The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1853-04-14

that its dcvotccs claim, is truly absurd-if
wcshould, we would ut once have to admit
| the age of miracles had returned or were re-
| vivcd. To grant that which they claim,
would he to allow that every or nearly
every one could perform supernatural acts,
fright which we know when our Savio II
WIS on earth, lie only gave to his apostles
| To grant that which they claim would
destroy society and ruin the spiritual wei
fare Of our fellow man and of course would
prove detrimental to the progress of rcli-
gion and morality. Ii we can succeed in
getting the human mind TO assent: the
mere fact of satisfying it as regards the
practical efficacy of any particular object is
Il natural seIucnt or in other words, the
willingness of belief, manifested by the mass
OF mankind generally almost amounts to
the acceptance upon their part of the thing
| t'"n" demonstrated as true ere the just con
clu,'o"s Is dcauccd. 1t appears hopuius
'"H "rcM. Now the suppoSition, that
whilst four or more persons, remain for /;
few moments with their hands upon table:
Is sufficient to recall the spirits from the
"SpirH La"d' to converse upon anv subject
Is as truly frivolous as it is contrary to rca-
son. Let us examine the MATES 0pcsonH
us is Necessary to produce vibrations in the
table, which is with the operator the mc,li-
um through which these spirits manifest
themselves. -Four or more persons are
placed around Il table in order to form an
electric circle, which is done by making the
points of contact with their little fingers
immediately as their fingers are placed in
The Sprciilrd manner: Il communication cleo
trlc III action is formed. After the requisite
| time the vibrations of the table commence.
iut to dispense with the alphabetical series
attached AMI to proceed. The next step
the operator by concentration of aciU is
enabled TO control by voition the table
ana the party present. 1t is a PSyc,ologi-
cal Influence eycrtc.l. The operator has ms
1T were identified himself with those around
the table IN Il similar manner us the Psy-
rlloloSiSt does by his manipulations upon
his sul,jccts-thc persons thus placed, the
communication being established, there is
current of electricity, flowing from one to the
other lii Geographic order. This being the
case; maintain the idea which on being
reflected upon by the persons and have not
been impaired 10y words (hc only agents
by which we can inpart our iLcasl are COM
municatcd to the operator, by means Of
electricity, the great INnicyia rita di6uso
lnsen>ihlv and without the knowledge of
rithrr OF the party. TO be more explicit
II one person acts as the operator, the ideas
thought OF 10y the other person are trans
mitted to him electrically. This may seem
unreasonable aud impossible: vet how do
we account for persons thinking of and
Speaking the same thing simultaneously
II Is supposed however when th:s IS the
case, ii is necessary that their electric circles
should be in contact, ifnot a communication
should he established. To carry out the
thread Of reasoning, VIC would transgrcss
upon your patience. The subject admit
extremely mysterious; but is not so mystic
rious or wonderful rs is the lncsmerc coma
or ITS cSs;atlc state clairvoyancc 1t is sub
timely mysterious and affords Il wider scope
Ill which the mind may range nd LJifnm
and finally 10y its own researches loses itself
There are many skcptcs as regards the
truth of Psychology and Mcsmerism, who
would to be eccentric doubt the evidence of
| their cyeSi@ht, to these we would remark,
"whcre Ignorance is bliss tits folly to I've
Wise. Those persons who doubts the exis-
tcncc OF psychological influence! from the
t;:ct they have never witnessed them, we
! would simply refer them to nature and her
teachings. \ single instance will suffice,
the snake charming the bird is an illustra-
ton OF the phenomena, but we must post
ponc it. We believe the subject in 1ucs-
ton Is a psychological phenomenon only
and arc substantiated in our belief, from Il
knowledge Of analogous subjects. Hence
we naturally infer the idea suggested that
man Is able to recall the spirits from ''thc
undiscovered country, from whose bourne
no traveller returns is contrary to reason, to
common sense, and to the revealed truth.
Why do not these spirits so summoned re.
late more than is known to the pa,ties con-
cerncd! That is some one of the party
must be acquainted with the questions
| asked, If not, no answer is given. If one
spirit can be summond forth from its con-
hnes, why cannot any particular one
lave any tidngs been heard from. these
who died centuries ago? If one will man.
Iicst itself through these media, why will
not others 1t is dcusion. How wrong
it is to suffer ourselves to become thus inf,t-
uated! How inconsistent with morality?
The revelations scarcely ever affect the gno-
rant, but to the intellectual who arc of nel-
vous temperament the consequences are aw-
tul, ending in madness and suicide. BY cleo.
tricity mind and matter can be controlled.
l5yit these table motions are maze, and
through it as the great agent these rappings
are caused, checked and controlled. These
are my opinions sir, if they lead to farther
disclosures or or even a clue to the dsclo-
sing of this system shall feel sufficiently
compensated. Therefore 1 hope the matter