Washington telegraph., 1853-02-23
Confusion worse Confounded.,

Confusion worse COnfOUnded.''
Miss Catherine E. Beecher, the aunt of
"Uncle Toms Cabin" has come in to the
assistance Of those persons who undertake to
explain the various phenomena of spirit
manifestations on theory Of electrical
currents. Miss Beecher is shrewd, hon
est strong minded woman, who has much
more than dipt into mental philosophy, and
we regard her letter as of quite as much i'm
portance as the one we published two or
three weeks ago detailing the remarkable
experience of Ex-senator Simmons of Rhode
Island in the matter Of spirit manifestation
Miss Beechcr writes as follows to the edi-
tors of the New York Tribune, who heads
her communication, "How the Spiritual
Rappers are made
SIR; ! have just witnessed some s.Spirit-
ual Manifestations that may interest your
readers, and perhaps furnish the philosophy
of the singular phenomena thus denomina-
ted.
After witnessing various trippings and
movines of furniture, and after having nv
self taken a ride on a table around room
with no apparent motive power but the deli
cate fingers Of a young lady resting on the
top of it, | was induced to examine still
further.
invited this young lady and another in
the vicinity, who was "a medium" to ex-
pertinent with me alone at my room. In
few minutes my table began to move about
[ requested the young ladies to aoiu it to
move in certain directions, and found that it
was under the control of their volition, but
only at certain times. At other times it
seemed to move without being guided by
them and as [ coniectured by currents of
electricity, that interrupted their power for a
time and then ceased and they recovered it
again.
We then tried spelling with the alphabet,
and with success. One of the young ladies,
conjccturing that in this too, her will might
have some influence, without mentioning her
design, willed that the word mother" should
be spelled by the knocks. 1t was DONE
We tried other words in the same way and
with uniform success. The knockings SEEM
ed to be on the surface Of the table Either
one of the mediums would mentally aciU to
have word spelled, and then the other,
without knowing what it was, would call
over the alphabet, and the word selected was
uniformly spelt A gentleman and several
ladies were called In. and the thing was re-
peased with the same success
My impression is that any person who is
"a medium" in the room, and in some pc
culiar cases persons out of the room, even at
a great distance: might regulate the spelling
by their will Certain phenomena Of clair
voyance, which [ have witnessed come in. to
account for this part. think we have the
key for much which has been mysterious,
and one which probably, in due time, will
end the whole theory Of supernaturalism
Respectfully yours,
CATHARINE E. BEECHER.
So don't we. What are the points made
by Miss Beecher in this communications
1st She was in room with two "spirit me-
diums and the tables began to move about
Cd These tables moved genarally in accord
ance with the will of the mediums, but some
times without and against their will Sd
Knocks were heard upon the tables, and the
mediums willed that certain words should be
spelled. and they were spelled
Those are the facts stated by Miss Beech
er Then she has two conjectures:- list
That when the tables moved without or
against the will of the mediums, they moved
by currents of electricity, which interrupted
the power of the mediums for time, and
were in their turn interrupted by the power
of the mediums; and ID. That any person
who is medium in room, and some per-
sons who are mediums out of a room, can
regulate the spelling by an exertion of the
will.
Very well: what does all that amount to?
In what way does this explain ''how spirit
ual manifestations are made?" To our ap-
prehension, it is only confusion worse con-
founded. Tables are still. A young lady
who is medium places her hands upon a
table, and it rides the aunt of ''Uncle Toms
Cabin all about the room: This is without
the mediums will" Then other tables
tilt and trot about, and knocks come, and
words are spelt correctly: This is with the
mediums Twill" Then tables move about