The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-05-26
THE DAILY DISPATCH
Thursday Morning May 26, 1853.
Characterization. N. P. Tallmadge, of

GHssToLosY.-Hon. N. P. Tallmadge, of N
York, who has become a convert to "Spiritual
Manifestations has written long letter on
the subject which is published in the Tribune
II chiefly relates to conversation with the
spirit Of John C. Calhoun. Here is Mr.. Cal.
houn's (reported) idea of the good of spirit
rappings:
"My friend, the question is often put to you,
'What good can result from these manifesta-
tons = will answer it:
sit is to draw mankind together in harmony,
and convince skeptics of the Immortality of
the Soul. JOHN &. CALHOUN"
Mr.. Tallmadge then goes on to relate how
he witnessed table.moving experiments-heard
the music ofa guitar played most beautifully
by invisible spiritual hands, &C., &c. and then
proceeds to state that if any doubt should still
remain on the mind of any one acquainted
with similar manifestations, that doubt must
be entirely dispelIed by the account of the
manifestation which follows:
l was present, by Calhoun's appointment,
with the Misses Fox and their mother. We
were seated at the table as heretofore, our
hands and arms resting Upon il. L was direct.
ed to put pencil and paper on the drawer. l
placed several sheets of unruled letter paper,
together with wood pencil on it. | soon
heard the sound of the pencil on the paper. 1t
was then raped out, "Get the pencil and shar.
pen it," looked under the table, but did not
see the pencil. AT length found it lying dia
gonally from me, three or four feet from the Ia
Bile. The lead was broken off within the wood.
| sharpened it and again put it on the drawer.
Again | heard the sound Of the pencil on the
paper. On being directed to look at the pa
per discovered pencil marks on each side of
the outer sheet, but no writing. Then was
received the following communication:
"The power is not enough TO write sen
tence. This will show you that can write
Ifyou meet on Friday, precisely at seven,
will write short sentence.
'JoHN G. CALHOUN"
We met pursuant to appointment-took our
seats at the table, our hands and arms resting
on it as usual. | placed the paper with nv
silver-cased pencil on the drawer, and said,
"My friend, / wish the sentence to be in
your hand writing, so that your friends will re-
cognize it," He replied, "You will know the
writing
He then said,
"Have your minds on the spirit of John C.
Calhoun"
soon heard a rapid movement ofthe pencil
on the paper, and a rustlng OF the paper, to-
gether with movement of the drawer. was
then directed to look under the drawer. look.
ed, and found my pencil outside of the drawer,
near my feet, but found no paper on the draw.
er where placed it. On raising up the draw
er, | discovered the paper all under it. The
sheets were little deranged, and on exami
ming found on the outside sheet these words,
"Hm scith gov sliik.''
/ afterward showed the "sentence" to Gen.
James Hamilton, former Governor of South
Carolina, Gen. Waddy Thompson, former Min
lister to Mexico, Gen Robert B. Campbell, late
Consul at Havana, together with other init
mate friends of Calhoun, and also to one of his
sons, all of whom are we'll acquainted with
his handwriting as their own, and they all pro.
nounced it TO be perfect fac sinasle of the
handwriting of JOHN G. CALHOUN.