The Ottawa free trader., 1857-08-01
The Award Of Science on spirituaIism.


ritualism," growing out Of an offer of $500
by Cor through the Courier to any one who
could exhibit in the presence and to the sa
tisfaction of certain eminent Professors o
the Natural Sciences in Harvard University,
and such marvellous phenomena as were
commonly reported Spiritualists As having
trahspired in the presence if not through
the agency of certain persons designated
mediums, has resulted, after a weeks in
vestigation, in the following award:
| The Committee award that DR.. Gar.
dener, having failed to produce before them
an agent or medium who communicated a
word impaired to the spirits in an adjoining
room, who read word in English written
inside book or folded sheet of paper" who
| answered any question (which the superior
| intelligences must be able to answer" " who
tilted piano without touching it, or caused
a chair 20 move foot )" and having failed
to exhibit to the Committee any phenome-
non which, under the widest latitude of in
depreciation, could be regarded as equivalent
to either of these proposed tests, or any phe-
| nomsnon 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, therefore,
not entitled to claim from the Boston Courier
the proposed premium of $500.
" 1t is the opinion of the Committee, de-
rived from observation, that any connection
with the spiritualistic circles, SO called, cor.
rupts the morals and degrades the intellect
They therefore deem it their solemn duty TO
warn the community against this con tamnat-
ing influence, which surely tends to lessen
ft.nf -. Il 81.
1.-The Committee will publish . report of
their proceedings, together with the results
Of additional investigations and other evil
dence, independent OF the special cases sub
mitted to them, but bearing upon the sub
ject Of this stupendous delusion.
BENJAMIN PIERCE, Chairman,
81. S. AGAssIs,
"B. A. GOULD, jr.,
"E y. HoasFoRD.
Cambridge, June 30, 1851"
The Courier in speaking of these "test"
experiments, says:
To bring the matter to test, if possible,
and regarding the significant fact that
the Spiritualists were constantly exhibiting
themselves and their powers for paltry sums,
we offered, on the part of the Courier. the
liberal reward of $500, if any one Of certain
pretended phenomena, which thousands Of
people wer- ready to asservate they had
seen exhibited hundreds of times, were in
reality exhibited in the presence Of com
mttee competent to form an accurate judg- |
ment on the subject. The proposition was
The committee was named and |
agreed upon. We wish our proposition to |
be distinctly understood. Neither the Ccu- !
Tier nor the committee had anything to do, |
but to be present and to see that the specific |
things were done, if possible, which the |
Courier had declared could not be done. |
Upon this it had staked its reputation, and !
upon this other regulations were staked, /
more valuable TO this community and to the |
world than legions Of mediums, and which |
are to last and be respected long after false
hood upon falsehood have successfully cheat
ed the easily deluded multitude
The experiment was tried, and not one
or phenomenon of the ordina-
~ kind so often cited for the public cre-
ience, nor one in any degree resembling
them, was exhibited or even attsmpted |.
Spirits were evoked and not one replied.
With ample time and opportunity allowed,
= the strongest test mediums" to the num-
Der Of eight, were collected from all parts of
he country. The apartments employed
we're selected by the Spirltualsts themselves
At their request the meetings were deferred
rom time to time, in order to allow them to
make every preparation and to enable the
Mediums TO ditfuse favorable spiritual at
nosphere throughout the rooms. All was
oropitious, except the power to convince
hose who would not be convinced, except
oy production of facts. The entire burden
vas upon the Spiritualists to do what they
alleged they could do-and they did nothing.