The Richmond palladium., 1856-05-29
For the Palladium
Spirit Rappings--No.2 g.

Spirit Rappings..NO. g.
NOT Attributable TO THE DEPARTED.
The preparatory arrangeme nts and peculia
circ umstances necessary 10 bring out tn
spirit manifestations. are generally known. an:
need not particular rehearsal. l. may aid
however. in attempting solution Of thei
cause TO refer, briefly. to few of these cir
cumstances. They are formed. generally, i,
the sitting rooms parlors OF friends, an,
after night, though the spirits may b Gale.
TO perform in day time As well As at night
Wnen occular and audible manifestations ar,
to be made, the lights are ex;inguished AL
the phenomena are exhibited in small circles
congregatcd for the purpose, consisting most
/ ly OF believers. or those who are willing TO b.
convinced. We believe that these spiritua
wonders have never been performed in ds,
light, before a promiscuous audience of five
hundred or a thousand persons. There are
also some special directions for the formation
Of circles. which are designed to ensure sue
cess. The circles should consist of fourteen
half OF them men, and half women
None must be admitted who are skeptical OF
who will not consent to sit in perfectly pass
i've state. They sit. the men on one side oil
the table, and the women on the other, direct
iv opposite. and the masneftc cord must be
taken by all. as is alleged to keep their minds
fixed upon the same subject. and each mus.
assume perfectly passive frame of mind, and
silence must be o5serrsd for an hour, a, least
This certainly looks as much like arrange
ments to charge battery as to coax the spir-
its TO rap!
number of answers are given as TO the
true cause Of the astonishing manifestations
elected under such circumstances 1t NAV
be that the truth has not yet been fully discov-
cred. Absolute certainty. clear as mathe-
matcal demonstration, is not claimed on either
side Of this question; and is unattainable 10
the present state Of knowed se upon the sub
ject. All that can be done is balancing prob
abilities, and ascertaining the strongest.
In this paper we propose to show that they
are not produced by the agency of departed
human spirits. from good angels or the Deity
In the next, we propose to give their probable
cause. according to the best light we at pres
ent have. Before we proceed, we would re-
fer the reader to several works for full and
complete exposition of this remarkable mani
festation and illusion: esprit RAPpISGs Ex-
POSED" by Rev. James Porter. A NJ, and 10
Prof. Dod's SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS Ex.
planned.
That these manifestations not commu-
nications from the above named sources. we
firmly believe. for several reasons.
|. Because such an employment IS altoeeh-
er TOO trifing for those spirits. The spirits
OF the good and the pure. when they leave
the bo ~ return to God who gave them, and
dwell with Christ in Paradise They are en-
gagged. as we are taught to believe. in praising,
admiring and enjoying the infinite persections
Of the lefty. and with powers made perfect.
drinking exhilerating draughts of knowledge
from the eternal fountains of truth flowing
from the throne. What a wonderful descent
TO come to earth at the call of every medium,
and to be required to try its physical strength
IN knocking on tables, and stands and chars,
and raising, tipping and shaking them, for
the amusement or wonder of the company
There IL but one step between the sublime
and ridiculous. and spirtualism makes those
lofty ones take that step very often. Now We
cannot believe that these spirits are subject
10 such degradstioni While alive. they would
have regarded such employ ments too isnoblr,
and an ineXcusable vase OF time. Nor can
We suppose that they have de generated since
they departed our shores. II is not sufficient
10 say that 1t is mans the me iium ; fault
that more noble subjects and modes OF com
are not adopted and that this tri-
Hing IS necessary To convince the unbeever
The company and the me liums do no, dictate
10 the spirits the mode of communica
lions Their announcements would be none
he less acceptable. and fully as convincin. to
sseptics. If they were given in more direct
and dI5nltied manner, appearing visible, or
speaking in audible voice.
III. The com munications Themselves are al
together too trifing. isaoble. and frirolous.
% warrant the belief that they enana;e from
80 hlgh source Ii the revelations embra- /
Led new and importan; principles, affecting
he present and eternal happiness of man. or
my new and vastly Important properties OF
natter, which must obviously have otherwise ;
orever escaped the human powers of ksowl-
sdge, we might more readily believe that they
anne from the spirit land. But these revsla,
IONS are as unimportant, as the mode Of com
is toilsome and tedious The
'Pelling out. by repetition, Of the ALPHABET and
,aps. the names of persons and places and
istes But IL is now affirmed. I'VE have wri-
ing and speaking mediums, and systems Of
philosophy of the highes, order" OF this
philosophy" We shall speak in another place +
But with all these improvements in the spir
;ual teiegraphs. and mediums, not one new
ruth OF great importance has been made
inown Nothing IN the shape of great truths .
u practical import, we assert without the fear
't successful contradiction, has ever been re-
'ealed but what was known before bv the me
ilum or some one Of the company or circle
Nothing has been brough, .orth worthy of
such mountain labor Some of these
are exceedingly low, gross,
7ulgar. and even profans-be6t.ing a grog-
,ery or a blothel!
III. Another objection arises from hei,
ats disco rsry. Why have not the spirits
manifested their revealments before? Mans
'stu.e and wants. physical and spiritual, have
'een the same from the beginning, and all the
lernents and agencies of nature have been
unchanged. No new matter or property of
natter is claimed 10 have been created in
nodern times Why have they not then.