Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-09-30
EVENING STAR.
From the N. Y. Commercial Advertser.]
WHAT SPIRIT RAPPING LKADs TO.

"a From the NJ Y. Commercial AdvertserI
WHAT SPIRIT RAPPINa LKADs TO.
The Rev. Adm Ballou. of Hopedale. a
believer in the spiritual theory, but by
repute gentleman Of undoubt-
ed integrity and purity of character, has
addressed the following words of
warning 70 his o.believers, respecting an
evil which is growing up in the camp Of
the deluded victims of the spiritual ~
rappers: ls s1-.a a' D..
"Comparatively few of the spiritual
lists have IS yet become aware Of this
{: Free Love" development but it will
soon be made manifest in sundry quar-
ters. twill have something of . run,
too. Mediums will be seen exchanging
its magnificent congenialities, fondlings,
caresses, and indescribabilities They
will receive relations from high pretend
ing spirits, cautiously instructing them
that the sexual communion of coneenials
will greatly sanctity them for the recep.
ton of angelic ministrations. Wives and
husbands will be rendered miserable,
alienated, parted, and their families bro.
ken up. There will be spiritual matches,
carnal degradstions, and all the ultimate
wretchedness thence inevita ably resulting.
Yet the very persons most active in bring
ing all this about vii: protest their own
purity, will resent every suspicion raised
to their discredit, will accuse all who re
monstrste against their course of doing so
because personally low-minded them
selves, and will stand boldly out in their
real character only when it is no longer
possible to disguise it. All this has com.
me2ced and will be fulfilled in due time
"What is to de done about the error
deprecated Shall it be covered up,
winked at, and allowed to work its mis-.
chiefs without opposition, rebuke, or
alarm! No. Those who are aware of
these mischiefs are in duty bound to
withstand them by timely warning,
faithful reproof, and uncompromising
dis-fellowship. Let the history of spir-
ito carnality admonish us. In every age
there has been an outbreak of it in con-
nection with some form of religion and
philosophical spiritualism, and always
with the same abominable results. Com
mencing with extraordinary professions
of innocence, sanctity, and solemn dis
Chalmers of any desire for indulgence in
carnal sexualism, it has invariably ended
in gross adulteries, fornications, and the
miseries consequent thereupon. Within
the last generation our country furnished
two marked demonstrations of this na.
ture that of the Cochranites in Maine,
and that Of the prophet Matthias and his
adherents in New York. Such cases are
beacons on heights to warn us of i'm
pending dangers. Let us ell take heed
betimes, lest under some spacious pre-.
tence, deceiving spirits in the flesh or out
of it seduce US into the pitfalls of cor
ruption Imust earnestly deprecate and
protest against this error of free-loveiSm
which, have good reason to fear, is be-
ginning to End welcome among spirit
ualists." -
Mr. Ballou's revelation does not sur
prise us |: nor do we think it will sur
prise any one that has marked the prog
ress of the impostuIe practiced under
the false pretence of spirit-rappings and
communications. We do not argue this
from the isolated cases in which the wiles
and arts of these impostors have been
made to subserve unworthy and immoral
purposes, inasmuch as the dupe of the
imposture might reply that those were
abuses of the system and that even the
words of Divine revelation have been
grested from their legitimate meaning
for the excusing Of vice and crime. Nor
do we mean to say that we have, during
our investigations, which have been car.
ried on to some considerable extent, dis.
cover d such direct evidences of the evil
thus above referred to as have been sup.
piled to Mr.. Bailou. 1t was not to be
expected that the uninitiated would be
treated with the confidence shown to the
initiated. But we have noticed, on oc.
casions Of our presence at the more har'
monious circles of spiritual rappings, q
relaxing, however slight, of that compar
ative reserve which usually prevails iT
mixed circles, and the due cultivation
and observance of which are the guards
of propriety and virtue.
That we have not harshly Judged in
this matter, we think inferable, not only
from the warning so earnestly uttered by
the Rev. Mr., Ballou, but from certain
outgivings of the New York Tribune, q
journal that certainly cannot be accused
of hostility to the spiritualists, or to any
developments of kindred character
Some days ago that journal made the
following assertion in an article on tie
general subject of spiritualism: ut is
quite commonly taught by the spirits
that the union of man and woman ought
not only to be based on spiritual compat'
ibility, but that as the inner attraction
varies, the outward relations should also
be made to change, thus securing as fire.
quent, if not as religiously mot,ved, q
change of partners as obtains among the
Oneida periectionists. 2.
The Telegraph, newspaper advocating
spiritualism, denied the truth of this al
legation, and the Tribune thus returns
to the charge: 5-o.,
"It has long been known that there i
no atsurdity that may not now be pu
forth with the authority of spiritua
revelation; and we may be equally sur
that there is no filth or wickedness tha
cannot procure for itself q similar ghost
| " sanction. The man who weakly sub
mits himself, his belief, or bis conduct
| :I.~oo odvn;ttinU that IL |.