually wasted, in all our towns, in

extravagant living, dress, furniture, and equipage; squandered in

shows, amusements, balls, and parties; in gaming, dissipation, public

parades, and intoxicating liquors, than is expended for the

instruction of the rising generation. No, there is not a lack of

funds. Where there is a will there is also a way. The value and

importance of the subject is not generally understood; or, if

understood, is not properly appreciated. Almost every thing else seems

of more consequence than learning and wisdom. Yet this will never

answer. The world is growing wiser. Those who will not employ the

requisite means must rest contented with comparative ignorance. Let

_us_ not be of this unworthy number. If we feel the importance of the

change in these respects, let us persevere in our laudable exertions,

leaving no objections unanswered, no measures untried, until we

succeed in giving our children a high degree of education. And if the

Father of spirits shall see fit to prolong our lives to witness the

results, we shall look upon the almost universal banishment of popular

superstitions.

5. Finally, we must labor for the diffusion of pure and undefiled

religion, adhering alone to the teachings of Jesus. We shall then

believe in one perfect, all-pervading Spirit, who regulates all the

events of this world which are above our control, and that all his

various dispensations originate in perfect wisdom and goodness. We

shall believe that we have no worse enemies than our own sinful lusts

and passions, and that power is given us through faith to conquer

these, even in this state of existence. We shall believe that it is as

much our duty to be always happy as it is to be always honest and

virtuous. We shall have the assurance that our heavenly Father has

commissioned no fate nor chance, spectres nor devils, to torment us.

And if we live up to this belief, we shall secure a large share of

temporal enjoyment, and be prepared for the increased and increasing

felicity of the spiritual world. If we produce this state of faith and

practice in ourselves and in those around us, we shall have done much

for the banishment of popular superstitions and the downfall of

ignorance, error, and sin.

PART SECOND.

MIRACLE IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Four gentlemen in Springfield, not long since, publicly attested to a

"miracle," performed, as they believed, by spirits, at a "circle" where

they were present. It consisted in moving a table, and a number of

chairs in the room, and in shocks, resembling distant thunder, or

cannon at a distance, causing the persons and the chairs and tables to

tremble in such a manner that the effects were both seen and felt, the

room being well lighted at the time, and an opportunity afforded for

the closest inspection, so that the company unitedly declare that

_they know they were not imposed upon nor deceived_.

Now, there is nothing very remarkable in this affair, for all might

have been done by the medium himself, by first pathetizing the persons

present, as it might be done without their knowledge, and while in

that state could be made to see and hear any thing imagined by the

operator. We are assured, by one who knows, that it is impossible for

those who are fit subjects to be present at a circle without being

more or less under the mesmeric influence. And, in such cases, they

can be _willed_ to remember or forget what they have seen or heard. We

do not consider such persons as competent witnesses in such a case as

they have testified to. It may all have been induced, or it may all

have been real. And if real, there was no need to refer it to the

agency of spirits, since such things have been done without spirits,

as in the case of Joe Collins, or others which we shall refer to, in

this part of our volume. But here we may be told, that a thousand

dollars has been offered to any one who will prove that such things

are produced by any other power than that of _spirits_. But the same

sum has been offered to any one who will prove that _spirits_ move

tables, chairs, and the like, or that _spirits_ produce the noises and

other manifestations ascribed to them.

We have heard the case of a person who went to a medium and wished to

know if he could be put in communication with his father, who had died

several years before. He was answered in the affirmative. But the

inquirer desired, as proof that it would actually be the spirit of his

father that would be introduced to him, that a pencil and paper should

be laid upon a table, and that the spirit of the father should come and

write his own name upon the paper, the son feeling assured that, if

this were done, he should at once recognize both the name and the

writing. Accordingly, the spirit in question came, and did as was

desired, and the son declared it to be the real name and handwriting of

his father. Now, the philosophy of the case is this: The inquirer was

first pathetized, although ignorant of the fact at the time--a thing

very common, though not generally understood. Thus the medium became

acquainted with the name of the father as it existed in the mind of the

son; but did the pencil actually write the name upon the paper? No. It

was only made to _appear_ so to the mind of the inquirer. As to the

handwriting, the inquirer's mind was directed to a piece of paper, and

to look at the writing. Of course, he saw his father's name, and the

handwriting, for he could see nothing else for the time being, his

mind being impressed with that one idea or object, and closed to every

thing else. It was in fact, to him, his father's name and chirography,

and no one's else. It could not be otherwise while his mind was under

the control of the operator.

We have been told of a lady, who, in a magnetized state, sits at a

table and writes down information that is imparted to her, as is said,

from the world of spirits. Her hand and pen glide over the paper with

astonishing speed and velocity, far more rapid than the most expert

penman in a normal state. And what astonishes many is, that she cannot

stop writing when she wishes to, and sometimes becomes so exceedingly

fatigued as to beg of the spirit or spirits to grant her a little

repose from the wearisome task. But the whole matter is easily

accounted for, without referring it to the supposed agency of spirits.

The lady's arm is first paralyzed--deprived of motion by the will of

the medium or operator, so that her own mind or will has not the least

control over it. She thus becomes a mere machine, under the will and

control of another, whose will directs the movements of the arm and

pen, and dictates what is written in answer to inquiries made of things

appertaining to the spirit world, just as Miss Martineau declares, in

her letters on magnetism, that "the volitions of the mesmerist may

actuate the movements of the patient's limbs, and suggest the material

of his ideas." Many singular effects are produced upon the minds and

feelings of subjects in a sleep-waking state, by Professor Williams,

Dr. Cutter, and others, such as being made drunk with water, eating

cayenne as sugar, exercising complete control over their mental as well

as physical condition.

We have been assured by a pathetist, who is a thorough adept in the

profession, that he _can_ and often _has_ put persons in communication

_apparently_ with a deceased father, mother, brother, sister, or

friend. The individual is first _pathetized_ (another name for

mesmerism) by him in a wakeful state, though unconscious, it may be,

that he is under such an influence. His mind being in the possession

and under the control of the operator, a person is now either actually

or mentally (for it makes no difference) presented before him, and he

is told of the fact, and asked, _Do you not see your father?_ The idea

of _father_ is so presented to the mind, through the organ of _form_,

that the organ can take cognizance of none other than the father. The

_person_, if an actual person is employed for the occasion, is then

shifted or changed for another person; yet the subject perceives no

difference, even if changed successively for a dozen others; it is all

the same; it is _father_, and no one else, through the whole

exhibition. The father speaks, the son recognizes his voice, and they

converse together. The subject can be willed to hear any sound, as

that of music, artillery, thunder, and the like, though no sounds

whatever are in reality made. A niece of ours was operated on in this

way, and she was told to look abroad and behold the majestic waves of

the ocean, the pageantry of a military procession; and she saw and was

delighted with the scenes that were _willed_ to pass before her.

Apples were oranges to her, and she sucked their juice with a

delightful zest. An apple paring held before her was a beautiful bird,

then a squirrel, a rabbit, or whatever the operator _willed_ it to

become. The mind of the operator and the subject, in such cases,

become as one, and they then hear, see, taste, and feel the same thing

at the same moment. Miss Martineau says that, while in a mesmeric

state, she saw "things out of other worlds--not the things themselves,

but _impressions_ of them." "They come," says she, "from my brain. The

influence does not separate soul and body, but it sets the body at

rest, while it exalts and elevates the thinking powers."

"A striking incident," says Miss M., "occurred in one of my earliest

walks after recovery from a protracted illness. My mesmerist and I had

reached a headland nearly half a mile from home, and were resting

there, when she proposed to mesmerize me a little--partly to refresh me

for our return, and partly to see if any effect would be produced in a

new place, and while a fresh breeze was blowing. She merely laid her

hand upon my forehead, and in a minute or two the usual appearances

came, assuming a strange air of novelty from the scene in which I was.

