GREETINGS FROM HORACE GREELEY, J. G. BENNETT, AND HENRY J. RAYMOND, TO F.
B. PLIMPTON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF THE CINCINNATI "DAILY COMMERCIAL."
During the visit of the celebrated medium, Henry Slade, to Cincinnati,
recently, a reporter of the Cincinnati "Daily Enquirer" visited him and
secured a sitting, during which Mr. F. B. Plimpton, associate editor of
the Cincinnati "Daily Commercial," by invitation was present. The day
following, the "Enquirer" reporter, in speaking of the seance in the
columns of his paper, referred to Mr. Plimpton in disparaging terms as
being a believer in Spiritualism, etc. In the succeeding issue of the
"Enquirer" Mr. Plimpton had published over his proper signature the
following rejoinder:
DR. SLADE AND HIS "CONFEDERATE."
_To the Editor of the Enquirer._
Your reporter makes much of my accidental meeting with him at the rooms of
Dr. Slade. I had called on the doctor's general invitation (he being an
entire stranger to me), not with the thought of witnessing any of the
so-called manifestations, but to have a chat with him touching some points
of his European experience.
In the course of our conversation he incidentally mentioned that he had an
appointment with a press representative, and shortly afterward your
reporter came in, and was introduced to me as "Mr. Culbertson." Having met
the young gentleman on a recent social occasion, when he was introduced to
me under his right name, his identity was not obscure to me, but it would
have been the height of impoliteness on my part, an invited guest, to have
interfered with any little plan he may have formed to entrap the magician.
It is a trivial and common form of deception, and as Dr. Slade does not
profess to be a mind-reader, it is as easy for a stranger to impose on him
in that way as upon an ordinary person. So, as "Mr. Culbertson" your
reporter remained from the beginning to the end of the sitting.
Why Dr. Slade changed his mind and allowed me to remain during the seance
I do not know, and do not care to know. It seems, however, to have excited
the suspicions of your acute reporter, who amusingly presents me to your
readers in the light of a confidante of the doctor. This is too ridiculous
to receive serious refutation. It was the sheerest accident that I was
present at all.
Your reporter very fairly states the phenomena witnessed, except where his
lively imagination charmingly interferes with strict accuracy, and tempts
him to adorn his narrative with divers brass ornaments of his own
invention. But he must pardon me if I decline to accept him as an expert
at his own valuation, since by his own statement he stands condemned of
practicing the only deception at all explicable, and then not telling the
truth about it.
He is, however, entitled to his own conclusions, which must be very
valuable, considering the time he has devoted to investigation. There is
no accounting for the superior insight which a young man has into
phenomena, that have baffled old heads after years of patient study. It
may be remarked, however, that to denounce as trickery and fraud phenomena
otherwise not easily explained is a ready way of ridding one's self of the
whole business.
Though not giving much attention of late years to the subject, I am a
Spiritualist, and not ashamed to own it. The time has passed when it is
necessary to doff one's hat and apologize in this or any other intelligent
community for being a Spiritualist. It is, at least, as creditable as to
discourse without knowledge and condemn without investigation.
F. B. PLIMPTON.
On Thursday, February 2d, at Mrs. Green's, among other matter received
came the following:
"Respected Sir: We are here this morning to ask you to go and see Mr.
Plimpton, of the "Commercial," and say to him for us, that we not only
thank but congratulate him for his recent bold and manly utterances in
favor of truth. The time has arrived for those blessed with the knowledge
presented by Spiritualism to bravely avow it, and we are glad that he has
taken the initiative in the Queen City of the West. The time has truly
passed when such avowal entails social ostracism or any kind of
persecution. The banner of truth has been unfurled, and ye brave souls
marshal the veteran hosts under it and onward to victory. You will find
less obstruction than you think, for believers in this much-abused gospel
of light are more numerous than you conceive. Besides you have myriad
hosts of heaven at your backs. Falter not, move onward with firm and
confident step. Be steadfast and true and bright laurels await you. The
victory is not always to the strong, but to the active, the vigilant, and
the brave. The army of Spiritualism has already swollen into huge
proportions, and its ranks are being daily augmented. The decree has gone
forth and the triumph will come. Truth shall arise for the eternal years
of God are her's, and nothing can stay or retard the onward march to
victory of the grand army of invisible hosts.
"HORACE GREELEY.
"J. G. BENNETT, SR.
"HENRY J. RAYMOND."