Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-02-02
miscellaneous.
ttOm inc ~ IL lnOuhe.
That Rochester Knocking
. Explanation and History Of he Mysterious
Coasainioa 10Th Sp6Sts,' &c.


When that remarkable book, "Naturc's
Divine Reyclatious, by Andrew Jackson Da-
vis," WINS published, we saw tit to give our
readers nll aud lucid summary OF its con-
tents, with whntever light beside we were
nble TO shed on the subject. IL did not oc-
cur 10 us tlIat we thereby commended IT'S !
general views, much less endorsed the abso- !
tnte verify OF all its claims and inculcatiOns
Beloved, belieps mol every spirit s,unds in
our Bible very closely connected with the
Injunction, TRY the spirits whether they are
of Cod and we do not see how any are TO
ty that of which they smbbornly refuse to
have any knowledge. The subject of bn-
mnn intercourse with or reception of jnior-
nation from the spiritual world is one OF tho
very deepest interest TO every Intelligent
piind, aud is naturally the theme OF innu-
mnruble frauds and imposiures. But not of
these alone: unless History he fable and
the Sacred Record especially tissue of ia-
bles, there lave been re1. and inOmenious
communications from the unseen world, as
well as many more knuvish pretencCs 10 1t
or bcwildering hullucinatons respecting it.
Whether the assumptions Of spiritual agency
sn any case of mysterious or marvellous oc-
crrence are true or false, is question OF
the highest moment To rational beings; aud,
even though il bo conceded that nine hum
llred and ninety-nine OF every thousand pre-
tences to spiritual communication were and
are cheats or juggles, it is still wise and ra-
tioual to investigate any new claim that may
be presented, with disposition TO judge dis
passionatcly and canddly. A very small
per centage of suclI mineral as is alleged TO
bc found here will pay for working the hard
est veins of rock, aud we cannot see how
any one but an Atheist or confirmed Sad
ducee cnn fail TO be interested i'll such ex-
plorations.
Inquiry, investigation, we therefore COM
mend cTcdulous swallowing down of
whatever purports TO DO dictated from the
Land of Souls is quite another nffair. We
do not hesitate TO say that no theory of col
fusion or juggle or ventriloquisn or hallu-
cination sItlices TO account TO our mind for
the concussions, sounds or knockugs'
which have been heard by hundreds of the
most respectable aud sedate citizons of West
er New York. We have 10 faith in and
hardly patience with the cool assumption
that fraud or talsehood must be nj tho bot
tom OF any phenomenon which our know
ledge Of Nature does not suffice 10 prove
in conformity with her laws but we are
very far from believing in the verify of what
ever may be uttered as from disembodied
spirit, because we cannot account by asccr-
tanned natural laws for such utteranco. In
vcstigaton first; candor always; implicit
faith is of slow growth, and NOT 10 be accord
ed except after very careful and thorough
scrutiny.
One other caution seems required. Let
MS assume that there really is something in
this knocking that it is the product not
of fimposture aud colusion nor of mental il
lusion, but of some influence whereof our
established mundane philosophy has not yet
taken cognizanco-and il still remains I'M
proved that no juggle has been superinduced
upon the verify originally maniiesled-in
other words, there is great difference be-
tween admitting that there has been some
mysterious phenomena evinced, and that all
which purported TO bP such was really what
il assumed 10 bo. Analogy would teach us
that shadow is n consequence OF light-that
renl voices from the spiritual world have at
oil times been mimcked and parodied by
charlatans and jugglers of the order OF ST.
mon Mngus and Apollonius of fTyana. Es-
tablish the reality of supernatural manifest
alton, or even of popular belief that il il
such, and at once Graft and Greed begin to
Study how they can turn it TO their private
advantage, whether by taking advantage ol
the manifestation itself or by countorioiting
il. Supposing the verify Of such manilesta-
ton established, and some schemcr thcreup
on undertakes to acquire money or conse'
quence or notoriety by means thereof, we
may readily presume that the influence
whatever it may be, would refuse TO be sub
serviont 10 such ends, and the schemer mus
resort to trick or sleight of hand 10 achieve
his purpose. Thus the establishment o
eeritabe intiInations from the unseen world
would by no means prove that al which
claim kindred Herewith arc verities, moi
would the detection of dozen counterfeit:
prove that 10 real manifestations had pro.
ceded and melted them.