After the blurring of the outlines, which made all objects more dim

than the dull gray day had already made them, the phosphoric lights

appeared, glorifying every rock and headland, the horizon, and all the

vessels in sight. One of the dirtiest and meanest of the steam tugs in

the port was passing at the time, and it was all dressed in heavenly

radiance--the last object that my imagination would select as an

element of a vision. Then, and often before and since, did it occur to

me, that if I had been a pious and very ignorant Catholic, I could not

have escaped the persuasion that I had seen heavenly visions. Every

glorified object before my eyes would have been a revelation; and my

mesmerist, with the white halo around her head, and the illumined

profile, would have been a saint or an angel."

We know not whether, in this instance, the mesmerist _willed_ her

subject to behold things as she did, yet as to the general truth _that

the will of the operator can produce in the subject mesmerized those

states of mind and body which he wills him or her to experience_,

there is abundant evidence. O. S. Fowler, editor of the Phrenological

Journal, says he "can bear ample testimony to the fact, as he has

seen, experienced, and _induced_ similar states by the thousand." And

many others testify to the same effect.

Persons can be made to travel to other countries, and even to other

spheres, and come back and tell what they have seen. And as persons

vary in the talent of description and observation, in the normal

state, so do they vary in a semi-abnormal condition. Some are found

to be _better travellers_, and will see more than others, and in

spiritual things will differ in their descriptions as they differ in

religious creeds and sentiments. Thus a Swedenborg, or a Fishbough,

sees a hell in the future state, where sinners suffer the penalty of

their earthly sins; while an Ambler, or a Davis, discovers that all

men are alike joyful and happy. Mr. Davis has seen fit to caution

the public not to believe too quickly or too fully the things

excitable persons relate; "because some minds are naturally inclined

to exaggerate or enlarge upon every thing which they may feel, see,

or hear." The _state_ alluded to is merely _induced_. It is not

real.

Persons are frequently made to do what they believe is done by others,

as in the case of a son of Dr. Phelps, of Stratford, Connecticut. The

boy, on one occasion, was found (with a rope passed under his arms)

suspended to the limb of a tree, having been taken, as was supposed,

from his bed in the evening by spirits, and thus treated by them. The

boy declared that when it was done, he "screamed at the top of his

voice;" but it was ascertained that he made no noise at all, for if he

had, the domestics, who were in the kitchen when he passed through it,

must have heard him, which they did not. We have the testimony of A. J.

Davis, himself, that the boy "really supposed that he had called aloud;

and so far from having been tied to the tree _by spirits, he had been

made unconsciously instrumental in tying himself to the tree_!" "I

have heard," says Mr. Davis, "instances of mischief cited, as occurring

in Dr. Phelps's house, in evidence of _satanic agency_, which I now

discover to have been caused or accomplished by one of the children in

sport, sometimes by electrical discharges and magnetic attractions,

and sometimes by the almost unpardonable mischievousness of persons

unknown to the family. The wanton destruction of property alleged to

have taken place on this gentleman's premises is referable, in most

cases, to emanations of vital electricity, seeking its equilibrium in

the atmosphere. In this manner window panes were broken and furniture

injured. In Woodbridge, New York, some few years ago, a young lady

was affected with a disease which gave rise to similar phenomena.

Mysterious sounds were heard in her presence; window panes were

frequently broken in her vicinity; and, in like manner, door panels

were burst out, sometimes falling _towards_ her, sometimes _from_ her,

and quick, concussive, and very loud sounds were heard under her feet

as she ascended a flight of stairs. Ultimately, the mysterious

phenomena frightened her into an illness which cured the malady."

"People cannot be too cautious how they receive the doings of those who

profess to be in connection with spirits of the other spheres; and to

those who wish to inquire into the matter, we would say, Go and hear,

but try to keep your wits about you, and not swallow bodily either the

preachers or their strange affirmations."--_Horace Greely._

"Under an impression that whatever is communicated by a spirit must, of

course, be true, many persons are receiving these communications as the

truth of God--as a new revelation from the spirit world. But if these

communications are from spirits, we have no proof that they are good

spirits. The presumption is, that they are bad spirits--lying spirits.

At my house they often accused each other of lying--contradicted at one

time what they affirmed at another; inflicted injury upon property in

the most wanton manner; and have given conclusive evidence throughout

that the discipline of hell, which they profess to have experienced

for several years, has not been wholly effectual in improving their

characters, and qualifying them for the 'higher spheres' for which

many suppose that the discipline after death is a preparation."--_Dr.

Phelps._

"Many of the doings of the rapping spirits are too nonsensical and

absurd to be believed. They spoil all our notions of the dignity, the

_spirituality_, of the spiritual world. That a messenger should come

from the spirit land to tell an old woman that her black cat did eat

another old woman's white rabbit, is not in accordance with the ideas

most people have of the doings and missions of beings in the enjoyment

of an immortal state."--_Puritan Recorder._

PERSONS TRAINED BY A LECTURER.

We have been informed, by a certain mesmerizer, that a distinguished

lecturer upon magnetism frequently trains persons to enact certain

parts in his public exhibitions. He first puts them under mesmeric

influence, and while in that state they are instructed to say certain

things, or to perform certain acts, which he wishes to exhibit at some

subsequent lecture. To this they severally agree, and thus a regular

programme, or series of performances, is made out. They are then

brought out of the mesmeric state, having been previously willed by the

operator to forget all that has passed while in that state. At the next

meeting appointed, these persons are present, and are again put into

the same state as before, when they immediately perceive, and are ready

to perform, the several parts assigned to them. In fact, they are so

completely under the will and control of the lecturer, that they

_must_ do or say _what he wills them to do or say_, and they cannot

help it, neither can they have the least recollection of what has

transpired, after being restored to the normal state.

SCENE AT EAST BOSTON.

We were present at a "circle," at the house of a _medium_ in East

Boston, on the 30th of April, 1852. Instead of that decorum and

seriousness that might be expected while holding intercourse with

departed spirits, we were surprised at the levity and sport indulged

on the occasion. The spirits were laughed at, and scolded, because

they made so many blunders in spelling out names, and were urged and

coaxed to do better. A lady, who had buried a friend, was told that

the name of the deceased was _Hannah_. But she informed the medium

that it was a _brother_ she had buried, and that she had never lost a

_sister_. But the medium said it made no difference, as the spirits

often gave the name of a sister for a brother, and sometimes a cousin

for either, as they were all in the family connection, and all such

dwelt together in the Love Circles.

In spelling out the name of any deceased friend, you are presented with

a card containing the alphabet, and are required to commence with the

letter A, and go through the alphabet some one, two, or three times,

touching each letter with a pencil as you pass over it. On touching

some particular letter, a rap is given, indicating that it is the first

letter of the name of your departed friend. And so of the other letters

comprising the name. The spirits often made mistakes in rapping at the

wrong letter, and were required to try again till they got the spelling

right. We were very particular to observe that the spirit was sure to

rap whenever the inquirer stopped or hesitated in passing over any

letter. Five or six would be eagerly watching the movement of your

hand, and the least possible hesitation upon any one letter was sure to

be accompanied with simultaneous raps. And as the inquirer was

frequently cautioned to proceed slow, it was natural enough to hesitate

on those letters comprising the name as it was spelled in their own

mind. In this way the alphabet became an interpreter to the supposed

spirits.

We requested that some demonstrations should be given in the art of

table lifting, but were told that the gentleman through whose agency

the feat is performed was not present this evening. We inquired if it

was necessary that any particular gentleman should be present that

tables or chairs might be raised, and were told it was, and that the

gentleman in question seemed to carry a large amount of electricity in

a circle about his person.

