Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-20
TABLE MovINGS.

CLINTON fLA.) JULg g. 1853
Messrs GALES SEATos: SIC in your tri-weekly issue
of July 10th an article headed Professor Farady Ia
BILE Moyings" which deserves attention. for the reason
that however elaborate the experiments made by Mr. Fs
raday may BEEN the conclusions to which they have
led the mind Of the investigator are entirely erroneous
He is qate mistaken in his theory of " Involuntary
unconscious mechanical force the exclusive agent en-
poyed in the ordinary experiments of table raising II
Mr. Faraday had investigated the subject branch of
physical science if he had examined il one of the ma
tura laws and impulses of physical motion If ne had test
ed the absence of electric forces by the ord
nary tests Of electrical experiment his truly praseworhy
efforts In the pursuit Of truth would have arrived at diff
ferent result.
have found 1T necessary in private circles to meeust
such objections as are urged by our learned author to
electric or attractive forces in raising and
ceeded in establishing at least in my own opinion heo
ry different and directly opposite to that of Mr.
hold that there electric current passing from the
human body the material form before which current
is mpresble by the emotions and connexions of mind and
absolutely submissive to the control Of viii that this
electric is the law of oil material being so far as
structure concerned that under this law matter is
established and sustained in oil its combinations and thus
is capable of extraordinary manifestations when subject
ed to mental influence and the controlling supremacy Of
the will that physical contact and consequently me-
chanca force not necessary produce the result cx
hbited IN the experiments wien this Interesting branch Of
II Mr. Faraday will take small stool Of light porous.
and unvarnised wood, and will place it's feet ia glass
tnmhisr so as to prevent the electric from es-
Gaping INTO the floor, and place his hands upon it. to-
gether with Eve six strong and influential mediums
and let them be held there for fifteen or twenty minutes
or longer in proportion to the clearness or humidity
Of the atmosphere then let the hands be raised in
compact body mass from the surface of the stool
the distance of inch he will find that without any ply
steal contact or mechanical force whatever the stool will
implicitly obey his orders either approaching receding
moving sideways or in circle viii rise to or from him
as he may desire
Another example of the singular power which mind ex-
ers this law of material action may be tested by the
following experiments Let the medium with his hands
upon small light table placed in tumblers raise the
BILE on one leg and he will by corresponding exertion
OF viii, be enabled to sustain the weight of two
persons on the opposite edge without feeling the slightest
muscular exertion, when by mechanical force he
could not move the weight of one of the persons
placed in the same position. When this experiment is
completed the operator will experience sensations of the
most intense exertion upon the brain for in oil
where have explored the subject find the result pro-
poroned to the intensity mental action concentration
of will.
Another experiment showing the mpressibty of the
electric and surface only the mind Of the
operator but to the impression of other minds within the
electric influence when the mind of the operator pas
sive, may be ascerained by the following experiment. If
the theory Of mental impression and the corresponding
action of material form is true be shown fol-
lows: Let Mr. F. or any other operator be seated at
him questions of which he must be ignorant as where they
born, asking him several names, and among them
the name Of the place. and when that place
toned the table will respond The connection and know
ledge Of the questoner becomes the governing mental
principle of the electric circuit and will control its mani
festations.
1t be borne in mind that the party nterrogating
must be in contact with the operator by placing his hand
on his shoulders, and in most the result will
spond with the fact that is the the question will
be correct one. These examples enough to show
and to show the connection between material law and
human mind Here is where the inquiries of the philoso
pher must begin unless Mr. Faraday other expe
rimenter successfully contradict the evidence which
supports this theory.
Again. TO render experiments this subject success
full there be the part of the operator thorough
abstraction from all surrounding considerations and an
uninterrupted attention to the of the experiment.
for where the attention of the operator is diverted there
cannot be mental concentration and where this is want
ing there will be either experiment it will be very
unsatisfactory and inconclusive.
Now, the experiments tried and by Mr.
of the character to defeat the very end which the learned
experimenter had in view. The points Of his index his
bundles plates his coats of cement and his ingenious
y contrved levers all objects of greater prominence
than the table, and Of greater attention the mind of the
operator.
The mind of the operator was more intently directed
upon the points of his fingers, which expected to
make marks in the cement and upon the point Of the in
dex which was to warn him of the slightest muscular
tion Under this state OF things, described by Mr. f.,
there was inevitably degree of mental diversion and dis
traction which rendered all successful experiment with
the table and electric forces impractcable
Mr. T. first unsettles the very elements with which he
should have experimental and then gives the results of
this dsordered relation Of and effect proof his
theory and against all others.
OF Involuntary muscular action, sympathy between
mental and muscular action there con be doubt Dread
fear, hope expectation may each produce muscular
ton of which the person will not be conscious and far
as Mr. Faradays experiments 60 they fully satsfac
tory this point but he entirely overoos the pheno-
mena of mental expectation associated with any other
force than mechanical force.
Perhaps the best test of mental and material assoca-
ton, the subservence Of the other is manifest
ed by what term electric vibration that is the distinct
ticking or rappng which be produced in table with
out the slightest apparent physical motion of the table
This electric phenomena is perceptble to the Of
hearing and Of feeling In this experiment involuntary
mechanical force cannot be concerned because mechan
cal force whether voluntary involuntary cannot pre-
duce the result.
In short this whole subject interesting and elevated
as field for philosophical inquiry it is subject which
learned men may simplify to ordinary understandings;
but which they cannot successfully drive from the family
OF sciences. p.
FRos THE ROCKY MouxrAIss-A few days ago we
mentioned the arrival from the Rocky Mountains Of the
steamer Robert Campbell The Campbell went hun
bred and eighty miles bevond the Yellow