Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-19
SPIRITUAL RAPPINGS.

Language fails to express the astonishmentand the
humiliation and shame in view of the boosted intellectual
development and Advancement of the present agewith
which hear and read of the extent which this de-
fusion has reached and poignant indeed is the
with which perusc almost daily in exchanges,
cords of the dehronement of human through the
nfatuation wrought by this monstrosty Of fraud and
cunning and avarice, and folly We had resolved never
again to burden these columns with the disgusting theme
but seems to become journalists duty to give line
upon line and precept upon precept since the mposture
is still marrng domestic happiness and filing mad
houses with its victims.
1t is really difficult however, preserve the calm
spirit which becomes public discussion while speaking
writing upon this subject In the emotions which the
theme awakens strangely blended adherence and dis
gust at those among the professed rappers and mediums
who ply the wretched business for GAIN
of acquiring influence status in their respective neigh
borhoods pity for those who the dupcs Of the fraud
contempt unutterable for those who habitually
semble around table, in circle, to hear the most
commonplace turgid twadde counted letter by let
ter guessed at by raps for lack of letters horror at
the coyerknow open assaults made by the mposors
upon all the sacred yerites of revealed rutha the flat
contradiction which the mposture itself perpetuay gives
the whole system of holy christianity deepest
row. think upon the confidence destroyed the do
nestle peace blighed the unatc asylums peopled, and
the homes made forever desoate indignation at the ny
4
vine revelation, and working rremediable mischief and
Notwithstanding every hand, assumes the garb Of
beneyoence the name of progress and the dialect Of
gion-such emotions these crowd upon the mind, al
most to the sitting Of uterance, when attempt to
\ treat upon this painful subject
Marvellous indeed has been the spread of this deuson
and imposturefor mposture know it to have been in
one case under cover OF the chdshness OF the medium
Embodened by success the rappst adventure the gross
est frauds; intellectually and morally dwarfed by the
habitua loving and believing Of lie the dupes shrink
with in proportion to the monstrous incomprehens-
bity and absurity of the object before them. 1t
mentionedn hearing last evening that the farce
the fraud-has been recently carried far that it
publicly announcedthe audience retaining their gravity
and their temper, and many really believing the decara
ton to its full exent-that medium would be exhibit
ed who would gradually expire before the company and
that when the spirit left the body any other spirit whom
seekers after " communications" might would
take possession of it, and give responses questions
To such pass have imposture and folly atained Yet
il is to be borne in mind that the press almost unani
mousy has raised warning voice against the deusion
not respectable newspaper unless in this city be
an exception, has failed to point out the mingled fraud
and folly which at the foundation of it the utter
absurdy Of the claims it puts forth have been repeatedly
demonstrated the ruin it has wrought has been depicted
alas only partially for its extent will be unknown pro-
badly through all time; protested trick players have
copied and exceeded the so-caed phenomena it
hbits and yet all this has been comparatively in vain
and who shall say where the end will be And why is
this? The philosophy of it in the tendency of the hui
mind to look behind the curtain that shuts in to
the present and tangible and to peer into hidden secrets
of the past and the future-the distant To meet this
want of the soul we have revelation made from the
great Of all true knowledge and bearing the plain,
broad, indeble stamp of truth to that authenticated
revelation the public mind must be fully and
stanty directed for just all that is ambiguous and
false q morbid and ungrafed curiosity,
and leads to and bewilderment that which is
true rehnes the taste gratifes all audabe inquiry,
strengthens the intellect and gives ygor to the judgment
In one sentence, if there more Bible knowledge
there would be less spiritual rapping
New York Commercial Advertiser.