We have been informed by another person, who says he has, and often

does, raise tables and other articles, by request of others, that he

does it by controlling the vital electricity of individuals present

at the time. He says he "_steals_" their vital electricity, and

appropriates it to his own use, although those from whom he thus takes

it are not conscious of the fact. The more persons there are in the

room, the larger the amount of electricity obtained, and the greater

the effects produced by it. There is nothing as yet performed by those

alleged to be in connection with spirits but what he can successfully

imitate, such as producing effects upon persons at a distance,

imitating the handwriting of absent or deceased persons unknown to him

causing persons to write music, poetry, &c., who, in a normal state,

are incapable of doing either, as well as many other exploits, at the

option or desire of those who are present; inquirers, oftentimes,

in such cases, becoming the operators, transferring their own

impressions, ideas, sentiments, and knowledge to the acting medium,

and yet entirely ignorant of the fact, and astonished at the results

produced. The gentleman referred to discards the agency of spirits in

these transactions, and declares that the whole is done by the power

of his own will in using and controlling the amount of electricity

present at the time; thus proving that the mind or spirit in the body

has as much power and control over electricity as the mind or spirit

has _out_ of, or separate from, the body. And he is of the opinion

that if scientific men would investigate the powers of electricity,

and the laws by which it is controlled, they would no more think of

attributing the phenomena of the times to the agency of _spirits_,

than to the Pope of Rome. Many engaged in producing these phenomena

are themselves ignorant of the power or means by which they are

produced, and therefore attribute them to _spiritual_ agency, which

is, in fact, transferring the whole matter to a point beyond human

investigation, where no mortal being can possibly explore.

Some seem to think that these modern developments must be the work of

spirits, because, amid all the opposition arraigned against them, they

still continue to progress, and are becoming more and more wonderful

every day. Yet the same argument is as conclusive and convincing in

favor of Mormonism, and other foolish and wicked extravagances, as it

is in favor of the alleged spiritual manifestations. But while

hundreds, and perhaps thousands, are marvelling at the strangeness of

these developments, we find that several who have been engaged in them

for months or years, and believed them to be emanations from the spirit

world, now declare their convictions to the contrary, as will be seen

by the following account from the pen of a distinguished writer,

Professor Pond, of Maine.

EXTRACT FROM THE PURITAN RECORDER.

"The feats of the ancient jugglers were many of them mere acts of

deception. They were known to be such by those who performed them. And

the same is true of many who practise the like things now. Their

rappings and writings, and other strange performances, are secretly,

artfully got up by themselves. I do not say that this is true in all

cases; but in some cases we _know_ it is true; because the matter

has been fully investigated, and public confession has been made. For

example: A young woman, who had been instructed by the Rochester

rappers, and practised the art with them for a time, afterwards

renounced it, and exposed the delusion to the world. 'All who saw her

and heard her,' says my informant, 'were entirely satisfied of the

truth of her statements, and that she had revealed the actual method in

which the deception was effected and the deluded were blinded. Another

young woman in Providence, Almira Beazely, who was noted for her

rappings and revelations, and who murdered her brother to accomplish

one of her own predictions, confessed, on her trial, that she made the

noises herself, and explained the manner in which they were produced.

She also confessed to the removal of certain articles in the house

which had strangely disappeared, and which she pretended had been

_taken away by spirits_. Drs. Lee and Flint, of Buffalo, assisted

by two gentlemen by the name of Burr, have very thoroughly investigated

the matter, and explained the manner in which the mysterious noises are

made. Mr. Burr has himself made the rappings, and made them so loud as

to be heard by a congregation of fifteen hundred people.

"These instances are sufficient to prove that the spiritual

manifestations of our times, like those of ancient times, are in many

instances a sheer deception--a vile trick, palmed off upon a wondering

and credulous community, for the sake of money, or for other sinister

and selfish ends. If there is any thing more than trick in these

spiritual manifestations,--and I am inclined to think that, in some

instances, there may be,--I should refer it, as in case of the ancient

wizards, to the influence of _occult natural causes_--perhaps

electricity, or animal magnetism, or something else, operating upon a

nervous system of peculiar sensibility. I incline to this opinion for

several reasons.

"In the first place, if the noises and other manifestations were really

the work of spirits, why should they not be made through one person, as

well as another? Why should not all mediums be alike? Whereas it is

confessed that only persons of a peculiar nervous temperament are

capable of becoming mediums.

"Again: if the disclosures which are made are really from the spirit

world, it might be expected that they would, at least, be _consistent

with themselves_. Whereas it is well known that they vary endlessly.

In numerous instances, they are directly self-contradictory. 'Some of

the communications,' says one who had been a medium, 'were orthodox;

others were infidel. Some would acknowledge the truth of the Bible;

others would condemn it. Some would be in favor of virtue; others would

encourage the grossest crimes.'

"Another man, who had been a noted medium, but who was beginning to get

his eyes opened as to the character of the proceedings, told his

audience one night, 'Now, any one present ask a series of questions,

and I pledge myself that the answer shall be, every time, yes.' Some

one in the company asked, 'Is John Thompson alive?' The answer was,

'Yes.' 'Is John Thompson dead?' 'Yes.' 'Does John Thompson live in

Vermont?' 'Yes.' 'Does he live in Massachusetts?' 'Yes.' And so the

spirits went on contradicting themselves times without number. After

this, a like series of questions were answered in the negative,

exhibiting the most glaring contradictions, just as the operator

pleased.

"But this brings me to another reason for supposing that the answers

are not from departed spirits, but rather from the _mind of the

operator_, or from _some other mind in communication with his_, under

the influence of an electric or magnetic cause. It is an admitted fact

that these answers coincide very generally with the opinions or wishes

of the medium, or of some one present in consultation with him. I knew

a very respectable man, who discovered that he was a medium, and who

practised various experiments upon himself. Upon being asked what he

thought of it, he replied, 'If the answers are from the spirits, they

must be _very silly spirits_; for they always answer just as I wish to

have them.' Another medium informs us that he can obtain any answer he

pleases, by fixing his mind strongly upon it at the time. Now, does

this look as though the answer came from spirits? If the spirits of

the dead spoke, they would be likely to speak out independently; to

speak just what _they_ thought, and not what those thought with whom

they were consulting.

"There is another circumstance to be noted in this connection. When the

requisite preparation is made, there is no need of consulting the

spirits at all, in order to secure answers. You may consult with the

chairs or the table just as well. This experiment was tried, not long

since, at Wilmington, Vermont. A Mr. Kellogg was the medium, and he had

succeeded in consulting the spirits to the satisfaction of all

concerned. At length he remarked that he was about to let the company

into an important secret. 'We will interrogate the _table_,' said

he, 'and have nothing more to do with spirits.' He did so; and the

_table talked and answered, just as the spirits had done before_.

At the same time the table was made to stand on one leg, and to move

about, as is usual in such cases. This experiment demonstrated, to the

satisfaction of all present, that the strange appearances could be

produced just as well without the spirits as with them. 'The calling

for spirits,' to use the language of my informant, 'is mere garnish and

fog, by which the real agency in the case is concealed.'

"On the point now under consideration, viz., the possibly _electric_

character of these manifestations, I am happy to introduce the

testimony of Dr. Samuel Taylor, a respectable physician of Petersham,

Massachusetts, whose article on the subject may be found in a late

number of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. Dr. Taylor

discovered accidentally that he was a medium, and he proceeded to make

experiments upon himself. The manifestation, in his case, was not by

rapping, but by writing--a much more convenient mode of communicating

with the spirit world. On taking his pen, and holding himself in a

peculiar attitude, and proposing mentally some question to the

spirits, his pen would begin to oscillate in his fingers, and very

soon would write out an answer; and this without any voluntary effort

of his own. And what is particularly to be noticed is, the pen would

always write an answer which accorded with his own opinion or wishes,

that is, if he had any wish on the subject. For example: Dr. Taylor

inquired of one of the spirits about the different forms of religion.

'I asked which was the best religion, at the same time fixing my mind

sternly on the word _Protestant_. My hand immediately wrote

_Protestant_. In the same manner, and _by direction of the same

spirit_, my hand wrote successively, _Methodist_, _Unitarian_, and I

believe one or two others. While in this state,' Dr. Taylor says, '_I

felt a sensation like that of a light galvanic current passing through

me_. Sometimes it appeared to be a steady thrill, and sometimes it was

intermittent, resembling light shocks of electricity.'

