Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-28
COMMUNICATIONS.
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS.


the necessity Of again touching the subject. NOR was
induced to saw sny thing more by the denunciatory lam
guage contained in the singular letter OF MI TALL
nApoE But still more recent paper in your journal OF
the 18th instant from udcious pen, in which my mean
ing has been misinterpreted Denders IT duty TO myse
to add few words in explanation. appears that your
from Tallahassee and some OF his friends
have concluded from some passage IN my former paper
that am under the impression that there does proba
bly exist in man power agency TO move certain in
with which he is in contact, without the
exerton Of muscular force any other hitherto known
power"
On observing this misapprehension of my meaning
for such it certainly isl carefully re-read my original
communcaon without being able to discover from what
passage deduced his opinion of my entertaining such
belief.
certainly do not believe, nor did intimate such be-
lief far perceive that there PROBABLY does ex-
is much less that have ever seen, any such force as
that described by Mr.. Simmons the ode power though
have met persons of average intelligence though not
think persons possessing nice powers of discrimination
peculiar fitness for the investigation Of delicate ques
TONS who do believe that they have seen instances OF
some such hitherto unknown agency.
Not desiring to lay myself open to what should con-
slider just for blind prejudice and obstinate
sefopinion did not think proper to deny nor do now
refuse to admit the possibility, however improbable OF the
existence of powers similar to that attractive agency
by which particles of steel drawn to the magnet or
fragments of paper bead of amber warmed by me
ton in certain highly nervous temperaments, under
perhaps some abnormal conditions by which inanlmate
bodies may be set in motion To deny the possibility OF
such force existing only because cannot prove or DO
not believe in its existence would be as unphosophca
as it would have been to deny the possibility of steam
oil fv nffr
cause was not then known that they did possess such
forces do not believe that such power exists because
have seen no evidence that it does exist but cannot
conceive it to be any impossible that such might
be than it is impossible for the earth to attract falling
apple or the sun rotating planet. hold it, however,
sound philosophy reject all differences of supernatural
or hitherto unknown agencies drawn from facts however
positive which capable Of explanation by known or
natural causes.
Collision and expert juggling be made to effect
almost any thing; and have myself seen things done
by protested performers of legerdemain, infinitely more
difficult Of explanation than any thing that alleged
to have been done by mesmerism or clairyoyance
And although believe that certain conditions of mind
combined with powerful will and great physical and
power possess influences sufficient to cast other
temperaments of highly nervous, highly excitabe and
quasi hyserica natures into comatose stae analogous
merc state and although will positively refuse my
doubtful assent the proposition that the weaker tenn
permanent may possibly while in such state of unnatural
and abnormal coma be SO far Influenced by the stronger
will of the puissant mind to reflect its thoughts
to the exclusion Of its own be impressed with its con-
victons perceive and know and declare what it
knowswhich yet do not believe-I do more believe
that either mind arrive at facts previously unknown
to either penetrate the secrets of the future see into the
interior of the human frame speak or interpret unknown
tongues read closed books converse with friends
distant lands much less with the souls Of the DEPARTED
than believe that the soul Of be divorced from
its earthly tenement descend into the abysses of hell or
the beattudes Of eternity and afterwards re-
turn into living body and walk again the earth in its
accustomed form and feature.
That under certain conditions, the mind has strange
abnormal workings is an undeniabe fact. have myself
known two instances where grownup persons, on awak-
ening from the oblivion and derious dreams Of yphus
fever have entirely lost the Of their familiar Ian
guage and re-acqured another, known in early youth
but in the interim absolutely lost and eradcated from the
mind
The case Of the uneducated Scottish madservan who
after waiting foyears learned divine suddenly
found when in somnambulic frances TO which she was
liable to possess an accurate knowledge and correct
enuncation Of ancient Greek Of which when awake she
was totally ignorant is well known. 1t created extreme
wonder and was long regarded inexpcable pheno
menon till il was explained naturally by the discovery
that this apparently unaccountabe knowledge Of dead
language in peasant who could neither read write
was limited to the parrotke delivery Of phrases and
passages from the Greek Testament, which she had
unconsciousy picked up by from the rectaons Of
her master but Of which she had memory while in the
natural condition.
Again the fact is well known that epilepsy is conta
gous through the agency Of involuntary hysterca im-
taton and that persons Of weak and highly nervous tenn
pers especially the young and physically weak brought
in constant contact with epeptc patients, win speedily
become themselves epeptic.
Yet again it is well known that epeptc and cataep
tic persons are susceptible Of education while in their
abnormal state and may be taught things which they
will perfectly remember and resort TO when they again
return to the abnormal, but Of which they have
mory or knowledge in the normal condition. This know
ledge actually reduced to dabolica practice during
the prosecutions Of the Huguenots and the fanacism Of
the Cevennes by one du Srs Who by hdeous and hor-
rbe conrivances superinduced cataeptic condition in
Gated them to the knowledge Of the denuncatory Of
the Old Testament in Greek Hebrew, and Arabic, and
caused them be received inspired prophets,
nicating with the unknown world.
Once more it is known that cataleptic persons luna
tics and nervousy phrenzed patients Of many kinds
qure during their physical powers both Of doing
and suffering infinitely superior to any strength they
may naturally possess.
certain of religious fanatics in France which it
found necessary suppress by the strong hand Of