The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-02

ticle on the folly Of rappings and spiritual COM
munications, says:-
Since Mr. Barnum entered into the ghost speculation,
the circle Of operations has widened and the Of
intercourse have multiplied Mr.. Barnum does his
spiritualities improved scale. The rapping
table failed to satisfy the craving for mystery and
the spirits at Barnums bidding condescend TO ring
bells to write scraps Of paper and to do other
esies TO the asonished spectator All the of the
air under the control Of these Barnum Is
not only god himself but like Alexander his boast is
that he make gods. What is most melancholy about
these wretched mpotures is that several papers other
wise considered respectable, counenance and support
them The Tribune edited by distinguished American
writer sonn-aw Of poet Of European fame, and hav-
ing larger circulation than any other paper in the
Union, does its utmost to propagate deuson which
must choose between the grossest ignorance and the
most shameless impudence for its parentage
Here we have two plumbers, at least. The writer
has been misled by the fact that the Fox family
were domiciled at Barnums Hotel, and has con-
Guided, therefore, that Barnum, the Napoleon of
all exhibitors has been engaged in the speculation
with spiritual affairs. This is altogether a mis-
take. Barnum has nothing to do with anything
spiritual, beyond the divine-the angel, Jenny Lind
and the ''scraps of paper" on which be writes
are neither more less than the tickets for the
Lind concerts. Barnum is not a god-he does not
profess to be one. To be sure, he has the car Of
Juggernaut, to precede his menagerie and wax
work and elephants; but he is no. a god on that
account. He is only high priest, at best, and
gains preseytes from the multitude. In Short a II
that he has to do with rapplngs is confined to his
six or eight elephants, who have already COM
menced their work by rapping with their trunks
having killed boy at an exhibition in Derby, Con-
necticut As for Greeley, we have not much to
say. 1t is wonder that the English journalists
make mistakes about him. lie is himself mis-
take. lie is more the son Of gun, for he makes
a loud report Of himself than he is the son-in-law
of poet. The writer in the AthenGum has con-
founded him with Mr.. Gruby some time ago
announced by that paper as the son-in-law of Fry
ant-a statement it would be difficult to dispute,
though We have no means of proving its truth or
falsity.
blunder Of Lord Mayor Of London was re.
Gently exposed by Mr.. Webster, in one Of his
speeches. Mr.. Webster was invited to a Lord
Mayors dinner, and, being toasted by the one-y year
lord in question, the great statesman
nounced ms a distinguished orator Of the upper
Senate Of New York! And not many years back,
we remember that the Times newspaper commenced
one Of lie leaders by announcing that the Governor
Of Harrisburg had decided, after counting the
votes, that General Harrison was chosen President
Of the United States. The London Economist has
recently made q similar ridiculous blunder, by
taking the statistics Of New York for those Of the
thirty-one States Of the Union; and Englishmen
and English journalists are in many cases. painfully
ignorant with respect to the com mon geography Of
this continent. Less Latin and more practical
knowledge would be useful.