"After numerous experiments, Dr. Taylor comes to the conclusion, that

the strange phenomena of which he was the subject were not tricks of

his own, neither did they come from the spirit world, but were the

result of what he calls _detached vitalized electricity_. When this

conclusion had been formed in his own mind, it occurred to him that he

would put it to the test of the spirits themselves. 'Accordingly I

asked them,' says he, 'if this was the work of departed spirits. The

answer was, "No." I asked if it was the work of the devil. Again the

answer was, "No." I asked if it was the effect of _detached vitalized

electricity_. The answer was, "Yes."' So the spirits _confirmed_ the

conclusion to which the doctor had come, as they did, in fact, all his

conclusions.

"We have the testimony of another medium, of the same import with that

of Dr. Taylor. Mr. Benjamin F. Cooley, who had long been a believer and

operator in the spiritual rappings, states that his mind is now

entirely changed. This change was brought about in consequence of 'a

deep and earnest study of the nature, power, and application of

electricity, and of the susceptibility of the mind to electrical or

psychological changes.' These things, he says, will produce the same

mysterious and startling phenomena which have been produced throughout

the country, and attributed to the operations of departed spirits. (Mr.

Cooley has recently published a work entitled An Exposition of

Spiritual Manifestations, to which we would refer the reader.)

"A part of what is done by those who claim to have familiar spirits,

may be the result of unknown _natural causes_. This is the most

plausible and excusable view which can possibly be taken of these

practices; and yet, even in this view, they are frightfully evil. The

persons who alone are susceptible to the influence of these natural

causes are generally those of a diseased or delicate nervous

temperament; and the effect of experimenting upon their nervous system

is usually to shatter it the more. They become excitable, fantastic,

and often insane. Diseases are engendered, both of body and mind, which

lead on to the most fearful consequences. But a short time ago, the

papers gave an account of a man in Barre, Massachusetts, who had been

much given to the rappings and other spiritual manifestations, who

became, in consequence, a raving maniac, threatening the life of his

family, and was committed to the Lunatic Asylum at Worcester. Other

like instances are occurring frequently, from the same cause. Almira

Beazely, the Providence rapper, who murdered her brother in fulfilment

of one of her own predictions, was cleared on the ground of her

insanity.

"But this is not the only evil of the practices in question, when

viewed as the result of natural causes. For the truth is, that, in

most cases, they are _not so viewed_ by those who engage in them.

_They_ regard them as the work of spirits. They are, therefore,

deceived; and those who follow them are deceived. Both suppose they

are receiving utterances from the other world, when nothing is uttered

but vain fantasies from their own minds and hearts. Such a deception

is, manifestly, a hurtful one. It is full of danger to all concerned.

To mistake one's own fancies for divine revelation, and feel

conscience-bound to obey them as such, is the very essence of

_fanaticism_. It is fanaticism in its most frightful form. Under the

influence of such an impression, persons may be led to perpetrate the

greatest cruelties, and the most horrid crimes, and vainly think that

they are doing God service. The wretched man in Barre was led to

attempt the life of his family, in obedience to a supposed revelation

from the spirit world.

"The practices which have been considered are of heathen origin. They

originated with the ancient heathen; they were spread over a greater

part of the heathen world; and they continue to pervade and curse it to

the present time. Among numerous heathen tribes at the present day,

scarcely a calamity occurs--a death, a flood, a fit of sickness, or an

instance of death--but some poor creature (and often more than one) is

accused and put to death, as being the cause of it. 'The sick man is

bewitched: who has bewitched him? His death (if he chance to die) has

been brought about by evil spirits: who has sent the spirits upon him?'

To get an answer to these questions, some old hag or conjurer is

consulted; the cause of the mischief is quickly discovered, and an

innocent person is put to death. Probably hundreds die every year after

this manner, among the heathen, _even in this nineteenth century_!

And the case would soon be no better among ourselves, if we were to go,

extensively and _confidently_, into the practice of consulting with

familiar spirits. The spirits would unravel all mysteries for us; they

would reveal all secrets; and not a man, woman, or child would long be

safe from their malicious accusations.

"Something more than a year ago, the Lunatic Asylum in Maine took fire,

and a portion of its inmates were smothered and consumed. And there are

hundreds of persons now in the state, who affirm that the building was

set on fire by the keepers, with a view to cover up and conceal their

own wickedness. These persons _know_ it was so; they have not the

shadow of a doubt on the subject. Why? Not that they have a particle of

evidence to this effect from our world, but because the spirits have so

informed them. Now, let these utterances become common, and be commonly

received, and in three months' time those keepers might every one of

them be dragged to the gallows, or the stake, while they were as

innocent of the charge laid against them as a child unborn.

"I refer to this instance just to show the sin, the evil, the exceeding

peril, of indulging in those practices which have been exposed. Let all

those who read these things, then, beware of them and shun them. If any

of us are capable of becoming _mediums_, as they are called, we had

better not know it; or, if we know it, we had better refrain from all

experiments. To tamper with such a power is to tamper with an already

shattered nervous system, the only effect of which will be to shatter

it the more.

"There is nothing more striking than the difference between those

representations of the future world which are made known in the Bible,

and which we know are true, and those which are put forth by the

revealers of our own times. The former are solemn, exciting,

impressive, some of them awfully so, others gloriously. While the

latter, as Professor Stowe says, are 'so uniformly and monotonously

silly, that we are compelled to think, if these are really the spirits

of the dead, in dying they must have lost what little of common sense

they ever possessed. If these are actual specimens of the spiritual

world, then this world, hard and imperfect as it is, is altogether the

most respectable part of God's creation.'

"In the Bible, we have frequent accounts of persons who were raised

from the dead--who actually returned from the spirit world to this. But

they returned uniformly with sealed lips. In not a single instance did

they make any disclosures. But our modern revealers pursue a very

different course. They practise no reserve. They go into the minutest

particulars,--sometimes into the most disgusting details,--and publish,

as one expresses it, 'a penny magazine of the spiritual world.'"

In the language of the Puritan Recorder, "The worst of the evil is the

soul-hardening familiarity they produce with the most awful subjects

ever offered for human contemplation. We know of nothing in human

experience so fatally destructive of all that reverence for the

spiritual, that awe of the unseen, that tender emotion, as well as

solemn interest, which connect themselves with the idea of the other

life. Who, that has a Christian heart, would not prefer the silence of

the grave to the thought of the dear departed one in the midst of such

imaginings, and such scenic associations as are usually connected with

the performances of the spirit rappers? 'They are not dead, but

_sleep_.' 'They enter into _peace_,' says the prophet. And then the

precious and consoling addition--'They sleep in Jesus;' meaning,

beyond all doubt, a state of rest, of calmness, of security, of

undisturbed and beatific vision--far removed from all resemblance to

this bustling life--a state in all respects the opposite of that

which fancy pictures as belonging to the scenes presented in the

manifestations of spiritual rappings, and spiritual table liftings and

all those spiritual pantomimes, which seem to be becoming more and

more extravagant and grotesque in proportion to the infidel credulity

with which they are received."

Should any think, by reading what we have offered upon this subject in

the preceding pages, that we have imputed guilt and deception to

mediums, who are believed to be, many of them, above such trickery, we

would merely refer such to page 29 of the Reply of Veriphilos Credens

to the communications supposed to have been written by Dr. Enoch Pond,

professor in the Bangor Seminary, as published in the columns of the

Puritan Recorder. The reviewer says, "To suppose that mediums could

practise deception on men of shrewdness and caution implies a greater

credulity than does a faith in the most startling of their

performances." "There is not the slightest degree of evidence," says

this writer, "that such a case has ever occurred;" and yet on the

selfsame page he says, "_There is no doubt that some mediums, when

the sounds and motions have failed to come in the usual mysterious way,

have counterfeited them by some sly motions of their feet and hands. I

have seen such things done, in some instances!_"

The same author says, page 63, "I have not attempted to justify any

reliance on disclosures made to us in the way of rappings. I think it

_altogether_ unsafe to do so, for the declaration has already come

to us, from what purports to be the spirits themselves, that _all

these manifestations are of a low order_, and are produced by the

_lowest grade of spirits_."

