New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-02
FROM BOSTON.
From An Occasional Csuesposden..


forgot to give message to you in my last letter
from one Of the persons | told you met at Con-
cord on the occasion therein celebrated. Ii seems
you have had some letters in THE FRIBrSE lately
dated at Boston and signed 90" which letters
have been generally attributed hereabouts to Mr..
Edmund Quincy who has the credit whether justly
or not you know better than |, Of sometimes writ
ing for-your Diurnal. As this mistake had Occa-
stoned him good deal OF questioning and some
correspondence. be wished me 10 ask you TO state
that be was not the person responsible for the same
He had not read the letters, and no more had l. so
neither Of us knew whether he was the worse the
better for the mistaken attributiOn. We only knew
that they had something to do the side or the
other with the Spiritualist Question. Had your
readers known him as well as do there would have
been no need Of this denlal-for think have sell
dom known q more earthly minded aud less splritu-
ally disposed person. However, that Is nothing to
the purpose. was willing, of course, to oblge him
so far as to make this statement in his behalf al
though have often had occasion publicly to find
fault with him, and perhaps nobody knows moro
against him privately than do.
| cannot affirm what his motives were in not read
ing these letters bearing the initials OF his name.
Why did not was that did not want to know any
thing about the next world, its inhabitants aud &C.
equations, 50 long as | can keep my hold on this.
So avoid all opportunities OF peepng through " tue
blanket Of the dark that is hung up between the
two and do not care to hear anything about the ex-
perences Of those that try to lift up corner or to
pick hole in it. The accounts have heard of the
revelations and of the method Of nuraOn, do not
seem 10 me amusing. ! must prefer sitting with a
party Of good fellows round table in bright light.
with every nducement to talk, with our legs under
the mahogany, to surrounding the same IN total
darkness holding tongues, with our hands upon
il. And this proclivity hath been strengthened by
observing the hebetzng effect of death the live.
lest and cleyerest people, who are deplOraby worse
company after they are dead than they were while
living Idare say it shows very low state of mind,
but can't help it. | very much prefer to have the
spirits take mixed with due proportion of clay,
instead Of having them clear and simple They agree
better with my constitution.
Besides, to whisper a word in your ear, and
beg it may go no further, am afraid Of ghosts. \
always was. / don't like them. like them better
with their bodies on don't think it decent in them
to 90 about naked. And the least they can do is to
keep away from people that don't want their so
cicty. Charles Lamb used to say that "he hated
sick people" Well, l hate dead Ones-at least
when they venture, as the ministers say of the
strong-minded women, 'Out OF their appropriate
sphere" OF course, / have no objection to any
L
free country and every one may choose his own as
sociates. ] only claim my right to pick out mine,
and my choice, thus far, has been among the choice
spirits that wear flesh and blood When they have
done with this world and gone to another, why can't
they be satisfied without wanting to come back again.
I am sure | don't grudge them theirs why can't
they let me alone in mnel don't want to mtrlde
upon them. | never knew anybody that did, how
ever much some have professed to know about it,
L III tho,rh hon. t,.lA h.,ty
it was. Let them be equally considerable toward u.s.
For wish you to understand distinctly that
desire the arrangement to b. perfectly fair and equal
on both sides. The only request make is the simple
and rational one of Southern brethren as to their
domestic institutions be let alone. If the spirits
will only keep away from me, will pledge my sacred
honor that will keep away from them just as long
as possibly can. For this end, hapltnhiiy take
the very best care of naturally good constitution
80 that it shall not be my fault If my part of the
bargain should fall through. To be sure l can I'M
apine and excuse on impotence on their part to
enioy nv society. There are agood many yet IN the
ae,h who profess to like it. But lot them consider
how short time'it will be- even at the longest
before shall be made free Of their guild and how
very long We shall be together when that does take
place Now, excellent as my natural constitution is
md great as is the care take oft, and though come
of very long-iyed families both sides, Gan hardly
EXPECT To live much more than fifty or sixty years
longer And what is fifty or sixty years 10 fellows
that have all eternity on their hands They can
surely wait if can.
/ dare say this is not only very low in aspiritual
point of view, but very unphilosOphical into the
bargain ought To be wiling Ia investigate the
phenomena and judge whether they are natural or
spiritual. But you see ain not phliosopher-at
least not natural one-snd hate to be- bored. |
don't think | am called upon to investigate the
he Ia I ul.
have not the qualities Of mind which are the ne
cessary instruments of such inquiries could be
lust AS easily cheated net; and so keep out OF
the way. My way Of stating the proposition ia
this: The phenomena, they called, are either
cheats or they are not That suppose, You will adj.
nit. as Moses in the Vicar of Wakefield had to con-
cede the preliminary proposition OF Squire Ihornhl
Whatever is, as" Now, if they are cheats, OF
course | don't care to trouble myself about them.
II they are really the work of spirits, desire to
give them the widest berth possible for the reasons
above given. And if they be- development OF
seine hitherto undiscovered physical laws, relegate
the inquiry tn the men of science VINO have the
training and the skill for such nvestigatons-whch
| have not And when they tell me all about il |
will believe them, just as look in the almanac to
see when am TO crock the end OF my nose with a
bit Of smoked glass. don't think it duty to cal
crate my own ecipses and they are good deal
stranger things than the Waiting Of a table round
the room with all invisible partner.
You will be pleased to treat these expressions of
opinion MS strictly confidential. As it is said that
the spiritualists now counted by millions, they
may organize into u political party and elect Mr..
Andrew Jackson Davis President Of the United
States; in which case, of course, should wish to
he uncommitted. as il would be pity to injure my
prospects of usefulness for any mere speculations
With this caution will take my leave; for although
/ suppose / might find something to tell you Of, |