The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-10

crews.
In addition to the details of the California intelli-
gence our inside pages contain full List OF Dis
asters on the Western waters during last year !;
Financial and Commercial review and many col
mnns OF advertisements aud miscellaneous news
paragraphs--the whole forming one OF the most
diversified and interesting sheets ever issued from
the press.
The Recent suIcIdc-The Effect OF Spiritual
Manifestations.
Whether knaves and dupes who congregate the
on certain days at the houses of s0i-dis0m spirit
ual media, and hold circle meetings in noe
turnal conclave, properly fall under the legal
designation of loose, idle and disorderly per-
sons" and as such are liable TO be dispersed by
the first yigiant police officer who happens to
pass by is a question we must leave to the de-
cision of lawyers. 1t is not for us to point out
the specific remedy by which the nuisance ought
to be abated. But this much we may safely
say the meetings in question inhct a serious
injury on the community, and il is right that
inquiry should be made into the legality and
expediency OF their continuance. This is not the
first time our voice has been raised against the
delusion of spiritual manitestations-we have
all along denounced them "a an insult to the
common sense as well as an attack upon the
well being Of society. and have brought on our
selves many severe onslau chit for our supposed
illiberality and fsnaticism. The occurrences of
the past week enable the public to Judge be-
tween our accusers and ourselves.
A poor printer, named Langdon. had been
unfortunately thrown in the way of some AGO.
lytes of this pretended science. Having. like
most Of his craft received the dangerous gift
Of "a little learning he was unable to weigh
accurately the merits and dement's of the theo-
ries expounded to him, and his simple. unsus-
pecting nature was incapable Of subjectng the
motives of his ensnarers to a proper Test. He
read a couple of newspapers devoted to the
propagation of the impostlre, and became be-
lever Ever since he began to read them
SAYS his wife. his mind seemed wholly absorb
ed in them He neglected his child. and in
obedience 10 the dictates OF some of his
fellow maniacs devoted his evenings to
silent contemplation. and sat gloomily brood
lug over the pretended mysteries. He was told
that steady course Of meditation. pursued
during u certain period of time. would enable
him to penetrate the veil of death and behold
the form Of hie deceased daughter. Thus acted
upon, alternately by his fears. his imagination.
and his parental love. the wretched man gradu-
ally dropped. grew more and mere mOrose.
abandoned his work seemed unconscious Of the
existence of hi- family and finally resolved to
terminate his agony by ,elfdestruction. Il il
al this point that the dangerous tendence. OF
this new superstition are the most apparent.
His attempt to commit suicide was unsuccessful.
Though he eontriyed to intc1 AN inci>ion two
inches in length on the thyroid cartilage. the
surgeon succeeded 10 bringing the lips of the
wound together and under careful management
il is not impossible that he might have recover
ed But he was bent on death He had teen
infuenced." he said Big spiritual manifesta-
fions 10 commit suicide" When in the hospital
he +" would ut times refuse all medicines, spoke
Of the certainty Of death. and seemed DESTROYS
to die - and finally. after struggle of some
hours he succumbed, :. the cause OF his death
being exhaustion from mental excitement. and
from his wound
We will not ae2ravate the remorse of the few
weil-intentioned persons who may have been
instrumental in SCATTERING the reason Of poor
Martin Langdon, by any severe reflections on
heir conduct That his death may, without
sophistry be laid at their doors, they would find
t difficult matter 10 deny but their con
science will punish them more cruelty than the
just reprobatin OF an indignant public. If the
spectacle of the bereaved widow and helpless
orphan do not arouse in their breasts such acute
anguish that public trial would be privilege,
and an iqnominious sentence o relief we must
plead our utter ignorance of the springs nv
which human nature is moved
But, while We can afford TO leave them to Tie
tortures Of memory. there wnud be afecta.ion
IL expecting any beneficial results from an
equally lenient course as applied to their more
unworthy co-laborers in imposture-to those
wEo. well knowing the rogucry which they
practice, make living by dcluding simple peo-
pie like Langdon into the belief that they can
commune with the dead These wretches de.
serve the severest embellishments our laws can
inhS In the black night Of their crime. not a
redeeming ray Of light is visible For a few
dollers they will sbatter the peace Of mind Of
" yV1i"e g. tHV I'NC VI supper WI tcmpt
them to oyerturn the reason Of credulou-
man We're sleir impo5tures merely hdicrous
did they confne themselves to exhibiting a
spectacle compared to which the most absurd
meo-drama il rational history and the tale of
the Forty Thieves most probable occurrence,
one might afford to laugh and quote them as a
singular instance Of the gullbilty Of the Amori-
can People-the only practical result Of their