As to the plea that "spirits _must_ make the sounds," to account for

the _intelligence_ communicated, it being impossible for mere

"_electricity_ to originate facts," we reply by affirming that there is

no intelligence given beyond a certain limit; i.e., the mind of some

one or ones in connection, either present or absent, for it makes no

difference. For available purposes, a person a thousand or ten thousand

miles distant may yield all the amount of intelligence required in a

given case. Distance is no obstacle whatever. Electricity counts

neither time nor space. For instance, the transmission of electricity

through a conducting substance is instantaneous. A wire, or other

conductor, may have motion communicated to its whole length at the

same moment, whatever that length may be; and it is stated that an

electro-magnetic impulse may be transmitted at the rate of one hundred

and eighty thousand miles in a second, thus outstripping the sun in its

march!

A large number of intelligent individuals, who, for a year or two

past, have instituted a series of experiments upon this matter of

"intelligence," have found that in no case has information been

imparted beyond what existed in their own minds or that of some kindred

or friend. Finding this to be the case, they have wisely come to the

conclusion that spirits have never originated a solitary idea; that is,

_disembodied spirits_; and as to the spirit within a man, in his

corporeal state, why cannot it command as much influence over vital

electricity as in its disembodied existence? Since both parties claim

to perform by the same agent, and both claim this agent to be that of

_vital electricity_, we have also come to the same conclusion, with

a host of others, that the "calling for spirits is mere garnish and

fog, by which the real agency in the case is concealed."

EXTRACT FROM THE HOME JOURNAL.

"A considerable heap of books, pamphlets, and periodicals, some

against, but most of them for, the 'spiritual phenomena,' has been

accumulating upon our table, and now looms up large before us,

demanding notice. That departed spirits have any thing to do with them

is an explanation that we have never been able to accept for one

moment. We should as soon think of asserting that an apple, rolling

suddenly at our feet, must necessarily have fallen out of heaven,

because we could not see the tree it had blown from. To bring such an

astounding theory to explain such trivial phenomena is like sending a

frigate to pick up a champagne bottle that might be floating down the

bay.

"By some of the works before us we are informed, among many other

things, that in the other world every man has his name upon his front

door; that Swedenborg is a great man, delivers lectures, and _has a

street named after him_; that in heaven parties, concerts, and

_converzationes_ are frequent; that at some of the concerts, star

singers of great celebrity perform, attracting inconceivable multitudes

of spirits to hear them; that children take lessons in French and

Italian every morning; that the space allotted to some of the spirits

is as large as New York; that the 'seventh sphere' (the highest heaven)

is about five thousand miles from the earth; that the beds are of

roses, and when the spirits recline upon them, the birds sing joyfully

around, and mingle their music with the perfume of the flowers; that

the celestials (not the Chinese) wear white robes, edged with pink;

that a man generally attends his own funeral; that spirits, on their

arrival in heaven, are set to studying geology, chemistry, and other

dull subjects, which they soon begin to like, and say their daily

lessons with an excellent grace; that parchment is in extensive use;

that spirits are allowed to visit 'earth' once a day only, and have the

privilege of staying one hour; that they have books, rings, newspapers,

robin redbreasts, fruit, lakes, streams, diamonds, and drawing masters

in the next world. 'Dora's dress,' says one of the revelations, 'was of

blue satin, with a white sash; half sleeves, full; a pink velvet ribbon

round her throat, fastened by a cameo. Her hair was in curls each side

of her face, and fastened in a knot behind.' Dora, be it observed, is a

departed _spirit_.

"If it could be shown that all these things were really revealed, as

they are said to be, we should still think them unworthy of notice. The

greater part of the 'supernal theology' is utterly frivolous; and

whether frivolous or not, it bears very plainly the impress of the

medium's own mind, or of the unknown desires of those by whom he is

surrounded. If we were called upon to minister to a mind diseased, or

to find pabulum for a soul hungering after moral excellence, we should

as soon think of offering a copy of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments

as a book of the 'supernal theology.' For the practical guidance of

life, there is more help in any two maxims of the Sermon on the Mount,

than in the whole literature of supernaturalism.

"The manifestation mania would have died away long since but for one

unfortunate circumstance. We have in our land a large number of men who

may be termed semi-clergymen, or, as they are frequently called,

'outsiders,' or 'come-outers.' These are they who, either because they

know too much or because they know too little, or from superfluity of

naughtiness or redundancy of virtue, find it difficult to obtain a

'settlement.' These are the men who foster delusions; who, because they

cannot find a way to _serve_ the public, are reduced to _prey_ upon it.

They embrace the new light--whatever it may be--with a degree of

sincerity, and commit themselves to it; then they push it, stimulate

it, make a business of it, and live by it. O the multitude of spiritual

delusions that in every age of the world have originated and derived

their strength solely from the fact that the bodily necessities of

certain individuals depended upon their perpetuity! That, at this

moment, there are men most diligently engaged in the new spiritual

line, for the purpose of securing by it a reprieve from starvation, (or

work,) is a fact which we do not merely believe, but _know_."

FORETELLING FUTURE EVENTS.

Many devices have been resorted to in order to foretell the events of

the future. Some pretend to do it by cards; some by the settlings of a

tea or coffee cup; some by astrology; some by tables of letters and

figures; some by the lines of the hand; and some by spirits of the

dead. Strenuous advocates of these various modes are found, who recount

the wonderful predictions that have taken place. Some spirit hunter

recently prognosticated that the ship Staffordshire (reported to be

lost) would arrive safe at San Francisco on a certain day, as she did.

Professor Anderson had a glass bell at the Melodeon, in Boston, in

September, 1852, that answered questions pertaining to future events.

In deciding upon who would be the next president, it gave six distinct

taps for Pierce--the number agreed upon if he was to be the successful

competitor. This was done without any aid from spirits. We very much

doubt whether Robach or Lester would refuse a challenge from A. J.

Davis himself, to test their respective claims to correct predictions.

Yet we do not believe that any reliance can be placed upon the

prophecies of either party. Events may sometimes transpire in

accordance with their predictions; and it would be strange if they did

not, as they are always predicting, and events are ever occurring. But

they never think of naming the multiplicity of failures that take

place. Not long since, the spirits said that a distant friend would

never live to reach home; but he soon after arrived, safe and well. Mr.

Lester told a young man of Woburn that in two years he would marry a

certain young lady; but in two months he was a corpse. Hundreds of such

failures are constantly occurring, but are kept out of sight. If

generally known, they would spoil the trade. We are surprised that men

professing to high attainments, as A. J. Davis and some of his

coadjutors, should fall back and plant themselves upon such stale

trash. Some two years since, while lying apparently near our end, a

lady suggested to us that, if we desired, she would consult Mr. Lester

upon the probability of our recovery. We declined the offer, choosing

to leave all with the Sovereign Disposer of events, believing that he

would permit nothing to take place but what would be for our best good,

and that of all concerned.

"Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate,

All but the page prescribed--their _present state_;

From brutes what men, from men what angels know;

Or who could suffer being here below?

The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day,

Had he thy reason, would he skip and play?

Pleased to the last, he crops the flowery food,

And licks the hand just raised to shed his blood.

O, blindness to the future! kindly given,

That each may fill the circle marked by Heaven.

_Hope humbly then_; with trembling pinions soar;

Wait the great teacher death, and God adore!

What future bliss he gives not thee to know,

But gives _that hope_ to be thy _blessing now_."--POPE.

VISIONS, MIRACLES, AND WONDERS.

