Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-03-29
ORIGINAL nlistcliaup.
The SUPERNATURAL.

Doctor Johnson once remarked, that the world
were no nearer being agreed, then, respecting
the appearance of ghosts, than they were two
thousand years ago. The same observation, we
apprehend, is nearly as applicable to the state Of
public opinion on this subject, at the present
time, as 1t was in the days of the great essaylst
and the same, also, may as truly be said, per
haps, in regard to two other branches of the ST.
| pernatural-dreams and presentments But as
it respects wichcrait, sorceTy, divlnaton or for
tune telling omens of good or evil import, and all
that class OF the mystic arts and practices, the
lights of modern science, especially the certain
discoveries in chemistry, and the suppose dones, in
animal magnetism, or mesnersm, and perhaps
we may add chronology, have SO digpeAod the
nlsts that once hung over their aliedgcd won
ders, or afforded such rational solutions of all
the facts that have reached us concerning them,
that the mass of men, both learned and unlearn-
ed, are, probably at this day, pretty well prePar-
ed to rank them among the decisions and super
stitions Of gone.by times, and to pronounce all
belief in them entirely fahcious and unfounded,
Setting aside, therefore, as unworthy of serious
discussion. all those branches of the once claim
ed Supernatural last enumerated, let lis return
to those we named in the outset---ghosts,
dreams and presentiments, aud treat each In turn
as we would any other subject Of enquiry, exam
ming the reasons for the belief which still eX-
lists in them, Illustrating our remarks by such IN
cidents as have come within our own persoHal
knowledge, with illusions to other authorities,
explaining what we can, and admitting what we
must.
Ghosts or Apparitions. The word ghost, in
its true Specification, and in its common accep-
tation, indeed, means the soul Of deceased per-
son which has assumed the form and appearance
of such person when living. That muitudes
in all classes Of society have, from the earliest
times, honestly entertain the belief that the dead
do appear to the living in bodily shape, admits Of
no kind of doubt Nor is it less 10 be doubted
we apprchend, that thousands have seen, or sup.
posed they had seen, with the natural vision, the
dead coming before them in this manner. Botf
of these positions are abundantly shown by the
best authenticated records of the past The ex
camatons of the group OF Christians, to whom
Peter was announced as being at the door, wheI
he had been miracuously delivered out of The
hands of Herod, that it could not be him, whoa
they supposed in prison or already slain, but tina
it must be his angel or ghost-sufficiently shows
if there were no other passages Of like impor
IN scripture, how common and undoubtng wa
the belief in such apparitions among he Jewis
that l tn; s s,s q, se rssr he ssa
ton OF Cesar, not only involves proof of the same
but of the fact, also, that the fearless and intel
! gent of those times admitted they saw ghosts a
; well as the tinid and ignorant. And from thos
J days down to the present time, too many, and t
= frequent, have been the instances Of the kim
l known to have occurred, among persons of a
: ranks in society, to permit us to entertain an
S doubt that a vast number, first and last have bee
G honestly impressed with the abiding convcto
d that they had seen the dead i'll their living form
t and appearance This being SO, it remains ft
n US to account for such appearances, if real
# not, to explain the manner in which persons col
: cerned have been deceived.
S In the first place, we think it may be vel
n safely assumed, that by far the greatest propo
+ ton of the cases of ghost seeing have arise
1t from hasty and imperfect views of natural OIL
n iects which proper GOODNESS and perseverance
$ on the part of those installing them for appar
e tons, would have enabled them to detect al
: distinguish We cannot better illustrate this a
sertion, perhaps, THAI by relating simple, al
II udricsus little incident Of our own experent
II in the days of our youth. We were once SCI
d on dark October evening, from the farm hou
l. where we then resided, to the neighboring vii
II age on some business which would not admit
II being deferred till another day. Being on 70
Z and alone, and having to pass through Ion
: reach of woods, we were, Of course, pref
fair candidate for a fright of some kind, thou,
not from any dread or expectation of seeil
ghosts for we held them in more derision thu
n we do nov. But not knowing what lawle
e. foot-pads migt be encountered, or for whom
e might be mistaken in the dark, we cut a 90,
4. stiff beech cudgel, and, thus armed, put on
e fear -naught air and pushed forward though wi
lr a sharper lookout ahead perhaps, than our
sumed bearing might imply that we deemed ne
J" essary. Just as we were about to pass the dar
=, est and most suspicious looking place in o
A. route, we deserted approaching figure of SUE
a questionable appearance as brought us instar
ly to dead stand. The figure was in white frc
/; top to Toe, and, we thought, most amazingly tai
IN but we could have got along with all that, pc
lie haps without losing our balance as unusual
was the appearance it presented, had not its ne
approach revealed something far more ineXpliC
Is bic. 1t was not only enrolled in white, as if wra
o. pedabout with sheet reaching from the chin
~ the ground, but had head, which was also viii
\ or hesh-colore1, nearly yard long Knowi
/. nothing earthly htving such head as that, c
n faculties Of comparing, and reasoning any f;
o- Their in the case, were at once wholly upset q
1T there we stood, with uplifted cudgel, and
lie blood creeping codly over ou head, like pc
ne IN the middle Of the road, utterly unable
ds speak, or stir from our tracks. Presently
n strange figure, after hestatng pause, turr
out and shyed round us into the road, but I
however, without our catching, as it passed
gainst the the skylight, glimpse of its com
n: nent parts which saved us from the lasting
h lief for aught we can tell that we had seer
At yeritable obost II was n vorv tall mon bo,