Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-11-12

Jud Edmonds, OF New York, declines being
candidate for re-election, and frankly admits
that the opposition 10 BIS peculiar views on splru-
alismis strong that his friends are justlfabe IN
desiring his decline. He adheres, however, HIM
self, with growing pertinacty, to his spiritual
views and makes 1t a matter of conscience TO sac
rfce official station rather than his religions con-
victoh. He has published a book on tie subject
Of his deIusion, which We have not SEEM but which
is understood to acknowledge that his action as
judge-his method of arriving at results in regard
to legal rights and penalties-has been influenced,
and sometimes controlled, by. communications from
b.. Tire New Y ork Times makes the
following remarks upon the Judges book:
Judge Edmonds in ghe book rcteIed to- puts
forward Jbe most authoritative statement of the
claims OF spritualism yet issued. No one can
read il without pronouncing 1t one of the shadow
est imposition ever Practlsed on human credulty.
1t is boldly put forth as new rehgion-supcrced-
ing that OF Christ did that OF Moses, and des
tined to effect, what Christianity has failed to &C
compsb, the redemption and regeneration of the
world. 1t pretends TO reveal the state, occupa-
tons. habi 5, and thoughts of spirits after death;
and to derive its knowledge directly from the
menls of the spirits themselves. is evidences are
OF three kinds: first, the fact OF certain move
meDts of table DC, lneXphcable, 1t is assumed,
on any other theory than Of their being produced
by spirits-a mode OF reasoning as Illogical as that
of those who assert that the moon is made of
green cheese because nobody can prove beyond all
possibility of doubt that il is made of anything
else second, the asserted fact that future events
are foretold by this mode with such accuracy as
proves the knowledge to be superintendent as
serton of which, as yet, we have never seen hall
as much evidence as any fortune-tellng old woman
can muster in support Of her prophetic skill; and
III: AZ nj he
Judge Edmonds appeals mainly to the last He
has filled thick book with sentences written down
bv ore DR.. Dexter, and himself, at the dictation
0aainzv of Swedenborg and Lord Bacon-though
communications are also made by Clay, Webster,
Franklin. and Calhoun land alleges that they
are SO unlike each other--that each bears I'M
mistakably the marks of its imputed author, as to
vindicate the spiritual origin claimed Tor It, We
have read the book through, and our Judgment
upon it is that no juggler ever attempted holder
Iexperiment upon public credulity than is involved
in This pretence. The alleged difference in style,
thought and sentiment do not exist: occasionally
there is an awkward attempt to vary the forms Of
EXPRESSION but it is not kept up, the whole troop
of spirits all talk Just alike, in English equally bad
in STYLE equally affected and equally stuffed with
attempts at tinerv; they all talk the same way
rand not one Of them utters sentence which any
man of ordinary brains and literary practice could
NOT shane or of which the great men to whom they
are ascribed, even in the flesh, could possibly hay,
been guilty This part OF the scheme Is The leas
skiIlful of all attempts at imposture. lreland' :
forgery of Shakspeare. and The REJECTED Address
es. were infnifels hener limitations tAan my 0
these pretended originals Any mai4 mho G.
read what judge Edmonds has here dehberaiel!
set down as the words Of Bacon, OF Sweden6ofS
of Webster, or OF Clay, and not instantly detee
the forgery, is fair game tor Peter FUNK OF TIL
thimble-rigger of the race-course
+, "Great force, by way OF argument is clalme'
for the substance of these revelations. Judg
b Edmonds is struck with their beauty, their sub
Unity, the elevated morality they lnculcate' tn
doctrines they reveal, and the motives they iur
nish for upright and holy living. In these feature
fresh and conclusive evidence is found OF thei
spiritual origin, and of their transcendant Impol
y lance. This is the merest halluclnaton. No on
e not undetermined to see them can find any nov
i elites in these moral nculcations. Whatever
GOOD in them is stolen. bodily, Out OF current MOI
) 81 and religious writings. The common-places {
+ Christianity-the doctrines of broiherly love,
e unselfsh charity, of faith in the iuture-are bold
S ~ mt forward. tricked off in the diluted largo
n Of the circle as new revelations just made
(. through Dexter & Co., by their familiar spirit
e Judge Edmonds is guilty OF foy-to use no harsl
81 tern1-of saving that the doctrine Of the soul
Immortality is now, for the first time put beyon
a doubt We have read his book with all reason