The writings of the spirit rappers abound with accounts of sights,

sounds, visions, and wonders. We are forcibly reminded of a similar

display in the writings of the Adventists, previous to the predicted

end of the world in 1843--an overwhelming array of facts, calculations,

signs, visions, wonders, miracles, maps, pictures, drawings, and

hieroglyphics, all going to show, in the most positive manner, that in

that year the world would be annihilated. And still it remains; and the

works containing the omens and facts to substantiate the prediction are

called to share the fate of a Farmer's Almanac quite out of date. Some

few still hold on to a semblance of the theory, like him who, in the

spring of 1851, declared that a talking cow, somewhere in Maine, had

prophesied that the world would be burned up the following June. How

lamentable to view the numbers of men and women who have given heed to

such things, when assured that the day and the hour is not known even

by the Son himself. (Matt. xxiv. 36.) Many of these persons were once

active in the church, and exerted an influence for good; but by

remaining in their present position, their influence in the cause of

Christ is palsied, and their, talents buried in the earth. And yet we

have propounded to us another "NEW CHURCH," which, according to the

predictions of its adherents, is destined to destroy all other

churches, as it _was to be_, according to the predictions of Miller,

Fitch, Himes, and others.

In conclusion upon these things, we would add, that it has been our

belief from the first, that there is nothing supernatural in the

so-called _spiritual manifestations_. They all bear the marks of

_earthly_ origin. The public not knowing how to explain them, the

first rappings were attributed to the "spirits;" and the idea having

been set afloat, it has been adopted without investigation, being the

easiest way of accounting for it.

To the common mind, three hundred years ago, it was plain and easy,

that the world was _flat_, and rested on something--on the _back

of Atlas_, and he stood on a _tortoise_, and the tortoise again

on _something_; and the fact that nobody could tell what, was not

allowed to stumble any one; it rested on a _foundation_, and that

was enough for any one to know or believe. Motion, space, attraction,

and repulsion were not understood, and Galileo came near losing his

life, and did lose his personal liberty and character, for

intelligence. When the world is as fully instructed in certain

principles connected with our existence as it is in the laws of the

physical universe, the "rappings," we think, will cease to be a wonder.

CLAIRVOYANT PHYSICIANS.

Persons in a clairvoyant state, by being put in connection with a

diseased person, feel, by sympathy, the pain and disease of the

patient. But to be qualified to describe the locality of the disease,

or be able to tell what organ or part is affected, the practitioner

must first have studied anatomy and physiology. The more perfect they

are in these branches, the more accurately can they describe the seat

of the disease. Their remedies are mostly botanical, and are generally

safe in their operation. The _regular_ "clairvoyant physician," so to

speak, does not pretend to be in league with "spirits;" but there _are_

those who profess that their prescriptions come from the other

world--from those who, though dead, rest _not_ from their labors.

Notwithstanding the extreme simplicity of their remedies, such as any

common nurse would advise, yet such is the profound sanctity and

mystery thrown around them by an _unseen spirit_, that some profess to

have received "wonderful healing mercies." To _believe_ that a medicine

(however simple) is prescribed by a _spirit_ from above, is enough to

perform a cure in any case. Imagination alone is equal to the task. A

very eminent allopathic physician informs us that he often rolls up

brown bread pills, which, in certain cases, perform unmistakable cures.

In fact, history is full of recoveries wrought out by aid of the

imagination. We will subjoin a case by way of illustration.

"Sir Humphrey Davy, on one occasion in early life, was assisting Dr.

Beddoes in his experiments on the inhalation of nitrous oxide. Dr.

Beddoes having inferred that this agent must be a specific for palsy, a

patient was selected for trial, and placed under the care of Davy.

Previously to administering the gas, Davy inserted a small thermometer

under the tongue of the patient, to ascertain the temperature. The

paralytic man, wholly ignorant of the process to which he was to

submit, but deeply impressed by Dr. Beddoes with the certainty of its

success, no sooner felt the thermometer between his teeth, than he

concluded the talisman was in operation, and in a burst of enthusiasm

declared that he had already experienced the effects of its benign

influence throughout his whole body. The opportunity was too tempting

to be lost. Davy did nothing more, but desired his patient to return on

the following day. The same ceremony was repeated, the same result

followed; and at _the end of a fortnight he was dismissed wholly

cured_; no remedy of any kind, except the thermometer, having ever

been used."

STYLE OF "SUPERNAL" COMPOSITIONS.

In the "supernal" productions we are presented with a pedantic

display of high-sounding words and phrases. To use the language

of inspiration, "they speak great swelling words of vanity." A

work has recently been announced with this imposing title:

"MACROCOSM and MICROCOSM," containing, among other things, "_The

Potential Media_," "_The Diastole and Systole of Nature_." A writer

in the Spiritual Telegraph, of October 9, says, "There are very many

fancy-captivating, and depravity-flattering publications--some of

them filled with indications, the most specious and subtle, of a

refined _atheism_. And I have seen a copy or two of a certain 'Journal,'

ostensibly advocating the great truths (?) of spiritual manifestations,

but containing some articles in which there was a congregation of words

_superlatively unmeaning and transcendentally ridiculous_." The same

writer says, "I do not believe one half the communications which are

said to come from George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Clay,

John C. Calhoun, John Wesley, and a host of other great names. What

affinity can these spirits have with many of the thoughtless, light,

and trifling circles, formed to pass off an hour, and perhaps ending

with foolish mountebank scenes of psychology, falsely so called?"

Davis, in his Great Harmonia, page 206, exposes a class of "mercenary

practitioners, who claim extraordinary or supernatural powers for their

subjects, _who give public and vulgar exhibitions, who employ chicanery

and ignorant plans, who trifle with and play fantastic tricks with

their subjects_." He speaks of a class of "doctrinal practitioners, who

prevert and misinterpret principles and results; who labor to make the

phenomena subservient to, and illustrative of, the theological dogmas;

who receive, modify, or reject, as a sectarian education and prejudice

may sanction; who conceal, misstate, and magnify disclosures." Enough,

in all conscience, to condemn the whole farce.

MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA, WITH THEIR AGENTS OR CAUSES.

A work has recently been issued in Boston, by E. C. Rogers, containing

an exposition of mysterious agents, and dynamic laws, or science of

moving powers. It is a very valuable work, and, with his consent, we

shall take the liberty of introducing some of the principal facts

adduced; and at the same time would advise every inquirer to purchase

the work for himself, which he will never have cause to regret.

On page 22, the author says, "Light and heat have always been known as

agents by the common sensation of their more palpable phenomena. But

electricity and magnetism were not known until their phenomena were

specially observed. Many of the facts of these agents, before the

latter had become known, were referred to spiritual agencies. It is the

tendency of ignorance, in every age, to do the same thing. Reason

demands an agent adequate to the production of every phenomenon. If she

has not been furnished with sufficient data by which to arrive at a

correct conclusion, imagination, influenced by a blind marvellousness,

will refer the phenomena to some supernatural cause. Hence the early

superstitions about chemical operations, the appearance of comets,

eclipses, meteors, the 'bog lights,' and a thousand other phenomena.

But as the agencies of nature have become known, and their laws and

conditions of action discovered, the domination of superstition has

given place to the triumph of reason and the reign of truth."

"Reason determines that, for every phenomenon, there is an agent; but

never, without sufficient data, does she determine what that agent is.

The imagination often assumes this prerogative, and gives conclusions

without _facts_, or furnishes the false data from which the logical

faculty draws false principles. We mention these things to show how

easy it is to be deceived, by our imaginations, with regard to the

causes of outward phenomena, and that the only legitimate and

trustworthy process in arriving at a solution of the mysteries of

nature is, to furnish the reason with _facts_, and exclude the

influence of imagination. A blind precipitation of faith is also a

fatal influence to all correct reasoning; for it rouses the action of

the imagination, and long before the reason can possibly give a correct

deduction, credulity and imagination have conjured one up; and this

will be the more insisted upon as the only correct conclusion, as it is

the least possessed of the real truth and the action of reason. Hence

it is that those persons who are most ignorant of the principles of

nature are the more positive and precipitate in their decisions upon

any question of mystery. They _know_ that there is no natural

explanation, and the man is a fool who _attempts_ to find one." (Page

34.)

The first case we shall quote from the above work occurred in

Woodbridge, New Jersey, and was published at the time in the Newark

Daily Advertiser. The phenomena made their appearance in the family of

Mr. J. Barron, consisting, for the most part, of unusual sounds

accompanying a servant girl.

