St. Mary's beacon., 1853-05-12

I o 10 '@o4C = 20. ~
that SO far as oar tablssxA concerned,
we would Indignantly rcYddiate any in
situation that nigfn be made Of any ma
terial agency in their movings and rap
pings-! Our friends are left therefore to
their own conclusions as to the true or
false reasoning Of our lttle-of-faith neigh
Dor in the premises.
Our usually quiet town has been set
.agog, within the past week, BY expert
ments in animal magnetism. Who orig
mated the experiment we know not, but
it has become the all-engrossing topic.
We hardly think there is house in the
village, in which the wonder has not
been exhibited. Large centre4ables
have moved slowly around, and little
candle-stands and card-tahles have been
hopping about, at rate so astonishing as
to demand passing notice.
"The process is this: Three or four
persons surround stand or table, and
place their hands upon it, their palms
just touching the surface, and each ones
fingers in contact with those of his neigh
Dor. They are then directed to WiHthe
table to move around in a certain direc-
ton, and that most intently. Aflerre-
manning in this position for about four
or five minutes, the table begins to move
in the direction wished-andt the stronger
the will is cxcrted, the more rapid the
motion. When the rotary movement is
going on, those surrounding arc directed
to riW the table to rise on two feet, which
it soon does, still preserving its first mo-
ton. If tCiLled to come up on one foot.
up it comes in .;iffv. In word, it will
move In any direction almost, in which it
is desired, provided the hands haAke2t,
upon it. : -
The idea that this is all efTected,By
the exercise of the mind or the will is, of
course, a mistaken one, and there is no
analogy between this case and the effects
generally produced by what is termed
animal magnetism. The will is an alb
stract thing, as it were-immateria and
subjective. Its action does produce
bodily movement-for we wiV, and, as a
consequence, move our limbs. But il is
impossible, from its very nature, that it
should exert any influence upon an exter-
nal and concrete thing. In animal mag
netism what is effected? Why, by the
action Of one will, another is brought into
subsection, Influenced and directed. But
then the subject of operating Will is not
a concrete thing, but another wiH-ab-
stract like itself. 1t surely cannot follow
that the mind or the will has power to
move bodily, material, and insensible
object, because it has power to effect
thing like itself, immaterial and sensible.
1t is absurd TO suppose that what is inter-
nal or subjective, as the philosophers say,
should have any power over what is ex-
ternal or objective, say by means of some
material thing, over which the subjective
has natural inseparable control, as the
muscles of the body.
I" But apart from the nature of the will
we suppose this motion is further falsifed
by fundamental rule of natural philoso-
ply; that every body will remain in
a state of rest until removed by some
foreign force. Now, this force must be
a material one, proceeding from some
other concrete thine-else there can, as
suredly, follow no movement. If this be
denied, then we demand of the ohiector,
that he show motion caused without the
Intervention of bodily force-for certainly
it has never been exhibited so far, in the
progress of science.
If it be insisted, however, that il is
barely the will that moves the table.
we must see one set a-going, ,ciftout
TIE placing of the hands upon 1t. We are
disposed to think an individual might sit
and cali table to him, all day, and have
rather poor recompense for his trouble.
But if he should put his hands upon it
and tell it TO go, it would, we think, be
exceedingly apt to start.
Here, then, is the proper explanation
of the august phenomenon Of Table
Moving. 1t is astonishing with what
little effort single person can turn a
small table. Indeed, it may be done
almost impercepi5ly to himself, with the
palms of his hands. When, therefore,
some four or FIVE have their hands upon
it at the same time, each one has to
exert mere fraction Of the originally
required force. The quantum required
from each would be so small as only TO
be expressed infnitesimally. When,
therefore, number of persons are stan
ding around the table IN question, with
their palms touching it and their minds