New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-05
BrItton - Burr on Spiritual " Rapptngs."
CorrespOndence OF The Tribune.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn, Tuesday, Feb. T.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn, Tuesday FEB. T.
Mr.. GREELEY: attended the closing discus
sion at this place between Messrs. S. B. BRITAIN
and c. C. BURR, last evening, relative to the
electro mental theory and the phenomena known
as Mysterious Rsppings, the result Of which
may not be uninteresting to some Of your numer
Gus readers.
Mr. Burr led oil by asserting that all who could
for moment entertain the idea of spirits return-
ing to this sphere for the purpose Of rspping "ike
so many frozen rat tails upon the tables and
chairs. were weak, insane, deluded, pitiable crea
lures and fit subjects for a Lunatlc Asylum that
the whole belief in these phenomena was attribu
table to the most williul delusion and that the
"Rappers" were all set OF impostors and IN
eodly humbues To establish these assertions,
he cited numerous cases OF witchcratt and jUggle
~. which he declared were on the same scale,
and as attributable to spiritual agency as the
"Rappings"
Mr. Britain answered his remarks by setting
forth that all power aud motion depended on
MIND, aud that the spirit in the living was as III
visible as tho spirit OF the dead that God power
was in the invisible wind, and in everything, and
that Man was made in the image Of God; that at
least ten thousand persons had witnessed the
"Rappings," that hundreds had spent weeks OF
time Ia carefully investigating these remarkable
phenomena-bad questioned the Rappers,' oral
~ and mentally, in French Spanish, German aud
Epglish-had received answers to questions that
no one could know Rught Of but the propounders,
and in some instances messages from the sup
posed spirits of persons whom they at hrst had no
recollection Of themselves; and that II all these
persons were "insane and deluded, he was sorry
10 say the very men who are considered the most
intelligent and profound on almost every other
subject would necessarily be included IN this cat
alogue of SANDER. He went on to prove that, In
almost every instance where the Rappers had
had even half hearing by common sense men,
there was firm conviction that some invisible IN,
tellgence was the source, and the only source Vi
these phenomena; that many who, like MI burr
had wished TO be coneldered itt'S nsot sliI
titan their Fellow men, had secuted tnls ueh' w.
cause they were unable 20 account for it on any
more reliable theory than the swapping Of the
great toe
On MIR. Burrs second rising he manifested con.
siderable temper under these remarks, and so far
forgot himself Us TO use some rather unbecomlng
language toward the citizens OF Bridgeport be-
cause he found his efforts unavaiiing In convert
ing them to his theological theory, for which the
audience omplimented him with sound similar
to that elected by an intrusion upon flock OF
geese-when he cooled down to sn almost freez
ing temperature; said he was not mad, for he
was generally considered one OF the most anna
bic men in the world, and made some other jocular
remarks until he partially appeased the ire OF the
house, when he closed his remarks by saying bis
time v as nearly exhausted, and that as he could
not satisfy them then with his doctrine he
would publish mis- views In full in his paper as
soon as be could prepare them. Bat, before clos
ing, he said he would bring forth a document to
prove that the manifestations of table moving as
practiced in that town had been done BY tangible,
flesh and blood spirits, aud thereupon read a doc
ument signed by an Individual, asserting that he
had witnessed the whole trickery aud deception
with his own eyes-and thus Dir. Burr left the
rostrum as he thought, with the question settled.
But unfortunately, a little while after Mr.. Brit
tan rose, the whole tide turned. Britain having
ascertaiued, as he says, the evening previous,
through the agency of the spirits, that Burr was
going to bring this document, Immediately set 20
work and obtained the signatures Of three respect
able citizens, who were well known, and who
were also present on the evening ia question, to
another document impending IN toto the evil
deDce of Burr's wtness-and with this reiuta-
ton foiled him completely in establishing the
assumption that humbTg aud deception existed,
ia any case, where spirituality was claimed for the
mysterious manifestations. Mr.. Britain then read
and showed numerous letters from most reliable
sources giving details Of very remarkable answers
to questions, messages, aud movements Of pur-
ported spirits, &c, and which, if not true plainly
shows that hundreds are yet being daily deceived
and "humbugged,' Notwithstanding Mr. Burs
theological theory to the contrary
Yours, Sc, YET IN TIE DARK