Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-07-08

Among the pestilen,lal brood oil isms "n'on
have. within the last few years. segetated into
such rank luxuriance in the Northern States
spiritualism has been perhaps the most success
full. as we'll as the most dangerous. As long, IN
deed. as few crazy fanatics only protessed be.
nefin H. aud practiced it, hombuggeries and de-
eeptions. il was comparatively harmless bo'
the deusion gradually spread, until IT pene'ra'ed
the higher walks of society and enlisted IN It's
support men whose position gave chafac-
ter and Importance TO an otherwise unho.
tioeable absurdity. An Ex Senator ofthe United
States. and high judicial officer of the New York
Courts. became propagandis,s Of the doctrine OF
spirituasm. and gravely defended II IN the pup
lilo press.
Its evil effects we're apparent IN most dep'or-
able results The unhappy man or woman IN
fected with the deusion, generally neglected all
ordinary pursuits Of industry, aud in many ca
ses ended life by the cup or the dagger OF The
suicide. Apostles of the new belief went about
expounding the faith, stirring up the passions oil
the multitude and developing u morbid condition
of the popular mind. good compensated Tor
these evils. Professions were made, indeed oi
capacity to cure the sick-to secure lost treas
ures, and 10 detect guilt-but tho performance
in no case answered to the promise
Recently, when the spread OF this dangerous
aelusion in the Northern States had produced
serious npprebensions among sensible people
that revolution in society, in religion and III
morality would be the consequence, the editors OF
a Boston paper, the Courier--a journal dIstIn
gushed for its ability and its conservatism pro.
posed to disprove the doctrine by practical test
under the supervision of n committee OF scientific
men. They offered to pay five hundred dollars
TO any spiritual medium who would produce GER
tain phenomena which it was claimed could be
produced provded this committee OF gentle
men, after personal investigation, should decide
that these phenomena could not be accounted for
on scientific principles.
The offer was eccepted-and, one day last
week, the experiments were made, and pronoun
Geo miserable failure Even the pretended
mediums can make no satisfactory excuse for il
and the Committee has published manifesto
to the effec, that nothing was done tina, could be
brought TO sustain the truth of spirtuallsm.
The editors of the Boston Courier deserve the
Hanks of the public for thus di,proving this
miserable superstition. The question is, whether
it will have any sensible effect upon the deluded
men and women who believe, or affect to believe,
in sublime humbug. We afraid not
A belief in spirituaism, and other absurdities
peculiar to Northern society, springs from dis
eased mind. and a false sentiment peryadng the
people. They must be educated anew before
this, or some similar vagary, can be eradicated
from their minds. Dislodge spirtunlism from
among them, and Immediately some other super
stition would take its place. From the time,
antecedent to the revolution. WHEN they burned
innocent old women on suspicion of being witches,
to the present day, the genuine purilans Of New
England have been unable 10 exist without some
such wild and irrational delusion as the now ex-
ploded humbug of spintuali,m