The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-12

monds % CracA.
TO TEE IDIT0R OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
trust 1t Ii not askng too much TO beg the favor Oh
short space in your columns for explanation to which
ind myself forced by Judge Edmonds and the editor OF
the CAvistiaS Spirituals in relation to fiction pre-
pared by nefor the Pioneer Magazine which, say
singularly enough, they have seen At TO repubsh as
fact, and evidence in proof Of "spiritualsm''-
the former in his magazine and the latter in his news
paper.
In order TO render the matter clear 70 YOU is, per-
haps necessary for to state that casting about
for subject il struck mo that had ever passed
IA Imagination the line Of the solemn Shadow Of
DEATH to record what may be the sensations Of dying
man during the momapt Of dissolution, and to sketch
picture of the SCENES to speak, which may open TO
the soul az Il enters upon its second existence.
Knowing that the subject would necessarily involve me
in ideas somewhat metaphysical in their character,
determined in order to render what had to write the
attractive to surroundt with story in the
tive style.
Ny first difficulty to account apparently for the
In which the strange information concerning
death and the Of the physique future world was TO
reach the EARTH and II occurred to that the best
mode of overcoming this difficulty would be to
fictitious character describe his DEATH represent him
conversing up to the last moment, and then allow
him TO give the remainder Of his experience OF DEATH
and description Of that which opening to his gaze
by Of spiritual manifestations" so called.
gave the name Of I" John F. Lane " to my leading
fictitious character located the in San
Francisco, and entitled the article, "rhe Eventful
Nights Of August Doth and 2lst-n
Two three months after it was published, re-
ceived letter from Judge Edmonds, in which he
stated that his attention had been called to the article
by friend in San Francisco and that he had copied the
first half Of it into the November number Of " The
Sacred Circle" This was quite . surprise to me, but
the surprise was as nothing to my astonishment
being made acquainted by him with the fact that he
had several "spiritual" interviews with my defunct
fictitious character, John F. Lane"
must confess scarcely knew what step to take
der the circumstances At first about to write to
several reasons adopt the addressing the
public, with your liberty, through these columns. In
ss .s1 E e Es.a en n:
gone broadcast the U,ion In fact know this to
me- and cannot but feel that the minds Of many
who have perused it, and believe it to be narration Of
second place, the imPelled to tho step am
taking, inasmuch as the argument used by so many
d. that 5Gss ss%na, d
there is enough in spirualsm to convince him. "there
must be something in itcan now be easily refuted.
The fact Is made too evident for that he
has shown himself to the thousands who look for and
Implicitly believe his views on the subject and TO the
ny touching spritualism, carefully and not only one
whose mind can be easily tossed about by the Designing
but as in this instance to be one who Is anxious to de-
Had ne merely republshed an imaginary case Of
"spiritualsm," which contained assertions in
physics impossible in themselves, which, granting
the correctness OF the 'sprtualist" theory, might
have occurred the blunder would not have been
could only be charged with indecent haste in accepting
testimony.
among what has become very numerous sect in Ameri-
ca-how utterly unworthy he is of welding the wide
and increasing influence he unqnestonaby wieids-wili
be plainly by any calm, thinking man, who may
peruse 1.-The Eyentful Nights OF August Goth and 21s
How stands the casef In the first place. the article
nature Of things be true For nee, circumstance
10 recorded which, stripped Of al surroundings, and
reduced TO plain English amounts simply this thata
magnetic needle away from its place north
and went round to the southwest point with jerk,
ms seeSs. that h. acs .ens .hosd not
have suiced to stagFer the Judges creduhty, great
he has shown Il to be.
to believe in spiritualism-who is not willingly blind
could hardly fail to see that the article, whole is
spirtuasm assume the grounds Of the spirituAists,
viz: that all matter conducts this mysterious odc
between mind and natter TO enable the soul
to move matter, as the embodied mind moves the
o, foot and finally At the close of the article show to
what absurdity these positions will lead viz: that
the departed soul can have power its dead body
which common sense and the universal experience Of
mankind teach does not and cannot have For, while
the circie' present at Lanes death charging the
table all sight with the " odc fuid," they uncon.
scousy charge Lanes entire corpse, which, after HIS
soul has given all the information promised suddenly
interrupts the conversation by rising bolt upright in the
bed It's eyes and announcing that the soul feels
world and passing into third state Of existence And
yet instead Of seeing this absurdty Judge monds for
Like sheep to the slaughter, into any ridiculous con-
clusion to which his assumptions may lead him.
Nor this al that should have arrested the attention
Of the Judge OF his coloborateur Of the Christian
SptrttudliH, and OF the sprituahsts generally The
aS to hs % s
this world the next 3d. utterly contrary to the theory
maintained by the sprtualists Lane, for instance do
mics that the soul 10 ethereaEcd matter and that has
shape; he denies that the mmeterih particle occupies
time TO pass through space(that if it doesnt know
foriooth, whether absent friends wen
mot, 1t can ego and ses," and return and let us
know.') lie denies that one must become purer and
better before he advance from state Of existence
to another hereafter, &c, &C. And yet Judge Emonds
in his nfatuation, and his brother OF the Sprit,oli
In his infatuaton, have bndly rspubshea true and
as confederation Of their theory, article distinctly
announcing theory before which their own magnificent
hierarchy Of spheres and crclss,'' and their
seems these sstute Investigators had adopted what
the Irenchman called the Americans motto, Go
! might alluds to the ill.dsguised differences OF
style between Lanes remarks, the remarks OF
as ~e as to other internal eVd.ness COIN, pisniy to
chow that the article could not have been narration Of
facts, but viii only make one more statement in this
Not to 20 into minutia, according to the theory de-
yeoped in i" The Evsntfu Nghts, the soul, at death,
passes into second state of existence different from
this az extension is from weight and in the process Of
time dies there and passes on TO third state, die
from the frat and second the color blue from
meeting and on there being possible inter-
communication between the spirits In the third state
and men upon earth. And yet Judge Edmonds, while
he publishes as true statement according 70 which he
could have had spiritual intercourse whatever
with Lane-even granting that such character had
ever exised-sives to the world conmunics alton from
him.
That those Wto stand al the head OF class of rei.
gioniss in America numbered by thousandsthat those
who the Sir 0racles Of "spruAlists should have
repubished in their journals remarkable proof