"The first sounds were those of a _loud thumping_, apparently

against the side of the house, which commenced one evening, when the

family had retired, and continued at short intervals until daylight,

when it ceased.

"The next evening it commenced at nightfall, when it was ascertained to

be mysteriously connected with the movements of a servant girl in the

family--a white girl, about fourteen years of age. While passing a

window, on the stairs, for example, a _sudden jar_, accompanied with an

_explosive sound, broke a pane of glass_, the girl at the same time

being seized with a violent spasm. This, of course, very much alarmed

her; and the physician, Dr. Drake, was sent for, who came and bled her.

The bleeding, however, produced no apparent effect. The noise still

continued, as before, at intervals, wherever the girl went, each sound

producing more or less of a spasm; and the physician, with all the

family, remained up during the night. At daylight the _thumping_ ceased

again. In the evening the same thing was repeated, commencing a little

earlier than before; and so every evening since, continuing each night

until morning, and commencing each night a little earlier than before,

until yesterday, when the thumping began about twelve o'clock at noon.

The circumstances were soon generally spread through the neighborhood,

and produced so much excitement that the house was filled, and

surrounded from sunrise to sunset, for nearly a week. Every imaginable

means were resorted to, in order to unravel the phenomenon. At one time

the girl would be removed from one apartment to another, but without

effect. Wherever she was placed, at certain intervals, the thumping

would be heard in the room. She was taken to a neighboring house. The

same result followed. When carried out of doors, however, no noise was

heard. Dr. Drake, who was constant in his attendance during the whole

period, occasionally aided by other scientific observers, was with us

last evening for two hours, when we were politely allowed a variety of

experiments with the girl, in addition to those heretofore tried, to

satisfy ourselves that there is no imposition in the case, and, if

possible, to discover the secret agent of the mystery. The girl was in

an upper room, with a part of the family, when we reached the house.

The noise then resembled that which would be produced by a person

violently thumping the upper floor with the head of an axe, five or six

times in succession, jarring the house, ceasing a few minutes, and then

resuming as before. We were soon introduced into the apartment, and

permitted to observe for ourselves. The girl appeared to be in perfect

health, cheerful, and free from the spasms felt at first, and entirely

relieved from every thing like the fear or apprehension which she

manifested for some days. The invisible noise, however, continued to

occur as before, though somewhat diminished in frequency, while we were

in the room. In order to ascertain more satisfactorily that she did not

produce it voluntarily, among other experiments we placed her on a

chair on a blanket in the centre of the room, bandaged the chair with a

cloth, fastening her feet on the front round, and confining her hands

together on her lap. No change, however, was produced. The thumping

continued as before, excepting that it was not quite so loud. The noise

resembled that which would be produced by stamping on the floor with a

heavy heel; yet she did not move a limb or muscle, that we could

discover. She remained in this position long enough to satisfy all in

the room that the girl exercised, voluntarily, no sort of agency in

producing the noise. It was observed that the noise became greater the

farther she was removed from any other person. We placed her in the

doorway of a closet in the room, the door being ajar, to allow her to

stand in the passage. In less than one minute the door flew open, as if

violently struck with a mallet, accompanied with precisely such a noise

as such a thump would produce. This was repeated several times, with

the same effect. In short, in whatever position she was placed, whether

in or out of the room, similar results, varied a little perhaps by

circumstances, were produced. There is certainly no deception in the

case. The noise was heard at least one hundred yards from the house."

"In this case, no suspicions were entertained by the investigators that

there was any supernatural or spiritual power manifested, as there was

no manifestations of intelligence. They were purely physical

phenomena."

The next case we shall notice we copy from the Spiritual Telegraph of

July 3, 1852, taken from an old New York paper, dated March 10, 1789.

The extract is as follows:--

"Sir: Were I to relate the many extraordinary, though not less true

accounts I have heard concerning that unfortunate girl at New

Hackensack, your belief might perhaps be staggered and patience tired.

I shall therefore only inform you of what I have been an eye-witness

to. Last Sunday afternoon my wife and myself went to Dr. Thorn's, and

after sitting for some time, we heard a knocking under the feet of a

young woman that lives in the family; I asked the doctor what

occasioned the noise: he could not tell, but replied, that he, together

with several others, had examined the house, but were unable to

discover the cause. I then took a candle and went with the girl into

the cellar: there the knocking also continued; but as we were ascending

the stairs to return, I heard a _prodigious rapping_ on each side,

which alarmed me very much. I stood still some time, looking around

with amazement, when I beheld some lumber, which lay at the head of the

stairs, shake considerably. About eight or ten days after, we visited

the girl again: the knocking was again heard, but much louder than

before. Our curiosity induced us to pay the third visit, when the

phenomena were still more alarming. _I then saw the chairs move; a

large dining table was thrown against me, and a small stand, on which

stood a candle, was tossed up and thrown into my wife's lap_; after

which we left the house, much surprised at what we had seen."

"Catharine Crowe, in her Night Side of Nature, mentions several

well-authenticated cases of this character, and other writers have

noticed the same phenomena. A case is given on the 410th page of Miss

Crowe's work--that of a young officer in the English army, who,

wherever he went, whether in camp or at home, or among strangers, was

liable to be tormented with these _noises at night_. Although they

gave no particular marks of intelligence, yet they were regarded by his

relatives with an abundance of superstition. They considered him

"haunted."

"When these sounds commenced, he would sit up in bed, and express his

anger in strong execrations. If a cage bird was in his room, it was

certain to be found dead in the morning; or if he kept a dog in the

apartment, it would make away from him as soon as released, and never

come near him again."

"The phenomena in Dr. Phelps's case, already mentioned in this volume,

consisted in the moving of articles of furniture in a manner that could

not be accounted for. Knives, forks, spoons, nails, blocks of wood,

&c., were thrown in different directions about the house, when there

appeared no visible power by which the motion could have been produced.

A writer in the New Haven Journal and Courier testifies, that while he

was present, "the contents of the pantry were emptied into the kitchen,

and bags of salt, tin ware, and heavy cooking utensils were thrown in a

promiscuous heap upon the floor, with a loud and startling noise.

Loaves of delicious cake were scattered about the house. The large

knocker of the outside door would thunder its fearful tones through the

loud-resounding hall, chairs would deliberately move across the room,

heavy marble-top tables would poise themselves upon two legs, and then

fall with their contents to the floor--no person being within six feet

of them."

"On the 1st of October, 1850, Mrs. Phelps and her two children left

home for Pennsylvania: with this the phenomena ceased. The doctor

remained at his house five weeks after, without disturbance. It was

ascertained that these and other manifestations were less frequent and

feebler when but one of the children was in the house; and that they

were more frequent in connection with the lad, (one of the above

children,) eleven years of age.

These children had frequently been mesmerized into the trance state by

their father; and one of them was subject to spontaneous trance, and at

one time was found in the barn in a cataleptic state. Since the return

of the doctor's family, in the spring of 1851, he has kept the two

children separate, the boy being away, lest his presence would occasion

a recurrence of the same phenomena. Simultaneous with the phenomena,

the boy would frequently start while asleep in bed.

Analogous to the above are the wonderful occurrences which took place

at Stockwell, England, in January, 1772, as related in the work

entitled Night Side of Nature, page 370. We shall only give the most

important particulars of the case, leaving the reader to consult the

work itself."

"On Monday, January 6, 1772, about ten o'clock in the forenoon, as Mrs.

Golding (the hostess) was in the parlor, she heard the china and

glasses in the kitchen tumble down and break; her maid came to her, and

told her the stone plates were falling from the shelf; Mrs. Golding

went into the kitchen, and saw them broken. Presently after, a row of

plates from the next shelf fell down likewise, while she was there, and

nobody near them: this astonished her much, and while she was thinking

about it, other things in different places began to tumble about, some

of them breaking, attended with violent noises all over the house; a

clock tumbled down, and the case broke." The destruction increased with

the wonder and terror of Mrs. Golding. Wherever she went, accompanied

by the servant girl, this dreadful waste of property followed.

