Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-01-21
From Buchanan s Journal of Man.
The Spirit Man.

They come They are with US The
mysterious powers which have disturbed. 40
toulshed aud cOufuuuded the people Of New
ORR DUNG the pas ear, are now at work
among us. aud iOra week past have been
making distinct manifestations of their exis-
Etence. These powers or iovlsIble agencies,
II Is already kubwD To my readers, sIe accus-
TONED 10 manifest their presence by cUncus-
sious, orrdps, dis Inctiy audible to 10 around
nat such sounds aud concussluns have been
produced by some invisible sgeucy. is d pro-
position winch has been placed beyond all
douot oy the immeuse number VI Instances
III winch II has occurred publicly and pr.
vaiely al The East, ia the pr eseuce Of Ihr
M97l. enlightened, cautious honorable aud
no room 10 tf6dnu ife'fsJsstimnbv leavss ne
1t Is equally we'll established, that lhe
mysterious invisible source OF these sounds
possesses intelligence, and delivers messages
by these signals which often sstonIsh the
hearers. The Intelligence conveyed Ii oft u
ol such d character IS could not have been
gwen by auy human being unless highly en-
dOwed with the spiritual or cldrvuyant lac
oily. We dre therefore compelled 10 con-
clude from The facts
!. That the power producing these man
iiestati0us is not material, because IL is boi
visible or tangible.
2. That it is highly intelligent, because it
mauilesls a high order Of intelligence 10 per
ceIvIog lhe uuuueied though,s OF lts iuiei-
rugaloIs. aud IN answering Tue most difficult
Questions
3. That it is human, and not divine, be-
cause 1t Is 10 some cases liable 10 error aud
confusion, and because it maDIiests . lively
interest 10 particular human beings and local
events.
4 That which is immaterial and inteli.
gent is called spiritual, aud an ImmateTial
Intelligence which ndnliests will moral
character and individuality is called a spirit;
hence we must apply the term spirit 10 The
invisible. immaterial, intelligent powers.
which have manifested themselves IN New
York aud Cincinnati.
3. The character Of the communications
is extremely diversified, yel almost invariably
benevolent, elevdtDg aud truthful, where
proper course has been pursued.
o. The spirits who make these communl.
cations geueraly profess 10 be the deceased
friends of the pattIes who receive them; but
10 some instances profess TO be the spirit OF
remarkable characters long since deceased
Il. These spiritual communications are
partly dependent on human agency, as they |
appear only lD the presence OF certain per- |
sons, whose spiritual faculties or cOnsutu-
tIona pecuIarIlles are such as To favor the |
contact OF the material and spiritual worlds, !
or 10 serve as a connecting medium by means
OF which purely spiritual beings may attain |
aud exercise physical power. Yet they are
mainly independent, As the messages which |
the spnIts utter are from their own free will,
and their appearance or disappearance is be- |
you'd our control.
8. The spirits which uoder certain cir
cums;ances are capable OF producing ma
IeIisl concussion OF vibration 10 commuoi-
cate ideas, are also capable of displaying on
some occasions great physical power, by mo-
yiug heavy objects and producing violent
shocks. They are also capable of coming
Iulo contact with the living, aud apparently /
placing spiliiual hand upon the living body,
with various degrees OF force.
9. Certain highly impressibIe persons pro-
fess 10 have been mesmerKed by spInual I
agents, and the spiriIs have on some occa'
slons proiessed to do SO. Clslrvoyants have
often recognized these spiritual beings as at
tendants upon the living, engaged IN exetci- /
sing beneficial Influence upon their minds.
TO- The whole Of these recent phenome-
mas, which appear so marvellous, aud yet are
SO we'll demonstrated, are cofrobo'ated 10
their demonstration by vast aud ancient ex-
perieoce, running through all ages ot the
world, and belonging TO all countries wheth-
er ssvages OF civilIzed. number OF these
facts may 0e gathered from "The Night
Side Of Nsturs.'
II. The existence Of the spirit world u
close opposition with the material World 10
winch ee nov live. is rulh which has been
spootsnsoDsy perceived AZ ail times ~ ma
ny intelligent persons Ny own neiysVfc
experiments % the hrsin hs7e shown thar