New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-11
New:uprkDailn Tribn,re
SPIRIIT-iL INDECENCIES.

4 few years since, there a sect in Vermont call
ing themselves Puritans who left the churches be-
cause Of their alleged want Of spiritual life. These
people proessed entire purity OF heart and conduct,
and complete emancipation from the control Of human
passions and to demonstrate and exhibit their beatiic
condition men and women stripped Themselves naked
in the public assemblies and goried in their shame.
Men Of considerable intelligence and good
swept away by this foul fanaticsn and participated
in it, heahenish orgies Such consequences ~ might
have been anticipated followed this crisis of the fsn Ri
cisin. and, having accomplished the RUIN OF many fam
lies il became stencil in the nOstrll- OF society, and
soon relieved the world Of its vile presence. similar
history was that OF the Cochchranes in Massachusetts,
within the present century Their public exhibitions
were even more gross than those Of the Purltan-,
and the c,v power wa, in some instances obliged to
intervene for the yindication of public decency The
Nomons have followed in the same track Poygamy
was not an original article Of their faith II has crept
In gradually, through the absolute power granted to
their I'D -crupulous and beasty spiritual guides, and
il j. not unlikely to prove, in very briei period, the
dispersion and destruction Of the sect.
There j. decided tendency in the same direction
among considerable portion of the new and rapidly
increasing sect called Spiritualists Ii would be
injustice 10 most OF the converts to this faith to sup
pore that they do not dke and circumference these
tendencies, sO-far they perceive them. But the
danger consists IN the fact that under the peculiar ns-
cnatiOn Of intercourse with dselnb"died -Prits they
become nsensible 10 improprietes which would shock
their native good sense when in it. ordinary activity
Within the past year there has becn community Of
Sprftuel<tS organized unueI tue uEeCtlon Ol JOhD
u. Spar, and lately d,banded, the history Of which
is carefully suppressed by the spiritual paper. But
that history il instructive and InonitOry, and
promised authentic account OF II from one familiar
With il. details. One vi the propositions made by
the spirits through this " seer, was that the conf
munity should cease 20 use clothing for the pur-
poe Of consealng their persons, aud trust to the
purity of each other. The proposition not sc-
cepted but on the contrary II startled the brethren
ard sisters into the consciousness that Spear =
Xrfp not
Of the csuses OF the ultimate dissolution Of the
community. We hear also from the b--t authority
that there are actually companies OF Spiritual
lets in Boston who cit in circles, perfectly un.
disguised With ciothiug-tbst IL 10 say, in paris
nafnra!ibas-Inen and women Unfortunately! We
should rot credit this statement, did il not come
10 n directly from those that know the facts. We DO
not believe that large proportion OF the Spntuali-.
approve these indecenciesi but II Will be bad sign il
tho refrain from indignant denuncatiou Of them, Or
ltiect to consider the exposure Of them attack
upon Sprituasmii-e il i not unless the doctrine
sud'it, believers assume the responsibility.