Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-06-21
NO. Al.
Letter from Z. A. Lukins.
CoxcoRD N. II. May Slst, 1851.

Having by some unaccountable mischanCe, left
letter designed for your columns, in Boston, and
not feeling disposed to go over that story again
spsn for you, conclude to keep you in suspense
awful as it may be, in regard to that, and go on
to speak of other matters.
feel bound to attend to our interview with
La Roy Sunderland, notwithstanding have al
ready claimed more than my due, in more than
acolumn of experience with the 'rappings. 1
am not going to excite your imaginations or
your disgust, or any feeling that happens to be
assailed with this matter by recital of my
particular experience, deeply interesting to my
self as l confess it has been, but to do my duty
in defending both Mr. S. and his daughter so
far as l am concerned, from the charge of
fraud, deception, charlatanism' &C., which
people make against them without knowing
any thing about it only that they are connect
ed with the most startling phenomena of our
age.
If have any capacity at all to judge Of char
acter; Mrs. Cooper is as simple hearted artlcss
aperson as ever saw. Their connection with
this thing is involuntary, often disagrcoable and
never any more than merely consented to, and
now that such whirlwind of excitement has
been raised and her name coupled with every
epithet Of scorn and reproach, it has become an
intolerablc and frightiul bore to her. l smiled
involuntarily on being introduced to her to see
the little childish looking creature who has
been charged with concocting this stupcndous
scheme of deception-and for what People
say to make money
All truly believe l never did sec a Yankee, !
or indeed many Others, turn away collly when
there was rcd gold for the winning and | |
don't mean to say Mr.. Sunderland is an cxccp- |
ton, but in the four visits ! made them, had |
ample proof that even gold may cost too much |
If never had it before. The annoyance to
which they are subjected, the wear and tear OF |
nerves and patience as well as having their time |
so completely occupied makes the dollar, even |
the ahntghty dollar, poor compensation but |
most sapient cavillers, what will you say to the
fact that VIC were invited to como as often as VIC
choose and bring as many honest interested en-
quirers as we choose, without money and with
cut price, while at the same time crowds eager
to give their dollar for the glory of 'ezposing
Mr.. Sunderland as they thought, but in reality
themselves; and also others who desired merely
to crafty an idle curiosity, were sent away to
give us an opportunity to examine and test the
thing to our hearts content We had full and
free permission to take any table VIC pleased,
set it wheio We pleased, and to hold the hands
and feet Of the medium, while demonstrations
were being made. Besides for my own particu-
lar and private satisfaction, l consider myself in
common with many others, endowed with an
internal perception of the presence of very
gross and vulgar trickcry, il 1 cannot trust it
implicitly in more complex and minute matters.
If any should inquire, with commendable eau
tion or wisdom chaimingly sly, who 'ho COM
pany were, have the pleasure of saying, on
my honor you may venture to trust them, it
was Messrs Thompson, Garrison, Sargent and
Wright, George Doughty and myself; the for
mer of whom, were not long ago severe sccpties.
AS to Mr.. Sundorlands general character it is
as open to you as to me, know no more about
it, nor is it my business to enquire it is only to
say that if l am capable of understanding or
seeing anything, he has nothing essential to do
=
whilst VIC were having the most wonderful .
To those who are determined ,
to twist everything into evidence Of deception,
have nothing to say, only yoa have undcrta-
ken to account for those phenomena irithom ,
them, which VIC feel that we hardly :
dare do, WITH it. You can scarcely be aware ,
Of the magnitude of the task you have imposed
upon yourselves. One says 'why should Sun
derland be in the room that is very suspicious,
another says Il consider his going OUT, just as +
the manifestations commence, very much
against him. Dear friends you have clearly {
proved that it won't do for him to be aay,rhcro
while they are going on, so try to possess your
souls in peace until you see something of it,
which fear never will be with your consent ,
However in this age of wonders, perhaps, if :
Mahomet will not 60 to the mountain, the
will rise up and come to Mahomot
such things have happened believe in this ,
matter.
As to the manifestations being what they
purport TO, have nothing to say, this is not the
place for a discussion of that question, and be- S
'ides do not wish to give what have witness l
ID and received, anywhere but in the sanctuary !
If intimate confidence. l feel that of what pc +
'uliarly concerns me l cannot speak elsewhere. t
ny duty is done, when say that nothing can S
20 more evident to me than this, that if any one
o deceived they are, and that they are placed in
! difficult and painful position, which little y
of their circumstances, little thought
md human feeling would enable any one to II
'srccive. If they refuse any one sitting it is r.
as unwllingnOss to submit to invcs- il
igation, or if in a quarter of the city where v
heir expenses are great they do not submit to c
very kind Of personal annoyance their house cl