New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-26
Intercourse with splrits' Criticised.

1855
.------1s.--------
eIntercourse with Spirits' Criticised.
To he Editor Of Tae Tribune
1t strikes me that you do not get the precise
gist OF the criticism which the ghosts invite when
you say their communications are objected to
because they are not OF the slightest lmpor-
lance They are doubtless generally important
as correcting several vulgar errors entertained IN
relation to the life after DEATH and az showing
that man in every sphere finds his circumstances
answerable to the quality OF bis lie. Az least
then do not object 10 their COMMUNICATIONS on
this ground
object to them on the ground of the authorta
tiveness they bear to the imagination. When
man gets communication from the supernatural
sphere, especially ii no has been educated re
heiously, he is disposed 70 give 1t q more unques-
tioning ctedeuce than he would give 10 the same
communication comiDg from person IN toe flesh.
The novelty OF the circumstance, the grim my9-
terry which overlies all that interior sphufc, thu
presumed superiority of the information wnrh
spirits possess, are SO many provocatlyes TO az
ahiect end supcrstitjous reverence on our part Tor
whatever may beiol Us from that quarter, AMI
hence there is greut dauger OF losing our wits.
haze never vet heard of any ones wits being I'M
proved by intercourse with departed spirits, |
hare heard of uumberess instances in which they
have been irreparably shattered.
Ii may be said that I'll our current ghosrs are
hmiable, and exhibit no malignant purposes to-
ard the intellect. 20 be it. But every 0no who
has read Swedenborg with attention. a cool, dis
passionate, scientific observer, knows very well
that ghosts are up % any hlnd and degree Of art
fu dodge which suiss che final purpose. They
cad the memory OF peraDn like book, Swsden-
borg says, and he instances cases whore they get
hold Of a criminal remembrance on the part OF the
subject, and keep urging it home upon him untii
they drive him almost frantic with rcmorBe The
records Of the old saintahp arc full OF the fruits OF
this spiritual deviltry. All those phenomGna OF
morbid conscience which we see in REVEALS
and which are called conviction OF sin, ICON
eert Tor the sonl salvation, etc. grow oGt OF this
Internal tamperiug Of ghoars with ones memory.
Now | by no means wish 70 say that every ghost
who seeks to communicate with men in the hesh
is roguish. But do say that 0upposlne such an
one 10 b. roguish he IS quite capable, lrou his
memories, to osSume Tor any length Of time pre-
csely such q guise as may best win our conf
dence and confirm his final despotic grip
No, say to all this back door lGduonee--
Hands Oft, gentlemen Yon may be very proper
persons, but | insist upon seeing my company.
Yon have uttered great many eievnted senti-
nentg no doubt; but sentiment is cheap on this
side of Jordan where we chiefly value deeds.
Now if you will only do something tos as, some
thing which science viii adopt into her rcpertory,
" shall welcome you with Mi oar hearts ilyou
are nearer, as GONE Of you have sad, 70 me
gources oil power, and Know It's secrets, ana u,
moreover you wish to be good IA you all al
finn the way Is open to you Mt once. tfiye aa an
invention like the electric telegraph, or the spin
ming iepny. Give Us n solution 10 some ot the
great questions Of the day-thc questions OF
finance OF an increased agricultural production OF
the abolition Of poverty and crime Give as an
improved medication say cure tor smaH po@,
scarlet fever, govt or even tooth dcne 10 any
Of these benelicent deeds fox ug, and then yoa
n NJ. A. ma
ions about cosmogopy aud Jbe classification 81
Spheres 0d Abttun. tLtl sou consent 10 tuls
proof Of your benevglence, 2 proof 80 completely
appreciable to us, aud therefore 80 incumbent on
you if you would f2irly wln our regard, be oii-v
tramp-keep moving
For my own part, Mr. Greeley, and with defer
euce to your editorial Judgment, suspect that
our defuuct brethren are bY no means 50 well
posted qp in useful knowledge as we oarselyes
are / suspect The Ifib1e9 is on the whole,
spperior newspaper 70 any that orr late friend,
MIR c. finds on bis breadfa5t table Of morn
irg | say newS poPer deliberately, because, as
swedcLborg proves very cohclnslyeIy the }tGt4fob
sphere ia properly The only sphere OF ne" thiags'
being the true sphere o the Divine power Inc
interior Spheres Of creation the spheres Of afec-
ton aad intellect are doubtiess very interesting
AVID lnpressiYe; but the external sphere the
sDbere Of Nature alone unolds the wonders OF
Creative pQuer. We must therefore not allow
these departed gents 20 oyercrow as. nave no
no doubt they experience the most reiioed emo,
toos and perceive truths in their own beautiful
light In word, / have no doubt that their
possire existence much tranacends ours bat az
TO the dctsce, have no little doubt that We are
equally in advance OF them. In loving and thing
ing, they excel, simply because they Ire IN g.
sphere plastic to those powers; but in doing--in
the CAPACITY of original action-in the whole
sphere. in short, Of Arrive can give H,em any
amount Of odds, and beat them cleaD out Of sight
Yours, Fl. J.
~ Our correspondent ray be very right
in the above speculationz-for our own part,
we frankly confess 70 gross ignorance on the
whole subject. We have not yet settled in
our mind the Previous Question-viz :
Whether the spirits Of departed friends
really speak to US al all We have heard
and seen things which seemed as though
they did; but who can say, with regard to
things transcendiDg Cur own sphere. what
is clairvoyance and what is hallucination
Ditto Of the .Rappings, SO called, ne
cannot account for them on any waterfalls
tic theory of their origin; but the world is
young yet, and will grow wiser. We,
though young no longer, mean TO profit by
the example. Ed. Tl6.