men publicly advocating the genuineness of these manifestations, and
especially so when we consider the character of the assertions and
arguments brought forward in support of their doctrines. One of the
most recent and striking is this. Mr. Calhoun's spirit on being
consulted through the Fox mediums as to the object of these spiritual
manifestations, replies, that they are "instituted to prove to the
unbelieving the IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL, and to propagate peace and
harmony among men."[10] Hear it, all Christendom, believers, readers
and hearers of the WORD! The great conflict and triumph of the Gospel
is to be crowned by the deductions of these new FOX THEOLOGISTS,
or, rather, as a more legitimate inference, the Word of God is to
be superseded and must now give place to the higher manifestations
of Rochester spirit-rappings and table-tippings. It is no less than
a denial of the sufficiency of revelation for the very purpose for
which it was intended, and denying this it denies the whole. All other
reasons, arguments, developments, experiments, doubts, suspicions
and manifestations aside, this rapping and tipping theology has now
taken a decided and hostile stand against the BIBLE, and as such it
must be treated. Hear it, and mark it well! The Bible is discarded
as plainly and fully as if it had been uttered in so many words. In
vain does Holy Writ every where teach of the immortality of the soul,
in vain are its maledictions against sorcery and witchcraft, in vain
does it pronounce "Anathema Maranatha" against additions to its divine
pretensions, in vain its precept "that no prophecy of Scripture is of
private interpretation," in vain does it declare that an unbeliever
"would not believe though one rose from the dead,"[11] in vain have
been the Bible societies, missionary and all the mighty efforts to
spread Christianity, ALL is to be blotted out before the new light of
"_Rochester knockings_" and Fox legerdemain. But why should we indulge
in appeals, tirades, irony, or satire, knowing all the while that we
have positive demonstrations yet to present of the utter fallacy of
table-tippings; proofs irrefragible of the mundane, mortal, corporeal,
physical, muscular character of table-tippings? We have our reasons.
If we are to encounter fools and fanatics, witches and wizards,
devils and dupes, we must assail in every vulnerable quarter, for
even demonstrations of fact are sure to be denied upon some impudent
pretext, and in such cases facts are not all-puissant weapons, and
require an auxiliary guard. With the candid and the wavering, however,
our demonstrations will be appreciated, and we trust conclusive.
Reverting to the first case of table-tipping that came under our
notice, having heard much of the extraordinary performances we went
in company with a scientific friend to see for ourselves. The medium
was a sprightly young girl, whose reputation for sincerity might have
been her dearest treasure. The wonderful feats of this medium were
recounted to us, and we longed for the verification. After a brief
conversation, she with another young lady, (about half medium) placed
hands upon a small table, our friend joining the circle. Their hands
were so placed, that the right hand of one concealed the left hand of
the other. After a while, the table began to move. This was natural,
certainly, for we noticed that this medium was working very hard
with her concealed hand to move it. Perhaps her mother saw this, for
she rose from her seat and said, "You are not tricking, now?" "No,
indeed, mother, I'm not tricking; see how lightly I _press_!" What a
comment was all this upon the recital just made by her mother to us of
the astonishing feats of moving heavy dining-tables, tearing up the
carpets, moving pianofortes, &c.! Our friend beginning to suspect the
voluntary character of this motion of the table, made a counter effort
with his fingers (better concealed than that of the medium for the
reason that he was possessed of far greater strength), and the table
stopped moving. But this was not all. We detected upon the countenance
of the medium an expression of disappointment, and further, a more
palpable striving to move the table, in consequence of this resistance,
which she seemed not to suspect. All this seems too farcical to relate,
and yet the _superhuman_ performances of this very medium had been
described to us by eye-witnesses of the highest respectability as
marvellous, and astounding in the extreme, and our principal informant
was a gentleman well known for his astuteness, had some years back
published an excellent work upon mathematics, and was as well qualified
as the average of learned men to observe and decide upon such matters.
His testimony was confirmed by several others, all witnesses of the
highest respectability, and what was it all worth? and what is all
other testimony worth upon this _aerial vaulting_ of tables? Perhaps we
are mistaken as to the effort made by this medium to move the table.
Let us see! We placed a sheet of paper on the table under her hand, and
as soon as the table was desired to move, behold the sheet of paper
moved over the table-top, while the table stood still. Here is the
demonstration of this fallacy, and although in such a shape that it
may be cavilled at, yet it is, however, the elementary key, and to us
all-sufficient in itself. We will, however, develope it in such form
as to be beyond all cavil. We witnessed, after this, many abortive
attempts by mediums and others to move tables, and some other attempts
that began to succeed, till we applied our mechanical tests, when the
new fluid, electricity, magnetism, nervous power, odylic force, all
resolved themselves into muscular action, and the tables never moved
unless clearly pushed. As to tables moving in _any way_ without being
touched, we repeat that it has never been done, and challenge proof to
the contrary.
[Illustration: _Fig. 1._]
We have traced up many such exaggerations, and invariably found the
story to be that the mediums were not moving it, but _merely_ had their
hands "_lightly_" upon it. After we had baffled the tippings by the
sheet of paper, we were on another occasion told, that paper was a
non-conductor of electricity, and that if this agent had any thing to
do with it, the paper might intercept the action. Willing to indulge
the whim we substituted for the paper the instrument represented in
Fig. 1, well known as the parallel ruler. It is simply a flat ruler
(_a_), furnished with four rollers (_b_) (_b_), upon which it rests.