Mrs. Golding, in her terror, fled to a neighbor's, where she

immediately fainted. A surgeon was called, and she was bled. The blood,

which had hardly congested, was seen all at once to spring out of the

basin upon the floor, and presently after, the basin burst to pieces,

and a bottle of rum, that stood by it, broke at the same time.

Mrs. Golding went to a second neighbor's, as the articles she had

conveyed to the first were being destroyed. And while the maid remained

at the first neighbor's, Mrs. Golding was not disturbed; but when

putting up what few things remained unbroken of her mistress's in a

back apartment, a jar of pickles, that stood upon a table, turned

upside down, and other things were broken to pieces.

Meantime the disturbances had ceased at Mrs. Golding's house, and but

little occurred at the neighbors', while Mrs. Golding and her servant

remained apart. But as soon as they came into each other's company, the

disturbance would begin again.

About five o'clock on Tuesday morning, Mrs. Golding went to the chamber

of her niece, and desired her to get up, as the noises and destruction

were so great she could continue in the house no longer: at this time,

all the tables, chairs, drawers, &c., were tumbling about. In

consequence of this resolution, Mrs. Golding and her maid went over the

way to Richard Fowler's. The maid returned to Mrs. Pain's, to help this

lady dress her children. At this time all was quiet. They then repaired

to Fowler's, and then began the same scenes as had happened at the

other places. It must be remarked that all was quiet here as well as

elsewhere, till the maid returned.

When they reached Mr. Fowler's, he began to light a fire in his back

room. When done, he put the candlestick upon the table in the fore

room. This apartment Mrs. Golding and her maid had just passed through.

This candlestick, and another with a tin lamp in it, that stood by it,

were dashed together, and fell to the ground. A lantern, with which

Mrs. Golding had been lighted across the road, sprang from a hook to

the ground. A basket of coals tumbled over, and the coals rolled about

the room.

Mrs. Golding and her servant now returned home, when similar scenes

were repeated. Mr. Pain then desired Mrs. Golding to send her maid for

his wife to come to them. When she was gone all was quiet. When she

returned she was immediately discharged, and no disturbances happened

afterwards."

"The account gives us the following particulars, namely: that the

phenomena always depended upon the presence of the servant maid, and

that they always occurred with the greatest energy when the mistress

was in the company of the maid; also that, when the maid passed through

a room alone, there would be little or no disturbance of its contents,

but if she was soon after followed by Mrs. Golding, various articles

would begin to play the most singular pranks. Very often one article

would be attracted by another, or they would fly towards each other,

and striking together, fall upon the floor as if both had been charged

with some physical agent which made them act like opposite poles. Then,

also, they would fly _from_ one another, as by _repulsive_ forces.

Every thing which Mrs. Golding had touched seems to have been in some

way affected, so that afterwards, on the approach of the maid, it would

be broken to atoms, sometimes, even, without her touch. The blood of

Mrs. Golding was highly susceptible under the same circumstances, and

the bowl in which it was contained and the glass ware standing by it

burst to pieces."

"In the year 1835, a suit was brought before the sheriff of Edinburgh,

Scotland, for the recovery of damages suffered in a certain house owned

by a Mr. Webster. Captain Molesworth was the defendant at the trial."

(See Night Side of Nature, page 400.) The following facts were

developed: Mr. Molesworth had seriously damaged the house both as to

substance and reputation.

_First._ By sundry holes which he cut in the walls, tearing up the

floors, &c., to discover the cause of certain noises which tormented

himself and family.

_Second._ By the bad name he had given the house, stating that it

was haunted. Witnesses for the defendant were sheriff's officers,

justices of the peace, and officers of the regiment quartered near; all

of whom had been at the said house sundry times to aid Captain

Molesworth detect the invisible cause of so much disturbance.

The disturbance consisted in certain noises, such as knockings,

pounding, scratching sounds, rustlings in different parts of a

particular room; sometimes, however, in other parts of the house.

Certain boards of the floor would seem to be at times infected with the

noises; then certain points in the walls, at which Mr. Molesworth would

point his gun, or cut into with an axe, all to no purpose.

The bed on which a young girl, aged thirteen years, had been confined

by disease, would very often be raised above the floor, as if a sudden

force was applied beneath it, which would greatly alarm her and the

whole family, and cause the greatest perplexity. The concussions which

were often produced on the walls would cause them visibly to tremble.

The force that produced these results was soon discovered to be in some

strange way connected with this invalid, and wherever the young invalid

was moved this force accompanied her."

"It is plainly exhibited, in the cases just given, that no

characteristics of spiritual agency are exhibited, but those, on the

contrary, of a mere physical power, associated with the organism of

certain persons. "We have not," says Mr. Rogers, "the least possible

evidence that any spirit, demoniacal or angelic, had any hand in

performing the wild antics among crockery and furniture which we have

seen performed in the accounts given. For it is admitted that a

spiritual agent is an intelligent agent. Its characteristics are those

of intelligence, as every one admits. Wherever, therefore, these

characteristics are wanting in a class of phenomena, it is blindly

absurd, greatly superstitious, even to draw the inference that they are

spiritual phenomena. But what shall be said when it is asserted as a

veritable certainty, and the crowd is made to stretch their throats and

swallow the absurdity without a moment's examination?" "Is it possible

we are to be driven to the conclusion that the ground of faith in

spirituality is identical with that of ignorance, superstition,

fanaticism, bigotry?"

We shall now proceed to give the case of Angelique Cottin, as reported

in the Night Side of Nature, and in the _Courrier des Etats Unis_,

and the investigations of the case as reported by M. Arago, before the

Paris Academy of Sciences, 16th of February, 1846.

"Angelique Cottin was a native of La Perriere, aged fourteen, when, on

the 15th of January, 1846, at eight o'clock in the evening, while

weaving silk gloves at an oaken frame, in company with other girls, the

frame began to jerk, and they could not by any efforts keep it steady.

It seemed as if it were alive; and becoming alarmed, they called in the

neighbors, who would not believe them, but desired them to sit down and

go on with their work. Being timid, they went one by one, and the frame

remained still till Angelique approached, when it recommenced its

movements, while she was also attracted by the frame. Thinking she was

bewitched or possessed, her parents took her to the presbytery, that

the spirit might be exorcised, or cast out. The curate, being a

sensible man, objected, but set himself to work to observe the

phenomenon, and being satisfied of the facts of the case, he bade them

take her to a physician.

"Meanwhile, the intensity of the influence, whatever it was, augmented;

not only articles made of oak, but all sorts of things, were acted upon

by it, and reacted upon her, while persons who were near her, even

without contact, frequently felt _electric_ shocks. The effects, which

were diminished when she was on a carpet or a waxed cloth, were most

remarkable when she _was on the bare earth_. They sometimes entirely

ceased for three days, and then recommenced. Metals were not affected.

Any thing touching her apron or dress would fly off, although a person

held it; and Monsieur Herbert, while seated on a heavy tub or trough,

was raised up with it. In short, the only place she could repose on was

a stone covered with cork. They also kept her still by isolating her.

When she was fatigued the effects diminished. A needle, suspended

horizontally, oscillated rapidly with the motion of her arm, without

contact; or remained fixed while deviating from the magnetic direction.

Great numbers of enlightened medical and scientific men witnessed these

phenomena, and investigated them with every precaution to prevent

imposition. She was often hurt by the violent involuntary movements she

was thrown into, and was evidently afflicted by chorea, or St. Vitus's

dance."--_Night Side of Nature_, page 382.

"The French paper mentions the circumstance that while Angelique was at

work in the factory, "the cylinder she was turning was suddenly thrown

a considerable distance without any visible cause; that this was

repeated several times; that all the young girls in the factory fled,

and ran to the curate to have him exorcise the young girl, believing

she had a devil." After the priest had consigned her to the physician's

care, the physician, with the father and mother, brought Angelique to

Paris. M. Arago received her, and took her to the observatory, and in

the presence of MM. Laugier and Goujon made the following observations,

which were reported to the Paris Academy of Sciences:--