Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-02-10
Che Nous DIeaner.
Notes and Comments.

who believe That the so-cailed Spirit Rappers
have the power TO move tables, chairs, &c,
without the application, in some way or other, of
physical strength. Although they have always
claimed this power, and as tar as spectators
could see, demonstrated it in their exhibitions.
yet the general run of spectators, and others,
have fell confident that this apparent result was
produced by some seight of hand, or physical
force exercised on the table in some secret and
unseen manner. Nor have the responsible wri-
tiers. and among them Miss Catharine Beecher.
who have recently published communications in
the Tribune and other papers, and confidently
asserted the fact, been able to command any,
thing like general credence. And among the
skeptics, Notwithstanding all that has been said
or written to convince us to the contrary, we
have honestly ranked ourseIf ill about fort
night ago; when an experiment was made in This
village, which, with US, has set the matter perfect
y at rest:
A party of four or five of our most acute. in
teigent and practical business men, being as
selnbled al the house of one of their number ON
nelghbory visit, concluded, while discussing
'hese splrlt marvels, to give the matter fair
'fla'' acc riding to the method they understood
10 De reSorted 10 by the Rappers to move the ia
the purpose ara ' d the oom 81 iAstaHtr se#s t
the assistance or presence of any mediums, or
professors Of the art, they seated themselves on
| 81, r., 4 A
table, placed their hands firmly on the surface,
and silently awaited the result. In few min
utes their arms BECAME sensIbly affected by the
currents Ell electricity passing down through
their hands to the table, and in ahont fifteen min
utes the table fairly rose from the floor boy
of II or IA years, was then placed upon the ia
Bile, but without any feet to bring the legs
down to the floor Ono OF the men then mounted
it with the same result, though the table begin
nlng to crack, he dismouMed, lest his weight
should break it, and the experiment was contin-
ued with the boy alone, who remained on the
table, which, with its load, vastly amused at his
novel ride, was moved round the room at The will
of the operators, who barely kept hand upon
it, but without exertlng strength enough to
move a pounds weight. The arms of the ope
rators, however, were made very stiff and sore,
for several days, from the novel performance, and
we heard some of them declare they should not be
caught at it again. But they are I'LL unanimous
in their statement of the fact and as unanimous
in their belief tina. the result was obtained BY
the electricity passing from their bodies into the
table.
These facts, of which there is not question,
remove the last doubts we had of an explanation,
on natural principles, of this much discussed
phenomenon of the Rappers. We could easily
see how the supposed spiritual communications
were received on the principle Of cIairvoyance,
and which are, in TACT, nothing more than the
reflection OF the Images that are, or have been,
in the mind of the questioner, or medium but
suppose could be sufficiently charged with cleo
trlcIty or magnetism to produce any visible Ell
feet. could be moved, we could not conceive
That they can be, however, we now consider es-
tablished; but it is certainly a new leaf in the
history OF the electric phenomena and one which
is well worthy Of the attention of the scientific.
The BfGGEsT PorATo OF THE WoRID.-Ws
last Saturday night received friend J. O. Water
mans Oregon Times, in which he announces the
receipt IRON an agricultural TREND, of q potatoe
raised in his vicinity weighing eigh, pounds and
|
Way, 1t would furnish dinner for small CON-
pany OF militia
HE UNAPpEAsABLE FoG.-Reader, did YOU
ever detect man IN mean, dishonest or crlml-
nal action, and, in kindness or mercy 10 him,
keep the secret of his wlckedness to yourself,
1t so, you have made an unappeasable foe. The
consciousness that you know his vileness. and
that he Is In your power, whether he fears YOU
will exercise that power over him or not. will
make him hate you as long as YOU live No
kindness will win his friendship-no favors over
come his secret dislike, which, like pent grief
is more bitter for the reason that he dare not
disclose the cause. 1t is dalk trait in bumau :,
us that 1t is true one; and for this reason we
have long since endeavorel to know as little of
evil OF another as possible, and " much of good
as we can learn OF him; for the latter, when he
becomes apprlsed of your kno Wedge of it, will
produce in his feeling an effect Just the reverse
OF the former and add to his peace and kindly
tcetng as well as your own.
OLD FASHIONED Love MAKING-We SUSPECT
that the difference between the old times and
the new-the change from the natural to the ar
thclal IN our manners, tastes and we had almost
said feelings, which has marked the transition
from the earlier to the latter times, is as great IN
the business Of ove-naking as in every thing
else Ihe love OF the oldea time was evidently
quite different thing from that of the present
day, which, as represented by oul fashionable
novests, has dcgeneraled into sort of base
compound of French phtre-sentinent and
hngl'sh atfectatlon, so different from the
deIlcacy, tenderness, and deep emotion which
characterized the Old fashioned love- tina, we be-,
gin 10 think the genuine article has become en-
tlrely extinct among US.
These remarks have been suggested by tho
receipt, from cultivated gentleman of Massa-
chusetts, OF verbatim copy of love letter,
written by one of his ancestors and ours. to the
young lady he subsequently married.. and pre-,
served IN that branch of the writer's descendants,
we give 1t as fair sample of the love letters of
the educated al that period:
My DEAR
This morning brings with it an opportunity
Of writing, though never was in greater want