The slightest pressing forward of the fingers upon the ruler (_a_)
causes it to glide easily forward upon the table. Of course the
result was the same as with the paper. Upon invoking the spirits, or
exerting the will, the ruler moved upon the table, while the table
stood fast. If, then, the _paper_ moved, and the _ruler_ moved, ought
we not to infer that the friction between the fingers and the paper or
the fingers and the ruler was greater than the friction between the
paper and the table or the ruler and the table? Certainly. It must be
remembered here that the rule of tipping is, to press or touch _very
lightly_ with the fingers. Ought we not to infer that the paper and the
ruler were pushed by the hand, since the hands followed them in their
motion? Certainly, upon the common doctrine of touch and go; but these
new philosophers will not allow us even this inference, and maintain
that the odylic power moves both hand and paper. A most versatile,
vicarious agent or power is this OD. Well, odd as it is odd, we have
given the tippers full swing, and we now administer their _quietus_.
Fig. 2 is an illustration of our mode of annihilating odylic power and
a positive cure for the _malady of spiritual medium_. Let the bodies
of the tippers or mediums be fastened or restrained from motion in any
way back or forth, and then let their arms be stretched straight out,
as shown in the figure, and their hands locked, superposed, or placed
in any way they please upon the table. Sitting with the breast closely
against the back of the chair is a convenient way of restraining the
forward motion. Now let them invoke the spirits, exert the will, let
them cry out and howl, Belial won't come, the table won't move, for
all the mediums of earth, and passive matter holds true to her law of
inertia. If the table should be moved towards them, it will be seen
that if the arms be kept straight, the hands keeping their position,
will appear to move over the table. We take some credit to ourselves
for this discovery, and we have been much surprised that men of
science, men of mechanical minds who have witnessed table-tippings have
never thought to apply some rule or test of mechanics to solve this
mystery.[12]
[Illustration: _Fig. 2._]
The very first thing to arrest our attention in table-tipping was
the fact that the hands (no matter how lightly they pressed) moved
always with the table back and forth; and this suggested at once our
mechanical tests. How strange it is that any mortal in possession of
his senses, should move a table, and not know it! And yet it is so, it
has been so, but, we trust, it will be so no more. If any medium or
tipper can gainsay this demonstration, we should be glad to hear from
him, and would like to employ him, at a high salary, as a mechanical
agent, to overcome for us, in a multitude of ways, the operations of
gravity and friction. The traders and merchants generally must have a
care of these tippers; for, in buying and selling, they can tip the
scales with more ease than tables. We have, however, no doubts as to
the results, if any one will try these experiments fairly. It will be
a cause of chagrin to some of those honest-minded tippers, who have
all along been believing that the spirits tipped the table, and that
they were in reality holding communion with their departed friends. If
we prove the table-tipping to be the result of a muscular movement, we
need not dwell upon the psychological phenomena of the extraordinary
coincidences, messages, &c. They are all referable to that peculiar
condition of mind, INFATUATION, under which judgment is suspended,
memory quickened, sensitiveness exalted, imagination predominant, and
involuntary actions induced.
* * * * *
In concluding this work, we remark that our investigations have
fastened error, mercenary motives, imposture, and illusion upon
those doings, so far as they have come under our observation. Our
opportunities have been of the best kind as respects the rappings,
for they were with the Fox girls, who were the leaders in this
whole business of rappings and tippings; and, suffice it to say, we
effectually prevented their rapping.
When error and falsehood are driven from one subterfuge they soon find
another; and as the _surveillance_ of truth and science approaches
their hiding places, they resort to more covert retreats; and these
girls may hereafter contrive some new mode of rapping not explicable
upon our theory, but it is enough for us to know that it will be still
a trick. We have had as wonderful performances related to us as have
ever been heard of elsewhere; but, upon close sifting; they have all
proved to be within the pale of human conception. Doubtless all these
tricks will assume different shapes from day to day and place to place,
and the performances in England, France, and Germany, may all differ
from ours and from each other. The tricks _must improve_, in order
to sustain their pecuniary value, or bolster reputation; and however
successful and impenetrable they may become, they are none the less
tricks, and have one common origin.
If any one deems that he hath a spirit, or any new power beyond
jugglery, let him come, and we will welcome him with a close
examination; and if we are baffled, and cannot make our position good,
he shall have the reward we have specified in a previous part of this
work. Those who make these tricks their profession have the advantage
of long practice, preparation, and confederacy; but let them come and
claim the prize, if they will and can.
We have recently heard of some refined tricks at table-tipping, in
which other preparations were made than the mere superposition of
hands. Although we had rather see them than hear of them, we have only
to say to those who may see them (or think they see them), Divest
yourselves of all idea of the supernatural, or any new fluid, or new
law, or property whatever, and, regarding the performance either as
a trick or case of illusion, scrutinize sharply every movement and
circumstance in connection, and you will find that either the table
does not move, or, if it does move, you will see what actuates it.
Remember! there are controlling and controllable agents that _can_
raise a table from the floor; but the action of the will, or the mere
superposition of hands, NEVER!
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[10] A recent conspicuous writer, in giving an account of this great
communication from the great spirit of Mr. Calhoun, says, its spiritual
character was confirmed by the rising of the table from the floor, and
other wonderful signs.--C. G. P., ED.
[11] The actual reappearance of dead Dives, _in propria persona_, was
declared by the Almighty as inadequate to convince unbelieving Jews;
but it seems that for Gentiles the presence of the spirit without the
body is all-sufficient.--ED.
[12] These experiments were made in February and March, 1853, and,
since the above was written, we are pleased to find that Faraday has
taken the matter in hand, and pursued a course of investigation similar
to our own.