New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-09


The COurier by PrG FELTON, He takes the ground
that the manifestations are all the result of impos-
tuIe-Of deception-Of jugglery. He denies that
tables have ever been moved musical instrum nts
played upon by any other than ordinary physical
force. No such thing be says, has ever happened;
no such motion has occurred where precautions
Were taken that absolutely prevented trick and de-
ceptiCn And be offers TO pay $500 to any medium
who will communicate single word, impaired to
the spirits by Prof FELTON, in another room; who VIII
read single word in English, written inside book
or sheet of paper folded in such manner Prof
FELTON, NAV choose; who will tilt piano without
touching it; or cause chair to move q
foot from the position in which Prof. FELTON,
shall place it-wth committee Of scientific gentle
men 10 arrange the experiment. If the medium or
mediums fail to do these things they shall not be re-
quired to pay anything-nOt even tue expenses Incl
dent to trying the experiment II they succeed in
doing any one Of them, they shall receive the five
hundred dollars on the spot To the time for per-
forming the experiment Prof. FELTON, sets no limit
except his own life. And he names a. a committee
who would be satisfactory to himself and the public:
Professor Agassiz PIERCE and Hor-ford Of Harvard
University, and DR.. b. A. Gould, the editor of The
Astronomical Journal his is, apparently fair
proposition and am glad to learn that it has been
accepted by the other side. | do not think, how
ever, that II viii change the opinions Of either party
Professor FELTON, is likely 10 insist upon conditions
that viii altogether prevent the manifestations from
being made, even if they can BE- genuinely made.
He has confused and illogical notions the subject,
and has clear conceptions Of the possible nnlia-
tons and conditions Of the manifestations. For ex-
ample he SAYS: IF the spirits play the nstru-
"nents they play them just as well at the dis
"tancc Of seven eight feet at the distance Of
three fcet they can play them just as well on the
'table as under the table; Just well in the light
as in the dark We ask them to do SO: they re-
fuse or fill TO do so
Now it is not true that the spirits always refuse or
fail to do 80. Instruments have been PLAYED upon
at tine distance of seven or eight feet from the
medium, on the table and in the light. The tcst-
mony 10 the fact Of their having been 50 played is
lust as strong as the testimony to their having been
played in the dark and under the table But
Professor FELTON, most illogicaly chooses to accept
the testimony to the latter fact, and to reject that
which proves the former. He does not seem t. be
aware that he has no logical right TO accept the
testimony of witnesses 10 facts which he arbitrarily
thinks possible, and reject the testimony of the
same witnesses to facts which he as arbitrarily
thinks improbable.
But admitting for the moment that the spirits
play on instruments only at the distance Of three
feet from the nedium-Only under the table and III
the dark-What right has Prof. FELTON, to assert that
they ought to be able to play at the distance Of eight
feet and in the lghtl Apart from all trick or jug
glery il ia easy to conceive that spirit may he
able to do that in the dark which it cannot do in
the light-may be able to do that near the medium
which it cannot do at distance. They themselves
assert that their power to produce the manifesto
tons depends very much, i'll most cases on the elcc
trical Cor what cu call the electrically condition OF
tie atmosphere of the room, and OF the body OF the
medium To assert that they cannot do a thl0g at
ALL because they cannot do it at distance from the
medium or u the light, is as unreasonable as to AS
sert that the magnetic telegraph is humbug be-
cause dispatches cannot be sent along cOthes-ine
or silken cord to put the electrical eel III the
same category because man standing eight feet
from him feels no shock
What the Sprltualists claim as an established
fact il this: That tables can be moved aud instru-
ments played upon by spirits under certain condl-
lions. These conditions generally, though not
invariably that there shall be present IN the room
person whom they-adoptng phrase from Sweden
borg-cal npdIum, whose MORAL mental ana
physical qualities are Of a certain nature which
enables him her to enter into kind of rapport or
communion with the spirits; while the spirits,
through his or her organization or by means OF the
subtle electrical or magnetic enanat0ns which pro-
coed from and surround him or her, can act 10
certain very limited extent upon the matter and
move or otherwise operate upon material objects.
Some of the spirits, aided by the presence Of some
mediums more powerful than others, can cause
material objects to move in daylight, and without
fine actual contact of the medium. The generality
OF them, however, require the medium To be III
contact with the object, and can operate only when
LIGHT is absent or dim, because light m0dfes or DIS
t,lrbs the electrical or magnetic or other subtle
fluids which they use as their means Of moving ma
terial objects. Frequently, also, the presence OF
persons with certain mental moral or Physl-
cal Qualities embarrasses the spirits and
ueakens or disperses the subtle and delicate inlu-
ences by which they work. 1t is easy enough, and
REQUIRES only cheap wit to sheer at these condl-
tons, and to assert that the only qualities which DIS
turb the spirits and the mediums are common sense
and the capacity to observe, and that the only rca-
son Why light is objected to Is because the manifest
ations are Juggling tricks which light would expose.
But trui, philosophic inquirer would admit the
possible necessity of these conditions, unless he had
precise and definite grounds for denying their neces
sity No one is competent to deny them authOrlta-
tyely until he can demonstrate that spirits can IN all
cases communicate with man and operate on mate
rial objects without medium, and IN the presence
of high degree of light Mere vague assertion that
spirits can act upon objects III this world IN the light
as well as in the dark at distance from the medium
as we'll as near him, is not sufficient. No philo-
sopbc value is 10 be attached to the vulgar poetic
romantic notion about spirits, that they are nvarla-
by too sublime wise aud good to NEEDLE with such
pary affairs as the tipping Of table or the beating
Of clilds drum. Neither should any weight Dc
given TO the notion that they are indefinitely power
ful, and consequently if they can do one thing they
can as easily do another.
That notion is merely a noton-an impression -
resting on no basis of knowledge Nearly all that
we really know Of Spirits. if we know anything
spsr from these recent manifestations get FROM
the traditions of the common people and these ira
dtions of ghosts, gobns witches and magclans'
do not lead US if We regard them at ALL TO believe
that spirits always manifest themselves IN sub
lime and digufcd manner. Far from II.
The only other possible source OF knowledge
about spirits is the writings Of Swcdcuborg, who
declare, that be was intimately and openly aSsocla-