Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-28
NOTE BY THE EDITORS.

r. NOIE b1 The EIlIOhS.
The writer of the preceding article, being evil
IDENTIFY gentleman of high literary attainments,
having ratified by his proper signature his reasoning
on much-mooted question, has entitled himself to
the courtesy Of a fair hearing, and to a judgment
according to the merits of his argument.
Having ourselves certain fixed opinions upon this
subject, which are not likely to be shaken by any
paper testimony we have no idea of entering into
argument with any of our correspondents on this
and its correlative questions.
Our Cambridge correspondent having, however,
referred to case reported, upon the most imposing
philosophical authority, to have occurred in France
some nine years ago, and our information upon the
subject having left upon minds an impression
different from that which he has received from other
and probably less authentic accounts of the same
investigation have taken the trouble to translate
from the official publication of the sttings of the
Academic DIES Sciences" at Paris, for the first halt
of the year 1885, the entire report of the Commits
sion, of which NJ. ARAGo was President, by which,
under direction of the Academy the case was ex-
amned, That report runs as followeth
[suBMITTED ON THE 9TH OF MARCH 1885,
Declaration ofthe Commission named on the coca.
Of tco communications made The 4caimy concerning
he extraordinary faculties atiJutsdo young girl ASGE-
LIoUE Coffin.
Commissioners Messrs. ARAGo, BEcoUEREL, IsDoRE,
GEoFYRoY- SAINT HnLArRE, BABBNEr, RAYER, PARIsEr
In its sitting of the 10Th of last February the
DENY received from NJ. CHoLET and DIR. TAScHou two
notes relative to extraordinary faculties which, il wis
said had developed themselves for about month in
young girl of the Department of POrne Ange9us Coffin
aged IA years The Academy conformably to its usage
charged Commission TO examine into the facts
ed, and to report TO it an account Of the results
SHALL in very few words, acqut ourselves Of this duty
1--WE had been assured that Mdlle. Coffin exercised al
action repusye and very intense upon bodies Of ever
nature, the moment when any part whatever of he
clothes in contact with them. They spoke even
candlestands being overturned by the assistance of the
simple contact of the thread Of silk.
"No perceptible effect of this sort manifested itself
before the Commission
I'm the relations communicated the Academy there
was question Of magnetic needle which, under the in
auence Of the arm Of the young GIRL made first rapid
oscillations and fixed itself finally at sufficient distance
from the magnetic meridian.
ssUnder the ewes of the Commission such needle de-
cately suspended did not experience, in the cir
cumsances, any displacement either permanent or mo-
mentary.
IN TAscHou thought that Mdlle Coffin had the
faculty Of distinguishing the north pole of magnet from
the south poe in touching simply these two poles with
her fingers.
1.-The Commission assured ITSELF by experiments va
ed and numerous that the young girl did not possess
the pretended faculty that had been attributed her.
distinguishing by the touch the poles Of the magnet.
"The Commission will not push any further the
meration Of its aborve attempts Ii will content itself
with declaring in conclusion, that the only fact
nounced which was realized before it. that of abrupt
and violent movements experienced by chairs upon which
the young girl seated herself Serious suspicious having
arisen upon the in which these movements
produced the Commission decided that il would submit
them to an attentive examination 1t announced with
crcumocuton that its researches would tend dis
cover the part which certain man9uvres able and con-
ceaed of the feet the hands, might have had in the
fact observed From the moment Of this declaration il
declared to that the young girl had lost her attrac
tive and repusye faculties and that we should be in
formed IS soon as they reappeared.
MANY days have passed since that time, and the
Commission has received information on this head
We have learnt in the time, that Mdlle Angelaue
Coffin is daily conducted into saloons in which She re-
peats her experiments.
AFTER having weighed all these circumstances the
Commission is Of opinion that the communications trans
mitted the Academy the subject Of Mdlle Ange-
ique Coffin ought TO be considered not having hap
pened.R