The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-03-13
From the Christian Messenger.
NOVEL COW ENTION

| Our readers will recollcct that some three or
four wears since, some weak minded women
in Rochester. n. Y. proi;e>scd To hold inter-
course with departed spirits; the spirits max
ing their communications by rapIing upon a
table used for the purpose. or upon the floor
Of the room or elsewhere The whole mat
ter WAS regarded by the great majority Of the
community as silly and wicked imposturc.
1t touud enough. however. sufficiently cre,lu-
ors and rullihe. to keep it alive: and the
"raI,'ers" and "mcdums" appeared in other
places, east and west, orr.>io:ino a great dr;...
of tircSile and newspaper talk. We have re-
gartcd it f. m the beginning as a sheer hum
brg and so rcsarl it Low. 1t is perfectly as
toni>hing to us that people believing i'll tie
authenticity Of the scriptures, and posse sing
but a moderate DEGREE of common sense. can
he dnrcd into belief that in the ridiculous
prctensions OF these called 'slivitlal me,!!-
uins :" ard especially does it surprise us to
know that some claiming to be ri,p<, drink in
he ,,r,u>ion But 50 /, IS The spirits. it il
sad, have recently directed convention Of
their 'mcdiun>" 70 be held. and cal WAS
consequently issued. and the convention as
semblcd on the 18th and 18th Of February.
in Cleveland. Ohio. We find in the Daily
Evening Traveller brief account OF the pro-
ceclings o. this novel meeting condensed from
the Cleveland papers. which We suhjoin -
The Traveller says:
Some forty or fifty mediums were present
besides a very large number of believers
These call themselves 1.-The Church, and the
, unhclievcrs in spiritual rarpnGs, the "hea-
then" there were good many present. to
see the sport; so many. indeed. that the spir-
its complained that there was mot sufficient
harmony of minds" and that the presence o.:
unbclie,er> destroyed the spirits influence e.
Various methods were adopted to remove the
evil-such as resort to singing. "Where are
n the Twelve Apostles 2" Three Grains Of
N Go!d." Tie Odd Granite State" and Vote
J., YOURSELF Farm a resort was also had tc
rapping. with hone of driving ont the hra
then also ,lain talk to them. and iinal.
D. to an Adjournment: after which every person
d. Offering 10 enter was examined by a cialrvOy
=, ant. who claimed the ability to read what wa;
within: but after all. the mediums do not aP
% pear to have been satisfied and 1t was pro
IS posed that they all hudde together on the
so stage: which they did to the number Of A.
70 or 80. of both sexes, and of all ages from chill
dren of 10 years to old men Of 60 years Of
Z" age This motley company Of humhug medl
ct ums formed circle round DIR. tnderhill,
g, sort of arch medium and general stage mana
Il ger OF TIE play. They were now prepared
49, as they thought. for good time DR.. Under
hill spoke few moments, ust to set the splr
r. its in motion. and they began to stir unde
tie his eloIucncc: then, saws the cleveland Her
en- aida whlc haired gentleman rose 4 exhort
:, ct few moments, at the same time Jcrkln:
and twitching all over. \ Young man wh
er had been violently exercised l,v Jerks an'
nd spaSrls. rose and run on for some moments il
tbs a sort of Indian iargon precisely as the Nor
no mons were effected when they supposed tn
-, Indians were the lost tribes, and they had re
l'u ceved the GIFT of tongues for the purpose OF
'ut gathering them to the promised land"
But things did not satisfy the managers
M and Mr. Tiffany. prominent believer AM
lecturer, took the management into his hand:
APP and stated in explanation Of the unsatIsiactc
nS ~ character of the exhibition. that the tire
ak classes Of misunderstanding. Migratory. an
;ch writing-would not harmonic when seate
promiscuou>iv. and the classes must sit to
gether. They were accordingly arrange
together; but still the spirits did not wor
well. They then turned all but the rappin
spirits off the stage; vet they could not &c
up much of demonstration. and finally al
.ho journed to get something to eat and drink
In addition to those practical develop
e" ments Of the system. there were lectures an
ing addresses. which protcssed to have been die
# tatcd by the spirits. though one of these,
in said to have been a very paIpable plagiarism
., from Swedenborgs writing-and some prett
'he spicy discussions, in which 'heathen' ma
has now and then took part. The convensio
md Continued in session two DAYS.
i TIE general tendency of this meeting ma
=. be inferred from what the Cleveland Heral
'i' saws OF the documents, which were presente
ZEN for tie ns. ruction Of believers:
MT The Bible and Christian Theology wer
tho boldly discarded, and Human Reason subs;i
tued as the nfaliihle guide to happiness her
a. and hereafter Nature was held up as III
TO creat Teacher in the new and glorious er
re- the SPIRITS announced thew were heraldn
., 10 the world and with "tidings ct great Joy
=. they are to usher in the long withheld dis
nd f''''''''' "
m e. \ child only few months old, died i
&c ,o.hnr's arms few laws auo while upc