The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-07-09

advocates Of Modern SpiritualIsn have mo-
| nOPolized large sbsre Of public attention
during the p past few days 1t was, as most
OF oor readers are aware, announced that a
Convention would Be held at. the Fair
Grounds on the All and 5th inst, but on
FrldOy evening the exercises might be said
to have commenced. Mrs. CoAN, a ties,
medium, was present at the Town Hall, and
produced results which were Calculated to
convey the impression to the minds of the
audience that there is something more in
the demonstrations than is generally suppos-
ed. The manner Of proceeding was this:
Mrs. CoAH seated herself al the table on
the platform, und committee, selected
promiscuously from the audience, consists
ing of Gen. L. v. BIERcE, Hon o. p.
BhowH, Hon. LUTHER Day, DIR. H, PRATT,
e. SPALDIEe, Esq, o. w. STRONG, ESQ.,,
and others, were individually requested 10
write the names Of some six or eight Of their
deceased friends on separate pieces of pa
per, and put each one into an enveloUe.-
They were then scattered about, so that the
writer himself did not know. in which en-.
Lvelope WINS certuin nsme. They were
then given to the medium, who, placing her
finger on one, said, "In the spirit. VIII ose
name is in this envelope PRESENT." She
continued doing SO, touching different one,
until an affirmative response was given, by
three distinct rops.. She then placed that
envelope before her, and inquired "if the
spirit would write his name3'' This was an.
/ swered by three more rups; after which she
took peucl in her hand and a name
was written on paper, (Ota speed ,eneltain-
ed by the most expert reporter we have ever
known,) from right to left and upside dopn.
She then requested the gentleman who had
written it, to look into the envelope, and
see II the name was correct. He did so,
and the name written on the paper and the
one in the envelope were the same. Ones.
ti,nswere then asked as to his age at the time
of death, his occupation, disease OF which
he died, etc., to all of which correct answer
were given. The spirits of soE1e six or
eight OF the former residents of Portage
county were present, and responded ia a
satisfactory manner, to the vurious questions
asked. The committee expressed them.
selves satisfied with the Investigation there
was no deception that they could discover;
the lady did not make the raps; she was
not mesmerized, and they certainly were
not. .. ...a... ........- t,. o.
On Saturday, the exercises began on the
Fair Grounds at lU9 o'clock. What were
the proceedings of that day we are unable
to sa3, as we could not be present. In the
evening, there was an exhbiifcn of pictures
at the town hall, said TO be the wcrk Of spr.
it artists. Our reporter is CT the opinion
that many of the paintings exhibited there
did not evince greut amount Of skill, and
if they are the work Of beings in the upper
sphere, they mast have received rather poor
instruction. There is many an artist in this
poor, miserable, matefiah sinful world,
whose efforts with the pencil and brush are
quite above those drawn from the Modern
Jerusalem, ] and moved by the inspirations
of the upper spheres.
Sund,y was a great day at the Fair
Grounds. The weather being fine, a great
number of persons were present. To at.
tempt a report of the speeches, Or the sen.
timents advocated by the several speakers,
would be top great t,sk. Mr.. KELLoe,
Of Newton Falls, was exceedingly desiroas
to have it understood that he believed moth.
ing in the Bible; that it was all lie, ana
only knaves and ioofs. would pay any at,
tentfon TO its commands. H. believed rea
son ana intelligence to be supreme, and was
emphatically a "higher law" man. He
said that if "Jesus Christ were on earth,
and should utter any thing contrary to his
views Of right, he would not believe him
any sooner than if the devil had jsad the
same thing" One Of the speakers said he
would not exchange places with st. Paul,
if he would give him heaven to boot". A
Mr.. ROBINSON, said that he "could live just
as well without God, as God could live
without him.. He didn't thank God fer any
thiag." Mr.. KELLOGG claimed in the morn
ing, that the spirit of an Italian was speak
ing through him, but it was England
lish, even 10 the dropping Of the h where it
occurred. We understand that the spirit of
an Indian speaks through him, but it is in
the Language Of the Indian while on the
earth. How are these things reconci!ed?--
The italian shonld speak in Italian, as
the Indian does in. Cherokee. He should
not display preference for English cock.
neyism by dropping the h. @% p 1'.,.'
AT the close Of ths tConvention, quite u
discussion arose on the subject of Free
Love. 1t was advocated with much warmth
by several gentlemen and ladies. Mrs.
CoAN, protested at length, against the in.
corporation of that doctrine into the spirit
ual organization, and said that the Lord
created one man for one woman, and one
woman for one man, that they might live
happily together, and concluded her remarks
by saying that if such was part and parcel
of Spirituaiism, she wished to renounce it
Immediately. She was listened to with at