The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-07-08


ual manifestations have looked with some
interest for the result Of the investiga-
ton which resulted from an offer by the
Courie, of $500 to any one who would
exhibit in the presence end to tho salts
faction of certain eminent Professors Of
the Natural Sciences in Harvard Uni.
versity, any such marvellous phenomena
as we're commonly reported by Spiritu.
alists as having trapspred in the pres.
ence if not through the agency of certain
persons designated mediums"
The investigation is passed but with.
out any very satisfactory result The
Committee, men of great scientific rep.
utatioo, both in this country and Eu.
rope, make the following award
The Committee award that Dr..
Gardner, having failed to produce before
them an agent or medium who 'commu.
nicated word impaired to The spirits in
IAN adjoining room who read a word
in English written inside q book or
folded sheet of paper who answered
any question which the superior intelli.
gences must be able to answer, who tilt.
ed piano without touching it, or caused
chair to move foot and having fail.
ed to exhibit to the Committee any phe.
nomenon which, under the widest lati.
tude OF Interpretation, could be regard.
ed as equivalent to either of these pro-
posed tests, or any phenomenon which
required for its production, or in any
manner indicated force which could
technically be denominated Spiritual, or
which was hitherto unknown to science
or phenomenon Of which the cause was
not palpable to the Committee. is, there
fore, not entitled to claim from The
Boston Courier the proposed premium
Of $500.
1t is the opinion of the Committee
derived from observation, that any
connection with spiritualstic circles. so
called, corrupts the morals and degrades
the intellect They therefore deem it
thsir solemn duty to warn the communi-
ty against this con terminating ipfueuence
which surely tends to lessen the truth of
man and the purity of woman.
The Committee will publish a re.
port of their proceedings, together with
the results Of additional Investigations
and other evidence, Independent Of the
special case submitted to thcm, but bear
ing upon the subject of this stupendous
delusion
BENJAMIN PElRcE, Chairman.
LIS AGAsslx,
B. A. GOULD jr,
E N HoRLPoRD.
Cambridge, June 20, 1857.
1t is claimed by the spiritualists that
the whole affair was in no sense of the
word an Investigation, and that nothing
was proved or disproved by it, The fail
uro is attributed to the fact that two of
the committee and one other representa-.
tive of the party manifested an unhappy
temper regarding the affair-treating it
contemporary, and in some respects spite.
fully--which entirely destroyed the pow,
er by which the mediums work 10 ordi-
nary cases. When 10 a room apart from
the committee, it is said the phenomena
were of the most satisfactory character,
but the presence Of the committee COM
pletely SHUT off the influence.
We have not found time to read the
extensive reports of the investigation. "
1t is matter of regret that an investi.
cation from which so much has been ex.
pected should have resulted so unsatis.
factorily-tho general award of the
press, that it proved nothing at all.
One fact seems to be brought out in
this connection little more prominent.
ly than ever before viz. that the spirits
are prone TO desert their patrons in just
the time when their fidelity is most need i.
ed. This is an old trick of theirs, and
one which will not always be overlooked
by credulous public. The charge that
two Of the Com treated the affair con.
temptously, thereby destroying the pow.
er by which the mediums work in ordi.
nary cases, deserves to be treatedonly
with contempt. Strange that the proph.
cts of Baal could not have thought of
this way of saving themselves and gods
from reproacb.