The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-07
MODERN SPIRlTUAlISM.

I'M l0sOpny-Esertls OF Its Early GrOyvtn-1n-
eiignstion CT the Parsons--Farms OF sIanifes-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF Furriture-Trance
Nsdin-Mirsculous Conversion IN Captain
Rynders--Spiritusl Brass B0nds--Writing
Meeia-Ps culIaIitles OF Modern Scripture
PoIyglot Metiis-The Leading lights OF Spi-
ritualism-Rsmssk abie Experience OF Pro-
fessor Reconsideration among the Mig
gers - Pious spiIitualism - Philosophical
SplrituaIIsm and Practical Spirituaiism-
Free observation-disclosures Spirisualisn, &c.
OUR BOSTON CORRESPONDENCE
BosroN, March 4, 1858.
The human mind is a riddle. Its idiosyncracies
are varied and ever varying. Neutrality-suspicious. at
tempt to give the rationale of its outward maDiies
tations and when their theories, replete with dry
and unsatisfactory distractions are perfected some
new phase is unfolded which disjoints their ideas,
and their learned explanations found to be writ
ten in vain. Men may laugh at the past wren
witchcraft and demorology held place in the mind
as living realities. Ignorance may be accounted the
mother of superstition, and common schools and diff
fused intelligence may be pointed at as the proven
tive and the cure. The suggestion is only hypothet
cal, for facts do not always point to that conclu
sion. That Joe Smith was recognized as prophet,
and canonized saint by ignorance is most true. That
the scores of thousands of men and women in the
the valley of the Salt Lake have been collected from
the ranks of the uneducated through the influence of
religious excitement and ready credenciveness is
beyond cavil but attempt to apply that ex
PLANTATION to modern spiritualism, and it
fails entirely: and whilst it is true that
but few persons of emnence in learning and
thought have become its avowed propagandists, yet
the fact does exist that where schools, seminares
l. or,ax, Al
there will be found spirituasm in its greatest power
and if human science is 10 deyelope rational expla
nation of so singular phenomena, it has to deal
with them with refereuce to different laws from
those upon which it has generally depended in at
tempting to account for their existence.
Ny experience in Boston has been made unusually
interesting by my contact with sprituasts and
spirituahsIn. for here / made my drst exodus from
the vulgar plane which you profane mortals occupy;
and have since been having good time generally
among the defunct who have consecrated their invi
sible existences to my amusement for an indefinite
period. ! only regret that have allowed myself to
remain SO long in the belief that there nothing
in the phenomena to pay forthe time passed in their
investigation, and am now making up f r the past
neglect in this regard. Within few weeks be.'les
observing sprituaism in most of its forms Of mani
festation have read extensively of its history and
philosophy, and even this / hsN found to possess
a genuine interest. Allow me then for Il e be-
neft of those as lamentably ignorant as 1
was, TO state suceincty the general facts
connected with its history and external mani
festations, as / have become possessed of them by
reading and observation.
In 1876 Andrew Jackson Davis, cobbler's ap-
prentice, living in Pougbkeepsie, while rnder the
mesmeric manpulations of j. Stanley Grimes, a
phrenologst, made clean jumr from his bench into
the chaotic vortex of modern inspiration, and he
emerged therefrom full edged prophet, leaving his
leather apron behind. A half dozen heterodox par
sons on half pay the witnesses Of this remark
able feat in psychological gymnastics, and being I'M
able to account for his peculiarites upon any hypo
thesis they knew or could divine, they concluded 10
accept Davis as heavens annointed, and at once
they began to dole out his gospel in spoonfuls to
meet the demands OF of sufferers who needed
some light nltriment to enable them TO recover
from condition Of spiritual collapse lto which they
had fallen. The pouderous rhetoric .nd porteutous
aggomeration of fearful ard uuheard Of language
which was evolved by Ia, :, probably under the
provocat.on Of defunct sophomores had about them
the charm of novelty, and as nothing strictly mundane
had ever approached even point OF such .ranjcen
dental depravity they concluded that the language
was clearly traceable u a spiritual origin. Two
years later and the name Of Fox was to achieve a
historical the tiird ttfiie Tic o. tie
leather breecbes, riding on the swell of religious en-
tnusasrn had been carried into haven of safety
where he and his followers builded unto themselves
broad brimmed hats and shad beed coats, which
their unworthy descendants, the young Quakers OF
the present day shed at their BARRIERS, and don the
current style when the spirit NOV them to cut up
any shines supposed TO be abhon mt To the tone OF
ancient Quakerism. The modern Foxes borrowed
in an unseemIy and i'll shspen little house in Hydes
ville Wayne county, N. " and there they called mp
the spirits from their Vastly cellar six feet deep. The
original spirit announced when the means of intcl-
gible communication had been established, that he
was the soul Of q dofunct pedlcr, whom previous
tenant OF the house had amiaby assisted IN getting
~ heaven by cutting his the pedefs) throat alter
which the murderer administered the rites Of burial
over the body in the cellar below. The be 1y was
sought 10y digging, aid though water was found IN
abundant quantities, the "ccd corpus" Of the late
lamcntcd itinerant was not Observable, and with
consistency little remarkable. Me fact of not lind
ing il was regarded as q wonderful CONFIRMATION Of
the spiritual origin Of the phenomena. Among
those who witnessed the primitive efforts OF
the spirits at Pydesye was a, Mrs. Fish,
an elder daughter of the Foxes, residing IN
Rochester; and when she returned home their
ghostships followed her, and took M THEN quarters
In Mr. fshis house, and IT once the "Roche ,ter
knockags' became candidate for public wonder.
Here numbers Of intelligent citizens began To inves
tgate the subject and finding themselves unable tn
account for the phenomena, they concluded That
they proceeded from the source whence they pro.
fessed to come. The theatre OF the operations OF
the SPIRITS gradually cNFn0eu 10 QUIET pHCcSi unu
after doing a driving business az prnsclyttng for
few months in the rural districts, naturally grag
tated towards the show shop on the corier of
Broadway and Ann street New York, where they
turned up in 1850 under the auspices Of the great
Barnum himself, and rapred their ghoaly knuclJes
for the credulous public at dollar q head Soon
after IL became known that the jackson Davis
spirits and the Fox.Fish spirits had commenced
cauclsDg in some spiritual coal hole, and finding
an affinity between them they struck hands, Joined
in ghostly marriage. and in due time that remark
able ncndescfpt chTstened spiritual philosophy
was born. The public watched the progress OF the
ban,ling with considerable interest. The Tribune
was for some time its wet nurse, though il
did turn its philosophical back upon II, when The
spirits with an enterprise in accordance with the
spirit of the age, began TO come IN such multi
form and questionable shapes. But as " 30 Fepr0ye
the Tribune for ia unfathfnness, Providence In its
bounty brought Others 20 the rescue. Judge Ed
monds came forward with his learning and intel