The Woodville Republican, and Wilkinson advertiser. (Woodville, Miss.) 1853-18??, 1853-03-01
Spiritual Ia Rappinga.

We devote some space this week 10 the sub
ject Of the socalled Spiritual RoRpiaga not
that we suppose any Of our readers are dis
posed 10 have any faith in the pretended sPir-
itual part Of the performance, but that the
mind may be led to investigate the matter
and refer the effects produced 70 their proper
causes. That tables can be moved, and that
nppings are produced, we have not the slight
est doubt but howl That spiritual agency IS
at all concerned in the matter, seems too ride
ulous tothink or speak seriously Of. Our ideas
of the dignity and engagement Of a future
state would undergo a material change, were
we for a moment to think it possible that the
spirits Of the departed could be found nothing
better to engage at, than going about pound
ing tables, hurting brushes across the room,
turning the chairs topsy turvy, or indicating
the whereabouts of some missing pelf or run
away horse, or detailing generally the futile oc-
equations of some absent acquaintance.
Again, to sustain the truth of the spiritual
ity Of the system, Spirits Of departed mortals
would have to possess, to a great extent at
least, the attribute of omnipresence, for we
are told that any of the great deceased may
be conversed with. And suppose, in St. Louis,
a medium was holding converse with the Ghost
of Webster, it is more than reasonable to sup
pose that a hundred other places, other media
might at the same moment be protesting to do
the same thing.
But if you wish to produce the effect try it,
and satisfy yourselves. There are doubtless
here some new phases of electricity or animal
magnetism with the principles of which we
are not now familiar but soon may be. If any
of our friends feel any curiosity on the subject
they will find the plan of operations fully de-
scribed in the following extract from an ex-
change paper:
SPIRITUAL RAPPINGs AND ELECTRIC CURRENTS.
M. Editor-My object in this communi-
cation is not to apologize for the one, or to at
tempt an explanation Of the principles of the
other, of the subject above mentioned; but
simply to state a fact, somewhat connected, at
least in Common deception, with both. was
one of a party of six gentlemen who last night
tried the experiment of "mdking the table
more" The modus operandi was this: We
sat round a common mahogany centre table
say about three feet six inches square, each one
putting his right hand flat upon the table, and
his left hand fat on the back of his neighbor',
hand. We sat in that position fifty eight min
utes, when the table began to move round from
right to left slowly but very p~erceptibly at first
afterwards with so much force that two of us
at opposite corners of the table, pressing agains
it. could not stop it. Three Of us were unbe
levers, when we commenced, as were three
ladies and one gentleman who were present
witnessing the experiment, until such perJec
success, when every one in the room was per
fcctly satisfied. | will simply add that tn
same table was acted upon some months ago
by two of the same party, with eight Others
in twenty-five minutes, and | I'm perfectly con
WINGED that were the table an unvarnished one
t the action could be produced with ten person
in fifteen minutes. If you don't believe i
+, try it yourself.-Sapannah Courier.