The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-10-02 00:00:00

be maintained with departed spirits, and between
persons situated at the antipodes of each other ;
by which tables and chairs may be induced
spontaneously to start up and. perform quadrilles
through the room, while the poker and tongs
describe parabolic curves over the same area.
The disciples of this highly " spiritual " faith
will listen to no remonstrance or appeal as to the
improbability or absurdity of such a belief. They
have seen it done, and cannot help believing it !
In the same category we may rank the popular
belief in dreams, as a means of predicting the
future. Who has not met with dreamers who
believe that they have seen their dream-predic-
tions literally and. wondrously fulfilled ? In this
class also rank believers in apparitions, ghosts,
haunted houses, and. "lucky" or "unlucky" events,
localities, and objects. There is no form of super-
stition, however gross, in support of which may
not be produced abundant eye-witnesses prepared
solemnly to declare that they have seen the
" facts" upon which such vagaries are founded.
We have had winking, weeping, and bleeding
Virgins, and the annual liquefaction 'of the blood
of St. SANUARIUS, attested by tens of thousands.
If with our own eyes we have beheld the " table-
turning" of the "spiritualist," "mesmerist," of
operator, under whatever other designation he may
assume, are we not bound to believe in them and
in their theories? If we can neither demonstrate
the isaccutacy of the explanation suggested, as
to their mysterious or unexplained cause, nor
prove that they are to be attributed to the
ordinary operation of some known law of nature,
are we not bound to accept them as great and
impenetrable mysteries ? The appeal is to facts,
and to sufficiently credible testimony:. Seeing is
believing. Accordingly, to what rule of evidence,
then, shall we withhold Our ? If we reject
these" facts," the question recurs, Hour and wha
shall we believe ?

In so far as the appeal 'to our belief is made to
'rest upon visible facts, there need be no difficulty
whatever. Any 'Confusion that might arise in
the mind is "likely to be owing to the want of
careful Ititcrimination between facts seen, which
tnuit be believed, and conjectural or assumed
;explanations as to their cause, which is not seen.
Seeing is, undoubtedly, believing. But we must
take care in adjusting our belief in facts, lest we
confound the things seen with those conjectured
or inferred therefrom. The moment the human
mind beholds a novel fact, the greatest anxiety is
felt to find out some explanation of it. One or
more theories are sure to suggest themselves, and
that which seems most consistent with previous
knowledge is most apt to secure belief. While
certain of our facts, we may be wrong in our
inferenc,es; and, still worse, we may mistake our
own inferences for part of the facts demonstrated.
There is no greater or more common weakness
prevalent among a free-thinking people than the
want of care and discrimination as to what really
constitutes evidence and the process of accumulat-
ing the various points of that sum of evidence
which is required to make a complete proof of
any given proposition. If alongside ,‘ table-
turning," &c., we should propose to rank the con-
juring tricks of "The Wizard of the North," we
dare say we should shock the feelings of not a
few; and yet in what respect do they differ. We
have beheld both " table-turning" and " magic,"

and "seeing is believing" quite as much in either
case—but not one whit more in the one than in

the other. The professed "spiritualist" and the

professional " wizard" equally appeal to facts
through the eye, and both may succeed, for

a time at least, in challenging detection. So far

as facts go and the eye is concerned, they are

both exactly upon a par in the matter of evi-

deuce. In either case we may conjecture or infer

some unseen cause or modus operandi, but therein
we may be wrong. Without going so far as to
question the honesty of the " spiritualist" or

" table-turner," either in the performance of the
operation itself, or in his theory as to its moving

cause, we decline accepting as evidence of a novel
and startling proposition a few simple facts sus-

eeptible in all probability of an equally simple
explanation, were it no other than that of gross

self-delusion on the part of the " spiritualists."
1n any case, whether as regards " spiritualism,"

or any other of the endless variety of " isms"
Which demand the attention of the present age,
the great point to be observed in weighing their
respective merits is that we must vigorously de-

viand the most ample evidence of whatever is put

forward as the facts of the case ; and we must
beware, above all things, of confounding these
facts, when once established, with speculative
theories deduced from them. The more general

application of these plain rules to Social Science
and Economies, as well as to general science and
even politics, would do much to discountenance
quackery and demagogism of all sorts, and to

advance the nation in all its important interests.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRANCE.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Oct. 1.

I have not yet learnt the full particulars of the
terms under which Ancona has capitulated ; but it
appears that General Lamoriciere did not surren-
der until the last extremity. The attack and defence
were remarkable for the greatest display of bravery on
both sides. The besieged had no more than 120 guns,
as the defensive works had not been completed at the
moment when the Beige commenced. When the fortress
surrendered, every gun but one had been disabled. The
Piedmontese artillery, which was in saperb order, was
admirably served, and its fire, both by land and sea,
was of the most formidable description. The victors have
borne most ample testimony to the heroic defence made
by the little garrison.
From Naples the more recent accounts announce
another success to the royalist army, which has retaken,
it is said, Cajazzo and Piedmonti, tito towns situated in
the vicinity of Labour, between Capua and Gaeta, after
a series of sanguinary hand-to-hand fights. If this
intelligence be true, the army of Francis 11. must have
acquired the complete command of the line of the Vol-
turno. It is further stated that Garibaldi, no ways
disheartened, is determined, as early as possible this
Month, to bring on a general action with the Neapolitan
army.
There can be no doubt that the Garibaldians have
suffered great losses in the actions that have already
taken place. It is said that the sick and wounded may
be counted by thousands, the volunteers consisting
almost wholly of young men, who are quite unable to
Sustain for any length of time the fatigues of war.
During the recent engagements the young Neapolitan
Princes and the Count de Trapani conducted themselves
with the greatest gallantry. The Count de Caserto is
✓eported to have been slightly wounded in one of the
attacks. The Count de Trapani, who is the King's
Uncle and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard,
continues to exhibit the greatest devotion to the totter-
ing cause of his nephew. The latter has himself come
to Capua, with his young wife, who is described as pos-
Pleasing a very resolute character, and they pass up and
down the lines on horseback animating and encouraging
the soldiers. But what avails all this firmness and
heroism, now that the time for displaying these qualities
has so long gone bye? Had they been exhibited a few
months earlier, possibly Sicily, and almost certainly
Calabria, might have been saved.
General Bosco turns out, after all, to be in Paris, and
not engaged in leading sorties against his mortal enemies,
the Garibaldian Volunteers. The Journal of Verona
nunle days ago published a letter from the general, dated
CaPlia, in which he indignantly denied the statement
that he had passed over to the service of Piedmont, and
he now sends a letter to the Journal des Debats, which
is dated from the Baden Hotel, Paris, in which he
declares that he never wrote the letter which appeared
in.the Veronese journal,- although he adds: "I entirely
Clare the sentiments which are expressed in it."
As to Garibaldi, the most contradictory reports con-
tinue to be circulated regarding his present line of con-
duct. According to some, he is more than ever bent on
at once taking measures to complete the unification of
tub') by proceeding to attack Rome and Venice ; but
according to others, he has lately exhibited sentiments
and views of a much more reasonable description. For
,inllleY part, as I have over and over again said, I never
°e— •
Yea in the possibility of his being serious in attack-
Ing Rome, and the realisation of any such project has
dome still snore doubtful, now that the route between
Naples and the great Christian capital is obstructed not
nulY by a
25,00 • Piedmontese army, but also by a force of
0 'Preach tzoope. Besides, the Dictator colitinues