The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-06-25

of the communications that were writ.
ten upon this one subject. The con.
gratulations, the counscs, the plans for
the future, the jokes, and the sober sug
gcstions were without end.
in addition to these, l received great
number of communications, purporting
to be prophecies of future events | was
told that tho millennium was shortly to
dawn upon the world, and the glorious
thousand years" would commence in
1856 that before that time there would
be wars, such as had never before been
known. These wars would commence
in Germany, and rapidly spread over
Europe aud Asia, and would result in
the universal diffusion OF civil and relig.
ious liberty. Kings and cmpcrors
would be hurled from their thrones
Louis Napoleon would be assassinated in
his bed chamber, aud France be dcluged
again with blood. The princes of the
world we're rmrhopicalIy termed the
powers of darkness. and that darkness
wcs explained to be ignorance.
I was told that | must believe in the
spirits and their philosophy | requested
that they would communicate to me thai
philosophy and, accordingly, received
six or seven communications each GOV.
erng from three to four pages of fools
cap each commencing with a series OF
aphorisms, and closing with poetry and
l must be permitted to say, that the
ideas and the style Of these productions
were Of the most remarkable character.
Many to whom showed them, declared
their decided conviction that they could
not be the composition of any human
being. The style was not vivid, merely,
but fiery and tempcstuous. | must con.
fess that was utterly bcwildered; and
knew not what to believe or say. l
called upon different poets to write for
me, upon subjects which | should desig
nate; and in this woy, ono afternoon, |
wrote more than ten pages of poetry,
and that while l was engaged in convcr.
saton upon other subjects, disconnected
with those upon which | was writing.
also invoked the spirits to explain
many obscure points in physiology, and
explanations were Immediately given.
I supposed cases OF disease, and pre-rip-
tious we'c forthwith given, with full
directions for the management of the
cases; upon my inquiry whether cancer
| was a curablc disease, | was answered
in the Affirmative, and was told that
sulphur was ,he remedy
called for tie autographs Of the
I signears Of the Declaration of IhdipcD-
dehce and of tho deceased presidents,
as well as of many Of my deceased
! friends; and in many instances the sig
natures thus obtained were very good
limitations of the true signatures. So
you see that have had all the evidence
so far as writing is concerned, which
/ were necessary to convince Charles
Beccber Of spiritual agency Imay say.
indeed, that have additional evidence.
for he mentions nothing about this writ
ing Of autographs, 1t may be asked,
was not convinced by them | an
swcr, did not make up my mind in any
way, until after | had taken time. calm
ly and carefully, to consider and cum
pare all the circumstances | was en-
gagged in writing these communications
for about ono week, during which timo
it may well be supposed that was not
in a condition for calm and sober rctlec-
ton. Attn end of this timo l made
up my mind to stop and post up. square
my books; and see where stood. |
assure you it was no easy matter for me
to stop There was a kind Of enchant-
ment about it which it is impossible for
me to describe aud was bound by a
spell more potent than that by which the
son of Ulysses was kept upon Calypso 5
Isle. But, thanks to my watchful men
tor, I did break away and that entirely,
| now proceed to give you the result ol
my reflections and self-cxaminations.
venture the assertion that no one
has had any stronger evidence ofspirit'
ual intercourse than myself. The writ
ing was altogether inrolnntary; not
only so, J,a the mental operations ,ohich
accompanied Mc tcrtti"g accrc equally
inroluntayy, Almost any one, uuac
quaintcd with the principles of physiolo
gy and psychology, would have uuhesi
tatingly declared that neither tho
thoughts nor tho writing were his own
and would have Immediately attributed
them to disembodicd spirits 6nt my
conclusions were far different.
1t may be said that ny mind was in
fuenccd by prejudice in forming my con
clusions-,hat had previously deter
mined not TO be convinced OF the truth
Of spiritual communication but | sol
emuly aver that this was not the case
On the contrary, was disposed to trea
the subject fairly, aud was anxious tc
to satisfy myself whether there was any
thing in it or not. IT seemed to mC
that, il it were possible to hold convors,
with our departed friends, it would be
the most pleasing thing in the world
But let us SEQ how my conclusions were
drawn, and what were the premises upor
which they were founded.
IN the first place that The ideas origin
atcd in my own brain, was evidenced by
the waste to which my whole nervous
system was subjected, and the effect up
on the process Of nutrition and secretion
throughout the body. Although eDgag
ed in writing only one week, during tha
time ! lost ten pounds in weight; m.
whole nervous system was so affected
H., I oo,,ll hall N nan I ann