Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-04-01
SPIRI &c.
Letter from the Hon. N. p. Talimadse.


slant, containing the proceedings at the "St.
Patrick Anniversary Supper" in the city of
Washington. Amongst other things, General
James Shields, in reply to a complimentary
toast, uses the following language, when speak
ing of the 'peculiarities of the Irish race
They are not led aside by every new-fan-
gled doctrine which becomes current You
never find an Irishman believing in Spiritual
ism he does not take his seat at a table IA
voice-Unless there is good liquor on it, to
watch for the spirits to move it unless as nv
friend remarks, there is good LIQUOR on il, and
then heexpects the spirits to move him
Irishmen cannot be hum
bugged by these humbuggeries of the day"
confess am utterly at a loss to account for
this strange language on this patriotic and joy-
Gus festival, unless the honorable gentleman
had himself been elevated to a spiritual sphere
by imbibing freely of that good liquor of
which he speaks with so much JUNCTION, until be
could say with Caliban,
"I'll swear upon that bottle the liquor Is not
sGT1hly''
But badinage apart, gentleman should al
ways re gentleman, even in his cups IL is
therefore, with deep regret and modification,
that L see the speaker, on this OCCASION turn
ing aside from the legitimate topics of hi.
speech, and thus appealing to vulgar preiu-
dice, and at the same time assailing the opn-
ions and belief of some of the brightest intel
lects OF the age. And when he tells us, "You
never find an Irishman believing in Spiritual
ism, can only say that, if he thinks so, he
knows much less OF the intelligent and edu-
Gated portion of his cOuntrymen than do
L have always been an ardent admirer of the
Irish people and of the Irish character During
the course of long life have had no more
faithful friends than those of the Irish popua-
tiOn, and no one has labored more faithfully or
sincerely to repay their support and kindness
than have done. And those of them who
know me best, would be the last to Join with
the honorable gentleman in an attempted ridi-
eule Of Spiritualism-as subject which from a
thorough investigation, profess to understand.
and which, from his own confession, he knows
nothing about. 1t he wished to set forth the
'pecullarities OF the Irish race, why did he
not trace them as exeInplifed in the charac-
teristics of Emmett of Curran, of Grattan and
OF that host OF worthless whose gallant conduct
and noble sentiments have adorned and gemmed
the pages OF Irish history from the days of St.
Patrick to the present time? Why did he de-
scend from the lofty and ennObling themes on
which his illustriOus cOuntrymen were wont to
dwell, and "liquOr" on topics which their
proud spirits would utterly disdain Why
did he pass heedleSsly by the intolerance and
oppression under which Ireland has groaned
and suffered, for opinions sake, for centuries
past, and exhibit in his own person the same
intolerance for which the blood of his country
men has freely flowed on the scaffold and the
field! Why does he come here to ridicule and
virtually subvert the religious tolerance of our
free government, after having escaped from
the intolerance of his own! Why does he set
himself up, as Sir Oracle, against SpirituaIism,
of which he knows nothing, in opposition to the
ayOwed opinions of some of the most eminent
statesmen and divines and the highest judicial
funetIOnaries OF the country. If he were a low
and vulgar demagOgue l could see motive for
this appeal to public prejudice, but far be it
from me to place the honorable gentleman in
that unenyiable category; L estimate his pub
lie services too highly. And if ever he attains
TO that " bad eminenee" it will be by his own
act, and not by any act of mine. knew him
we'll before he entered upon his military ca
reer, and l admired his amiable qualities
and gentlemanly department; followed him
through his campaigns in Mexico, and was
proud TO see the shamrock of the Emerald Isle
entwined with the stars and stripes of the
American Union. And when saw him. amidst
the battles strife, fall with his back 10 the
field and his feet to the fOe,' | mourned the
sacrifice OF n noble soul in the service of his
adopted country. / rejoiced with the whole
nation In his unexpected recovery; and saw
him with pleasure enter the Senate of the
United States as slight reward for his gal
liant conduct and patriotic services L did not
expect to see him shine in this new sphere of
action like those splendid luminaries that had
gone before him, but fondly hoped he would
be surrounded by the light which still fingered
on their path.
After this brief sketch of the honorable gen
tleman's career, L express my surprise, as /
said In the beginning, at his indiscriminate as
sault upon the advocates Of Spiritualism-meu
VINO have occupied positions as elevated and
whose talents, To say the least, would not suffer
In comparison with his own | cannot even
now account for this unexpected and unjustifi-
able onslaught, unless the honorable gentle
man Is still smsrting under the Just rebuke he
received for his unfsithfulness few years ago
inPresenting to the Senate of the United States
and referring the memorial of myself and thir-
teen thousand Spiritualists for a scientific in
vestigation OF this subject Ny views of his
course were given in the National IntelliSrncer
at the time, and have been preserved for the
benefit of the honorable gentleman and others.
In my Appendix to I" The Healing of the Ma
tions, "a book that will never die-and where
the honorable gentleman will remain the won
der and admiration of after ages had hoped
that that brief controversy would have taByht
him prudence, and that he would have learned
as i have often said, that these "manifesta
lions, the most extraordinary in the history
OF the world, are either spiritual or philosoub
zealand, whether they be the one or the other
are equally entitled to the candid consideration
OF every Intelligent mind. The attempt there
fore, ~ ridicule them is evidence of disordered
intellect, and must recoIl with tremendous ef-
feet upon him who assumes that 'unenyiable
attitude. Believing that the honorable gen.
teman had learned wisdom from experience L
was reJolced TO see him again returned to the
Senate of the United States from the new and
r'sing State OF Minnesota. And respectfully
suggest to him that, when he takes his seat
again In that honorable body, he move to take
up the above mentioned memorial which was
laid on the table. with the assurance that he
VIII there find honorable Senators as devoted
sPirituallsts as myself, and who will do ample
justice In relation to any views be may think
proper 10 present.
Before close this communication. permit
me 10 make another suggestion to the honor
able gentleman. namely, that it is estimated
there are from three to four millions of Spirit-
uallsts IN the United States, and that their
NUMBER q increasing In geometrioal ratio
that spiritualism is spreading rapidly in other
portions Of the wOrld-thst the last humber of
the Westminster Review, in an article opposed
10 il, holds this significant language:
"Our readers would be astOnIshed were we
10 lay before them the names of several of those
q