The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-27
SPIRIT RAPPINGa.

Q At last, after very tedious and circuitcus
r journey through great eastern country, the
Spirits have arrived s. out west" and commen-
ced their rappings in earnest. We believe
there is 70 doubt entertained by some men, but
these mysterious noises or rappings are caused
. by the teeth, or may be, the nails of departed
dead. At least we have no doubt about il and
/, we state, positively, we once heard Napoleon
rappng away Ike a burly cooper a, kitchen
, table. 1t was rich thing tn talk with a dead
Emperor, though the contrast tween the me,
iiun and the spirit reminded US of something
We USED to hear, respecting dead lion and
living The spirit conversed fuenily,
though rather Eighty, which is the case with all
spirits, we believe, and told some awful big s,o
res, which we extenuated, on the ground Of
their coming from the " marble Jaws of the
tomb" For instance, the "shade of Napo-
leon" was asked how long certain lady had
been dead "Four years." was the reply
! We looked over in one corner of the room, and
there sa; the old lady, with her specs on her
nose, enjoying quiet nap We went on t,
enquire about her trials and vicissitudes in the
spirit land. She had seen rough time of
ii. according TO the account given BY the spirit,
and was thoroughly plugged on the Liverwort G. |
Tar platform. We looked at her apain-she |
appeared well, and we took our leave, whis ling |
=" Away with Melancholy Rock /. .4dc. |
description of what the editor has seen and ex-
perenced; for not long since, similar exhibi-
ton took place in this city. A company of
gentlemen deeply impressed with the solemnity
of the Spirit farce, called at the request of
DR.. Underwood, the lecturer, to ties, the inge
nuity OF his mediums. 1t was the ork Of bu,
few moments, after the machinery was fairly in
operation, to manufacture out of respectable
bachelor of our city, who has never to our
knowledge, been accused of looking female
cards, man Of nine years double blessedness,
and five children, or FIVE years marriage and
nine children-we do not recoIlect which-and
to make out of another, who had borne the
bront of fourteen years Of domestic trials and
and gathered around him almost
regiment of young urchins, man without fam,
lily or friends
Of course We are going TO say nothing against
these 'spirits" in dead mems clothes, because it
might be unpopular and dispiease some of our
friends who have been charmed by the fairu
Messengers from The spirit land; but we cant
see why il is, if what they say and do, is the
result of Supernatural Agency which they claim,
that they cannot do some other act less liable
TO be shreuded with mystery and receive the
scornful reproaches of the unbelievlng. Why I.
don't they perform some act so entirely above I
The suspicion Of any doubt, as at once to silence i
The clamors of the skep,ical. If the power :
which they claim is an absolute reality, there. is
certainly some way, by which it can be made to ,
appear to the entire satisfaction of rational ,
creatures.
If it cannot be made so to appear, then it I
Justly merits the suspicion of all who are gov
erned by reason and must receive an early doom,
~ one of the most transcendent moral hu,nbugs 4
Of the age.
If it is humbug, which we do not declare, ?
put believe, it is the most alarming one, that has
ever visited this prolific land. Because it not :
'nly trifes with the time, money and reputation Il
IF the public, but fills the insane Asylums, poor
houses and Jails of the country, with hundreds :
If deluded creatures, who would otherwise
make living for themselves, and preserve their
IDENTIFY in the community. 1t is also reproach
lpon the institution of christianity and deserves
o be met at the threshold, by stern investigation
md rigid criticism. We are rejoiced to believe, ,
hat the efforts made in this City to add friends
o the cause, were attended with little success. +